TENNESSEE HSTORCAL SOCETY McEWEN, ROBERT HOUSTON, 1790-1868. PAPERS, 1829-1915. Processed by the Manuscripts Section of the Tennessee State Library and Archives BJY and HCO Accession number THS 93 Date com~leted 10/16/68 Location -A-5 THS Cage Mf. Ac. No. 744 The papers of Robert Houston McEwen (1790-1868), merchant in Kingston, Fayetteville, and Nashville, Tennessee; Regimental quartermaster for Colonel John Brown's Regiment in War of 1812; and Superintendent of Common Schools in Nashville, Tennessee, were given to the Tennessee Historical Society, by Waldo Emerson. Linear feet of shelf space occupied:.42 Approximate number of items: 150 and 1 volume Single photocopies of unpublished writings in these ~apers may be made for purposes of scholarly research but reproduction on a large scale is restricted. Library of Congress catalog card no. MS 69-1876
-1- SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers of Robert Houston McEwen, approximately 150 items for the dates 1829-1908, are composed of accounts, 1833-1862, biographical and genealogical data, correspondence, invitations, programs, notices, land records, estate papers, 1858, of John A. McEwen (son of Robert), a Confederate bond, a few Civil War photographs, and some school items. One little volume of accounts kept by Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 1833-1862, contains personal accounts for Mrs. McEwen and several of her children. Materials for dresses (including velvet, Chintz, calico), gloves, bonnets, lace, handkerchiefs, stockings, pantaloons, shoes, and other items of apparel are carefully listed together with the prices paid for each. Other accounts are for collections of the firm of John A. and Robert H. McEwen, 1858-1865. The bulk of the correspondence is composed of letters of W. B. Robinson who was obviously a business partner of Robert McEwen during the period 1835-1843. There are three Civil War letters written to Miss H. K. McEwen by her cousin, a Federal soldier stationed at Somerset, Kentucky, in 1863. Four letters were written by Robert H. McEwen -- one to his son, John A. and two to his daughter, Kitty, while she was on a trip abroad with Dr. and Mrs. Paul Eve in 1859. These letters are full of news about Nashville and Nashville people and contain some political comments worthy of note. One letter written to Miss Kitty McEwen by Rutherford B. Hayes and wife Lucy in 1867 while he was a member of Congress was franked. The remainder of the correspondence concerns the Union flag flown by Mrs. R. H. McEwen (Hetty Kennedy McEwen) in Nashville during the Civil War, some genealogical data about the Putnam family, and letters from numerous friends regarding the fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrated November 14, 1865, by the McEwens at their home on Spruce Street, Nashville, Tennessee. The guest list included Samuel D. Morgan, James A. McAlister, Jacob McGavock, John M. Hill, John M. Bass, V. K. Stevenson, Rev. R. B. C. Howell, Samuel Watkins, James Nichol, and Major General B. F. Cheatha Other items include an indenture dated June 23, 1853, made by Robert G. Smiley to Andrew Ewing; a Confederate bond; a number of invitations to balls, picnics, "at homes'', funerals, etc., 1829-1868; clippings; biographical and genealogical data regarding Hetty (Kennedy) McEwen and her husband Robert Houston McEwen; a few Civil War photographs; and some school items for Mrs. Knox's School (Young Ladies Seminary), 1855, 1857, and an Act to incorporate the Nashville Protestant School of ndustry for the Support and Education of Destitute Girls which was passed by the Legislature, February 2, 1846. Mention is made in a clipping of the Walladoid Academy, attended by Hetty Kennedy when she was a young girl. No acquisition information.
-2- BOGRAPHCAL NOTE Robert Houston McEwen 1790 Born in Washington County, East Tennessee, near Jonesboro; son of a Virginia surgeon of the Revolution ca. 1809 Merchant in Kingston, Tennessee 1813 Served as Regimental Quartermaster of Colonel John Brown's Regiment and was present at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend 1814 Volunteered for service in War of 1812 on January /.0, 1814, and continued in service until mustered out May 20, 1814 1815 On November 14, he was married to Miss Hetty Montgomery Kennedy of Lincoln County, Tennessee 1815.. 1828 Lived in Fayetteville, Tennessee 1828 Moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and was a merchant until he was elected Superintendent of Common Schools and beqan his collecting agency 1830-1865 Elder in First Presbyterian Church of Nashville; had ten children 1868, Jan.Died in Nashville. Buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McF.wen 1786 Kennedy family moved to Nashville, Tennessee 1796 Born July 29, daughter of Robert and Esther Kennedy of Scotch rish descent ca. 1805-1808 Attended Walladoid Academv 1808 Moved to Fayetteville, Lincoln Countv, Tennessee 1815 November 14, married Robert Houston McEwen 1861-1865 Flew the Union flag in Nashville during the Civil War 1881, Jan.Died in Augusta, Georgia, while on a visit to her sister, Kitty. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemeterv.
