Robert Ramsey Livingston, 1827-1888 [RG2166.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG2166.AM:  Robert Ramsey Livingston, 1827-1888

Papers:  1857-1890, n.d.

Plattsmouth, Cass County, Neb.:  Soldier, surgeon, surveyor

Size:  0.5 cu.ft.; 1 box

BACKGROUND NOTE

Robert Ramsey Livingston was born in Montreal, Canada on August 10, 1827 and received his education there, graduating with honors from MaGill University. In 1859 Livingston came to Plattsmouth, Nebraska to practice medicine. In 1861 he became editor of the Plattsmouth Herald until June when he organized Company A, 1st Nebraska Infantry. Livingston served as Captain of Co. A until 1862 when he was appointed Colonel of the 1st Regiment. In 1863 he was appointed commanding officer of the post of St. Louis and later that same year, was made commanding officer of the District of St. Louis. In 1863 the first regiment was mustered in as veteran volunteers and returned to Nebraska to fight hostile Indians. In the spring of 1865, Livingston was breveted Brigadier General only to be mustered out in July of 1865 with the regiment. He returned to Plattsmouth where he remained until his death. In 1869 President Grant appointed Livingston to a two-year term as Surveyor-General of the Iowa-Nebraska District. In 1870 he was appointed Surgeon of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, a position he held until his death on September 28, 1888 at Plattsmouth. Robert Livingston was survived by two sons, Theodore and Robert, both of Plattsmouth.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of manuscript material arranged in three series: 1) Correspondence, 1857-1890, n.d., 2) First Nebraska Regiment records, 1862-1865, and 3) Miscellany.

This collection relates to Robert Livingston’s career as a soldier and as Surveyor-General of Iowa and Nebraska. The bulk of the material relates to Colonel Livingston’s activities with the First Nebraska Regiment during the Civil War. Also included are numerous letters, mostly political, written while Livingston was Surveyor-General, 1869-1870. Correspondents include: William Boyd Allison, 1870; Samuel G. Daily, 1863; Elmer S. Dundy, 1865-1870; John Gillespie, 1866, 1870; Phineas W. Hitchcock, 1865; Wilson M. Maddox, 1865; Thomas Jefferson Majors, 1863-1865; Algernon Sidney Paddock, 1865; M. T. Patrick, 1869-1870; John M. Thayer, 1869-1870, and T. W. Tipton, 1864.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Correspondence, 1857-1890, n.d.

Box 1

Folder

1. 1. 1863-1864

1. 1. 1865-1869

1. 1. 1870-1888, n.d.

1. 1. Non-Livingston, 1857-1871, 1890

Series 2 – First Nebraska Regiment records, 1862-1865

5. 5. Provost Marshall correspondence

5. 5. Receipts for Issues of Ordnance

5. 5. Ordnance Office correspondence, 1863-1865

5. 5. Ordnance invoices, 1863

5. 5. Ordnance invoices, 1864

5. 5. Requisitions for Ordnances, 1864

5. 5. List of Ordnance and Ordnance stores, 1863

5. 5. Ordnance Quarterly Reports, 1863-1864

5. 5. General Orders, 1862-1865

5. 5. Special Orders, 1863-1864

5. 5. Volunteer enlistment, 1863

5. 5. Volunteer re-enlistment, 1863-1865

5. 5. Miscellaneous documents

Series 3 – Miscellany

18. 18. Certificates

18. 18. Miscellany

Subject headings:

Allison, William B. (William Boyd), 1829-1908

Daily, Samuel G.,

Dundy, Elmer Scipio, 1830-1896

Gillespie, John, 1832-1897

Hitchcock, Phineas W., 1831-1881

Livingston, Robert Ramsey, 1827-1888

Maddox, Wilson Meeks, 1825-1903

Majors, Thomas Jefferson, 1841-1932

Nebraska — History — Civil War, 1861-1865

Nebraska — Politics and government, 1870

Paddock, Algernon Sidney, 1830-1897

Patrick, M. T.,

Physicians — Nebraska

Surveying — Nebraska

Thayer, John M., 1820-1906

Tipton, Thomas Weston, 1817-1899

United States. Army — Nebraska Cavalry Regiment, 1st

DDS/ht                     04-11-1973

KFK/dco                  10-24-2003

Revised TMM          08-01-2007; 01-20-2022