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

This collection is primarily made up of typescripts of letters that Dr. James M. Holloway wrote to his wife Anne while serving as a Confederate Army surgeon during the Civil War. Additional materials include typescripts on 19th-century medicine and clippings including full-color illustrations, from The Philadelphia Inquirer (1959-1961).

This collection (0.25 linear feet) is made up of typescripts related to Dr. James M. Holloway's service as a Confederate Army surgeon during the Civil War, typescripts related to 19th-century medicine, and illustrated newspaper clippings related to United States Army uniforms, national coats of arms, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War.

The bulk of the collection consists of Typescripts, including approximately 121 letters that Holloway wrote to his wife Anne on January 7, 1861, and from July 25, 1861-September 5, 1864. His earliest letters recount his experiences as a surgeon with the 18th Mississippi Infantry Regiment in Virginia, including his treatment of the wounded from the Battle of Ball's Bluff. Holloway, who took pride in his medical career, occasionally described specific patients, including amputees, a woman whose head had become detached from her body, and a dead soldier he dissected. He continued to write about his medical work after being promoted to the command of the hospitals of Richmond, Virginia, in 1862, and also discussed other aspects of his life there, such as the cost of food and other goods. Holloway expressed his devotion to the Confederate cause, and his early letters refer to his commitment to Christianity, which he maintained throughout the remainder of his correspondence. Some of Holloway's letters refer to the movements of Union and Confederate troops in Virginia and the western theater, the possibility of European intervention, specific battles, and the general progress of the war. By the fall of 1864, he feared that Richmond would be cut off from the rest of the Confederacy. In one late letter (written after the Emancipation Proclamation), he advised his wife to sell a female slave.

Holloway wrote 3 letters to his wife in May 1865, expressing his fear that the North would seek retribution from Southerners; he also reported that Beverly Tucker's home had been searched as a result of his suspected connection to the Lincoln assassination. In August and October 1865, Holloway wrote 3 letters to his wife from Louisville, Kentucky, primarily about local churches. Holloway's Civil War correspondence is followed by typescripts of his presidential address to the Tri-State Medical Society (or Mississippi Valley Medical Association) regarding current medical and surgical advancements and the increasing popularity of homeopathy (1882), a partial article about the history of medical education in the South (undated), and an obituary for Samuel Wilcox Warren (January 1878). He wrote 2 additional letters from Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Berlin, Germany, in September 1898, regarding his observations of local hospitals and medical procedures.

The Printed Items series (4 items) contains 3 full-color inserts from issues of The Philadelphia Inquirer, including photographs of toy soldiers wearing historical United States Army uniforms (July 5, 1959); a map of Civil War-era Philadelphia showing the locations of military camps and hospitals (July 5, 1959); a photograph of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom (February 7, 1960); and an editorial commemorating the centennial of the Star of the West incident (January 9, 1961).

This collection is made up of 64 letters, written primarily by James Morgan to his brother, George C. Morgan, between 1821 and 1840. They regard shipping concerns and political affairs.

This collection is made up of 64 letters, written primarily by James Morgan to his brother, George C. Morgan, between 1821 and 1840. They regard shipping concerns and political affairs. The letters from 1821 to 1824 and from February 1826 to 1829 relate to James Morgan's activities in Cuban, Jamaican, Mexican, and American ports, as he sold and purchased cargo, including sugar, molasses, coffee, corn, and other items.

Twenty-seven letters between January and March 1825 reflect James Morgan's efforts in Albany, New York, to court favor with Assemblymen in order to pass a marine bill and incorporate the New York State Marine Insurance Company. Ten letters from January-February 1831 cover James Morgan's service in the 54th New York State Legislature. This correspondence includes content on marine bills, charters, hospitals, and insurance.

