Erwin/Dunihue Family, 1860 - 1865
Scope and Contents
A collection of correspondence to and from members of the Erwin and Dunihue families of Indiana between 1860 and 1865. The bulk of the collection (19 items) comprises love letters between Lucy Caroline Dunihue (1847-1910) and Williamson Terrell Erwin (1844-1874), who she subsequently married. The remainder are letters to W.T. Erwin from other parties, and correspondence to and from other members of the Dunihue family. The letters between Lucy and Terrell provide some insight into his time as a soldier in the American Civil War, during which he fought at the capture of New Orleans and Battle of Baton Rouge. In September of 1864, Erwin tells Lucy that he will be writing to her father, Daniel Robert Dunihue, and the collection also contains his response indicating that he is happy with their match, but hopes to delay the wedding until the end of the war.
Dates
- 1860 - 1865
Conditions Governing Access
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Biographical / Historical
Williamson Terrell Erwin (1844-1874) was born in Indiana, a soldier in the American Civil War, during which he fought at the Battle of Baton Rouge and capture of New Orleans (1862). Following the war he married Lucy Caroline Dunihue (1847-1910), with whom had three children. A member of the Methodist ministry, Erwin was admitted to the Indiana Conference in September 1865 and held multiple appointments throughout the state. In 1871 he became associate editor of the Evansville Journal, but failing health forced him to retire within a few months. He subsequently made a trip to Europe in the hopes of regaining his strength, but without long-term results. He died in New Harmony, IN on Nov. 20, 1874. The United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC) archive holds some papers and correspondence related to Erwin. Daniel Robert Dunihue (1812-1887), Erwin’s father-in-law, came from a family of Indiana bankers. Letters and other papers related to the family are held by the State of Indiana and the Lilly Library, University of Indiana, Bloomington.
Extent
From the Collection: 30 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
From the Collection: French
From the Collection: Italian
From the Collection: Welsh
From the Collection: Danish
From the Collection: Swedish
From the Collection: Spanish
From the Collection: German
From the Collection: Norwegian
From the Collection: Persian
From the Collection: Japanese
From the Collection: Russian
From the Collection: Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
Creator
- From the Collection: Scheetz, Nicholas B., 1952-2016 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu