William Livermore papers

The William Livermore Papers give a comprehensive account of the career of a U.S. Army engineer in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The ca. 1200 items (1.4 linear ft.) span the dates 1814-1919 and are arranged in two series: Military and Personal papers. The papers relating to Livermore's military career consist of correspondence supplemented by other military papers, including orders, tactical notes, sketches, charts, maps, reports, essays and other writings, and biographical material. Personal papers in the collection consist of correspondence, mostly with family members, income tax records and receipts, invitations and programs, and other memorabilia, including manuscripts, notebooks, and clippings.

Military Correspondence consists primarily of incoming correspondence directed to Livermore from his military colleagues, West Point classmates, and representatives of various government branches such as Congress, the War Department, the U.S. Army, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Adjutant General, and the Headquarters Department of the East and Governor's Island. Correspondence concerns general military business, notably matters relating to his work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; personnel matters; plans for a war college; Livermore's application for promotion to Brigadier General of Volunteers; and his participation in a proposal to purchase a memorial window in the West Point Cathedral. Also present is correspondence regarding membership from clubs such as the National Geographic Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Other correspondence concerns Livermore's professional interests such as weaponry, military history, and chemistry, and his writings and lectures. Occasional personal correspondence (including some outgoing letters) is also present.

The Orders subseries contains official military orders relating to Livermore's stations and transfers to and from various locales including Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Lake Superior; Key West, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and Newport, Rhode Island. The Tactics subseries includes memoranda and documents relating to the positioning of soldiers, weapons, and ships for battle. Also present is a pamphlet entitled "A Survey of German Tactics, 1918" printed by the U.S. War Department. Sketches, Charts, and Maps includes those used during Livermore's survey of Western Texas and his involvement in military maneuvers.

The final three subseries in the Military series provide a more personal overview of Livermore's military career with reports, resume information, and speeches and essays written by Livermore. The subseries Reports contains Livermore's official reports written for the army on a variety of topics including experiments conducted on cement, the armament of the Cabañas in Cuba, and the changing technologies of warfare. Also included is a report Livermore wrote for Carly G. Rapt on his experiences surveying Western Texas during the period 1879-1885. Photographs and Biographical Material includes photos of Livermore during his military career which are attached to copies of his resume. Livermore appears to have gathered this material together for his application for promotion to Brigadier General. The Miscellaneous subseries includes information proposing the start of an Army War College, instructions on property purchases and vouchers, instructions for chiefs of shore parties, memoranda, notes on seacoast fortifications and maneuvers, and drafts of essays. Also included are several speeches Livermore presented to his fellow West Point Graduates and to the Massachusetts Military Historical Society.

The Personal Papers Series is divided into five subseries. The first subseries, Correspondence, includes incoming letters to Livermore from his wife Augusta Keen Livermore during the years 1884-1909, and from his brothers, father, mother and other relatives between 1853 and 1919. Also included are letters from Livermore to various relatives and one folder of miscellaneous drafts of letters from Livermore.

The next three subseries in the Personal Papers provide household financial and social information. Income Tax Records contains information pertaining to Livermore's income tax payments as well as copies of tax forms, 1914-1917. Included in Invitations and Programs are calling cards, postcards, and invitations from various military acquaintances and clubs for social gatherings, dances, and other activities. Also present are programs from The Century Twelfth Night Celebration and Daly's Fifth Avenue Theatre. The Receipts subseries contains a small group of receipts from publishers, social clubs, post office, hospitals, the War Department, and Western Union Telegraph company.

The final Personal Papers subseries, Miscellaneous, contains legal papers, minutes from the American Chemical Society, manuscripts of essays and speeches by Livermore on various topics including liberal arts and history, the campaigns of Napoleon, and poetry. It also includes newspaper articles, a pamphlet, notes on atomic weights, studies on human speech, material relating to Livermore's invention and patent of a bell ringer and various weaponry, two notebooks containing Livermore's notes and copies of letters, and a copy of a published biography of Livermore.