The collection also includes one item by E. W. Morgan and a copy of the New York Journal of Commerce and Gazette (containing Morgan's obituary). See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

The James M. Smith family collection consists of Smith's incoming and outgoing correspondence concerning New York state politics, economic conditions, railroad development, and family news, as well as genealogical materials relating to the Smith family.

The James M. Smith family collection (121 items) contains letters and other materials related to James Murdock Smith of northern New York. The Correspondence series (114 items) includes Smith's correspondence from 1834-1889. Smith received 33 letters from his father, H. D. Smith, whose letters often pertain to politics, railroad construction and finance, and economic conditions in New York State. Among other subjects, he mentioned improvements to the town of Gouverneur (September 3, 1856), "unusually frequent" bankruptcies in Ogdensburg (January 3, 1854), Democratic Party factions, the Know-Nothings, and slavery and abolitionists. Smith's professional correspondence includes letters from New York Congressman Solomon G. Haven, who discussed the Dred Scott case (January 13, 1857), and from philanthropist Philo Parsons, who wrote about his plans to build a large park in Detroit, Michigan (December 8, 1873).

The series also contains personal letters that Smith received from family members, including his mother, Harriet Smith; his sisters, Esther M. Thrall and Louisa L. Anthony; and his aunt, Esther Doty. The Smith family reported news of Gouverneur, New York, and Doty commented on life in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the 1850s, where she encountered mixed-race Native Americans (December 3, 1851). Many of the later letters concern James M. Smith's interest in genealogy. Smith also wrote 6 letters to his wife, Margaret, mentioning a cholera epidemic (August 28, 1852) and travel in southern Wisconsin (November 16, 1862), among other topics.

The Genealogy, Writings, and Ephemera series (7 items) includes 3 essays about the family of H. D. Smith, a political speech, and a newspaper clipping and printed advertisement regarding a historical work by R.W. Judson.

This collection contains correspondence, speeches, ephemera, and photographs related to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Naismith's incoming correspondence includes letters about the history of basketball in locations across Canada and the United States, and his typed speech notes primarily concern the relationship between athletics, morality, and religion.

This collection contains correspondence, speeches, ephemera, and photographs related to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Naismith's incoming correspondence includes letters about the history of basketball in locations across Canada and the United States, and his typed speech notes primarily concern the relationship between athletics, morality, and religion.

The Correspondence series contains 44 letters, including 27 Naismith received about the history of basketball and the implementation of basketball programs. Between 1917 and 1939, Naismith collected responses to his inquiries about basketball from Canada, Uruguay, and universities within the United States. These letters often reported the dates of the first recorded local basketball games, and some described early equipment and rules. A letter from Edmonton, Alberta (October 15, 1929) concerned the development of women's basketball, and one from Osage City High School stated that theirs was the first high school in Kansas to have a basketball team (March 22, 1932). Some correspondents inquired about Naismith's experiences with the game, shared their own experiences, or discussed rule changes.

Letters written after Naismith's death are commemorative, including one signed by members of the Wheelchair Bulldozers, written on stationery bearing the team's logo (November 6, 1948). Additionally, Raymond Kaighn, the last surviving member of Naismith's first basketball team, wrote 8 letters to Kenneth Crouch between April 16, 1958, and July 28, 1962, reminiscing about his experiences and extolling Naismith's contribution to the world of sports. The collection also holds four letters Naismith wrote, providing his thoughts on the center jump ball rule (January 7, 1930), requesting information on Canadian basketball (with two responses, December 15, 1930), describing the game around the time of its invention in 1891 (February 4, 1939), and addressing his wife about personal matters (undated).

The Speech Notes and Essays series contains 7 typed speeches delivered by Naismith, with his manuscript annotations. The speeches pertain to the historical and contemporary relationship between athletic activities, morality, and religion, such as the role of athletic and physical education in moral and ethical development. Naismith lamented the commercialization of basketball and discussed the effects of the radio on the presidential election of 1928 (October 1928). One undated essay relates to sexual immorality among soldiers in the United States military.

