Mary Ann Greenwood Pierce Buford letters to her cousin
Overview
Letters from Mary Ann Buford to an unidentified cousin, concerning family matters and life in the North during the post Civil War years. Mary Ann Buford was the wife of Civil War general, Napoleon Bonaparte Buford.
Dates
- Creation: 1865-1867
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
.5 linear feet (1 box)Letters discuss family matters in the regions of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Newburyport, Massachusetts, Rock Island, Illinois, the shore of Connecticut, Chicago, and Colorado.
Most letters and all envelopes have autograph manuscript annotations by the donor, Robert T.B. Meteyard.
Biographical / Historical
Some prominent names connected with this collection are:
- Buford, John, 1826-1863. Civil War general and half-brother of Napoleon Bonapart Buford. Father was John Buford, Sr. and mother Ann Bannister Watson Buford.
- Buford, Mary Ann Greenwood Pierce. 1st husband was Haywood Pierce; 2nd husband was Napoleon Bonapart Buford (she was his 2nd wife). She was the sister of Sarah Miles Greenwood Lunt (d.1842). She became the caretaker for George Lunt's two daughters (she was their maternal aunt), Marion (May) and Sarah (Lily), after her sister died.
- Buford, Napoleon B., 1807-1883. Napoleon Bonapart Buford was a Civil War general; son of John Buford, Sr. and Nancy Hickman Buford; West Point (1827); his second wife was Mary Ann Greenwood Pierce Buford. Studied law at Harvard, was the half-brother of Civil War general John Buford (1825-1863). Family moved from Kentucky to Rock Island, Illinois. He was financially ruined by the default of Southern bonds held by his bank; served with Union Army from Aug. 1861 to Aug. 1865, was special United States commissioner of Indian affairs in 1868, and U.S. Commissioner for inspecting the Union Pacific railroad from 1867-1869.
- Eagan, Sarah Miles Lunt Biers, 1840-1915. ("Lily"): daughter of George Lunt and Sarah Miles Greenwood Lunt (d.1842); known as Cousin Lily; married Dr. Alfred ?Biers [possibly Beers?] and William T. Egan. Had son Buford Egan .
- Lunt, George, 1803-1885. Son of Abel Lunt and Phoebe Lunt. A.B. Harvard 1824, practiced law in Newburyport in 1827, later a politician, poet, and editor. Had three wives: Sarah Miles Greenwood Lunt (d.1842), Emily Ashton Lunt, and Adeline Treadwell Parsons Lunt. Two of his daughters were: Marion Greenwood Lunt Meatyard ("May") (1835-1915) and Sarah Miles Lunt Biers Eagan ("Lily") (1840-1915).
- Meatyard, Marion Greenwood Lunt, 1835-1915. ("May"): daughter of George Lunt and Sarah Miles Greenwood Lunt (d.1842); known as Cousin May; married Thomas Columbus Meatyard; son Thomas Buford Meteyard.
- Meatyard, Thomas Columbus. (d.1868): aid (Captain) to General Buford; married Marion Greenwood Lunt Meatyard (1835-1915) (May), son Thomas Buford Meteyard (1865-1928). General Buford looked after T.C. Meatyard's widow and small son after father's death in 1868.
- Meteyard, Robert T.B., 1912-. Son of Thomas Buford Meteyard and Isabel Barber Meteyard. Married Mary Hart, children: Martin, Hugh, and Jenny. Donor of these papers.
- Meteyard, Thomas Buford. (1865-1928): b. Illinois, expatriate painter was one of the first Americans to be included in early Post-Impressionist exhibitions. He married Isabel Barber Meteyard. Their son was Robert T.B. Meteyard (b.1912-), the donor of these papers.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent, then chronologically.
Physical Location
b
Immediate Source of Acquisition
*2000M-25. Gift of Robert Meteyard, Danby Croft, Leatherhead Road, Great Bookham, Leatherhead, Surrey KT23 4RR, U.K.; received: 2000 October 13.
Processing Information
Processed by: Bonnie B. Salt
- Title
- Buford, Mary Ann Greenwood Pierce. Mary Ann Greenwood Pierce Buford letters to her cousin: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou00193
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
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