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Correspondence and documents related to Vaux's support of the colonists in the Revolutionary War, his business interests, and his efforts to relocate to Canada.

The Charles Grant, vicomte de Vaux papers are composed of 8 unbound letters and 2 volumes containing correspondence, notes, and other writings. A total of 32 items that had been laid into the front of the volumes have been removed to their own folders.

The Unbound Correspondence series contains letters spanning May 8, 1778, to April 26, 1779, and primarily concerns Vaux's activities during the American Revolution, including his attempt to send aid to the colonies on the ship Comtesse de Brionne (May 8, 1778). A letter from June 1778 pertains to permission obtained from congress to arm a ship. Several other letters deal with Vaux's naval pursuits and contain news of the trans-Atlantic shipping business.

The Bound Volumes and Removed Items series contains two bound volumes of manuscripts, as well as the loose documents originally laid into the volumes, now arranged chronologically into folders. Materials in the series span approximately 1756-1805, though much of the material is undated.

Volume 1 contains correspondence, drafts, and documents, primarily dating from the period during which Vaux resided in Great Britain to escape the French Revolution. The items relate mainly to Vaux's attempts to organize a military regiment and to his efforts to settle in Canada. One undated document, entitled "State of the case of Charles Grant Viscount de Vaux in Great Britain," documents Vaux's life and history, and relates to his ancestry, birth, exile from France, attempts to build a military career in Britain, and literary works ([n.d.]; Folder 2). Vaux and his supporters' attempts to secure a military post or some other means for him to settle in Canada are a constant theme throughout. Also of interest are several letters that contain information on Vaux's son, Romain Grant, who remained in France when Vaux fled and was arrested attempting to travel to London without a passport (pp. 17-21).

Volume 2 primarily contains essays related to travel and notes on regions outside of France, such as Mauritius and the Americas. Included is a journal titled "Journal du voyage de Louis-Charles Grant de Vaux . . . lorsqu'il revenoit de l'isle Maurice en France en 1758" (Travel Journal of Louis-Charles Grant de Vaux. . .when returning from the island Mauritius in France in 1758). The journal begins on page 73 of the volume. Also included is the essay "Amerique ou Nouveau Monde," which contains an account of the history of the Americas from its discovery by Columbus in 1492, with descriptions of different regions such as Virginia, California, Nantucket, and the West Indies (begins on p. 25). The loose items include letters and notes related to the American Revolution and Canadian settlement. Of particular interest is "Memoire au congrés ameriquain," a draft of a letter to the American Congress describing vessels Vaux lost off the coast of America during the Revolution, and asking for some land in Ohio and Connecticut as recompense for his losses (1782).

The Divie and Joanna Bethune collection contains correspondence, religious diaries, and an autobiography pertaining to the New York couple.

The Divie and Joanna Bethune collection contains correspondence, religious diaries, and an autobiography pertaining to the New York couple.

The Correspondence series is made up of 59 incoming letters to Divie and Joanna Bethune, which primarily relate to Divie's business interests, and 1 letter by Joanna Bethune to George Duffield (February 9, 1837). Arthur Dalton of New Orleans, Louisiana, wrote the bulk of the early correspondence, discussing the local tobacco trade and ships' movements near the city. Divie Bethune & Co. received letters from Thomas Masters about financial affairs in Liverpool and London, England. Personal letters include letters between members of the Bethune family, such as a letter from Joanna Bethune to her daughter Isabella, which alludes to the possibility of Canadian annexation (January 6, 1850).

The 22-volume Diaries series comprises the bulk of the collection, and contains material written by both Divie and Joanna Bethune. Divie Bethune filled the first 17 volumes with devotional prayers, religious poetry, hymns, and occasional daily diary entries. Each of these volumes has an identical inscription. Joanna Bethune kept 6 diaries after her husband's death, in which she reflected upon her emotions and wrote about her charity work and religious life.

