Collection Summary
Benjamin Helm Bristow
Papers
1839-1932
(bulk 1874-1896)
1839-1932
(bulk 1874-1896)
MSS13862
Bristow, Benjamin Helm,
1832-1896
16,000
items
20 containers
7.2 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Army officer, lawyer,
United States secretary of the treasury, and solicitor general. Correspondence,
speeches, biographical material, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, other printed
material, and photographs relating primarily to Bristow's service as solicitor
general and secretary of the treasury in the administrations of Ulysses S.
Grant and to his New York City law firm. Includes a letterpress book of
incoming and outgoing correspondence of the commissioner of internal revenue
concerning the whiskey frauds of 1875.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Belknap, William W. (William Worth), 1829-1890--Correspondence.
Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893--Correspondence.
Boynton, Henry V. (Henry Van), 1835-1905--Correspondence.
Bristow, Benjamin Helm, 1832-1896.
Childs, George William, 1829-1894--Correspondence.
Davis, David, 1815-1886--Correspondence.
Drexel, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1826-1893--Correspondence.
Edmunds, George F. (George Franklin), 1828-1919--Correspondence.
Fish, Hamilton, 1808-1893--Correspondence.
Goodloe, William Cassius, 1841-1889--Correspondence.
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885--Correspondence.
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885.
Harlan, John Marshall, 1833-1911--Correspondence.
Meriwether, W. A.--Correspondence.
Porter, Horace, 1837-1921--Correspondence.
Swayne, Noah Haynes, 1804-1884--Correspondence.
Organizations
United States. Department of the Treasury. Office of the Secretary.
United States. Office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
United States. Solicitor General.
Subjects
Law--United States.
Practice of law--New York (State)--New York.
Whiskey fraud.
Places
United States--Economic policy--To 1933.
United States--Politics and government--1865-1900.
Occupations
Army officers.
Cabinet officers.
Lawyers.
Public officials.
Provenance
The papers of Benjamin Helm Bristow, army officer, lawyer, United
States secretary of the treasury, and solicitor general, were deposited in the
Library of Congress by William B. Bristow in 1937 and converted to a gift in
1946.
Processing History
The Bristow Papers were processed in 1972. The finding aid was revised
in 2010.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Benjamin Helm
Bristow is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17,
U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Benjamin Helm Bristow are open to research. Researchers
are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Benjamin Helm Bristow Papers,
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1832
Born, Elkton, Ky.
1851
Graduated, Jefferson College, Washington, Pa.
1853
Admitted to Kentucky bar after studying law with his father,
Francis Bristow, congressman from Kentucky.
1861
1865
Officer in Kentucky infantry and Kentucky calvary; wounded at
the Battle of Shiloh (1863) and assisted in the capture of John Hunt Morgan
during his raid through Indiana and Ohio (July 1863)
1863
1865
Kentucky state senator
1865
1866
Assistant United States attorney
1866
1870
United States district attorney for Louisville, Ky.,
district
1870
1872
First solicitor general of the United States
1874
1876
Secretary of the treasury
Reorganized Treasury Department and successfully prosecuted
the ?Whiskey Ring? accused of defrauding the federal government of tax
revenue
1876
Candidate for Republican Party nomination for
president
1878
Began law practice in New York
1896, June 22
Died, New York, N.Y.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Benjamin Helm Bristow (1832-1896) span the years
1839-1932, with the bulk of the material from 1874 to 1896. The collection
consists of correspondence, speeches, biographical material, newspaper
clippings, pamphlets, other printed materials, and photographs relating
primarily to Bristow's service as solicitor general and secretary of the
treasury in President Ulysses S. Grant's administrations and to his New York
City law firm. Included are a letterpress book of incoming and outgoing
correspondence of the commissioner of internal revenue concerning the whiskey
frauds of 1875.
Among the correspondents are William W. Belknap, James Gillespie
Blaine, Henry V. Boynton, George William Childs, David Davis, Anthony Joseph
Drexel, George F. Edmunds, Hamilton Fish (1808-1893), William Cassius Goodloe,
Ulysses S. Grant, John Marshall Harlan, W. A. Meriwether, Horace Porter, and
Noah Haynes Swayne.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged by type of material.
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Correspondence
1
Dec. 1839-Dec. 1871
Dec. 1839-Dec. 1871
2
1872-1873
1872-1873
3
Jan.-Oct. 1874
Jan.-Oct. 1874
4
Nov. 1874-Mar. 1875
Nov. 1874-Mar. 1875
5
Apr.-Aug. 1875
Apr.-Aug. 1875
6
Sept.-Dec. 1875
Sept.-Dec. 1875
7
1876-1877
1876-1877
8
1878-1893, undated
1878-1893, undated
8
Speeches and biographical
material
8
Treasury reports and related
matter
8
Photograph of Bristow
9
Letterbooks
9
Vols. 1-3,
June 1872-1874
June 1872-1874
10
Vols. 4-6,
July 1874-Feb. 1875
July 1874-Feb. 1875
11
Vols. 7-9,
Mar. 1875-May 1882
Mar. 1875-May 1882
12
Vols. 10-12,
May 1882-May 1896
May 1882-May 1896
13
Private,
Apr.-June 1876
Apr.-June 1876
13
Copies of letters received and
sent by the commissioner of internal revenue related to whisky frauds in St.
Louis, Mo., Chicago, Ill., and Milwaukee, Wis.
14
Record of correspondence in the
office of solicitor of the treasury relating to the detection and prosecution
of defrauders of revenue on distilled liquors
15
Newspapers and clippings
16
Scrapbooks
16
Vols. 1-2,
June 1874-1876
June 1874-1876
17
Vol. 3,
July 1876-June 1896
July 1876-June 1896
18
Other printed matter
18
Memorial of Bristow
18
Miscellaneous
19
Photographs and steel engravings
20
Negative photostats and letters
20
1839-1876
1839-1876
20
1875-1887
1875-1887