Props to H. B.

[Howard Brown]

No, Jeff....I'm sorry that I don't.

[Mayerling]

I believe the proper way of looking at the address is Madison, in Sullivan County, New York. It's a county in the western tier of the state, named after the American Revolutionary War General John Sullivan, who in 1779 was sent on an anti-Six Nation attack on the Iroquois, that led to the destruction of their villages. In it's day it was lauded as a major important victory against the British allies in the Native American peoples (there had been some massacres of American settlers in the Cherry and Wyoming valleys of upstate New York by the Native Americans and the Tories like Walter Butler, and this was the response to that). Today we probably would not think so highly of Sullivan's brutal warfare - but as late as the 1930s his picture appeared on a United States Postage Stamp.

-Jeff Bloomfield-

Jeff....my Greatx4 Grandpop was also a (Brigadier) General in the Indian Wars...he knew Sullivan. His name was Josiah Harmar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War

Hi Howard,

The Indian Frontier War in Upstate New York is barely remembered at all these days. Only one silent film and one sound film were made about them that are worth watching.

1) America (1924) - D.W. Griffith, director. Starring Neil Hamilton, Carol Dempster, and Lionel Barrymore. It actually does deal with the Tory led raids into the Cherry Valley, with Barrymore as the villainous Walter Butler. Hamilton is Nathan Holder, and Dempster (Griffith's mistress, whom he tried to make into a star) was the heroine. Griffith tried to do for the American Revolution in "America" what he did for the Civil War in "Birth of a Nation", but the result showed a lack of his old vigor. Interestingly, Butler/Barrymore ends up killed by his allies.

2) Drums Along the Mohawk (1940) - John Ford, director. Starring Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna Mae Oliver, Ward Bond, John Carradine. A nicely done early American Ford "western", based on Walter Edmunds' best selling novel. Carradine, of course, is the villain - a Tory who is leading the Indians against the settlers who support the revolution. Oliver's performance was a stand-out in this film, and earned her an Academy Award nomination. It's in color too - which is wonderful given the forest scenery. Of historical interest here was it is the only American film to look at what may have been the bloodiest, and most grueling battle of the Revolution: the battle of Oriskany (1777). Americans under General Nicholas Herkimer fought the British and their Mohawk - Iroquois allies in the forests in that area, and the battle lasted about ten hours - and was hand-to-hand combat. We see part of the battle, and the return of the American wounded, including the dying General Herkimer. After the war a county upstate was renamed for General Herkimer.

Thanks for the citation regarding the Northwest Indian Wars in Wikipedia, which led me to a biography on General Harmer. He seemed a competent General, and his replacement by Arthur St. Clair meant little immediately (St. Clair was beaten in a battle, and replaced by "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who defeated the Indians at the "Battle of Fallen Timbers" in 1795).

Do you have anything more about Mr. Bloom.

Jeff

[Howard Brown]

I believe the proper way of looking at the address is Madison, in Sullivan County, New York. It's a county in the western tier of the state, named after the American Revolutionary War General John Sullivan, who in 1779 was sent on an anti-Six Nation attack on the Iroquois, that led to the destruction of their villages. In it's day it was lauded as a major important victory against the British allies in the Native American peoples (there had been some massacres of American settlers in the Cherry and Wyoming valleys of upstate New York by the Native Americans and the Tories like Walter Butler, and this was the response to that). Today we probably would not think so highly of Sullivan's brutal warfare - but as late as the 1930s his picture appeared on a United States Postage Stamp.

-Jeff Bloomfield-

Jeff....my Greatx4 Grandpop was also a (Brigadier) General in the Indian Wars...he knew Sullivan. His name was Josiah Harmar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War

[Robert]

Thanks Jeff.

[Mayerling]

Hi Jeff


Maybe the company encouraged husbands and wives to travel together - the wives would keep an eye on their husbands and ensure that they weren't making whoopee while on company business.

I have found Bloom in the 1880 and 1900 censuses. In 1880 he and his wife Sarah E Bloom are living in Sullivan, Madison NY. There doesn't seem to be a street address. In 1900, still in Sullivan, he has a new wife, Kathaline, who is 28 years his junior. They've been married a year.

