Search

Back to top

Search Constraints

Start Over You searched for: Names William L. Clements Library , University of Michigan Remove constraint Names: William L. Clements Library , University of Michigan Formats Documents. Remove constraint Formats: Documents.
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

David Hartley papers, 1783-1785

5 volumes

The David Hartley papers primarily contain contemporary copies of Hartley's incoming and outgoing correspondence concerning the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris and various aspects of the United States-Great Britain trade relationship.

The David Hartley papers contain approximately 200 letters and documents bound into 5 volumes and spanning April 10, 1783-January 25, 1785. The materials are primarily contemporary copies of Hartley's incoming and outgoing correspondence related to various aspects of the negotiations of the Treaty of Paris, including international commerce, territory disputes, and the rights of American Loyalists. Nearly half of the correspondence is to or from Charles James Fox, who served as British secretary of state for foreign affairs from April to December 1783. Other frequent correspondents include Fox's successor, Lord Carmarthen, as well as Benjamin Franklin.

The collection opens with instructions from King George III for Hartley to go to Paris tp begin negotiations with the American plenipotentiaries and to conclude "a definitive Treaty of Peace" (Volume 1: pp. 1-2). Many of the earliest letters, primarily between Hartley and Fox, concern issues with wording and provide suggestions of potential revisions to several articles of the treaty. In one letter, Hartley proposed possible changes to Article I about the acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the United States and the relinquishment of British claims (Volume 1: p. 24). Fox responded with hope "that the 1st article was meant in a less extensive sense than the words of it seem to convey" (Volume 1: p. 55). Other letters focus particularly on Article V (Volume 1: p. 9) and mention proposals relating to Articles II through VII (Volume 2: pp. 54-56).

Additional letters in the collection refer more generally to the issues at stake in the negotiations. Of particular interest are the many discussions of international commerce and the policies regulating trade between North America, Europe, and the West Indies.

These include:
  • Fox's commentary on the importance of British exports to America: "the admission of our Manufactures into America is an object of great importance & equally productive of advantage to both Countries while on the other hand the Introduction of American Manufactures into Great Britain can be of no Service to either, & may be productive of innumerable frauds…" (Volume 1: pp. 3-6)
  • Fox's discussion of policies concerning American ships in British ports (Volume 1: pp. 45-47)
  • Hartley's comments on the strong American desire for trade with the British and the viability of the alliance between the Americans and French (Volume 1: 80-84)
  • Discussion of trade between North America and the West Indies by Hartley (Volume 2: p. 9)

The American perspective on commerce is also represented in the collection, in letters to Hartley by Benjamin Franklin, American plenipotentiary and Hartley's longtime friend. In a brief reflection entitled "Thoughts concerning the Sugar Colonies," Franklin stressed the burdensome expense of defending sugar-producing areas in the western hemisphere and recommended that "the Nations now possessing Sugar Colonies…give up their Claim to them, let them govern themselves and put them under the Protection of all the Powers of Europe as neutral Countries open to the Commerce of all" (Volume 2: pp. 63-64). In two other writings, Franklin argued against privateering, claiming that it damaged the countries that authorized it, and urging the British to ban the practice voluntarily (Volume 2: pp. 57-58; Volume 2: 61-62). Also included is an unattributed "Proposed Temporary Convention of Commerce" for September 1783 (Volume 4: pp. 32-33).

Letters in the collection also address questions of territory and of the status and entitlements of American Loyalists. In a particularly revealing letter to Fox, Hartley claimed of the Americans, "Canada has always been in their thoughts. I can shew you letters from Dr Franklin to me upon this subject before the French Treaty…." Hartley went on to state that the Americans "would give any thing" to acquire Canada and "make their own situation complete" (Volume 1: pp. 95-96). Several additional letters pertain to the grievances of those who suffered losses during the war on both sides of the conflict. These include a copy of a letter by Thomas Walker of Philadelphia, expressing indignation at the difficulty of reclaiming slaves taken by the British (Volume 2: pp. 75-76), as well as a letter from Franklin to Richard Oswald, advising against his requests for reparations to the American Loyalists. Franklin noted that British insistence upon redress would "recall to View" scenes that "must inflame instead of conciliating and tend to perpetuate an Enmity" (Volume 3: pp. 44-45).

Other letters and documents in the collection provide details concerning the progress of the treaty negotiations and the ratification process. These include an exchange of the ratifications of provisional articles (Volume 3: pp. 67-68), Hartley and Fox's agreement that no negotiation of any points between the British and Americans "should be conducted under the eye of a French Minister" (Volume 3: 69-72), and several letters concerning the place of the treaty signing. One of these Hartley wrote to Franklin, informing him that the signing would take place at the Hotel d'York and expressing hope that it would not be an "inconvenience" for him (Volume 3: p. 82). An additional item is a notification that the signed treaty had arrived in Paris from across the Atlantic, after delays caused by the severe winter in North America (Volume 4: p. 78).

Hartley wrote many of the later letters in the collection to Fox's successor, Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds, who was styled "Lord Carmarthen" until 1789. Copies of some of Carmarthen's outgoing letters to Hartley are also present. A significant part of the correspondence relates to Hartley's return to England, requested by Carmarthen in August 1784 (Volume 5: p. 15), to which Hartley initially objected (Volume 5: p. 16-18). Of particular interest is a lengthy report by Hartley urging the British government to form a trade alliance with the United States and cautioning them against driving the Americans into a commercial pact with France. In this document, he also noted America's vast potential for wealth and the magnitude of the western territories (Volume 5: pp. 31-61). Along with the report, he enclosed a copy of a map by Thomas Jefferson showing Jefferson's preliminary thinking about the division of the newly acquired western lands.

Collection

Elizabeth Rous Comstock papers, 1740-1929 (majority within 1860-1880)

0.5 linear feet

The Elizabeth Rous Comstock papers contain letters and writings related to Comstock's family, her Quaker ministry, and her social reform activities. The letters span her entire career with the greatest concentration of correspondence centering on her work with the Kansas freedmen's program and her family life. In addition to the Elizabeth Comstock material, the collection includes content related to her daughter Caroline, her grandchildren, and papers related to the Kempton family.

The Elizabeth Rous Comstock papers (282 items) contain letters and writings related to Comstock's family, her Quaker ministry, and her social reform activities. The letters span her entire career with the greatest concentration of correspondence centering on her work with the Kansas Freedmen's Association and on her family life. In addition to the Elizabeth Comstock material, the collection contains content related to her daughter Caroline, her grandchildren, and to the Kempton family.

The Correspondence series (151 items) contains 123 items related to Elizabeth Comstock and her family. The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by or addressed to Elizabeth Comstock between 1847 and 1890.

These letters fall into roughly two groups:
  • Elizabeth’s correspondence with her friends, acquaintances, and immediate family, particularly with her husband, daughter, and sister Caroline.
  • Correspondence related to Elizabeth’s work with social reforms and social justice, primarily concerning her relief work in Kansas in 1879 and 1880.

The family and friends correspondence primarily relates to everyday life, such as work, homemaking, visiting, family life; contemporary issues such as the Civil War and slavery; and news of friends and family, including illnesses, marriages, and deaths. Elizabeth wrote many of the letters, which document her perspective on her work, her marriage and relationship with her husband, and on religion and the Society of Friends. Elizabeth’s preaching, charitable work, and travels are often mentioned in these letters, including her trip across the Atlantic in early 1884. These letters cover both theoretical discussions of religious topics and discussions of the Society of Friends, its policies, and its schools. A subset of these letters regards Caroline De Greene’s serious illness and "mental suffering" in 1870, which may have been related to childbirth. Also of note is a letter from Elizabeth Steere that describes her experiences living in the remote Minnesota Territory (December 9, 1856).

The second group of Elizabeth's correspondence mainly consists of letters between Elizabeth and Joshua Longstreth Bailey, a dry goods merchant and philanthropist, who assisted her in her work with the Kansas Freedmen’s Relief Association from 1879 to 1881. Elizabeth discusses the logistics of supplying newly arrived African Americans with food, shelter, and a means of subsistence, and relates information about the migrants and their experiences in both the South and in Kansas. Elizabeth shares, in depth, her perspective on this large migration, which she refers to as "the Exodus." An item of note is a letter from John W. Snodgrass proposing a plan to buy land to aid resettled former slaves in Kansas (May 3, 1881). Other items concern Comstock's work to improve the lives of former slaves and prisoners during the Civil War, including a letter from Ed Howland who wrote to Comstock of a "plan before Congress to change the whole plan of taking care of colored people" (February 3, 1865). B. Dornblaser, the warden at the Illinois State Penitentiary, wrote to Comstock about pardoning Frederick Marx from Kentucky who was "tricked" into buying a stolen mule (April 5, 1865). She also communicated with Thomas Story Kirkbride, superintendent of the Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane (March 6, 1870).

The collection also contains material related to her daughter Caroline and to Elizabeth's grandchildren. Much of this is correspondence between Caroline and members of her family, regarding news, daily life, traveling and visiting, religion, work, and school. Of interest are letters of reference for Caroline "Calla" De Greene in support of continuing her education and recommending her for positions teaching French and German at the college level (May 2, 1893, July 11 and October 5, 1898, May 10, 1905, and March 19, 1906).

The Kempton Family material consists of 26 letters, which largely concern religious issues, everyday life, and news of family and friends. These include the 7 earliest items in the series, from 1827-1828, with the rest scattered throughout.

The Commonplace Book and Diary series (2 items) contains an 1839 commonplace book (52 pages) of poems and essays inscribed as belonging to Charity Kempton. Many entries center on the theme of a loved one leaving on a sea voyage. These include passages called "Seamen's Hymn," "Matrimonial Chart," and "The Old Oaken Bucket." The second item is Elizabeth Comstock's 34-page travel diary (8 blank pages) during the summer of 1878. It contains Biblical verses, brief descriptions of places she visited, notes on her activities, and notes on religious services she attended.

The Poems Series (10 items) contains handwritten copies of poems, all of which are religious in nature. Included among the 9 unattributed poems are a cautionary poem on dancing and drinking, a 16-page poem called "The Ministry of Angels," and a poem entitled "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: A Dialogue in Verse." The single attributed poem is a copy of William Cowper's "God Moves in Mysterious Ways."

The Corrections for Caroline Hare's Life and Letters of Elizabeth Comstock series (1 item) is 7 pages of notes and corrections for Caroline Hare's biography of Elizabeth Comstock (see the Related Materials section for information on the Clements' copy of this book). The comments range from grammatical edits to insights into personal events and her ministerial efforts.

The Miscellaneous Writings series (25 items) contains non-correspondence material including: religious quotations, miscellaneous notes jotted down on scraps of paper, Friends meeting minutes, recipes, and essays on religion and marriage. Most of these items are unattributed but are likely from Elizabeth Comstock, Chastity Kempton, and others. Of note is a three-page item containing "Dying expressions of Soldiers," including the last words of a soldier on the Battlefield of Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862), and those of a man about to be hung in Nashville, Tennessee. This series also contains instructions for refining sugar, and remedies for common maladies, such as heartburn, dysentery, snake bites, and nausea, "By the celibrated Indian Doctor John Mackintosh, of the Cherokee Nation; None of which have ever before been communicated to the world" (undated).

