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Collection

Anthony Wayne family papers, 1681-1913

7 linear feet

The Anthony Wayne family papers contain correspondence, diaries, documents, and accounts relating to several generations of the Wayne family of Pennsylvania. Of particular note is material concerning Anthony Wayne's service in the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War, and William Wayne's service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Correspondence and Military Documents series (Volumes 1-17) contains approximately 1,450 items (3.5 linear feet), spanning 1756-1853, and arranged chronologically. The bulk of the series is correspondence, but it also contains various types of documents, including legal materials, military returns, land surveys, and lists.

Anthony Wayne

The 18th-century material in the collection (Volumes 1-10) relates primarily to the career of Anthony Wayne, including his surveying activities; acquisition and maintenance of a plantation near Savannah, Georgia, and the activities of Native Americans in its vicinity; service in the Revolutionary War; and leadership as commander-in-chief of the Legion of the United States during the Northwest Indian War. It includes incoming correspondence from numerous notable government and military officials, as well as a considerable amount of Wayne's outgoing correspondence and memoranda.

A portion of materials in the collection shed light on Wayne's activities and opinions during the American Revolutionary War, in which he served as a brigadier general. On November 22, 1777, Wayne wrote to Thomas Wharton, the "president" (i.e., governor) of Pennsylvania, on the subject of recruitment, arguing that allowing the hiring of substitutes and the paying of an "enormous bounty" would hinder efforts to attract soldiers. He also discussed the importance of uniforms to morale, arguing that they caused "a laudable pride which in a soldier is a substitute for almost every other virtue." Additionally, Wayne exchanged several letters with a friend, Colonel Sharp Delany, in which they discussed various war-related matters. On July 26, 1780, he provided a defense of his raid on Bull's Ferry, which failed and resulted in substantial American casualties. Other letters pertain to Wayne's injury from a musket-ball lodged in his thigh (November 12, 1781), his uniform (May 10, 1783), and the concerns of Savannah merchants who feared the loss of protection after the British evacuation (June 17, 1782). Also of interest is a memorandum spanning the dates June 20, 1777-October 21, 1780, in which Wayne gave his criticisms of the decisions of the Executive Council and of the Continental army in Pennsylvania, and complained of demoralization of the troops, especially the Pennsylvania Line.

A large number of letters and documents, particularly in the late 1780s, pertain to Wayne's rice plantation in the vicinity of Savannah, called Richmond and Kew, which was given to him by the state of Georgia for his wartime service there. Wayne took out large loans in order to revive the estate in 1785, two years after he left it "in a depreciating state" (June 29, 1783) to return to Pennsylvania. Wayne's letters describe his great difficulty in purchasing affordable slaves to work the land, his efforts to produce and sell rice and corn, and the scarcity of currency in Georgia, which compounded his troubles turning a profit. The papers also document Wayne's struggle to repay his loans and his dispute with his creditors, which became particularly intense in 1787, and resulted in his loss of the plantation in 1791. On that subject, he wrote, "I have been in treaty with my Persecutors" (March 1, 1791). His primary correspondents on these matters were William Penman, James Penman, Adam Tunno, Samuel Potts, Sharp Delany, and Richard Wayne.

Several items during this period also refer to the ongoing conflict between white settlers in Georgia and Native Americans there. One letter to Wayne from Benjamin Fishbourn concerns a Creek uprising in Georgia, during which the natives burned homes and absconded with corn and rice ([October 1786]). Although Wayne claimed that "the Indian depredations in this State have been so much exaggerated as to deter any purchasers" (February 20, 1788), he nonetheless kept track of many strife-filled incidents. On October 7, 1788, he wrote, "We are all confusion here on account of the Indians and Spaniards - the first carrying off our Negroes and other property - the latter Countenancing and protecting them!" He also described the imprisonment of his tenants by Native Americans (October 7, 1788), the abandonment of plantations by white settlers out of fear of "depredations" by natives (December 5, 1788), and the arrival of troops in the south to challenge the Creeks (December 5, 1791). On October 21, 1789, he wrote that he and his neighbors expected an "Indian war" at any time. After Wayne left the south permanently, he continued to receive periodic reports on conflicts between natives and white settlers, including an attack on Creeks at "Buzzard Town," during which whites killed and imprisoned many natives, as described in letters dated October 26 and December 17, 1793. Also of interest is a list of settlements in the Upper and Lower Creek Nation, including towns and villages called "The Buzzard Rost," "New Youga," "Swagelas," and "Cowetaws" (July 2, 1793).

The collection also documents several aspects of Anthony Wayne's political career, and includes his notes on the Constitutional Convention, including his assertion that "The Constitution is a Dangerous Machine in the hands of designing men" (filed at the end of 1788). Also of note are his several letters to President George Washington, requesting favors for himself and his friends, and a letter describing Washington's visit to Savannah, during which Wayne escorted him around the city (May 18, 1791). Well-represented is the conflict between Wayne and James Jackson over the election of 1791 for a seat in the 2nd United States Congress to represent the 1st District of Georgia.

A large portion of the collection concerns Wayne's prosecution of the Northwest Indian War as commander-in-chief of the newly created Legion of the United States between 1792 and 1796. Early letters and documents record the Legion's travel across Pennsylvania, gathering recruits en route (June 8, 1792); the smallpox inoculations for the soldiers (July 6, 1792); the arrangement of men into sublegions (July 13, 1792); Secretary of War Henry Knox's decision to delay operations until after the winter (August 7, 1792; August 10, 1792); and the foundation of Legionville, Pennsylvania, the first formal military basic training facility in the United States (November 23, 1792). Numerous letters concern military administration, including provisioning, appointments and promotions, furloughs, and other routine matters. Discipline of the troops was also a frequent concern, and Wayne and his correspondents frequently made references to desertion, disciplinary measures, the distribution of whiskey as a reward for successful target practice, and courts martial. Examples of the latter include the court martial of Captain William Preston, whom Wayne called "a very young Officer-with rather too high an idea of Equality" (June 25, 1795); the case of a private, Timothy Haley, who was convicted but released under pressure from the civil courts (July 1, 1795); and the proceedings against Lieutenant Peter Marks for "ungentleman and unofficer-like conduct" (July 20-21, 1794). A booklet covering July 19-August 2, 1793, contains a number of court martial proceedings, for such offenses as drunkenness while on guard duty and use of abusive language.

The correspondence and documents created during this period also shed some light on various Native American tribes in the Midwest and their encounters with Wayne's forces. In a letter to Wayne, Henry Knox frets over the yet-unknown fate of Colonel John Hardin, who died in an ambush by the Shawnee (August 7, 1792).

Also addressed are the following conflicts:
  • Attack on Fort Jefferson by a Potawatomi force (September 9, 1792)
  • Attack on a forage convoy near Fort Hamilton by Native Americans (September 23, 1792)
  • Attack on Fort Washington, resulting in the capture of three prisoners by native forces (October 2, 1792)
  • Attack on Fort St. Clair by 250 Native Americans under Little Turtle (November 6, 1792)
  • Skirmishes with Native Americans in southern Ohio (October 22, 1793) in which "the Indians killed & carried off about 70 officers leaving the waggons & stores standing"

Also of interest is a description by Israel Chapin of a Six Nations council at "Buffaloe Creek," which lists some of the attendants: "the Farmer's Brother, Red Jacket and Capt Billy of the Senkas; the Fish Carrier, head Chief of the Cayugas,; Great Sky head chief of the Onondagas; and Capt Brandt of the Mohawks; and great numbers of inferior Chiefs" (December 11, 1793). On January 21, 1794, Wayne voiced his suspicions concerning peace overtures from "Delaware, Shawanoes and Miami tribes" and accused them of buying time in order to "secure their provisions, and to remove their women and children from pending distruction." Jean-Francois (sometimes known as John Francis) Hamtramck, commandant of Fort Wayne, wrote very informative letters to Wayne, discussing the Native American traders in the area and the possibility of starting a trading house at Fort Wayne (February 3, 1795), the arrival of Potawatomi at the Fort (March 5, 1795), and a meeting with the Le Gris, chief of the Miamis, whom he called a "sensible old fellow, in no ways ignorant of the Cause of the war, for which he Blames the Americans, saying that they were too extravagant in their Demands in their first treaties" (March 27, 1795).

The Battle of Fallen Timbers receives only minor attention in the collection in the form of letters, expressing praise for Wayne's victory, from army paymaster Caleb Swan (October 19, 1794) and Francis Vigo (February 22, 1795). However, efforts to end hostilities are well documented with such items as a copy of the Treaty of Greenville (August 3, 1795), Wayne's account of the signing and its impact on various tribes and their leaders (August 14, 1795), and letters from several civilians requesting help in locating family members captured by Native Americans (June 1, 1795; July 27, 1795).

Isaac and William Wayne

After Anthony Wayne's death in December 1796, the focus of the series shifts to his son, Isaac Wayne, and then to Wayne's great-grandson, William Wayne (née William Wayne Evans); the activities of the two men occupy much of the material in Volumes 11-16. Early letters mainly pertain to the family matters and finances of Isaac Wayne, including the ongoing settlement of his father's estate and various claims against it. Several items relate to his career, including an acceptance of the resignation of a soldier from Erie Light Infantry Company during the War of 1812 (March 27, 1813), and a circular letter urging support for his candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania (October 3, 1814), which was ultimately unsuccessful. Other topics include his refusal of a nomination to Congress (February 1824); requests for information about his father by historians and biographers; the August 1828 death of his son Charles, who served in the navy; and other political and family matters discussed by Wayne. His primary correspondents include William Richardson Atlee, Charles Miner, Callender Irvine, Samuel Hayman, and various members of Evans family, to whom he was related through his sister Margaretta.

The bulk of the letters postdating 1850 relate to William Wayne. Early correspondence concerns his courtship with his future wife, Hannah Zook, in 1852, the death of Isaac Wayne on October 25, 1852, and various social visits and family concerns. On March 14 and 15, 1860, Wayne wrote to his wife about travel through Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Erie to Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though he stayed in the prominent Monongahela House, he described Pittsburgh as a "dirty village," and unfavorably compared the "Western Penitentiary" to its counterpart in Philadelphia, "the Castle on Cherry Hill." He noted that Cleveland "is said to be the handsomest City in the Union," but reserved his opinion on this point.

The collection also contains six letters written by Wayne during his Civil War service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. On June 27, 1862, he wrote to his wife from James Island, South Carolina, concerning his regiment's role in building fortifications and mounting guns. He also commented on General George McClellan and his cautious strategy. Wayne wrote the remainder of the letters from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On October 13, 1862, three days after the Confederate raid on Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Wayne wrote about rumors concerning "the movements of 'secesh' along our border" in what he suspected was an attempt to interfere with the election of 1862. In another letter, he expressed disappointment that he had arrived at camp too late to accompany a group of new recruits to Washington (November 3, 1862). Of interest are four letters from Wayne's friend, Joseph Lewis, which relate to Wayne's attempt to resign from the army, as well as five items relating to General Galusha Pennypacker. The Pennypacker correspondence includes a sketch of his service, written by Edward R. Eisenbeis (December 24, 1865), and letters concerning his recovery from severe wounds received at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865. Also of interest are several postwar letters to and from General George A. McCall concerning his meetings with Wayne.

The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Letter Books series contains three volumes of Anthony Wayne's outgoing military correspondence. The periods covered are June 4, 1792-October 5, 1793 (Volume 30), April 12, 1792-June 21, 1794 (Volume 31), and October 23, 1793-September 20, 1794 (Volume 32). The letters are official and semi-official in nature and pertain to army administration, encounters with Native Americans, troop movements, provisioning, and other topics.

The Land Documents series (Volume 17) contains land indentures, surveys, and deeds relating to several generations of the Wayne family, 1681-1879. This includes numerous documents relating to the Waynesborough estate and illustrating its possession by various family members. The surveys pertain to such matters as the line between Easttown and Willistown in Pennsylvania, several surveys performed for James Claypool in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and a drawing (including several trees) of the land of James Rice. Also included is a vellum land indenture dated October 3, 1732, between Anthony Wayne's father, Isaac, and a widow named Mary Hutton.

For other land documents, see the following surveys by Anthony Wayne in the Correspondence and Documents series:
  • Land in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania (December 15, 1764)
  • Wayne property in Easttown and Willistown, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
  • Newtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
  • Waynesborough, Chester County, Pennsylvania ([ca. 1784])
  • Survey notes on a tract of land reserved by Wayne on the Little Setilla River, Georgia (July 23, 1786)

The Other Legal Documents series (Volume 17) spans 1686-1868 and contains wills, inventories, certificates, financial agreements, and other document types. Included are several documents related to the death of Samuel K. Zook, brother-in-law of William Wayne, at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863; certificates related to the Ancient York Masons, Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati, and the American Philosophical Society; and several articles of agreement concerning financial transactions between various members of the Wayne family. Also of note are the wills of Anthony Wayne, Mary (Penrose) Wayne, Elizabeth Wayne, William Richardson, and others.

