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

Alexander B. Pinkham sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, to Brazil with a crew of boys on the brig Clio in 1829 and 1830. In his report to William Coffin, president of the board of trustees for the Coffin School of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Pinkham discussed his experiences during the first leg of the voyage, intended to teach the boys the art of sailing.

Alexander B. Pinkham sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, to Brazil with a crew of boys on the brig Clio in 1829 and 1830. In his 18-page report to William Coffin, president of the board of trustees for the Coffin School of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Pinkham discussed his experiences during the first leg of the voyage.

The Clio sailed from Boston on December 23, 1829, and reached Brazil around 66 days later. Pinkham wrote his report on May 23 and 24, 1830, after visiting Rio Grande and Porto Alegre. He recounted incidents from the outbound voyage, such as his failed attempt to commemorate the ship's crossing of the equator (pp. 5-6), and frequently mentioned his attempts to instruct the boys under his care. After reaching Brazil, where they unloaded cargo, the crew remained on shore while the Clio was repainted, and Pinkham reported his anxiety about possible robbery (p. 3, 5). He also mentioned the crew's encounter with a village inhabited by German immigrants (pp. 13-14). The report is interrupted by Pinkham's account of an encounter with a British vessel, which occurred on May 24, 1830, before he began the second half of his letter (pp. 8-9). The British officers threatened to fire on the Clio following Pinkham's refusal to provide the ship's papers. Near the end of the document, Pinkham referred to personal criticisms by residents of Nantucket and shared his hope that his reputation would be salvaged (pp. 18-19).

This collection is made up of letters that Minerva Fox Skinner received from and about her husband, Addison D. Skinner of the 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment, in 1864. Skinner's letters describe his travels and discuss his homesickness; the remaining letters pertain to his death and burial.

This collection contains 9 letters that Minerva Fox Skinner of Parshallville, Michigan, received from and about her husband, Addison Dwight Skinner, in 1864. He wrote 6 letters to his wife while serving with the 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment from March 1, 1864-March 29, 1864. He described his travels to Flint, Michigan; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and Annapolis, Maryland, and wrote of his homesickness and his love for his wife and children. In his letter of March 23, 1864, he complained that he had not yet been paid; on March 29, 1864, he reported on the spread of measles throughout the regiment and confided to his wife that the death of George Griswold, a soldier from his regiment, had been caused by a case of "clap."

Minerva Fox Sinner received 2 letters from her brother, Wells B. Fox, about her husband's failing health and death (April 24, 1864, and May 30, 1864). In his second letter, Fox expressed his sympathy and offered reassurances that Skinner had thought often of his family during his final days. He also noted his resolve for the army to march to Richmond. Helen M. Noye (later Hoyt), a nurse at the Naval Academy Hospital in Annapolis, Maryland, wrote to Minerva Skinner on May 11, 1864, offering condolences for the death of A. D. Skinner, and discussing his burial. Noye, who believed that Minerva Skinner had yet learned of her husband's death, informed Minerva that the remains could be exhumed, but advised against doing so.

This collection consists of 13 letters and copies of letters that Alexandre Maurice Blanc de Lanautte, Comte d'Hauterive, wrote in 1809 concerning the deterioration of Anglo-American relations, as well as a list of officials involved in Franco-American relations around the turn of the 19th century.

This collection consists of 13 letters and copies of letters that Alexandre Maurice Blanc de Lanautte, Comte d'Hauterive, wrote in 1809 concerning the deterioration in Anglo-American relations, as well as a list of officials involved in Franco-American relations around the turn of the 19th century.

Hauterive addressed 10 letters to Jean-Baptiste Nompère de Champagny, the French minister of foreign relations, reporting discoveries and insights from his correspondence with John Armstrong, Jr., the United States minister to France. Hauterive also discussed issues in British politics, such as the Embargo Act of 1807 and Great Britain's diplomatic relationship with the United States, which he thought was strained. He further elaborated on those issues he believed would lead the countries into armed conflict. Hauterive also commented on the Jefferson administration and its role in international affairs. The remaining 3 letters consist of Hauterive's outgoing correspondence with other diplomatic and official personnel.

