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Collection

Charles S. Watkins letterbook, 1853-1854

50 pages

Charles Watkins' letterbook contains copies of letters written by Watkins while searching for gold in California in 1854.

Among the most interesting and literate Gold Rush collections in the Clements Library, Charles Watkins' letterbook contains copies of 14 lengthy, descriptive letters, written to his siblings during a sojourn in California in 1854. With an exceptional eye for detail and an enjoyable sense of humor about himself and others, Watkins' letters provide a startlingly carefree perspective on the California scene, where even personal misfortunes paled in the face of overwhelming opportunities for "fun."

Watkins' upbringing remains something of a mystery, although a few hints can be gleaned from his correspondence. His letters indicate a highly practiced hand, and the larding-in of classical allusions suggest that his education may have been somewhat better than average.

Nearly every letter is polished and well thought out, and suggest he was as wide a reader as he was a traveler: at times, his readings of romance stories and dime novels seem to have helped him to cast his own experiences for his sisters and brother. Thus, in describing his meeting with a group of California Indians, to his sister, Abby, he recreates the dime novelist's melodramatic Indian: "The California Indians are different from any others that I have ever met with, they are filthy in their habits and treacherous in their disposition. I had an encounter with a few of them at night shortly after my arrival in the mountains. I had lost my way travelling alone about 10 miles from Coloma and did not know exactly where I was, stopped by two of the Indians belonging as I afterwards learned to a camp near Coloma, my hand was instantly on my trusty revolver and visions of poisoned arrows, scalping knives, burning at the stake &c &c flitted through my mind as I prepared for the combat, it was a fit scene for a novel or tragedy..." (1854 May 20). After building the suspense and drawing out the encounter at great length, in the tradition of the classic dime novel, Watkins suspends the conclusion of his story to a later letter, where he deflates the apparent danger of death-by-poison-arrow into a pathetic account of poverty and beggary.

Watkins' letters include fine descriptions of the passage across the Nicaraguan, and some excellent descriptions of the wandering life among the central and southern mining districts. Particularly in his early letters, he provides fine descriptions of mining techniques and mining activities, and the composite picture that emerges of the miners themselves is fascinating.

Collection

Charles Winstone letter book, 1777-1786

1 volume

The Charles Winstone letterbook, 1777-1786, contains the business correspondence of Winstone, attorney general and planter in Dominica during and after the American Revolution.

The Charles Winstone letterbook contains 131 letters written between December 22, 1777, and July 20, 1786, comprising a total of 210 pages. Winstone wrote 126 of the letters. His clerk, Thomas Pryor, wrote an additional 5 items, on Winstone's behalf, during Winstone's business trip to Antigua from July to September 1780. The letters primarily concern legal, financial, and plantation affairs, and are addressed to 40 different recipients. They include references to the effect of the American Revolution on trade, the activities of American privateers, the defenses of Dominica, French naval and military activities in the West Indies, the capture of Dominica by France, and conditions there after the capture. Winstone wrote most frequently to John Rae (29 letters), Benjamin Sandford (13 letters), David Chollet (11 letters), John Fordyce (8 letters), John Greg (5 letters), and the firms of Bordieu, Chollet & Bordieu (7 letters) and Langston & Dixon (5 letters).

Many of the letters narrate political activities and developments in the West Indies during and after the American Revolution, including the increasing presence of the French Navy, the French invasion and capture of Dominica, and conflict over neighboring islands. On December 22, 1777, Winstone wrote to the governor of Dominica, William Stuart, and described the "very weak state" of Dominica's garrison, Fort Shirley, as well as the "swarming" of numerous "Rebel Privateers" around the island. He also nervously anticipated "something unfriendly" based on the presence of 12,000 soldiers and numerous ships at the nearby islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe. Several months later, he wrote to James Irvin, and recounted the story of Sharpe, a slave stolen by an American privateer and later recovered (January 6, 1778). A highlight of the letterbook is Winstone's letter to David Chollet of October 26, 1778, in which he described Dominica's feeble resistance to France's invasion and subsequent takeover: "we had only the Name of a Garrison [and] about forty Regulars to carry Arms…. We partly lay the blame on our Admiral who remained [at] an Anchor in Carlisle."

