The papers (1877-1920) of John Henry Beacom pertain mostly to his career in the U.S. Army. Included in the papers are 38 letters written by prominent persons, 14 documents captured from Philippine insurrectionists, and Beacom's commissions and appointments. In addition to these documents, the papers include the writings (1994, 1999) of Seward E. Beacom on the life of John Henry Beacom and Beacom Family genealogy. Also included are photocopies of a diary of John Beacom, 1873-77, and a research paper concerning Beacom written by Edward Puge.

The papers are arranged in the following record series: 1. Appointments and Commissions, 1890-1913; 2. Correspondence 1877-1920; 3. Captured Philippine Insurrectionist Documents, 1899-1901; 4. Writings by Seward E. Beacom; and 5. Materials Received from Seward Beacom, June 2002.

There is at least one letter written by each of the following: Senator Calvin S. Brice, William Jennings Bryan, Sir Julian Byng, Lord Charnwood, General J.D.P. French, Francis V. Greene, George Bird Grinnell, R.B. Haldane, Sir Ian Hamilton, John Hay, General Henry W. Lawton, William McKinley, General John Pershing, Theodore Roosevelt, Fred Sleigh (1st Earl Robert), Francis Hopkinson Smith, Mrs. Henry M. Stanley, Melville E. Stone, Alfred Turner, Sir Charles Vincent, Spenser Wilkinson, Owen Wister, and General Leonard Wood. Many of these are perfunctory in nature.

Series 1. Appointments and Commissions, 1890-1913 (2 folders)

This series consists of certificates of military appointments and commissions of John H. Beacom.

Series 2. Correspondence, 1877-1920 (2 folders)

This series contains correspondence of John H. Beacom received from various individuals. A complete list of correspondence is included in the inventory.

Series 3. Captured Philippine Insurrectionist Documents, 1899-1901 (14 documents)

This series contains fourteen (14) documents captured from Philippine Insurrectionists during Beacom's military assignment in the Philippines. A description of the documents is filed in the folder.

Series 4. Writings by Seward E. Beacom, re. J.H. Beacom, 1994, 1999 (2 spiral bound volumes)

This series contains writings of Seward E. Beacom, The Robert Beacom Family in America, August 1994; and The Colonel From Yellow Creek, December 1999.

Series 5. Materials Received from Seward Beacom, June 2002 (diary and Research paper, 2 folders), 1873-77, n.d.

The materials in this series include a photocopy of a diary (47 pages) of John H. Beacom, 1873-77. The original diary is at the Wellsville Historical Society in Wellsville, Ohio. The other item is a photocopy of the research paper titled "The Life and Letters of Colonel John H. Beacom, 1857-1916: A Case Study in Modern Imperialism." The paper (34 pages) was written by Edward V. Pugh, n.d. The diary and research paper are for reference only.