A printed chart of French military personnel lists their positions, terms of service, and the amount of money paid to them. Ten officers are listed, followed by a drum major, a drum master sergeant, 8 musicians, and 4 laborers.

This collection is made up of correspondence and newspaper clippings by or related to Alexis St. Martin, a French-Canadian man who underwent medical experimentation and observation after surviving an open stomach wound.

This collection is made up of correspondence and newspaper clippings by or related to Alexis St. Martin, a French-Canadian man who underwent medical experimentation and observation after surviving an open stomach wound.

Eight letters and postcards, July-September 1879, pertain to James H. Etheridge's proposals to Alexis St. Martin, requesting that he visit Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, for observation. Alexis St. Martin (3 items) and Henry F. Harris (4 items) wrote about St. Martin's possible involvement and financial compensation. Two newspaper clippings, written before 1880, concern St. Martin's wound, his later life, and Dr. William Beaumont's experiments on St. Martin's stomach. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for information about each individual item.

This collection is made up of 3 letters exchanged by Alicia A. Bakewell and her husband, William G. Bakewell, in and around 1845. They discussed medical remedies and Alicia's health, Alicia's time with the Audubon family in New York City, and steamboat travel on the Ohio River.

This collection is made up of 3 letters exchanged by Alicia A. Bakewell and her husband, William G. Bakewell, in and around 1845. William wrote to Alicia on August 11, 1845, expressing his concerns about her recent medical complaints and discussing various courses of treatment; he strongly advised her not to take calomel and suggested that she adopt a different diet or take numerous baths to relieve her suffering. Alicia wrote twice to William. Her letter of August 19, 1845, responds to his concern about her illness, which had improved significantly despite lingering back pain, and contains news of the Audubon family, with whom she was staying in New York City. She also reported that bathing had been suspended on account of the presence of sharks. Alicia's undated letter regards her journey on an Ohio River steamer from Ohio to Pennsylvania. She mentioned the ship's propensity for running aground, a fellow passenger who was a musician, and her fear that people in Louisville would approach her husband with unfounded claims of debts against her.

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and aspects of military life.

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and various aspects of military life.

Madry regularly corresponded with his brother throughout his military service, beginning just after his induction and ending shortly before his discharge. He wrote about daily life at the camp and provided some of his opinions on military life. Madry encouraged his brother to attempt to avoid army service, and discussed the possibility of his brother receiving an operation for an unspecified ailment. In some of his early letters, he mentioned his distaste for other enlisted men, whom he called "Rubes," and for African American soldiers. He shared anecdotes about an encounter with a "Yankee sergeant" who treated African Americans the same as white soldiers, and about interactions between white enlisted men and African American officers. In mid-1918, Madry's duties included training African American and white soldiers in drill exercises, as Camp Pike became a replacement center for troops headed overseas. During the fall of 1918, Madry's unit was quarantined after an outbreak of influenza; he later reported that several men from his unit had died during the epidemic. Madry occasionally wrote about his siblings, the draft, and war news. By December 1918, he anticipated his upcoming discharge from the military.

Seven letters exchanged by members of the Goodrich family primarily concern news from New Haven, Connecticut, in the early 19th century. Andrew T. Goodrich, a publisher in New York City, also provided his mother and sister with thoughts on his church and recent War of 1812 victory celebrations.

Seven letters exchanged by members of the Goodrich family primarily concern news from New Haven, Connecticut, in the early 19th century. Andrew T. Goodrich, a publisher in New York City, received 3letters and 1 fragment from his mother Eunice and sister Sarah, and wrote 1 letter each to Sarah and his mother. Eunice Goodrich also wrote 1 letter to Andrew's sister Frances.

