Resources and References

There are more than 373,000 print references online about the most Honorific US title and style still in use today. This page represents a small collection of some of the resources we found at the Library of Congress.

Resources Collection

The following resource page is a dedicated list of references that prove the existence and use of the term and title "Colonel" in "Colonial America" as an honorary appointment and prestigious title prior to its use as a title in the United States, notwithstanding the US Military. This work will show that most of the early settlements were founded and chartered by non-military colonels well into the middle of the 19th century.

It is the contention of our creative work that the title was adopted by the US Military in 1802 and was only used during the Revolutionary War to raise private non-state militias, then later in the War of 1812 and the Civil War by the states of the Union and the Confederacy. From 1802 forward Colonel became a military rank which was more relative to France, England, Spain and Germany using the rank in their hierarchies; the military rank does not have any bearing on the prenominal title or plantation owners, county officials, explorers, wagon-train pioneers and retired officers from the Revolutionary War or their use of it.

By 1931 when Governor Flem Sampson made 677 including a baby, Kentucky colonels became upset.

Historical Newspaper Articles about Colonels

There are more than 1,000 articles that can be viewed at the Library of Congress newspaper collection that directly reference "colonels" and the use of the honorary or civilian title. The Kentucky Colonelcy website has its own collection of articles; what is important about our collection is that most of these articles have nothing to do with the Kentucky type of colonel.

  1. Honorary Colonels; The Fairmont West Virginian: February 02, 1911

  2. Too Many Generals Among Confederates; The Washington Times: August 12, 1904

  3. He's Col. Ross Valentine; The Evening World: November 27, 1893

  4. Rank by Brevet; Peninsula Enterprise: March 11, 1899

  5. The Army's Youngest Colonel; New-York Tribune: November 06, 1921

  6. Czar's Daughters Honorary Colonels; Arizona Republican: March 04, 1917

  7. Sad News for Staff Members; The Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat: December 14, 1916

  8. Good But Not New; The Daily Morning Journal and Courier: November 11, 1902

  9. Gold Braid Barred (Iowa); Evening Times-Republican: December 13, 1916

  10. Young Woman Chosen; The Pacific Commercial Advertiser: October 04, 1901

  11. A Survival of Nonsense; The Progress: November 14, 1896

  12. Jimmie Gets Elected; The Mirror: December 15, 1910

  13. The Vanishing Title; The Bismarck Tribune: May 13, 1925

  14. Col. Jake Horn Disserts on Colonels Made and Born; The Caldwell Tribune: June 16, 1916

  15. Colonels and Pseudo Colonels; The Washington Herald: June 03, 1916

  16. The Colonel; The Pascagoula Democrat-Star: May 07, 1880

  17. Colonels Wanted; Yorkville Enquirer: November 29, 1877

  18. Civil and Military Colonels in North Carolina; The Semi-Weekly Messenger: December 18, 1906

  19. American Love of Titles; Washington Sentinel: August 13, 1854

  20. Two Famous Colonels; The Bridgeport Evening Farmer: February 16, 1916

  21. The Good Fight Part 1 | Part 2; Abilene Weekly Reflector: May 13, 1915

  22. Col. Howard Orator of Day; The Pensacola Journal., April 23, 1910

  23. Now its Colonel Mary; New Britain Herald: June 21, 1918

  24. New Frisco Agent Here; Tulsa Daily World: March 22, 1918

  25. William O. Skeels; The Bismarck Tribune: September 05, 1935

  26. Honorary Titles; The Roswell Daily Record: July 12, 1906

  27. Abolish the Governor's Staff; The Bennington Evening Banner: October 15, 1907

  28. Fair Enough by Westbrook Pegler; The Indianapolis Times: February 19, 1935

  29. Colonels and Others; Herald and News: August 29, 1901

  30. Our Honored Soldiers; The Rutland Daily Globe: August 12, 1873

  31. Maybe We'll Have Pomp; The Indianapolis Times: December 31, 1932

  32. Young Society Woman's Engagement Announced; Omaha Daily Bee: June 13, 1918

  33. Gilding the Gold Brick; Gilpin Observer: June 24, 1909

  34. Mining Camp Sketches; The Bossier Banner: November 26, 1896

  35. Representing His Nation Abroad; Newark Evening Star: April 25, 1910

  36. Want More Colonels; The Durham Daily Globe: March 05, 1892

  37. John Flake's Old Virginia, I.; The Sun: January 16, 1898

  38. How They Become Colonels; The Pacific Commercial Advertiser: December 13, 1897

  39. Women Wear Uniforms and Lead Regiments; Omaha Daily Bee: August 17, 1902

  40. About Colonels; Puget Sound Weekly Argus: August 01, 1878

  41. Georgia Colonels; Public Ledger: June 07, 1877

  42. American Snobocracy; The Placer Herald: February 18, 1860

  43. Women Colonels Not Rare in Europe; The Savannah Morning News: August 17, 1902

  44. Georgia's Colonels; New-York Tribune: August 24, 1902

  45. Columbia Mayor Now Colonel on Governor's Staff; The Columbia Herald: May 28, 1915

  46. New Mexico Organizing the First Regiment of Colonels; El Paso Herald., November 12, 1919

  47. The South's Many Colonels; Perrysburg Journal: March 12, 1898

  48. Honorary Titles; The Tacoma Times: May 26, 1915

  49. Career of Colonel Knocker; The Stark County Democrat: March 09, 1906

  50. End of Colonels (New Jersey); The Jersey City News: March 03, 1902

  51. Tale of an Old Tome | Title of an Old Tome; Richmond Dispatch: December 21, 1902

  52. Ages of Generals; The Alaska Daily Empire: August 17, 1917

  53. Gen. Merritt is Proud of the Montana Boys; The Anaconda Standard: June 13, 1898

  54. Shameless Shams; Omaha Daily Bee: November 11, 1880

  55. Can't Be Too Many; The Daily Morning Journal and Courier: June 18, 1902

  56. Why a Governor's Staff?; The Lake County Times: December 01, 1916

  57. Colonels; Marshall County Republican: November 22, 1877

  58. The Colonels Take a Say; The Pulaski Citizen: December 16, 1886

  59. A Confederate Reunion; The Prince George's Enquirer and Southern Maryland Advertiser: June 04, 1897

  60. When the Colonels Came In; Kansas City Journal: September 25, 1897

  61. The Governor's Staff; The Portland Daily Press: November 05, 1900

  62. Once a Colonel Always One; The Washburn Times: May 31, 1906

  63. Honorables and Colonels; The Ohio Democrat: February 20, 1895

  64. Running to Titles; Tensas Gazette: July 06, 1894

  65. Where the Colonel Came In; The Indianapolis Journal: October 10, 1897

  66. Titles; The Daily Ardmoreite: October 03, 1904

  67. How Titles are Placed; Republican News Item: May 03, 1900

  68. Made Him a Colonel; The Salt Lake Herald: March 18, 1898

  69. Explaining His Title; Sacramento Daily Record-Union: August 16, 1888

  70. Just So!; The Mt. Sterling Advocate: August 20, 1901

  71. Roosevelt to Decline this Empty Honor; The San Francisco Call: January 05, 1899

  72. Colonel Bob the Beloved; The Age-Herald: February 19, 1901

  73. The Proud Southern Colonel; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: March 27, 1890

  74. Lord Granard on Titles; The Evening Statesman: March 09, 1909

  75. Running to Titles; Tensas Gazette: April 13, 1894

  76. Had Smelt Powder; Sierra County Advocate: September 03, 1897

  77. Protest Against Titles; The Age-Herald: October 03, 1901

  78. Reducing the Colonels; Norwich Bulletin: March 30, 1911

  79. Snover, Giant Pitcher, a Born Colonel; The Sun: September 23, 1919

  80. Howdy Colonel, Morning Major; The Fairmont West Virginian: December 03, 1910