Joanna Bethune's Autobiography, written in 1814, concerns her early life, emphasizing her religious conversion and religious convictions.

The Eleazar Smith biographical sketch is Thomas A. Dickinson's 1881 transcription of Smith's memoir, originally written in 1828. Smith described his experiences as a militiaman during the Revolutionary War, as well as his work as an inventor and machinist in Medfield and Walpole, Massachusetts.

The Eleazar Smith biographical sketch (54 pages) is Thomas A. Dickinson's 1881 transcription of Smith's memoir, originally written in 1828. Smith described his experiences as a militiaman during the Revolutionary War and his work as an inventor and machinist in Medfield and Walpole, Massachusetts.

The first 2 pages consist of Dickinson's introduction to the manuscript, including a history of the original document and the date and place of Dickinson's transcription. A paper laid into these pages describes one of Smith's clocks, which ran until at least 1883. Pages 3-50 contain the transcription; the original manuscript's first 2 pages, lost prior to 1881, are not copied. Smith's biography consists of reminiscences and stories about his professional life, but he also discussed his finances and business relationships with men in Medfield, Walpole, and Boston. He frequently commented on his lifelong affinity for the clocks and other machinery that he repaired and made, and the memoir includes a detailed description of a nail-making machine he created (p. 32). Pages 12-18 pertain to Smith's time in a militia regiment during the Revolution, including his imprisonment on suspicion of counterfeiting and his decision to desert. The biographical sketch is followed by a poem about "General Smith," thought to include contributions by Eleazar Smith (pp. 51-52); brief notes about Mrs. Adams of Medfield, Massachusetts, one of Eleazar Smith's neighbors (p. 53), and a card tooth machine (p. 54); and a copy of Eleazar Smith's epitaph from his grave at the Walpole Rural Cemetery (p. 54).

The Field papers contain eleven letters from the popular American writer, Eugene Field; one undated letter from J.M. Stoddart to Field; two manuscript poems; a newspaper edition of "The House," with marginal editorial notes; and a set of proof sheets from Field's "autobiography," Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac.

The Field papers contain eleven letters from the popular American writer, Eugene Field; one undated letter from J.M. Stoddart to Field; two manuscript poems; a newspaper edition of "The House," with marginal editorial notes; and a set of proof sheets from Field's "autobiography," Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac. Field's letters are addressed variously to his wife or children, and to Harvard linguist, Francis J. Childs.

Although the letters in the Field papers are miscellaneous, and touch on a wide variety of subjects, several stand out for their individual interest. One letter, apparently written to a son (1886 September 10), includes a brief, pleasant description of a baseball game between Chicago and Detroit, and is accompanied by a charming example of Field's ability as an illustrator. The most important letters in the collection are those few that reveal some of Field's attitudes toward marriage and family. Two letters addressed to his 16-year-old fiancee (1873 January 10 and 1873 October 10), for instance, provide advice on how to prepare for their impending wedding night, adding confidently, "Oh Julia, you know not what bliss is in store for you!" Another letter written to his wife shortly after the death of a young son (1890 October 4) suggests the fragile distance that Field was able to place between himself and his deceased child. "I fear that I am regarded quite hard hearted," he wrote "I have been so peaceful since the end came. While our boy still lived, I battled constantly in spirit and I think that another week would have killed me. Now that all is over, I am content, wholly reconciled. I believe our boy is happy now. It is selfish to wish him back."

The collection contains final manuscript drafts of Field's poems, "De Amicitus," "A French Crisis" (published as "The Fair Limousin") and "Holly and Ivy" (which was decoratively illustrated by the author), and the newspaper edition of "The House," with marginal editorial notes, some of which are in Field's hand. A single cabinet card photograph of Field in this collection was signed by him and dated May, 1895.

This collection is made up of correspondence and writings related to the family of Jay Humphrey Filley of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The materials relate to Filley's finances, his autobiography, and spiritualism.