Winstone wrote particularly revealing letters concerning the war's financial consequences, to which he was well attuned. He noted that property in the West Indies had lost half of its value, and bemoaned the embargoes enacted by the British to halt French trade via Dominica, which had made his position as attorney general unprofitable (October 26, 1778). On June 18, 1779, he reported the difficulty of trading because of the risks associated with sending items to St. Eustatius en route to Europe. He also provided the prices of sugar, beef, and salt-fish, and requested assistance from Chollet in convincing Dutch ships to come to Dominica for trading purposes. On January 12, 1780, he wrote to Robert Melvill and described the ubiquitous high prices, the seizure of livestock for use by the military hospital, and the general suffering of the population. A terrible hurricane and destructive fire in the town of Roseau, described by Winstone on July 16, 1781, compounded the distress of the inhabitants.

Although many letters in the volume relate to political events and their financial consequences in Dominica, others concern more routine financial matters and events. On October 27, 1778, Winstone wrote a letter to accompany a slave he sold to Thomas Campbell, in which he intimated, "the Reason of my selling the Fellow is that he is disliked by the rest of the Negroes on the Plantation & he is addicted to running away." Many later letters relate strictly to financial matters, such as the mortgages of planters and the settling of accounts. The final letter in the volume, dated April 30, 1786, gives a rare glimpse into Winstone's personal life; in it, he hopes his daughter Rebecca ("Becks"), wife of his business associate Benjamin Sanford, has successfully delivered her first child.

Collection

Christopher Mason letter book, 1780-1783, 1794-1795

1 volume

The Christopher Mason letter book contains copied incoming and outgoing letters of a British navy officer who fought in America during the Revolutionary War. The volume covers communications from three of Mason's commands: HMS Delaware (1780), HMS Quebec (1781-1783) and HMS Zealous (1794-1795).

The Christopher Mason letter book (143 pages, 124 letters) contains copied incoming and outgoing letters of a British navy officer who fought in America during the Revolutionary War. The volume covers communications from three of Mason's commands: the HMS Delaware (1780), the HMS Quebec (1781-1783), and the HMS Zealous (1794-1795). The volume contains 79 incoming letters, an index for the 1794-1795 incoming items, and 43 outgoing letters. These include Mason's contact with the British Navy Board and with fellow officers serving during the Revolution.

The inscription on the front cover of the book reads: "Letters Relating to the War in America. Movements of Ships & Men, Information regarding the Enemy, Convoys, Lists of Rebel Ships, Victualling & Refitting, Exchange of Prisoners, List of Prizes taken, ETC."

Pages 1-49 and 1a-22a cover Mason's time on board the Delaware while it was stationed in Halifax Harbor and during its patrol of the coast of Maine (April 3-December 24, 1780). These letters contain details on the naval operations in the northern theater of the war. Topics include the conditions and activities of the British army and navy in Nova Scotia, the French and American navies, the Americans' use of whale boats to attack the British scouting ships, coal mining in Nova Scotia, and conflicts near Spanish River (Sydney, Nova Scotia), Penobscot River, St. Lawrence, and the Bay of Fundy.

Entries of note:
  • June 12, 1780, page 1a: Warren 's acknowledgement of control of the British fleet from Captain Cosby.
  • June 20, 1780, page 4a: News that the Nautilus was burned by the rebels.
  • July 9, 1780, page 37: Intelligence on conflicts with the French Fleet and rumors that George Washington had disappeared from the army for three weeks and might not return.
  • July 20, 1780, pages 14-19: A long letter from Peter Aplin describing enemy activities near Halifax. This item contains a list of rebel ships in the area and was delivered by two Native Americans.
  • July 27, 1780, page 13: Intelligence on the American ships the America, Thorn, and Brutus.
  • August 9, 1780, page 9a and August 11, 1780, page 24: A description of the condition of the Delaware, which had many rotten boards and was infested with rats. On September 16, 1780, page 13a, Warren "smoked" the ship to kill the rats.
  • September 11, 1780, page 48: News that General Horatio Gates was defeated in North Carolina by Cornwallis.
  • September 16, 1780, pages 14a-15a: A list of officers serving under Mason in Nova Scotia (name, office, ship, and reason for promotion), and a list of prizes seized or destroyed under Mason.

