THS
TENNESSEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY McEWEN, ROBERT HOUSTON, 1790-1868. PAPERS, 1829-1915. Processed by the Manuscripts Section of the Tennessee State Library and Archives BJY and HCO Accession number THS 93 Date
com~leted
10/16/68
Location II-A-5 THS Cage
Mf. Ac. No. 744 The papers of Robert Houston McEwen (1790-1868), merchant in Kingston, Fayetteville, and Nashville, Tennessee; Regimental quartermaster for Colonel John Brown's Regiment in War of 1812; and Superintendent of Common Schools in Nashville, Tennessee, were given to the Tennessee Historical Society, by Waldo Emerson. Linear feet of shelf space occupied: .42 Approximate number of items: 150 and 1 volume Single photocopies of unPublished writings in these ~apers may be made for purposes of scholarly research but reproduction on a large scale is restricted.
Library of Congress catalog card no. MS 69-1876
-1-
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers of Robert Houston McEwen, approximately 150 for the dates 1829-1908, are composed of accounts, 1833-1862, graphical and genealogical data, correspondence, invitations, notices, land records, estate papers, 1858, of John A. McEwen Robert), a Confederate bond, a few Civil War photographs, and school items.
items bioprograms, (son of some
One little volume of accounts kept by Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 18331862, contains personal accounts for Mrs. McEwen and several of her children. Materials for dresses (including velvet, Chintz, calico), gloves, bonnets, lace, handkerchiefs, stockings, pantaloons, shoes, and other items of apparel are carefully listed together with the prices paid for each. Other accounts are for collections of the firm of John A. and Robert H. McEwen, 1858-1865. The bulk of the correspondence is composed of letters of W. B. Robinson who was obviously a business partner of Robert McEwen during the period 1835-1843. There are three Civil War letters written to Miss H. K. McEwen by her cousin, a Federal soldier stationed at Somerset, Kentucky, in 1863. Four letters were written by Robert H. McEwen -- one to his son, John A. and two to his daughter, Kitty, while she was on a trip abroad with Dr. and Mrs. Paul Eve in 1859. These letters are full of news about Nashville and Nashville people and contain some political comments worthy of note. One letter written to Miss Kitty McEwen by Rutherford B. Hayes and wife Lucy in 1867 while he was a member of Congress was franked. The remainder of the correspondence concerns the Union flag flown by Mrs. R. H. McEwen (Hetty Kennedy McEwen) in Nashville during the Civil War, some genealogical data about the Putnam family, and letters from numerous friends regarding the fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrated November 14, 1865, by the McEwens at their home on Spruce Street, Nashville, Tennessee. The guest list included Samuel D. Morgan, James A. McAlister, Jacob McGavock, John M. Hill, John M. Bass, V. K. Stevenson, Rev. R. B. C. Howell, Samuel Watkins, James Nichol, and Major General B. F. Cheatham. Other items include an indenture dated June 23, 1853, made by Robert G. Smiley to Andrew Ewing; a Confederate bond; a number of invitations to balls, picnics, "at homes'', funerals, etc., 1829-1868; clippings; biographical and genealogical data regarding Hetty (Kennedy) McEwen and her husband Robert Houston McEwen; a few Civil War photographs; and some school items for Mrs. Knox's School (Young Ladies Seminary), 1855, 1857, and an Act to incorporate the Nashville Protestant School of Industry for the Support and Education of Destitute Girls which was passed by the Legislature, February 2, 1846. Mention is made in a clipping of the Walladoid Academy, attended by Hetty Kennedy when she was a young girl. No acquisition information.
-2-
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Robert Houston McEwen 1790
Born in Washington County, East Tennessee, near Jonesboro; son of a Virginia surgeon of the Revolution
ca. 1809
Merchant in Kingston, Tennessee
1813
Served as Regimental Quartermaster of Colonel John Brown's Regiment and was present at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
1814
Volunteered for service in War of 1812 on January /.0, 1814, and continued in service until mustered out May 20, 1814
1815
On November 14, he was married to Miss Hetty Montgomery Kennedy of Lincoln County, Tennessee
1815ยท.. 1828 Lived in Fayetteville, Tennessee 1828
Moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and was a merchant until he was elected Superintendent of Common Schools and beqan his collecting agency
1830-1865 Elder in First Presbyterian Church of Nashville; had ten children 1868, Jan.Died in Nashville.
Buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McF.wen
1786
Kennedy family moved to Nashville, Tennessee
1796
Born July 29, daughter of Robert and Esther Kennedy of Scotch Irish descent
ca. 1805-1808 Attended Walladoid Academv 1808
Moved to Fayetteville, Lincoln Countv, Tennessee
1815
November 14, married Robert Houston McEwen
1861-1865 Flew the Union flag in Nashville during the Civil War 1881, Jan.Died in Augusta, Georgia, while on a visit to her sister, Kitty. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemeterv.