This collection (6 items) is made up of correspondence and writings related to the family of Jay Humphrey Filley of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The Correspondence series (3 items) includes personal letters that Filley wrote to his wife Julia (October 14, 1857) and his son Alfred (October 12, 1860), concerning his finances and business affairs. An undated photographic postcard has an image of a plaque commemorating Alfred Filley's donation of land to Filley Park in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

The Writings series consists of a brief poem by Jay Humphrey Filley ("Request," January 31, 1828) and a 2-page essay by Julia Newberry Filley (February 27, 1856). The essay relates to Julia's interaction with a medium and her belief that mediums could communicate with deceased persons, such as Julia's father-in-law, Oliver Humphrey, and brother, Albert Newberry.

The Autobiography (14 pages) concerns the life of Jay Humphrey Filley, focusing on his education, business pursuits, and religious beliefs. The autobiography also includes genealogical information.

The Hopkins family papers contain wide variety of materials relating to the Hopkins family of Vermont and California. A few of the wide variety of topics covered include the Episcopal Church, student life at the University of Vermont, the 1849 Gold Rush and 19th-century life in California, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, art, and music.

The Hopkins Family papers document the activities of several generations of the Hopkins family of Vermont and California, whose members included prominent 19th century artists, musicians, religious figures, and writers. Among its notable figures are John Henry Hopkins (1792-1868), the first Episcopal bishop of Vermont; John Henry Hopkins, Jr., best known for writing the song "We Three Kings"; and Caspar Hopkins, a writer, early explorer of southern Oregon, and miner and entrepreneur during the California Gold Rush. Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the Hopkins family was the wide extent of their collective talents and experiences. As a result, their collection touches on numerous historical subjects, including the Episcopal Church, the insurance business in California, shipping, Vermont in the 19th century, California during and after the Gold Rush, gothic architecture, classical and religious music, education, and family life during the 19th century. Spanning 1800 to 1932, and comprising four linear feet of material, the collection contains a huge variety of material, including correspondence, documents, printed matter, drawings, manuscript and printed music, photographs, broadsides, pamphlets, monographs, periodicals, and maps.

The Correspondence series contains approximately 400 incoming and outgoing letters, spanning 1824 to 1932, with the bulk concentrated in the years between 1830 and 1890. Caspar Hopkins contributed the largest number of letters to the collection, writing approximately 25%; followed by his brother, John, Jr., (15%); his mother, Melusina (10%); his wife, Almira (5%), and his father, John, Sr., (5%). Caspar wrote frequent letters to his wife and family, and they document many stages of his life, such as his 1849 voyage to California via Mexico and his participation in the Gold Rush as a speculator and businessman, his exploration of the Umpqua River in southern Oregon in the early 1850s, and his career as president of the California Insurance Company in the 1860s through the 1880s. His Gold Rush letters in particular contain incisive comments on the miners he encountered and on their way of life. On October 14, 1850, he wrote a letter to "Friend Clarke," describing frontier conditions, the attitudes of settlers, and the habits of Native Americans in the Klamath River Valley. Many letters also discuss religious and intellectual matters, two areas of interest for Caspar.

Bishop John H. Hopkins' letters span 1831-1866 and contain a great deal of advice to Caspar, as well as his thoughts on religious matters, the Civil War, family affairs, and many other topics. In a few early letters written to Caspar when he was a young man, John described his views on the raising of children and gave advice on being successful (December 11, 1850); he lamented Caspar's lack of interest in the ministry as a career (February 20, 1851). Other letters by the bishop touch on the satisfaction of worship (August 17, 1854), contain pro-South speculation as to the causes of the Civil War (May 28, 1861), and mention his upcoming golden wedding anniversary with Melusina (March 10, 1865). In a letter of August 10, 1866, John addressed Caspar's growing skepticism toward organized religion, urging him to return to the church "to which you and your dear family rightfully belong," despite its "earthly" defects. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., wrote several dozen letters, primarily concerning his experience as a member of the clergy, touching often on pedagogical subjects which ranged from arguments on why Lincoln was a bad president to theological discourses, some even written in Latin. On February 25, 1844, he wrote a particularly good description of student life at the University of Vermont, and bemoaned the "inveterate practice of loafing into each other's rooms in study hours" and "lolling on each other's beds." The Hopkins women are also well-represented among the letter-writers. Melusina Mueller Hopkins, the wife of Bishop Hopkins, wrote numerous letters to Caspar, which include biographical information about Caspar's siblings and father, as well as other family news. Others female writers include Amelia Muller (Melusina's sister), and Caspar's sisters Caroline Hopkins Canfield and Matilda Hopkins Camp.

