Title: William E. Merrill Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1863-1918

Creator:

• Merrill, William E., 1837-1891

Call Number: AGSL Manuscript Collection 35

Quantity: 3.5 cubic ft. (6 boxes)
Repository:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, American Geographical Society Library

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, American Geographical Society Library (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of William E. Merrill, a West Point graduate and Civil War veteran. During the war, he served as an engineer at various levels in the Union Army. The collection contains correspondence of family history, signed copies of books, memorial pamphlets, photos, maps, and family history.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-agsl-agslmss0035

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William Emery Merrill (1837-1891) was an American soldier and military engineer. He was born at Fort Howard, Wisconsin, and was a cadet at West Point beginning in 1854. After graduating first in his class in 1859, he served as an instructor in engineering at West Point until mid-1861 when Merrill was called into active duty in the Civil War.

He first served as Assistant Engineer, Department of the Ohio, from July 15 to September 12, 1861, and was engaged in fortifying Red House, Maryland, and Cheat Mountain and Elk Water, West Virginia. He was a prisoner of war from September 12, 1861 to February 23, 1862 (except November 10-11, 1861) when he escaped and was recaptured. He then served as Assistant Engineer, Army of the Potomac in the Peninsular Campaign from March to April 1862 during the Siege of Yorktown. He took an injured leave of absence from April 16 to May 12 1862 and returned to duty in the temporary charge of the defenses of Washington, DC, May 15 to June 30, 1862. Merrill was then transferred to Kentucky and served as Superintending Engineer of the Defenses of Newport and Covington where he was engaged in the construction of the Defenses of the Kentucky Central Railroad, November 1862 to March 1863 and in charge of the Topographical Department of the Army of the Cumberland. He served as Chief Engineer of the Army of the Cumberland. Merrill and his team's mapping of Georgia prior to Sherman's March to the Sea was intstumental to the campaign's success. For a more complete look at Merrill's history, refer to United States Military Acadamy Library's digitizied Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., from its establishment, in 1802, to 1890: With the early history of the United States Military Academy, Volume II, pages 714 and 715 (http://digital-library.usma.edu/cdm/pageflip/collection/p16919coll3/id/15955/type/compoundobject/filename/print/page/download/start/717/pftype/pdf).

In March 1867, he was raised from the regular army rank of captain to major and in February 1883 to that of lieutenant colonel. From 1867 to 1870 he served as chief engineer on the staff of General Sherman, then in command of the Military Division of the Missouri, and thereafter until his death he was engaged on engineering work for the government. One of the most notable engineering works was the Chanoine wicket movable dam constructed by him at Davis's Island, 5.5 miles below Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Davis Island Lock and Chanoine Dam experimental project was the first lock and dam ever constructed on the Ohio River. Its achievements also included the first rolling lock gates, the largest movable dam built in the 19th century, and the widest chamber in world history. In 1889, Merrill represented the United States Engineering Corps at the International Congress of Engineers in Paris. He died in 1891.

This collection is composed of correspondence regarding family, signed copies of personal books, photos of family and photos from Army service, maps made under Col. Merrill during the Civil War, West Point documents, correspondence regarding engineering, a manuscript, a sketchbook, Merrill family history notes, and his father-in-law, Dr. John C. Spenser's, brass Navy belt plate.

The records are arranged into the following series:

1. Correspondence, 1871-1885
2. General Files, 1855-1918
3. Memorials, 1891-1918
4. Miscellaneous
5. Photographs, 1872
6. Publications, 1870-1881

The files are organized alphabetically by personal name or by subject, then chronologically.

Citation Guide for Primary Sources

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

Acquisition Information

Susan E. Williams, who contributed to the descriptions in the collection, donated the collection to the American Geographical Society Library in August 2018.

Processing Information

Susan Peschel processed the collection in Fall 2018; Georgia Brown created the finding aid in March 2019.