I
-3-
CONTAINER LIST Box 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Account book--1833-1862--McEwen, Mrs. Hetty Accounts--1838-1880 Biographical data--McEwen, Robert H. and Hetty Biographical data--Revolutionary War soldiers Correspondence--Berry-Ramsey Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1835-1836 Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1837-1842-Wills Invitations, programs, notices, and calling cards Land records--Indentures, 1853--Ewing, Andrew and Robert G. Smiley McEwen, John A., papers Miscellaneous items--CSA bond; claims against Robert H. McEwen; establishment of military parks Photographs Schools--Mrs. Knox's School and Nashville Protestant School of Industry
-4-
NAME INDEX The following is an index to the correspondence in the Robert Houston ~cEwen Papers, together with the dates of the letters, the addressees. The last number given refers to the folder in which the material is to be found. Berry, Mary, to Kitty McEwen, 1865, 5 Cantrell, William A., to R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 Curtis, James, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Duer, Edward N., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Fowler, J. M., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1877, 5 Hayes, Riutherford] BiirchardT and Lucy, to Kitty McEwen, 1867, 5 [Kennedy], Henry, to sister, Kitty McEwen, n.d., 5 Kennedy, William E., to sister, Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1846, 5 Kimball, George G., to Col. and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 L'Aimond, F., to A. W. Wills, 1908, 5 Mulholland, Hugh, to Kitty McEwen, 1862, 5 McEwen, A. C., to uncle, Robert H. McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, Mrs. Hetty, to General Thomas, 1865, 5 McEwen, Robert E. (4), to cousin, H. K. (Kitty) McEwen, 1863-1864 McEwen, R. H., to son, John McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, R. H., to Kitty McEwen (2), 1859, 5 Putnam, Douglas, to Waldo P. McEwen, 1885, 5 Ramsey, Margaret L., to Waldo P. McEwen (2), 1908, 5 Ramsev, Robert H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Robinson, William B., to A. c. McEwen, 1835, 6 Robinson, William B., to Robert H. McEwen (32), 1835-1843, 6-7 Rosenheim, Louis, to Robert Ewing, 1915, 7 Thomas, George H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 7 Videll, W. H. to Colonel and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, l86S, 7 Willis, Nathaniel, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1842, 7 Wills, A. W., to Waldo P. McEwen, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Secretary of War, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Luke E. Wright, 1908, 7
WILLIAM EDMISTON fl. 1734-1822 m.
(l) Martha Campbell (2) Margaret Montgomery
Margale t E. 1762-f. 1848 m.
(l) Montgomery (2) Robert Harold
W~lll.am
1781-
I
John 1764-1813 m. Margaret Montgomery
Es ther 1766-1823 m. 1785 m. Robert Alice Dean Campbell 1771-1840 Kennedy 1761-1815 (see next chart)
Andrew 1783-
Information taken from data supplied by Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McEwen, ac. no. 1640. Some of the information was confusing so there may be errors.
Campbell 1785m. 1810 Elizabeth Stewart W~l lJ.. arn
Rober~
Campbell
1771-
El~z abeth
1788m. Jonathan Smith
Thdmas 1773-
Mah 1776-
Marthl 1779-
m.
m.
m.
Martha Buchanan
(l)
James Gillespie
Sal ly 1790m.
Gilliland (2) Ebenezer McEwen
Kathe r~ne Moff~tt
Beattie
1795m. 1821 Robert Jones
Campbell
ROBERT CAMPBELL KENNEDY 1761-1815 m. 1785 ESTHER EDMISTON 1766-1823
I
Margaret Montgomery m. George Martin
Margaretta Doak Houston 1816-1867 m. 1835 John Trimble
I
I Martha Campbell
Eliz keth Edmiston
m.
m.
