Finding aid for the William L. Gross Papers

Biography of William L. Gross

Few facts are known about the life of Colonel William L. Gross (1839-1909). He was the son of a Minister who migrated from eastern Pennsylvania to Peoria County, Illinois, and William was living in the town of Brimfield there in 1856. That year he also served in the Post Office in nearby Knoxville, Illinois. William may have attended Knox College in Galesburg and we know that he taught school. Between August and December of 1862, he was an employee of the Cairo, Illinois, Telegraph Office as a civilian. He may have served there until he received an appointment at the United States Military Telegraph headquarters at Danville, Kentucky in September 1863. In October 1863 he was commissioned Captain, Assistant Quartermaster in the United States Volunteers and Assistant Superintendent. In July 1865 he was sent to the New Orleans, Louisiana, office of the Military District of the Gulf, and in March 1866 he was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel, Superintendent of Telegraph, Military District of the Gulf. He mustered out of the military in July 1866, and in August was appointed manager of the Western Union Office in Omaha, Nebraska.

Scope and Content

The William L. Gross Papers, 1856-1867, consist of correspondence and records relating to the telegraph offices of the U.S. Army in Danville, Kentucky., Cairo, Illinois, and New Orleans, Louisiana, during the Civil War; Gross' correspondence while he served as manager of the Western Union office in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1866-1867; and other personal correspondence. Includes copies of messages sent to and received from General Ulysses S. Grant when he was planning his campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of the American Civil War and the vital role played by the telegraph in battle strategy and execution and efficient communication throughout the war. The William L. Gross Papers include primarily the detailed records and correspondence of offices of the United States Military Telegraph in Danville, Kentucky, and New Orleans, Louisiana, between 1863 and 1866. The telegraph and its efficient operation played a vital part in the campaigns of the Union armies from Kentucky to Georgia, and they were also used during the first years of the Occupation of the South. There is also an important record of the activity of the Cairo, Illinois, Telegraph Office in which Gross was employed as a civilian in the fall of 1862. It includes copies of messages sent and received from General Grant when he was planning his campaign against Vicksburg. Other material includes personal correspondence of Colonel Gross, including some while he served as Manager of the Western Union Office in Omaha, Nebraska in 1866-1867.

This collection reflects the role the telegraph played in the campaigns of the Union Army from Kentucky to Georgia. Specifically included are abstracts that contain monthly reports and returns, receipts, lists, rolls, and accounts which provide information on payments made to foremen, operators, repairmen, and laborers working on the telegraph lines, and payments for repairs, forage, stables, and warehouses. Also included are lists of stores, clothing, and camp and garrison equipment; rolls of enlisted men and officers; reports on lines, cables, and other property of the Military Telegraph Line; returns of public animals; and orders, instructions, and oaths taken by telegraph operators.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

This collection is part of the William Pendleton Palmer Collection of Civil War material of the Western Reserve Historical Society. Palmer was President of WRHS from 1913-1927. Researchers should consult the Reference Desk of the WRHS Research Library for additional Civil War collections donated to WRHS by William Pendleton Palmer.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 2101 William L. Gross Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

This collection consists of multiple gifts of William Pendleton Palmer made in 1913-1927 and combined for ease of access in 1961.

Processing Information

Processed by John J. Horton in 1961.

Detailed Description of The Collection