The Documents series (11 items) contains various official documents related to the Comstock and Kempton families.

Of note are:
  • Elizabeth Comstock's ancestors’ 1740 marriage covenant between William and Mary Moore
  • A deed from Isaac Steer to Aaron Kempton in Woodstock, Michigan (1845)
  • A handwritten pass from Philip Henry Sheridan allowing Comstock and her companion Mary B. Bradford to travel by rail to Baltimore, through enemy lines (December 9. 1864)
  • A document entitled "The Colored Exodus. A Statement of Monies Received from Various States, Canada, and England.
  • Elizabeth's sister Lydia Rous' last will and testament (March 5, 1889).

The Accounts series (6 items) contains 3 lists of books to be sent to various Friends libraries and associations, 1 list of donated goods such as fabric and clothes addressed to E. Smith of Victoria Road, an 1875 bill for goods, and an item documenting money owed with interest for an unspecified purpose.

The Printed Ephemera series (24 items) includes miscellaneous printed material: passes to cross Union and Confederate lines during the Civil War; 8 "Bible Reading Leaflets;" two Quaker related essays; a fragment of a book labeled "Self-Communion" (pages 3-10); 4 poems (prayers); 4 event cards; and a catalogue for mechanical farming equipment. The collection also holds one of Comstock's hymn books entitled, Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (Words Only) , by P.P. Bliss and Ira Sankey. The handmade cover is reinforced with a portion of a postcard stamped March 9, 1878 (95 small pages of hymns).

The Newspaper Clippings series (50 items) is composed of printed items related to the Kansas Freedman's Relief program. These include several essays and articles written by Comstock and her colleagues, as well as newspaper stories about Comstock's activities aiding African American "refugees" in Kansas, who were suffering from sickness, poverty, and unemployment. Many of these include pleas for charity. The clippings come from newspapers across America, as well as from England.

The Prints and Photographs series (8 items) consists of 7 photographs, including 2 of Elizabeth and 1 of her daughter Caroline, one print of the residence of R. Hathaway in Rollin, Michigan.

The photographs depict:
  • Elizabeth Comstock, taken in Philadelphia for De Greene, undated
  • Elizabeth Comstock portrait, hand colored and in a small square wooden frame (Behind his photograph, as part of the backing, is a small picture of 7 angels with trumpets, clipped from a postcard).
  • Carrie Wright De Greene O'Harrow, 1881
  • Freddie Hare at age 4 ½, August 1874, labeled "for Carrie" (Carte-de-visite)
  • Unlabeled picture of a girl, undated
  • Woman reading (likely Caroline Hare), accompanying the letter dated February 22, 1882 (Carte-de-visite taken by J. Cooper)
  • A portrait of a woman in a small metal frame accompanying the letter from March 16, 1870.
Other Images include:
  • A machine catalogue with images of: Cooks Sugar Evaporator, Cross-Cut sawing machine, a victor mill, vertical mill with sweep below, and a back-geared mill
  • Ink sketch of Caroline Hare’s home in letter, February 13, 1870
  • An engraved portrait of Comstock in a newspaper clipping from early 1881
Collection

First Universalist Society of Portsmouth (N.H.) collection, 1836-1855

12 items

The First Universalist Society of Portsmouth (N.H.) collection is made up of correspondence and documents pertaining to the society's affairs in the mid-19th century. Some items concern Reverend Moses Ballou and the Ballou family.

The First Universalist Society of Portsmouth (N.H.) collection (12 items) is made up of correspondence and documents pertaining to the society's affairs in the mid-19th century. Some items concern Reverend Moses Ballou and the Ballou family. Several letters concern a pastoral vacancy at Portsmouth, including a group of 4 bound letters by Moses Ballou (May 27, 1845-September 2, 1845) responding to an invitation to reassume his position at the First Universalist Church. Other items are 2 undated religious covenants and a copy of Alexander Pope's poem "The Dying Christian to His Soul."

Collection

George Albert Thomas papers, 1829-1847

0.5 linear feet

The George Albert Thomas papers consist of the personal letters and writings of George Albert Thomas of Portland, Maine. The letters revolve around art, politics, philosophy, and cultural activities in Portland.

The George Albert Thomas papers (283 items) consist of the personal letters and writings of George Albert Thomas of Portland, Maine. The letters relate to art, politics, philosophy, and cultural activities in Portland.

The Correspondence series (226 items) consists largely of letters written to George A. Thomas by his brothers, Charles, Edward, and John; his sister Charlotte; his mother Elizabeth; and college mates. George wrote a few of the letters. The Thomas family and their friends were interested in the pursuit of education and the cultivation of the mind, and their correspondence revolves around the currents of the intellectual life and the social bonds among the educated elite. Letter topics include the state of national and regional politics; current events and movements, such as anti-slavery and temperance; education at Bowdoin College and elsewhere; and contemporary literature, poetry, music, and opera. Thomas was also involved with organizing concerts at the Third Parish of Portland and at St. Stephen’s Church. George Thomas wrote his letters while he was studying law in Portland; he described his studies and his interest in his new career. Charlotte Thomas typically wrote about family matters and her education. This series contains 24 undated letters.

Letters of note include:
  • 1833 to 1836: eleven letters written by Samuel Longfellow, brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, while a student at the Portland Academy.
  • October 26, 1836: a letter addressed to the President explaining “why emigration to this country ought not to be tolerated.”
  • October 20, 1837: a letter from a friend explaining the curriculum at Bowdoin College.
  • February 1, 1843: a letter describing the cultural amenities of Boston, and a sketch of the Boston Millerite tabernacle.
  • July 19, 1843: a letter containing a short four-voice religious tune composed by the letter writer, Edward Howe, Jr.
  • March 10, 1844: a letter from Daniel Webster Fessenden, a Portland lawyer who was active with the Underground Railroad, scolding Thomas for sneaking off to Harvard.
  • January 11, 1849: a letter from a friend named Enriquo, describing the music culture in Havana, including opera and,band performances, as well as the performers and composers in the city. Also in the letter is an account of the women of Havana and the celebration of the Epiphany: “King’s Day” or “the day of kissing hands,” when the “'colored poppelation' turned out for a frolic, male and female, dressed in fantastic, grotesque, and native african costumes, armed with tin & wood spears & swords with musical instruments of native manufacture."

The School Essays series (19 items) contains Thomas’ writings from his time at Bowdoin College, 1840 to 1841, with 14 undated items. These essays include poetry and literary criticism, a defense of capital punishment, an essay on chivalry’s place in history, an assessment of the author Richard Cumberland, and thoughts on the worth of such intellectual pursuits as the study of art and philosophy.

Other important essays are entitled:
  • On the probable continuation of the present United States of America as one undivided nation
  • A stray leaf from my Journal: War should be abolished for the following reasons…
  • Causes which affect the National Taste -- in regard to Art or Literature

The Writings and Extracts series (10 items) consists of handwritten excerpts of poetry and prose from Goethe, Percy Shelley, Voltaire, and others. Of note is a four-page account of Thomas’ “serenades” of 1835-1837, which are accounts of feasting, drinking, and socializing with friends in Philadelphia.

The Documents, Printed Items, and Ephemera series (28 items) contains 12 miscellaneous items from Thomas’ time at Bowdoin College and Harvard Law School, including tickets of merit, printed event programs, and library lending permissions. Also present are 16 items related to church congregations and businesses in Portland, Maine.

Collection

George Canning papers, 1791-1829

0.75 linear feet

This collection is made up of the correspondence of British politician George Canning, particularly his outgoing letters regarding foreign affairs and domestic politics in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

This collection (0.75 linear feet) is made up of the correspondence of British politician George Canning, particularly his outgoing letters regarding politics in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The collection covers the entirety of Canning's political career, including letters written during the War of 1812 and his term as prime minister. Canning wrote to many prominent politicians about Great Britain's relationship with France and other countries, domestic affairs, appointments to office, and other political matters. On September 21, 1824, he wrote to the Prince de Polignac about the recent death of King Louis XVIII.

Canning received a small number of letters from Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, William Pitt, and others. A letter dated July 26, 1800, includes a report by William [Dunkin] regarding possible methods of repelling a French invasion of Great Britain. António de Araújo de Azeredo addressed 2 Spanish and French language documents to Rodrigo Navarro de Andrade, from St. Petersburg (September 24 and October 1, 1807). Undated items include a document regarding the establishment of "Porto Franco" in 1806, 2 intelligence documents reporting the movements of British vessels, and a poem in Latin entitled "Iter ad Meccam, Religionis causa susceptum."

Collection

George Townshend, 1st Marquis Townshend papers, 1649-1848 (majority within 1764-1772)

2.25 linear feet

The papers of George Townshend, 4th Viscount and 1st Marquis Townshend, particularly concerning his lord lieutenancy of Ireland.

The collection contains 127 letters and 7 letterbooks, covering the years 1649 to 1848, with the bulk concentrated around 1767-1772. The materials relate almost entirely to Townshend's career as lord lieutenant of Ireland.

The Correspondence series primarily contains Townshend's incoming correspondence for the 1760s and 1770s, with a small number of outgoing items written by Townshend. Letters concern Townshend's political career, the politics of Ireland, the Seven Years War, political patronage, and Townshend's social and family life. While sailing to North America in the spring of 1759, Townshend wrote some of the earliest letters in the collection to his wife Charlotte; in these he described the voyage and his shipmates. On February 18, 1759, he mentioned acquainting himself with a French pilot on the deck of the HMS Neptune, and wished that his young son George could see the assemblage of ships at Plymouth. Other early letters relate to his career in Parliament, including a bill to expand the militia, which he strongly supported (May 11, 1765).

During 1767 to 1772, the years in which Townshend served as lord-lieutenant of Ireland, the bulk of letters concern Irish politics, political patronage, and Townshend's social life in Dublin. One frequent topic was the augmentation of the army in Ireland, which Townshend advocated as a way to standardize the size of British and Irish regiments. The collection includes the comments of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, on the subject (March 14, 1768), as well as those of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Earl of Grafton (October 18, 1768). Also present is Lord Frederick North's discussion of another of Townshend's undertakings, the division of the Irish Board of Revenue into two boards of excise and customs (January 3, 1771), and Shelburne's comments on a bill to enable Catholics to lend money to Protestants (May 7, 1768).

In addition to references to these political issues, the Correspondence series contains numerous mentions of patronage as well as payments made to several Irish politicians. On January 16, 1768, Shelburne wrote to Townshend, acknowledging his "secret and confidential" letters and recommended offering a "certain Salary" to the lord chief justice of the Kings Bench in Ireland. He also noted, "In regard of the Bill for Appointing The Judges during good Behaviour, I can add nothing more to what I have already said on that Subject to your Excellency." Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquis Bath, noted in a letter that "other Opportunities must be found, as soon as possible, for providing for some of the most eminent of those Gentlemen who so honorably supported Government the last Session of Parliament" (July 8, 1769). In addition, Townshend received frequent requests from friends and acquaintances for favors and minor roles in the government. This includes a request by a Henrietta Macartney that Townshend confer on her younger brother "any small place of about four hundred pounds a year" (February 11, 1768), as well as a request for a favor from William Barrington for a friend's son. Occasional bits of Irish news, letters concerning family matters (including the death of Townshend's wife in August 1770), and remarks about Townshend's departure from Ireland in late 1772 are also part of this series. On this last topic, Richard Jackson wrote, that the exit must provide "agreeable Relief to you from the long Fatigue and Trouble of a painful Preeminence in this Country" (September 4, 1772).

The Letter Books series contains 7 letter books covering 1767-1772. The original numbering of volumes 1-7 has been kept despite some overlapping dates. The letter books consist of George Townshend's outgoing letters to various recipients, including, among many others, William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington; Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton; William Petty-FitzMaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784); Frederick North, Lord North; and John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Several early letters contain references to the death his younger brother, Charles, in August 1767, and the family's grief over the loss. However, most letters relate to politics, patronage and appointments, and Townshend's activities as the lord-lieutenant of Ireland. In letters to his colleagues, Townshend wrote candidly about many topics, including the filling of political vacancies, conditions in Ireland, and his agenda for augmenting the army in Ireland and reorganizing the Irish Board of Revenue. In a letter of November 28, 1768 (Volume 1), he wrote to Grafton, "With respect to Ireland it is true Sir that Preferments in the Church since I have been here, have gone chiefly and in unnatural Proportion to the Natives." To Lord Frederick Campbell, he wrote about the Irish poor: "The emancipating the poor Irish Peasants from the savage Oppressive Landlords…will have a very salutary effect both upon the Service of the Crown & the prosperity of the Kingdom." ([January 1769] Volume 1, page 337). The letterbooks provide a wealth of information on the various positions taken by Townshend, as well as the duties required of him as lord-lieutenant.

Collection

George W. Ingram collection, 1941-1945 (majority within 1943-1945)

0.25 linear feet

This collection contains approximately 50 letters that Private First Class George W. Ingram wrote to his mother and siblings in Boyne City, Michigan, while he served with the United States Army between 1943 and 1945. Ingram corresponded with his family while in training in the United States and while stationed in North Africa, Italy, and southern France with a military police unit. The collection also includes a document, 2 postcards, photographs, a photograph album, and ephemeral items.

This collection contains approximately 50 letters that Private First Class George W. Ingram wrote to his mother and siblings in Boyne City, Michigan, while he served with the United States Army between 1943 and 1945. Ingram corresponded with his family while in training in the United States and while stationed in North Africa, Italy, and southern France with a military police unit. The collection also includes a document, 2 postcards, photographs, a photograph album, and ephemeral items.

The Correspondence series contains George Ingram's letters to his family, as well as 2 postcards and 1 document. He wrote regularly to his mother, Sadie Ingram, and less frequently to his siblings, Bob and Guy, between January 1943 and February 1945. In his earliest letters, he commented on his experiences at Camp Grant, Illinois, and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where he attended basic training. By March, he relocated to Camp River Rouge, Michigan, and anticipated being sent to military police training. In July 1943, he reported that he had been deployed overseas as a member of the "149th Prov. M.P. Det.," and that he would help guard prisoners of war.

Ingram wrote about his service in North Africa, Italy, and southern France, and he frequently responded to news of friends from home. He occasionally mentioned his religious habits. After his return to the United States in late 1944, Ingram discussed his wife Betty, expressing hopes that his family would approve of her and inquiring about their opinions of her. He shared some of his postwar plans and related his efforts to obtain a medical discharge from the army. Ingram spent much of early 1945 as a member of the Army Service Forces at Camp Peary, Virginia. Throughout his service, he occasionally wrote on illustrated stationery, and he sent his mother 1 postcard from Wisconsin, which includes an image of two Mongolian pheasants. The series holds a "War Savings Bond Pay Reservation Application," signed by George W. Ingram in January 1943.

The Photographs series includes 4 individual photographs, a photographic negative, and 1 photo album. The photo album (52 pages) contains snapshots and portraits taken primarily in and around Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan, between 1941 and 1943. Most pictures depict soldiers, young women, and a baby. Other scenes include St. Petersburg, Florida; Niagara Falls; and the United States Capitol.

The Printed items and ephemera series contains newspaper clippings of a poem and an image of a bride, a certificate for Bob Ingram's service in the United States Crop Corps Victory Farm Volunteers program in 1945, and a booklet illustrating methods for creating shadow illustrations with one's hands.

The Realia series consists of a pair of iron ice tongs.

Collection

Girard papers, 1780-1870 (majority within 1793-1870)

0.25 linear feet

This collection holds 18 business letters written by Philadelphia merchant Stephen Girard, as well as approximately 25 legal and financial documents concerning his professional affairs in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Also included are 17 partially printed bank checks drawn on Girard and approximately 170 bills and receipts related to the expenses of Girard College, a school founded by a bequest in Stephen Girard's will.

This collection contains 18 business letters written by Philadelphia merchant Stephen Girard, as well as approximately 25 legal and financial documents concerning his professional affairs in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Also included are 17 partially printed bank checks drawn on Girard and about 170 bills and receipts related to the expenses of Girard College, a school founded by a bequest in Stephen Girard's will. The collection is arranged in two series: Correspondence, and Documents and Financial Records. The Documents and Financial Records are divided in two subseries: Stephen Girard and Girard College, and Israel Kinsman and Kinsman & Wright bank checks.

The Correspondence series consists of 18 letters from Stephen Girard to business acquaintances concerning his shipping interests between 1787 and 1829. The first 2 letters, dated March and April 1787, were written in French and addressed to Garnier of Spring Hill, New Jersey. Girard wrote one letter to F. D. Petit du Villers of Savannah, Georgia, about the shipment of Georgia pine wood (February 21, 1810); one to Allen M. Lane, an official in Wilmington, Delaware (April 22, 1812); and six to William Adgate, supercargo of Girard's ship Good Friends (August 5, 1811-May 20, 1812). In his letters to Adgate, Girard discussed the Non-Importation Act's effects on foreign trade and provided him with instructions as the Good Friends sailed between Newcastle, England, and Amelia Island, Georgia.

Girard sent 8 letters to eight different recipients between June 19, 1814, and June 27, 1829 - all related to his shipping interests. In a letter to David Parish of Washington, D.C., dated June 19, 1814, he expressed his thoughts on peace and on his recent meetings with John Jacob Astor. On December 3, 1827, he wrote to Secretary of State Henry Clay respecting French spoliation claims originally filed on June 4, 1795. Girard's final letter advised Captain Levi Bardin of the North America that the ship was to sail from Alexandria, Virginia, to Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a load of tobacco (June 27, 1829).

The Documents and Financial Records series is divided into two subseries: Stephen Girard and Girard College, and Israel Kinsman and Kinsman & Wright bank checks. The Stephen Girard and Girard College subseries contains materials related to Stephen Girard's shipping and financial interests ([February] 1781-March 20, 1827) and to the operations of Girard College (March 13, 1857-January 12, 1870). Approximately 25 receipts, bills of sale, accounts, inventories, contracts, and other documents relate to Stephen Girard's business affairs. Many of these items are partially printed documents, signed by Stephen Girard. Several early documents were written in French. Four documents include values of specific ships' cargoes and relevant duties. At least one item, a subscription form, pertains to the Second Bank of the United States (January 14, 1817), and another reflects shipping insurance purchased from Samuel Coates (November 23, 1793).

This subseries also contains approximately 170 bills and receipts issued to Girard College for a variety of supplies, including foodstuffs, cleaning supplies, and clothing. The largest portion concerns vegetables and meats, and everyday items, such as brooms and pails, cloth, and shoes. Others reflect the costs of keeping up the building, such as painting the college, repairing one of its boilers, purchasing coal, and paying wages.

The Israel Kinsman and Kinsman & Wright bank checks subseries consists of 17 partially printed checks, drawn on "Stephen Girard, Banker" by Philadelphia merchants Israel Kinsman and Kinsman & Wright (January 21, 1818-December 22, 1824).

Collection

Grosvenor L. Townsend Scrapbooks, 1893-1910

7 volumes

The Grosvenor L. Townsend scrapbooks consist of 7 volumes containing newspaper clippings, photographs, halftone prints, correspondence, ephemera, printed materials, maps, realia, telegrams, and other miscellaneous documents and materials related to the military career of Grosvenor Lowery Townsend.

The Grosvenor L. Townsend scrapbooks consist of 7 volumes containing newspaper clippings, photographs, halftone prints, correspondence, ephemera, printed materials, maps, realia, telegrams, and other miscellaneous documents and materials related to the military career of Grosvenor Lowery Townsend. Newspaper and journal clippings were mainly taken from New York-based publications. Most of the clippings are in extremely fragile condition. Many clippings are coupled with inscriptions indicating the name and date of the publication they were taken from. Numerous photographs also bear inscribed captions. Each volume measures approximately 25 x 19 cm in size and has marbled paper covers.

Volume 1 (1893-1894--New York; New Jersey)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the New York National Guard, 7th Regiment, Company D, between 1893 and 1894. Items of particular interest include a Grand Army of the Republic report regarding the 7th's service record in the Civil War and during various New York City riots (pg. 1); a group portrait of 7th NYNG Co. D soldiers, including Townsend (figure furthest to the right), at an encampment in Peekskill, New York in June 1893 (pg. 5); clippings related to a mock Civil War battle held at Van Cortlandt Park (pg. 11); clippings related to Townsend's promotion from private to lance-corporal (pg. 13); clippings from the New York Herald and New York Tribune regarding the 7th NYNG relocating to the Seventh Regiment Armory (pgs. 42-45); a group portrait of 7th NYNG members at Sea Girt, New Jersey, in July of 1894 during a visit with New Jersey National Guardsmen (pg. 67); and Townsend's Lance Corporal chevrons (pgs. 92, 93).
Volume 2 (1896--New York)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the New York National Guard, 7th Regiment, Company D, during 1896. Items of particular interest include an engraving depicting Company D winning a chariot race at the 7th Regiment games (pgs. 28, 29); a New York Herald clipping from May 31st 1896 regarding the 7th NYNG's victory over West Point in a baseball match (pg. 39); an American Lithographic Co. halftone reproduction of a Jay Hambidge painting showing the 7th NYNG marching in uniform titled "For Love or War?" (pg. 43); clippings regarding the new regimental clubhouse at the Creedmoor Rifle Range (pg. 45); a private circular for NCOs regarding a regimental parade in honor of Chinese viceroy Li Hongzhang as well as a halftone portrait of Li (pgs. 46, 47); and cartoons from the 7th Regiment Gazette of December 1896 comically depicting track and field events (pg. 61).
Volume 3 (1897-1898--New York)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the New York National Guard, 7th Regiment, Company D, from 1897 to May of 1898. Items of particular interest include a photographs of 7th NYNG officers and NCOs (pgs. 2, 3); halftone images from a 7th NYNG camp (pg. 7); a New York Sun clipping from October 10th 1897 regarding a mock battle at Van Cortlandt Park replete with a topographical map of the park (pg. 11); a New York Herald clipping from October 10th 1897 showing engravings related to "The Battle of Van Cortlandt Park." (pgs. 12, 13); a Harper's Weekly clipping from October 1897 showing halftone reproductions of paintings related to the mock battle at Van Cortlandt Park (pgs. 14, 15); camp scene photographs from June 1897 including one portrait of Townsend in uniform (pg. 23); halftone images showing interior rooms of the Seventh Regiment Armory (pgs. 25-28); a halftone reproduction of an engraving showing 7th NYNG uniforms from 1802 to 1897 (pg. 33); a halftone reproduction from Harper's Weekly vol. 42 no. 2157 of a painting by T. De Thulstrup showing the 7th NYNG being reviewed by Major General Charles F. Roe at the Seventh Regiment Armory (pgs. 76, 77); and multiple clippings related to the 7th NYNG's decision to refrain from allowing members to individually enlist in the regular US Army at the outset of the Spanish-American War so as not to disintegrate the unit (pgs. 82-91).
Volume 4 (1899--New York; Fort Monroe; Washington, D.C.; Cuba)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the 201st Infantry Regiment of New York Volunteers as well as in the US Army 1st Infantry Regiment covering the period from March of 1899 to February of 1900. Items of particular interest include clippings related to Townsend's promotion from Captain of Company M 201st NY Volunteer Infantry Regiment to Second Lieutenant in the US regular army (pg. 5); letters from Townsend to his parents regarding exams he must take at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in order to achieve his promotion (pgs. 8, 9); a picture book containing halftone images from around Fort Monroe (pg. 11); a photograph showing a Fort Monroe examination room black board coupled with text of the example question present on the board (pg. 17); a copy of Townsend's commission as Second Lieutenant (pgs. 22, 23); clippings related to the naval transportation of American troops to Cuba (pg. 33); photographs of various Cuban scenes including an ossuary outside of Havana, Cuban huts and houses, Cuban soldiers being paid, American camps and barracks, a Cuban funeral, Afro-Cubans, underbrush near the mountains, a general view of Pinar del Rio, American military officers and their wives, and American troops in formation (pgs. 36-46, 48-55); a memorandum concerning the administrative use of officers' photographic portraits (pg. 59); photographs showing scenes of Guanajay and Pinar del Rio, Company K rifle ranges, American officers including Lt. McCue, Lt. Tebetts, Lt. Reams, Lt. Beacham, Lt. Wilcox, Dr. Dunchie, and Lt. Reeder, child golf caddies (including a Chinese boy named Ah Soy), a Cuban house being constructed out of palm tree materials, American officers and their wives, a Cuban burial party, soldiers on the march and drilling, an American military graveyard, Cuban ox carts, a railroad station, and churches (pgs. 60-66, 68-82); a clipping including an advertisement for "Mahara's Minstrel Carnival" (pg. 84); and more photographs showing American officers and their wives, Chinese-Cubans, a man posing with a white owl, a well-dressed Cuban man named "Mr. Usavraga", 2nd Battalion shelter camps, American barracks at Guanajay, a group of American officers and several women that includes both Townsend and his mother Emma, the fort at Mariel, a Cuban ship named Alphonso XIII sinking in Mariel Harbor, street scenes in San Antonio and Guanajay, and golf links at Guanajay (pgs. 91-115).
Volume 5 (1900-1901--Cuba; Fort Leavenworth; San Francisco; Philippines)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the US Army 1st Infantry Regiment covering the period from April 1900 to December 1901. Items of particular interest include photographs showing 1st Infantry Company K assembled in uniform at Guanajay and the aftermath of a major storm at Guanajay, (pgs. 1, 2); clippings related to the potential ordering of the 1st Infantry from Cuba to China as well as Yellow Fever outbreaks among American soldiers stationed in Cuba (pgs. 4, 5); a fragment of an envelope bearing an official stamp from a US military surgeon indicating that the parcel had been "Disinfected and Passed" (pg. 9); clippings from August 1900 detailing the ordering of troops to Manila, Philippines, instead of China (pgs. 13-17); photographs showing various scenes from around Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, including the US Army Disciplinary Barracks (pg. 19-24); clippings from October 1900 regarding the capture and subsequent rescue of Capt. Devereux Shields (pgs. 28-30); clippings regarding the launch of the Samar Expedition and insurgent fighting tactics (pgs. 31-33, 40); photographs showing buildings occupied by American troops in Catbalogan, US Army officers and headquarters at Tacloban in February 1901 (pgs. 40-42); a clipping showing a map of the "Peaceful Districts in the Philippines" highlighting areas deemed unsafe for Americans to venture (pg. 46); photographs showing street scenes, Filipino villages and villagers, and landscape views (pgs. 50-54); a letter and associated hand-drawn map sent by Townsend to his mother describing an ambush against American forces in southern Samar in April of 1901 during which Townsend came under fire from a rifle he believed to have belonged to an American soldier who had deserted (pgs. 55, 56); a letter from Townsend to his mother in April of 1901 describing the visit of a group of Palauan tribesmen and counterinsurgency operations (pg. 57); photographs taken by Townsend of the Palauan tribesmen (pgs. 58-60); photographs from around Guiuan, including the U.S. Army headquarters, a 200 year old church door, Lt. Downes and Townsend's quarters, and images of a church and locals in Mercedes (pgs. 62, 63); clippings related to the death of Lt. Downes and Lt. McClure (pg. 68); a typescript copy of a letter initially sent by Townsend to Capt. Willard C. Fisk from July 1901, which the latter forwarded to Townsend's parents, describing engagements in Samar including one that led to Townsend being stabbed in the forearm (pg. 70); clippings related to the death of Lt. Downes and the Balangiga Massacre (pgs. 71-76); a letter from Townsend to his mother dated Oct 5 1901 describing the Balangiga Massacre and how his detachment were very nearly sent there (pg. 77); Townsend's Second Lieutenant bars (pg. 78); and a clipping describing innovative traps used by the Moros against American soldiers (pg. 79).
Volume 6 (1905-1907--Fort Brady; Canada; Philippines)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the US Army 1st Infantry Regiment covering the period from 1905 to September 1907. Items of particular interest include a group portrait showing Townsend, other U.S. Army officers, and several women (including Cornelia T. Getty) standing in front of a house in Canada with snowshoeing equipment (pg. 3); clippings related to Fort Brady and a roster of troops serving in the Department of the Lakes as of August 15th 1905 (pgs. 5-7); clippings related to renewed unrest in China and the shipment of more U.S. troops to the Philippines (pg. 10, 12); clippings related to the transportation of American troops to the Philippines (pgs. 18, 19); clippings related to the celebration of George Washington's birthday at a ceremony in Gibraltar in February 1906 (pgs. 24, 26); a letter from Townsend to his mother from aboard the USS McClellan near Sri Lanka in April 1906 describing the conditions of the ship and the progress of the journey thus far (pg. 36); a typescript summary of Townsend's military career as of July 1906 (pg. 49); panoramic views of Camp Stotsenburg (pgs. 58, 64); a clipping regarding an earthquake in the Philippines in April 1907 (pg. 69); a typescript copy of a memo from September 1907 titled "Regarding the Government of the Philippine Islands With Special Reference to the Subject of Police Protection" (pg. 80); and photographs by Pedro Casanave of the S.S. Mindoro and of "Calle Gen. Hughes" in Iloilo City (pgs. 87, 88).
Volume 7 (1909-1910--Fort Leavenworth; New York)
  • This volume contains materials related to Townsend's service in the US Army 23rd and 1st Infantry Regiments covering the period from August 1909 to August 1910. Items of particular interest include a roster of officers and troops on duty at the Army Service Schools, Fort Leavenworth and the US Military Prison as of November 1909 (pg. 5); a studio portrait of Townsend in uniform taken at Fort Leavenworth (pg. 7); a copy of the September 1910 issue of the Infantry Journal by The United States Infantry Association containing an article written by Townsend titled "The Use and Effect of Flying Machines on Military Operations" (pg. 25); clippings related to practice maneuvers at Pine Camp, New York (pgs. 28-39, 49-58); halftone images showing camp scenes at Pine Camp (pgs. 47, 48); and photographs showing Townsend in uniform, Townsend's parents Malcolm and Emma, and what may have been the Townsend family residence (pg. 59).

