Ebenezer Jolls Ormsbee Papers, 1842-1936 (bulk 1891-1893) MSC 35 MSC 188, Doc 411, Ms Size B Introduction This collection includes the papers of Ebenezer Jolls Ormsbee (1834-1924), lawyer, state legislator, governor, U.S. Indian commissioner, and U.S. land commissioner at Samoa, who was from Brandon, Vermont. The bulk of the collection concerns Ormsbee's tenure in Samoa, 1891-1893. The papers were acquired from the estate of Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee, ca. 1936. Much of her estate went to the Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont and includes many Samoan artifacts. The collection is stored in boxes MSC 35, MSC 188, and Doc 411, and there is oversize material filed at Ms Size B. It occupies 3 linear feet of shelf space. This finding guide was produced in 1995 as part of a project funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Folders 24-31 were reorganized May 2007. Biographical Sketch Ebenezer J. Ormsbee was born June 8, 1834, in Shoreham, Vermont, one of eight children of John Mason and Polly Wilson Ormsbee. The family moved to Rutland in 1845 and three years later to Brandon, Vermont, which was to remain Ebenezer's home throughout his life. He attended the local district school, the Baptist Seminary at Brandon, and the Green Mountain Liberal Institute at South Woodstock, Vermont. He taught school in Pittsford and Brandon from 1854 to 1861 while studying law. In March 1861, he was admitted to the Rutland County Bar and, soon thereafter, enlisted in Company G of the First Vermont Regiment for a period of four months. He then worked with the provost marshal and recruiting service until he re-enlisted in 1862 in Company G of the Twelfth Vermont Regiment. He mustered out July 14, 1863. With his military service completed, Ormsbee began to practice law in Brandon, forming partnerships first with Anson A. Nicholson and then Ebenezer N. Briggs. His public service activities began in 1868 with a four-year tenure as assistant U.S. internal revenue assessor. From 1870 to 1874, he served as state's attorney for Rutland County. He was elected a state legislator in 1872, senator in 1878, lieutenant governor in 1884, and governor in 1886. Ormsbee moved beyond state politics in July 1891 when President Benjamin Harrison appointed him to negotiate with the Paiute Indians at the Pyramid Lake
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 2 Reservation in Nevada to buy back a portion of their reservation. By October, he had successfully negotiated an agreement. In November 1891 he was appointed U.S. land commissioner at Samoa to work settling land claims with the Samoans and land commissioners from Great Britain and Germany. Ormsbee stayed in Samoa until March 1893. He returned to Brandon to practice law and to resume his civic activities as member of the school board, warden of St. Thomas Church, president of the Brandon Free Public Library, president of the Brandon Cemetery Association, and president of the Brandon National Bank. He was also a member of the local lodge of Masons and the C. J. Ormsbee Post No. 18 of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). E. J. Ormsbee married Jennie L. Briggs in 1862, and they had a son, Charles H., in 1864. Jennie died June 1, 1866, and in September 1867, Charles died from dysentery. E. J. Ormsbee then married Frances (Wadhams) Davenport, of Westport, New York. Frances was the daughter of William L. and Loretta Cole Wadhams of Wadhams Mills, New York. She was educated at private schools in Essex and Burlington, Vermont. She had married George D. Davenport of Salisbury, Vermont, in 1860, spent time in Washington, D.C., and at the front lines while her husband fought in the Civil War. George Davenport died in 1864. E. J. and Frances Ormsbee had no children of their own but adopted Frances's brother's niece, Carrie Wyckoff. Carrie was born January 20, 1873, in Annapolis, Maryland, to Ambrose B. and Susan Henderson Wyckoff. Adopted by the Ormsbees after her mother s death (some time before 1883), she became Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee. Her father was a naval officer, and Carrie kept in touch with him and spent some time visiting him. She graduated from high school