Large collection of 19th century materials related to the Roundy family of Paw Paw, Michigan, with participants in the Union cause of the Civil War. Highlights include a personal 1862 diary detailing wounds and activities following the battle at Williamsburg, and CDV portraits of members of his family in uniform.
Most items relate to Averill J. Roundy (1835-1916), resident of Paw Paw, Michigan. Roundy enlisted in the Union Army on April 22, 1861 for a term of three years in Company C and joined the 70th New York Infantry. He was seriously wounded at the battle of Williamsburg, Virginia on May 5, 1862 (as referenced in his personal diary included in this lot). Company C suffered great losses at Williamsburg, including 8 men killed and 22 others wounded and missing. On account of this wound he was discharged from the hospital in Albany, New York, October 2, 1862. He later sought to re-enlist but was not permitted.
Roundy married Ellen Southwell in 1865 and the couple had four children, some of whom are referenced in the materials included here. Roundy was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) and a member of the Disciple church. He, along with his Company helped to raise the Disciple church prior to their leaving for war.
Items included in this archive are:
Civil War diary written by Averill J. Roundy, dating from 1862 – 1863. The first entry is dated May 12, 1862, written “from Chesapeake General Hospital, Fort Monroe, VA”, and then goes backwards to the previous week. May 5, 1862, “Got wounded in a battle at Williamsburg.” May 6, 1862, “Wound very sore, I got the ball cut out of it.” May 8, 1862, “Got aboard the boat for Ft. Monroe.”
CDV portrait of Corporal Reuben A. Roundy (brother of Averill Roundy) in his Union Army uniform with a rifle and bayonet. Company E, 25th Michigan Infantry Regiment. Roundy was mustered out at war’s end.
CDV portrait of George W. Roper (b.1838), Company F. 74th Regiment, New York Volunteers. Roper enlisted July 24, 1861 at Warren, Pennsylvania and served with Company H, then returned to Company F. Ultimately discharged for disability on October 27, 1862 at Albany, NY.
CDV portrait of John A. Post, Company K, 44th Regiment, New York Volunteers. Post joined in Albany, New York.
CDV portrait of Charles E. Thompson (signed), bearing a blue 2 cent tax stamp with cancellation. c1860s.
(2) CDV portraits of the same young wearing a boldly patterned vest, each bearing a green 3 cent tax stamp from Bradley & Rulofson Photographers. c1860s.
(4) CDV portraits of two young women (likely sisters) and two young men (likely brothers), all photographed in the same sitting. Each CDV bears an orange 2 cent tax stamp with initialed cancellation. c1860s.
(10) CDV portraits of various family members, photographers identified on many.
Miniature autograph album used as a diary, with beautiful lines of Christian faith written by Ellen Southwell Roundy for her daughter, Lizzie, on Christmas, 1884. Also pages written by her father Averill G. Roundy to Lizzie. Other pages include inscriptions from schoolmates and teacher
Sewing kit with thread, needle and pins, c1860s-70s
(1) ambrotype and (2) daguerreotypes of members of the Roundy family
Cameo pendant with photo locket (no photo)
Brooch / pin with an ambrotype of a man
Heart pendant (photo of a woman who appears in another CDV in this group)
Brooch / pin with a tintype of a child
Brooch / pin with an image of an elderly man
Leather wallet containing letters, ephemera, dating to the 1870s-80s
Small leather wallet belonging to A.J. Roundy, containing locks of hair, a pair of scissors, recipes dating to 1914
(19) tintype portraits of various Roundy family members
Ambrotype of two little girls
Ambrotype of Civil War Union soldier in uniform with gold button embellishments
Cased ambrotype of an elderly woman wearing eyeglasses
Cased ambrotype of a young man wearing a ring
Cabinet card photo of a young man in military uniform with a rifle.
Cabinet card photo of a young man in military uniform standing at a tent (Marion, South Carolina)
(2) cabinet cards of family members
Several small snapshot photos from the 1910s-1920s, boys playing football, children on a horse, etc.
Enveloped letters dating from 1884 – 1912, RPPC postcards
Memorandum and Account Book, 1900, filled out by the Roundy family with dates and notes of activities
St. Louis World’s Fair souvenir wooden postcard, dated November 11, 1904 (posted)
