Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

The collection consists of correspondence, primarily between George T. Stevens and Harriet W. Stevens of Essex County, New York , as well as documents, writings, a scrapbook, printed materials, and realia reflecting the Civil War service of surgeon George T. Stevens of the 77th Regiment N.Y. Volunteers, Harriet W. Stevens' experiences on the home front, and George T. Stevens' post-Civil War medical career in Albany and New York City, New York.

The collection consists of correspondence, primarily between George T. Stevens and Harriet W. Stevens of Essex County, New York, as well as documents, writings, a scrapbook, printed materials, and realia reflecting the Civil War service of surgeon George T. Stevens of the 77th Regiment N.Y. Volunteers, Harriet W. Stevens' experiences on the home front, and George T. Stevens' post-Civil War medical career in Albany and New York City, New York.

The Correspondence Series is divided into two sub-series. The Chronological Correspondence Sub-Series spans from 1859 to 1866 with over 560 letters. While a few other correspondents are represented, the bulk of this series reflects both sides of the correspondence between George T. Stevens and Harriet ("Hattie") W. Stevens. Beginning with their courtship in 1859, the letters reflect George's early efforts to set up medical practice in Keeseville, New York, in 1861, his entry into the army, and their relationship and experiences throughout his service during the Civil War.

George's letters give a detailed glimpse into the practices of Civil War surgeons. Beginning with his efforts to secure an appointment as an Assistant Surgeon and the internal jockeying for position that caused infighting, George's letters to Hattie provide insight into the interpersonal conflicts and partnerships that undergirded his experience as an officer. Miscommunications about a medical furlough he took from May to October 1862 due to a case of typhoid fever led to his dismissal, and George's letters speak frankly about his efforts to reenlist as well as his frustrations with barriers to accomplishing this goal. Writing reports, securing transportation and goods, and tending to administrative details also pepper George's correspondence, shedding light on the clerical demands on his time.

George wrote frequently of daily life and tasks in camp, noting food, music and reading, camaraderie, mud, weather, camp health, and more. His detailed descriptions of camp life and activity also provide glimpses of others, including those who worked for him, like Dall Wadhams, who entered the army with him and stayed until March 1862, and James Mages, a young German-American, who worked for George from September 1863 to around June 1864 when he was taken prisoner of war.

George's commentary on camp life also at times reflects information about African Americans' experiences and white soldiers' opinions on race, slavery, and emancipation. Example references include:

• African American workers (March 12, 1863; September 6, 1863; November 23, 1863; December 20, 1863; June 25, 1864)
• "Contrabands" and refugees (March 25, 1862; June 20, 1863; August 2, 1863; October 17, 1863)
• African American residents in Virginia who George encountered during marches (April 9, 1862; April 13, 1862; April 25, 1862)
• Rumors of arson in Charleston (December 19, 1861)
• Emancipation Proclamation (January 3, 1863; January 7, 1863)
• African American soldiers (June 27, 1864)
• Violence perpetrated against African American soldiers at Plymouth and Fort Pillow (April 26, 1864; May 3, 1864)

George T. Stevens' letters also reflect on marching conditions, as well as details about setting up hospitals and tending to the sick and wounded. Letters describing battles reflect not only on military movements and engagements but also on the fieldwork undertaken by surgeons, amputations in particular, and the dangers to which they were exposed. He commented on medicine, transport of the wounded, illness, and death. For much of May 1864, he was stationed in Fredericksburg tending to soldiers wounded during the Overland Campaign, before returning to his regiment late in the month, and his letters reflect this work.

In addition to passing references to additional battles, the military engagements or their aftermath that George T. Stevens' letters reflect on include:

• Siege of Yorktown and Battle of Lee's Mill (April 1862)
• Battle of Williamsburg (May 1862)
• Chancellorsville Campaign and Second Battle of Fredericksburg (April and May 1863)
• Battle of Franklin's Crossing (June 1863)
• Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
• Bristoe Campaign (October 1863)
• Battle of Rappahannock Station (November 1863)
• Battle of Mine Run (December 1863)
• Battle of the Wilderness (May 1864)
• Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 1864)
• Battle of Cold Harbor (June 1864)
• Siege of Petersburg (June 1864)
• Shenandoah Valley Campaign (August 1864)
• Third Battle of Winchester (September 1864)
• Battle of Fisher's Hill (September 1864)

George and Harriet discussed their own health in good detail. George experienced a difficult bout of typhoid fever beginning in May 1862 and another illness in April 1864, which brought Harriet to tend to him during his recoveries. George and Harriet both commented on military and political events. Harriet was an avid reader of the news, tracking the 77th Regiment's movements and engagements. George commented several times that she was better informed than he was. "The rumors you have in regard to our moving are only the reports of the soldiers in camp who know as much of our future movements as they do of the next arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin," he wrote on January 24, 1862. Both were candid in their criticisms of military leaders.

As his regiment was periodically stationed near Washington, D.C., including for several months in late 1861 and early 1862, George's letters contain commentary about conditions in the city. Harriet's occasional trips to visit George in camp or to tend to him during bouts of illness also found her staying in D.C. She remained in the city hoping to visit George while the Battle of Gettysburg was being fought. Her letters during these times provide additional insight into how women and camp followers experienced D.C. and how residents responded to war news.

Harriet's letters written while she was staying with family at Wadham's Mills and Crown Point provide information about the home front. Discussions of finances, family news, anxiety for George's wellbeing, military events, health, music and reading, and more pepper her letters. As she and George wrote each other frequently, both sides of their conversation are often represented, showing the back-and-forth dialog that the couple sustained throughout the war. Notes written on envelopes by Harriet W. Stevens in later years identify letters that were of interest to her or provide clarifying information, hinting at George and Harriet's ongoing consultation of their wartime correspondence. George and Harriet's interest in botany is also well represented in the series. They discussed plants and sent each other pressed flowers and leaves.

