| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland |
| Title: | United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland Records |
| Dates: | 1860-1905 |
| Extent: | 0.20 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | The United States Custom Service was established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1805 and responsible for the collection of duties, and, over the years, with the paying of military pensions, administration of the Marine Hospital, reporting the number of imports and exports, and protecting the safety of passengers. The collection consists primarily of correspondence between Charles J. Ballard, Collector of Customs for the Port of Cleveland, and Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War. In addition, the collection includes other correspondence and five oaths of office of customs house employees. In large part, the material relates to the role the customs house played in the search and seizure of suspected munitions imports and related espionage activities of the Confederate States during the Civil War. |
| MS Number | MS 4452 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland (f. 1805) had as its primary objective the collection of duties for the Port of Cleveland, Ohio. Customs officials were also responsible for the paying of military pensions, administration of the Marine Hospital Service, reporting the number of imports and exports, and for the safety of passengers. The Customs House of the Port of Cleveland was housed in 1859 in the government building on the northeast corner of Cleveland's Public Square.
The United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland Records, 1860-1905, consist primarily of correspondence between Charles J. Ballard, Collector of Customs for the Port of Cleveland, and Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873), Secretary of the Treasury during the American Civil War. Other correspondence and five oaths of office of Customs House employees are also included.
This collection is pertinent to American Civil War historical research, in that it demonstrates concern of the Department of the Treasury with the search and seizure of suspected baggage and material destined for Confederate states. it also demonstrates the relationship between the Department of the Treasury and its secretary, Salmon P. Chase, with the local Port of Cleveland Customs House, headed by Charles J. Ballard, and the role the local Customs House played in the search and seizure of suspected munitions import and espionage activities of the Confederacy.
None.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4452 United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
United States Customs Service, 1982.
Processed by Deborah R. Shell in 1989.
United States Customs Service, Port of Cleveland Records 1860-1905 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1-2 | Letter, M. Romero, Charge d'Affaires of Mexico, to William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States, discussion of detention of trunks of Don Enrique A. Mexia at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio; and Letter, William H. Seward to Salmon P. Chase, discussion of the forwarding of documents to Chase concerning the detention of trunks November 18, 1861 December 16, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization to employ Augustus E. Burlison and Henry D. Ives June 14, 1860 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization to seize and detain items suspected of being arms or munitions of war May 20, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Letter, Salmon P. chase to Charles J. Ballard, request for report on proposal to use Marine Hospital at Port of Cleveland for Union troops May 21, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion concerning detention of goods destined for Kentucky and Missouri July 3, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, request for information on vouchers dealing with construction of the Cleveland Customs House July 5, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, request for information on vouchers for the month of June 1860 July 17, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization to permit goods to leave Cleveland for Louisville, Kentucky July 30, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, referral to circular dated August 22, 1861, concerning shipments to ports in "disloyal" states August 28, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, instructions to detain all goods considered contraband or under suspicion, arriving at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio, and destined for Louisville, Kentucky September 24, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of promissory notes belonging to C. C. Leverick of New York, being held at the Port of Cleveland as part of seized baggage of Mr. Parker October 10, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization for release of trunks of Mr. Enrique A. Mexia October 10, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization to release promissory notes belonging to C. C. Leverick October 18, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, commission of John G. Baker as second lieutenant in the Revenue Service of the United States October 21, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of letter from Ballard to United States Marshal at New York which suggested the seizure of tobacco in transit from southern Kentucky to New York October 28, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, instructions to Ballard to notify owners of trunks ahead of time that trunks will be searched and complaints received by Chase when this was not done November 1, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, response of Ballard to Chase concerning letter of November 1, 1861 (see Folder 17) November 7, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, detailed instructions on the examination of articles in trunks belonging to Robson Maury, Jr. and Matthew F. Maury November 21, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of the seizure and sale of trunks December 24, 1861 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of communication from the United States Consul in London, concerning the smuggling of tea from Canada into the United States February 1, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of the issuance and payment of permits for material shipped between states March 29, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, notification that copies of the Tariff Acts requested by Ballard have been sent April 25, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, nominations of W. F. Lampman as deputy collector and Lorenzo D. Morse as inspector approved April 26, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, discussion of repairs and drainage of cesspools at the Cleveland Customs House June 11, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, approval of requisitions submitted for provisions and medicines of the Marine Hospital at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio June 14, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | Letter, Salmon P. Chase to Charles J. Ballard, authorization for the connection of the Cleveland Customs House with City of Cleveland sewers June 21, 1862 | |||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Oath of office, A. Ward Fenton, Clerk of Customs at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio December 1, 1877 | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | Oath of Office, Joseph T. Ball, Clerk No. 1, Class E October 1, 1896 | |||||||||
| 1 | 30 | Oath of office, Walter S. Burnham, Deputy Collector and Clerk No. 2, Class I October 1, 1896 | |||||||||
| 1 | 31 | Oath of office, John C. Carroll, Deputy Collector and Clerk No. 1, Class A October 1, 1896 | |||||||||
| 1 | 32 | Oath of office, Miner G. Norton, Appraiser of Merchandise at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio February 1, 1905 | |||||||||