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Caleb Blood Smith speech and paper

 Collection — Folder: S1201
Identifier: S1201

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a speech given by Caleb Blood Smith in the U.S. House of Representatives and a document enumerating appointments in the Treasury Department.

Dates

  • 1848-1849

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Caleb Blood Smith was born on April 16, 1808, in Boston, Massachusetts. His family moved to Ohio in 1814. He graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1827 and was admitted to the bar in 1828. Smith began practicing law in Connersville, Indiana, where he also founded and edited the Indiana Sentinel in 1832. He married Elizabeth B. Watton in 1831, with whom he had three children. Smith served as a State Representative (1833-1837, 1840-1841); U.S. Representative (1843-1849); Mexican claims commissioner (1849-1851); and delegate to the Peace Commission in 1861. He was appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Lincoln and held that office from March 5, 1861 to January 1, 1863. Smith resigned the post to become U.S. District judge for the District of Indiana. He continued in this position until his death on January 7, 1864, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Smith's current burial location is unknown. Though many sources have pointed to the City Cemetery of Connersville, the mystery continues to fascinate locals and historians.

Sources:

Shepherd, Rebecca A., Charles W. Calhoun, Elizabeth Shanahan-Shoemaker, and Alan F. January, comp. A Biographical Directory of the Indiana General Assembly: 1816-1899, vol. 1. Indianapolis: Select Committee on the Centennial History of the Indiana General Assembly, 1980.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Accessed November 2005. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000519.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a records transfer from Indiana University Lilly Library on 1979/06/06.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2005/11 by Christina Baich. Finding aid revised 2015/10/30 by Bethany Fiechter. EAD finding aid created 2018/05/30 by Lauren Patton. EAD finding aid revised 2023/06/30 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Caleb Blood Smith speech and paper
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671