US-RUn-msg4 Guide to the Raymond Henry Jones Perry Papers 1836-1959 Finding aid prepared by David C. Maslyn. University of Rhode Island Library, Special Collections and Archives 2009 July 01
15 Lippitt RoadKingston, RI 02881-2011Tel: 401-874-4632email: archives@etal.uri.eduWebsite: http://www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/
 Finding aid encoded by Hailie D. Posey 2009 July 01, updated by Erin C. Mullen on 2013 March 13 English Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) English Special Collections and University Archives
15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu
 Perry, Raymond Henry Jones, 1836-1902 Raymond Henry Jones Perry Papers 1836-1959 1.75 linear feet (5 boxes) This collection contains the papers of Raymond Henry Jones Perry. Perry was born in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1836 to parents James DeWolf Perry and Julia Sophia Jones. As an adult Perry had an active career as a farmer, soldier, and perhaps most importantly as U.S. commercial attaché in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic during the debate over U.S. annexation of the country. Mss. Gr. 4 Biographical note

Raymond Henry Jones Perry was born on October 2, 1836, son of James DeWolf Perry and Julia Sophia Jones. Up until 1861 he spent many years farming the family property in Bristol, Rhode Island.

He led a very active life in the military, serving from 1858 to 1870 in various capacities under various men. In 1858 he was an officer at sea, making several voyages to China and California. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the army and in 1865 became an officer in command of Artillery and Cavalry. After the Civil War he served with Major General Phil Sheridan in New Orleans, Texas and Mexico. In 1866 he was appointed Chief of Police of Galveston, Texas. In the next two years he was Chief of Indian and Mexican scouts in Mexico, Texas and Kansas under General Sheridan.

In 1869 Perry was appointed Consul and U.S. Commercial Agent in Santa Domingo. His duties were to act as U.S. representative between President Baez of Santa Domingo and President Grant of the United States in the signing of the Treaty of Annexation of the Island of Santa Domingo and in leasing the Samana Bay or a U.S. Naval Station.

Perry was somewhat hot-headed and reactionary. His words to President Grant in 1869 are exemplary of his character and outlook: "When you have any rough work to do that requires nerve and activity and a man that will do his duty regardless of anything or anybody, I can do it and am ready anytime to undertake it." He was an honest man who felt obliged to perform his duty for his country without personal gain.

It was because of his brazen character that some questioned the appropriateness of his appointment to such a delicate post. And it was due, in large part, to his extreme honesty of character that the treaty for the annexation of Santa Domingo was not signed. Characteristic of the Grant Administration in general, the annexation attempt was deeply involved in corruption on the part of many of the principals. Perry, finding this out, revealed the facts to the U.S. Senate, which was split over annexation, because of racist attitudes toward the black population in Santa Domingo.

Efforts to silence Perry included an attempted extradition to Texas on false charges and, this failing, an attempted kidnapping. This corruption, along with the confinement in Santa Domingo of Davis Hatch (an agent of a salt mining company who opposed annexation) led the Senate to oppose ratification, 28-28, with 16 abstentions. A written account of the historical details on the annexation and Perry's involvement in it appears in Hamilton Fish : The Inner History of the Grant Administration, by Allan Nevins (E664 F52 N44).

After his termination as U.S. Commercial Agent, Perry was commissioned as Brigadier General of the Fifth Brigade of the Rhode Island Militia on March 23, 1871, which commission he resigned on June 13, 1871. He then retired to Rhode Island to farm and raise animals until his death in 1902.

Any qualified person doing scholarly research is permitted to use material housed in the Special Collections Unit.

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 Preferred Citation

Raymond Henry Jones Perry Papers, Mss. Gr. 4, University of Rhode Island.

 Scope and Content Note

The papers of Raymond Perry have been divided into four series: those dealing with Raymond Perry's life in the Military, those involving his personal life, and those concerning his position as U.S. Commercial Agent to Santa Domingo during the Ulysses S. Grant Administration. The final series contains copies and transcriptions of information within the first three series, as well as some other research materials.

Series I, Military, 1861-1869, contains various commissions, assignments to and releases from various duties, letters from Major General Phil Sheridan, and a diary relating the accounts of killings of freed African-Americans by white men in Texas.

Series II, Personal, 1814-1908, contains family correspondence, letters of character reference and documents relating to the settlement of his estate in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Series III, Santa Domingo, 1863-1899, contains copies (and some originals) of letters from Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State, and M.M.Gautier, Minister of Foreign Relations, as well as other documents related to Perry's position as U.S. Commercial Agent to Santa Domingo during the attempted annexation to the United States as a territory.

