Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Day mss., 1855-1906, consists of letters and papers of Silas J. Day, first lieutenant, Company G, 2nd regiment, Oregon mounted volunteers.
- Extent:
- 3.25 Linear Feet (1 box, 1 oversize)
- Language:
- Materials are in English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Day mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Silas J. Day, 1826-1909, was an early settler and judge in Jackson County, Oregon. He was born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, one of thirteen children. When he was twenty, he enlisted to fight in the Mexican-American War, but he saw little combat. After he left the armed forces, he involved himself in the California Gold Rush for several years. On October 10, 1855, he enlisted again, this time to fight in the Rogue River Indian Wars. He became a first lieutenant in Company G, 2nd regiment of the Oregon mounted volunteers under the command of Captain Miles F. Alcorn. In 1870 he was elected clerk, and later County Judge, of Jackson County, Oregon. He was instrumental in building the historic Jackson County Courthouse, completed in 1883.
- Scope and Content:
The Day mss., 1855-1906, consists of letters and papers of Silas J. Day, first lieutenant, Company G, 2nd regiment, Oregon mounted volunteers.
The collection is made up primarily of records, October 15, 1855-May 28, 1856, of Company G, 2nd regiment, Oregon mounted volunteers, of which Miles F. Alcorn was captain. Included are field notes, a muster roll, and a record book of Captain Alcorn for Company G, and a clothing return for Companies D and G. The collection also contains Silas J. Day's commission, April 18, 1856, as first lieutenant in Company G, and for Company D, 2nd regiment, Oregon mounted volunteers, a muster roll of October 15, 1855, at which time Miles F. Alcorn was captain and a return of March 31, 1856, when John F. Miller was captain.
Later items in the collection include reminiscences of Indian hostilities in Oregon, 1851-1855, by James H. Twogood, 1826-1912; a letter from O.S. Pollock to Silas J. Day, November 24, 1902, giving biographical information about her brother, James Pleasant Goodall, a soldier in the Mexican war and in Indian wars of Oregon, and a gold miner in California; a letter, January 2, 1906, to Silas J. Day from John Wesley Hillman, 1832-1915, who commanded the expedition which found the bodies of the Ledfords after their massacre by the Rogue River Indians, giving autobiographical information; and a photograph of Silas J. Day.
Some of the papers are in an oversize folder.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift: 1946
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged following original order.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility) - OVFlat; ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility)
Indexed Terms
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Day mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu