Francis R. Stewart papers

The Francis R. Stewart Papers are a small collection of Civil War related correspondence, diaries and journals, primarily from the last year of the war, from an officer with the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, from Fostoria, Ohio. Since Stewart was a schoolteacher before the war, his writing is clear, articulate and informative, including the typical observations about the weather and daily activities, as well as concise descriptions of troop movements and battles. Since his information was coming from the standpoint of an officer in the field, he provides authoritative summaries of events.

The series of correspondence in the collection consists primarily of letters received by Stewart from Mary Matilda (Tillie) Foreman, a family friend, living in the area of southern Wood County, Ohio, near Fostoria. Her letters cover the entire period of the war and mention events back in the Hancock, Wood, and Seneca County area, mutual friends, and activities of her brothers who also served in the war. Of particular interest in her letters is the description of her battle with consumption, especially the various treatments tried and considered, including the Water-Cure method. Her death, early in 1865, affected Stewart greatly and is mentioned in his journal. His letters to her were apparently all burned, as mentioned in the letter written by Nellie Foreman to Stewart April 29, 1865.

The first pocket diary, covering the period from June 5, 1864 to August 5, 1864, includes actions of the regiment around Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia as well as the beginning of the Siege of Atlanta. More significantly, the second diary, running from Aug, 6, 1864-Dec 18, 1864 carries the action all the way through to Nashville, and is balanced by the much more detailed entries from the journal.

Entries in the journal provide an expansion of the briefer remarks from the second diary, where there is some overlap in dates, especially elaborating on Stewart's feelings and his personal opinions regarding the political and military conduct of the war. Since the journal entries carry on through to April 1865, near the end of the War, there is more of a sense of continuity in the writing. More mention of individuals is also made in the journal, including the situation of Francis' brother Jim, who was serving with the 111th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Although it is not related to the Civil War, the speech dated July 12, 1888 is a unique glimpse into the intellectual life of Francis Stewart. Most probably delivered to a gathering of the Norris Post, G.A.R., it is clear that Stewart is very familiar with technological progress and refers to a number of inventions of his period. Even more fascinating is the way he extends the application of technology into the future, describing his vision of flying machines, telephones with visual capabilities, and even television. His enthusiastic attitude towards the ability of "Yankee ingenuity" and the possibilities of the future were probably very progressive for that period and makes the speech an interesting item.

The remaining items are mostly supporting, particularly the commission papers from Stewart's 1864 promotion to 1st Lieutenant. The fact that he maintained an active role in the Ohio National Guard in the period after the war is highlighted by his 1878 appointment as a Captain in the Foster Guards. While Stewart is the only individual identified in the group military photograph, it is presumed to be that of the officers of the 49th O.V.I.