Kinsley, Edward W. (Edward Wilkinson), 1829-1891
Edward W. Kinsley
1862-1891
MS 101
2 boxes
(0.67 linear feet)
Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries
Edward Wilkinson Kinsley was an abolitionist and merchant from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire, his parents were also strong abolitionists. He and his family then moved to Springfield, Massaschusetts and he had moved himself to Boston by the time he was sixteen years old. There, he bacame a strong figure in helping African-American troops in the Civil War and he eventually raised the 1st Colored Regiment of North Carolina. Kinsley also served as a wool dealer in the firm of Horswell, Kinsley, and French of Boston.
English
Edward Wilkinson Kinsley was born on December 24, 1829 in Nashua, New Hampshire. Both of his parents were abolitionists and he followed in their footsteps. He and his family then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, when he was two years old, and by the time he was sixteen, he had moved himself to Boston, Massachusetts. He became involved in politics and activism, spending most of his time fighting for equal pay for African-American troops in the Union Army. He worked closely with Massachusetts Governor John Andrew, also a prominent abolitionist. Kinsley helped raise the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first African-American regiment of the Civil War, along with the 55th Massachsuetts Regiment. He also went on to raise the 35th Colored Regiment of U.S. troops, also known as the 1st North Carolina Colored Regiment. Kinsley served as a merchant and wood dealer at Horswell, Kinsley, and French while in Boston, as well as a state agent. He married Calista Adelaide Billings on April 16, 1856. Kinsley later died in 1891 at the age of 62.
Included in this collection are Edward W. Kinsley's reminiscences, diary entries, correspondence, and miscellaneous items. His reminiscences vary in topic, but are centered around the lead-up to the Civil War and the war itself, including his interactions with Governor John Albion Andrew and the second election of President Lincoln. His diary entries include his experiences in the South, and his correspondence include people such as Massachusetts Governor John Andrew, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Charles Sumner. Included in the miscellaneous items are news clippings, a scrapbook from a post of the Grand Army of the Republic, and notes from his wife, Calista's, diary.
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: Edward W. Kinsley Papers (MS 101). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
Gift of Elizabeth Goucher, great-grandaughter, November 1956.
Processed by Linda Seidman, November 1985.
Kinsley, Edward W. (Edward Wilkinson), 1829-1891
United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—African Americans
Massachusetts
Correspondence
Diaries
Series 1. Personal Writings
1863-1870
Contains personal writings by Edward W. Kinsley, including excerpts from his diary and a large series of reminiscences dictated to his daughter.
Series 2. Correspondence
1863-1880
Contains correspondence to and by Edward W. Kinsley. Includes correspondence with numerous Union Army officials along with other notable persons of the times such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Albion Andrew, and Charles Sumner.
Series 3. Miscellaneous
1862-1985
Contains a variety of items, including diary excerpts from Kinsley's wife, Calista, a scrapbook from a Grand Army of the Republic Post named in Kinsley's honor, as well as news clippings and photographs related to both Kinsley and Mori Arinori, the first Japanese ambassador to the United States.
Series 1. Personal Writings
1863-1870
1
34
Diary: First Visit to the South
1863 May-Jun
1
35
Diary: Memoranda From Leaves of Diary
undated
1
36
Diary: Second Visit to the South
1863 Dec-1864 Jan
1
42
Reminiscences: Table of Contents - I. Ordered to Newbern by Gov. Andrew
1870 Feb
1
43
Reminiscences: II. Raising the First North Carolina Colored Regiment
1870 Feb
1
44
Reminiscences: III. Wilder Dwight
1870 Feb
1
45
Reminiscences: IV. Ordered to Washington by Governor Andrew
1870 Feb
1
46
Reminiscences: V. Second Visit to the South and Emancipation Proclamation Celebration
1870 Feb
1
47
Reminiscences: VI. President Lincoln's Letter and the Steamboat
1870 Feb
1
48
Reminiscences: VII. A Little More About Ann Starkey
1870 Feb
1
49
Reminiscences: VIII. How Colonel Hutchings Freed a Slave
1870 Feb
1
50
Reminiscences: IX. General Tom Stevenson's Confirmation as Brigadier-General
1870 Feb
1
51
Reminiscences: X. The Second Election of Mr. Lincoln
1870 Feb
1
52
Reminiscences: XI. The Inauguration Ball
1870 Feb
1
53
Reminiscences: XII. Honey Hill
1870 Feb
1
54
Reminiscences: XIII. Colonel Blodgett
1870 Feb
1
55
Reminiscences: XIV. Hoop-Skirt
1870 Feb
1
56
Reminiscences: XV. The Story of Governor Andrew and the Poor Apple Woman
1870 Feb
1
57
Reminiscences: XVI. The Fall of Richmond
1870 Feb
1
58
Reminiscences: XVII. Andrew and Sumner
1870 Feb
1
59
Reminiscences: XVIII. Charles Goodyear
1870 Feb
1
60
Reminiscences: XIX. Sergeant Koster
1870 Feb
1
61
Reminiscences: XX. Arinori Mori
1870 Feb
1
62
Reminiscences: XXI. A Visit to John Bright
1870 Feb
1
63
Reminiscences: XXII. Christmas in London
1870 Feb
1
64
Reminiscences: XXIII. Springfield Speech
1870 Feb
1
65
Reminiscences: XXIV. A Trip to the West
1870 Feb
1
66
Reminiscences: XXV. How Bees Saved a Life
1870 Feb
1
67
Reminiscences: XXVI. John Creerer of Chicago
1870 Feb
1
68
Reminiscences: XXVII. Edward A. White
1870 Feb
1
69
Reminiscences: XXVIII. Ned's Christmas Money
1870 Feb
Series 2. Correspondence
1863-1880
1
1
Correspondence: Andrew, John Albion
1863 Dec-1866
1
2
Correspondence: Beecher, James C.
1863 Jun-1865 Oct
1
3
Correspondence: Blackmar, Wilson W.
1870 Jan
1
4
Correspondence: Bigelow, J.W. (John?)
1865 Feb
1
5
Correspondence: Child, Francis James
undated
1
6
Correspondence: Codman, C. R.
1875 Sep
1
7
Correspondence: Dawes, Henry Laurens
1875 Sep
1
8
Correspondence: Endicott, William
undated
1
9
Correspondence: Euouye, Y.
1875 Jan
1
10
Correspondence: Forbes, John Murray
1874 Mar-1875 Sep
1
11
Correspondence: Foster, John Gray
1863 Aug
1
12
Correspondence: Hara, N.
1874 Jun
1
13
Correspondence: Hargit, Mariah
1863 Jul
1
14
Correspondence: Hartwell, Alfred Stedman
1864 Jan-1865 Dec
1
15
Correspondence: Hongua, A.
1874 Nov
1
16
Correspondence: Howe, L. I.
1864 Mar
1
17
Correspondence: James, Helen
1864 Feb
1
18
Correspondence: Kinsman, J. B.
1864 Apr
1
19
Correspondence: Landy, Luke R.
1880 Jun
1
20
Correspondence: McKay, George F.
1864 Aug
1
21
Correspondence: McKim, William N.
1863 May
1
22
Correspondence: Meigs, Montgomery Cunningham
1863 May
1
23
Correspondence: Miles, Nelson A.
1868 Jun
1
24
Correspondence: Mitchell, Joseph
1865 Feb-1867 Sep
1
25
Correspondence: Seward, Charles
1875 Aug
1
26
Correspondence: Starkey, Mary Ann
1864 Oct-1866 Sep
1
27
Correspondence: Stowe, Harriet Beecher
1863 Sep, undated
1
28
Correspondence: Sullivan, John W.
1863 Dec
1
29
Correspondence: Sumner, Charles
1863 Apr-1876 Mar
1
30
Correspondence: Unidentified
1864 Jul-1870 Jul, undated
1
31
Correspondence: Wild, Edward Augustus
1863 Nov, undated
1
32
Correspondence: Wild, F. E.
1864 Apr-1865 May
1
33
Correspondence: Wild, Walter C.
1863 Jun
Series 3. Miscellaneous
1862-1985
1
37
Historical Journal of Massachusetts: "General Edward A. Wild and Civil War Discrimination"
1985 Jan
1
38
Kinsley, Calista A.: Notes From Diary
1862 Sep-1864 Jan
1
39
News Clippings: Kinsley, Edward W.
undated
1
40
News Clippings: Mori, Arinori
undated
1
41
Photographs: Mori, Arinori
1871-1873 Mar
2
Scrapbook: Grand Army of the Republic Edward W. Kinsley Post 113
1891 Jun