Andrew's incoming correspondence includes a 3-page letter from his sister Sarah M. Goodrich, in which she presented her opinions on an unidentified mutual acquaintance (August 4, 1810). She wrote of her high regard for the man, influenced by his mannerisms and religious views, and expressed her pleasure upon hearing that her brother felt the same way. She also included a brief poem. In a second letter, (September 21-25, 1816), Sarah described activities on board the the sloop Franklin as she traveled from a New York harbor up the Hudson River. Andrew's mother Eunice (2 pages) shared social news from New Haven, Connecticut, where his family continued to live after he moved to New York City. Eunice Goodrich addressed an additional letter (1 page, written in 1802) to her daughter Frances ("Fanny"), and lamented the death of her son Charles. Andrew also received a copied fragment of a letter regarding his brother's death.

Andrew T. Goodrich's letter to his mother concerned a recent business opportunity, and the effects of their separation (November 16, 1811). In a letter dated October 24, 1813, Andrew discussed a recent sermon by John Brodhead Romeyn; a potential substitute preacher, Alexander McLeod, who would only preach if they permitted him to use a Scottish psalter (Goodrich noted he would rather sell his pew and quit the church); and celebrations of recent War of 1812 victories.

This collection of four letters relate to the post-Revolutionary War reputation of Dr. Andrew Turnbull, founder of the New Smyrna colony in East Florida. They were principally written by former Governor of East Florida Patrick Tonyn to British officials and include opposition to Turnbull receiving a government salary.

Please see the Contents List for individual item descriptions.

This collection is made up of 2 letter books, which contain over 270 secretarial copies of Captain Anthony H. Hoskins's official outgoing correspondence. His letters pertain to service aboard the H.M.S. Hecate (May 22, 1860-January 1, 1861), H.M.S. Plumper (January 1-July 2, 1861) and the H.M.S. Eclipse (July 20, 1869-September 27, 1871, and September 25, 1871-October 20, 1872) in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Hoskins corresponded with superior officers and fellow captains about his ships' movements, personnel, upkeep, and orders. P.H.W. Mayow and Henry F. Nicholson, acting captains on the Eclipse, wrote the letters dated between July 20, 1869, and September 20, 1869.

This collection is made up of 2 letter books, which contain over 270 secretarial copies of Captain Anthony H. Hoskins's official outgoing correspondence. His letters pertain to service aboard the H.M.S. Hecate (May 22, 1860-January 1, 1861), H.M.S. Plumper (January 1-July 2, 1861), and the H.M.S. Eclipse (July 20, 1869-September 27, 1871, and September 25, 1871-October 20, 1872) in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Hoskins corresponded with superior officers and fellow captains about his ships' movements, personnel, upkeep, and orders. P.H.W. Mayow and Henry F. Nicholson, acting captains on the Eclipse, wrote the letters dated between July 20, 1869, and September 20, 1869.

Hoskins wrote his first letters from the Hecate while stationed at Woolwich and other English ports between May and July 1860. The ship then traveled to Madeira and, after rounding Cape Horn, to the Pacific Ocean, where it spent time at Valparaíso, Chile, and the Hawaiian Islands. In his letters to Commodore James R. Drummond and other officers, he reported on aspects of the ship's daily operation, including its arrival at different ports and travels around the Pacific. He frequently informed his superiors about disciplinary measures for the sailors onboard, and often mentioned financial reports, which are not copied into the volume. On January 1, 1861, Hoskins transferred to the Plumper, which traveled from near Esquimalt, British Columbia, back to Valparaíso, around Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro, and finally to Portsmouth, England, where he arrived in June. In addition to reports on disciplinary measures, changes in rank, and ship movements, the commander's letters include content respecting the search for information about the missing gunboat Forward and the lost crew of the Charles Tupper. A 4-page report respecting the Forward documents interactions with the crew of the trading yacht Templar and with Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulth) natives in November and December 1860. A 2-page letter provides a summary of the Plumper's search for information about the Charles Tupper near the Straits of Magellan (April 22, 1861). Although they discovered the shipwreck, the fate of the crew remained ambiguous. The commander wrote that they probably did not take refuge with Indians and that they likely perished while attempting to reach a settlement.

