Jeremiah Olney Papers

Customs Collector, soldier, investor; of Providence, R.I.

Papers, 1775-1826

Size: 1.5 linear feet

Catalog number: MSS 18

Processed by: Harold Kemble, April 1980

Expanded and revised by Rick Stattler, February 1997

USE MICROFILM CS71 .O51 (3 reels with guide to papers on reel 1)

©Rhode Island Historical Society

Manuscripts Division

Jeremiah Olney (1749-1812) was best known as the Colonel of the First Rhode Island Regiment during the last years of the American Revolution. He was one of twelve children of Joseph Olney (1706-1777). In 1780, he married Sarah Cooke (1755-1842), daughter of Gov. Nicholas Cooke. Their only child, Mary T. Olney (1799-1876), married Samuel Carr, and had three sons. It appears that the last surviving direct heir of Jeremiah Olney was his great-grandson George Anthony Carr of Warren, R.I., who died without children in 1920.

Rejecting a captain's commission in the Army of Observation in May of 1775, Jeremiah Olney instead took command of a company in a regiment of the Continental Army, variously known as the 11th Regiment of Foot, Daniel Hitchcock's Regiment, or the Second Rhode Island Regiment. In action with the regiment at Red Bank, Springfield, Monmouth and Yorktown, Olney rose from captain to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1778, the Rhode Island General Assembly voted to raise a "Black Battalion" of slaves, who were offered freedom in exchange for military service. Olney was assigned the task of recruiting this battalion, which was incorporated into his command when he took command of the First Rhode Island Regiment as colonel in 1781.

At the close of the war in 1783, Olney resigned his commission, but remained involved in military affairs. He was a founding member of the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati (a veteran's organization), serving as treasurer and later president until his death. He refused to take command of the Rhode Island militia, despite repeated offers. He did, however, assist many veterans in securing pensions, and eventually accepted a post as Distributor of Pensions for Rhode Island Invalid Soldiers. He also spent years after the war seeking reimbursement for regimental debts he had paid out of his own pocket.

Olney was an ardent Federalist, arguing vigorously for Rhode Island's adoption of the Constitution. His interest was personal as well as political; he had lobbied President Washington for the post of Collector of Customs for the Port of Providence, a position he needed to help restore his delicate finances. His support was rewarded after Rhode Island ratified the Constitution, and he served as Customs Collector through 1809. His insistence on the strict application of duty schedules and port fees irritated the shipping community, however, and there were unsuccessful attempts in both 1793 and 1802 to have him removed from office. His resignation in 1809 was precipitated by the Embargo Act, which cut into his income and encouraged open defiance by smugglers. He joined the majority of the state in hostility to the embargo, which he often referred to as the "Fatal Act".

Olney made other efforts to improve his financial condition. Between 1784 and 1812, he managed a farm in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, owned by his wife's family. Between 1786 and 1797, he acted as agent for a group of ex-officers who owned shares in the Annaquatucket Farm in Tiverton, R.I. He invested in property for personal use and for business. One such venture was "Jeremiah Olney's Fountain", located on land north of Providence, from which he sold water to neighboring houses. He was interested in turnpikes (purchasing shares) and in canals (corresponding with Moses Brown about possible routes). He was an active participant in organizing the Providence Theatre, which he defended in print against reformers who claimed that it was an evil influence on the morals of the town. Olney invested in voyages by his brother-in-law Capt. Joseph S. Cooke (b.1746) to Africa and the West Indies, and between the years 1806 and 1811 he owned an interest in the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Providence. He also sold lottery tickets and framed prints.

Jeremiah Olney's brother, George, is also represented in this collection. During the Revolution, George surveyed and auctioned prizes taken by the Continental Navy, most notably including the cruise of the brigantine Resistance in 1777.

Coggeshall Olney (1743-1805), another Revolutionary War colonel, was only a second cousin of Col. Jeremiah Olney. Captain Stephen Olney (1755-1832), another Rhode Island Revolutionary hero, was only a third cousin.