John McConnell -1834
Vance Greer
Sar ah Caroline Wilda 1820m. 1839 John Thompson Jones
I
William Edmiston 1794-1863
m. Elizabeth Willis
John Alexander 1824-1858 m. 1848 Selina Frierson -1850 m. (2) 1856 Sallie Turner
Anna Maria 1828-1866 m. 1852 D. F. Wilkins
I
I
Hetty Andrew Montgomery Jackson 1796-1881 -1842 m. 1815 Robert Houston McEwen 1790-1868
Robert Houston 1830-1873/75 m. Lucy Putnam
Henry Martyn 1834-1861 m. Lucie Curd
I
Mary
McNairy 1799-1854 m. 1816 Thomas Kacheval
I
Miriam Lewis
m. Joel Boone Saunders
Hetty Kennedy Erwin 1840m. John Scott Coleman
com~leted
10/16/68
Location II-A-5 THS Cage
Mf. Ac. No. 744 The papers of Robert Houston McEwen (1790-1868), merchant in Kingston, Fayetteville, and Nashville, Tennessee; Regimental quartermaster for Colonel John Brown's Regiment in War of 1812; and Superintendent of Common Schools in Nashville, Tennessee, were given to the Tennessee Historical Society, by Waldo Emerson. Linear feet of shelf space occupied: .42 Approximate number of items: 150 and 1 volume Single photocopies of unPublished writings in these ~apers may be made for purposes of scholarly research but reproduction on a large scale is restricted.
Library of Congress catalog card no. MS 69-1876
-1-
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers of Robert Houston McEwen, approximately 150 for the dates 1829-1908, are composed of accounts, 1833-1862, graphical and genealogical data, correspondence, invitations, notices, land records, estate papers, 1858, of John A. McEwen Robert), a Confederate bond, a few Civil War photographs, and school items.
items bioprograms, (son of some
One little volume of accounts kept by Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 18331862, contains personal accounts for Mrs. McEwen and several of her children. Materials for dresses (including velvet, Chintz, calico), gloves, bonnets, lace, handkerchiefs, stockings, pantaloons, shoes, and other items of apparel are carefully listed together with the prices paid for each. Other accounts are for collections of the firm of John A. and Robert H. McEwen, 1858-1865. The bulk of the correspondence is composed of letters of W. B. Robinson who was obviously a business partner of Robert McEwen during the period 1835-1843. There are three Civil War letters written to Miss H. K. McEwen by her cousin, a Federal soldier stationed at Somerset, Kentucky, in 1863. Four letters were written by Robert H. McEwen -- one to his son, John A. and two to his daughter, Kitty, while she was on a trip abroad with Dr. and Mrs. Paul Eve in 1859. These letters are full of news about Nashville and Nashville people and contain some political comments worthy of note. One letter written to Miss Kitty McEwen by Rutherford B. Hayes and wife Lucy in 1867 while he was a member of Congress was franked. The remainder of the correspondence concerns the Union flag flown by Mrs. R. H. McEwen (Hetty Kennedy McEwen) in Nashville during the Civil War, some genealogical data about the Putnam family, and letters from numerous friends regarding the fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrated November 14, 1865, by the McEwens at their home on Spruce Street, Nashville, Tennessee. The guest list included Samuel D. Morgan, James A. McAlister, Jacob McGavock, John M. Hill, John M. Bass, V. K. Stevenson, Rev. R. B. C. Howell, Samuel Watkins, James Nichol, and Major General B. F. Cheatham. Other items include an indenture dated June 23, 1853, made by Robert G. Smiley to Andrew Ewing; a Confederate bond; a number of invitations to balls, picnics, "at homes'', funerals, etc., 1829-1868; clippings; biographical and genealogical data regarding Hetty (Kennedy) McEwen and her husband Robert Houston McEwen; a few Civil War photographs; and some school items for Mrs. Knox's School (Young Ladies Seminary), 1855, 1857, and an Act to incorporate the Nashville Protestant School of Industry for the Support and Education of Destitute Girls which was passed by the Legislature, February 2, 1846. Mention is made in a clipping of the Walladoid Academy, attended by Hetty Kennedy when she was a young girl. No acquisition information.
-2-
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Robert Houston McEwen 1790
Born in Washington County, East Tennessee, near Jonesboro; son of a Virginia surgeon of the Revolution
ca. 1809
Merchant in Kingston, Tennessee
1813
Served as Regimental Quartermaster of Colonel John Brown's Regiment and was present at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
1814
Volunteered for service in War of 1812 on January /.0, 1814, and continued in service until mustered out May 20, 1814
1815
On November 14, he was married to Miss Hetty Montgomery Kennedy of Lincoln County, Tennessee
1815ยท.. 1828 Lived in Fayetteville, Tennessee 1828
Moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and was a merchant until he was elected Superintendent of Common Schools and beqan his collecting agency
1830-1865 Elder in First Presbyterian Church of Nashville; had ten children 1868, Jan.Died in Nashville.
Buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McF.wen
1786
Kennedy family moved to Nashville, Tennessee
1796
Born July 29, daughter of Robert and Esther Kennedy of Scotch Irish descent
ca. 1805-1808 Attended Walladoid Academv 1808
Moved to Fayetteville, Lincoln Countv, Tennessee
1815
November 14, married Robert Houston McEwen
1861-1865 Flew the Union flag in Nashville during the Civil War 1881, Jan.Died in Augusta, Georgia, while on a visit to her sister, Kitty. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemeterv.
