Henry DeWitt Hamilton was born in White Hall, Illinois on February 26, 1863. He was the fifth of six children of B.B. (Benjamin Brown) Hamilton (1822-1894), a Baptist clergyman, and May Ann Chandler Hamilton.
Hamilton attended Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois before receiving an appointment to the United Stated Military Academy at West Point, New York. According to the West Point Archives, after reporting for duty on June 14, 1881, cadet candidate Hamilton was found to be deficient in arithmetic by the Academic Board and was therefore not duly qualified for admission. Hamilton then attended Columbia University for two years and worked as a law clerk before being admitted to the New York State Bar in 1884. While in New York he worked in the law office of Eldridge Gerry, father of Peter G. Gerry, who became the United States Senator from Rhode Island (1917-1929 and 1935-1947).
Hamilton married Ada Estelle Brown (1864-1942) on June 21, 1893 in Plainfield, New Jersey. They had two children, Philip, born June 11, 1894, and Warren, born September 2, 1898.
Before he came to Rhode Island, Hamilton was active in Democratic politics in New York.
In 1916 Hamilton came to Rhode Island to manage the successful campaign of Peter G. Gerry for the United States Senate. After moving to Rhode Island permanently in 1918 he and two partners formed the Hope Publishing Company, which purchased the newspaper
In spite of not having attended West Point, Hamilton had a long and successful military career. In 1884 he enlisted as a private in the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1892. During the Spanish American War he served as a Major in the 201st Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged in 1898. He served as the Adjutant General of the State of New York from January 1, 1913 to December 31, 1914. During World War I he served as a Colonel in the infantry from August to December, 1918. He was appointed Adjutant General of Rhode Island in 1923 and served in that post for one year. Hamilton retired from the National Guard with the rank of Brigadier General.
Hamilton was very active in the Royal Arch Masons, attaining the rank of 33rd Degree Mason. He was a member of many other organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the United Spanish War Veterans.
Hamilton passed away on August 18, 1942 at his home in West Barrington, Rhode Island. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Hamilton's son Philip also attended Shurtleff College. In 1918 he worked as a labor organizer in the western United States before beginning his career as a newspaperman in Rhode Island and California. Warren Hamilton was a Flight 1st Lieutenant in the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. He was in Europe working as a courier for the United States Foreign Service when the German occupation of France began in May 1940. After being interned in Germany he was exchanged and returned to the United States in 1942.
B.B. Hamilton was born February 4, 1822. He married May Ann Chandler on December 21, 1844 in Jersey County, Illinois. He served as a chaplain in the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry from 1862 to 1865. After leaving the Army he resumed his work as a Baptist minister. In 1876 he published a book entitled
Reverend Hamilton died November 11, 1894.
John B. Hamilton, Henry Hamilton's elder brother, was born December 1, 1847. While only sixteen he enlisted in the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, his father's unit. He was honorably discharged two months later after his father refused to consent to the enlistment because of his son's extreme youth. In 1869 he graduated from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois and began his medical practice in Jersey County, Illinois. Dr. Hamilton married Mary L. Frost soon after. They had two children.
Dr. Hamilton was commissioned as an Assistant Surgeon in the Marine Hospital Service (M.H.S.) in 1876 and served as its second Surgeon General from April 3, 1879 to June 1, 1891. Most of his medical career was devoted to public health, especially to developing quarantine procedures to prevent and contain epidemics of diseases such as yellow fever and cholera. After leaving the M.H.S. he taught at Rush Medical College. From 1893 to 1898 he also served as the editor of the
Dr. Hamilton passed away on December 24, 1898. He is buried in the officers' division at Arlington National Cemetery.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Henry D. Hamilton papers, Ms. 2009.009, Brown University Library.
The Henry D. Hamilton papers include correspondence, legal documents, diaries, certificates, writings, publications, photographs, scrapbooks, artifacts and ephemera belonging to Henry D. Hamilton, his father B.B. Hamilton, and his brother John B. Hamilton. Most of the material in the collection is dated between 1837 and 1942.
The correspondence series contains letters dated from 1837 to 1942. The letters to B.B. Hamilton include personal letters from family members and friends as well as letters related to his work as a Baptist minister and his membership in various organizations. While the majority of the correspondence to and from Henry D. Hamilton is personal, some is related to his work as a lawyer and his involvement in politics. Letters to and from other family members are also included in this series.
Much of the material in the business papers originally belonged to B.B. Hamilton. It includes several record books he used when he was the town clerk and Postmaster of White Hall, Illinois. The marriage records are forms supplied by the Illinois State Board of Health which B.B. Hamilton filled out when he performed a marriage. Also included in this series are deeds, most of which are handwritten, legal documents and receipts.
The military papers contain material related to the military service of B.B. Hamilton, Henry D. Hamilton, and Warren M. Hamilton. It consists chiefly of publications of the New York and Rhode Island Adjutant General's Offices. Two Civil War era military passes are included in the material related to B.B. Hamilton.
The Hamilton family genealogy series contains information about the various branches of the Hamilton family as well as organizations to which Henry D. Hamilton belonged such as the Sons of the Revolution and the Society of Mayflower Descendants. Most of the material in the subject files originally belonged to B.B. Hamilton. The records of the Lofton Prairie Anti-Slavery Society, dated between 1836 and 1842, concern the activities of one of the earliest antislavery societies in southwestern Illinois.
The diaries in this collection were kept by B.B. Hamilton between 1857 and 1890. Most of the entries are short accounts of his daily activities, although some also contain notes on religious subjects. The diary dated 1864 contains entries made when he was serving in the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. The writings in these papers include notes on sermons by B.B. Hamilton and pamphlets on various medical subjects written by John B. Hamilton. The majority of the certificates belonged to Henry D. Hamilton; most are related to his membership in the Royal Arch Masons.
The publications series consists chiefly of pamphlets, newspapers, newspaper clippings and the minutes and proceedings of several Baptist associations in Illinois. The photographs include portraits of Henry D. Hamilton as well as pictures of his family members and various associates. Many are not dated and are of people who are not identified. The scrapbooks consist mainly of newspaper clippings concerning the political and military career of Henry D. Hamilton.
Most of the artifacts in this collection are related to Henry D. Hamilton's membership in the Royal Arch Masons. They include commemorative medals, lapel pins, and a Masonic banner in a leather case. The ephemera series includes brochures, postcards, calling cards, tickets and other similar material.
The collection is arranged into the following series:
The Henry D. Hamilton papers were purchased from Ruth O. Westfall in June 1986. Additional material consisting of marriage records and one postcard were given to the Brown University Library by Mrs. Westfall in July 1986.
No further materials are anticipated for this collection.
Brown University Library catalog record for this collection:
Related material at the Brown University Library includes:
The title below was written by a soldier who served in the same unit as B.B. Hamilton during the Civil War. It includes an account of B.B. Hamilton's service as Chaplain in the 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Related collections at other institutions include:
The following may be found at the Library of Congress:
The collection included 5 monographs, 1 map and 7 serials that were catalogued separately. They can be found under the following search entry:
Most of the correspondence in this series is handwritten. The letters to and from B.B. Hamilton include personal correspondence from family and friends as well as letters related to his work as a Baptist minister and his membership in organizations such as the Royal Arch Masons. Much of the correspondence to and from Henry D. Hamilton is personal as well, although some, especially the letters dated 1925, concern his law practice and his political activities.
The letters to B.B. Hamilton from his sons John B. and Henry D. Hamilton have been grouped together. The letters to and from Henry D. Hamilton’s nephew Ralph Hamilton were found together in one envelope, as were the Leverett letters. Additional correspondence from Henry D. Hamilton to his sons Philip and Warren dated 1925 may be found in Subseries E. Hamilton, Henry D. to various correspondents. Correspondence to Warren from both of his parents may also be found in Series 5. Subject files, Subseries P. Warren in Europe and Subseries Q. Warren trunk.
The letters dated 1925 in Subseries E. Hamilton, Henry D. to various correspondents were originally bound in a volume labeled “H.D.H. Letters 1925”. They are typewritten copies of originals numbered from 1-534. An index is included. The letters from this volume have been kept together.
The correspondence in Subseries I. Vermont Academy concerns Warren Hamilton’s expenses, academic performance and other issues that arose when Warren was enrolled there. Most of the correspondence in Subseries R. Leverett letters is between Henry D. Hamilton and his sister Amy Hamilton Leverett. The letter dated 1836 in this subseries is a typewritten copy of the original. The original letter is not found in the Hamilton papers. The letters in Subseries S. Other correspondents are to and from persons not named below.
A postcard addressed to B.B. Hamilton dated May 11, 1881 was given to the Brown University Library by Ruth O. Westfall in July 1986 (Acquisition A89-40). This postcard has been incorporated into the collection.