Photographs and Ephemera include one photograph each of James Naismith and Raymond Kaighn, a souvenir program, a magazine article, and an invitation.

An inventory of items in the final two series appears in the Detailed Box and Folder listing below.

The James Patten papers contain letters and documents detailing his capture and captivity by Delaware Indians in Ohio, the funds raised by the family to purchase his ransom, his eventual release, and his life on the Ohio frontier.

The James Patten papers (16 items) contain letters and documents regarding Patten's capture and captivity by Delaware Indians in Ohio, the family's efforts to raise funds to purchase his ransom, his eventual release, and his life on the Ohio frontier (1789-1799). The collection is comprised of 12 letters (1788-1799), 3 receipts (1791), and a subscription list (1791). Also present is a photocopied excerpt from The Choates in America, 1643-1896, by E. O. Jameson, which describes the capture of Patton and Isaac and Francis Choate by the Delaware Indians (pages 125-128).

The earliest item in the collection is a letter of recommendation for David Patten (1761-1836) by the Selectman of Bedford, New Hampshire, and endorsed by Justices of the Peace from Hillsborough and Middlesex Counties (May 1, 1788). It asks "all Civil Officers and others let him pass and repass unmolested." David may well have planned to go to Ohio with his brother James, but changed his mind. Matthew and Elizabeth Patten wrote the next two letters in the collection to James Patterson, who accompanied their son to Ohio (June 13, 1789 and December 1, 1790). They discussed local news like the new style of singing hymns in the meeting house, family news, and news on crop yields. James Patten wrote all his 7 letters after his captivity; these contain details about his time with the Indians and how he was freed (November 1, 1796 -- April 21, 1799). Though many of his comments on the experience are brief, his letter to friend Samuel Patterson provides a day-by-day account of the nearly month-long trek he made across what is now the state of Ohio, from Big Bottom, where he was captured, to "The Grand Auglaize" in the heart of the Northwest Indian Confederacy (Sept. 10, 1797). He described his abduction, daily travel, and forced run through the gauntlet before he was accepted into the village: "I was welcomed into ther town one with his Club[,] a nother with his foot [,] another with his hand [,] another with a tomyhak."

The collection provides considerable information on ransoming a prisoner during the Northwest Indian War. Lacking sufficient funds, James' father Matthew Patten wrote a subscription appeal to friends and neighbors and received 37 signatures (July 4, 1791). The three receipts follow the trail of the 93 dollars collected to ransom James, as it was carried to Montreal by Isaac Choate, Jr.

The papers also document improvements in transportation both in New Englandas well as in the Ohio territory. In his letter of Aug. 18, 1796, David Patten informed his brother James that they had had a bumper hay crop, but had to pay very high wages to harvest it because of the demand for local labor "which is caused by building bridges and digging canals." He also listed the locations along the Merrimack River where bridges were being built: Concord, Amoskeag, Pentucket, Bodwell's Falls, Haverhill, Sweat's Ferry, and Newbury. In letters to his brother David, James Patten described, in detail, new roads, canals, and bridges built in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and mentioned horse powered boats being used on rivers in Ohio (November 23, 1797).

On the back of the September 10, 1797, letter from James Patten to Samuel Patterson is a copy of a poem called O True Times, commemorating American independence.

The James Philips letter book (552 pages) contains copies of the Philadelphia merchant's business correspondence from February 7, 1800-June 4, 1801. Philips was involved in shipping and wrote to merchants throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Great Britain about a variety of foodstuffs and other commodities.

The James Philips letter book (552 pages) contains copies of the Philadelphia merchant's business correspondence from February 7, 1800-June 4, 1801. Philips was involved in shipping and wrote to merchants throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Great Britain about a variety of foodstuffs and other commodities. The first 69 pages once held pasted-in documents, but all are now blank, with the exception of page 43 (which has a copy of a two stock certificates, dated February 6 and 7, 1800).