The Diaries and Notebooks series (Volumes 17-20) contains 19 diaries and notebooks written by various members of the Wayne family between 1815 and 1913. Of these, Charles Wayne wrote one volume, an unknown author wrote one, William Wayne wrote ten, and William Wayne, Jr., wrote seven. The books have been assigned letters and arranged in chronological order. The Charles Wayne notebook, labeled "A," covers 1815-1816 and contains algebraic equations and notes from Charles' lessons at Norristown Academy in Pennsylvania. Volume "B," written by an unknown author, dates to about 1820 and contains a number of medicinal cures for ailments such as cholera, snakebite, consumption, jaundice, and dysentery, as well as notes on the weather and references to agriculture and a few daily events.

William Wayne, the great-grandson of Anthony Wayne, wrote volumes "C" through "L," documenting the years 1858 to 1872, with a gap from November 11, 1861-August 13, 1862. The volumes record Wayne's pre-Civil War agricultural pursuits, his service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, and his postwar activities. Of particular interest are the entries that Wayne wrote while posted on Hilton Head Island in August 1862, as well as his brief descriptions of the arrival and processing of recruits at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in October of the same year. He also referenced Pennsylvania politics, the elections of 1863 and 1864, and the reaction of Philadelphians to the news of Lincoln's assassination. Also worth noting are Wayne's accounts of the Confederate cavalry raids on Chambersburg in November 1862, the Gettysburg campaign, and Wayne's attempts to recover the body of his brother-in-law after Gettysburg. Postwar, Wayne wrote on such topics as Reconstruction (August 14, 1866), a cholera outbreak in New York (November 4, 1865), and election fraud and rioting in Philadelphia (October 14, 1868).

William Wayne, Jr., wrote diaries "M" through "S," 1883-1913, with a gap between September 30, 1902, and April 19, 1911. These contain near-daily brief entries on weather, family life, health, and Wayne's interest in politics. Included is a description of an unveiling of a Sons of the Revolution monument (June 19, 1893), the illness of his wife, Mary (Fox) Wayne (February 28, 1884), and Wayne's work during an election (February 19, 1884).

The Account Books series contains 24 volumes, spanning 1769-1856. The earliest volume ("A") covers approximately 1769 to 1780, and contains accounts for unknown transactions, as well as scattered memoranda concerning travel between Ireland and North America and several references to schooling. Volume "B" is Anthony Wayne's military account book for 1793-1794, which lists monthly pay to various members of the Legion of the United States. Volumes "C" through "S" encompass a large amount of financial information for Anthony Wayne's son, Isaac, for the years 1794-1823. Volumes "T" through "X" are overlapping financial account books for William Wayne, covering 1854 through 1877. Also included is an account book recording tannery transactions and activities of the Wayne family in the 18th century (Volume 29), and a book of register warrants drawn by Anthony Wayne on the paymaster general in 1796 (Volume 34)

The Anthony Wayne Portait and Miscellaneous series contains an undated engraved portrait of Wayne by E. Prud'homme from a drawing by James Herring. Also included are various newspaper clippings, genealogical material, and printed matter representing the 19th and 20th centuries.

Collection

Benneville Hiester journal, 1853

1 volume

This journal recounts the experiences of Benneville Hiester, a native of Berks County, Pennsylvania, who traveled from Pleasant Township, Ohio, to St. Louis, Missouri, and back to Pennsylvania in the spring of 1853. Hiester recorded the odd jobs he did for local farmers around Pleasant Township and Lancaster, Ohio; his trip westward through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois by railroad and overland roads; his return journey to Pennsylvania, taken primarily by steamboat; and the labor he did for nearby farmers after his return.

The Benneville Hiester diary contains about 50 pages of short daily entries about his travels from Pleasant Township, Ohio, to St. Louis, Missouri, and back to Pennsylvania in 1853.

In January 1853, Hiester lived in Pleasant Township, Ohio, where he chopped wood and performed other tasks for local farmers. In his journal, he mentioned the names of those for whom he worked, as well as his work at a nearby poorhouse and his labor digging graves and building pig sties. On February 19, he visited Joseph Hiester and his son Daniel in Boylston, Ohio, and on March 7, he left Lancaster for Columbus, Ohio, where he boarded a train for Cincinnati with a companion named Jacob. Hiester noted the cost of his ticket and provided brief descriptions of his journey across Ohio and Indiana, including a stop at Vandala, Indiana, to visit acquaintances. On March 20, he and Jacob traveled on the "National Road" to Illinois, and they arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 22nd. Hiester set out for Pennsylvania on the same day, paying $10.50 for a steamboat ticket on the Elephant, which traveled along Ohio River to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which Hiester reached on April 4. From there, he went to Harrisburg and then to his home near Bern, which he reached by foot on April 6. The final entries, which Hiester wrote regularly until May 1 and again from June 14 to June 22, concern the daily weather and his manual labor. The entry for June 21 mentions his work with tobacco.

Collection

Cambridge (N.Y.) account book and journal, 1806-1808

1 volume

This volume contains financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

This volume is comprised of financial records, journal entries, planting lists, and other content related to a farmer and fur trader in the early 19th century.

Financial accounts are divided into 3 sections:
  • Undated list of prices for animal skins, "Expences Coming to Pennsylvania," and "Expences at the quitting" (1 page)
  • Chronological accounts (11 pages, February 1806-March 1806; September 1806-November 1806; and undated)
  • Double-entry accounts (9 pages, February 1806-May 1806)

Several individuals, including Sidney Wells, Matthew Gibson, and Daniel Whipple, are represented in both chronological and double-entry records. Most entries pertain to skins from mink, muskrat, and martin, and to manual labor tasks such as cutting grubs, drawings logs, and rafting. Other accounts concern sundries, a knife, a watch, and "a Balance between Guns."

The volume contains 3 pages of notes and journal entries about the author's travels from Cambridge to towns in Pennsylvania (2 pages, February 1806-July 1806); and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Lansingburgh, New York, via New Jersey and New York City (1 page, August 1806). His notes refer to travel by land and water.

Two pages concern crops planted at Cambridge in May 1808, including potatoes, beans, cabbage, corn, peas, beets, and oats. The volume also has an 8-page list of names and numbers; drawings of a compass rose and geometric shapes; signatures of James Peters and Lydia M. Peters; a very rough sketch of an "apple machine" (apparently for coring or peeling and apple) below which is written the name "George Washington"; and page of manuscript sheet music for the "Duke of Halstein's March."

Collection

Clarence G. Nicholson World's Columbian Exposition travel journal, 1893-1894

1 volume

This journal contains Clarence G. Nicholson's recollections about his trip from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, in September 1893. Nicholson described his daily activities during the journey west, in Milwaukee, and at the World's Columbian Exposition. The volume contains numerous commercial photographs, advertisements, and other items related to Nicholson's travels.

This journal (32cm x 27cm, 433 pages) contains Clarence G. Nicholson's recollections about his trip from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, in September 1893. The narrative was written in 1894. Nicholson described his daily activities during the journey west, in Milwaukee, and at the World's Columbian Exposition. The volume contains numerous commercial photographs, advertisements, and other items related to Nicholson's travels. Nicholson's manuscript travel narrative occupies around 328 pages with ephemeral items pasted in. He wrote at length about the scenery during his railroad trip, often mentioning meals and accommodations. This first part of the volume includes watercolors, photographs, clippings, and advertisements depicting Pennsylvania scenery. While in Milwaukee, Nicholson and the other travelers visited breweries, art galleries, and other points of interest; he also wrote about the differences between the Midwest and the East Coast and about the city's artistic culture. Accompanying visual materials show Milwaukee buildings, examples of local beer bottles, and works of art. On September 23 or 24, the party split, with Nicholson and his father heading for Chicago, where they spent the next week.

Nicholson's recollections of his experiences at the World's Columbian Exposition comprise the bulk of the text, accompanied by a variety of illustrations. He describes in detail numerous state, international, and thematic buildings; exhibit halls and displays; sights along the Midway Plaisance; and the fairgrounds. He and his father also visited other areas of Chicago. Clippings, advertisements, and other ephemeral items are included throughout the volume, including numerous commercial photographs and illustrated views of the World's Columbian Exposition. Other items include exposition admission tickets, a menu, and a group of synthetic cords. Visual materials show the interiors and exteriors of large exhibit halls, state and international buildings, the Peristyle, the Ferris Wheel, and exhibits along the Midway Plaisance; a few photographs and prints show the grounds illuminated at night. The final pages of the journal contain Nicholson's thoughts upon leaving the exposition for the final time and a brief description of his return trip to Philadelphia.

Collection

George Hamilton papers, 1783-1786

6 items

George Hamilton's 1783-1785 journals record his travels in England and the United States and describe the modes of transportation, the local inhabitants and businesses, and the landscapes of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. His 1786 journal chronicles his early life, from birth to his trip to America.

The George Hamilton papers contain five journals that record Hamilton's travels in England and the United States between 1783 and 1785, and a journal written in 1786 that chronicles his early life, from birth to his return to England. The journals are full of details and opinions about the people he met and lifestyles he observed in London, on board ship, and in the eastern United States. He recorded details on American culture and city life, as well as on modes of transportation and the physical features of the land. Hamilton commented on some of the battles and incidents of the American Revolution, which had just recently ended, and related amusing anecdotes of various adventures and notable characters he met during his travels.

The first diary (May 9, 1783-March 1784, 50 pages) documents his trip from London to America in the spring of 1783, and his trip between Philadelphia and Richmond. The journal is full of descriptions of the characters he met on his journey. For instance, on page 7, Hamilton playfully described a fellow passenger named Foulke: "He has the affected beliefs of the Frenchman with the rough plainness of the Quaker. The rancor of a Whig with the servility of a Tory, and the illiberality of a Methodist with the principles of a Deist." The journal's last page includes a list of towns where Hamilton stopped during his travels in Pennsylvania and Virginia; he marked the towns with good and bad taverns.

The second item (October 16-November 8, 1783, 14 pages) is a daily diary of his trip from Philadelphia to Mahoning Creek and the Susquehanna, 85 miles from their starting point. Along the way, Hamilton wrote of his interactions with the local population and described, in detail, the natural beauty of the area (rivers, mountains, cascades etc.). He also provided his impressions of the Moravians in the frontier town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The third item (May 12-28, 1784, 20 pages) contains entries from Hamilton's "Tour to the Northward," which document travels from Philadelphia through Trenton, New Jersey; to Princeton (where he noted the gardens, storms, and locals meals); to Elizabeth Town; New York City; Long Island; and finally Connecticut. About New York City he wrote: "all the woods being cut down, the fields neglected and the fencing carried away. The Town is by no means remarkable for elegant streets or handsome buildings. The streets are irregular and excessively dirty" (page 9). He also mentioned a statue of King George that had been severely vandalized.

The fourth item (July 17-August 1, 1784, 31 pages) documents Hamilton's travels from Long Island to Boston and throughout New England and the eastern part or New York (Albany, Saratoga, Fishkill). He stopped at Stillwater, New York, and remarked that the British General John Burgoyne had penetrated this far north (to 27 miles from Albany) "…where the German lines were forced by a lucky mad strike of Arnold. Upon this they retreated to Saratoga" (page 29). He journeyed as far north as Fort Edward near Saratoga Springs. Throughout these pages, he recounted events of the Revolutionary war, including a detailed, though second hand, eyewitness account of George Washington's resignation of his commission to Congress (page 11). He also mentioned Generals Greene, Cornwallis, and Clinton.

The fifth item (1784-May 29, 1785, 28 pages and 29 blank pages) is the final travel journal. Hamilton started it in Ticonderoga and continued his entries while traveling to Mount Independence, and eventually to Niagara Falls.

The sixth item is a 14-page reflection on Hamilton's early life, written from Edinburgh, June 29, 1786. He noted that his mother died when he was two years old, that his father had wanted him to join the church. He wrote about his education and travels through 1783, when he set off from London for America.

Collection

Handy family papers, 1670s-1980s

77 linear feet

[NB: This is a TEMPORARY finding aid for an IN-PROCESS collection; some restrictions apply]. The Handy Papers document the lives and professional activities of four generations of the Handy Family of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The collection largely revolves around James Henry Handy (1789-1832), Isaac William Ker Handy (1815-1878), Moses Purnell Handy (1847-1898), Sarah Matthews Handy (1845-1933), Frederick Algernon Graham Handy (1842-1912), Egbert G. Handy (1858-1938), Rozelle Purnell Handy (1871-1920), Sarah V. C. Handy (1876-1963), and H. Jamison Handy "Jam Handy" (1886-1983). The Handy family were largely educated, politically active, literary southerners, who were a part of many of the social and intellectual currents of especially the mid- and late-19th century. The papers offer resources for study of the Civil War, particularly its effect on Virginia civilians and southern prisoners of war at Fort Delaware; the history of southern families; late nineteenth-century American politics; Presbyterian history; late nineteenth-century newspaper journalism; the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1892-93; and genealogy. In its current, temporary housing, the papers include 30 boxes of correspondence, 27 boxes of family papers and topics files, six boxes of World's Columbian Exposition papers; eight boxes of photographs, plus separately housed images; four boxes of newspapers and newspaper clippings; 12 boxes of Jam Handy and Jam Handy Organization papers; 60 boxes of scrapbooks; and six boxes of books and serials (plus many loose books and other printed items).

[NB: This is a TEMPORARY finding aid for an IN-PROCESS collection. This current scope note pertains almost entirely to Handy family papers acquisitions of the 1980s (an estimated 60-65 boxes of the total 153 boxes). Among the in-process materials are 60 boxes of scrapbooks, largely kept by Rozelle P. Handy and Sarah V. C. Handy].

The Handy Papers document the lives and professional activities of four generations of the Handy Family of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The collection largely revolves around James Henry Handy (1789-1832), Isaac William Ker Handy (1815-1878), Moses Purnell Handy (1847-1898), Sarah Matthews Handy (1845-1933), Frederick Algernon Graham Handy (1842-1912), Egbert G. Handy (1858-1938), Rozelle Purnell Handy (1871-1920), Sarah V. C. Handy (1876-1963), and H. Jamison Handy "Jam Handy" (1886-1983). The Handy family were largely educated, politically active, literary southerners, who were a part of many of the social and intellectual currents of especially the mid- and late-19th century. The papers offer resources for study of the Civil War, particularly its effect on Virginia civilians and southern prisoners of war at Fort Delaware; the history of southern families; late nineteenth-century American politics; Presbyterian history; late nineteenth-century newspaper journalism; the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1892-93; and genealogy.

In its current, temporary housing (see the box listing in this finding aid), the papers include 50 boxes of correspondence, 26 boxes of family papers and topics files, six boxes of World's Columbian Exposition papers; eight boxes of photographs, plus separately housed cased images; four boxes of newspapers and newspaper clippings; 12 boxes of Jam Handy and Jam Handy Organization papers; 60 boxes of scrapbooks; and six boxes of books and serials (plus many loose books and other printed items).

The following is a former description by Curator of Manuscripts Galen Wilson, for the Handy Family Papers acquisitions of the 1980s (50-60 boxes of materials):

"Isaac Handy's fondness for history led him to the belief that he lived at an important moment in the life of the nation, and every wrinkle of the sectional crisis of the 1850s and 60s seemed to confirm. His correspondence and diaries from the eve of the war through its conclusion are a reflection of a well-educated southerner's reaction to the events unfolding about him and provide insight into the development of his political sympathies. Even after his arrest in July 1863 and his incarceration at Fort Delaware, Handy remained conscious of being part of "history in the making," not only continuing his twenty-five-year habit of keeping a diary, but in planning for a future book on Fort Delaware, soliciting memoirs of war service from his fellow prisoners. Handy saved these manuscripts, plus the correspondence he received while in prison (much of it from Confederate civilians), pasting them into two large scrapbooks. These have been disbound and the material cataloged item-by-item and interfiled chronologically in the collection's correspondence. Drafts and copies of the book which Handy wrote about his confinement, United States Bonds, are present in the collection.

Among the many individual areas of American Civil War interest are Isaac W. K. Handy's description of the battle between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac, and the journal which Moses Handy kept during his service in the Confederate army in 1865. The soldiers' reminiscences collected by Isaac Handy at Fort Delaware include several exceptional accounts, including biographical and autobiographical sketches of M. Jeff Thompson, the mayor of St. Joseph, Missouri, turned "Swamp Rat" militia commander. Thompson played a major role during the summer of 1861 in defending Missouri's slave system from John C. Frémont's emancipation proclamation.

Other Civil War war-related materials include Isaac Handy's 1861 sermon on "Our National Sins" and fast-day sermons from the same year. The reminiscences of a myriad of former Confederate officers are scattered throughout Handy's correspondence of the late 1870s, all intended to be used in a history of the war planned by the Philadelphia Times. Also present is some documentation of Frederick A. G. Handy's father-in-law, Edwin Festus Cowherd, a Confederate soldier.

While the Handy collection provides thorough documentation of life among the eastern Handys, it also contains a significant body of correspondence from the westward sojourn of Isaac and Mary Jane Handy from 1844 to 1848. Isaac and his wife wrote over 100 letters from Missouri, in which they described the powerful ideological lure of the west, their family's adjustment to new surroundings, and the social and political climate of the old southwest. An index to these letters, prepared by Isaac Handy, is present, along with an original binding. Isaac's diary for the years spent in Missouri provides a valuable point of comparison for the letters.

Political and social commentary flows throughout most of the collection, from Jesse Higgins' campaign for reform of the federal legal and judicial systems, 1805-1806, through the fin de siècle political interests and involvements of Moses Handy.

The political impact of Reconstruction plays a major role in the collection, particularly in the letters of Congressman Samuel Jackson Randall (1828-1890) of Pennsylvania. The election of 1896 is well documented and the collection includes much correspondence with the Republican President-maker Mark Hanna. For his efforts on behalf of the Republican Party in this election, Moses Handy had hoped to net a foreign consulate through Hannah but was disappointed. Handy's transition from Confederate soldier to Republican politico is subtly documented and provides an interesting case study in political opportunism.

The Handy Family Papers are an important resource for the history of the Presbyterian Church during the 19th century. The 2nd Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., was a major focus of James Henry Handy's life, and the early history of this congregation is well documented in correspondence dating from the 1820s. Rev. Daniel Baker was the first pastor of the congregation, and although Baker's tenure was controversial, James remained a close friend of Baker's for the rest of their lives. The collection thus contains items concerning Baker and his relationship with the 2nd Church, and several letters written by him after he left to assume a pastorate in Savannah, Georgia.

Isaac Handy's vocation as a Presbyterian minister and his avocation as an historical researcher merge in this collection, deepening the documentation of the church. Perhaps spurred by being asked to contribute some biographical sketches to William B. Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit, Handy sought out primary documents relating to the colonial Presbyterian clergy and congregations. Aspects of his own career in the church is documented through a scattered series of letters from former parishioners--many of which were received during his imprisonment at Fort Delaware--and in letters written by Isaac to his sons. A thick file of Isaac's sermons is present, several of which were published. Among these sermons is "The Terrible Doings of God" (23:31), which concerns the Yellow Fever Epidemic near Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1855. He delivered this eulogy at a Baptist church for members of several different Portsmouth churches. Handy earned acclaim during the crisis by staying to help the victims rather than fleeing to safer ground.

Isaac Handy's literary flair was inherited by Frederick and Moses, and both pursued careers in newspapers. Moses' career is more thoroughly documented than Frederick's, and much of the correspondence written between 1869 and 1890 concerns Moses' efforts in the newspaper business. There are several folders of general newspaper correspondence dating from 1865 to 1897, an entire box of unsorted clippings by and about the Handys, and boxes of mounted clippings of Moses, Sarah, and Rozelle Handy's published writings. Journalistic endeavors of other family members are also present.

One of Moses Handy's greatest claims to fame was his role as chair of Department O (Publicity and Promotion) for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. His involvement with the Exposition is documented in correspondence, reports, financial papers, brochures, photographs, and memorabilia. The advertising campaign begun in 1890 has been cited as the prototype of modern publicity strategies, and the Handy Papers offer an unparalleled view into the inner workings of the key department. The collection also contains information about the San Francisco Mid-Winter Exposition (1893), a sort of subsidiary event to the main Chicago attraction, and the general correspondence for 1891-93 contains some references to the World's Fair.

Isaac Handy's lifelong ambition was to publish "The Annals and Memorials of the Handys and their Kindred." Beginning in the 1850s, he gathered genealogical data on all descendants of "Samuel Handy, the Progenitor," an Englishman who emigrated to Maryland to farm tobacco. Three drafts of this work, in increasing thickness, were completed in 1857, 1865, and the 1870s. Isaac was prepared to publish the work in the 1870s and had an advertising flier printed, but when subscriptions did not meet expectations and Handy died in 1878, the project foundered. The manuscript then passed to Moses Handy, whose own intentions for publishing the book never reached fruition, possibly due to his untimely death at the age of fifty. In 1904, Isaac's youngest surviving son, Egbert, acquired the manuscript from Moses's widow, Sarah Matthews Handy, but his publication plans did not gather momentum until 1932.

With a great deal of vigor, Egbert attempted to update the manuscript, now sixty years out of date, and had a new advertising circular printed. Again, death removed the Annals' main advocate. The manuscript remained in the possession of Egbert's widow, Minerva Spencer Handy, and in the 1940s she gave it to Frederick A. G. Handy's widow, Lelia Cowherd Handy, then living in Arlington, Virginia. Before her death in 1949, Leila entrusted the material to her granddaughter Mildred Ritchie. The Clements Library acquired the manuscript from Mrs. Ritchie along with other family papers. A century and a third after Isaac began the project, the Annals were published by the Clements Library in 1992. The Handy Family Papers contain various drafts of the manuscript, plus many notes and letters concerning its publication."

[NB: This is a TEMPORARY finding aid for an IN-PROCESS collection. This current scope note pertains almost entirely to Handy family papers acquisitions of the 1980s (an estimated 60-65 boxes of the total 153 boxes). Among the in-process materials are 60 boxes of scrapbooks, largely kept by Rozelle P. Handy and Sarah V. C. Handy].

Collection

Hazel L. Sloan motorcycle journal, 1914

2 items

The Hazel L. Sloan motorcycle journal chronicles six trips taken near Youngwood, Pennsylvania, by the young woman and several of her friends in the summer of 1914. The journal is accompanied by a pencil sketch of an Indian motorcycle.

The Hazel L. Sloan motorcycle journal chronicles six trips taken near Youngwood, Pennsylvania, by the young woman and several of her friends in the summer of 1914. During that summer, the fifteen-year-old rode out on both Indian and Thor motorcycles, accompanied by her friends Ralph, Mabel, and Lawrence, and she cheerfully related their adventures in her notebook. Tire blowouts and other mechanical failures plagued the riders throughout their adventures, and the riders often found themselves additionally hampered by the weather or by poor road conditions; despite these mishaps, however, Hazel maintained a happy attitude and fully relished "the good times of the summer of 1914" (November 8, 1914). She recounted six day-long trips taken between September 20, 1914, and November 8, 1914, when a light snowfall forced an abrupt end to the journey and, moreover, signaled the conclusion of the riding season. Based in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, the cyclists visited Derry, Bear Rocks, Connellsville, Ligonier, New Stanton, Ruffsdale, and Jeannette, and postponed an October 25 venture due to a broken machine. The small, cloth-bound pocket notebook originally belonged to Samuel Francis Sloan, Hazel's father, and bears an illustration of a man and a steer on its cover. The journal is accompanied by a pencil sketch of an Indian motorcycle.

Collection

Isaac Bonsall journals, 1803-1823

4 volumes

The Isaac Bonsall journals is a four volume collection documenting three missionary journeys of Bonsall in 1803, 1806, and 1823. The journals describe the Society of Friends missionary outreach to the Indians of western and northern New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and document the vast network of Quaker communities that he encountered throughout this region.

The Isaac Bonsall journals consist of 4 volumes (234 pages total) documenting three missionary journeys of Bonsall in 1803, 1806, and 1823. Volume 1 is 41 pages covering from September 9-October 18, 1803; Volume 2 is 45 pages covering from September 17-30, 1803; Volume 3 is 93 pages with a list of the trip's expenses on the back page, covering September 2, 1806-January 19, 1807; and Volume 4 is 55 pages with a list of the trip's expenses on the back page, covering July 12-November 17, 1823.

The journals describe both the Society of Friends missionary outreach to the Indians of western and northern New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and the vast network of Quaker communities that Bonsall encountered throughout this region. Each journal contains detailed information on the terrain covered, daily miles traveled or the day's activities, the number of houses and housing stock in each town or settlement visited, the quality of the soil or productivity of local crops, Friends Meetings attended (always noting the size of the gathering, the quality of the participants, and occasionally the matters discussed), and the names of the Quakers, Indians, and lodging owners that his traveling group encountered. In addition to providing insight into early 19th Century Quaker-Indian relations, Bonsall's accounts provide a snapshot of the development of many burgeoning centers in what was then the western regions of America and Lower Canada over these years.

The first and second journals cover the dates September 9-October 18, 1803, and September 17-30, 1803, respectively and describe the same missionary journey from Pennsylvania, through western New York, up to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and the trip back to Pennsylvania. For this trek, Bonsall traveled on horseback with two other men: Isaac Coats and James Wilson; all three were agents of the Philadelphia Society of Friends under the appointment of the Yearly Meeting Committee of Indian Affairs. Their charge was to visit the Seneca Indians and the Quaker missionaries living with them, to report on the progress of the missionary work, and to convene with the Seneca chiefs to inquire about establishing additional Quaker settlements close to the reservation at Geneshunguhta.

The group arrived at the first settlement of Indian cabins on September 17 (vol. 1, p.6). Soon after, they stayed at the Quaker's settlement located near Geneshunguhta on the Allegheny River, just north of the Indian Chief Cornplanter's property. The Indians there were eager to meet the visitors and to show appreciation for the Quakers' efforts (vol. 1, p.10). The following pages include transcriptions of the speeches given by the Quakers, Cornplanter, and other Indians on the current Indian-Quaker situation and suggestions for improvement. The Quakers were interested in expanding their missionary presence by buying 692 acres of property that adjoined the reservation from the Holland Land Company and sending additional Friends to settle the area. The Indians seemed generally satisfied with the current situation and valued the Quaker's generosity and good advice that led them to stop drinking "spirituous liquors" (vol. 1, p. 29). However, they requested an additional plow, yoke of oxen, and various farming tools as additional aid. They also requested that the Quakers take a few of their boys back to Philadelphia to train them in modern agricultural practices. Throughout the recounting of the speeches and description of the meetings, Bonsall included notes on eating and smoking, and detailed various improvements made to the town, including house construction, decorations such as glass windows and curtains, and clothing (vol. 1, p.24).

The group left for the next reservation on September 27 and visited some Delaware Indians on the 29th (vol.1, p.29). Over the next five days (September 31-October 4th) they traveled on to Lake Erie and Niagara Falls, which "fed the eyes greedily" (vol.1, p.31). On this leg of the journey they stayed with Chief "Young King" Sachem and Red Sachet of the Six Nations and crossed into Canada where they found a small garrison of British soldiers. Bonsall described the falls: "rising to see the great and stupendous Works of Nature for the Sight of which some have crossed the mighty Ocean...it being awfully grand and sublime beyond what art could effect the Pencil delineate or Tongue or Pen describe" (vol.1, p.34). On October 4, they started the return journey, on which they attended various Friends Meetings (vol.1, p.35) and met Jacob, an Indian Blacksmith, who seemed to have taken to the industrious Quaker lifestyle. "Jacob wears his Trowsers yet and we hope will keep to them and is a sober industrious fellow -- he informed us that none of their People used Wiskey that the Chief would not allow of it" (vol. 1, p.36). They traveled through York (the capital of western Canada), by Canandaigua, where they saw some large and elegant houses, and followed the Susquehanna, staying with generous Friends along the way.

These two journals share much of the same language and content and are likely either based on a common set of notes taken during the journey, or, possibly one is an earlier draft of the other. Language in the journals, as well as the relative scarcity of corrections in both volumes, suggest that they were written after the journey. Though similar, each text contains large passages of unique content. The entry for September 29, 1803, in volume two, for example, contains an extended passage in which Chief Flying Arrow asked the Quakers if they kept slaves. It also mentions that the Chief's daughter is "a modest good looking Woman" (vol.2, p.40). These two notes are missing from volume one. Likewise, the first volume contains passages not found in the second. Of note is a thorough description of the Seneca Indian's dress and housing stock (vol. 1, p.24-25). A close reading of both versions is necessary in order to construct the most complete account of the journey.

The third journal covers Bonsall's journey from September 2, 1806-January 19, 1807, when he and fellow Quakers Holliday Jackson, John Philips, and Nicholas Waln, Jr., traveled to the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Tonawanda Seneca, revisiting many of the settlements and reservations of the 1803 trip.

The group started off from Bonsall's home in Uwchlan, Pennsylvania, and by September 9th had arrived at the first Indian Settlement at a town called "Cold Springs," close to Geneshunguhta. They found the community greatly improved (vol. 3, p.3). Bonsall is particularly impressed with the roads built by the Indians which were "remarkably well executed and would be well worth the attention of the frontier white inhabitants" (vol. 3, p.3). The group met with Cornplanter on September 14 and entries from the next 5 days include transcriptions of a series of Quaker and Indian speeches, which describe the changes to the community and note the current dynamic of Quaker-Indian relations (vol. 3, p.4-37). Of interest is a discussion between Chiefs and the Friends about how the money raised to benefit the Indians by the Quakers had been spent on various tools, construction, and missionary projects (vol. 3, p.20-25). On September 16th, Bonsall complained of the lack of a reliable interpreter (vol. 3, p.26). In general, however, Bonsall was pleased with the reservation's increasing industry and economy. He noted that he felt his work had not been in vain, and described visiting different tribes and leaders. This journal also contains a transcription of a "Letter from the Committee" to the Seneca Nation; the letter encouraged a continuing commitment to sobriety, a basic statement of Quaker philosophy, and appealed to them to love and know the Christian God (vol. 3, p. 31-33).

The group next traveled to the town of Erie, New York, which Bonsall described at length (vol. 3, p.41). They continued their travels and on October 4th reached the eastern edge of Ohio, where they joined a large 60-family meeting (vol. 3, p.46). As they traveled deeper into Ohio, Bonsall continued to note trees and soil quality, town sizes, and meetings attended. On October 19th, he met the family of his deceased wife Mary Milhouse, which was a happy occasion for all involved. The next major episode concerned the new Ohio constitution, which mandated militia participation for its citizens, a conflict with the Quaker tenet of non-violence. The group received instructions on how to lobby the State Congress at one of their "four Monthly Meeting[s]" in Concord, Ohio, on October 20th (vol. 3, p.52-54). By December 4th, they arrived at Cincinnati to meet with Governor Edward Tiffin and various prominent congressmen (vol. 3, p.78-81). These meetings went well and the politicians were sympathetic to the issue; they seemed eager to defend the Quaker's religious liberties.

The group started the return journey on December 8th, and on the 21st, again stayed with Bonsall's brother Edward Bonsall in Short Creek, Ohio. There they attended a "Meeting which was very large and an opportunity wherein the peculiar regard of heaven was signally manifest by the the [sic] breaking of bread and distributing to the multitude" (vol. 3, p. 84). On January 19, 1807, the group returned to Philadelphia, having traveled 1950 miles. Expenses for the journey are tallied on the back of the journal.

The fourth journal covers the period from July 12-November 17, 1823 and documents the journey made by Isaac Bonsall and his wife Ann Bonsall through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Indiana. Bonsall described meetings with Quaker groups and visits with Indians on their reservations. As in his previous journals, Bonsall described towns, trees, and soil quality, but, for this journey, he also regularly noted the quality of the roads and turnpikes and frequently complained about traveling conditions. The couple traveled by carriage, which needed a number of repairs along the way.

Early in their trip, Bonsall described the coal mines of western Pennsylvania and the series of dams along the Lehigh River used to transport the coal from the mines to Philadelphia. Bonsall marveled at the extent of the coal operations and reflected that "It is supposed the Coal cannot be exhausted" (vol. 4, p.4). On July 22nd, the Bonsalls reached Friendsville where they attended a small, solemn meeting (vol. 4, p.7). July 23, they arrived at the flourishing town of Ithaca, New York, and the next day traveled on to Waterloo, New York. Here he briefly described the keel boats and steam boats that navigated the Finger Lakes (vol. 4, p.8). By July 26, they had reached the Erie Canal, "called by some of the Dutch Clinton's big ditch" (vol. 4, p.9). In the next few pages, he described more locks, bridges, and canal structures in the area. On the 30th, they traveled to, and described, Rochester, New York, which was just then blossoming as a town, though it had only a small Quaker population (vol. 4, p. 12). The Bonsalls also toured the Rochester Cotton Manufactory which was "worked by water[;] most of the work was done by Children and young Women[,] the weaving entirely by the latter and about 3000 yds were wove per Week" (vol. 4, p.14). A few pages later, Bonsall noted population and business information from a recent "census of the Village of Rochester taken in the 7th Mo" (vol. 4, p.17). He was particularly impressed because "in 1812 no Village was here" (vol. 4, p.18).

