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

The Humphry and Moses Marshall papers primarily document the careers of botanist Humphry Marshall and his nephew and business associate, Moses Marshall.

The Humphry and Moses Marshall papers consist of 233 items: 181 letters (including drafts), 15 legal documents, 11 manuscripts, 10 poems, 4 account books, and several each of books, letter books, arithmetic notebooks, and broadsides. The materials span from 1721-1863.

The first series contains correspondence and a few legal documents and writings, arranged chronologically. The correspondence dates from 1733 to 1863 and is predominantly incoming. Humphry Marshall is the recipient of the bulk of the material (approximately 40%), followed by Moses Marshall (approx. 30%). The majority of the outgoing correspondence comes from the two "letterbooks" kept by Moses Marshall in 1791 and 1793. These books contain correspondence from a couple of days each, but provide a record of Marshall's response to inquiries from clients.

The bulk of correspondence prior to 1800 relates to Marshall's horticultural and botanical operations. Substantial numbers of orders are for plants and seeds from clients in other parts of the United States, England, Ireland, France, and Germany, and communications with middle men in the operation detail methods of packaging and shipping. Also of botanical interest is the correspondence with Marshall's "agents" in the field, including Moses Mendenhall, John and James Watson, Matthias King, Samuel Kramsh, and James Kenny. These men were admirers and friends of Humphry Marshall, and provided him with specimens collected from various regions of the country. The unsuccessful search for wild Franklinia alatamaha is mentioned in several letters (April 8, 1788: "There is not a plant of the Franklinia to be found"), and other letters include discussions of scientific expeditions either actualized or planned, mostly involving the participation of Moses Marshall. On November 14, 1786, Humphry described the logistics of tracking down ginseng, providing insight into the duties of plant collectors: "both of you being obliged to…encamp in the mountains strike up a fire & lie by it all night in the morning…climb up the sides of the mountains and dig towards evening…about 20 days in Going and Coming home again & digging the roots packing up &c." The content of the letters does not indicate the Marshalls' scientific interests or abilities, but this correspondence provides documentation for the complex network used by the Marshalls to collect, sell and distribute plants.

Approximately 18 letters relate to the Revolutionary War (see "Subject Index" under "Additional Descriptive Data"). These include letters that indicate Marshall's support for the nonimportation agreements (January 6, 1775), second hand reports of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 25, 1775) and of Yorktown (August 24, 1781), and an important series of correspondence from Samuel Preston Moore relating to the resignation of the trustees of the General Loan Office when American revolutionaries seized control (June 17 and 21, 1777). Also significant are two letters from Quaker conscientious objectors on the morality of paying taxes to support military activities (undated c. 1780 letter; July 14, 1781), a letter relating to the North Carolina Regulator insurrection (March 3, 1771), and one concerning the arrest by American forces of Quakers suspected of Loyalist sympathies (September 6, 1777). Finally, in the pre-Revolutionary period, the letters of James Kenny provide excellent descriptions of plant collecting and the area around Fort Pitt in 1759-60.

The items from 1840-1863 mainly relate to Moses Marshall, Jr. Most notable in among them are several letters from William Darlington written as he was preparing his Memorial to Humphry and Moses Marshall in 1848 and 1849. Moses, Jr's pro-Confederacy political views are clearly expressed in the series of three speeches written during the Civil War, also included in the series.

The Poetry series includes 10 undated poems. The Bound Materials series comprises the arithmetic notebooks of Jacob Martin, whose relationship to the Marshalls is unclear; Darlington’s manuscript, Historical Introduction to Bartram & Marshall, Marshall's copy of Dover's Useful Miscellanies; and nine uncut and unfolded sets of signatures from Arbustrum Americanum.

This scrapbook contains correspondence, documents, maps, and ephemera related to the family of Jabez Huntington of Norwich, Connecticut, including his sons and other descendants. The items pertain to the American Revolution, education, family history, and life in Connecticut from the 1770s to the 1830s.

This scrapbook (55 pages) contains correspondence, documents, and ephemera related to the family of Jabez Huntington of Norwich, Connecticut, including his sons and other descendants. The earliest item is a poem dedicated to Kitty Fell, written by William Apthorp in 1763, followed by a letter from William Hubbard to Andrew Huntington concerning Thomas Hutchinson's order to surrender Castle William to Colonel Dalrymple (September 13, 1770). During the Revolutionary War, Andrew Huntington received letters from his brothers Jedidiah and Joshua, who discussed escalating tensions in Boston in 1775, the gathering of Continental forces, and the progress of the war; he also received a note from Jonathan Trumbull excusing him from military duty (September 1, 1775). Other items from the late 18th century include love letters and poems to Maria Perit, cards admitting Perit to balls held at Yale College, and letters from "Lucy" at "Bethlehem" (possibly Bethlehem Female Seminary) to her brother.

A small number of items from the early 1800s pertain to the will and estate of Pelatiah Webster, Charles P. Huntington's father-in-law, and an 1802 return for the 20th Connecticut Militia Regiment. In 1814, Samuel Huntington wrote to his son Julian about his other sons' academic progress. In the 1820s and 1830s, Samuel received letters from acquaintances who discussed political issues, and in the late 1830s he wrote to his son William, discussing William's education at Wesleyan University and the possibility of his attending Harvard College. Some letters are addressed to Huntington family women, including letters from Lydia Sigourney to Mrs. Hannah Huntington (likely Andrew's wife); Maria Perit Huntington letters, often regarding literature and poetry; and letters to Ruth L. Huntington. One letter from P. H. Huntington to "Miss Perkins" contains genealogical information about the Webster, Perit, and Leffingwell families (August 13, 1891).

The scrapbook also contains documents, maps, and other materials related to the Huntington family. Visual items include property maps (cataloged separately); a photograph of Ebenezer Huntington's home in Norwich, Connecticut; a card photograph of Benedict Arnold's birthplace; and engravings of Norwich Bridge, women at leisure, and "Cromwell at Ripley Castle." Genealogical notes, poems, instructions for making a doll, and legal documents (many of which relate to property ownership) are also present. Newspaper clippings pertain to the history of the Huntington family, particularly to Jabez Huntington and his sons.

The Isaac Morehouse and Clara Winters Court Documents consist of complaints, court fees, and warrants relating to two court cases initiated by Mary Morehouse of Silverbow County, Montana, against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, for committing adultery in January 1888.

The Isaac Morehouse and Clara Winters Court Documents consist of complaints, court fees, and warrants relating to two court cases initiated by Mary Morehouse of Silverbow County, Montana, against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, for committing adultery in January 1888.

Mary Morehouse provided two complaints, one against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and another against Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, swearing that they committed adultery and "the offense of fornication by . . . having carnal sexual intercourse" on January 10 and 24, 1888, in Silverbow County, Montana. The complaints attest that the adultery "is contrary to the form of the statutes of the United States and against the peace and dignity of the people of the United States of America." Caleb E. Irvine, U.S. Commissioner for the 2nd Judicial District of Montana Territory, signed both complaints and provided two accounts for the costs of issuing warrants for arrest and for hearing and deciding the cases. The arrest warrant for Clara Winters is also present, with certification that U.S. Marshal R. Kelley received and served the warrant.

The Isaac Morehouse and Clara Winters Court Documents consist of complaints, court fees, and warrants relating to two court cases initiated by Mary Morehouse of Silverbow County, Montana, against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, for committing adultery in January 1888.

The Isaac Morehouse and Clara Winters Court Documents consist of complaints, court fees, and warrants relating to two court cases initiated by Mary Morehouse of Silverbow County, Montana, against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, for committing adultery in January 1888.

Mary Morehouse provided two complaints, one against her husband, Isaac Morehouse, and another against Clara Winters, an unmarried woman, swearing that they committed adultery and "the offense of fornication by . . . having carnal sexual intercourse" on January 10 and 24, 1888, in Silverbow County, Montana. The complaints attest that the adultery "is contrary to the form of the statutes of the United States and against the peace and dignity of the people of the United States of America." Caleb E. Irvine, U.S. Commissioner for the 2nd Judicial District of Montana Territory, signed both complaints and provided two accounts for the costs of issuing warrants for arrest and for hearing and deciding the cases. The arrest warrant for Clara Winters is also present, with certification that U.S. Marshal R. Kelley received and served the warrant.

This collection is made up of letters, documents, and a logbook relating to Captain Israel Snow of Thomaston and Rockland, Maine, and vessels, ship captains, and shipments of goods in the early and mid-19th century.

This collection is made up of letters, documents, and a logbook relating to Captain Israel Snow of Thomaston and Rockland, Maine, and shipping and other nautical subjects in the early and mid-19th century.

The Correspondence Series consists of 10 letters Israel Snow received from professional acquaintances between October 2, 1829, and November 21, 1849, mostly regarding vessels, captains, and shipments of goods along the Atlantic seaboard and to New Orleans. He corresponded with men in Norfolk, New York, and Philadelphia, and received news from his home in Thomaston, Maine. Though most writers focused on cargo, consignments, ship arrivals, and finances, others commented on personal issues; for example, Israel Thorndike briefly mentioned his attempt to establish a school (December 12, 1836). The remaining items are a letter from Israel L. Snow to his father about business in Mobile, Alabama, written on a printed "Merchants' and Planters' Price-Current" (October 12, 1850), and a letter from Snow to his wife Lucy, concerning his safe arrival in Hull, England, and his plans to return home (August 27, 1840). One letter written by M. Sumner to R. B. Fuller from Rockland, Maine, on June 24, 1869, relates to a shipment aboard the Schooner Wanderer. Its relation to the Snow family is currently unknown beyond the Rockland connection.

The Documents Series consists of 19 documents, with three relating directly to Israel Snow, listed below.

• A copy of a deed between Daniel Weed and John Jameson pertaining to land in Thomaston, Maine (original dated March 9, 1804; copy dated September 12, 1844). The copy was mailed to Israel Snow.
• A receipt for Israel Snow's payment of income tax to the United States Internal Revenue, dated August 1, 1865.
• A receipt from the United States Treasury for Israel L. Snow's payment for U.S. bonds, dated October 11, 1865.

The remainder of the documents relate more generally to ships and the shipping industry of Rockland, Maine, and the surrounding area. International trade was being conducted with England, Brazil, and Peru. The connection of these items to the Snow family is currently unknown. Several items relate to the Schooner Wanderer. Items include an 1848 warranty deed for a shipyard lot, a borrower's bond relating to the Bark Rambler, an 1869 agreement between ship masters for salvage, as well as surveys and notarized documents of the condition of vessels or their damage, appraisals of ship value, bills and receipts, and insurance and legal documents. One document for the Rockland Insurance Company, dated March 28, 1867, relates to a schooner being under fire during the Civil War, leading to its abandonment.

The Logbook Series consists of one volume, "Abstract Log of Barque Jenny Pitts," covering voyages between 1853 and 1857, many captained by Israel Snow. Voyages include those from Cardiff to San Francisco; San Francisco to Hong Kong; Hong Kong to Shanghai; Shanghai to London; London to Cuba; and possibly one other to Bordeaux.

This collection contains 20 letters, 1 document, and 1 essay fragment related to members of the extended Jackman family, who lived in Massachusetts, Vermont, Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington during the late 19th century. The material, which includes many letters by women, concerns topics such as religion, family life and news, the Civil War, family history, and education.

This collection contains 20 letters, 1 copied document, and 1 essay fragment related to members of the extended Jackman family, who lived in Massachusetts, Vermont, Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington during the late 19th century. The material, which includes many letters by women, concerns topics such as religion, family life and news, the Civil War, family history, and education. Most correspondents wrote only 1 or 2 letters.

The first item is a letter David McDonald wrote about Indiana University School of Law in 1848, addressed to an unidentified recipient. A notarized document dated April 4, 1851, provides genealogical information about the family of Elijah and Eunice Hall, and most remaining items are letters written to and received by their daughter Mary Ann and her descendants. The letters concern a variety of topics related to daily life throughout the latter half of the 19th century, including educational experiences (Ada's letter of February 14, 1858, from Moline, Illinois, for example) and the problems associated with earning a living in Illinois and Indiana (Mary A. Jackman's letter of July 10, 1859, for example). Some correspondents discussed religion, such as their spiritual beliefs and skepticism about Universalist teachings (January 5, 1862). During the war, one person wrote about an acquaintance who had briefly served in the Union Army, and Mary A. Merriman shared her opinion that the Civil War was a chastisement of the nation for "pride and naughtiness of heart" (June 5, 1863).

Later letters include mentions of Elijah Hall's War of 1812 service and its detrimental effects on him, and William Grupe's Civil War service. One letter concerns an unidentified woman's life in San Francisco, California, in 1878, and 6 late items reflect the Grupe family's life in Dayton, Washington. Among the latter are a letter about social life at the Washington State Normal School in 1900, and an undated essay fragment entitled "When a Western Girl Comes East" (4 pages) about regional differences and misconceptions between the residents of the Pacific Coast and the state of New York.

This collection contains 32 documents regarding the nautical careers of merchant ship captains Jacob and Edward Taylor of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Sailing orders, bills of lading, wage agreements, and other financial and legal records relate to their voyages to Gibraltar, the Caribbean, and Virginia in the late 18th century.

