Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Theodore J. Eckerson papers, 1853-1898
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Eckerson, Theodore J. (Theodore John), 1820-1906
- Title
- Theodore J. Eckerson papers
- Dates
- 1853-1898 (inclusive)18531898
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (2 folders in shared box)
- Collection Number
- Mss 887
- Summary
- Papers of Theodore J. Eckerson (1820-1906), primarily relating to his military career, but also including letters from Benjamin L. E. Bonneville (1796-1898) and Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885). Eckerson, who emigrated to Oregon in 1849, was in the U.S. Army for most of his adult life. He fought in the Mexican-American War and, in the 1850s, supplied Euro-American volunteers who were fighting Native peoples in the Pacific Northwest.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Theodore John Eckerson was born in 1820 in New York. After working for several years as a printer's apprentice, Eckerson enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 18, beginning a lifelong career in the military. By the time he came to the Oregon Territory in 1849, he had already fought in conflicts between the United States and the Yat'siminoli (Seminole) people of Florida and in the Mexican-American War. In the Oregon Territory, he was stationed at Fort Vancouver. There, he was awarded his first commission as ordnance officer on the recommendation of Ulysses S. Grant and other officers at Fort Vancouver.
In the mid-1850s, during the Rogue River Indian War and the Yakima War, Eckerson supplied munitions and equipment to Euro-American volunteer forces that fought Native peoples. He did so without authorization from the U.S. government, and against the protests of General John E. Wool. Later, in 1865, Eckerson was appointed assistant quartermaster of the United States Army. He retired from military service in the mid-1880s.
Eckerson married Elizabeth McCabe (1831-1907) in 1848; the couple had five children. Eckerson died in Portland, Oregon, in 1906.
Sources: Articles in the Oregonian, 1888-1906; and vital records on Ancestry.com.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of the papers of Theodore J. Eckerson. The bulk of of the collection relates to Eckerson's lengthy military career. These papers include correspondence and orders; pension papers for his service in the Mexican-American War; a copy of a petition to appoint him ordnance officer at Fort Vancouver, signed by Ulysses S. Grant and other officers; lists of supplies and munitions that Eckerson supplied to Euro-American volunteers fighting Native people in 1855 and 1856. Also included are recommendations, signed by Grant, Rufus Ingalls, and George Wright, that Eckerson be appointed assistant quartermaster of the U.S. Army; Eckerson's petition to U.S. Congress for retirement in 1884; and an article in the Oregonian from 1898 that details Eckerson's military career.
Other items in the collection include two letters from Benjamin L. E. Bonneville to Eckerson, dated September 15, 1855 and September 8, 1868; and a handwritten copy and photostatic reproduction of a February 16, 1866 letter from Ulysses S. Grant to Eckerson. The 1855 letter from Bonneville, which is a photostatic reproduction, describes Bonneville's recent activities and his time at Fort Vancouver. The 1868 letter from Bonneville, which is original, discusses Bonneville's time in Little Rock, Arkansas, after traveling there from New Orleans on horseback. Grant's 1866 letter commends James W. Nesmith's actions during and immediately after the U.S. Civil War.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Theodore J. Eckerson papers, Mss 887, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
The bulk of this collection was either gift of Theodore J. Eckerson, or most likely a gift of Eckerson, in the late 19th or early 20th century (RL2022-125-RETRO; RL2022-126-RETRO). Photostatic reproductions of letters most likely acquired in the mid-20th century (RL2022-127-RETRO).
Processing Note
At an unknown date before 2022, the 1898 Oregonian newspaper clipping was photocopied, and the original discarded for preservation purposes.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Rogue River Indian War, 1855-1856
- Yakama Indians--Wars, 1855-1859
Personal Names
- Bonneville, Benjamin Louis Eulalie de, 1796-1878--Correspondence
- Eckerson, Theodore J. (Theodore John), 1820-1906
- Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885--Correspondence
Corporate Names
- United States. Army
Geographical Names
- Vancouver Barracks (Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