in 1890 and graduated from Bishop Hopkins Hall in Burlington a year later, before enrolling at Smith College. After graduating from Smith, she studied in Europe and received an A.M. degree from Middlebury College. She was president of the Vermont League of Women Voters and chair of the league's International Cooperative to Prevent War, legislative chair of the Vermont branch of the American Association of University Women; and chair of the Vermont Women's Join Legislative Committee. She also worked in the Washington, D.C. office of the National Council for the Prevention of War. She traveled extensively as a public speaker. Frances Ormsbee died April 18, 1916, having been in poor health for over thirteen years. E. J. Ormsbee died April 3, 1924. Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee died in 1936. Scope and Content This collection includes the papers of Ebenezer J. Ormsbee; his wife, Frances; and their daughter, Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee. The papers in this collection primarily document Ormsbee's work as U.S. land commissioner in Samoa, 1891-1893, although
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 3 there are some records of his work as Indian commissioner and some family and personal papers. The Indian Commission papers include a receipt book of the Office of Indian Affairs and correspondence from 1891 and 1893. The receipt book is for room and board and weighing supplies in Wadsworth and Reno, Nevada. The correspondence from 1891 includes Ormsbee's appointment as Indian commissioner and description and history of the project. There is also a copy of the completed agreement with Piute Indians and the final report of the commission. The 1893 correspondence concerns the settlement of accounts of the commission. The records of Ormsbee as land commissioner in Samoa include copies of correspondence with the U.S. Department of State, particularly Secretaries of State James G. Blaine, John W. Foster, and Walter Q. Gresham; Assistant Secretary of State William F. Wharton; and Frank Partridge, a Vermonter who was solicitor for the Department of State. The letters discuss the work of the commission, the fact that the task defined by the 1889 treaty which was to have taken two years was probably going to take much longer, and some dissatisfaction of the commission expressed by the Natives' Representative, Arthur E. Claxton. There is also a copy of a letter from King Malietoa of Samoa, March 2, 1892. The correspondence of the last four months, December 1892- March 1893, concerns Ormsbee's resignation and the subsequent hesitation on the part of the State Department and the president to accept it because of the possible affect on the work of the commission. There are also reports, memoranda, and public notices (1892-1893) of the land commission made up of Ormsbee and the English and German commissioners Bazett M. Haggard and T. Greiner. An office diary kept by Ormsbee, January 1892-February 1893, describes work of the commission, enumerates claims processed and the outcomes, and includes clippings from the Samoa Times reporting on the commission. In addition to official papers, there are photographs and many copies of speeches about Samoa that Ormsbee and his wife gave upon their return to the United States in 1893. There is, also, a personal diary Ormsbee kept during his tenure in Samoa that occasionally mentions work or social activities but is mostly a record of the weather. Correspondence mentions a well-known Scottish author in Samoa about the same time, Robert Louis Stevenson, and there is an 1892 luncheon invitation to the Ormsbees from him, as well as two typed copies of a speech or essay by Stevenson's mother, Mrs. Thomas Stevenson, dated July 8, 1892. During the Ormsbees' stay in Samoa, their daughter, Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee, was a student at Smith College, and there is much personal correspondence between her and her parents. Mrs. Ormsbee left Samoa in 1892 and corresponded with her husband until his return home in March 1893. After their departure, the Ormsbees kept in touch with people they had met on the island, corresponding with them regularly, especially William A. Blacklock, U.S. vice-consul.