I
-3-
CONTAINER LIST Box 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Account book--1833-1862--McEwen, Mrs. Hetty Accounts--1838-1880 Biographical data--McEwen, Robert H. and Hetty Biographical data--Revolutionary War soldiers Correspondence--Berry-Ramsey Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1835-1836 Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1837-1842-Wills Invitations, programs, notices, and calling cards Land records--Indentures, 1853--Ewing, Andrew and Robert G. Smiley McEwen, John A., papers Miscellaneous items--CSA bond; claims against Robert H. McEwen; establishment of military parks Photographs Schools--Mrs. Knox's School and Nashville Protestant School of Industry
-4-
NAME INDEX The following is an index to the correspondence in the Robert Houston ~cEwen Papers, together with the dates of the letters, the addressees. The last number given refers to the folder in which the material is to be found. Berry, Mary, to Kitty McEwen, 1865, 5 Cantrell, William A., to R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 Curtis, James, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Duer, Edward N., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Fowler, J. M., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1877, 5 Hayes, Riutherford] BiirchardT and Lucy, to Kitty McEwen, 1867, 5 [Kennedy], Henry, to sister, Kitty McEwen, n.d., 5 Kennedy, William E., to sister, Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1846, 5 Kimball, George G., to Col. and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 L'Aimond, F., to A. W. Wills, 1908, 5 Mulholland, Hugh, to Kitty McEwen, 1862, 5 McEwen, A. C., to uncle, Robert H. McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, Mrs. Hetty, to General Thomas, 1865, 5 McEwen, Robert E. (4), to cousin, H. K. (Kitty) McEwen, 1863-1864 McEwen, R. H., to son, John McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, R. H., to Kitty McEwen (2), 1859, 5 Putnam, Douglas, to Waldo P. McEwen, 1885, 5 Ramsey, Margaret L., to Waldo P. McEwen (2), 1908, 5 Ramsev, Robert H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Robinson, William B., to A. c. McEwen, 1835, 6 Robinson, William B., to Robert H. McEwen (32), 1835-1843, 6-7 Rosenheim, Louis, to Robert Ewing, 1915, 7 Thomas, George H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 7 Videll, W. H. to Colonel and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, l86S, 7 Willis, Nathaniel, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1842, 7 Wills, A. W., to Waldo P. McEwen, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Secretary of War, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Luke E. Wright, 1908, 7
WILLIAM EDMISTON fl. 1734-1822 m.
(l) Martha Campbell (2) Margaret Montgomery
Margale t E. 1762-f. 1848 m.
(l) Montgomery (2) Robert Harold
W~lll.am
1781-
I
John 1764-1813 m. Margaret Montgomery
Es ther 1766-1823 m. 1785 m. Robert Alice Dean Campbell 1771-1840 Kennedy 1761-1815 (see next chart)
Andrew 1783-
Information taken from data supplied by Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McEwen, ac. no. 1640. Some of the information was confusing so there may be errors.
Campbell 1785m. 1810 Elizabeth Stewart W~l lJ.. arn
Rober~
Campbell
1771-
El~z abeth
1788m. Jonathan Smith
Thdmas 1773-
Mah 1776-
Marthl 1779-
m.
m.
m.
Martha Buchanan
(l)
James Gillespie
Sal ly 1790m.
Gilliland (2) Ebenezer McEwen
Kathe r~ne Moff~tt
Beattie
1795m. 1821 Robert Jones
Campbell
ROBERT CAMPBELL KENNEDY 1761-1815 m. 1785 ESTHER EDMISTON 1766-1823
I
Margaret Montgomery m. George Martin
Margaretta Doak Houston 1816-1867 m. 1835 John Trimble
I
I Martha Campbell
Eliz keth Edmiston
m.
m.
John McConnell -1834
Vance Greer
Sar ah Caroline Wilda 1820m. 1839 John Thompson Jones
I
William Edmiston 1794-1863
m. Elizabeth Willis
John Alexander 1824-1858 m. 1848 Selina Frierson -1850 m. (2) 1856 Sallie Turner
Anna Maria 1828-1866 m. 1852 D. F. Wilkins
I
I
Hetty Andrew Montgomery Jackson 1796-1881 -1842 m. 1815 Robert Houston McEwen 1790-1868
Robert Houston 1830-1873/75 m. Lucy Putnam
Henry Martyn 1834-1861 m. Lucie Curd
I
Mary
McNairy 1799-1854 m. 1816 Thomas Kacheval
I
Miriam Lewis
m. Joel Boone Saunders
Hetty Kennedy Erwin 1840m. John Scott Coleman