Any pamphlets, photographs or other material found enclosed in a letter was kept with the letter. Other correspondence may be found in Series 4. Hamilton family genealogy, Series 5. Subject files, Series 6. B.B. Hamilton diaries, and Series 11. Scrapbooks.
This folder includes he postcard dated May 11, 1881 that was donated by Ruth O. Westfall in July 1986 (Accession A89-40).
Most of the material in this series originally belonged to B.B. Hamilton. The church records in this series consist of three small notebooks containing lists of members received and contributors to various causes such as the Bible and Publication Society. They are dated 1870-71, 1872 and 1887. Also included are copies of the order of exercises of the Sunday School Institute, written by B.B. Hamilton. Most of the deeds in this series are handwritten and are for property purchased by the Hamilton family, chiefly B.B. Hamilton, in Illinois. The legal documents include affidavits, a copy of the will of Virginia Chandler Titcomb, a power of attorney, and several resolutions from the State of Rhode Island honoring Henry D. Hamilton. The book of license forms was found in the notebook labeled "Town clerk's memorandum book". The forms were probably used by B.B. Hamilton when he was the town clerk of White Hall, Illinois. The latter also contains an alphabetical list of names labeled “Roster of the 61st Ill. Kansas”. Also included in this series are two account books used by B.B. Hamilton when he was the Postmaster of White Hall and an application for life insurance from Henry D. Hamilton.
Additional church records may be found in Series 5. Subject files, Subseries E. Greenfield School class book. Legal documents may also be found in Series 5. Subject files, Subseries C. Estate of Ada B. Hamilton. Additional marriage records belonging to B.B. Hamilton were given to the Brown University Library in July 1986 by Ruth O. Westfall (Accession A89-40). They have been incorporated into the collection.
The marriage records in this folder that were donated by Ruth O. Westfall in 1986 (Accession A89-40) are in separate envelopes labeled with their accession number. They are dated October 1, 1867 - February 19, 1880 and May 22, 1878-August 4, 1880.
This series contains material related to the military service of B.B. Hamilton, Henry D. Hamilton and Warren Hamilton as well as publications from the New York and Rhode Island Adjutant General's Offices.
Other material related to the Hamiltons' military service may be found in Series 1. Correspondence, Series 6. B.B. Hamilton diaries, Series 8. Certificates, Series 9. Publications and Series 10. Photographs.
This subseries includes two handwritten military passes, copies of orders and circulars from the Grand Army of the Republic, and pamphlets from the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.
This subseries includes a copy of Hamilton’s service record and a “Certificate of Service” from the New York Adjutant General’s Office, his American Legion identification card, a certificate from the President of the United States promoting him to the rank of Colonel, the cover of a book entitled
This subseries contains a copy of the order commissioning Warren a Flight 1st Lieutenant, Aviation Section, A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force) and a letter from Henry D. Hamilton requesting the copy.
This subseries contains publications by the New York and Rhode Island Adjutant Generals' Offices.
This series contains correspondence, applications for membership, handwritten notes and other material related to the history of the Hamilton family. It includes a printed biographical sketch of John B. Hamilton, M.D. and a typewritten copy of Captain Benjamin Brown's 1820 application for a soldier's pension for his service in the American Revolution. The original arrangement of this material has been retained.
The material in this series concerning the Carrollton Baptist Association, the Centennial Dollar Roll, the Greenfield school, the Lofton Prairie Anti-Slavery Society, the record of a public school meeting, and all of the material concerning White Hall, Illinois originally belonged to B. B. Hamilton. Much of it was written in small notebooks. Some of these notebooks have a title and some were used for multiple purposes.
This subseries consists of the handwritten annual reports of congregations which were members of the Association and a notebook containing notes taken by B.B. Hamilton at the Association’s 54th annual meeting.
Additional material concerning the Carrollton Baptist Association may be found in Series 9. Publications.
This is a book of printed receipts for contributions to several educational institutions supported by the Centennial Commission of Baptists of the United States.
This subseries contains legal documents related to the estate of Henry D. Hamilton’s wife Ada.
This subseries contains correspondence, a genealogy of the family of Senator Peter G. Gerry and an unlabeled photograph of a man in a military uniform.
This notebook contains lists of students in various classes. It also includes lists of baptisms, marriages and funerals for the years 1867 to 1881. It was also used as an account book.