Pages 58-60 and 29a-34a document Warren's service patrolling the Delaware River and the North River (Hudson River) in the HMS Quebec (October 27, 1781-September 19, 1783). These communications are primarily between Warren and the admiralty office.

Entries of note:
  • October 27, 1781, page 30a: A list of convoy ships under Mason.
  • July 30, 1782, page 58: Complaints against Lieutenant Piers of the Argo for "Molesting the Inhabitants, turning cattle into their grounds, taking their wood without paying for it &ca. &ca. &ca."
  • December 23, 1782, page 31a: An account of taking the American ship the South Carolina and bringing the ship to New York.
  • January 2, 1783, page 32a: Rumors that peace has been settled and concern by Warren that this will decrease the value of the prize ship South Carolina.

Pages 62-88 and 41a-55a cover Warren's time when he was patrolling the British Channel and while he was stationed at Spithead and Plymouth in the HMS Zealous (May 17, 1794-April 24, 1795). Communications are largely to and from officers in the Admiralty Office, Navy Office, Office of Ordnance, and the Vitualling Office. These letters concern supplying ships with ammunition, cannons, and other provisions; disciplining and discharging sailors, and securing bounty owed to his crew on board the Zealous.

Entries of note:
  • November 21, 1794, page 44a: A report that failure to follow anchoring signals at sea caused damages to ships.
  • January 9, 1795, page 51a and January 15, 1783, page 83: Reports of Greek sailors replacing sick seamen on Warren's ship.
Collection

Clark W. Hatch collection, 1889-1891

3 volumes

This collection is made up of a letter book, stenographer's notes, and scrapbook pertaining to the trials of Clark W. Hatch of Boston, Massachusetts. Hatch was accused of murdering his uncle, Henry Hatch of Kit Carson County, Colorado, and, later, of defrauding his employer, the Travelers Insurance Company.

This collection is made up of a letter book, stenographer's notes, and scrapbook pertaining to the trials of Clark W. Hatch of Boston, Massachusetts. Hatch was accused of murdering his uncle, Henry Hatch of Kit Carson County, Colorado, and, later, of defrauding his employer, the Travelers Insurance Company.

The letter book (102 pages) contains correspondence regarding Hatch's arrest and trial for the murder of his uncle, Henry Hatch. Most items are copies of letters by William J. Lewis, an acquaintance of Clark W. Hatch. Lewis requested information from officials involved in the case, including a local sheriff, and on at least one occasion provided information on Hatch's movements around the time of the murder (September 5, 1889). Lewis also affirmed his loyalty to Hatch and urged the accused to maintain a calm demeanor, lest he raise suspicions about the funding of his legal assistance (March 3, 1890). The letter book also includes letters from Hatch and other parties interested in the case; some of these are pasted onto the letter book's pages.

H. C. Hollister, the official stenographer for Clark W. Hatch's initial trial under Judge Lewis C. Greene in Burlington, Colorado, in May 1889, composed typed copies of witnesses' testimonies (189 pages). Witnesses included Henry Hatch's acquaintances, the boys who discovered his body, and several people who had seen Henry Hatch or Clark Hatch around the time of the murder. Clark W. Hatch and his father-in-law, Orrin Poppleton, also testified. The testimonies provide details about Henry Hatch's life, Clark W. Hatch's life and occupation, and their mutual histories.

A 70-page scrapbook contains newspaper clippings about Clark W. Hatch's murder trials and his later legal difficulties. Most clippings are from the Burlington Blade, the Burlington Boomerang, and the Rocky Mountain News. The editors of the Burlington papers wrote about the case and its background, and shared their stances regarding Hatch's guilt. The scrapbook also contains recapitulations of Hatch's arrests and trials. Later clippings detail a late investigation into the forgery charges against Clark W. Hatch. The final clipping, dated May 1891, pertains to Hatch's disappearance.

