Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Henry Romes letters

Abstract

The Henry Romes letters (dated 1914-1915; 0.10 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises letters sent from Henry Romes to his wife and daughter in Ohio in the early twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Henry Romes letters

Date: 1914-1915 (inclusive)

Creator: Romes, Henry (1842-1922)

Extent: 0.10 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Letters.; Families.; Ohio; Veterans; Military pensions.; Money.; Romes, Henry (1842-1922)

Arrangement: Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.

Finding Aid Author: Sarah Coblentz

Preferred Citation: 2009ms132.1151: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Henry Romes letters, 1914-1915, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: Henry Romes (1842-1922) was born in Ohio to Henry Romes and Catherine Hoffman. In 1862, he enlisted in the Union Army, and served as a sergeant in the 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was captured at the Battle of Mansfield on April 8, 1864 and sent to the Confederate-run prison at Camp Ford in Texas. He was transferred between December 1864 and January 1865 and then was eventually mustered out of service in July 1865. In 1870, he married Katherine Merkhofer (1850-1938) and together they had one child, Lorena Barbara (1878-1931). The family lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, however Henry spent some time living in the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Erie County, Ohio towards the end of his life.; American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.

Scope and Content: The Henry Romes letters (dated 1914-1915; 0.10 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises letters sent from Henry Romes to his wife and daughter in Ohio in the early twentieth century. The letters are sent while Henry is living at the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home; he discusses the cost of fruit, his friends made in the home, requests for his family to contact federal officials about his pension, sending money home to his family, plans to come home to visit, suggestions on his daughter finding a new job, daily life in the home, and his excitement at receiving letters from his family.; The Henry Romes letters collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access: Collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Use Restrictions: The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Henry Romes to Katherine and Lorena Romes, 1914

Box WH-73, folder 5

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Henry Romes to Katherine and Lorena Romes, 1915

Box WH-73, folder 6

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Abstract
Descriptive Summary
Collection Overview
Preferred Citation
Restrictions on Access and Use
Contents of the Collection

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