
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. |
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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 ve ry 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.
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CLICK
HERE FOR memorial and obituary for William Dodds Hawkins.
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.
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