Collection

Constantin family papers, 1800-1829 (majority within 1806-1809)

1 linear foot

The Constantin family papers are made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the family's involvement in transatlantic shipping in the early 19th century. Personal and professional acquaintances corresponded with Barthelemy Constantin and his son Anthony of Bordeaux, France, and New York City, and the Constantins also compiled accounts, inventories, and receipts.

The Constantin family papers (1 linear foot) are made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the family's involvement in trans-Atlantic shipping in the early 19th century.

The Correspondence series (around 330 items) contains personal and business letters, most of which were addressed to Barthelemy Constantin and Anthony Constantin from 1806-1809. Most items pertain to the Constantins' ship brokering business, finances, and shipments of goods between Europe and the United States. Personal letters to Anthony Constantin from his father, Barthelemy Constantin, and his brother, Simon Constantin, provide personal advice and news from Bordeaux. In a letter of August 9, 1806, Simon warned Anthony about potential military conflicts, and later letters from that year concern financial difficulties and disputes.

The Documents and Financial Records series (around 275 items) is divided into five subseries. The Accounts and Account Books subseries (8 items) pertains to cargo shipments, and 2 items also contain copies of business and personal letters. The Invoices and Receipts subseries concerns ships carrying building supplies, clothing, and other cargo between Bordeaux and New York. Fifteen printed Import Price Lists concern the wholesale prices of goods in Bordeaux and Nantes in 1806-1808. Twenty-five Inventories detail the goods aboard ships and other materials of the shipping business. The Financial Documents and Inventories of the Brig Batavian subseries includes cargo inventories and receipts of goods received in New York.

Anthony Constantin's Waste Book (8" x 12", 44 pages) has personal correspondence, poetry, accounts, and drawings. Visual subjects include architecture, a portrait, sketches of combs with pearls, and a drawing of a skeleton holding a sickle and a bottle. The Poem Book (4" x 6", 35 pages) belonged to Eloise Maria Le Comte. Miscellaneous items include an incomplete newspaper article about female heroism and a printed document, "Instruction contenant les principals dispositions des ordaonnances et reglemens applicables aux ecoles primaires de filles," as well as other items.

Collection

Daniel H. B. Davis letter books, 1871-1884 (majority within 1871-1875, 1879-1884)

3 volumes

This collection is comprised of 3 letter books containing copies of business and personal letters written by Daniel H. B. Davis, who owned a shipping firm that conducted business in New York City and in Lima, Peru. Davis wrote to his brother James and to his acquaintance B. H. Kaufmann, and discussed business matters and contemporary politics in Lima during the War of the Pacific.

This collection is comprised of 3 letter books containing copies of business and personal letters written by Daniel H. B. Davis, who owned a shipping firm that conducted business in New York City and in Lima, Peru. Davis's private correspondence relates to business affairs and, particularly in the later volumes, the politics of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile during the War of the Pacific.

Davis wrote the earliest letters in Volume 1 (January 10, 1871-May 10, 1875, 482 pages) from Lima, Peru, regarding the local affairs of Davis Brothers. After his return to New York, Davis wrote about his social life and commented on business. Volume 2 (June 9, 1879-April 19, 1881, 301 pages) also relates to business affairs, and contains letters to James B. Davis and to B. H. Kaufmann ("Harry"), a business associate in Lima. Davis discussed South American politics as conflicts between Peru, Chile, and Bolivia escalated into the War of the Pacific. This volume also contains several letters inserted between its front cover and first page, which were written by James B. Davis and B. H. Kaufmann between 1880 and 1881 and concentrate on South American politics. Davis lived in Lima, Peru, while composing Volume 3 (May 25, 1881-April 2, 1884, 493 pages) and continued to discuss politics and business; he occasionally described other aspects of life in Peru and commented on news from New York.

Collection

Denckla-Maison family papers, [1815-1891]

Approximately 4 linear feet

The Denckla-Maison family papers contain business and family correspondence and financial documents primarily concerning various land holdings and other financial matters of the Denckla and Maison families, who owned substantial property in Pennsylvania throughout the mid-19th century.