This collection includes records relating to Olney's Revolutionary War service, veteran's pensions, personal correspondence, and business records. The great majority of the correspondence is official in nature. Only a few exceptions were noted. There are several personal letters between Olney and his nephew Phillip Tidyman of Philadelphia, and his friend Samuel Tenney. A 1794 letter from Eliza Cozzens requests that Olney convince Joseph Arnold to marry Cozzens' sister; Olney responded that he would "urge the indisputable necessity of an honorable and speedy union in marriage" to save the sister from "wretchedness and disgrace".

According to a 1980 finding aid, the bulk of this collection was donated in 1916 by the Society of the Cincinnati. While no corroborating evidence of this gift can be found, the original collection does appear to have arrived at some point between the full library inventories done in 1889 and 1946. An additional quantity of about the same size arrived as part of the Shepley Library, purchased in 1938.

#1917.18 An unidentified "letter by Jeremiah Olney" donated by Charles W. Lippitt.

This collection was originally organized in scrapbook form. Circa 1970, it was removed from the scrapbooks and placed in eight flat boxes. Around this time, some conservation work was done with funding from the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati. In 1980, some related items were transferred to the Olney Papers from the Shepley Collection, Olney's official correspondence as Customs Collector were transferred to the Customs House Papers, and a finding aid was compiled. At some point during the next six years, the collection was reorganized and placed in three vertical archival boxes without any revision to the finding aid. In 1997, a complete calendar of correspondence was compiled, and the finding aid was revised.

Four letters mentioned in the 1980 inventory could not be found in 1997: 6/22/1790 from Olney to George Washington; 9/26/1790 from Olney to Washington; 3/7/1795 from John Brown to Olney; and 3/9/1795 from Olney to Brown.

Folder 11. Accounts of the snow America, a slave ship on the African coast, 1786-1790. Includes detailed accounts of slaves and rum sold. 14 items.

Sloop Providence, 1783. Trade with Charlestown, S.C. Includes crew list. 7 items.

Expenses of Cooke in Trinidad, 1788-1790. Describes boarding and sale of three slaves.

Folder 1. Militia account ledger, June 10 1775 to ca. 1779. Accounts with individual soldiers.

Folder 8. List of recommendations made for appointments in Army and Navy, 1798-1800

Folder 13. Daniel Cooke family bible transcription, 1691-1888. Includes Olneys and Carrs.

Distribution of pamphlets issued by state, detailing dispatches from American envoys to the French Republic, 1798.

`Large numbers of recommendations for military posts came to Olney's attention in 1798. These are listed and indexed by the person recommended, not the author.

1779/10/04Washington, George. Copy of letter from Eliza Kingsland, a British native living in Albany, to George Washington, asking for assistance.J55a

1790/09/29 Olney, James H. Draft from JO. S120 (on page three of draft to Platt)

1794/05/23 Cozzens, Eliza. Draft from JO. With draft of letter to Joseph Arnold.S131

1803/12/05 "Carefull, Oliver". Olney's response via newspaper to anonymous threatening letter. Original letter from "Oliver Carefull" pasted in. J45b.

1787/08/02CTotten, Robert. Draft of letter from Joseph Cooke re sale of slaves. J205c?

`Large numbers of recommendations for military posts came to Olney's attention in 1798. These are listed and indexed by the person recommended, not the author.

1803/12/05 "Carefull, Oliver". Olney's response via newspaper to anonymous threatening letter. Original letter from "Oliver Carefull" pasted in. J45b.

1794/05/23 Cozzens, Eliza. Draft from JO. With draft of letter to Joseph Arnold.S131

1790/09/29 Olney, James H. Draft from JO. S120 (on page 3 of draft to Platt) 1792/11/15 Olney, James H. Draft from JO. S43

1787/08/02CTotten, Robert. Draft of letter from Joseph Cooke re sale of slaves. J205c?

1779/10/04 Washington, George. Copy of letter from Eliza Kingsland, a British native living in Albany, to George Washington, asking for assistance.J55a