Frances ("Frankie") Wadhams Davenport Ormsbee is also well reflected in the series. While she contributed only a small handful of letters, George T. and Harriet Stevens commented regularly on her and her husband George Davenport, beginning with a reference to their courtship in a letter from May 13, 1859. George T. Stevens discussed visits with George Davenport while they were both in active service, as well as with Frances while she was visiting him in camp. Letters referencing Frances, as well as George's own letters detailing his preparations for Harriet to visit him in camp, provide insight into officers' wives' experiences staying in the military encampments. Upon George Davenport's death at the Battle of the Wilderness, George T. Stevens wrote home with news he had about the nature of his death and burial, and corresponded with Harriet and Frances as they worked to recover his body and process their grief.

Several letters from other members of the Stevens and Wadhams families are also present. Additionally, as Wadham's Mills was located near the Canadian and Vermont borders, the series at times reflects on affairs in those regions. For example, Harriet W. Stevens' letter from December 19, 1861, states, "...the most prominent business men in Canada were drilling men three times a week. Frankie & I think that if we go to war with England, we shall just put on pants & go to." She also wrote of news regarding St. Albans Raid (October 20, 1864; October 23, 1864; October 30, 1864; November 2, 1864).

Correspondence from after George's service is far less frequent. It includes a letter from a former patient whose arm he saved during the war (February 19, 1865), a few letters from other members of the 77th Regiment, and material relating to the Stevens's move to Albany. One item written by James McKean on May 3-June 8, 1865, outlines reactions to news of the Civil War in Honduras, including references to an African American man and young indigenous Honduran boy.

George T. Stevens included sketches and drawings in some of his letters to Harriet. Letters that include pen-and-ink illustrations are listed below:

• February 20, 1861: wedding ring designs
• December 17, 1861: George T. Stevens' furnishings at the Regimental Head Quarters
• December 29, 1861: decorated encampment of the Vermont 4th
• January 8, 1862: sketch of Fredericksburg and vicinity
• January 12, 1862: map of cross-roads where he got lost in D.C.
• January 21, 1862: portrait of Dall Wadhams to illustrate weight loss
• January 29, 1862: sketch of his quarters
• February 2, 1862: possum
• February 5, 1862: sketch map of Washington and Georgetown area
• February 9, 1862: hospital wards
• December 19, 1862: principal building of the Soldiers' Home in Virginia; chain bridge that slowed their march
• March 11, 1862: makeshift tent while on march near Fairfax Courthouse
• March 18, 1862: camp scene with makeshift tent near Alexandria
• March 29, 1862: agricultural tools used by African Americans; wooden gun with hog's head placed in the muzzle
• April 3, 1862: sketch map of march route in Virginia
• April 9, 1862: musical notations and sketch of buildings
• April 25, 1862: birds-eye-view of three farms and sketch of a farmhouse's steps and door
• April 25, 1862: sketch of three farms
• November 18, 1862: pattern for chevrons and illustration of where they will be attached to sleeves
• November 27, 1862: steaming plum pudding served at Thanksgiving
• December 25, 1862: camp for the 77th Regiment decorated for Christmas
• February 24, 1863: snowball fight in camp
• April 9, 1863: sketch of military insignia on the hat worn by a young girl who accompanied Abraham Lincoln on a review of the army
• October 17, 1863: sketch map of troop positions
• September 8, 1864: traced floral patterns

The Bundled Correspondence Sub-Series reflects the original bundling of these sub-sets of letters, with each then arranged chronologically. One bundle consists of nine letters and documents from ca. 1859-1860, as well as undated items, relating to Miss Slater's School for Young Ladies in Lansingburgh, New York. The other bundle includes six letters from 1868 relating to resolving an incident when George T. Stevens received double payment while in the service in 1864.

The Documents Series is divided into four sub-series. The Chronological Documents Sub-Series consists of eleven items ranging in date from 1856 to 1864, including Castleton Medical College admission tickets; a subscription receipt toFlag of Our Union ; a partially printed notebook listing voters in the town of Keene in 1858; a small leather wallet containing notes documenting George and Harriet's travels in 1861, money received, and letters; an 1864 document from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer relieving Stevens of duty; General Orders 222 from 1864; a partial copy of the regiment's participation in military campaigns from May to July 1864; undated GAR Roster; and an undated list of three people, "not paid."

The bundled documents sub-series represent the original bundling of the documents as they arrived at the Clements, but each grouping was then arranged chronologically. The Bundled Military Documents Sub-Series consists of:

• Five Civil War Passes, 1861-1862
• Six Reports of Sick and Wounded, compiled by George T. Stevens, December 1861- May 1862
• Approximately 66 documents relating to "Monthly Reports of Hospital Supplies &c," February 1863- March 1865
• Seven lists of casualties and enlisted men, primarily for the 77th Regiment, 1864-1865

The Bundled G.A.R. Documents Sub-Series consists of the following bundles:

• "Papers relating to Soldiers & Sailors Union," with three petitions, 1866-1867, to charter subordinate unions in Eastchester, Utica, and Newburgh, New York, respectively, and one letter stating why the Yonkers Soldiers' and Sailors' Union would not be represented in a convention. A note written by Harriet W. Stevens in 1920 states that the Soldiers' and Sailors' Union merged into the Society of the G.A.R. in George T. Stevens' Albany office in 1867.
• "Papers relating to the formation of the society of the Grand Army of the Republic of the state of New York," with approximately 23 documents dating between December 1866 and December 1867. These include general orders and circulars from the Headquarters Department of New York as well as undated petitions to apply for a charter for a post of the G.A.R. All of the petitions are blank, except one with a single signature.
• "Special Orders [GAR], 1867," with 11 documents, written by Frank J. Bramhall or George T. Stevens regarding G.A.R. procedures
• "1867," with approximately 25 documents dating between September 1866 and November 1867, many relating to G.A.R. charters, membership applications, reports and rosters, and other business.

The Miscellaneous Bundled Documents Sub-Series consists of two rolled bundles:

• 8 appointments, certificates, and diplomas for George T. Stevens, 1864-1881, including his Army appointments to Assistant Surgeon and Surgeon, Army discharge, diploma from Castleton Medical College, certificate for his honorary degree from Union College, as well as several certificates for medical societies and the military organizations
• 3 genealogical documents, including a blank genealogical form, "Ancestral Chart, 1879;" a copy of the chart filled out for Charles Wadhams Stevens' ancestry; and a small version of the Charles Wadhams Stevens genealogy.

The Writings Series includes:

• George T. Stevens manuscript drafts of autobiographical writings. Dated notes range from 1910 to 1914. Sections include: Childhood; The School at Chazy; Elizabethtown; Personal Reminiscences: My First Wage Earning; My First Engagement as Schoolmaster; School at Keeseville; My First Field of Practice; [Leaving Keeseville and Entering the Army]; My Time as a Soldier; Notes of the Life in the Army; Williamsburgh; Albany Beginnings of Botanical Experiences; The Nature Club; [A Trip to Europe].
• George T. Stevens biography, a brief two-page manuscript outlining his Civil War service and professional and academic achievements, particularly in relation to ophthalmology.
• George T. Stevens typed reply to a G.A.R. questionnaire with manuscript additions, providing information about his military service and post-war career. Includes additional text, "Beginnings of the Grand Army of the Republic in the State of New York."
• Harriet W. Stevens, "Some War Time Recollections by the Wife of an Army Surgeon," a 42-page typed draft with manuscript corrections of a paper she read before the National Society of New England Women. Particular attention is paid to the Peninsular Campaign of 1861, her visits with George T. Stevens in camp in 1863, stays in Washington, D.C., and tending to George during his bouts of illness. A shorter, 13-page copy is also present.
• Frances Davenport Ormsbee, "A War Reminiscence," a 12-page typescript that relates George Davenport's service, her visits with him during the war, his death, and efforts to locate his grave and recover his body. Also includes a photocopy of a transcribed letter from June 10, 1865, from Frances describing the retrieval of George Davenport and Captain Ormsbee's bodies.
• "Army Papers Written by Members of the Sixth Corps," with three different unattributed and undated items: "June 20th Fight at Mechanicsville," 2 pages, and two partial military recollections, 4 pages and 16 pages respectively.

The Scrapbook Series consists of one volume with material primarily relating to George T. Stevens' post-Civil War life and career tipped or pasted in. Dated items range from 1861 to 1918. Material relates to his work with the Albany Medical College, Nature Club of Albany, the Albany Institute and its Field Meetings, the Grand Army of the Republic, military reunions, the Troy Scientific Association, the Soldiers and Sailors Union, and some references to his publications. Some material relates to his medical career, primarily ephemera from medical associations, lectures, and notices of his awards and achievements. Two Civil War-era items include an 1861 newspaper clipping from Keeseville announcing George T. Stevens' appointment in the Army and an 1861 printed circular calling to organize a Bemis Heights Battalion. Only a handful of items relate to Harriet W. Stevens and their social life. Formats include newspaper clippings, postcards, disbound pages, fliers, programs, advertisements, business or calling cards, and circulars, among others.

The Photographs Series features the following:

• 10 cartes-de-visite of "Officers of the 77th Regt. NYS Vols." Named individuals include Winsor B. French, Henry J. Adams (of the 118th Infantry), David J. Caw, [Isaac D.] Clapp, Martin Lennon, and "Robert."
• Approximately 12 photographs of George T. Stevens appear in a variety of formats, including cartes-de-visite, cabinet cards, studio portraits, a framed photo, among others. The tintypes, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes are detailed separately below.
• 10 photographs of Harriet W. Stevens dating from 1861 into her older age.
• 15 photographs of Frances Virginia Stevens Ladd, ranging from when she was a baby through her older age. Dated items range from 1866 to 1922, and several show her wearing theatrical garb.
• 5 photographs of Charles Wadhams Stevens, ranging from when he was a baby into his middle age. Dated items range from 1868 to 1880.
• 2 photographs of Georgina Wadhams Stevens, one a tinted reproduction of a photo on a cabinet card, and another a cyanotype of an interior scene displaying a framed painted portrait of her, likely anteceding her death.
• 3 photographs of George Trumbull Ladd.

In addition to the above, the Photographs Series also includes two tinted ambrotypes of George T. Stevens; one tinted tintype of George T. and Harriet W. Stevens with George and Frances Davenport; one tinted daguerreotype of Frances and George Davenport; and a ca. 1864 tintype of George T. Stevens in the field in Virginia, wearing his uniform while mounted on a horse, with his groom, Austin, standing with his mule.

The Printed Materials Series primarily consists of pamphlets dating from 1850 to 1915 and includes material relating to the Sons of Temperance, Castleton Medical College, the Independent Order of Good Templars, Masons, and an Ex-Soldiers' Handbook. One pamphlet includes George T. Stevens' address to the Survivors' Association of the 77th Regiment, "The First Fighting Campaign of the Seventy-Seventh N.Y.V." There are also 165 copies of the print, "The Chimneys - April 5, 1862. Drawing by George T. Stevens." Six books are located in the Clements Library's Book Division. Please see the list in the Additional Descriptive Data below for a complete list.

The Realia Series includes the following items:

• Pair of white leather gloves, with note by Harriet W. Stevens: "These white kid gloves were G. T. Stevens worn when we were married."
• George T. Stevens Civil War uniform items, including dark green silk surgeon's sash, white cotton gloves, blue shoulder strap, and golden hat ornament.
• Pair of white cotton gloves, with note by Harriet W. Stevens, "worn by Chas. W. Stevens when he was a drummer boy at Albany Academy."
• Pair of children's leather gloves and shoes. Note by Harriet W. Stevens suggests they belonged to Frances V. Stevens Ladd.
• Pair of knitted white and blue socks with ribbon, in envelope labeled "These were Little Georgies socks," likely referring to Georgina Wadhams (1871-1882).
• 1910 G.A.R. badge.

This collection consists of 186 letters and documents concerning Heman H. Gillett's participation in the Civil War as a surgeon for the 8th Vermont Volunteers.

Heman H. Gillett papers consist of 186 letters and documents concerning Gillett's participation as a surgeon in the Civil War. The items are primarily incoming general and regimental orders, circulars, and administrative letters addressed to Gillett. Throughout the collection are records, receipts, invoices, and copies of returns; these track medical expenditures, resources, and finances, as well as the maladies of the troops. For example, a document dated December 31, 1862, records the types of illnesses and numbers of persons affected for that month and lists the names of dead for his regiment that month. A June 14, 1863, report logs the sick and wounded for that week. Other documents list the supplies needed for the hospital or brigade. Gillett signed off on the prices and invoices for medicines, hospital stores, bedding, etc. and submitted them to various suppliers and departments. The reports show that Gillett was stationed in Louisiana (Algiers, New Iberia, and New Orleans) in 1863 and 1864. In 1864, he requested supplies from James A. Holmes at the General Hospital at Brashear, Louisiana, which was the primary receiving depot for sick Union soldiers in the area. In 1865, Gillett was stationed at Summit Point, Virginia (January-April 1865), Munson Hill, Virginia (June 1865), and back at Camp Babcock in Summit Point, Virginia, by June 1865.

Throughout the collection are general and personal orders and circulars, including many letters from the Surgeon General's office in Washington. Some reports are assessments of the conditions of the facilities of Gillett's division (December 1864), while others are accounts of how coordinating hospitals are accommodating the wounded. One long circular from September 1864 lays out new policies for how the regiment will account for the sick, including updates of required types of personnel and their new paperwork responsibilities. This circular also details the accoutrements and personnel for each medical wagon. The provisions are very carefully measured out and regulated.

The collection's sole personal letter is from Heman’s brother, S.H. Gillett, but even this letter focuses mainly on medical issues, while touching on .H. Gillett's political opinions (August 5, [1865?]).

Fourteen undated items and fragments document the need for or use of supplies for medical units during the war. One undated item is a list of fallen soldiers. The three post-war documents are all testimonials for solders that were wounded in battle who were petitioning for pensions. The collection's oversized items include 15 reports of sick and wounded and inventories and invoices for medical supplies.

In general, this collection provides much evidence for the management, supplying, and policies of Union hospitals in the South during the Civil War. The Gillett papers demonstrate the high level of administration and infrastructure used by Union medical troops, which, in policy if not practice, relied on organization, accountability, and reports.

The Terry family papers contain correspondence, documents, and other items pertaining to the family of James Terry, Jr., who was curator of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in the early 1890s. The materials concern Terry's lawsuit against the museum regarding his private collections, his archaeological career, and life on the Terry family farm in the 1830s.

The Terry family papers (0.75 linear feet) contain correspondence, documents, and other items pertaining to pertaining to the family of James Terry, Jr., who was curator of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in the early 1890s.

The James Terry, Sr., Diary contains 27 pages of daily entries about Terry's farm and the progress of his crops between July 17, 1838, and September 16, 1838. The diary entries are followed by 7 pages of notes about the 1838 hay, rye, and turnip harvests, with additional references to wheat and corn. One note refers to crops planted the following spring (March 21, 1839).

Items pertaining to James Terry, Jr. , are divided into 5 subseries. The Correspondence and Documents subseries (235 items) contains letters, legal documents, and financial records related to James Terry's archaeological career, as well as drafts of letters written by Terry. From 1879 to 1891, Terry received letters from archaeologists and other professionals, such as Albert S. Bickmore and R. P. Whitefield of the American Museum of Natural History, about his work and personal collections. Correspondents also shared news related to the American Museum of Natural History and to archaeological discoveries. Receipts pertain to items shipped to the museum.

Items dated after 1891 relate to Terry's work at the American Museum of Natural History, including an agreement regarding the museum's acquisition of, and payment for, Terry's personal collection of artifacts (June 5, 1891). Correspondence from Terry's time as a curator at the museum (1891-1894) concerns the museum's internal affairs and relationships between Terry and members of the Board of Trustees; one group of letters pertains to the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 (July-August 1893). Terry received notice of his dismissal on March 21, 1894. From 1897-1898, Terry was involved in a lawsuit against the museum, and the collection contains court documents, correspondence, and financial records related to the case; the suit was settled on June 22, 1898, when the museum paid Terry $18,000. Five receipts dated 1906-1908 concern Elmira's Terry's purchases of household items. Some items were once collected in a letter book; a partial table of contents is housed in Oversize Manuscripts.

The James Terry, Jr., Diary contains 86 pages of entries from June 2, 1891-January 26, 1894, concerning Terry's work at the American Museum of Natural History. Pages 4-8 have a list of items "liable to moth destruction," including each artifact's catalog number and a brief note about their condition. The final pages contain notes related to Terry's curatorship and a copied letter from Terry to the archaeologist Marshall H. Saville (December 9, 1893). Terry's Datebook (January 1, 1883-December 31, 1833) contains notes about his daily activities. The final pages hold records of Terry's expenses.