The Denckla-Maison family papers consist primarily of intra-family correspondence, usually regarding monetary affairs and real estate. Several themes are common throughout the collection, with a number of letters comprising lengthy correspondence series between different members of the family. Throughout the late 1800s, William P. Denckla and his wife, Julia wrote to his sister, Mary, asking her for financial support. The collection also includes a significant amount of correspondence from William Maison to his parents, Peter and Augusta Maison, describing his life with the Pollock family in Como, Illinois, in the 1850s and, later, his intent to permanently settle there. Other main topics of correspondence are land transactions, insurance policies, and Mary Denckla's inheritance of C. Paul Denckla's estate. Several items relate to the property dispute between William Pollock and Peter Maison, and other legal cases and lawsuits are also well represented. Though the bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, the collection also holds documents and ephemera. Among these are several notarized powers of attorney, hand-drawn maps, financial calculations, and business cards. Particular examples include a series of invoices for seats at a local church, a poem entitled "Hard Times," a deed for a grave plot and use of a sepulcher, and a certified copy of Augustus Denckla's will.

Bound items in the collection include the following:
  1. Executrix of estate of C. Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 6 January 1861-2 November 1885
  2. Executrix of estate of C. Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 19 November 1861-19 May 1888
  3. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 30 December 1823-26 October 1843
  4. Kate M. Maison travel journal, 12 May 1869-30 July 1870
  5. Peter and Augusta Maison letter book, 17 November 1858-8 March 1862
  6. Augusta Maison letter book, 20 March 1862-14 July 1874
  7. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 18 November 1843-3 December 1853
  8. C. Paul Denckla receipt book, 1852-1876
  9. Peter and Augusta Maison receipt book, 8 August 1825-24 August 1885
  10. Henry J. Denckla receipt book, 1 March 1845-19 August 1851
  11. [Augusta Maison] account book, 15 November 1866-26 January 1876
  12. Isaac Wampole receipt book, 7 August 1815-26 November 1826
  13. C. Paul Denckla account book, 12 October 1842-14 December 1842
  14. Mary Denckla account book, 12 September 1869-21 June 1872
  15. [Augusta Maison] account book, 3 January 1874-4 January 1884
  16. [Augusta Maison] account book, 6 January 1873-12 December 1884
  17. [C. Paul Denckla] rent book, 7 May 1844-January 1853
  18. [C. Paul Denckla] rent book, 11 October 1854-6 April 1872
  19. [Mary Denckla] rent book, 1877-1889
  20. Inventory of the estate of Paul Denckla, by Mary Denckla, 8 November 1861-9 May 1867
Collection

DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine family papers, 1786-1983 (majority within 1801-1877)

3 linear feet

The DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine papers contain the 19th-century letters, letter books, diaries, account books, and other miscellaneous material relating to the DuBois, Ogden, and McIlvaine families. The collection pulls together items from family members in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Louisiana.

The DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine papers (852 items) center on the writings and affairs of Sarah Platt Ogden DuBois, George Washington DuBois, Charles Pettit McIlvaine, and their extended families. The collection is comprised of 656 letters, six letter books, five diaries, four account books, one logbook, 29 genealogical records, and 46 poems, prayers, drawings, cards, and other miscellaneous items. The collection conists of items from family members in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Louisiana.

The Correspondence series (656 items) contains letters written by the extended DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine families. The earliest letters concern Cornelius DuBois, Sr. (1786-1794), and Sarah "Sally" Ogden, and are from friends and family (1799-1807). Of interest are the letters that discuss the birth and death of Sarah’s son Robert (March 14, 1804, and September 6, 1804).

The series contains 25 letters between Sarah P. O. DuBois on Long Island and her husband Cornelius DuBois in New York City (1812 and 1813). In these, the couple discussed domestic matters such as childbirth, child rearing, and Sarah's poor health. The bulk of the letters between 1813 and 1836 are addressed to Sarah from friends and family members. These provide a glimpse into the family members’ personal lives as well as their views on religious matters, manners, and child rearing.