  81. Captain, Colonel, General, Judge; The morning News: March 30, 1900

  82. Colonel or General Thomas Clark; The News and Observer: April 05, 1893

  83. Desert Rat Visits Place He Met TR; The Washington Times: August 30, 1919

  84. The Governor's Staff (Virginia); Alexandria Gazette: February 17, 1912

  85. Senseless Titles; Daily Globe: June 15, 1879

  86. American Love of Titles; Washington Sentinel: August 13, 1854

  87. Nonsensical Titles; The Columbian: June 25, 1875

  88. Current Opinion; The Helena Independent: February 06, 1891

  89. Aristocracy Open to Offers; The True Democrat: March 27, 1897

  90. Our Fever for Titles; Saint Mary's Beacon: November 29, 1888

  91. Peru; Phenix Gazette: June 30, 1825

  92. A New Tax Levy; Yorkville Enquirer: September 09, 1880

  93. Tanner Starts from Chicago; Omaha Daily Bee: June 20, 1898

  94. Royal Women Colonels; The Portland Daily Press: January 25, 1899

  95. The Use of Military Titles (Alabama); The Morning News: June 27, 1887

  96. Why Many Bonifaces are Colonels; The Baltimore County Union: November 19, 1887

  97. Personal Titles; St. Landry Democrat: August 27, 1887

  98. Colonel Nellie Irene Eldridge; The Star: January 24, 1900

  99. The Military Squabble; Connecticut Western News: March 19, 1884

  100. Titles Played Out; Daily Los Angeles Herald: October 17, 1883

  101. The Proud Southern Colonel; Omaha Daily Bee: March 15, 1890

  102. Not Dr. Cleveland; The Comet: July 18, 1895

  103. Free-Trade Competition; The Indianapolis Journal: March 29, 1883

  104. Four More Colonels; The Savannah Morning News: November 03, 1902

  105. Out of a Job - English Aristocrats are Looking for Work; The Wichita Daily Eagle: July 06, 1892

  106. Proclamation by the King of France (US Sponsor); The Enquirer: July 30, 1814

  107. Folly of Military Staffs; The Winslow Mail: September 04, 1897

  108. They Are Colonels Now; Yorkville Enquirer: September 27, 1899

  109. "Mister" for Military Men; The Barre Daily Times: November 24, 1919

  110. La Marquise de Fontenoy; The Times Dispatch: November 16, 1911

  111. A Political Anecdote; Arkansas True Democrat: October 19, 1859

  112. Famous British Regiments: Deseret Evening News: April 21, 1900

  113. Tribunetes; The National Tribune: January 14, 1892

  114. Popular in Illinois; The Pacific Commercial Advertiser: May 19, 1894

  115. Prostitution of Titles; Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer: July 18, 1883

  116. The Boys Who Carried the Guns; Connecticut Western News: September 05, 1878

  117. Titles (New Jersey); Alexandria Gazette: August 29, 1840

  118. Cuban League Formed; The Scranton Tribune: December 15, 1896

  119. Good Moring, Professor; Barbour County Index: July 28, 1882

  120. Titles Are Too Numerous; Akron Daily Democrat: June 27, 1900

  121. End of Promiscuous Titles; The Caucasian: August 15, 1901

  122. From Washington - Taxation on Titles; The Morristown Gazette: October 02, 1878

  123. Titles and Republicanism; Memphis Daily Appeal: November 30, 1882

  124. We'll All Be Dukes and Earles; The Abbeville Press and Banner: October 27, 1897

  125. Colonel Monroe; The Coeur d'Alene Press: May 21, 1904

  126. Colonel Jesus Christ; The Minneapolis journal. [volume], February 06, 1904

  127. She Wears an Army Suit (Petticoat?); The Anaconda Standard: October 01, 1899

  128. A Model Landlord; New-York Tribune: April 24, 1887

  129. Col. George B. Squires; The Salt Lake Tribune: October 01, 1910

  130. With High Honors; Morris Tribune: April 22, 1910

  131. Honor; Port-Gibson Herald., November 24, 1842

  132. ESQ. or MR.?; The Indianapolis journal: December 02, 1894

  133. A Select Tale, The Death Warrant; Sunbury American: June 11, 1853

  134. The Governor's Staff (South Carolina); The Abbeville Press and Banner: February 04, 1903

  135. That Colonelcy; The New North-West: August 05, 1887

  136. Military Troubles at Rome Vatican; The Daily Star-Mirror: September 18, 1913

  137. Hired to Insult Me; Evening Star: January 10, 1873

  138. (Dis)Honored by the Pope; The American: June 28, 1895

  139. "Texas" Colonels; The Dallas Daily Herald: March 27, 1877

  140. A Colonel of the Arkansas Militia; The San Francisco Call: March 08, 1898

  141. Do Not Like It; Daily Inter Mountain: October 07, 1899

  142. Pioneer Citizen of Las Vegas is Dead; Las Vegas Optic: February 14, 1914

  143. What is an Esquire?; Evening Star: July 20, 1895

  144. How Titles are Placed; Republican News Item: May 03, 1900

  145. Highly Honored by the 397th Regiment; The Kansas City Sun: June 29, 1918

  146. Georgia "Colonels"; Richland Beacon: August 11, 1877

  147. The Colonels Take a Say; The Pulaski Citizen: December 16, 1886

  148. Titles for Lawyers; Evening Star: January 22, 1901

  149. It's General Cody Now; The Bridgeport Evening Farmer: April 09, 1915

  150. One of the Landmarks; The True Northerner: February 05, 1890

  151. No Honorary Colonels Permitted by War Department; New Britain Herald: April 12, 1924

  152. Two Washington Men Are German Officers; Evening Star: January 24, 1915

  153. Sad News For Staff Members; The Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat: December 14, 1916

  154. Col. Edith Madison Ames; The Philipsburg Mail: October 25, 1901

  155. American Crests; Evening Capital: April 21, 1893

  156. Texas Today; Brownsville Herald: October 20, 1941

  157. Texas List of High Officials Growing Due New Governors; Corsicana Daily Sun: October 24, 1941

  158. Distinctions for Women; Savannah Morning News: September 15, 1898

  159. Screwball Clubs Flourish in New York; The Chronicle-Star: April 25, 1947

  160. Colonels' Club Plan; Devils Lake Inter-Ocean: February 03, 1911