The Bishop Hopkins' Sermons and Pastoral Letters series contains ten manuscript sermons (including one fragment), two printed sermons, and two printed pastoral letters. The manuscript items note the various dates on which Hopkins read them before his congregation; he frequently performed them multiple times between 1824 and 1862. The printed sermons and pastoral letters all date to the period of 1850-1855. They touch on numerous religious and scriptural themes and shed light on the Episcopal Church in Vermont and Hopkins' own views on morality, the meaning of life, and the role of the church. Many additional items written by Hopkins are housed in the Book Division, and listed under "Additional Descriptive Data."

The Caspar Hopkins' Writings and Documents series contains one linear foot of material, dating from Hopkins' college years (1845-1847) to the end of his life in the 1890s. Containing both manuscript and printed items, it includes four subseries. The General Writings subseries consists of 24 items, including essays that Hopkins wrote for classes at the University of Vermont, several plays, and articles that he wrote on topics as diverse as divorce law, happiness, American government, and the insurance agency. The second subseries, Berkeley Club Writings, contains 16 manuscript essays that Hopkins wrote between 1873 and 1889 for presentation to the social and intellectual organization, the Berkeley Club. They pertain to such topic as evolution, agnosticism, religion in public schools, and marriage and divorce. The Autobiography subseries consists of three copies of Hopkins' self-published biography, written in 1889, which provides biographical information and insightful commentary on himself and various other members of the Hopkins family. The final subseries, Documents, includes three documents relating to Caspar Hopkins dated between 1873 and 1893: a publishing contract, a printed petition, and a will.

The Printed Matter and Clippings series contains miscellaneous printed items related to or collected by members of the Hopkins family, dating ca. 1850 to ca. 1940. The series comprises printed playbills and concert programs, newspaper articles relating to members of the family, and other printed material. It also includes an undated phrenology chart for Caspar Hopkins. Two printed broadsides in this series are housed in the Graphics Division. For more information, see "Separated Materials" under "Additional Descriptive Data."

The Genealogy series contains manuscript and printed information on various lines of the Hopkins family, gathered primarily in the early 20th-century.

The Music series includes manuscript and printed music played or written by various members of the Hopkins family. Among the many items of interest are a volume of music written by Bishop John Hopkins; a set of scores written and copied by Caspar Hopkins while in California, 1861-1865; and two ca. 1800 books of German songs belonging to the sisters of Melusina Mueller, Charlotte and Theresa.

The Art series contains the drawings, sketches, watercolors, and hand-colored botanical paintings produced by Bishop John Hopkins, his mother (Elizabeth Fitzackerly), and his children. Included are six volumes of drawings and watercolors by the bishop, which depict scenes he encountered while traveling in upstate New York in 1825, gothic churches, landscapes, and human hands. Of particular note are nineteen large plates from Hopkins' 1834 Vermont Flower Book, nine of which his children hand-painted, as well as a letter from William Bayard Hopkins, laid into the volume, describing their habit of working together around the dining room table. Also of interest are botanical paintings by Hopkins' mother, Elizabeth Fitzackerly, dating to the late 18th- or early 19th-century.

