Scope and Contents This collection consists of a transcript of biographical notes written by Governor Austin Blair, covering the period 1758-1873, giving information on family background, Michigan politics, the formation of the Republican Party, his years of service in the Michigan House of Senate, his governorship (1861-1865), and his three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.Also included is a typescript of several articles written by Nellie Blair Greene for the Jackson...

Scope and Contents This collection includes the Civil War reminiscences of Newton Thorne Kirk (1836-1909). Written between 1907 and 1909, this account was based on a war diary of Kirk's service with Company E, 26th Michigan Infantry. Wounded and made prisoner at the Battle of Spottsylvania Court House, he describes his experiences while in Confederate hands. He also comments on the inauguration of President Lincoln and on Michigan Governor Austin Blair. Kirk's papers also include a certificate (1864)...