Dandridge E. Kelsey diaries
Collection — Folder: S3035
Identifier: S3035
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of photocopies of pages 1 to 211 and pages 932 and 933 from transcirpts of diaries from Dandridge Eliphant Kelsey in Dearborn County, Indiana and the United States, ranging from 1853 to 1867, regarding his daily life, family, church and social activities, elections, travel, and military service during the U.S. Civil War. The transcripts were created by Gayle Harman Kelsey and concern the part of his diaries from when he and his family lived in Indiana. A child’s impression of Kelsey is provided by Rachel, his granddaughter, in a two-page 1982 addition to the record (pages 932-933 of the photocopies).
Dates
- 1853-1867, 1982
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Kansas State Historical Society.
Biographical Note
Dandridge Eliphant Kelsey was born on March 27, 1818 to Daniel and Eunice (Cole) Kelsey in Greensburg, Indiana. He married Mercy Lacock on February 10, 1842 in Ripley County, Indiana and they had four children: Abigail America, Ann Eliza, Joseph Israel Scott, and Abney Taylor. Mercy Kelsey died on December 31, 1853. Kelsey then married Elizabeth Boatman Wilson in Dearborn County, Indiana.
He was a farmer, laborer, and teamster during his time in Dearborn County. Kelsey joined the Union Army, serving as a second lieutenant in Cany B, 83rd Indiana Regiment, on August 12, 1862. He rose to the rank of captain on May 4, 1864, before resigning his commission.
After his second wife's death, he married Rebecca Jame Burgess on November 26, 1867 in Dearborn County, Indiana and they had four children: Minnie Bell, Eunice, Jessie, and William Logan. After the wedding the Kelseys moved to Kansas, where Dandridge Kelsey bought 700 acres in Leon and Dickenson counties. Rebecca Kelsey was committed to the State Insane Asylum at Osawatomie, Kansas and lived out her life in the Topeka State Asylum. Dandridge Kelsey died on October 1, 1904, and is buried in Topeka Cemetery Plot 22, Lot 20, Space S2WT next to Rebecca, in Topeka, Kansas.
Dandridge Kelsey , Indiana. He joined the 83rd Indiana Infantry Regiment, Company B, when it was organized, being elected among its first officers on August 12, 1862. He was mustered into service as a second lieutenant on September 4, 1862. He was commissioned and mustered in as a captain on March 6, 1864. He was discharged from service on May 4, 1864, at which time he resigned his commission. Six months of his service was centered around the campaign of Vicksburg.
Sources:
Items in the collection
Ancestry. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/
Ancestry. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” Kansas, U.S., Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/
Family Search. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/KL83-JGP
Family Search. “D E Kelsey.” United States Census, 1870. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/KL83-JGP
Find A Grave. “Capt. Dandridge Eliphalet Kelsey.” Memorials. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57872964/dandridge-eliphalet-kelsey
After his second wife's death, he married Rebecca Jame Burgess on November 26, 1867 in Dearborn County, Indiana and they had four children: Minnie Bell, Eunice, Jessie, and William Logan. After the wedding the Kelseys moved to Kansas, where Dandridge Kelsey bought 700 acres in Leon and Dickenson counties. Rebecca Kelsey was committed to the State Insane Asylum at Osawatomie, Kansas and lived out her life in the Topeka State Asylum. Dandridge Kelsey died on October 1, 1904, and is buried in Topeka Cemetery Plot 22, Lot 20, Space S2WT next to Rebecca, in Topeka, Kansas.
Dandridge Kelsey , Indiana. He joined the 83rd Indiana Infantry Regiment, Company B, when it was organized, being elected among its first officers on August 12, 1862. He was mustered into service as a second lieutenant on September 4, 1862. He was commissioned and mustered in as a captain on March 6, 1864. He was discharged from service on May 4, 1864, at which time he resigned his commission. Six months of his service was centered around the campaign of Vicksburg.
Sources:
Items in the collection
Ancestry. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/
Ancestry. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” Kansas, U.S., Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/
Family Search. “Dandridge E Kelsey.” Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/KL83-JGP
Family Search. “D E Kelsey.” United States Census, 1870. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/KL83-JGP
Find A Grave. “Capt. Dandridge Eliphalet Kelsey.” Memorials. Accessed on 2024/29/24. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57872964/dandridge-eliphalet-kelsey
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection consists of only one item.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Gayle Harman Kelsey on 1957/11/23.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 1999/01/15 by Andrea Bean Hough and Philip N. Williams. Collection re-processed and EAD finding aid created 2024/10/29 by A.J. Chrapliwy.
- Aurora (Ind.)
- Dearborn County (Ind.)
- Diaries
- Farm life -- Indiana
- Farmers -- Indiana
- Frontier and pioneer life
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Indiana
- Indiana -- Politics and government
- Lawrenceburg (Ind.)
- Military veterans
- Politics and government
- Soldiers
- Transcriptions
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Military life
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
- Vicksburg (Miss.)
- War diaries
Creator
- Title
- Dandridge E. Kelsey diaries
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