By August 2nd, the Bonsalls arrived at Lockport, New York, and he is surprised by how much the town has grown and developed in the past two years, largely because of construction of the Erie Canal. He listed the number of new inhabitants and even detailed new professions (physicians, lawyers, mechanics) that the village boasted (vol. 4, p.15). Over the next several pages, Bonsall discussed recent construction efforts of the Erie Canal, including the use of dynamite to blast through solid lime stone. On the 4th, they set out for Niagara Falls and passed through Lewistown and Queenstown, and entered into Canada. This was Bonsall's third time viewing the cascades, but the first for his wife (vol. 4, p.19). The following day they followed the Chippewa River and finally reached a Delaware Indian Reservation by the 8th (vol. 4, p.23). Bonsall, however, was not impressed with their progress. Tensions between the missionaries and Indians were immediately apparent: "one of the Indians very freely stated to us that the reason so little was done might be ascribed to the attempt to place a Missionary among them and the adherence of a number of their People to their Missionary system which had produced great divisions among them" (vol. 4, p.24). Though many children were learning how to read, spell, and sing, some families still "lived much in the state formerly practiced by them prior to any attempts at Civilization" (vol. 4, p. 25). Other families, nevertheless, were obviously more industrious and kept apple orchards or a yoke of oxen and "knew very well that our council to them was good" (vol. 4, p.26). A few Indians reported that they were indeed following the Friends example and abstaining from drink and working hard.

On August 9th the Bonsalls returned to travel and reached brother Edward Bonsall's house near Salem, Ohio, on the 12th. They stayed in this area for the next ten days during which time they toured the area, noted how it had changed since 1814 (the last time Bonsall was in the area), and attended various Friends meetings (vol. 4, p. 27-33). Though they traveled further west to Canton, Ohio, attending Quaker meetings and lodging with fellow Friends, by the 28th they were again staying with Edward Bonsall.

From September 7 through 12, the Bonsalls kept busy attending the Friends Committee's Yearly Meeting at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, after which "a number of Friends concluded it was the best yearly Meeting they had ever had" (vol. 4, p.32). They left Mount Pleasant on the 13th and, by the 24th, had arrived in Waynesville, Ohio, for a monthly meeting of Miami. While in the area, they explored what is now known as Fort Miami, an "ancient fort of fortification the banks of which were raised a considerable height and had every appearance of having been effected at a very remote period by the labour of Man with Tools not found in America upon its discovery by the Europeans...[it is] considered the works of Man acquainted with the civil arts at a former distant period of the world" (vol. 4, p.41).

On the 26th, they arrived in Cincinnati where Bonsall's son Joseph lived. Their next stop was Richmond, Indiana, where they attended a large public meeting and stayed until October 10th, after which they headed back to Columbus, Ohio, the first leg of their return journey (vol. 4, p.46). By November 14th, they were almost to Philadelphia (vol. 4, p.53). The entire trip, Bonsall estimated, was 1874 miles "performed in 5 days over 4 months" (vol. 4, p.54). The final page contains a list of expenses for the trip.

Collection

James Mease journal, 1835; 1841

75 pages

The James Mease journal documents two trips taken by Mr. Mease of Philadelphia: the first to eastern Pennsylvania in 1835 and New York State and the second to Washington, D.C. in 1841.

James Mease kept his journal during two separate periods: during a trip through eastern Pennsylvania and New York state, August-September 1835 (pp. 1-62), and during a journey to Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1841 (pp. 63-75). Laid into the volume is a half-sheet containing a partial letter by Mease to one of his sons and some travel notes.

Although the journal is not signed, it has been attributed to Mease because of direct references it makes (pp. 16, 71) to his essay "Description of Some of the Medals Struck..." The handwriting was subsequently shown to match other Mease manuscripts in the Clements Library. Mease's On Utility of Public Loan Offices and Savings Funds by City Authorities (1836) is of interest in that the journeys recorded in the first part of the Clements Library's journal appear to have been taken to gather information for that work.

Two themes run throughout Mease's journal. The first is his strong sense of history. Mease was careful to note historical events which had occurred on sites he was visiting -- making reference both to events which he had witnessed and about which he had read. The second theme is his interest in people, particularly the "common man." Mease enjoyed the friendship and society of some of the most noted persons of his day, yet he was fascinated by a visit with an ordinary citizen, exploring that person's life story, which he would record in his journal.

Collection

J. H. Lawson collection, 1893-1896

4 items

The J. H. Lawson collection is made up of two diaries, one notebook, and one cabinet card photograph portrait marked "J. M. Lawson." The first diary dates from September 30, 1893, to October 8, 1893, and documents schoolteacher J. H. Lawson's trip to the Chicago World's Fair (Columbian Exposition). He was a detailed observer, writing about his train travel from Dayton, Pennsylvania, to Chicago; he provided impressions, details, and figures for the exhibits he visited, sometimes writing while standing at the exhibit itself. He described concession stands, logistics of navigating the fair, the city, architecture, and more. The diary concludes with a 2-page description of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The second diary contains very brief entries from 1894 and 1896 respecting cutting oats and teaching at "the academy," with several pages dedicated to a list of members and dues for the "L.L.S.", of which Lawson served as treasurer. The notebook contains J. H. Lawson's notes on The Iliad.

The J. H. Lawson collection is made up of two diaries, one notebook, and one cabinet card photograph portrait of Lawson. The first diary dates from September 30, 1893, to October 8, 1893, and documents schoolteacher J. H. Lawson's trip to the Chicago World's Fair (Columbian Exposition). He was a detailed observer, writing about his train travel from Dayton, Pennsylvania, to Chicago; he provided impressions, details, and figures for the exhibits he visited, sometimes writing while standing at the exhibit itself. He described concession stands, logistics of navigating the fair, the city, architecture, and more. The diary concludes with a 2-page description of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

The second diary contains very brief entries from 1894 and 1896 respecting cutting oats and teaching at "the academy," with several pages dedicated to a list of members and dues for the "L.L.S.", of which Lawson served as treasurer. The notebook contains J. H. Lawson's notes on The Iliad.