This collection contains 32 documents regarding the nautical careers of merchant ship captains Jacob and Edward Taylor of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Sailing orders, bills of lading, wage agreements, and other financial and legal records relate to their voyages to Gibraltar, the Caribbean, and Virginia, in the late 18th century. Included are 12 items associated with Jacob Taylor (1759-1786), 17 items about Edward Taylor (1794-1798), and 3 additional documents (1828 and undated).

Personal receipts, accounts, and bills of lading (dated in the mid- to late 18th century) relate to Jacob Taylor's career as captain of several merchant schooners and sloops. Taylor frequently traveled to the Caribbean on ships laden with goods such as sugar, beef, and other foodstuffs. Two documents, a bill of lading and a record for the court of the Vice Admiralty at Halifax, concern the Little Betsey's intended voyage from Boston to Gibraltar in early 1759. The court record attests that the ship became leaky soon after leaving shore, and that an inquest formally acknowledged that the ship was not fit to sail. The document also lists the cargo onboard the ship. Other items include partially printed documents concerning pay for Taylor and other crewmembers on the Plymouth and Polly.

The second group of documents concerns Edward Taylor's career in the 1790s. These records primarily relate to his activities as captain of the Swallow, which traveled to Martinique, Guadalupe, and other Caribbean ports at the behest of Boston merchants William Jackson, Thomas Jackson, Jr., and Barnabas Hedge, Jr. Four sets of orders from the merchants direct Taylor to take command of the Swallow and Caroline, and list the goods he should procure while abroad, such as molasses. These instructions and a signed affidavit from Guadalupe also concern a French embargo against English goods and encourage Taylor to behave in a civil manner toward "belligerent" ships. Payment agreements are also included, as are a small, partially filled account book and an invoice for cod shipped on the Swallow.

The remaining items are a partially printed, signed insurance agreement for Philadelphia Merchant William Dowell (October 19, 1759); a partially printed document dated 1828, showing the value of cargo aboard the Mary and Hero; and an undated page of financial accounts.

• Joseph Taylor
  • Lemuel (Schooner)
  • Little Betsey (Sloop)
  • Mars (Ship)
  • Plymouth (Sloop)
  • Polly (Schooner)
  • Salley (Schooner)
  • Willingmind (Schooner)
• Edward Taylor
  • Betsy (Schooner)
  • Caroline (Schooner)
  • Swallow (Schooner)

This collection contains documents related to a lawsuit between James Gibbs and Joseph E. Embertz of Caroline County, Maryland. Gibbs, a free African American, sued Embertz to regain possession of a "spotted sow."

This collection contains 6 documents related to a lawsuit between James Gibbs and Joseph E. Embertz of Caroline County, Maryland. Gibbs, a free African American, sued Embertz to regain possession of a "spotted sow" worth $5, which Embertz had allegedly stolen and retained illegally. The material documents most of the case's history and includes an affidavit and summons. Constable Alexander Ridegway is frequently mentioned in the documents.

This collection contains financial documents and business correspondence concerning the affairs of James Hamilton, a shipping merchant based in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1784 and 1818. The collection also includes legal documents related to Hamilton's estate after his death in April 1829.

This collection contains financial documents and business correspondence concerning the affairs of James Hamilton, a shipping merchant based in Charleston, South Carolina, between 1784 and 1818. The collection also includes legal documents related to Hamilton's estate after his death in April 1829.

The first 2 items in the Correspondence and Documents series are copies of letters addressed to Blanchard & Lewis, a firm in London, England. The bulk of the material consists of receipts, bills of lading, business letters, accounts, wage agreements, and other financial records concerning James Hamilton's business affairs. The earliest items relate to gloves, blankets, and similar items that Hamilton sold; later material documents Hamilton's interests in several merchant vessels, including the Commerce. Hamilton conducted business with individuals and firms in the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. Some documents dated around 1796 are addressed to George Forrest, one of Hamilton's business partners. Most items predate the War of 1812, and at least one letter refers to federal legislation regarding international shipping in 1811.

The collection also includes receipts for Hamilton's pew at a Presbyterian church, as well as personal letters from his daughter Agnes and his niece, Margery Bethune (March 1812). Most of the remaining items are legal documents concerning the administration of Hamilton's estate. The documents mention individuals such as Edward S. Ingraham, Benjamin Chew, and James Hamilton Couper (or Cowper), the son of Hamilton's acquaintance John Couper. Some of the documents also mention Francis P. Corbin, Hamilton's son-in-law.

