Josiah S. Studdiford Family Correspondence, 1807-1862

Contents and Arrangement

Expanded View

Only show materials containing online content

Collection Overview

Creator:

Studdiford, Josiah Simpson, 1837-1862

Title:

Josiah S. Studdiford Family Correspondence

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/cr56n278w

Dates:

1807-1862

Size:

1 box and 0.2 linear feet

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of the personal correspondence of Josiah S. Studdiford (1837-1862), documenting his service with the 4th New Jersey Infantry during the U.S. Civil War, including battles in which he was involved; his capture and time as a prisoner of war at Libby Prison (Va.) in the summer of 1862; and his death during the Battle of South Mountain (Md.) on September 14, 1862. Also included is the largely personal correspondence of several of Studdiford's relatives, including his grandfather, John Neely Simpson (1770-1832); his brother, Peter Augustus Studdiford (1828-1886); and his uncles, James Hervey Simpson (1813-1883) and Josiah Simpson (1815-1874). Many of those represented were Princeton University graduates.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the personal correspondence of Josiah S. Studdiford (1837-162), documenting in detail his service with the 4th New Jersey Infantry during the U.S. Civil War, including battles in which he was involved; his capture and time as a prisoner of war at Libby Prison (Va.) in the summer of 1862; and his death during the Battle of South Mountain (Md.) on September 14, 1862.

Also included is the correspondence of several of Josiah S. Studdiford's relatives, including his grandfather, John Neely Simpson (1770-1832), his brother, Peter Augustus Studdiford (1828-1886), and his uncles, James Hervey Simpson (1813-1883) and Josiah Simpson (1815-1874). A few other family members, including Josiah's parents, Peter O. Studdiford (1779-1866) and Ellen Wilson Simpson, are also represented.

Most of the correspondence is personal in nature and relates to family matters, though some relates to professional matters.

Collection Creator Biography:

Studdiford, Josiah Simpson, 1837-1862

Josiah Simpson Studdiford (1837-1862) served with the 4th New Jersey Infantry beginning in August 1861 as an adjutant lieutenant to his uncle, Colonel James Hervey Simpson (1813-1883), during the U.S. Civil War. He was captured at the Battle of Gaines' Mill (Va.) in June 1862 and spent six weeks at Libby Prison in Virginia until he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. Studdiford immediately rejoined his regiment and subsequently fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas (August 28-30, 1862) and the Battle of Chantilly (September 1-3, 1862). Studdiford was killed on September 14, 1862 while leading a charge at Crampton's Pass during the Battle of South Mountain (Md.).

A graduate of Princeton University (1858), Josiah S. Studifford was one of several children born to Peter Ogilvie Studdiford, DD (1779-1866) and Ellen Wilson Simpson. Peter O. Studdiford served as the first pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lambertville, New Jersey, from its founding in 1821 until his death. Studdiford's son Peter Augustus Studdiford, DD, born in 1828 and also a graduate of Princeton University (1849), took his father's place as pastor until his death in 1886.

Josiah S. Studdiford's maternal grandfather, John Neely Simpson (1770-1832), was the son of William Simpson (1732-1825) and Isabella Wilson Simpson (1749-1848) of Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A Princeton University graduate earning a bachelor's and master's degrees (1794 and 1798), Simpson was a merchant, banker, distiller, transportation entrepreneur, and public official who lived Princeton; Basking Ridge, Bernard Township, Somerset County; and New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. It was in New Brunswick where Simpson was most active in a wide range of commercial activities, the Presbyterian Church, and in many aspects of public life, serving as a judge, assemblyman, and activist for improved education and transportation. He was involved in the lobbying campaign of 1828 which resulted in the Common School Act of 1829, and was also very involved in efforts to build a canal linking the Delaware and Raritan Rivers.

John Neely Simpson married Mary Wiggins Brunson, the daughter of John Brunson of Princeton, with whom he had several children, including James Hervey Simpson (1813-1883), U.S. Army surgeon Josiah Simpson (1815-1874), and Eleanor Wilson Simpson Studdiford.

James Hervey Simpson, a U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate (1832) and brigadier general in the U.S. Army, made significant contributions as an explorer and engineer with the United States Topographical Engineers. Most notably, in 1858 Simpson detailed the so-called Central Route from Salt Lake City, Utah, to California, which played a vital role in the transportation of mail, freight, and passengers between the established eastern states and California. The Pony Express followed its course, as did the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861 and Wells Fargo & Company. Following the Civil War, Simpson served as the chief engineer of the Department of the Interior where his responsibilities included overseeing the activities of the Union Pacific Railroad and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Gifts of James S. Studdiford, MD ('65) in 2014 (AM 2015-52) and 2015 (AM 2015-83).

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2014 and 2015 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Faith Charlton in December 2014. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in December 2014.

Finding aid updated by Faith Charlton in May 2015.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material: