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The DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine papers contain the 19th-century letters, letter books, diaries, account books, and other miscellaneous material relating to the DuBois, Ogden, and McIlvaine families. The collection pulls together items from family members in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Louisiana.

The DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine papers (851 items) center on the writings and affairs of Sarah Platt Ogden DuBois, George Washington DuBois, Charles Pettit McIlvaine, and their extended families. The collection is comprised of 656 letters, six letter books, five diaries, four account books, one logbook, 29 genealogical records, and 46 poems, prayers, drawings, cards, and other miscellaneous items. The collection conists of items from family members in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Louisiana.

The Correspondence series (656 items) contains letters written by the extended DuBois-Ogden-McIlvaine families. The earliest letters concern Cornelius DuBois, Sr. (1786-1794), and Sarah "Sally" Ogden, and are from friends and family (1799-1807). Of interest are the letters that discuss the birth and death of Sarah’s son Robert (March 14, 1804, and September 6, 1804).

The series contains 25 letters between Sarah P. O. DuBois on Long Island and her husband Cornelius DuBois in New York City (1812 and 1813). In these, the couple discussed domestic matters such as childbirth, child rearing, and Sarah's poor health. The bulk of the letters between 1813 and 1836 are addressed to Sarah from friends and family members. These provide a glimpse into the family members’ personal lives as well as their views on religious matters, manners, and child rearing.

Many of the letters from 1835 to1845 concern Reverend Charles P. McIlvaine and his siblings Henry, George, and Mary Ann DuBois. Also throughout the 1840s are letters relating to George W. DuBois, including 16 letters from his father, 33 from his wife, and 71 letters written by DuBois to various family members. Of interest are several letters written by Dubois during a European sojourn in 1847-1848 in which he discussed the political turmoil afflicting the Continent. From 1846 through September 1848, many of the letters are between Dubois and his love interest Mamey McIlvaine, in Gambier, Ohio, as well as a few to Mamey from her father, Bishop Charles McIlvaine.

Of special interest are five letters written by George W. Dubois during his time as the chaplain of the 11th Ohio Regiment Volunteers in 1862. The collection also contains several Civil War era letters from the family members on the home front.

Between 1891 and 1892, the series contains 10 letters from George W. Dubois living in Redwood, Colorado, to his mother, father, and siblings. These relate to family health, crops, a new camera, the exercise of bicycling for health reasons (Victor Safety Bicycle model C.), and religious matters. Several items concern DuBois' management of the Marble Cemetery, and describe logistics on moving bodies and selling portions of the cemetery.

Many of the 20th-century items are personal and business letters from Cornelius DuBois, Jr., and Mary S. DuBois. The items from 1960 to 1983 relate to family genealogy collected by the ancestors of the DuBois, McIlvaine, and Ogden families. These also provide provenance information for items in this collection.

The Letter books series (6 items) contains copy books of letters written by Sarah P. O. DuBois, Charles P. McIlvaine, and George W. DuBois. The Sarah P. O. DuBois letter book (92 pages) is comprised of letters to family members spanning 1782 to 1819. McIlvaine’s letter book (125 pages) contains autographs and letters from various prominent religious, government, military, and academic leaders from 1830 to1873. Also present is a binder of typed copies of letters to and from McIlvaine. Many of the original incoming letters are in the correspondence series.

• July 21, 1829: Leonidas Polk, a personal letter discussing religion and indicating the role religion played at West Point
• May 17, 1848: John C. Calhoun, a letter of recommendation for the letter bearer
• September 16, 1850: Jefferson Davis, concerning reminiscences on instruction at West Point
• January 8, 1861: Senator John Sherman, concerning the coming war
• February 7, 1861: John McLean, a personal letter discussing the likely formation of a southern Confederacy within the month
• August 21, 1862: William H. Seward, a private letter discussing European opinions about the Civil War
• November 18, 1862: George McClellan, defending his actions in the war and remembering McIlvaine's visit to the front
• May 29, 1863: Ambrose Burnside, a Civil War travel pass
• February 15, 1864: James A. Garfield, concerning his views on treason
• June 19, 1865: Edwin M. Stanton, regarding the military’s use of seminary buildings in Alexandria, Virginia
• June 19, 1867: Rutherford B. Hayes, concerning the recovery of articles taken by Union troops during the Civil War
• February 7, 1870: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a personal letter
• February 9, 1871: Samuel P. Chase, a request for McIlvaine to perform the marriage of his daughter
• July 10, 1873: Henry Ward Beecher, personal letter

The "Commercial Manifold" copybook (4 pages) contains a fragment of a letter by an anonymous author (October 1879). The final two letter books are both from George W. DuBois. The first (165 pages) spans January 1883 to April 1885, and includes letters, poems, prayers, music, and drawings. The second (99 pages) spans November 1886 to January 1887, and contains letters, a recipient index, and one poem written by DuBois' daughter Mary Cornelia DuBois.

The Diaries, Account Books, and Ships' Logs series (10 items) is comprised of bound volumes that contain personal and financial information on family members:

• 1827-1836: Sarah P. O. DuBois' account book, containing itemized monthly expenses for doctor and apothecary visits; sewing; carriage hires and traveling; charity; and mortgage accounts from 1907-1910
• September 1842-August 1848: George W. DuBois' "Journal No. 1" covering his time at the Theological Seminary at Gambier, Ohio, at age 19, through his European travels in 1848
• 1847-c.1949: Typescripts of George W. DuBois' journals from 1847-1848 (2 pages) and 1861 (9 pages), and Harry O. DuBois' recollections recorded sometime before his death in 1949 (21 pages)
• April 21-May 22, 1848: George W. DuBois' logbook for his voyage on the ship Victoria from London to New York. Enclosed is a small photograph of George W. DuBois
• 1852-May 1893: Two journals kept by George W. DuBois, the first spanning February 1852-May 1878, and the second spanning from February 1853-July 1893. Book one contains business accounts for 1852-1853 (p.2-107), 1853-1857 (p.198-261), and 1873-1875 (271-278), along with George W. DuBois’ and Eugene DuBois' personal accounts from 1872-1874 (p.398-405). Pages 282-299 contain a list of signatures for the Post Office of Crosswicks Creek, New Jersey. Book two consists of a "Farm Day Book," comprised of the accounts and activities of George W. DuBois' farm. Beginning at the back of the volume are 160 pages of meteorological and astronomical records noting latitude and longitude calculations.
• April 1853-July 1854: Typescript from Kenyon College of Emily Coxe McIlvaine's European trip
• July 1861-February 1862: A typescript of the Journal of Reverend George W. DuBois while chaplain of the 11th Ohio Regiment during the Civil War
• 1882-1905: An account book containing records on mortgages, inventories, securities, interest payments, and accounts for various people and companies, kept by George W. DuBois and his son Cornelius M. DuBois
• 1892-1895: An unsigned journal and poetry book, including 13 pages of verse (some likely original) and a seven-page diary of a trip in upstate New York

The Documents series (42 items) contains of 33 legal documents, George W. DuBois' commission in the Ohio Army as a chaplin in 1861, Cornelius DuBois’ war deeds, and the will of Charles P. McIlvaine. Twentieth-century items include wills and executor documents for Mary Cornelia DuBois, Henrietta DuBois Burnham (draft), Mary Constance DuBois, Peter DuBois, and a copy of Cornelius DuBois ' (father to George W. DuBois) will.

The Genealogy series (29 items) consists of several manuscript books and loose notes, documenting the genealogy of the families represented in the collection. Of interest are notes for the McIlvaine, Reed, and Coxe families beginning in the 14th century and following the line to the early 1700s (9 pages); a comb bound booklet containing "genealogical charts prepared for the decedents of Floyd Reading DuBois and Rosilla Marshall" with annotations; and a DuBois Family Album, which contains copied letters, biographies, and genealogical notes, including copies of letters between siblings Robert and Sarah Ogden and from Sarah to her son Henry Augustus Dubois.

• Pages 59-83: Record of descendents of John Ogden "The Pioneer" as early as 1460 and continuing through the 19th Century
• Pages 86-89: Detailed biography of Henry Augustus Ogden
• Pages 90-93: Biography of brother Cornelius DuBois, Jr.
• Pages 100-106: Epenetus Platt's family line (George Washington DuBois' great-great-great maternal grandfather)
• Pages 111-113: Indexes to journals and letters in the collection
• Pages 114-248: Blank
• Pages 249-269: Three copied letters between family members in the 1820-1830s and a short biography for George W. DuBois

The Photographs and Engravings series (9 items) contains an engraving of Charles P. McIlvaine and Robert J. Chichester, photographs of C.E. McIlvaine and George Washington DuBois, and five photographs depicting rustic life on a lake.

The Miscellaneous and Ephemera series (46 items) is comprised of 12 poems, prayers, manuscript music, and drawings (undated); 23 printed holiday cards and calling cards (1904 and undated); 18 newspaper clippings, including family death and marriage announcements (February 4, 1910-July 1983 and undated); 14 religious announcements and pamphlets (1873-[1925]); and 10 writing fragments and ephemeral items, such as dried flowers and lace handmade coasters.

• Undated: Sketch of the McIlvaine homestead, and music for a chorus entitled "There is a Lord of Pure Delight" by Harry O. DuBois.
• Undated: Typed copy of Daniel Coxe's A Description of the English Province of Carolina By the Spanish Called Florida and by the French Louiseane..., written in 1727 and published in London.

Marie "Alida" Taber, wife of whaling Captain George Taber, kept daily records of wind direction, speed, weather conditions, geographic location, and crew activities during two whaling voyages: the Brig Magdalene's 174-day voyage from Honolulu to Connecticut, January-July 1853, and the Barque William Wilson's 1,192-day voyage from Rhode Island to the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, May 1860-January 1861. The volume also contains personal journal entries kept by Marie Taber during her time in Acushnet, Massachusetts, while her husband served aboard the Barque William Wilson from October 1857 to 1859.

This logbook and journal contains 150 pages, 51 of which are blank and 99 of which contain writing by Marie "Alida" Taber, wife of whaling Captain George Taber. The opening flyleaf features a carte-de-visite photograph of Marie with the inscription "Alida Taber, Long Plain, Massachusetts, U.S.A." During conservation the carte-de-visite was temporarily removed, and the inscription "Elida Taber" was visible on the verso of the card. While most of the printed photographer's advertisement on the card was obscured, its location in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was present. The volume consists of three sections: two whaling expedition logs and a personal journal.

The first section is a daily record of the Brig Magdalene's return voyage from Honolulu to Connecticut carrying whale oil and bone from January 12 to July 4, 1853. During this voyage, the Magdalene went south from Honolulu, through the Pacific Cook Islands, around the southern tip and east coast of South America before making final port in New London, Connecticut, on Independence Day, 1853. Mentioned ports of resupply include Pernambuco, Brazil. All entries begin with "remarks on board" followed by the date, weather conditions, the ships geographic location, steering adjustments, and any crew or ship activities of note. She described riggings, repairs, spotting of other ships or land, and acquisition or removal of cargo and supplies. Most of her entries are structured into 'first' (12pm to 8pm), 'middle' (8pm to 4am) and 'latter' (4am to 12pm) parts of the day. Some entries include remarks on porpoises caught and harvested for oil, supplies thrown overboard, and processing of whalebone.

Her logbook entries largely conform to the following format:

Upper left margin: Number of days out

"Remarks on board" [Day of Week, Month, Date, Year]

[Part of the day]: wind strength and direction, weather conditions, sail and/or steering adjustments and sightings/activities of note

Bottom right corner: Latitude and Longitude coordinates

While most of the navigational and weather condition data recorded stayed largely consistent, she specifically mentioned ocean currents on April 13 and 14, 1853 (95 and 96 days out).

Since this voyage was a return trip from a whaling expedition, Taber did not mention whale pursuits or captures; the ship was already full of oil and bone. Although, during the latter entries the crew brought whalebone and oil to the deck to clean, bundle, and prepare the products for market. On May 17, 1853 (117 days out), for example, she wrote that they "Took on deck 22 bundles of bone, some in a damaged state."

The crew captured and processed porpoises on this leg of the voyage to provide lamp oil. Mentions of these porpoise captures can be found in the following entries.

• "Caught 4 porpoises" April 9, 1853 (89 days out)
• Boiling porpoise blubber. April 16 and 17, 1853 (95 and 96 days out)

As the Magdalene sailed closer to the eastern coast of South America and the United States, ship sightings became more frequent. These entries include:

• Bark sighting. January 25, 1853 (14 days out)
• "At 10am saw a merchant Bark steering to S.West" April 19, 1853 (99 days out)
• Unidentified ship, April 21-22 , 1853 (101-102 days out)
• "Saw a manawar steam brig" Saturday, April 30, 1853 (110 days out)

Other entries of interest include:

• Taking supplies on board, wood, pumpkins, coconuts, bananas, turkeys, ducks, fowls, and pigs, February 10 -12, 1853 (31-33 days out)
• "Note: during the night one half Barrel of Beef was thrown overboard by some of the crew," March 14, 1853 (63 days out)
• Leaking oil, March 25, 1853 (74 days out)
• "Found six bags of bread wet and rotten," April 1, 1853 (81 days out)
• "Rats almost got possession of the Brig," April 20, 1853 (100 days out)
• "Saw a comet, westward," May 7, 1853 (111 days out)
• Waiting for Portuguese holy days to pass, as business is prohibited during this period. Saturday, May 14-18, 1853 (124-128 days out)
• "Mr. Bolton ashore without permission from master," May 16, 1853 (126 days out)
• "Mr. Bolton still onshore," May 17, 1853 (127 days out)

The second section of the logbook contains Marie Taber's journal entries from January 1 to August 15, 1859. While Captain Taber was away on the Barque William Wilson, which left Warren, Rhode Island, in October 1857, Marie described her daily activities in Acushnet, Massachusetts, as well as detailed listings of her social activities. The largest portions of these entries list the names of whom she spoke with in person and through letters that day. The most common activities mentioned in these entries include sewing, cooking, baking, shopping, writing letters, and reading. Frequently she spent her days mending, cutting, quilting, and sewing garments for herself, family, and friends. Holding true to her logkeeping skills, she commented daily on the weather and wind, often noting specific wind direction and general conditions throughout the day. Marie noted births, deaths, weddings, and activities such as the circus, church events, and holidays. Marie often wrote of feeling weak or ill and complained of headaches, backaches, and stomach pains. In the latter portions of the journal, Marie's entries took on a more personal tone as she described her loneliness and sadness about town gossip about her--even among her husband's family. In these entries, she expressed her reliance on Christian faith to help her cope with illness and the emotional toll of being far away from home and from her own friends and family. The journal section provides insight into the events and residents of the community of Acushnet, Massachusetts, and the broader community of Bristol County.

The third section of the volume contains a daily record of the whaling voyage of Barque William Wilson, traveling off Rodrigues Island, from May 27, 1860, to January 5, 1861. Marie began the log about 2 years and 6 months into the whaling voyage (the complete voyage spanned October 1857 to January 1861). The log is of a similar format as that of the Brig Magdalene, but fewer entries contain specific latitude and longitude coordinates and it lacks a running count of the days passed since the voyage began. As in Mrs. Taber's earlier log, entries include weather conditions, wind direction, sail and steering adjustments, ships spotted, and specific activities. Days on which whale captures were attempted and successful are marked with black ink whale body stamps, the number of stamps equaling the number of whales killed. Instances where whales evaded capture are indicated with black ink tail stamps. Processing of the whales into product is described with phrases "employed boiling", "employed cutting", and "commenced cutting." These entries frequently made note of the vessel's specific distance from land or other ships and listed many of the ships spotted and communicated with by name.

Vessels mentioned include:

• Bark America (August 16, 1860)
• Bark John A. Robb (September 17, 1860)
• Barque Millwood (July 7, 1860 [incorrectly written in log as June]; August 2, 1860; August 22, 1860)
• Bark Ocean Pierson (August 23, 1860)
• Bark Pamelia (September 4, 1860; September 22, 1860)
• Bark Tyne (August 3, 1860)
• Bark San Francisco (August 17, 1860; August 22, 1860; August 30, 1860; September 24, 1860)
• Ship Alimire (August 23, 1860)
• Ship Elmiro (August 30, 1860)
• Ship Mercury (September 1, 1860; September 19, 1860)

At the beginning of this log, Marie wrote with a slightly more personal tone, including information about her general feelings of wellbeing, or feeling unwell (entries dated May 27 and 28, 1860). Generally, the entries in the first portion of this log (July-early October, 1860) emphasize the frantic chase and hunting of whales. Many entries refer to sightings of whales by species and note that when nothing was seen, they were actively "looking for whales." The latter half of the log (mid October 1860 to early January 1861) focuses on the goal of returning with the whale products. Most of these entries emphasize wind and sail orientation, navigation, and reading important geographic landmarks. On the return voyage ship maintenance was a priority and the crew painted and repaired parts of the ship.

Stamps indicating whale captures and escapes can be found in the following entries:

• June 6,1860
• July 9, 1860
• August 2, 1860
• August 15, 1860
• August 19,1860
• September 26, 1860
• 1 sperm whale killed, September 28, 1860
• 4 sperm whales killed, 1 escaped October 4, 1860
• 3 sperm whales killed, October 5, 1860

This volume also contains the following:

• 2 blank logbook pages with running header "Bark Sea Bird towards Cape of Good Hope"
• Inscription on inside back pastedown, handwritten in pencil, "Sadie Taber lived on Long Plain Rd Sunds Corner outside of New Bedford Mass"
• A list of New Bedford ships (pencil handwriting, differing from Marie Taber's script) on page 144. The names include:
  • Bark Millwood
  • Ocean River
  • Almira
  • San Francisco
  • Thomas Pope
  • St. Peter
  • Mercury
  • John A. Roff
  • Bark America
  • Tarmelia
  • Congress
  • Bartholomene
• Laid into the volume, between pages 92 and 93 is a handwritten slip of paper reading, [in ink]"See if you can find any vessel bound to the Cape of Good Hope or the island of Mauritius if any the price of passage and time of sailing" [in pencil] "first of week $150 or 125; 1 Brig 1st next week $150 Edmund Boynton, 1 vessel about a month $150 Isaac Taylor 16 Kirby Sr."
• A clipping of a poem "For the New York Mercury My Nelly's Eyes: Inscribed to Miss Ellen M.M, by: John F. Gilwee (September 7, 1858)," laid in between pages 132 and 133
• At various points in the blank section of the volume, pages have been ripped out.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a partial name index for the journal portion of the Taber journal: Partial Name Index .

R. Henderson, a sailor aboard the U. S. sloop of war Lexington was assigned to keep a journal of the sloop's activities during his voyage with the Brazil Squadron for the Falklands Expedition. This journal covers the period from December 13, 1832, to September 24, 1833, and Henderson's frequent (but not daily) entries provide an account of a sailor's life aboard the American warship.

R. Henderson, a sailor aboard the U. S. sloop of war Lexington was assigned to keep a journal of the sloop's activities during his voyage with the Brazil Squadron for the Falklands Expedition. This journal covers the period from December 13, 1832, to September 24, 1833, and Henderson's frequent (but not daily) entries provide an account of everyday life aboard the American warship.

Henderson's entries are irregular, documenting weather, direction, and shipboard activities on a non-daily basis. Variously he recorded musters of the crew, the cleaning and repairing of the ship, the detention of deserters, and work with the sails. He made notes about the arrivals of American, French, and English ships bearing salt, government officials, money, and troops; the transportation of Danish Governor Peter Carl Frederick von Sholten; the drinking and singing of "liberty men" released briefly from ship duty; and celebrations and salutes for various occasions, including George Washington's birthday, Brazilian independence, Catholic holidays, and others. He also remarked on the arrival and movements of consuls from England, France, Russia, and America.

Samuel S. Inglee maintained this logbook between 1852 and 1855 during several commercial fishing voyages off the Atlantic coasts of Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. The bulk of the entries record information including the hour, knots, fathoms, courses, winds, low water levels, and traverse tables. Inglee also provided general remarks, documenting nearby locations, weather, handling of sails, hauls of fish, and the latitude and longitude. He also commented on shipboard practices, such as food choices, work tasks related to fishing, encountering other ships, and taking soundings. At times, Inglee mentioned his emotional state, dislike of the fishing trade, and homesickness. Inglee also included several poems and lyrics in the volume with themes relating to seafaring, love, death, and other topics. The volume is bound in hand-stitched canvas covers, possibly sailcloth, with printed images pasted on the inside covers.

Samuel S. Inglee maintained this logbook between 1852 and 1855 during several commercial fishing voyages off the Atlantic coasts of Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. The bulk of the entries record information including the hour, knots, fathoms, courses, winds, low water levels, and traverse tables. Inglee also provided general remarks, documenting nearby locations, weather, handling of sails, hauls of fish, and the latitude and longitude. He also commented on shipboard practices, like food choices, work tasks related to fishing, encountering other ships, and taking soundings. The entries for September 21-23, 1852, mention seeing a shipwreck, trying to navigate the challenging area around Georges Bank, and finding their way to shore. At times, Inglee mentioned his emotional state, referring to homesickness, and on September 27, 1853, he noted his desire to give up seafaring. "...I hope that I never shall be dam fool enough for to go again. I have got enough this summer for to cure me from going to sea any more." On July 22, 1855, he reiterated his fatigue with sea life, calling himself "home sick fish sick and sick of the sea."

While most of the voyages are unnamed, Inglee did identify his trip which began in May 1853 as a "Voyage made from Kingston to the Grand Bank by the good Schooner Cosmus" under Otis Phinney, Master.

Later entries in the volume were written more as journal entries rather than logbook entries, commenting on weather, food eaten, tasks performed (including patching holes in his pants on July 29, 1855). He regularly noted the numbers of fish they caught, the names of nearby ships, their home port, and the size of their hauls. At times, upwards of one hundred other vessels were in sight, and Inglee occasionally referenced passing off letters to home. On June 11, 1855, Inglee recorded their captain going overboard and being successfully rescued.

Inglee also included several poems and lyrics with themes relating to seafaring, love, death, and other topics. The volume is bound in hand-stitched canvas covers, possibly sailcloth. Printed images are pasted on the inside covers, one of a sailing ship, "The Yankee Privateer," and the other of a man on a ship deck holding a sword, "The Smuggler King."