The Photographs and Maps series includes approximately 50 photographs of various members of the Hopkins family, including John Hopkins, Sr.; Melusina Hopkins; Caspar Hopkins; John Henry Hopkins; Jr.; Frances (Hopkins) Hinckley; William Bayard Hopkins; and various family groups, landmarks, and homes. Formats include cartes de visite, cabinet cards, tintypes, and a glass plate positive. Also present are two large views of San Francisco shortly after the destruction of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The collection also includes three maps, housed in the Map Division. They include an 1849 sketch of San Francisco by Caspar Hopkins; a map of Penobscot County, Maine (ca. 1900); and one of the Union Pacific Railroad and its rail connections (1872). For more information, see "Separated Materials" under "Additional Descriptive Data."

The Howard A. Walsh papers contain diaries, technical papers, and other material related to the life and work of Walsh throughout the first half of the 20th century.

The Howard A. Walsh papers contain diaries, technical papers, and other material related to the life and work of Walsh throughout the first half of the 20th century. The collection's six diaries cover the years 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 1931, and primarily consist of brief daily entries chronicling Walsh's work for the Doble Engineering Company. As a knowledgeable engineer, he toured the country and worked on a number of different systems, and though his diaries primarily record his professional exploits, they also contain some personal comments. Several entries throughout October 1929, for example, chart his mounting financial losses during the stock market crash, which eventually amounted to at least $2,000.

An engineering notebook contains photographs and colored illustrations of 1920s-era electric transformers and other related equipment, as well as notes about their operation and technical specifications. A series of technical papers and memos complete his professional papers, and provide a picture of the industry in the mid-20th century. Other material in the collection includes a series of photographs and ephemera related to cars, motorcycles, and boats owned by Walsh throughout his life, as well as a draft of his autobiography about his experiences during World War I.

The Jacob Nagle journal pertains to the life and adventures of the Revolutionary War veteran, who sailed in both the American and British navies between 1775 and 1824.

The Jacob Nagle journal pertains to the life and adventures of the Revolutionary War veteran, who sailed in both the American and British navies between 1775 and 1824. Nagle wrote the 161-page document, entitled "A Sketch or Journal of Jacob Nagle from the Year 1775," on July 22, 1840, near the end of his life. He began the journal with a brief history of his family, mentioning his father's commissions in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Just sixteen when he joined his father in various Pennsylvania regiments, Nagle served with the artillery and encamped at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778; this portion of the journal includes illustrations depictions of several military actions from the viewpoint of an ordinary soldier. Following his infantry service, Nagle entered the navy and spent most of the rest of his life at sea, serving in the American and British military and merchant navies over the course of several decades. The majority of the journal describes Nagle's adventures both at sea and on land, which included encounters with fellow seamen and with prostitutes. During his long naval career, Nagle saw much of the world, including the Caribbean, Asia, and Australia. His account provides a rare firsthand glimpse into the life of an everyday sailor during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This collection is made up of autobiographical manuscripts, correspondence, documents, and family photograph albums related to James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of the items pertain to Pond's service during the Civil War and both father and son's lecture business.

This collection is made up of autobiographical manuscripts, correspondence, documents, and family photograph albums related to James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of the items pertain to Pond Sr.'s service during the Civil War and both father and son's lecture business.

The Pond Family Papers series includes one box containing miscellaneous correspondence ranging in date from 1896-1932, Civil War related material, autobiographical sketches, family photographs, and personal photograph albums.

The Civil War related material includes a few items relating to James Pond's Civil War service in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, among which are a typescript of official reports relating to the massacre at Baxter Springs, Kansas, a printed poem on the massacre, and a printed notice of the death in the 1880s of William T. Brayton of the 3rd Cavalry. Pond also collected other reminiscences of the war, including an autobiographical account of Mrs. Horn, wife of a Missouri surgeon, which includes a description of Quantrill's raiders pillaging town and taking her husband prisoner, and a memoir of Edward P. Bridgman, a soldier in the 37th Massachusetts Infantry who served with John Brown in 1856, and may have known Pond.

