Stearns Family Papers

Stearns Family

Papers, 1714-1920, 1.4 cu. ft., Ms89-013

Introduction

The Stearns family papers consist of transcripts and copies of correspondence, family trees, official documents, land records, writings, diaries, and other materials. The family descended from Isaac Stearns (1600-71) of England, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1630. Most of the materials are concerned with the 7th Isaac Stearns (1790-1879), and his extended family and descendants. This branch of the Stearns family remained in or near Mansfield, Massachusetts, for 300 years, or seven generations, and saved thousands of papers concerning most of the family members. Materials related to their history were later edited and transcribed by Stuart H. Buck, great-grandson of the 7th Isaac, of Lynchburg, Virginia.

History

Isaac Stearns, born in England in 1600, came to America in 1630. He landed in Salem, Massachusetts, and settled in nearby Watertown, where he became a town selectman. Seven generations of his descendants remained in the Mansfield, Massachusetts, area. Included in the papers are the extensive Civil War correspondence of Orange Scott Stearns (1835-70) of the 29th Massachusetts Regiment, to his family, and the Civil War papers of Isaac Holden Stearns (1825- 97), a surgeon in the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry. The papers also include the poems of Sally Stearns (1804-90), copies of the papers of Samuel Crocker Lovell (1840-?), and essays on the genealogy of the Stearns and other related families by Stuart H. Buck.

Scope and Content

The papers consist of photocopies of transcripts and originals of correspondence, diaries, official documents, writings, and other genealogical documents (1714-1920) of the Stearns family. Several essays describing the genealogy of the family precede the transcripts of the family papers. An index to the transcripts is included. Essays concerning specific family members are organized after the index, followed by information on Samuel Crocker Lovell, John Lee Holt, and Erie L. Ditty, Civil War soldiers.

Provenance

The original papers and transcripts are in the possession of Stuart H. Buck of Lynchburg, Virginia, who edited and transcribed the papers. He loaned the transcripts to the Special Collections Department in January 1989. The transcripts were copied in February and March and returned to Buck in March 1989.

Container List

Box 1

Folder 1: "Out of the Sugar Barrels," (1985) by Stuart H. Buck. Typescript, unbound history of Isaac Stearns, Jr. (1790-1879) and his family. 179 pp.
Folder 2: "Genealogical Notes on the Stearns, Buck, Caswell, Cheever, Fillebrown, Pratt, Smith, Ware family and others," by Stuart H. Buck. Typescript, unbound, 40 pp.
Folder 3: Itemized list and descriptions of original Stearns and Buck family documents
Folder 4: "The Cheever Connection," (1986) edited by Stuart H. Buck. Unbound transcripts of letters (1780-1825) concerning the Cheever family, with a description of the connection between the Cheevers and the Stearns. 78 pp.
Folder 5: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1714-1811
Folder 6: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1812-30
Folder 7: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1830-36
Folder 8: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1836-43

Box 2

Folder 1: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1843-52
Folder 2: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1853-60
Folder 3: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1858-62
Folder 4: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1863-70
Folder 5: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1866-68
Folder 6: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1869-81
Folder 7: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1882-90

Box 3

Folder 1: Stearns family correspondence, diaries, etc., 1891-1920
Folder 2: Index to the Stearns family papers (A - Smith, Jane)
Folder 3: Index to the Stearns family papers (Smith, Jerusha - Stearns, Nathan)
Folder 4: Index to the Stearns family papers (Stearns, O. Scott - Wetheral, Solomon)
Folder 5: Proceedings taken by Isaac Holden Stearns and George Frederic Stearns, secretaries (1850-55) of the Abington Society of Natural History. Includes excerpts (1851-57) from Isaac Holden Stearns' diary.
Folder 6: Sally Stearns--poems

Box 4

Folder 1: Isaac Holden Stearns (1825-97), surgeon of the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry. Correspondence (1858-64) and a copy of a history of the regiment.
Folder 2: "Memoirs of a Lieutenant in the Civil War," by Erie L. Ditty. Typescript, unbound memoirs with photographs of Civil War scenes.
Folder 3: "The Letters of John Lee Holt" (1829-63), edited by James A. Mumper. Published biographical essay of a Confederate soldier killed at Gettysburg during Pickett's charge.
Folder 4: Lovell, Samuel C., 1st Lieutenant in the 4th Massachusetts Calvary, who led the escort of General Lee from the battlefield at Appomatox, Virginia in April 1865. Published descriptions and a typescript diary.

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Manuscript sources for Civil War Research