Drafts and Reports (14 items) relate to Terry's work at the American Natural History Museum, the museum's history and collections, archaeological expeditions, and the early history of Santa Barbara, California. The series contains formal and draft reports, as well as notes.

Newspaper Clippings (50 items) include groups of items related to a scandal involving the pastor of a Congregational church in Terryville, Connecticut; to a controversy raised by German archaeologist Max Ohnefalsch-Richter about the integrity of Luigi Palma di Cesnola's collection of Cypriot artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; to controversial behavior by Columbia University president Seth Low; to a meteorite that Lieutenant Robert E. Peary transported from the Greenland to New York in October 1897; and to novelist John R. Musick's alleged plagiarism. Individual clippings concern topics such as Yale College, a dispute between Harvard and Princeton constituents (related to a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes), and religion in New England.

The James Terry, Jr., Ephemera and Realia subseries (14 items) contains business and calling cards, promotional material for the American Natural History Museum, a black-and-white reproduction of a painting of African-American agricultural laborers, metal nameplates and decorative plates, and an engraving of the Worcester Town Hall pasted onto a block of wood.

The Terry Family series is made up of 2 subseries. The Terry Family Account Book contains 11 pages of financial records related to the estate of George Terry (April 9, 1889-June 7, 1890). An additional page of accounts is laid into the volume, and 3 newspaper obituaries for Terry are pasted into the front cover. A tax bill is affixed to the final page of accounts.

The Terry Family Photographs (90 items) include formal and informal portraits and photographs of scenery. One photograph of a summer home called "Rocklawn" is mounted onto a card with a calendar for the year 1899. Another photograph shows the post exchange at Thule (now Qaanaaq), Greenland, in September 1953.

This collection includes correspondence, documents, and more relating to the life and career of Nannie S. Newman, a seamstress, prison matron at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City, Colorado, and beauty parlor owner in San Francisco, California. Materials relate to incarcerated women and their lives post-imprisonment, women's work, beauty culture, and family relationships. Additional material related to Newman's in-laws provide insight into the oil industry in late-19th and early-20th century America, World War I naval operations, and leisure travel.

The Correspondence Series primarily consists of letters sent to Nannie S. Newman, Ida and Jack Palmer, and later descendants of the family. The bulk of the letters were written from the 1880s to 1920s by family members and close acquaintances, and they demonstrate Newman’s extended support network. Immediate family, including her father and brother, wrote to her from Kentucky, describing the family homestead, tobacco farming, and updates on the community (for example, see Mar. 28, 1864; July 5, 1888; Nov. 6, 1890; Dec. 21, 1890; Nov. 28, 1896; Sept. 6, 1907; Feb. 27, 1910; Nov. 7, 1911; Oct. 9, 1912).

Family relationships are a dominant theme in the collection, centering around Nannie's role as a mother to Ida C. Newman, the marriage of Ida to Jack S. Palmer, Ida's death in 1906, the continuing but sometimes fraught bond between Nannie and Jack in the years following, and Jack's eventual death in 1914. On September 26, 1890, Jack wrote to Ida in the months preceding their marriage and mentioned people questioning the wisdom of him going to Colorado, suggesting Nannie Newman's eventual move there was likely tied to her daughter's doing so. Newman also received letters from various members of the extended Palmer family who were based in Titusville, Pennsylvania.

The letters regularly reflect on Newman's work. For many years she worked as a seamstress while living in Kentucky and upon her move to Colorado around 1890, but she continued making dresses and doing alteration in later years even while employed in other jobs. Correspondence touches on dresses she has produced either in a formal capacity or potentially as favors to friends and family. One letter written on May 14, 1891, from Leadville, Colorado, shares details about dressmaking in that town and expected wages, showing that Newman was thinking about the business and salary options in the area. She also received letters from others working in the field, discussing sewing machines and sewing work (see July 5, 1888; Nov. 28, 1892; Nov. 2, 1907).

In 1892, letters begin to reference Newman's work as a matron at the Colorado State Penitentiary. At least one letter appears to have been written by a former coworker at the penitentiary. Emily E. Dudley wrote from Provo City, Utah, on October 12, 1894, referencing various administrators of the prison and incarcerated women. She also wrote of Mormons in the Provo area, their disinclination to mingle with "Gentiles," plural marriages, and more. Other letters reference prison administrators and "the girls," suggesting they were written by coworkers or others associated with the prison, but additional research is required (see Aug. 3, 1895).

Newman corresponded with friends and family of incarcerated women, and the letters demonstrate the writers' gratitude for the care and interest she showed to the inmates, as well as the support she was providing to the families through written communication and occasional gifts. Several letters were written from members of the Jones family in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, who were left without support when the male head of the household was imprisoned. Newman appears to have sent updates and gifts to the wife, Bessie, and her two children, Bessie and Ethel. Their letters in return depict the realities of families struggling in the aftermath of family members' incarceration (Feb. 23, 1895; Mar. 7, 1895; Apr. 1, 1895; June 19, 1895). Newman wrote a character reference for Annie Watson and Lillie Williams who were seeking a pardon (July 23, 1894), emphasizing their respectfulness, attentiveness as mothers, and that a pardon would release the state from the cost of providing for their children. At least one other writer requested her aid in securing a pardon for a family member, assuring Newman "if they should get out I promise you they never will get into any more trouble they will lead an honest life and be respected again" (Oct. 25, 1896).

Particular interest seems to have been shown to an incarcerated woman named Maggie Montgomery (later Loullard or Larillard), who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for the murder of John Gross in 1891. One letter from Jennie Moss, dated June 24, 1892, includes an enclosure to Maggie Montgomery, advising her directly to "have a nice clean record in every respect when your case goes before the Gov . . . For Gods sake & your own do nothing foolish. I know if anything about love came up there, it would go harder against you then any thing else in the eyes of the public." Moss wrote to Newman again two years later, on November 18, 1894, describing how she came to advocate for Maggie, her pleasure with Newman's continued support, and her thoughts on "fallen women." Moss hinted that she had a possible criminal past, noting that she "lived a life of sin in the eyes of the world, But I've lived it 'openly.' I've been no whining hypocrite. The world has punished me for it." Moss reflected on the negative impact of the public's distrust in women's reformation, women's harsh treatment of each other, her fears for Maggie's future, and plans for providing for her. "You know how hard she will be pressed & how every harmless little event, will be made mountains of sin."

An additional letter written by Annie Sears on December 6, 1894, whose association with the prison is currently unknown, inquired after Maggie shortly after she was released, also mentioning an African American man who had formerly been incarcerated, attempting to contact a man for an inmate, and her good regards to the "poor unfortunate women" still imprisoned. At least two letters were written by Maggie Montgomery/Loullard upon her release and relocation to Detroit, Michigan, describing her travels, her memories of friends from the penitentiary, and her current emotions (postmark December 6, 1894; December 14, 1894). Upon requesting updates of the other incarcerated women, Loullard reflected, "I miss them, and at times when I'm lonesome I long for my little cell but I'm glad I'm free."

A group of letters written by Ellen Smith from Salida, Colorado, suggest a partnership between her and Newman to support recently released women as well as some seamstress collaboration (Sept. 15, 1895; Sept. 27, 1895; Apr. 13, 1897; Apr. 17, 1897; Apr. 22, 1897; May 4, 1897; May 9, 1897; May 18, 1897). Smith had been formerly incarcerated at the penitentiary and appears to have run a boarding house, and provided rooms for several women that Newman was helping transition back into freedom. She wrote, "...if a Decent Girl comes here I have rooms where she can be private and by her self and if a girl comes and wants to go on the row and lead a sporting life I have rooms for her to[o]" (Apr. 13, 1897). Her letters provide details about some of the women, their interpersonal dynamics, and their lives post-incarceration. In one she mentioned "Black Ida," suggesting there may have been African American inmates (Sept. 15, 1895). She also referenced two African American men inquiring after Fay, a recently released woman who periodically stayed with her, and hinted at racial tensions (Apr. 13, 1897). Subsequently she discussed firing her African American cook for being romantically involved with some of the girls, and disparaged Black Americans "as they don't count. There Friendship don't count for nothing. I make my own living and do as near right as I can and I don't care what other People says" (Apr. 17, 1897). Smith hinted at some tension between her and the prison warden, declaring, "I don't know what the Warden has against me Miss Nannie and I don't care either. I am Free now and never intend to get in trouble again" (May 4, 1897). She reiterated the feeling in her next letter, "I don't care anything about that Warden or his oppinon [sic]. I am not coming back to the Pen, so he can not have the pleasure of having any say over me. I intend to do as near write [sic] as I know how and don't care for any ones opinion" (May 9, 1897).

Other letters appear to have been written by women who had completed their sentences. They note their new residences, work, or social attitudes they were facing. Sadie L., for example, relocated to Lyndon, Kentucky, and wrote of her travel by railroad, the heavy demands of her new job, and her lonesomeness. She shared that a fellow female traveler speculated that she looked forlorn because "You love a man and he either is not worthy or he has proven false" (Sept. 27, 1895). One written by Fay Love, referenced by Ellen Smith as one of her boarders, discusses conflict with a man who financed a trip to visit Newman, but she ran out of money in Denver. "Someone sent him word that I was in Denver running all over town so he came after me." She noted that she was working "for Banker Plummer's Wife she knows you" ([18]97).

By 1906, Nannie Newman was living in San Francisco, California, and correspondence to her begins to mention her work with beauty products. People inquired how her business was faring (July 4, 1907), were purchasing or commenting on her beauty products (Sept. 9, 1907; Oct. 14, 1907; May 15, 1913; May 8, 1914; Dec. 28, 1917), and were providing advice and support when her business seemed to be slow or struggling (Feb. 1, 1908; Mar. 22, 1908). H. J. McGhan warned that Newman's "sorrowful appearance" following her daughter's death "has a tendency to drive your customers from you," and mused that the location of Newman's shop was not advantageous to business (Nov. 27, 1906). Correspondence also includes suggestions of others involved in the trade, as indicated by various cosmetics letterheads such as "Fanny Briggs Carr Face Preparations" (Sept. 13, 1906) and "Viavi Co. Manufacturing Pharmaceutical Preparations" (Feb. 20, 1908). Several letters written to Newman by Jennie and Nanie Youngblood reference taking beauty courses, cosmetic recipes, and parlors (Apr. 24, 1911; Dec. 18, 1911; Mar. 12, 1912; Jan. 6, 1913). Jennie Youngblood's letter of April 24, 1911, also references passing near Cañon City, Colorado, and seeing the penitentiary, suggesting Newman's ongoing interest in the institution, as well as a description of visiting a Mormon Tabernacle and discussing polygamy with a female Mormon.

Correspondence also reflects on the life and work of Nannie S. Newman's son-in-law, Jack S. Palmer, particularly after 1910. Letters reference his work in the oil industry, his health and travels, and commentary on his relationship with his siblings and Newman. Several indicate a strained relationship (July 21, 1911; July 12, 1912; Mar. 14, 1914). Newman also corresponded regularly with other members of the Palmer family, who provided details on life in Titusville, Pennsylvania, work in oil fields, and various travels in Alaska, California, and elsewhere.

Later correspondence predominantly relates to Thomas Leon Mitchell, who had married into the Palmer family through his wife, Virginia Palmer Davies. Two letters appear to have been written by Tom early in his life from Pleasantville, Pennsylvania (Mar. 22, 1905; [ca. 1905?]), and nine pieces written between 1915 and 1922 relate to his training and service in the United States Navy, as well as military acquaintances in the Panama Canal Zone. These include several letters describing World War I naval operations in the Caribbean, in particular while he was stationed in Martinique and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, in 1918. From the 1920s to 1950s, correspondence primarily relates to the Mitchell family's travels, in particular to Western Canada, Hawaii, Fiji, and Tahiti.

The Documents Series includes receipts and bills, disbound account book pages, deeds and titles, certificates, medical reports and forms, and more. The bills and receipts provide details about Nannie and Ida's lives in Colorado and California, detailing their spending on fabric and sewing goods, room rent, furniture, piano lessons, and more. The disbound account book pages are undated, but they include details of client details relating to dressmaking for "Cripple Creek Ladies," suggesting they relate to Nannie Newman's seamstress work in Colorado in the 1890s. Several items pertain to Jack S. and Ida Palmer, such as an abstract of title to a lode in the Cripple Creek Mining District (1902), deeds and inventories of furniture, certificates for Jack Palmer's standing in the Titusville Council, and the sale of his interest in a patent to his sister Virginia Altamont Davies (1909). Two items relate to health matters, including an Institut Venu Carnis refund guarantee "for the development of the bust" and a typed Iritis Report.

The Writings Series consists of fourteen undated manuscript copies of poems or song lyrics; a manuscript "Endless Prayer Chain" to be copied and sent to nine people to ensure the writer receives "some great joy;" and a seven-page, unsigned manuscript memoir detailing experiences at a camp at the Balfour Mines in Colorado. The memoir describes the town, religious services, efforts to build a church, and reflections on gold and nature. The writer mused that there was "not a single woman in that first meeting… and I have been trying to figure out whether man when turned loose and put back almost into the wild, is such a bad animal after all – or whether the most of us rough fellows were not thinking of some good woman somewhere else."

The Address Book is a blank notebook distributed circa 1894 as advertising by Knight & Atmore of Denver, Colorado, specializing in "Artistic Tailoring, Superb Clothing, Exquisite Furnishings." While unsigned and undated, it was likely kept by Nannie S. Newman or Ida C. Palmer in the mid-1890s. It contains various addresses of men, women, and businesses primarily in Denver, Colorado, but with a number of Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and other states. At least one address, that of Maggie Larillard (elsewhere spelled Loullard) in Detroit, Michigan, is of a formerly incarcerated woman.

The Diary was kept by Jack S. Palmer in 1903 while he was living in Cripple Creek, Colorado. It is a pre-printed pocket diary distributed by Gross' Buffet of St. Louis, Missouri. Entries detail correspondence, travel, hours worked and other business information, and finances. Content relating to his personal life includes mentions of Ida Palmer's health and travel, social events, births and deaths. Several mentions of "Muddie" (Nannie S. Newman), primarily indicate her arrivals and departure. In addition to brief diary entries, the volume includes various notes and memoranda, including many addresses and other contact information. Printed maps of Cuba, the United States, and the "East Coast of China and Philippine Is." are present.

The Memoranda Book is a pocket-sized blank book that is undated but appears to have been kept by Jack S. Palmer. It contains notes about names, addresses, financial details, and matters seemingly related to business. Several entries refer to a Palmer camp stool. The Wallet is made of leather, embossed with a floral design and inscribed on the inside " J. S. Palmer Cañon City Colo."

The Printed Items Series includes various newspaper and magazine clippings, printed postcards, greeting cards, announcements, and advertising ephemera. Several items relate to Nannie S. Newman's business operations, including an advertising broadside for Miss S. N. Herold, of Denver, Colorado, suggesting she may have begun her cosmetic work in Colorado. It advertises "Facial Massage. The New Art. Beauty Developed and Preserved. Keeps the Face Youthful, Plump and Rosy. Only Successful Treatment Known for Wrinkles." One of her business cards from San Francisco is present for her business in "Facial Massage and Face Treatments, Shampooing and Scalp Treatments." Five bottle labels for Newman Face Bleach, Newman Egg Shampoo, and Zymocide Hair Tonic and Dandruff Remedy indicate the types of products Newman was selling.

The Photographs Series consists of twelve cabinet card photographic studio portraits of unidentified men, women, and families; four card photographs of various sizes of unidentified men, women, and children; two real photo postcards of a building exterior and a man with his young son; a 1932 handmade Christmas card featuring three photos of a home interior; and thirteen snapshots of men, women, and groups of people, several depict a cattle ranch and the only identified figure is Minnie L. Mitchell who is shown standing with one leg and crutches. Several photos include a pencil inscription of "Newman?" on the verso suggesting they may be of Nannie S. Newman, but further research is required. This series also contains an empty Photomaton envelope from Ocean Park Pier, California.

The Miscellaneous Series includes fifteen mailing addresses written or printed on various scraps of paper, ephemera, and notes ranging in date from 1895 to 1980. The notes include definitions of card game hands; an idea for an "instant cocktail" in a gelatin capsule (May 1, 1980); travel directions; and culinary and medicinal recipes. Ephemeral items include gift and luggage tags and a library card holder.

