Louisa Russell Family letters

Collection

Identifier: BUSC-2018-001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection includes forty-four letters, primarily written to Louisa Russell (1841 - 1913) of Hooper, Town of Union, Broome County, New York between 1861 and 1866 by her brother James and cousins Carrie, Lydia, and Daniel Russell of St. Joseph County, Indiana, and cousins Sarah and Chester McKinney of Litchfield, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. The collection also includes one letter written by Louisa Russell to her sister-in-law, Louisa Chauncey Russell, and two letters written by Louisa's cousin Chester McKinney to her brother James. Many members of the Russell and McKinney families were serving in the Civil War during the period covered by these letters, which contain frequent references to the conflict and home life.

The correspondence is organized as follows:

- Caroline "Carrie" Russell (later Moore) to Louisa Russell: 4 letters, 1861 - 1865

- Dan Russell to Louisa Russell: 1 letter, December 8, 1864

- James Russell to Louisa Russell: 2 letters, September 26 and November 17, 1864

- Louisa Russell to Louisa Chauncey Russell: 1 letter, December 27, 1864

- Lydia Russell to Louisa Russell: 2 letters, September 23, 1864 and January 29, 1865

- Sarah McKinney to Louisa Russell: 17 letters, 1862 - 1865

- Sarah and Chester McKinney joint letter to Louisa Russell, November 10, 1862

- Chester McKinney to James Russell: 2 letters December 21, 1862 and September 2, 1864 [the latter included in a letter to Louisa]

- Chester McKinney to Louisa Russell: 14 letters, 1863 - 1866

Many of the envelopes in which the letters remain extant, and on most of these Louisa has written in pencil the date on which she wrote a reply.

Dates

Creation: 1861 - 1866

Creator

Russell, Louisa, 1841-1913 (Person)
McKinney, Chester E., 1843-1911 (Person)
Russell, James Lewis, 1843-1864 (Person)
McKinney, Sarah A., 1840-1906 (Person)

Biographical Note

Phebe Louisa Russell (always referred to as Louisa in this collection) was born on May 29, 1841 to Oliver Russell, Jr. (1815 - 1898) and Esther Van Etten Broas Russell (1819 - 1905), of the area known as Hooper in the Town of Union, Broome County, New York. She married Russell Fernando Chauncey (1844 - 1917) on October 12, 1865 and the pair had five children. Louisa died on January 21, 1913; the couple are buried in East Maine Cemetery, Broome County, New York.

Louisa had two brothers: Benjamin Redding Russell (1838 - 1915) and James Lewis Russell (1843 - 1864). Both married sisters of Louisa's husband: Benjamin married Bessie Chauncey and James married Louisa Chauncey (who married as her second husband Joseph B. Johnson after James' death). Both Benjamin (known as "Redding") and James also served in the Civil War: Redding enlisted in Company E, 109th New York Volunteers on August 7, 1862 and served until he entered hospital for illness on September 30, 1864; he was discharged on May 27, 1865. James enlisted on August 29, 1864 in Company E, 50th New York Engineers, and died of illness near Petersburg, Virginia on December 22, 1864.

Other correspondents represented in this collection include:

- Caroline "Carrie" Russell (1841 - 1923) of Penn, St. Joseph County, Indiana. Louisa's first cousin (the daughter of her father's brother Harvey Russell and his wife Margaret Thurston Russell). Carrie married Ephraim Crouch Moore (1841 - 1921) on September 10, 1863.

- Lydia Russell (1845 - 1919) of Penn, St. Joseph County, Indiana. Sister of Carrie. Lydia married Jacob Clay Kiefer on July 2, 1865.

- Dan Russell (1848 - ?). Louisa's first cousin (the son of her father's brother Henry Russell and his first wife Dorothea Ann Terwilliger). Dan's letter mentions that he is visiting the family of Harvey Russell in Indiana but plans to go on to Michigan. We have not succeeded in finding additional information about Dan.

- Sarah A. McKinney (1840 - 1906) of Litchfield, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Louisa's paternal cousin, the daughter of Henry McKinney (1797 - 1879) and Anna Russell McKinney (1800 - 1878). The connection between Anna and Louisa's father is not entirely obvious, but the families were obviously in close contact. Sarah did not marry and is buried with her parents in the Tioga Point Cemetery, Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

- Chester E. McKinney (1843 - 1911) of Litchfield, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Brother of Sarah. Enlisted in Company K, 179th New York Infantry on September 15, 1864; mustered out on June 8, 1865. He married Esther Vanduzer in 1868; they had two children. Chester and Esther McKinney are buried in the Tioga Point Cemetery, Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

Various other members of the McKinney and Russell families served in the Civil War during the period covered by this correspondence and are frequently mentioned in the letters.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists primarily of letters received by Louisa Russell (1841 - 1913) of Hooper, Town of Union, Broome County, New York between 1861 and 1866. Correspondents include her brother James Russell, cousins Carrie, Lydia, and Daniel Russell of St. Joseph County, Indiana, and cousins Sarah and Chester McKinney of Litchfield, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. The collection also includes one letter written by Louisa Russell to her sister-in-law, Louisa Chauncey Russell, and two letters written by Louisa's cousin Chester McKinney to her brother James. Many members of the Russell and McKinney families were serving in the Civil War during the period covered by these letters, which contain frequent references to the conflict and home life.