Many of the letters from 1835 to1845 concern Reverend Charles P. McIlvaine and his siblings Henry, George, and Mary Ann DuBois. Also throughout the 1840s are letters relating to George W. DuBois, including 16 letters from his father, 33 from his wife, and 71 letters written by DuBois to various family members. Of interest are several letters written by Dubois during a European sojourn in 1847-1848 in which he discussed the political turmoil afflicting the Continent. From 1846 through September 1848, many of the letters are between Dubois and his love interest Mamey McIlvaine, in Gambier, Ohio, as well as a few to Mamey from her father, Bishop Charles McIlvaine.

Of special interest are five letters written by George W. Dubois during his time as the chaplain of the 11th Ohio Regiment Volunteers in 1862. The collection also contains several Civil War era letters from the family members on the home front.

Between 1891 and 1892, the series contains 10 letters from George W. Dubois living in Redwood, Colorado, to his mother, father, and siblings. These relate to family health, crops, a new camera, the exercise of bicycling for health reasons (Victor Safety Bicycle model C.), and religious matters. Several items concern DuBois' management of the Marble Cemetery, and describe logistics on moving bodies and selling portions of the cemetery.

Many of the 20th-century items are personal and business letters from Cornelius DuBois, Jr., and Mary S. DuBois. The items from 1960 to 1983 relate to family genealogy collected by the ancestors of the DuBois, McIlvaine, and Ogden families. These also provide provenance information for items in this collection.

The Letter books series (6 items) contains copy books of letters written by Sarah P. O. DuBois, Charles P. McIlvaine, and George W. DuBois. The Sarah P. O. DuBois letter book (92 pages) is comprised of letters to family members spanning 1782 to 1819. McIlvaine’s letter book (125 pages) contains autographs and letters from various prominent religious, government, military, and academic leaders from 1830 to1873. Also present is a binder of typed copies of letters to and from McIlvaine. Many of the original incoming letters are in the correspondence series.

Notable items include:
  • July 21, 1829: Leonidas Polk, a personal letter discussing religion and indicating the role religion played at West Point
  • May 17, 1848: John C. Calhoun, a letter of recommendation for the letter bearer
  • September 16, 1850: Jefferson Davis, concerning reminiscences on instruction at West Point
  • January 8, 1861: Senator John Sherman, concerning the coming war
  • February 7, 1861: John McLean, a personal letter discussing the likely formation of a southern Confederacy within the month
  • August 21, 1862: William H. Seward, a private letter discussing European opinions about the Civil War
  • November 18, 1862: George McClellan, defending his actions in the war and remembering McIlvaine's visit to the front
  • May 29, 1863: Ambrose Burnside, a Civil War travel pass
  • February 15, 1864: James A. Garfield, concerning his views on treason
  • June 19, 1865: Edwin M. Stanton, regarding the military’s use of seminary buildings in Alexandria, Virginia
  • June 19, 1867: Rutherford B. Hayes, concerning the recovery of articles taken by Union troops during the Civil War
  • February 7, 1870: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a personal letter
  • February 9, 1871: Samuel P. Chase, a request for McIlvaine to perform the marriage of his daughter
  • July 10, 1873: Henry Ward Beecher, personal letter

The "Commercial Manifold" copybook (4 pages) contains a fragment of a letter by an anonymous author (October 1879). The final two letter books are both from George W. DuBois. The first (165 pages) spans January 1883 to April 1885, and includes letters, poems, prayers, music, and drawings. The second (99 pages) spans November 1886 to January 1887, and contains letters, a recipient index, and one poem written by DuBois' daughter Mary Cornelia DuBois.

The Diaries, Account Books, and Ships' Logs series (10 items) is comprised of bound volumes that contain personal and financial information on family members:

