An album containing 100 items of ephemera recalling William R. Stewart’s ‘career’ in Company ‘K’ of the 7th Regiment, Nat. Guard

NEW YORK, 7th Regiment, National Guard. - William Rhinelander STEWART, Snr. (1852-1925, lawyer, philanthropist, socialite and Edith WHARTON’s second cousin).

An album containing 100 items of printed ephemera recalling William R. Stewart’s ‘career’ in Company ‘K’ of the Seventh Regiment, National Guard, S.N.Y. [Sept. 26, 1871 – Dec. 31, 1878]. All loosely inserted into a modern large oblong quarto album, includes:

2 manuscript letters (one accompanying the application to join; one letting Stewart know that he had been elected); 

90 letterpress ‘general orders’ (81 quarto format; 9 octavo format), most with manuscript signature of the ‘official’ sending out the order, many addressed to Stewart on the verso;

7 other letterpress items;

3 engraved invitations. 

An interesting collection recalling the social world of the upper echelons of New York society at the start of the ‘Gilded Age’: a period and milieu which Edith Wharton (Stewart’s second cousin) was to write about in ‘The Age of Innocence’ (1920).

“Philanthropist and financier William Rhinelander Stewart was born in New York, the son of Lispenard and Mary Rogers (Rhinelander) Stewart. He was president of the Rhinelander Real Estate Co. and an officer of the Greenwich Savings Bank and the Corn Exchange Bank. As a philanthropist, he was active in the work of the Conference on Charities and Corrections and served as president of the State Board of Charities for twenty-five years.” (NYHS).

One of the most interesting pieces is a 24pp. letterpress pamphlet Directory of the 7th Regiment, N.G.S.N.Y. … January 1st, 1875. [New York: Francis & Loutrel, 1874] which lists every member of the regiment and gives their home addresses and their ‘day job’. In an early attempt at data protection: there is a tipped in slip which notes that ‘The object of this publication being for general information in the Regiment, as well as to better the acquaintance amongst the members of the several Companies, it is hoped that it will not be used for any other purpose. Should it fall into the hands of canvassers, subscription agents, &c, it would cause annoyance to the members, and a respectful caution is made to prevent this abuse’

Some of the signatories of the orders are as follows: Sgt. F. N. Bacon [cotton]; Cpl. David B. Ogden [lawyer]; Sgt.  Cozzens; Sgt Maj Corell; Sgt Maj C H Covell; 1st Sgt Fred E. Scrymser [?soldier]; Cpl John H. Livingston [lawyer]; 1st Sgt Halger; Cpl. Albert W. Hale [geologist]; Brown; Cpl K B Lane [stock broker]; Sgt Wm Robison [Inman S.S. Co.];  Sgt Freeman.