The title page of this notebook is inscribed “B.B. Hamilton Commonplace Book Oct. 2, 1844”.The first thirty-three pages concern the Lofton Prairie Anti-Slavery Society, one of the first anti-slavery societies in southwestern Illinois. They include lists of members, the Society’s constitution and records of meetings from Oct. 22, 1836 to Oct. 28, 1842. The rest of the book was used as a memorandum book. Two items were enclosed in the volume. One is a letter entitled “The Salem Church Letter of the North District Association”, dated Sep. 3, 1841. It concerns the Association’s opposition to slavery. The other is an undated letter addressed to the President of the United States in support of B.B. Hamilton’s appointment as Postmaster of White Hall, Illinois.
This subseries includes a booklet containing an address given by Henry D. Hamilton at a Masonic convention in 1927 and directories of members of Hamilton’s lodge in the New York metropolitan area for the same year. Other Masonic material may be found in Series 12. Artifacts.
The memorandum books in this subseries dated 1880, ca. 1880, and 1886-87 were used by B. B. Hamilton. They contain notes on various topics such as sermons, meetings attended, family history and the history of Jersey and Greene Counties in Illinois. The book labeled “Henry D. Hamilton” on the cover appears also to have been used by persons other than him, since it contains lists of meetings attended by B. B. Hamilton and notes on pregnancy and labor.
These notebooks contain the names of persons living in White Hall, Illinois during the years 1869, 1875, and 1877 through 1881. They also include the number of males and females less than six years old and those between six and twenty-one.
This subseries contains material related to Henry D. Hamilton’s campaign to become a Presidential Elector for the Democratic Party in New York in 1912.
This notebook contains notes taken by B. B. Hamilton regarding a public school meeting he attended.
This notebook appears to be an alphabetical list of registered voters in White Hall, Illinois.
This notebook contains the names of school aged males and females for the year 1876.
This subseries consists chiefly of Vermont Academy bulletins and descriptive circulars. They were found in an envelope labeled “Warren Vermont”.
Most of the correspondence in this subseries is to Warren from his mother, Ada Hamilton. The other material includes ephemera such as receipts, brochures and luggage tags as well as two issues of a newsletter entitled
This subseries consists chiefly of receipts and correspondence between Warren Hamilton and his father related to the shipment of Warren’s trunk from New York to Bordeaux, France.
This subseries consists of short notes on a variety of topics, including religion and family history. None of the notes is signed or dated. Some appear to have been written by B.B. Hamilton, others by Warren Hamilton.
This is a typewritten list of club memberships. They appear to be clubs to which Henry D. Hamilton belonged.
This is a typewritten itinerary of a trip to Europe. It is not signed or dated.
This series consists of eleven diaries kept by B. B. Hamilton from 1857 to 1890. They contain short entries concerning his daily activities, such as attending meetings and church services and officiating at weddings, baptisms, and funerals. Some of the diaries, especially the one dated 1857, also include notes on religious subjects. The diary with entries for 1864 was meant to be used for 1863.Similarly, the diary containing entries for 1873 was meant to be used for 1872. Most of the diaries do not contain entries for the entire year. Enclosures such as tickets, calling cards, newspaper clippings, notes for sermons, receipts and any correspondence found enclosed in the diary is kept in the folder for that diary.
This series consists of what appear to be notes for sermons by B. B. Hamilton, most of which are not dated, pamphlets concerning various medical subjects written by John B. Hamilton, two anonymous typewritten items concerning Henry D. Hamilton’s appointment as Adjutant General of New York and the use of the state militia for national defense, a poem by Augustus Post entitled "The Bombing Plane Speaks" and a handwritten booklet by the rhetoric class at the Greenfield Seminary in Illinois entitled “The Ever-Green”.
The book written by B. B. Hamilton entitled
This folder contains the following titles:
This series contains certificates belonging to B.B. Hamilton, Henry D. Hamilton, John B. Hamilton, and Walter Halliday. They are from organizations such as the Royal Arch Masons and the Sons of Temperance as well as from the states of Illinois, New York and Rhode Island. Other certificates may be found in Series 3. Military papers, Series 5. Hamilton family genealogy and Series 6. B.B. Hamilton diaries.
This series contains a variety of published material. It includes the minutes and proceedings of various Baptist Associations in Illinois as well as annual reports and by-laws of the Northwest Masonic Aid Association, of which B.B. Hamilton was a member.