More than half of this series consists of autobiographical manuscripts, parts of which, at least, were published as magazine articles. Most of these focus on his early years (prior to 1861) when he and his family were living a marginal existence in frontier Wisconsin and when he was a young man in search of a livelihood. The collection includes three major manuscripts, each present in several copies or versions, all of which are related to each other - "A Pioneer Boyhood," "The American Pioneer: My Life as a Boy," and "Pioneer Days" - plus there are less polished manuscripts of childhood and Civil War reminiscences. All appear to have been written initially in 1890, though some copies were apparently made several years later. In addition, there is an autobiographical sketch "How I got started in the Lecture Business" in which he describes his part in Anna Eliza Young's "apostatizing" and entering onto the lecture circuit.

The collection also contains 5 photograph albums. These volumes contain over 800 personal photographs taken between 1896 and 1902, including many pictures of family members at leisure both indoors and outdoors and Pond's business acquaintances from his lecture agency. Travel photographs include views of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as a group of pictures taken during a visit to England, Switzerland, and Germany in 1901. European items include a series of colored prints, located in Volume 4. The albums contain images of locomotives, railroad cars, and steamships. Volume 1 contains images of the inauguration of William McKinley and Volume 2 contains images of crowds gathered for a GAR parade in Buffalo, New York. Throughout the albums are glimpses of various lecture tours and clients including John Watson (Ian Maclaren) and Anthony Hope in Volume 2 and Francis Marion Crawford in Volume 3. Other notable figures include Sam Walter Foss and William Dean Howells in Volume 1, Charles W. Blair and Edward William Bok in Volume 3, and Sir Henry Morton Stanley, Charles William Stubbs, Robert Stawell Ball, Horace Porter, Frank Thomas Bullen, and Israel Zangwill in Volume 4. In addition to the albums, there are loose photographs of family, James B. Pond Jr., and the Adventurers' Club of New York. Oversized photographs are housed in Box 3.

The Pond Lecture Bureau Papers series consists of one box containing client files (arranged chronologically), loose photographs, and ephemera. Much of the content consists of correspondence between clients/prospective clients and photographs of clients (likely for promotional material). This series spans from 1877 to the 1940s covering periods of ownership from both James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of these clients are as follows: Henry Ward Beecher, Reverend Joseph Parker, Thomas DeWitt Talmage, Leon Pierre Blouet, Reverend John Watson (Ian Maclaren), William Winter, Edward Rickenbacker, Harry A. Franck, Gunnar Horn, Maurice Brown, and Major Radclyffe Dugmore. Unidentified oversized photographs and a scrapbook are housed in Box 3.

This volume contains autobiographical sketches composed by John Alston of Glasgow, Scotland, for his children in 1789 and 1811. A descendant later used the volume to record genealogical information about three additional generations of the Alston family.

This volume contains autobiographical sketches that John Alston of Glasgow, Scotland, composed for his children in 1789 (25 pages) and 1811 (5 pages). A descendant later used the volume to record genealogical information about three additional generations of the Alston family (6 pages).

Alston wrote a brief preface to his autobiography, which he signed "John Alston, Junr." The following 25 pages concern his life until 1789, with a focus on his early life and family. He wrote about his failed trip to North America in early 1759 and his journey through Spain after his ship, the Rebecca, was seized by a French privateer and subsequently stranded on the Spanish coast. Alston made his way back home and successfully sailed to Maryland later that year. When remembering his time in North America, he felt guilty about his perceived self-indulgence, and he vowed to prevent his children from leaving home until the age of 20 or 21. After recording his marriage to Patrick Craigie ("Patie") in 1772, he listed the names and birthdates of their children, including one who died after a smallpox inoculation (pp. 7-9). Alston later commented on the effect that the deaths of his wife and parents had on him, and he also discussed the dispersion of his father's estate. The second part of his autobiography, which he added on January 1, 1811, primarily pertains to his family history and genealogy. Genealogical notes concern John Alston's descendants to the generation of his great-grandchildren.