I believe the proper way of looking at the address is Madison, in Sullivan County, New York. It's a county in the western tier of the state, named after the American Revolutionary War General John Sullivan, who in 1779 was sent on an anti-Six Nation attack on the Iroquois, that led to the destruction of their villages. In it's day it was lauded as a major important victory against the British allies in the Native American peoples (there had been some massacres of American settlers in the Cherry and Wyoming valleys of upstate New York by the Native Americans and the Tories like Walter Butler, and this was the response to that). Today we probably would not think so highly of Sullivan's brutal warfare - but as late as the 1930s his picture appeared on a United States Postage Stamp.

Jeff

[Robert]

Thanks Mike. Well, surely he had to go abroad on business between 1880 and 1888, and he is given as married in the 1880 census. But anyway, it's a minor point.

[mklhawley]

I don't know the answer to that either, Robert. His first passport was issued when he was around 22 years old. Maybe he had to change it, because his marital status changed and she was now with him?

Mike

[Robert]

Hi Jeff

Thanks for that.

Presumably it was the same kind of thinking that led to his wife being listed on the passenger list as "Mrs Bloom." In fact, if you look at the next name, John Leslie, his wife is listed as 'Mrs Leslie' even though other members of his family have an initial or a full forename.

Maybe the company encouraged husbands and wives to travel together - the wives would keep an eye on their husbands and ensure that they weren't making whoopee while on company business.

I have found Bloom in the 1880 and 1900 censuses. In 1880 he and his wife Sarah E Bloom are living in Sullivan, Madison NY. There doesn't seem to be a street address. In 1900, still in Sullivan, he has a new wife, Kathaline, who is 28 years his junior. They've been married a year.

[Mayerling]

Random observations

Hi Robert,

Nice find.

I am sorry to say I don't know what the rules about getting an American passport was in the 19th Century. But I did note the following (though I am certain you saw it too).

The current passport is actually for Charles Bloom and his wife - and the date is August 1888. So it is actually the passport Bloom and his wife were using when the events in the Buffalo newspaper occurred in London. That is lucky.

No details are given about Mrs. Bloom (whose name is Sarah Bloom) and she apparently was the responsibility of her husband. I take it this view of his wife mirrors what the current view of female spouses' rights and social placement was in 1888.

Charles Bloom is five foot seven inches (shorter than me). His eyes are brown.

The address of the Royal Baking Soda Company was 106 Wall Street in Manhattan, and it is listed as the address for Bloom - presumably it was sent to that address after it was signed and notarized. The reason for the use of the 106 Wall Street address was probably due to the passport being used mostly for the express purpose of the business travel for the firm (which begs the question, why was Sarah accompanying her husband - did she work as his secretary? If you recall from the reported comment Bloom made in the May 1888 trial he said that he spends most of his time in New York City at his company headquarters. He probably did not live with Sarah in N.Y.C.

Jeff

[Robert]

Another try.

[Robert]

That didn't work too well.

[Robert]

Mike, Jeff, could one of you explain the USA passport application procedures for the late 19th century? I have found a passport application that he made in 1888. The old passport was, by the looks of it, issued in 1865. How long would this passport have lasted before it expired? Bloom says he has known Tumblety for the last 15 years and run across him all over the world.

This is heavily resized to conform with board rules but fingers crossed will be legible.

[mklhawley]

Hi Robert and Jeff,

It's interesting that Bloom stated he was 45 years old on the ship manifest. If he's been seeing Tumblety everywhere for years, it was likely Tumblety's later years in the 1870s and 1880s.

Sincerely,

Mike

[Mayerling]

Thanks for that, Jeff. It looks like Bloom was a defence witness, but the overall effect of his testimony was to make Ziegler look bad.

Hi Robert,

I only looked for one year. I'll try again later. It would be interesting to know what happened to the Baking Soda Company.

Jeff

[Robert]

Thanks for that, Jeff. It looks like Bloom was a defence witness, but the overall effect of his testimony was to make Ziegler look bad.