Bruce Campbell Adamson PO Box 1003 Aptos, CA 95001-1003

One of the Greatest Secretaries In History

Does anyone ever think of men conducting business as a Secretary?

The Life and Times of Captain George W. Ely.

This book was edited by my cousins GEORGE W. ELY, III, and William Dodds Hawkins and was accepted into the New York Stock Exchange's archives, New York Public Library, New York Historical Society and many libraries of the U.S. Department of Army. GEORGE W. ELY, III is also the grandson of RAY LYMAN WILBUR who was President of Standford University, R.L. Wilbur was also Secretary of the Interior under President Hoover for four years, for many years and Lyman's brother was CURTIS WILBUR, Secretary of the Navy under President COOLIDGE.

Civil War begins Adamson finds Photograph which is George W. Ely in the Capitol Dome in 1861 with Captain Henry Bidwell. Ely thought so highly of Captain Bidwell that he named his son Henry Bidwell Ely. When Bidwell died Ely replaced him "as the youngest Captain of the Seventh Regiment." Bidwell is holding paper in hand above. Two men of N.Y. City's 7th Regiment are looking up to Ely for drink of water. Photograph by Brady at Capitol Topless Dome. Naw, that is not a nightclub it is were Congress sits today. Symbolic for water is the source of all life and this war was the worst in U.S. history.

The Ely book contains seventy photographs including some never before published of the Civil War. The Life and Times of Captain George W. Ely sells for only $12.00 and $3.50 postage within the USA. It is 8 by 11 1/2 format. Adamson's first book has been retyped setted. Adamson donated 150 copies to the U.S. Army.CLICK HERE FOR letter from U.S. Army Read on:

GEORGE W. ELY was born January 6, 1840, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1857, at 17, he enlisted in the Seventh Regiment of the New York National Guard. George William Ely was a soldier in the Civil War and watchdog of the New York Stock Exchange, a towering figure in both fields. Here is how Colonel Emmons Clark describes Ely the soldier, in his History of The Seventh Regiment: "Captain Ely was a thorough soldier, a strict disciplinarian, and a dashing and popular officer. He was remarkably soldierly in appearance, with great physical strength and powers of endurance. He was distinguished for his kindliness and generosity, and he was a social and genial comrade and a steadfast friend."

Photograph is of Captain George W. Ely circa 1863 and the Seventh Regiment. Photograph is courtesy of Leonard Ely. On the far right in white gloves sitting down is publisher Daniel Appleton. The Gangs of New York would have faced Ely and friends in July 1863. The Seventh Regiment protected the harbor from angry mobs over the draft imposed by Abraham Lincoln. Copyrighted by Leonard Ely and Bruce C. Adamson.

Ely enlisted in 1857 and went to the front as sergeant of the Seventh Regiment, and his regiment was the first to be mustered into the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln on April 26, 1861. George was named in honor of his uncle George Sidney Camp who wrote a book which was a best seller during the 1800s entitled "Democracy." See photograph below. CLICK HERE FOR George Sidney Camp biography.

George W. Ely, as Secretary of the Stock Exchange, was designated generally in outer circles of Wall Street as the man who "owns" the Big Board. When anyone ever violated the strict rules of the Exchange Ely was the man who would apply judgment, a lot like a court of law. Upon his death the New York Times of August 22, 1922 says it all: "No more characteristic figure in the New York Stock Exchange of a quarter century ago could be named than George W. Ely, who died on Wednesday at his country home in Onteora in the Catskills. He became a member of the Exchange in 1869, and in 1874 was elected secretary, serving in that capacity to the end of the century 1900 when he resigned to become President of the Bankers Trust Company.

CLICK HERE FOR Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

CLICK HERE FOR Abner Bartlett and Medora Sibley Easton.

No other institution has had more to do with our world as we know it. The Exchange, in many ways, has shaped our country and, by extension, ourselves. It is important, therefore, to know the minds which formed it. Ely's son Henry B. Ely was in charge of forming the first military battery for the United States government by a private citizen which was known as the Astor Battery. This battery fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Photograph of Henry B.Ely who built the Astoria Hotel and formed the first Army Battery for the U.S. Government. Henry's mother was Francis A. Wheeler-Ely, she was a second cousin to Confederate General Joseph Wheeler. Joseph Wheeler is one of two generals who fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Confederate General Robert E. Lee said Wheeler was one of his best two calvary leaders during the war. The other was Nathan Bedford Forrest. Joseph Wheeler was the only Confederate general to attain the same rank later in the United States Army. Three decades after he commanded Confederate cavalry forces, he volunteered at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War and was commissioned a Major General of Volunteers in Cuba. He later became a Brigadier General of the Regular Army in the Philippines. CLICK HERE FOR Joseph Wheeler's background.

