Theodore J. Eckerson papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss 887

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

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.

Dates

Creation: 1853-1898

Creator

Eckerson, Theodore J. (Theodore John), 1820-1906 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing 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.

Biographical Note

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.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (2 folders in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

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).