-3- CONTANER LST Box 1 1. Account book--1833-1862--mcewen, Mrs. Hetty 2. Accounts--1838-1880 3. Biographical data--mcewen, Robert H. and Hetty 4. Biographical data--revolutionary War soldiers 5. Correspondence--Berry-Ramsey 6. Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1835-1836 7. Correspondence--Robinson, W. B., 1837-1842-Wills 8. nvitations, programs, notices, and calling cards 9. Land records--ndentures, 1853--Ewing, Andrew and Robert G. Smiley 10. McEwen, John A., papers 11. Miscellaneous items--csa bond; claims against Robert H. McEwen; establishment of military parks 12. Photographs 13. Schools--Mrs. Knox's School and Nashville Protestant School of ndustry
-4- NAME NDEX The following is an index to the correspondence in the Robert Houston ~cewen Papers, together with the dates of the letters, the addressees. The last number given refers to the folder in which the material is to be found. Berry, Mary, to Kitty McEwen, 1865, 5 Cantrell, William A., to R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 Curtis, James, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Duer, Edward N., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Fowler, J. M., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1877, 5 Hayes, Riutherford] BiirchardT and Lucy, to Kitty McEwen, 1867, 5 [Kennedy], Henry, to sister, Kitty McEwen, n.d., 5 Kennedy, William E., to sister, Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1846, 5 Kimball, George G., to Col. and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, 1865, 5 L'Aimond, F., to A. W. Wills, 1908, 5 Mulholland, Hugh, to Kitty McEwen, 1862, 5 McEwen, A. C., to uncle, Robert H. McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, Mrs. Hetty, to General Thomas, 1865, 5 McEwen, Robert E. (4), to cousin, H. K. (Kitty) McEwen, 1863-1864 McEwen, R. H., to son, John McEwen, 1850, 5 McEwen, R. H., to Kitty McEwen (2), 1859, 5 Putnam, Douglas, to Waldo P. McEwen, 1885, 5 Ramsey, Margaret L., to Waldo P. McEwen (2), 1908, 5 Ramsev, Robert H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 5 Robinson, William B., to A. c. McEwen, 1835, 6 Robinson, William B., to Robert H. McEwen (32), 1835-1843, 6-7 Rosenheim, Louis, to Robert Ewing, 1915, 7 Thomas, George H., to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1865, 7 Videll, W. H. to Colonel and Mrs. R. H. McEwen, l86s, 7 Willis, Nathaniel, to Mrs. Hetty McEwen, 1842, 7 Wills, A. W., to Waldo P. McEwen, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Secretary of War, 1908, 7 Wills, A. W., to Luke E. Wright, 1908, 7
WLLAM EDMSTON fl. 1734-1822 (l) Martha Campbell (2) Margaret Montgomery Margalet E. 1762-f. 1848 (l) Montgomery (2) Robert Harold John 1764-1813 Margaret Montgomery Esther 1766-1823 1785 Robert Alice Dean Campbell 1771-1840 Kennedy 1761-1815 (see next chart) Rober~ 1771- Campbell Thdmas 1773- Martha Buchanan Mah 1776- (l) Gilliland (2) Ebenezer McEwen Marthl Campbell 1779- James Gillespie W~lll.am 1781- W~l lj.. arn Campbell Andrew 1783-1785- 1810 Elizabeth Stewart El~z abeth 1788- Jonathan Smith Sally 1790- Beattie Kather~ne 1795-1821 Robert Jones Moff~tt nformation taken from data supplied by Hetty Montgomery (Kennedy) McEwen, ac. no. 1640. Some of the information was confusing so there may be errors.
Margaret Montgomery George Martin Martha Campbell John McConnell -1834 Elizketh Edmiston Vance Greer ROBERT CAMPBELL KENNEDY 1761-1815 1785 ESTHER EDMSTON 1766-1823 William Edmiston 1794-1863 Elizabeth Willis Hetty Montgomery 1796-1881 1815 Robert Houston McEwen 1790-1868 Andrew Jackson -1842 Mary Miriam McNairy Lewis 1799-1854 1816 Joel Thomas Boone Kacheval Saunders Margaretta Doak Houston 1816-1867 1835 John Trimble Sar ah Caroline Wilda 1820-1839 John Thompson John Alexander 1824-1858 1848 Selina Frierson Jones -1850 (2) 1856 Sallie Turner Anna Maria 1828-1866 1852 D. F. Wilkins Robert Houston 1830-1873/75 Henry Martyn 1834-1861 Lucy Putnam Lucie Curd Hetty Kennedy Erwin 1840- John Scott Coleman