Henry B. Ely also worked with his in-law, Abner Bartlett and built the Astoria half of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for John Jacob Astor, IV. Ely was one of three trustees of the Astor Estate with Theodore Robinson, (nephew to Theodore Roosevelt) and James Roosevelt Roosevelt (a half brother to Franklin D. Roosevelt). Henry gave up this position because he developed TB and moved to Southern California where he died in 1911 a year before his old boss Astor died on the Titanic. Henry's grandfather-by-marriage Abner Bartlett was a trustee of the Astor Estate for John Jacob Astor III and William Waldorf Astor he was the man who arranged the building of the Waldorf-Astoria. Henry B. Ely married Louisa Easton Kissam who was a cousin to Mrs. William Henry Vanderbilt. All descendants from Comodore Vanderbilt are also descanded from the Kissam family, pronounced Kiss-Sam. For his son William Henry Vanderbilt married a Kissam and all living Vanderbilts are Kissam descendants an old New York Family. Photo to left is Lilliam Kissam Easton and her sister "Grace" who was the first person to sign in at "The Waldorf Hotel" in 1894. She married Harvey Duryee another well known family of New York City and a Seventh Regiment member.

CLICK HERE FOR Astor Family Genealogical Chart.

Ely married the great granddaughter of Rufus Easton. Easton knew John Jacob Astor in 1800. The photo shows Lillian Easton Kissam and her younger sister "Grace" Kissam the first person ever to signed into the Waldorf Hotel register. Lillian married Henry B. Ely right at the time he began working for J.J. Astor on the Astoria Hotel. The Kissam sisters were very close to actress Maude Adams, (the very first Peter Pan). At the very time the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was being built from 1892-1897, Maude Adams was acting regularly with John Drew! Maude Adams was a cousin to both Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. The Bush family is not the only U.S. President to have a son as a President. The other President was Adams' son. Pun intended. In 1897 Maude Adams, her mother Annie, John Drew and Ethel Barrymore entertained the Astor, Ely and Bartlett families on opening night of the largest hotel in the world, The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The play was Rosemary. Maude Adams and the Ely Family used to spend much time at the Catskills in New York State. Ethel Barrymore kept a room at the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It seems odd that Drew Barrymore's great aunt and great grand uncle John Drew entertained my great grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. Ely in 1897 at the opening act of Rosemary. Ely Family reunion in 1988 at Leonard and Shirley Ely's home in Palo Alto, CA.

The Life and Times of Captain George W. Ely. GEORGE W. ELY was born January 6, 1840, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1857, at 17, he enlisted in the Seventh Regiment of the New York National Guard. George William Ely was a soldier in the Civil War and watchdog of the New York Stock Exchange, a towering figure in both fields. Here is how Colonel Emmons Clark describes Ely the soldier, in his History of The Seventh Regiment: "Captain Ely was a thorough soldier, a strict disciplinarian, and a dashing and popular officer. He was remarkably soldierly in appearance, with great physical strength and powers of endurance. He was distinguished for his kindliness and generosity, and he was a social and genial comrade and a steadfast friend." This book was edited by my cousins GEORGE W. ELY, III, and William Dodds Hawkins and was accepted into the New York Stock Exchange's archives, New York Public Library, New York Historical Society and many libraries of the U.S. The Life and Times of George W. Ely is a 100 page manuscript and sells for $15.00.

Recently George W. Ely, III, from Lafayette, California passed away and he sponsored this book and helped in the editing. CLICK HERE FOR obituary for George W. Ely, III.

Agnes Ely Berg passed away February 4, 2005. I remember one time Ang" had a scrap book of George W. Ely, I, and there was a Civil War photo with numbers on it. It was really glued in. "I asked Agnes if she wanted to tear it out and see who the people are?" "I said we can steam the back off and maybe there are names there." Well we did, and I found out that my great grandfather Henry Bidwell Ely was named after Captain Henry Bidwell of the Seventh Regiment along with the five or six other individuals. Agnes was the one who suggested to me to contact her brothers George and Leonard Ely and our cousin William Dodds Hawkins to sponsor the book. the following is an obituary from the Sacramento Bee. CLICK HERE FOR obituary for Agnes Berg Ely.