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The Nehemiah Baden collection pertains to Lieutenant Baden's service at the United States Army arsenal at Baltimore, Maryland, from the mid-1810s to the early 1820s. The bulk of the papers is correspondence that Baden and other officers received respecting ordnance and other supplies. The collection also includes a receipt book concerning labor and supplies purchased for the Baltimore arsenal in 1816; a volume containing copied orders issued and received by Nehemiah Baden during his time as commander of the Baltimore Arsenal; and a log book of the bark Clara Louise's journey from Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Oregon, in 1873.

This collection (1.5 linear feet) pertains to Lieutenant Nehemiah Baden's service at the United States Army arsenal at Baltimore, Maryland, from the mid-1810s to the early 1820s.

The Correspondence series consists of 29 volumes of bound letters concerning ordnance, arsenals, and general supplies for the United States Army, organized by department of origin. Most items are addressed to Nehemiah Baden at the Baltimore arsenal; a few early items are addressed to Captain Jos. H. Rees, also at Baltimore. Many correspondents mentioned finances, and some letters include accounts and other financial records. Other items pertain to ordnance supplies such as cannon, powder and shot, artillery wagons, and to other supplies such as clothing. A few concern laborers and soldiers' accommodations. Some correspondents commented on other arsenals and military posts, including the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Fort McHenry, also in Baltimore. Most correspondents represented various departments of the United States government and United States Army. For more information on each bundle and the departments represented, see the Detailed Box and Folder Listing below.

The Receipt Book and Letter Book series consists of two separate volumes. The receipt book contains partially printed receipts pertaining to payments for labor and supplies purchased by the Baltimore arsenal from January 8, 1816-July 24, 1816. The letter book contains copied orders and circular letters issued and received by Nehemiah Baden at the Baltimore arsenal. The military correspondence concerns finances, personnel, and recommended procedures for performing certain tasks. Some items pertain to courts martial and other disciplinary issues.

The Clara Louise Log and Anahuac Account Book is a single volume divided into two sections: a log recounting the voyage of the bark Clara Louise from Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Oregon, from December 6, 1871-July 25, 1873 (55 pages), and accounts with crew members on the Anahuac from April 1883-July 1883 (approximately 35 pages). William H. Summers commanded both ships. Daily log entries concern the progress of the Clara Louise as it sailed between ports such as Boston, Massachusetts; Valpraiso, Chile; San Francisco, California; Iquique, Peru (present-day Chile); Honolulu, Hawaii; and Portland, Oregon. The top of each log page includes a brief proverb or piece of trivia. The sailors' accounts largely regard their purchases of clothing items and tobacco.

This collection is made up of 16 documents and financial records pertaining to the schooner Oliver Burden (or Oliver). John Dishon leased the ship from Joseph Bulkley of Wethersfield, Connecticut, for a voyage to the West Indies in 1776.

This collection is made up of 15 financial records and 1 contract pertaining to the schooner Oliver Burden (or Oliver). John Dishon leased the ship from Joseph Bulkley of Wethersfield, Connecticut, for a voyage to the West Indies in 1776.

John Dishon and Joseph Bulkley signed a contract on November 23, 1776, in which Bulkley, on behalf of the ship's owners, agreed to lease the Oliver to Dishon for a voyage from Connecticut to the West Indies. Dishon promised to captain the vessel, provide provisions, and hire a crew. The remaining 15 items are receipts, bills, and accounts, dated November 13, 1776-December 21, 1776. Several receipts concern wages paid to crewmembers for their first month of service, and the accounts pertain to goods shipped onboard the Oliver (foodstuffs and wood). Most receipts are addressed to Joseph Bulkley.

The Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society papers are made up of financial records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to the society's work in the mid- to late 19th century.

The Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society papers (around 215 items) are made up of financial records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to the society's work in the mid- to late 19th century. The collection also contains earlier financial records and documents concerning residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The earliest 15 items (1793-1843) are comprised mostly of receipts and financial records regarding the personal finances of Philadelphia residents. Some receipts concern purchases of shoes and clothing items; other documents relate to property in Philadelphia. The bulk of the collection (1846-1895, around 200 items) pertains to the affairs of the Pennsylvania Seamen's Friend Society; most of the material is dated between 1847 and 1872. Letters, reports, and financial records relate to the society's fundraising efforts, charitable work, and administration; other items include lists of donors and donations, many of which were compiled by churches. The society's corresponding secretary wrote most of the reports, which occasionally mention the affairs of similar organizations in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Many of the letters from the late 1850s and early 1860s are addressed to the society's president, George Hughes. Most correspondence pertains to administrative affairs and finances, such as expenses for printing the society's fourth annual report in December 1847. The society also occasionally received personal requests for assistance. One item is a program for an anniversary celebration held on April 29, 1850, containing the reprinted text of 2 hymns.