The newspaper clippings are from a many different newspapers. Those dated May-Aug 1872 are pasted into a small bound volume. Most of the clippings dated before 1913 are articles and speeches about political issues of the day. Most of those dated 1913 and later are from newspapers published in New York State and Rhode Island. Many of these later clippings are from a clipping service and concern the military and political career of Henry D. Hamilton, especially his appointment as Adjutant General of New York. Also included in these clippings is a serialized version of Charles Dickens'
Newspapers and pamphlets are arranged by title. Newspaper clippings are arranged chronologically. The folders containing pamphlets also include similar material such as broadsides, fliers, folders, leaflets, and publishers’ prospectuses.
Publications by the New York and Rhode Island Adjutant General’s Offices are found in Series 3. Military papers. Other pamphlets and similar material may be found in Series 1. Correspondence, Series 3. Military papers and Series 5. Subject files. Newspaper clippings may also be found in Series 1. Correspondence, Series 6. B.B. Hamilton diaries and Series 11. Scrapbooks.
This folder contains minutes of the following annual meetings: 38th (1865), 41st (1868), 44th (1871), 45th (1872), 49th (1876), 50th (1877) and 54th (1881).
This folder contains the following newspapers:
This folder contains the following annual reports with minutes: 9th (1883, 11th (1885) and 13th (1887)
This folder contains the following pamphlets:
This folder contains the following pamphlets:
This folder contains the following pamphlets:
This folder contains the following pamphlets:
This magazine is in fragile condition.
This series contains photographs of Henry Hamilton, his family members and various associates as well as several prints. Photographs in which Hamilton can be identified are grouped together even if he is not specifically identified as being in the photograph. The Harold Abbot Titcomb photographs have his name stamped on the back; he does not necessarily appear in the picture. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, is pictured in the oversize photograph taken at the opening of the Cape Cod Canal on July 19, 1914.
The photographs labeled “Other” include two photographs of an army camp, two unidentified buildings, and what appears to be a commemorative plaque engraved with the words “Marshall Ferdinand Foch” and the date Nov. 18, 1921. The prints include several engraved portraits of military officers and one entitled “Peace” by Franz Hanfstaengl.
Other photographs may be found in Series 1. Correspondence, Series 5. Subject files, Subseries D. File on Senator Peter G. Gerry; and Series 11. Scrapbooks.
This series contains nine scrapbooks. Their contents, dating from 1884 to 1934, include newspaper clippings, correspondence addressed to Henry D. Hamilton, ephemera such as invitations, menus and programs, and a few photographs. The material in each scrapbook is not always arranged chronologically. If Hamilton had given a scrapbook a title, e.g. "Personal Scrap Book", the title was retained. All but three of the scrapbooks have been removed from their bindings, which were damaged, and placed in folders. The remaining three scrapbooks are in phase boxes. The eight scrapbooks in Box 11 were returned to the collection after being treated for water damage.
The scrapbooks labeled "New York Adjutant General letters" contain letters congratulating Henry Hamilton on his appointment as the Adjutant General of New York. The scrapbook in Phase Box 2 contains a pamphlet entitled
Phase box 1
Phase box 2
Phase box 3
Much of the material in this series is related to Henry D. Hamilton’s membership in the Royal Arch Masons. Included in the Masonic material are a commemorative coin, medals, lapel pins, a name plate and a large Masonic banner in a leather case embossed with Hamilton’s name.
Also included in this series are men’s wallets, various insignia, two printing plates with Hamilton’s image on them, a red wax seal, and a lock of hair in an envelope labeled "Senator's hair".
With the exception of the Masonic banner, the material in this series is enclosed in envelopes within the box.
The ephemera in these papers include a variety of printed material, much of which is undated. The brochures are from Almira College in Greenville, Illinois, Wellesley College, the Cunard Line, an insurance company and a funeral parlor. The business cards include those of Wellington and Hamilton, a business created by Warren Hamilton and his partner to provide guided tours of chateaux, cathedrals, and the World War I battlefields of France. Most of the calling cards belonged to B.B. Hamilton. The greeting cards and postcards are unused. The postcards include scenes from White Hall, Illinois, France and England as well as a fold-out view of Moscow. Several of the luggage tags were used by Henry B. Hamilton when he was the New York Adjutant General. The tickets are to events such as concerts and fairs.
The material regarding the West and Indians was found together and appears to have been acquired on a trip to the western United States. The other printed material in this series includes but is not limited to invitations, menus, notices of meetings, pledge cards, and several drawings of a hot air furnace.
Other ephemera may be found in Series 5. Subject files, Subseries P. Warren in Europe; Series 6. B.B. Hamilton diaries, and Series 11. Scrapbooks.