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This collection is made up of correspondence related to the families of David S. Shearman of Poughkeepsie, New York, and his wife, Hepsa Hathaway Howland, a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Most of the correspondence concerns family and social news, with occasional references to current events.

This collection is made up of correspondence related to the families of David S. Shearman of Poughkeepsie, New York, and his wife, Hepsa Hathaway Howland, a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Hepsa Howland Shearman often exchanged letters with her mother, Hepsa Howland, and sister, Eliza Howland, who provided news from New Bedford. Hepsa wrote of her life and family in Poughkeepsie, New York. In several letters from late 1846 and early 1847, she mentioned her son David's failing health. Captain David Shearman received several letters from his cousin Abraham, who discussed finances, real property, and his attendance at Quaker meetings. David Shearman, Jr., corresponded with his parents while working on the ship Sea in the early 1840s. Other letters pertain to education, religion, and family health. One late letter from Mary Eliza Shearman to her sister Alice mentions the implementation of the draft in New Bedford; the night after the draft took place, several soldiers patrolled to prevent rioting (July 25, 1863).