These include:
  • 1827-1836: Sarah P. O. DuBois' account book, containing itemized monthly expenses for doctor and apothecary visits; sewing; carriage hires and traveling; charity; and mortgage accounts from 1907-1910
  • September 1842-August 1848: George W. DuBois' "Journal No. 1" covering his time at the Theological Seminary at Gambier, Ohio, at age 19, through his European travels in 1848
  • 1847-c.1949: Typescripts of George W. DuBois' journals from 1847-1848 (2 pages) and 1861 (9 pages), and Harry O. DuBois' recollections recorded sometime before his death in 1949 (21 pages)
  • April 21-May 22, 1848: George W. DuBois' logbook for his voyage on the ship Victoria from London to New York. Enclosed is a small photograph of George W. DuBois
  • 1852-May 1893: Two journals kept by George W. DuBois, the first spanning February 1852-May 1878, and the second spanning from February 1853-July 1893. Book one contains business accounts for 1852-1853 (p.2-107), 1853-1857 (p.198-261), and 1873-1875 (271-278), along with George W. DuBois’ and Eugene DuBois' personal accounts from 1872-1874 (p.398-405). Pages 282-299 contain a list of signatures for the Post Office of Crosswicks Creek, New Jersey. Book two consists of a "Farm Day Book," comprised of the accounts and activities of George W. DuBois' farm. Beginning at the back of the volume are 160 pages of meteorological and astronomical records noting latitude and longitude calculations.
  • April 1853-July 1854: Typescript from Kenyon College of Emily Coxe McIlvaine's European trip
  • July 1861-February 1862: A typescript of the Journal of Reverend George W. DuBois while chaplain of the 11th Ohio Regiment during the Civil War
  • 1882-1905: An account book containing records on mortgages, inventories, securities, interest payments, and accounts for various people and companies, kept by George W. DuBois and his son Cornelius M. DuBois
  • 1892-1895: An unsigned journal and poetry book, including 13 pages of verse (some likely original) and a seven-page diary of a trip in upstate New York

The Documents series (42 items) contains of 33 legal documents, George W. DuBois' commission in the Ohio Army as a chaplin in 1861, Cornelius DuBois’ war deeds, and the will of Charles P. McIlvaine. Twentieth-century items include wills and executor documents for Mary Cornelia DuBois, Henrietta DuBois Burnham (draft), Mary Constance DuBois, Peter DuBois, and a copy of Cornelius DuBois ' (father to George W. DuBois) will.

The Genealogy series (29 items) consists of several manuscript books and loose notes, documenting the genealogy of the families represented in the collection. Of interest are notes for the McIlvaine, Reed, and Coxe families beginning in the 14th century and following the line to the early 1700s (9 pages); a comb bound booklet containing "genealogical charts prepared for the decedents of Floyd Reading DuBois and Rosilla Marshall" with annotations; and a DuBois Family Album, which contains copied letters, biographies, and genealogical notes, including copies of letters between siblings Robert and Sarah Ogden and from Sarah to her son Henry Augustus Dubois.

Of note in the volume:
  • Pages 59-83: Record of descendents of John Ogden "The Pioneer" as early as 1460 and continuing through the 19th Century
  • Pages 86-89: Detailed biography of Henry Augustus Ogden
  • Pages 90-93: Biography of brother Cornelius DuBois, Jr.
  • Pages 100-106: Epenetus Platt's family line (George Washington DuBois' great-great-great maternal grandfather)
  • Pages 111-113: Indexes to journals and letters in the collection
  • Pages 114-248: Blank
  • Pages 249-269: Three copied letters between family members in the 1820-1830s and a short biography for George W. DuBois

The Photographs and Engravings series (10 items) contains an engraving of Charles P. McIlvaine and Robert J. Chichester, photographs of C.E. McIlvaine, Charles P. McIlvaine, and George Washington DuBois, and five photographs depicting rustic life on a lake.

The Miscellaneous and Ephemera series (46 items) is comprised of 12 poems, prayers, manuscript music, and drawings (undated); 23 printed holiday cards and calling cards (1904 and undated); 18 newspaper clippings, including family death and marriage announcements (February 4, 1910-July 1983 and undated); 14 religious announcements and pamphlets (1873-[1925]); and 10 writing fragments and ephemeral items, such as dried flowers and lace handmade coasters.