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has also created the G. L. Townsend Scrapbook Inventory which serves as an itemized list of the contents of each scrapbook.

Collection

Heinrich Spaeth papers, [1862]-1949 (majority within 1910-1915)

0.25 linear feet

The Heinrich Spaeth papers contain letters, documents, photographs, and a diary, most of which relates to Spaeth's service with the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a German-American regiment that fought in the Civil War.

The Heinrich Spaeth papers contain 82 items: 33 letters, 29 photographs, 13 pieces of ephemera, 3 legal documents, 3 newspaper clippings, and a diary. The materials span 1862 to 1949, with the bulk of items covering the period between 1910 and 1915.

The Correspondence and Documents series contains letters to and from Spaeth, spanning 1871-1918. Though written many years after the Civil War, most of these relate to the experiences of the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, particularly at the Battle of Chickamauga. Several men who served in Van Derveer's Brigade wrote letters to Spaeth with accounts of the closing hours of the engagement. They attempted to refute the claims of Archibald Gracie, who wrote in his book The Truth about Chickamauga that the soldiers under General Ferdinand Van Derveer had been routed and driven off Snodgrass Hill on the evening of September 20, 1863. The soldiers from the 9th Ohio Infantry who provided these accounts were George A. Schneider (May 24, 1912), C.W.H. Luebbert (June 7, 1912), Ferdinand Zimmerer (June 17, 1912), Alvin Arand (June 18, 1912), and Herman Gerbhardt (June 20, 1912). Though written almost 50 years after the battle took place, the letters provide many details in support of their claims. Also included is an undated letter from Spaeth to Gracie, which contradicts Gracie's claims and states, "the third and last stand on Snodgrass Hill was as perfect as any man could or would ask." In the letter, Spaeth also discussed the official and revised casualty figures for the engagement.

Additional letters from the same period relate to controversy over Civil War monuments in Chattanooga, Tennessee, commemorating actions during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. On November 26, 1910, Colonel Judson W. Bishop of the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry wrote to Spaeth, complaining of efforts "persistently made during the past fifteen years by the Turchin's Brigade association to appropriate for [General John B.] Turchin" ground allegedly captured by Van Derveer's Brigade at Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863. Bishop called the claims for Turchin "preposterous." Spaeth seconded the opinion in a letter to Captain Philip Rothenbush of the 35th Ohio Infantry, in which he called the actions "contemptble [sic]." An additional letter, dated July 5, 1915, also further addresses the issue of monuments in Chattanooga.

The Diary series contains Spaeth's diary, kept during his service with the 9th Ohio Infantry. The volume was written entirely in German Kurrentschrift or old German blackletter handwriting; it describes his wartime experiences.

The Photographs series contains 29 graphic items, most of which are undated and unlabeled, spanning ca. 1860s-1949. The photographs are in a variety of formats and depict many members of the Spaeth family, including Heinrich Spaeth at various stages of life. One photograph shows a parade float advertising Spaeth's business with the sign, "Spaeth's Big Free China and Stove Show," and another shows Heinrich Spaeth in front of a home in Aurora, Indiana.

Ephemera series contains a roster for the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.) Association and the Loyal Legion of the United States, newspaper clippings, German money, and a few miscellaneous items.