Research Source Question

[JohnDLittlefield]

Hi all, this is a double post, so my apologies if you saw it elsewhere, just trying to reach as many of you as possible with this question.

I need some advice and possible direction for a source.
On March 4 1865, members of Potter's troops made an arrest of a man named David C. Ebaugh, a Maryland transplant, in Monck's Corner, SC (near Charleston). They immediately paroled Ebaugh- he was not a Confederate officer or soldier, but had been operating a nitre shed and navy yard on the Cooper River. The arrest was made by Henry Orlando Marcy (35th U.S. Colored Troops) on behalf of Col. Beecher. In the course of capturing Ebaugh, his personal papers, relating to the boats and navy yard, were taken.

Ebaugh was later involved in a claim against the U.S. government for confiscating a paddle wheel steam boat in Feb 1865. In the course of the claim (filed in 1871 and again in 1872), he testified to continued Union support- a false claim, obviously. Although there was evidence presented to show his involvement with the nitre shed (and the Confederate Nitre Bureau), there was no evidence that I have found about his involvement with the navy yard. It seems the confiscated papers would have been great evidence to refute his claim of Union support, but these seem to have disappeared.

I am very interested in locating these missing papers.

Thus far I have checked:
South Carolina Historic Society
National Archives (via Fold3)
Library of Congress
American Civil War Museum
Maryland Historic Society

Now I need to brainstorm with you all and see if anyone may have recommendations for other archives, libraries, etc. to check. Ideas?????

 

[DaveBrt]

Hi all, this is a double post, so my apologies if you saw it elsewhere, just trying to reach as many of you as possible with this question.

I need some advice and possible direction for a source.
On March 4 1865, members of Potter's troops made an arrest of a man named David C. Ebaugh, a Maryland transplant, in Monck's Corner, SC (near Charleston). They immediately paroled Ebaugh- he was not a Confederate officer or soldier, but had been operating a nitre shed and navy yard on the Cooper River. The arrest was made by Henry Orlando Marcy (35th U.S. Colored Troops) on behalf of Col. Beecher. In the course of capturing Ebaugh, his personal papers, relating to the boats and navy yard, were taken.

Ebaugh was later involved in a claim against the U.S. government for confiscating a paddle wheel steam boat in Feb 1865. In the course of the claim (filed in 1871 and again in 1872), he testified to continued Union support- a false claim, obviously. Although there was evidence presented to show his involvement with the nitre shed (and the Confederate Nitre Bureau), there was no evidence that I have found about his involvement with the navy yard. It seems the confiscated papers would have been great evidence to refute his claim of Union support, but these seem to have disappeared.

I am very interested in locating these missing papers.

Thus far I have checked:
South Carolina Historic Society
National Archives (via Fold3)
Library of Congress
American Civil War Museum
Maryland Historic Society

Now I need to brainstorm with you all and see if anyone may have recommendations for other archives, libraries, etc. to check. Ideas?????

Try worldcat.org -- there are a couple of interesting entries that come up when searching David C. Ebaugh. Also try Google Books.

Also, if there are documents in the National Archives, they are plenty of places where they might be without showing up on Fold3. E-mail them.

Many university library manuscripts have nothing to do with the library and their holding frequently do not show up anywhere except when searching on their site. So, start trying university libraries -- I'm serious that you may have to check 50 or more.

 

[Dave Wilma]

Since the papers dealt with a navy yard and boats they may have been forwarded to naval officers. How about naval archives?

 

[JohnDLittlefield]

Since the papers dealt with a navy yard and boats they may have been forwarded to naval officers. How about naval archives?

I made an email inquiry to the Naval Institute a while back, awaiting a response. I've also not had any luck locating the papers through the Naval Historical and Heritage Center.
For clarity, although the shipyard was referred to in the diary of the the arresting officer as a navy yard, it was not Navy sponsored, but a private yard.

 

[rebelatsea]

Have you tried the Naval Museum at Columbus Georgia?

 

[JohnDLittlefield]

Try worldcat.org -- there are a couple of interesting entries that come up when searching David C. Ebaugh. Also try Google Books.

Also, if there are documents in the National Archives, they are plenty of places where they might be without showing up on Fold3. E-mail them.

Many university library manuscripts have nothing to do with the library and their holding frequently do not show up anywhere except when searching on their site. So, start trying university libraries -- I'm serious that you may have to check 50 or more.

The docs in the Nat. Archives are very useful- mostly about the monetary claim against the US gov.

Have you tried the Naval Museum at Columbus Georgia?

No, I haven't. Thanks for the recommendation.