This collection is made up of 10 inventories of the personal and real property of one person or family in and around Norton, Massachusetts, over the course of 26 years. The entries include objects and land ownership, along with valuations. The property owner began with four heifers/steers/bulls, around 10 acres of woodland, carpenter's tools, and a selection of clothing items. The following inventories reflect the expansion of a carpentry business, accumulation of more and higher quality clothing, aging of livestock, acquisition of horses, lambs, and oxen, improved tack, neck stocks, wagons, plows, shovels, chains, and more. In the late 1850s and 1860s, they gained a "detach Lever silver watch," picture frames, a checkerboard, a sword cane, pocketknives, firearms, lanterns, and other household goods. After the Civil War, they started saving money in a bank account, purchased bonds, and held cash and currency. By 1876, the real property expanded to over 43 acres in Norton, Easton, and Mansfield. The concluding inventory is a list of real estate, a selection of objects, and an entry for "Houshold Stuf to numerous to mention." In 1850, the total assets were $760.50. By 1876, they were $17,076.25.

This collection is made up of 10 inventories of the personal and real property of one person or family in and around Norton, Massachusetts, over the course of 26 years. The entries include objects and land ownership, along with valuations. The property owner began with four heifers/steers/bulls, around 10 acres of woodland, carpenter's tools, and a selection of clothing items. The following inventories reflect the expansion of a carpentry business, accumulation of more and higher quality clothing, aging of livestock, acquisition of horses, lambs, and oxen, improved tack, neck stocks, wagons, plows, shovels, chains, and more. In the late 1850s and 1860s, they gained a "detach Lever silver watch," picture frames, a checkerboard, a sword cane, pocketknives, firearms, lanterns, and other household goods. After the Civil War, they started saving money in a bank account, purchased bonds, and held cash and currency. By 1876, the real property expanded to over 43 acres in Norton, Easton, and Mansfield. The concluding inventory is a list of real estate, a selection of objects, and an entry for "Houshold Stuf to numerous to mention." In 1850, the total assets were $760.50. By 1876, they were $17,076.25.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the Parsons, Gerrish, and Lewis families of York County, Maine. Most of the material directly relates to Edwin Parsons; his first cousin, Abigail Lewis; and her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, and other items related to the Parsons, Gerrish, and Lewis families of York County, Maine. Most of the material directly relates to Edwin Parsons; his first cousin, Abigail Lewis; and her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish.

The Correspondence series (around 400 items) comprises the bulk of the collection; most items are incoming and outgoing letters of Edwin Parsons and Abigail Lewis Gerrish. Both Parsons and Gerrish received personal letters from their uncle, Usher Parsons of Providence, Rhode Island. Many of the earliest items are incoming business letters to Edwin Parsons and Edward's letters to his parents about life in Savannah, Georgia. Isaac Scott wrote to Parsons about cotton sales and specific business matters pertaining to the firm J. D. Carhart & Scott. He also mentioned his desire to purchase a male slave (January 15, 1846) and a house in Macon, Georgia. One of Edwin Parsons's letters refers to a woman's fear that her children would begin speaking in an African American dialect after living in Savannah (May 26, 1844). Around 1850, Abigail Lewis Gerrish began to receive personal letters from female friends and family members (often from Charlestown, Massachusetts). Her correspondents included her brother, William Lewis, who also occasionally wrote to her husband, Benjamin H. Gerrish. Though many correspondents wrote to Gerrish during the Civil War, few directly referred to fighting.

The Documents series (15 items) is comprised of indentures and other documents of Benjamin H. Gerrish and Oliver Parsons. Many of the items concern real and personal property; two pertain to the estates of Elizabeth Gerrish and Samuel Hill. One indenture binds Charles Tucker to Benjamin H. Gerrish to learn the art of farming.

Most of the Financial Papers and Receipts (around 130 items, 1785-1889) relate to the financial affairs of Benjamin H. Gerrish of South Berwick, Maine. Items include partially printed and manuscript account books, receipts, and other documents. Other individuals represented are Miriam Gerrish, Betsey Gerrish, Elizabeth F. Gerrish, Daniel Lewis, John Lewis, and members of the Parsons family. The materials relate to goods and services, surveying, railroads, and estate administration. The 7 account books belonged to Joseph U. Parsons, E[dwin] Parsons, and unidentified individuals. Accounts primarily relate to personal expenses, mostly in Savannah, Georgia. A book belonging to Benjamin H. Gerrish concerns land in South Berwick, Maine.

The Fragments and Miscellaneous series (26 items) is made up of manuscript, printed, and ephemeral items, including notes, calling and visiting cards, recipes, two lists of property on "Fairbanks Farm" in Holliston, Massachusetts, a blank form from the Maine Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and a copy of the Eastern Star newspaper (February 7, 1879). Thirteen items are fragments of letters, financial records, or other items.

This collection is made up of incoming letters and legal memorandums to William F. Joy of Boston, Massachusetts. His correspondents primarily discussed oil and real estate in and near Stryker, Ohio.

This collection is made up of incoming letters and legal memorandums to William F. Joy of Boston, Massachusetts. His correspondents primarily discussed oil and real estate in and near Stryker, Ohio. William F. Joy received around 34 letters from January 4, 1865-July 27, 1866, primarily related to the area around Stryker, Ohio. Joy's correspondents, who included Converse L. Chase, C. Blinn, and C. S. Tuttle, reported on the progress of oil wells in the area and on competing prospectors. Chase, a lumber dealer, also commented on the cost of lumber. Some correspondents mentioned a mineral spring in the area, and the collection includes 3 small printed reports about an analysis of the spring by University of Michigan professor Silas H. Douglas (February 1870). Other letters, and 2 memorandums related to legal agreements, concern the ownership of property in Williams County, Ohio, and Crawford County, Ohio. One undated document is an inventory of mill machinery, and another is a printed prospectus for the Rocky River Oil Company in eastern Ohio.