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Thomas Lyon Hamer Papers mssLH

Gayle Richardson The Huntington Library November 2020 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org

Thomas Lyon Hamer Papers mssLH 1 mssLH Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library Title: Thomas Lyon Hamer papers Creator: Hamer, Thomas Lyon, 1800-1846 Identifier/Call Number: mssLH Physical Description: 6.84 Linear Feet(10 boxes, 1 volume, 5 oversize folders) Date (inclusive): 1825-1890 Date (bulk): 1829-1840 Abstract: A collection of material related to the personal and professional life of Thomas Lyon Hamer, American congressman and soldier. Language of Material: Materials are in English. Conditions Governing Access Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information. Conditions Governing Use The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher. Preferred Citation [Identification of item]. Thomas Lyon Hamer papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Immediate Source of Acquisition Gifts of Mrs. Mary E. Smith, October 1976 and February 1979. Biographical / Historical Thomas Lyon Hamer (1800-1846) was an lawyer and congressman. In 1821, he was admitted to the bar, and started practice in Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio. In 1825, 1828, and 1829, he was a member of the Ohio state legislature, serving as speaker in 1829. In 1832, Hamer successfully ran for a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives in the 23rd Congress as an independent Jacksonian, and later was re-elected to the 24th and 25th Congresses as a Democrat (1835 to 1839). In 1836, he stumped for the presidential candidate . In 1839, having declined re-election, Hamer retired from Congress, and concentrated on building up his legal practice. He continued to play an important role in state and national politics, and in 1844 campaigned for presidential candidate James K. Polk. In 1846, Hamer, a staunch supporter of the Mexican War, volunteered as a private, and the next day was promoted to brigadier general in the army. Hamer died of a fever outside Monterrey, Mexico on December 2, 1846. In March 1847, Congress passed a resolution of sorrow and presented his family with a presentation sword in honor of the life of Thomas Lyon Hamer. Scope and Contents A collection of 574 items from 1825 to 1890, which consists of the correspondence of Thomas Lyon Hamer, his political speeches and notes, and some papers relating to the Mexican War; Hamer's presentation sword and an oil portrait of him are included in the collection. The correspondence includes 240 letters by Hamer to his first wife Lydia Bruce Higgins Hamer (-1845), and family and friends, chiefly during his congressional service. The letters discuss family matters and Hamer's professional life and political career. There are also approximately 200 letters addressed to Hamer from his friends and colleagues, discussing his legal practice and business affairs, political views, and state and national politics. Correspondents include , , James Hall, , John McLean, , and others. Also included is Hamer's letter to President (February 17, 1837) discussing the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838 to 1842. Processing Information Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1985. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report. Arrangement Arranged chronologically. General Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssLH 1-306. Subjects and Indexing Terms Lawyers -- Ohio

Thomas Lyon Hamer Papers mssLH 2 mssLH Legislators -- Ohio Legislators -- United States Mexican War, 1846-1848 Politicians -- Ohio Ohio -- History -- 1787-1865 Ohio -- Politics and Government -- 1787-1865 United States -- History -- 1815-1861 United States -- Politics and Government -- 1815-1861 Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century Military records -- United States -- Mexican War, 1846-1848 Personal papers -- Ohio -- 19th century Professional papers -- Ohio -- 19th century Speeches -- United States -- 19th century Cass, Lewis, 1782-1866 Corwin, Thomas, 1794-1865 Hall, James, 1793-1868 Hamer, Lydia Bruce Higgins, -1845 Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845 Lucas, Robert, 1781-1853 McLean, John, 1785-1861 Shannon, Wilson, 1802-1877 United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)

Box 1, Folder 1-34 1800-1831 Box 2, Folder 1-29 1832-1834 Box 3, Folder 1-36 1835-1836 Box 4, Folder 1-34 1837-1838 Box 5, Folder 1-37 1839-1840 Box 6, Folder 1-30 1841-1844 Box 7, Folder 1-49 1845-1846 Box 8, Folder 1-24 1847-1854 Box 9, Folder 1-28 1848-1896 Box 10 Miscellaneous material Scope and Contents Box contains documents, business and personal correspondence, and printed material.

Volume 1 Lloyd Lewis. Captain Sam Grant Folder 1 George McKay to Thomas L Hamer: indenture LH 300 1839 March 2 Folder 2 United States 29th Congress 2nd Session 1846: Resolutions giving thanks... LH 301 1846 December 7 Folder 3 Turnbull and McClellan. Battles of Mexico: Survey of the line of operations of the U. S. Army under command of : printed LH 302 1847 Folder 4 W. T. Steiger. Diagram of the United States of America, Mexico, etc., showing proposed routes of the Pacific Railroad: printed map LH 303 1854 Folder 5 William H. Wharton and Sarah H. Wharton to George McKay: indenture LH 304 1837

Thomas Lyon Hamer Papers mssLH 3 mssLH