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 4 Some papers in the collection are unrelated to Ormsbee s time in Samoa. He was very active in the affairs of the town of Brandon, and this collection includes a history of the town, records of the cemetery association, and information about the local 100th anniversary of Stephen Douglas (1813-1861), the Brandon native who became an Illinois senator and presidential opponent of Abraham Lincoln. As a veteran of the Civil War and an ex-governor of the state, Ormsbee was active in the Grand Army of the Republic and was in demand as a speaker for Memorial Day celebrations. This collection includes membership documents of the military organizations and copies of his Memorial Day speeches and speeches he delivered on other occasions. He was also secretary of the Vermont Soldiers' Home and collected a series of applications to the home, 1910-1915. In 1921, Ormsbee hosted a luncheon for the eleven ex-governors of Vermont; copies of invitations and replies, a menu, a copy of Ormsbee's welcoming address and newspaper accounts as well as thank-you letters written after the event are part of this collection. There are miscellaneous family documents, including a letter written to John M. Ormsbee of Whiting, Vermont, from Horatio Cattin, February 6, 1842; Mrs. Ormsbee's family account, 1866; E. J. and Jennie L. Briggs s marriage certificate, August 17, 1862; baptismal certificate of Charles Hutchins Ormsbee, son of E. J. and Jennie, October 23, 1864; marriage certificate of E. J. and Frances Davenport, September 26, 1867; discharge of E. J. Ormsbee from the Twelfth Regiment of Vermont Volunteers, July 14, 1863; and an application for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames. There is also biographical and autobiographical information about E. J. Ormsbee and his family. Organization The collection is organized into six series: I. Indian commission records: II. Samoan land commission records; III. Personal papers from Samoa; IV. Correspondence; V. Brandon, Vermont, papers; VI. Ormsbee family papers Related Collections Governor Ormsbee's official papers are part of the Vermont State Archives. The Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont houses many artifacts the Ormsbees collected in Samoa. Middlebury College received a collection of German books that belonged to Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee from her estate. In the museum collection of the Vermont Historical Society are several items from Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee's estate, including a letter opener, straw hat, souvenir ashtray, and commemorative ashtray (37.10.-). There are also several Civil War and GAR ribbons and medals (65.65.-), and a sketch of a proposed memorial to Ormsbee done by the Brandon American Legion post (A-39).
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 5 Inventory I. Indian commission records MSC 35:1 Indian Affairs--receipt book, 1886 2, 1891 3, 1893 II. Samoan land commission records 4 Correspondence with State Department, etc., January-May 1892 5, June-September 1892 6, October-November 1892 7, December 1892-May 1893 8 Samoan land commissioners--claim reports, 1892-1893 9, commission lists, n.d. 10, memoranda and public notice, 1892, land claims of George Pritchard; public notices of Samoan land commissioners, 1892; proclamation by chief justice of Samoa, 1892 MSC 35:11 Office diary, January 1892-February 1893 12 Office diary inserts, 1892-1893 III. Personal papers from Samoa 13 Diary, 1892 14, January-March 1893 15 Receipts for bills paid in Samoa, 1891-1893 16 Inventory of curios 17 Invitations, 1892-1893 (includes invitation from Robert Louis Stevenson) 18 19 Invitations, calling cards 20 Steamship documents 21 Newspaper clippings, 1891 22 Scrapbook on Samoa, 1887-1893 23, 1892-1893 24 Copies of a manuscript (both handwritten & typed) about Samoa 25 Typed miscellaneous notes about Samoa 26 Speeches/essays on Samoan events, including: A Samoan Picnic Native Samoan Churches & Customs European Dress Customs in the South Pacific (anecdotal) Mrs. Ormsbee s lunch with the Samoan Queen A speech about some of the items the Ormsbee s brought back from Samoa