	Series: 1. Correspondence, 1871-1885
Box   1 Folder   1	Merrill's family history, Bound volume of correspondence, 1871-1885
Box   1 Folder   2	Letters from Charles J. Allen: Two handwritten letters to Col. W. E. Merrill, Cincinnati, Ohio, from Charles J. Allen written after reading Merrill's book Iron Truss Bridges for Railroads. 1877
	Series: 2. General Files, 1855-1918	⇧
Box   1 Folder   3	Sketchbook, with faint handwritten title "Merrill's Book, West Point New York" on front, undated
Box   1 Folder   4	"Literature," Typescript manuscript undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Conduct reports on Merrill, U.S. Military: Four conduct reports from West Point, 1855-1857
Box   1 Folder   6	Map of Northern Georgia, made under the direction of Capt. W. E. Merrill, Chattanooga, 1864
Box   1 Folder   7	Lithographed plan "Octagonal Block-House," plan of construction prepared under the direction of Col. Wm. E. Merrill, 1st U.S.V.V. Engineers, Chief Engineer Department of the Cumberland, undated
Box   1 Folder   8	Notes on Merrill family history (acquired before collection was sent to Cowan's Auction by family members), undated
Box   1 Folder   9	West Point pamphlet regarding organ installation in cadet chapel with a foreword by the builder, 1911
Box   1 Folder   10	List of Cadets, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, 1918
	Series: 3. Memorials, 1891-1918	⇧
Box   1 Folder   11	Memorial pamphlet "Colonel William Emery Merrill" prepared at the time of his burial at Arlington Cemetery. , 1891
Box   1 Folder   12	Resolution of the Engineers' Club of Cincinnati on the death of Col. Wm. E. Merrill. Adopted at the annual meeting, 1891
Box   1 Folder   13	"In Memoriam," pamphlet and accompanying typescript copy Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Companion William Emery Merrill, Lieutenant Colonel Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. Brevet Colonel, U. S. A., Cincinnati 1892
Box   1 Folder   14	"Professional Memoirs," Corps of Engineers, United States Army, and Engineer Department at Large. Volume IX No. 48 1917
	Series: 4. Miscellaneous	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1	Navy Officer’s two-piece brass belt plate possibly worn by Dr. John C. Spencer, USN. (Merrill's father-in-law), undated
Box   6 Folder   11	Merrill Collection list detail (created by donor), undated
	Series: 5. Photographs, 1972	⇧
Box   3 Folder   1	Framed photographs of William Emery and Margaret Spenser Merrill, undated
Box   4 Folder   1	Framed photograph assemblage Col. Wm. E. Merrill and the officers who served under Merrill in the 1st United States Veterans Engineers with lithographed floral border, undated
Box   5 Folder   1	Albumen photograph "C. S. Warehouse Chattanooga" with handwritten identification, undated
Box   5 Folder   2	Albumen photograph "C. S. Warehouse and Fire Engine House Chattanooga" with handwritten identification, undated
Box   5 Folder   3	Albumen photograph "Forage Depot Chattanooga" with handwritten identification, undated
Box   6 Folder   1	Carte de visite William E. Merrill, with handwritten notation 'Wm. E. Merrill" lower right corner of the mount, 1872
Box   6 Folder   2	Tintype of four gentlemen in civilian clothes. William E. Merrill without his signature moustache and goatee is probably sitting third from the left, undated
Box   6 Folder   3	Merrill from cabinet card; Photographic portrait of William E. Merrill in uniform copied from the original cabinet card portrait described below, undated
Box   6 Folder   4	Cabinet card portrait of William E. Merrill in uniform, undated
Box   6 Folder   5	Daguerreotype of William E. Merrill in uniform. Likely taken upon his graduation from West Point Military Academy and his promotion in the US Army to Bvt. Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, undated
Box   6 Folder   6	Carte de visite of six staff officers, Department of the Cumberland, and a newspaper man on a ledge at Lookout Mountain, undated
Box   6 Folder   7	"Kindergarten in Newport, Ky." Small albumen photograph titled on reverse; the photograph likely pictures one of his children, undated
Box   6 Folder   8	Merrill in an office; Mounted 7x9 photograph of middle-aged William E. Merrill seated at his desk in an office at an unidentified location, undated
	Series: 6. Publications, 1870-1881	⇧
Box   6 Folder   9	"Non-Tidal Rivers," Personal signed copy of Bvt. Col. Wm. E. Merrill U.S.A. Major, Corps of Engineers, Iron Truss Bridges for Railroads. Methods of Calculating Strains, with a Comparison of the most prominent truss bridges, and new formulas for bridge computations, 1870
Box   6 Folder   10	'Iron Truss Bridges" Personal signed copy of Bvt. Colonel Wm. E. Merrill, U.S.A., Major, Corps of Engineers, translator, Improvement of Non-tidal Rivers, Memoirs by S. Janicki, L. Jacquet, A. Pasqueau, 1881