Most of the letters concern shipping and have notations about the safe arrival of cargo in various ports. Writing from Philadelphia, Philips discussed commerce with his mercantile contacts in various locations such as London, England; Manchester, England; and Havana, Cuba. In a letter of March 12, 1800, he warned Captain N. A. Perry of the difficulties inherent in shipping to distant locations, especially St. Domingo. On other occasions, he discussed the dangers of flooding the market and other economic subjects (April 14, 1800; June 5, 1800; et al.). His letter of December 30, 1800, contains a lengthy passage regarding his concerns about recent American political shifts; he also foresaw some of the conflicts that would take place during the War of 1812. The letter book has an index of recipients.

• [Jim] A. Brown, Baltimore
• Samuel Corp, New York
• Corp, Ellis & Shaw, New York
• Charles Holmes, New York
• Lawrence & Van Tandt, New York
• C. T. & J. Marriott, Manchester (England)
• J. & W. Mellish, London
• Marriott & Robinson, Manchester (England)
• Samuel Newton, Liverpool
• J[ohn] L. Philips & Brothers, Manchester (England)
• Luke Tiernan, Baltimore

The James Randolph Simpson papers contain incoming letters to Simpson from several of his friends who served in the Civil War. The soldiers discussed in detail various aspects of camp life, their movements with the army, and skirmishes.

The James Randolph Simpson papers contain 12 incoming letters to Simpson from several of his friends who served in the Civil War. The soldiers discussed in detail various aspects of camp life, their movements with the army, and skirmishes.

Throughout the war, Simpson's friends were stationed primarily in Virginia. Early letters, written just as the war began, reveal the boredom often felt by soldiers in camp. Isaiah D. Maize noted that he enjoyed receiving letters because "everything is so very dull in camp now," and complained at length about the Virginia weather (January 10, 1862). Another soldier, William H. Dieffenbach, voiced a similar complaint about the terrain: "I have often heard people talk of the sacred soil of Virginia but I guess we are not there yet, for I can hardly think that any man 'or any other man' would have the audacity to call this soil sacred" (January 23, 1862). Despite their boredom, Simpson's correspondents remained optimistic about their prospects for success against the Confederacy; Maize believed "The backbone of Rebellion is broken[.] 18,000 prisoners in 10 days is a big thing very nearly two Divisions of their army" (February 18, 1862). As the war progressed, the soldiers more frequently mentioned troop movements and potential engagements with the enemy. Jack Willoughby of the 5th Pennsylvania Reserves, for example, related his experiences during a skirmish with General Lee's army (October 18, 1863).

One undated item includes a large, green-shaded letterhead displaying a knight atop a rock labeled "Pennsylvania," brandishing a sword. In the sky above him is a large United States flag, a constellation spelling the word "UNION," and the Pennsylvania coat of arms.

This collection contains 7 letters that James Raymond wrote to his cousin, James Winch of Templeton, Massachusetts, about his life in Ridgefield and Monroeville, Ohio, in the 1820s and 1850s. Raymond provided family news, described local agriculture, and discussed local and national party politics, particularly related to elections of 1856.

This collection contains 7 letters that James Raymond wrote to his cousin, James Winch of Templeton, Massachusetts, about his life in Ridgefield and Monroeville, Ohio, in the early to mid-19th century. In his first 2 letters, Raymond shared information about the area of Ohio where his family had settled. He described prairies that were suited to grow crops such as corn and hemp, predators such as rattlesnakes and wolves, the economic effects of canals in New York and Ohio, and religious customs in Ridgefield (February 9, 1825, and May 14, 1826). His letters also provide news about family members, especially his siblings.

Raymond wrote 5 letters from August 6, 1854-December 5, 1858, informing his cousin about his life, his health, and his family members. Though poor health prevented him from performing heavy labor, he often wrote about farm work and his crops, which included wheat, corn, oats, and potatoes. Raymond also commented on political issues, particularly party politics in Ohio during the 1856 presidential election. He discussed the Locofocos, Whig Party, Know-Nothing Party, Democratic Party, and Republican Party, and mentioned issues such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, tax increases, and slavery.