The remainder of Volume 1 (roughly 3/4 of the volume) and the entirety of Volume 2 were composed while the Eclipse served in the Caribbean and along the eastern Canadian coast between September 1869 and October 1872. The first letters in Volume 2 are attributed to P. H. W. Mayow and Henry F. Nicholson, and relate to the recent sudden death of the ship's commander, Captain Harvey. Hoskins assumed command in late September 1869. The Eclipse spent much of its time at Barbados, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Halifax, St. John's, and other ports. In letters addressed to superior officers and colonial governors, Hoskins reported on the ship's sailors, courts martial and other disciplinary actions (for desertion, theft, drunkenness, etc.), ship movements, repairs, and daily operations. Hoskins served as a regional commander in the Caribbean, and some of his letters are sailing orders for subordinate captains. One such order is a response to a request from Belize, British Honduras, for assistance against an attack by natives (May 3, 1870). Others report interactions with French, Spanish, American, and other ships (including prizes). Though the volumes overlap slightly, only one letter is common between them.

A copy of a recommendation letter Hoskins wrote for David O'Sullivan is laid into the first volume (October 11, 1872).

This collection consists of 5 letters that Private Arthur B. Silverman wrote to his parents in Hartford, Connecticut, while training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, in August and September 1944. He discussed the importance of training, the Jewish New Year, and guard duty, among other subjects.

This collection consists of 5 letters that Private Arthur B. Silverman wrote to his parents in Hartford, Connecticut, while training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, in August and September 1944. He described the Browning Automatic Rifle, rifle training, and guard duties; commented on the uncertainty of getting a furlough and the difficulty of making a cross-country telephone call; mentioned a USO show that included a performance by African-American minstrels; and noted a recent forest fire. In letters postmarked September 18, 1944, and September 24, 1944, Silverman apologized for not properly observing Rosh Hashanah but explained the high value that he placed on training, arguing that poor preparation had caused military personnel to be killed in the theaters of war and explaining that he had to follow orders.

This collection consists of letters, postcards, and photographs related to Private Arthur E. Welch of the United States Army, who served with the 1st Regiment, Company L, in and around Nogales, Arizona, between July and October 1916. Welch discussed everyday life along the United States-Mexico border, his work in a military ice house, and developments in the region's military conflicts.

This collection consists of 100 letters, 2 postcards, and several photographs related to Private Arthur E. Welch of the United States Army, who served with the 1st Regiment, Company L, in and around Nogales, Arizona, between July and October 1916. Welch wrote his first 2 letters to his mother, Mrs. M. J. Welch of Willimantic, Connecticut, while in training at Niantic, Connecticut, about his life in camp. His next 5 letters recount his journey to Nogales, Arizona, and describe the scenery in Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

The bulk of the collection consists of Welch's daily letters to his mother from July 4, 1916-October 2, 1916, about his experiences while stationed in Nogales, Arizona. He reported news of recent military developments, commented on his accommodations in camp, and discussed several aspects of his life in the army, including his training, his work in an ice house, and his attendance at Catholic religious services. He also described the area and discussed a lengthy march his unit made to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he remained for much of August. Welch occasionally mentioned relations with the Mexicans and their independence celebrations on September 16, as well as the actions of Pancho Villa. One of his friends, Ed Ryan, wrote a letter to Mrs. Welch about his experiences after being wounded in the arm; he also mentioned Arthur's work in the ice house (September 21, 1916). By early October 1916, Welch began to anticipate his return to the East Coast. Two photographic postcards depict Arthur E. Welch in uniform and in a pair of overalls.

The non-correspondence items are 1 photograph of a group of soldiers, as well as 3 scrapbook pages containing 31 photographs of Nogales, Arizona, and United States soldiers in uniform and at leisure.

The August F. W. Partz letters pertain to Partz's experiences while living and traveling in New York, Ohio, and western Illinois during the Civil War. Partz, a mining engineer, discussed a business opportunity in Santa Fe, guerilla warfare and attacks on trains traveling through the Midwest, and military news from Missouri.

This collection contains 16 letters that mining engineer August F. W. Partz wrote to his business partner, C. Elton Buck, between May 16, 1864, and October 31, 1864. Partz wrote from the Mamakating Mine in New York (3 items); Cleveland, Ohio (2 items); and Quincy, Illinois (11 items). The letters are drafts or writer-retained copies; some pages have more than one letter written on them.