Items of note include:
  • Undated: Sketch of the McIlvaine homestead, and music for a chorus entitled "There is a Lord of Pure Delight" by Harry O. DuBois.
  • Undated: Typed copy of Daniel Coxe's A Description of the English Province of Carolina By the Spanish Called Florida and by the French Louiseane..., written in 1727 and published in London.
Collection

Duncan and Hugh MacKenzie collection, 1872-1919 (majority within 1889, 1917-1919)

9 items

This collection is made up of one letterbook containing 41 retained draft letters by Scottish immigrant Duncan MacKenzie in New York City between May and August 1886, and eight letters by Duncan's son Hugh MacKenzie while he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I. Duncan MacKenzie was a manager of the Argyle sugar plantation on St. Vincent for 19 years before the plantation sold and he was forced to seek work in New York in the spring and summer of 1886. While there, he wrote letters to siblings, cousins, business contacts, and his wife Amy MacKenzie, who remained on St. Vincent with their children. These letters inform recipients of his efforts to find work, requests for financial assistance, and frustrations at being middle aged and unable to provide for his family. He could not find work and ultimately moved to St. Croix, where he worked as an overseer on the La Grande Princesse sugar plantation. Hugh K. MacKenzie wrote eight letters to his brother Colin F. MacKenzie while testing and training for the CEF Engineers, Signal Division at Toronto and Ottawa in 1917, from England and France in the fall of 1918, and from Germany and Belgium, December 1918-January 1919.

This collection is made up of one letterbook containing 41 retained draft letters by Scottish immigrant Duncan MacKenzie in New York City between May and August 1886, and eight letters by Duncan's son Hugh MacKenzie while he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I. Duncan MacKenzie was a manager of the Argyle sugar plantation on St. Vincent for 19 years before the plantation sold and he was forced to seek work in New York in the spring and summer of 1886. While there, he wrote letters to siblings, cousins, business contacts, and his wife Amy MacKenzie, who remained on St. Vincent with their children. These letters inform his recipients of his efforts to find work, requests for financial assistance, and frustrations at being middle aged and unable to provide for his family. He could not find work and ultimately moved to St. Croix, where he worked as an overseer on the La Grande Princesse sugar plantation. Hugh K. MacKenzie wrote eight letters to his brother Colin F. MacKenzie while testing and training for the CEF Engineers, Signal Division at Toronto and Ottawa in 1917, from England and France in the fall of 1918, and from Germany and Belgium, December 1918-January 1919.

Please see the box and folder listing below for details about the contents of each letter.

Collection

Dutilh & Wachsmuth collection, 1769-1833 (majority within 1781-1810)

0.75 linear feet

The Dutilh & Wachsmuth collection is made up of business correspondence, financial records, and documents related to the Philadelphia merchant company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many items concern George Louis Stockar, a Swiss merchant living in La Rochelle, France.

The Dutilh & Wachsmuth collection is made up of approximately 160 letters and documents, 250 financial records, and 12 printed items related to the Philadelphia merchant company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many items concern George Louis Stockar, a Swiss merchant living in La Rochelle, France.

The Correspondence and documents series contains approximately 160 items, including the incoming business correspondence of Dutilh & Wachsmuth. The firm frequently dealt with food and lumber, and traded with merchants in French port cities, such as Bordeaux and Marseille, and in Philadelphia. Correspondents occasionally reported on the wheat trade and sometimes commented on political events in France and Haiti. Within a group of 14 items related to Captain Jean Christopher Sicard is a chart concerning a shipment of cargo between Marseille and New York, transported by Captain Sicard and signed on May 28, 1793. A group of approximately 10 items dating from 1781 to 1785 relate to George Louis Stockar, and include papers about his establishment of a business in La Rochelle, France. One letter, dated May 27, 1790, is written in German by M. Lang to John Godfried Wachsmuth, detailing a trip from Philadelphia to Fort Pitt. Lang notes the death of a pet dog, being injured by a captive bear, conflict with German settlers, and being persuaded by a wealthy family travelling with slaves to serve as their guide and protector against Native American attacks as they descended to Kentucky.

The Financial papers consist of approximately 250 items, such as account books, loose accounts, receipts, and other types of financial records, mostly related to the Dutilh & Wachsmuth firm's financial affairs. Some of the accounts pertain to John Dutilh's personal finances.

Among the collection's 12 Printed Items are a declaration by King Louis XVI, issued on June 20, 1784, to the citizens of the Canton of Schaffhausen, and a public letter to the citizens of the Pays-Bas region (May 26, 1795).