The James R. Woodworth papers contain the letters and diaries of a Union soldier in the 44th New York Infantry during the Civil War (1862-1864). Woodworth provides detailed reflections on life as a soldier and on his regiment's part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.

The James R. Woodworth papers (151 items) contain the letters and diaries of a Union soldier in the 44th New York Infantry during the Civil War (1862-1864). The collection consists of 143 letters, four diaries, one poem, and a bundle of 37 envelopes. In both the letters and the diaries, Woodworth provided detailed reflections on life as a soldier, his regiment's part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and the horrors of war.

The Correspondence series (143 items) consists of 122 letters from James Woodworth to his wife Phebe, five from Phebe to James, three from friends and relatives to James, one from a friend to Phebe, and 12 fragments written by James and Phebe.

Woodworth's letters to Phebe contain descriptions of his war experiences. Topics include foraging, gambling, homesickness, lice, prostitutes, singing, sickness (fever, dysentery, smallpox, typhus fever, scarlatina), food (alcohol, beans, beef, bread, coffee, and hardtack), and opinions on religious matters. Woodworth was well educated and a skillful writer who often provided emotional and perceptive observations on life in his regiment and the aftermath of battles. Woodworth also frequently discussed his wife's struggles on the home front, raising their young son and running their farm in Seneca Falls, New York. This series also contains a printed poem by William Oland Bourne entitled "In Memoriam, Gettysburg, July 1-4, 1863."

The Diaries series (4 volumes, 426 pages) contains Woodworth's wartime diaries covering the period from his arrival in Virginia in October, 1862, to a few weeks before his death in 1864. Though the entries are often brief, they provide complementary information for the letters and often fill in gaps concerning travel and troop life. Of particular note are Woodworth's reflections on the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.

The third diary contains two additional items, stored in a pocket in the back of the volume. One item is a small volume entitled "The Soldier on Guard," which explains the responsibilities of a Union soldier on guard duty (64 pages). The other is a 3-page printed item entitled "Rules for Dr. Gleason's Patients," which contains advice for healthy living.

This collection is comprised of 11 letters by James Sproat Green of Princeton, New Jersey, to a longtime friend and future United States representative, John Jones Milligan, of Wilmington, Delaware, between 1813 and 1818. The letters concern Green's ideas about and experiences with romance, Milligan's financial affairs, and personal and political news.

This collection is comprised of 11 letters by James Sproat Green of Princeton, New Jersey, to a longtime friend and future United States representative, John Jones Milligan of Wilmington, Delaware, between 1813 and 1818. Green wrote 2 letters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in August 1813, and 9 letters from his home in Princeton, New Jersey, between November 1813 and April 1818.

In his first 2 letters, written in August 1813, Green focused on his ideas about and recent experiences with romance and relations with women. On August 10, he shared his personal "theory of love," and both letters mention his relationship with a Lancaster native named Julia. The remaining letters, all written from Princeton, New Jersey, concern a variety of personal and political topics. The recent death of his brother caused Green to reflect on the subject as he dealt with his late sibling's financial affairs (November 2, 1813). He frequently shared his personal opinions on life. Many letters mention recent news, such as the peace negotiations following the War of 1812 and a visit by Christopher Hughes (April 8, 1815), the election of U.S. Representative Louis McClane (November 6, 1816), a riot at the College of New Jersey (February 24, 1817), and a recent scandal involving the Dupont family (April 27, 1818). Several letters concern Milligan's financial affairs and legal career. In Green's letter of July 3, 1817, he discussed the possibility of moving west to practice law and inquired about Milligan's plans. The letters also provide news of mutual acquaintances and of Green's family, and reflect a strong male friendship in the 1810s.