Series IV, Research Materials, 1867-1959, contains copies and transcriptions of documents in Series I-III. It also contains miscellaneous research notes and photocopies from books, some of which are in the Rhode Island collection.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four series as follows: 1. Military 2. Personal 3. Santa Domingo 4. Research Materials

Names Perry, Raymond Henry Jones, 1836-1902 Subjects African Americans -- Texas Annexation (International law) Decedents' estates -- Rhode Island Diplomatic and consular service, American -- Dominican Republic Dominican Republic -- Foreign relations -- United States Dominican Republic -- History -- 1844-1930 Dominican Republic -- History -- Annexation to the United States Fish, Hamilton, 1808-1893 -- Correspondence Freedmen -- Texas Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 Sheridan, Philip Henry, 1831-1888 -- Correspondence Real property -- Rhode Island United States -- Foreign relations -- 1865-1898 United States -- Foreign relations -- Dominican Republic United States. Army. Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment, 3rd (1863-1865) RIAMCO Browsing Terms Government, Politics and Law Military Inventory Series 1 Military1861-1900

The majority of the documents in this series deal with the years Perry spent in the Rhode Island Cavalry (1861-1869). The series contains Perry’s commissions as Captain and Major in the Rhode Island Cavalry and his commission as Brifadier General in the Rhode Island Militia in 1863, 1864, and 1871 respectively; letters from Major General Phil Sheridan; assignments to and releases from various duties; a travel ledger and a diary relating the accounts of killings of freed African-Americans by white men in Texas; and his military assignment as Chief of Police, Galveston, Texas in 1867.

 1 1 1968, 1868 Assignments to duty 1 2 1865 Feb 12 Bond to keep the peace -- Notes on back by RHP, signature of W. Sherman [Brig Gen?] 1 3 1871 Mar 3, 1971 Jun 3 Brigadier General, R.I. Militia, Appointment and Resignation 1 4 1867 Mar 28, 1867 Nov 11 Chief of Police, Galveston, Texas, documents related to employment 1 5 1863 Oct 22 Commission as Captain, R.I. Cavalry 1 6 1968 Sep 17 Commission as Major, R.I. Cavalry 1 7 1862 Oct 6 Court of Inquiry 1 8 1964-1865 Court Martial 1 9 1862-1871 Dates of Events 1 10 1865 Feb 6 Deposition -- Sale of Horses 1 11 1861 Aug 6 Discharge 1 12 undated Enlisted Men in R.I. Cavalry, List of Absentees 1 13 1868 Mar 13 Issuance of Equipment 1 14 1868 Apr 14, 1868 May 16 Leave of Absence, Ill Health 1 15 1863 Dec 24 Letter of Introduction, to Major Gen Banks from Gov. Smith 1 16 1867 Oct 24 Letters, Incoming 1 17 1867-1869 Letters, Incoming, Sheridan, Major General Phil 1 18 1866 May 6 Money ($800) Stolen from Raymond Perry Allegedly by Mexican Officials, Statements and Correspondence re. 1 19 1864 Jan 28, 1864 Oct 1 Muster-in-roll 1 20 undated "Our glorious little state" - note 1 21 1900 Pension 1 22 undated Petition for Relief, blank 1 23 1867 Jul 11 Order to Arrest James Morgan 1 24 1864 Jun 14, 1864 Aug 5, 1864 Sep 22, 1864 Dec 13 Releases from Duty 1 25 undated Remembrances by Raymond Perry 1 26 1900 Apr 23, 1900 Apr 30 Rhodes, Joseph A., Proof of Disability 1 27 1868 Jun 9, 1869 Nov 30 Salary 1 28 1863-1867 Special Orders 1 29 undated Testimony, re: Captain Borries and selling of Gov. property horses 1 30 1862 Apr 27, 1862 Apr 29 Transferral Recommendation to Regular Army from Volunteers 1 31 1867 Travel ledger and Diary (of the killing of "Freed Negroes by white men") Series 2 Personal1814-1902

This series contains family correspondence; letters of character reference; copies of mortgage deeds to the Perry Estate in Bristol, Rhode Island; correspondence and miscellaneous material relating to the settlement of Raymond Perry’s estate in Bristol; and two account book/diaries, 1874-1900 and 1875-1877.

 2 32 1974-1900 Account Book and Diary 2 33 1875-1877 Account Book and Diary 2 34 1852 Composition on Labor 2 35 1878 Mar 8, 1878 Apr 29, undated Correspondence: Mott, M.F. 2 36 1869 Nov 4, 1890 Correspondence: Perry, Ellen [wife] 2 37 1899 May 20, 1902 Apr 26, undated Correspondence: Perry, James DeWolf [brother] 2 38 1902 Sep 1, undated Estate of Raymond Perry -- Bills 2 39 1904 Jun 11-1904 Aug 8 Estate of Raymond Perry -- corres. 2 40 1903 May 20-1905 Aug 30, undated Estate of Raymond Perry corres.: Perry, William with Perry, James DeWolf 2 41 1880 Dec 6 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Indenture between Seth Paull and heirs of Raymond Perry­ establishing boundary lines for adjoining prope 2 42 1903 May 25 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Indenture of lease -- Land and House in Bristol, R.I.: Perry, James DeWolf and Perry, Calbraith to Perry, William 2 43 undated Estate of Raymond Perry -- Letter: Perry, William to Reynolds, John P., Probate Judge 2 44 1905 Apr 5-1908 Sep 28 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Letters: Manchester, C.H., Administrator to Perry, William 2 45 undated Estate of Raymond Perry -- Memos copies: re: Agreement between brothers about Bristol property 2 46 undated Estate of Raymond Perry -- Miscellaneous 2 47 undated Estate of Raymond Perry -- Notes: Perry, William 2 48 1904 Jun 9 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Power of Attorney of James DeWolf Perry [copy] 2 49 1877 Aug 17 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Promissory note :[Raymond Perry?] to Julia S. Perry 2 50 1899 Sep 1/1904 Jan 15 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Sanitarium care of Raymond Perry 2 51 1901 Sep 6 Estate of Raymond Perry -- Will leaving Silver Creek Property to William Perry 2 52 1869 Letter, Outgoing, Grant, U.S., Pres. of U.S. [draft] 2 53 undated Letter, Hope [?] 2 54 1901 Sep 30 Letter, Outgoing, Hubbard, Rupert, Tradesman National Bank, Phila. 2 55 undated Letter, Incoming, Perry, Calbraith [brother] 2 56 1970 Jun 1 Letter, Outgoing, Perry, James DeWolf and Perry, Julia S. [parents] 2 57 undated Letter, Incoming, Perry, William [brother] 2 58 undated Letter, Outgoing, Pierce, Dr.R.V. (contains biographical information) 2 59 1869 Oct 19 Letter recommending employment of Raymond Perry in U.S. Post Office 2 60 1867-1902, undated Letters, Incoming, Misc. 3 61 1877 Nov 28, undated Letters of Character Reference 3 62 1867 Morris, Owen, pardon by Governor of New York, letter dealing with case 3 63 1877 Aug 17 Mortgage Deed; Perry, Raymond H. to Perry, Julia S. [mother] 3 64 1899 Aug 31 Mortgage Deed; Perry, Raymond H. to Perry, James DeWolf 3 65 1814 Apr 5 Newport Marine Society, Certificate of Membership 3 66 1877-1889, undated Newspaper Clippings, Misc. 3 67 undated Notes- misc. reminders 3 68 1903 Mar 24 Obituary -- copy 3 69 1898 Jul 20 Perry, Ellen M., Last Will and Testament 3 70 1901 Jul 25 Perry, Ellen M., Probate Decree of Will [copy] 3 71 1895, 1902, undated Receipts 3 72 1903 Mar 27, 1903 Mar 28, undated The Soldier of The Great Republic Correspondence Series 3 Santa Domingo1863-1899

This series contains material dating largely 1869-1870, including letters from Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State during the U.S. Grant Administration; letters from M.M. Gautier, Minister of Foreign Relations, Santa Domingo; a letter from William Cazneau; a requisition of extradition of Raymond Perry to Texas; a transcript of Perry's testimony to the U.S. Senate (1870) concerning the events surrounding the proposed annexation of Santa Domingo to the United States as a territory; a bound volume containing Perry's handwritten copies of correspondence and other material directly relating to the annexation of Santa Domingo; and newspaper clippings relating the events of Santa Domingo and annexation.

 4 73 1869 Capture of Salnave deposition 4 74 1869 Nov 6 Commission by U.S. Grant as U.S. Commercial Agent to Santa Domingo [copy] 4 75 1870 Expense Account, Abstract 4 76 1870 May 4 Letter, Incoming, Cazneau, William 4 77 1870 May 9 Letter, Incoming, Garrida, Pedro With Translation 4 78 1870 Jun 9 Letter, Incoming, Unidentified, 2nd. Assist, Sec. of State 4 79 1869 Oct 20, 1870 Mar 3, 1870 Mar 31 Letters, Incoming, Davis, J.G.B., Assist. Sec. of State 4 80 1869 Nov 6, 1870 May 3 Letters, Incoming, Fish, Hamilton, U.S. Secretary of State 4 81 1869 Nov 16 Letters, Incoming, Gautier, M.M., Minister of Foreign Relations, Santa Domingo, Some Translations 4 82 1870 Jun 7 Letter, Outgoing, to the Prevaricator Conversation with Del Monte re: Annexation of Santa Domingo and Principals involved 4 83 1899 Jul 10, 1899 Aug 7 Newspaper Articles 4 84 undated Newspaper Clipping 4 85 1869 Nov 16 Order for Prisoners 4 86 1869 Nov 30, 1870 Mar 22, 1870 May Pay Records, U.S. Commercial Agent 4 87 1970 Jan 12 Petition to Santa Domingan Senate for hotel construction 4 88 1863 Dec 7 Proclamation Indemnifying all Property Taken for Military Purposes within the Military Zone 4 89 1869-1870 Record Book -- handwritten copies of correspondence and related material re: annexation of Santa Domingo, also newspaper clippings (see oversize) 4 90 1875 Nov 24 Requisition of Extradition of R.H.P. from Rhode Island to Texas [certified true copy] 4 91 1870 Jun 12 Statement by R.H.P. to the U.S. Senate, relating events from 1861 until the time of appointment as U.S. Commercial Agent 4 92 1870 Jun 9 Testimony re: Santa Domingo and Davis Hatch before U.S. Senate [printed copy] 4 93 1870? Unidentified Document in Spanish (authorization document or order to appear? for Pedro Benites generated by the commerce department, Republic of Santa Domingo?) Series 4 Research Materials1867-1959

The materials in this series are mostly copies or transcriptions of documents that can be found in Series I-III, cross-referenced with the original documents. One notable exception to this is the copy of the report of the select committee appointed to investigate the memorial of Davis Hatch (1870), which is not included any where else in the collection. The series also contains miscellaneous research notes and photocopies from books, some of which are in the Rhode Island collection. Their call numbers are included.

 5 73 1974-1900 Account Book and Diary [transcription of some pages, see box 2, folder 32) 5 74 undated Babcock, Orville E. -- biographical note by Charles Ramsdell Lingley in [source?] p. 460 5 75 1959 Biographical notes from Mount Hope: A New England Chronicle by George Howe, p.253-255 (see R.I. Coll F89 B8 H84) 5 76 1913 Biographical notes from The Perrys of Rhode Island and Tales of Silver Creek by Rev. Calbraith Perry, p. 95-99 and 2 illustrations (see R.I. Coll CS71 P462 1913) 5 77 1867 Aug 7-1900 Sep 9 Chronological File -- transcriptions of letters and documents from Record Book and Series II and III arranged chronologically 5 78 undated Civil War Newspaper articles -- research notes 5 79 1869-1904 Correspondence -- personal [transcriptions of letters] (see box 2, folders 35-37, 45, 50-52, 54, 56) 5 80 1869-1870 Correspondence -- Santa Domingo [transcriptions of letters] (see box 4, folders 79-82) 5 81 undated Fabens, Joseph Warren -- biographical notes in The National Cyclopedia, p. 178 n.d. 82 Hatch Committee Report Dispatch #12 [transcription of page from Testimony] (see box 4, folder 92] 5 82 1870 Mar 12 Hatch Committee Report Dispatch #12 [transcription of page from Testimony] (see box 4, folder 92] 5 83 1894 History of Battery B by John H. Rhodes, contents and index (see R.I. Coll E528.8 1stB) 5 84 undated Military career -- research notes 5 85 1870 Newspaper articles in Record Book [transcriptions] (see oversize) 5 86 undated Newspaper clippings [copies] (see box 3, folder 67) 5 87 1869-1870 Record Book [transcription] (see oversize) 5 88 undated Remembrances [transcription] (see box 1 folder 25) 5 89 1870 Jun 25 Report of the Select Committee appointed to investigate the memorial of Davis Hatch [copy] 5 90 1870 Feb 24 Testimony re: Santa Domingo and Davis Hatch before U.S. Senate [copy] (see box 4, folder 92) 5 91 1867 Travel Ledger and Diary [transcription] (see box 1, folder 31)