90th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Association papers
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Abstract
The 90th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Association papers includes documents concerning this Civil War veterans organization, founded 1884, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Mansfield Post No. 35 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). These documents were written or compiled by Thomas D. Sugden, a member and sometime officer of the organizations.
Historical note
The 90th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Association was formed in Brooklyn in 1884. Comprised of former soldiers who fought with the 90th during the Civil War, the organization aimed to support surviving veterans and perpetuate the memory of the regiment. The regiment was formed in December 1861 in New York City, and was first sent to Key West, Florida in January 1862, where many men were stricken with yellow fever. The regiment was subsequently assigned to South Carolina, New Orleans, and Virginia. It was mustered out in 1866. Thomas D. Sugden, the donor of this collection, was a member of companies I and D. He was an active member of the 90th's veteran association and held various offices. Sugden was also a member and officer of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Mansfield Post 35 in Brooklyn.
Arrangement
Materials related primarily to the 90th Regiment Veteran Volunteer Association are arranged before those concerning Mansfield Post 35 of the G.A.R.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes documents written or compiled by Thomas D. Sugden in connection with two Civil War veterans associations he was active in. Most of the collection concerns the 90th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Association. A smaller, but still significant, portion concerns Mansfield Post No. 35 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). Both of these organizations were based in Brooklyn, New York.
The bulk of the material dates from the 1880s and into the early 1890s. Among the documents are notes taken at meetings; ephemera such as leaflets for event announcements and admission tickets; a scrapbook of 90th Veterans Association clippings and memorabilia; Sugden's notes for his public remarks; correspondence to and from Sugden, including postcard invitations to meetings; some financial reports for Mansfield Post; and newspaper clippings. There is also a small number of admission tickets and other ephemera for other organizations' events, mostly from G.A.R. posts.
The collection includes three numbers of The New Era, which was published in Key West by editor Richard B. Locke, quartermaster of the 90th regiment. The three numbers (17, 18, and 20) date from August 1862; number 18 includes a front-page article arguing for the abolition of slavery. These three newspapers are the only items in the collection dating from the war years.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials are in the public domain. While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); 90th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Association papers, 1977.005, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Thomas D. Sugden, 1903.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The collection was originally arranged in 1978. In 2012, Larry Weimer slightly rearranged the material to sort documents concerning the 90th from those of Post No. 35, made preservation photocopies of crumbling clippings, and described the collection. In August 2023, Dee Bowers added folder headings to the finding aid and took further preservation measures.