Some of Partz's letters pertain to his business interests, particularly regarding a mining opportunity in Santa Fe, New Mexico; he also mentioned the possibility of bringing German laborers to the United States to work with nickel (October 3, 1864). Most of Partz's correspondence concerns his attempts to travel from New York to Santa Fe via Cleveland, Ohio, and Missouri. He spent October 1864 in Quincy, Illinois, waiting for an opportune moment to continue his journey, which had been rendered dangerous by guerilla attacks on trains in Missouri. Partz discussed the opinions of Missouri and Kansas residents and refugees, attacks on passenger trains, and military developments in Missouri, especially those related to General Sterling Price. For a time, Partz considered traveling to the Southwest by way of California. In one letter, he mentioned his fear of Native American hostility (October 1, 1864).

This collection is made up of 12 letters that Private Aulder M. Watt received and 1 letter that he wrote while serving with Company H of the 10th Regiment, Illinois National Guard, at Camp Lincoln, Illinois, in 1917. Olive Stone, his fiancée, wrote 11 of the letters from her home in Clinton, Illinois, about their separation, and an aunt composed 1 letter concerning family news. Watt's letter to Olive pertains to his wages and recent labor strikes.

This collection is made up of 12 letters that Private Aulder M. Watt received and 1 letter that he wrote while serving with Company H of the 10th Regiment, Illinois National Guard, at Camp Lincoln, Illinois, in 1917. Olive Stone, his fiancée, wrote 11 of the letters from her home in Clinton, Illinois, about their separation, and an aunt composed 1 letter concerning family news. Watt's letter to Olive pertains to his wages and recent labor strikes.

Olive's often lengthy letters focus on local news, her love for Aulder, and her loneliness. She discussed the possibility of meeting him, either while visiting the Illinois State Fair or when he returned home on furlough. She occasionally reacted to news of his life in the military camp, and expressed her fear that he would be injured in the line of duty. Aulder received 1 letter from an unidentified aunt (September 28, 1917), and wrote 1 letter to his fiancée, in which he discussed recent labor strikes and his upcoming payment schedule.

The Beatrice and William Ebeling letters concern the couple's life in China in the early to mid-1940s. They wrote to William's parents in Kalamazoo, Michigan, about their work for the China Inland Mission, the growth of their children, and current events.

The Beatrice and William Ebeling letters (32 items) concern the couple's life in China in the early to mid-1940s. Both Beatrice and William composed manuscript and typewritten letters to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Carl Ebeling of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their first 2 letters pertain to the birth of their son, John Carl Ebeling, and their life in Wuyang Xi'an, Henan, in December 1942; the remaining items relate to their experiences after fleeing to "Pinshien" [Binxian?], Shaanxi, in the summer of 1944 and while living in Hancheng, Shaanxi, from around October 1944 to March 1946. They commented on their missionary work, finances, the progress and end of the Pacific war, the growth of their children, and their travels within China. William's letter of June 8, 1944, recounts a bombing raid. A birth announcement for John Carl Ebeling, with a colored drawing of a baby's head, is enclosed in the Ebelings' letter of December 7, 1942. The collection includes a short, undated note to Ebeling's grandfather.

This volume contains 21 compositions by 12 students (eight girls and four boys) of Biddeford High School, Maine, between 1850 and 1851 (approx. 90 pages). These "prize compositions" pertain to subjects such as nature, morality, happiness, music, comparisons between the country as it was versus how it is now, industry, and intemperance.

This volume contains 21 compositions by 12 students (eight girls and four boys) of Biddeford High School, Maine, between 1850 and 1851 (approx. 90 pages). These "prize compositions" pertain to subjects such as nature, morality, happiness, music, comparisons between the country as it was versus how it is now, industry, and intemperance.

The volume concludes with a one-page letter of thanks from Biddeford High School principal Horace Piper to his students, September 10, 1859, thanking them for the gift of a chair; and a two-page letter from the "Ladies [of] Biddeford" to the Triumph Engine Company (fire brigade), presenting them with an American flag.