Printed Items are a copy of the London Gazette (November 6-9, 1784); a copy of "An Act concerning the registering and recording of ships and vessels" (1804); and a legal opinion regarding Corbin v. Wilson, a case about James Hamilton's disputed will (June 5, 1838).

This collection is made up of correspondence and other materials related to James H. Miller and his wife, Mary E. Waggener, who lived in Missouri and Kansas in the mid- to late 19th century. The Millers received letters from Elizabeth Miller, James's mother, who discussed her life in LaRue County, Kentucky, before, during, and after the Civil War. James H. Miller wrote to his wife and children about his experiences with the 3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War.

This collection is made up of correspondence and other materials related to James H. Miller and his wife, Mary E. Waggener, who lived in Missouri and Kansas in the mid- to late 19th century.

The Correspondence series (104 items) consists of incoming letters to James H. and Mary E. Miller from family members in various states, as well as letters from James H. to Mary E. Miller. Approximately 40 letters date from the Civil War years.

Elizabeth Miller, the Millers' most frequent correspondent, wrote to her son and daughter-in-law from Hodgenville, Kentucky, and other LaRue County locales throughout the mid- to late 19th century. Most of Miller's letters refer to her health and to news of family members and friends. She sometimes discussed the hardships she faced during and immediately after the Civil War. She mentioned the draft of September 1864, the Union Army's efforts to enlist African Americans, and tensions between Union and Confederate supporters during and after the war; in her letter of March 31, 1867, she commented on the perception that Reconstruction legislation favored African Americans over whites and noted that whites would object to African Americans testifying against them in court or serving on juries.

James H. Miller wrote letters home to his wife and children while serving with the 3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment in Missouri and Arkansas between 1863 and 1865. Though he missed his family, he felt a sense of duty toward the Union and hoped that his relatives and friends in Kentucky also supported the federal cause; many of his letters are written on stationery with patriotic poems and illustrations. Miller discussed movements between camps and sometimes mentioned encounters with Confederate troops. His letters frequently contain reports on fellow soldiers, including members of the Waggener family, and his responses to news from home (such as his wife's dental problems). Mary E. Miller also received a letter from her brother William during his recuperation from an unknown injury or illness at Washington Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee (July 14, 1864).

The Millers' other correspondents included James's brother Fielding, who lived in Farmerville, Louisiana, in the mid- late 1840s, and one of the executors of Fielding's estate. John G. W. Duffey and his son James, an uncle and cousin, wrote from Hernando, Mississippi, commenting on farming and the progress of their crops. Their letters also contain remarks on the 1852 presidential election and, in one instance, Southern attitudes toward African Americans and the poor (July 8, 1854). Additional postwar items include letters that the Millers received from their children and other relatives in Nebraska, Kentucky, and other locations as late as 1911. The final item is a letter from Bertha Waggener to a cousin regarding the death of her mother (March 29, 1933). The series also contains a religious essay, "The Chariot," that James H. Miller wrote in the mid-1840s.

The Documents and Financial Records series (22 items) includes an employment record of James H. Miller, listing missed days of work in the early 1840s. Many of the remaining items are tax receipts from the Millers' time in Lewis County, Missouri, and Phillips County, Kansas. Other items include a promissory note addressed to Elizabeth Miller (August 28, 1848), copied legal documents, an undated property inventory (partially completed), and a document certifying James H. Miller's election as constable of Highland, Missouri (August 12, 1854).

The Notebook, which belonged to James H. Miller, contains accounts and notes related to Miller's Civil War service, partly related to clothing and supplies. A document about Miller's temporary appointment as head of his class is laid into the volume (May 3, 1844).

The Poetry series (6 items) includes 4 poems that James H. Miller sent to his wife while serving with the 3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War. His poems concern aspects of soldier's lives, such as their remembrance of loved ones and their duty to the cause. One sheet contains an undated poem about death by David Miller. The final item is an unsigned 1847 poem concerning conflicts between British soldiers in Canada and Yankee troops.

The Recipes series (3 items) contains instructions for making a cure for dropsy, lemon jelly, and soap and blue ink. The final two recipes, written on a single sheet, are attributed to George Wilson (July 26, 1870).

The Genealogy series (7 items) is made up of notes related to the Miller and Bell families, including lists of birthdates, death dates, and marriages. Gilead Ann Miller, the daughter of James H. and Mary E. Miller, married into the Bell family.

The Printed Items series (2 items) consists of a fragment from a reward notice concerning the abduction of a young boy named Charlie Brewster Ross (undated) and a copy of the Christian Banner (2.6, September 1863).