Abercrombie, Capt. W.R.

1898-1899

Abercrombie Memorandum proposing to organize an expedition to the Copper River country via Port Valdes and then on to Meatasta Pass, Chusana Valley, the head of South Fork Forty miles, and down Sixty Mile Creek to the boundary line, Headquarters of the Army, Washington, D.C. 11/9/1897, NARA RG 94, #67221; Abercrombie’s orders from Major General Miles, 2/1/1898, NARA RG 94, #67221; Army Officers on steamer Valencia, departing Seattle 4/7/98, Seattle P-I 4/8/98 & Seattle Times, 4/8/98; Left for Cook’s Inlet or Portage Bay, MB-D, 5/22/98; Returned to Valdez from Seattle on Steamer Protection with 40 horses, won raffle for Bald Eagles Mahlo captured, sending them to Washington, MB-D, 7/6-7/98; Abercrombie and Schrader go to bay right around Potato Pt. [Sawmill Bay] where gold is washed, MB-D, 7/21/98; Miners at Klutena Lake Camp pass resolution saying “that Abercrombie’s statements regarding strikes and trails, as published in western papers, were false and unwarranted. 7/23/1898. Crary, Diary, Ms. , p. 10; Party leaves Valdez for interior, MB-D, 8/5/98; Arrive at 12-Mile Camp, MB-D, 8/8/88; Dooley reports his passing through Cox’s Landing, Dooley Diary, 8/19/98; Guiteau, Abercrombie, & photographer from Leslie’s Magazine have dinner at Holman’s with vegetables from Holman’s garden, Abercrombie Abercrombie interested in agricultural potential of Copper Center area Guiteau, Diary, 8/22/98; Capt. Abercrombie, Lynch and Powell left for Mentasta Lake area, MB-D, 8/23/98; Lynch returns to Copper River Camp requisitioning “1 more horse, 1 sack flour and some biscuits. I [Bjornstad] baked 240 biscuits to send with hi. Capt. intends to stay away longer than intended at first. We will probably not see him for a month. Schrader is going to take charge when he comes.” MB-D, 8/24/98; Capt. [Abercrombie], [Addison] Powell, and Sam [Lynch] came down Copper River on boat, met Schrader party, gave them provisions, MB-D, 9/29/98; Files claim with Stephen Birch on Eagle River, 1899. Mining Locations, Book 2, 1898-1900. p. 146; Arrives with survey party including Powell “a friend of Watson’s” at Klutena Lake Camp, 8/18/1898. Crary, Diary Ms. , p. 11; Known to object to miner’s meetings sometimes, Golden Cross? Chapter 4; “Abercrombie claimed at a meeting this evening that the government of Alaska has been put in hands of military.” 8/19/1898. Crary, Diary Ms. p. 12; Powell accompanies on an exploring trip to the Alaska Range, 1898. Trailing; Hazelet waits to meet to “get information on mining law from him,” Hazelet Diary, 9/26/98; 10/2/98; Files claim on east side of Port Wells Bay. Sept. 8, 1899. Chris Christiansen, Phil Blumauer, J.C. Black, Duncan MacCaley (?), W.R. Abercrombie; also claim on west side. ML, Bk. 2, pp. 223-224; Location Notice Sept. 4, 1899: W. R. Abercrombie, C.P. Smith, J. C. Black, Phil Blumauer, J.J. Abercrombie, Louis Blumauer Cutsina River near Mt. Blackburn, ML, Bk.3 (Bks.J&F), p. 44; Department of War, Orders, 3/17/99 listing authorization for employees, salaries, Indians, surveying trail, locating bridges, examination of fish industry, etc. Letter of Instructions to Capt. Abercrombie, Office of the Secretary of the War Dept. 1667-15,NARA, RG 107, Entry 80; Letter to Assist. Secretary of War, 2/27/1899 report on needs of the All-American Route to Central Alaska, NARA, RG 107, Entry 80; Letter to Assist. Secretary of War describing progress on the Military trail, military reserves established, and construction of Station #2, and sending Rohn to Chettyna Country with S. Birch to continue topography from 1898, dated 5/8/1898, rec. Office of Secretary of War Dept. 6/8/1898, NARA RG 107, 80; Letter-Telegraph to Asst. Sec. of War reporting “two pack trains and a samll herd of cattle pass over the Trans-Alaskan Military Road through the coast range of mountains from Port Valdez into the Copper River Valley enroute to the forty mile country. Lieutenant Babcock 8th cavalry has displayed marked talent for carrying a line on grade. His work has been of high order. By mail to Seattle, 7/10/1899, Seattle by telegraph 7/19/1899, rec. 7/20/1899, Office of the Secretary of the War Dept., 1667-107, NARA RG 107, Entry 80; Letter from Capt. Abercrombie to Assist. Secretary of War noting he has posted the right-of-way notices in Valdez at the southern terminus for the United States Military Road through Central Alaska forbidding squatting, and will post placards indicating distances from Valdez, to Eagle every 5 miles along the trail, 8/5/1899, Office of Secretary of War Dept. 1667-119, NARA RG 107, Entry 80; Letter requesting that J.N. Allison, Chief Commissary Dept. of the Columbia “be detailed to inspect and pass on the merits of the road and system.” Not approved. Dated 8/15/1899, rec. by Sec. of the Army, 9/12/99, denied 9/19/1899, NARA, RG 97 (or 94?), #276648; General orders for enlisted men detailed as station keepers along the Trans-Alaskan Military Road through Central Alaska, 10/2/1899, NARA RG 107, Entry 80;

1898-1900

Arrives Valdez on St. Paul, March 22, 1900. From Diary M. Dempsey, 1900; Crary Scrapbook, Vol. 1.# 199; had military feed Millard’s horses winter 1900-1901; provides soldiers to help Hazelet get over Gov. Trail & beyond, April 5, April 22, May 3, May 8, May 28, Oct. 17, provides grain, use of gov. barn, etc.; Hazelet in real-estate deal, Oct. 14, Oct. 17, Oct. 21, Oct. 24 “Capt. off – . . . He is surely the most uncertain man i ever met . . .” Hazelet’s Diary, Oct. 21, 1900;

1901

Millard repaid and reclaimed horses, The Valdez News, 1:5. 4/6/01, p. 1; angers Holman, claims Copper Center as military reservation, The Valdez News, 1:7. 4/20/01, p. 1; Ordered to Eagle to work on Valdez/Eagle Road from that end, The Valdez News. 1:32. 10/19/01. p. 1.Leaves to inspect Gov. Trail. The Valdez News, 1:1. 3/06/01. Returned from inspection. The Valdez News. 1:5. 4/06/01. p. 4; Returned from inspection of government trail, went as far as Tanana, The Valdez News. 1:25. 8/24/01; arrives in Valdez from Interior, The Valdez News. 1:29. 9/21/01, p. 4; At Arctic Brotherhood meeting, The Valdez News, 1: 33, 10/19/01. p. 4; At Capt. Johansen’s dinner party on the Bertha, The Valdez News, 1:34. 10/26/01, p. 4; At Farewell Banquet by Fish for Abercrombie with Gollin, Burnell, Allison, Anderson, Lyons, Brown, Goodell, Crary, Easterly, Edwards, Wheat, and Rochford, The Valdez News. 1:37. 11/16/01. p. 1;