| Quantity: | 2 boxes (0.50 cubic ft.) |
|---|---|
| Access: | Open to research. |
| Acquisition: | Purchase: Reston's Books & Antiques, Amsterdam, N.Y., June 1990 |
| Processed by: | Fred Bassett, Senior Librarian, Manuscripts & Special Collections, March 1995; revised August 2012 |
| Alternative Format: | Select items are also available on microfilm as indicated in the box-and-folder list. |
Jacob Henry Enders was born November 19, 1834, at Fort Hunter, Montgomery County, New York, the son of Peter and Catherine Enders. He graduated from Union College with honors in 1858 and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1861. He mustered in as chaplain in the 153rd New York Regiment of Infantry, October 18, 1862, and remained in that capacity until mustering out of service with the regiment, October 2, 1865, at Savannah, Georgia. Thereafter, he pursued a career as a clergyman with the Reformed Church of America, holding pastorates at Lysander, Chittenango, Albany, and Fort Hunter, New York. He was married twice: first, in 1867, to Elizabeth Leslie Voorhees, who passed away in 1881; then, in 1887, to Elizabeth Bridgman Goold of Albany, New York. He died October 6, 1901, in Fort Hunter
The papers of Jacob Henry Enders relate mostly to his career as a student at Union College (Schenectady, New York), 1857-1858, and his service as a chaplain for the 153rd New York State Volunteers during the Civil War, 1862-1865. His academic career is documented in several personal letters to and from friends and family; essays and compositions he wrote; academic reports; and financial statements.
His service in the military is documented primarily in his unpublished ca. 200-page manuscript history of the 153rd New York Volunteers, which chronicles the history of the regiment from its organization and mustering into service at Fonda, Montgomery County, New York, in October 1862; its deployment south to defend Washington, D.C.; its participation in the Red River expedition (Louisiana) and the Shenandoah Valley campaign (Virginia); and, finally, its discharge and mustering out of service in October 1865 at Savannah, Georgia.
The regiment was comprised mostly of men from Fulton, Montgomery, and Saratoga counties in New York State. In addition to writing about the everyday life of the soldiers in camp and in combat, including troop deployment, details of battles and skirmishes, foraging for food and supplies, and dealing with camp sickness, Enders describes the people he met and the places where the regiment was stationed. Thus, the manuscript is an invaluable source for studying the impact of the Civil War on soldiers from the Mohawk Valley. The papers also include a bound volume of typescripts of letters Enders sent to his family and those he received from his fellow soldiers, which provide additional details relative to the experiences of military service during the Civil War; and a printed copy of his last sermon, delivered in September 1901, which was a eulogy to the late President William McKinley.
| Box | Folder | Description |
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| 1 | 1 | Letters to Jacob Henry Enders, 1851-1857 (16 items)
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| 1 | 2 | Letters to Jacob Henry Enders, 1858-1866 (10 items)
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| 1 | 3 | Compositions and essays, ca. 1857-1858 (6 items)
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| 1 | 4 | School and College Papers, ca. 1852-1858 (13 items)
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| 1 | 5 | Photographs depicting buildings and small tents that appear to be situated along a seashore; people and boats appear in a few of the photographs. [The locale has the look of a Christian summer camp meeting site on the New Jersey seashore during the second half of the nineteenth century.] 12.5 x 18 cm. (9 items) |
| 1 | 6 | Booklet: In Memoriam ([S.l.: s.n., 1901]) – The last sermon preached by J. Henry Enders, September 22, 1901; it was a eulogy in remembrance of the late President William McKinley |
| 1 | 7 | Newspaper: Christian Intelligencer [New York, N.Y.] v. 36, no. 36, September 14, 1865 |
| 1 | 8 | Newspaper: New York Tribune, May 21, 1856 |
| 1 | 9 | Envelopes and Miscellaneous Papers |
| 2 | 1 | "The One Hundred and Fifty-Third Regiment, New York State Volunteers: Its Organization, Campaigns, Battles, and Religious History; Together with a Muster Roll Giving the Names of Its Officers and Men by the Rev. J. Henry Enders, late chaplain of the 153rd Regt. N.Y.S.V." 252 p. (129-187 missing; not received when accessioned by this repository). Also available on microfilm: MB/FM 973.747 E565 203-6980 |
| 2 | 2 | "Letters of the Reverend Jacob Henry Enders; Chaplain of the 153rd New York Regiment written during the Civil War to his parents; also letters received by him from members of the regiment, 1861 to 1881." Undated typed note on title page: "The original letters were found in an old trunk in the garret of the home of George Lange, owner of the Voorhees Homestead on the Amsterdam Mill Point Road, formerly the home of Reverand [Reverend] Jacob Henry Enders, and the letters are now on file in the Department of History and Archives at Fonda, New York." Includes one page of genealogical and historical information. (179 p. typescript) |