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 6 27 Speeches/essays on Samoan customs, including: Papasea ( Sliding Rock ) Palolo Kava Making Annual Samoan May Meeting & notes on the missionary ship, John Williams 28 Notes/Speeches about the land commission problem in Samoa between Germany, Britain and the US 29 An essay (& notes) by Carries Wyckoff-Ormsbee about Samoa 30 Speeches by Mrs. Ormsbee to various Vermont organizations: Includes 2 copies of a speech delivered by Mrs. Thomas Stevenson 31 Miscellaneous handwritten notes about Samoa 32 Memorial, notes, etc. re: Robert Louis Stevenson, ca. 1894-1895 33 Photographs of Samoa 34 Printed material on Samoa IV. Correspondence MSC 188:1 from Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Ormsbee, 1877-1914 2 Ormsbee to his daughter, 1892 3, 1893-1900 4 Correspondence from Gov. Ormsbee to his wife, September- October 1891 5, October-December 1892 6, January-February 1893 7 Mrs. Ormsbee to Carrie, December 1891-April 1892 8, April -June 1892 9, July-September 1892 10, 1902 11 Correspondence, from Carrie, 1891-April 1892 12, May-August 1892 13, September-December 1892 14, 1893 and undated 15, from Carrie in Germany 1896 16 1922 tributes for E. J. Ormsbee addressed to Rev. Walter Thorpe 17 Correspondence, undated 18 General correspondence, 1865-1886 19, 1887-1890 20, January-October 1891 21, November-December 1891 22, January-February 1892 23, March-May 1892 24, June-July 1892
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 7 25, August-September 1892 26, October-November 1892 27, December 1892 28, January 1893 29, February-May 1893 30, June-December 1893 31, 1894 32, 1895 33, 1896 34, 1897-1898 35, 1899-1900 36 Correspondence to Carrie in the 1900s V. Brandon, Vermont, papers Doc 411:1 Brandon Cemetery receipts, 1878-1879 2 Brandon history, clippings and ms. The Brandon Union, 60th Anniversary Supplement, 60, 52 (December 1, 1932) Doc 411:3 100th anniversary of Stephen Douglas, 1913, Brandon VI. Ormsbee family papers 4 Ormsbee, E. J., personal papers--marriage certificate, 1862; baptismal certificate of Charles, 1864; marriage certificate, 1867 5, military papers, 1862, 1924, commission as captain of Company G, Twelfth Regiment of Infantry, 1862; Map of the Seat of War Showing the Battles of July 18, 21, and Oct. 21, 1861; Grand Army Map of the State of Vermont, governor s proclamation Doc 411:6, diary, 1881, 1883, commission to hear and pass upon certain claims again the State of Vermont, 1878, admission to practice before U.S. Supreme Court, 1887 Doc 411:7, appointment as commissioner to negotiate with Indians for the surrender of portions of their respective reservations, 1891, commission as trustee of State Agricultural College, 1888; commission as trustee of University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, 1894; appointment as trustee of the Vermont Reform School, 1894; Doctor of Laws degree from Norwich University, 1893 Memorial Day speeches, n.d. 8, 1891 9, 1894, 1896
E. J. Ormsbee Papers 8 10 Bennington Battle centennial speeches 11 Applications--soldiers home, ca. 1910-1912 12, 1910-1915 13 Ex-governor s luncheon, 1921, invitations 14, menu, address, newspaper account 15, thank-you letters 16 Typed sketch of Ormsbee by Frank C. Partridge 17 Engraving and material concerning entry in National Cyclopædia of American Biography 18 Biographical notes Commission of John Ormsbee as first lieutenant, 1831 Doc 411:19 Family papers--letter of John Mason Ormsbee, 1842; pension application of Polly Ormsbee, 1891; and application for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution Ormsbee, Frances B., application for membership in the Vermont Society of Colonial Dames, with genealogical information Doc 411:20 Family account, Mrs. Ormsbee, 1866 21 Prominent People Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee Has Known 22 Scrapbook, possibly kept by Carrie Wyckoff-Ormsbee 23 Correspondence in 1936 about the will of Carrie Wyckoff- Ormsbee, who left Samoan articles to the University of Vermont, Middlebury College and the Vermont Historical Society 24 Miscellaneous printed material Pilot Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean, March 1893 Doc 411:25 San Francisco earthquake and Samoa Times 26 Newspaper clippings 27 Miscellaneous December 30, 1996; revised May 31, 2007 Revised January 18, 2019