• Page 1: "Botanical Chart"
• Pages 3-6: Elizabeth L. P. Adams, "Reading"
• Pages 7-9: Maria C. Grey, "Advantages of Industry"
• Pages 11-13: Hannah A. Burnham, "Saco Falls"
• Pages 15-18: Henri B. Haskell, "Beauties of Nature in Oxford County"
• Pages 19-24: Elizabeth L. P. Adams, "The Beauties of Nature"
• Pages 25-27: Robert Russell, "Beauties of Nature"
• Pages 29-32: Maria C. Grey, "The Beauties of Nature"
• Pages 33-36: Luther T. Mason, "The Art of Writing"
• Pages 39-41: Charles Nichols, "Children should obey their Parents"

• Pages 44-47: Maria C. Grey, "Happiness"
• Pages 48-51: Sarah M. Kendell, "A bad Sholar [sic.]"
• Pages 51-52: Unsigned, "Intemperance"
• Pages 56-59: John B. Lowell, "This Country as it was and as it is"
• Pages 60-64: Luther T. Mason, "This Country as it was, and as it is"
• Pages 65-67: Hannah A. Burnham, "Happiness"
• Pages 68-69: Ellen Smith, "Doing Good to Others"
• Pages 70-74: E. L. P. Adams, "Happiness"

• Pages 76-77: Maria C. Morton, "On The improvement of Time"
• Pages 78-80: Maria C. Morton, "To a Flower" (poem)
• Pages 81-84: Julia A. Lord, "Music"
• Pages 84-89: Maria C. Grey, "Flowers"

• Horace Piper, "A Card To my Former Pupils who honored me with a present on the ninth instant", Biddeford, September 10, 1859 (1 page)
• Ladies [of] Biddeford, to "Gentlemen of the Triumph Engine Company" (2 pages)

This collection consists of three letters sent from members of the Blount and Bulen families from Minnesota in 1844 and 1855 back to relatives in Mexico, New York. They describe the family's migration from New York to Phelps, Minnesota, their efforts to establish farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and descriptions of the country. The letters include phonetic spellings, and two of the letters were written jointly by several members of the family.

This collection consists of three letters sent from members of the Blount and Bulen families from Minnesota in 1844 and 1855 back to relatives in Mexico, New York. They describe the family's migration from New York to Phelps, Minnesota, their efforts to establish farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and descriptions of the country. The letters include phonetic spellings, and two of the letters were written jointly by several members of the family. For additional information, see the individual descriptions in the Contents List.

This collection is comprised of two letters (six pages) to Horace Burlingham, who had fled to Canada as a deserter from the 9th New York Infantry Regiment (Hawkins Zouaves) during the American Civil War. His father Waterman, mother Amanda, and sister Mary Burlingham wrote joint letters to Horace in 1863, from their farm at Edmeston, New York. Waterman filled five pages of the letters, expressing relief that his son made it over the border, updating him on the status of other deserters from the area, sharing his knowledge of Provost Marshall Cole's area of jurisdiction and methods, and offering related advisement. Waterman discussed Horace's wife Loverna and their daughter Theressa, who remained in Edmeston. He criticized Loverna's penchant for "new notions, and Castle Building" and her poor household management, and he recommended that she not join Horace in Canada. He also thought this was a good opportunity to teach Horace how to write letters (specifically capitalization) and provided details about laborers, agricultural product prices, and farm machinery. Horace's sister updated him on friends and family relationships, including the features of a newborn or infant baby. His mother added a note to let Horace know that she never forgets him.

This collection is comprised of two letters (six pages) to Horace Burlingham, who had fled to Canada as a deserter from the 9th New York Infantry Regiment (Hawkins Zouaves) during the American Civil War. His father Waterman, mother Amanda, and sister Mary Burlingham wrote joint letters to Horace in 1863, from their farm at Edmeston, New York. Waterman filled five pages of the letters, expressing relief that his son made it over the border, updating him on the status of other deserters from the area, sharing his knowledge of Provost Marshall Cole's area of jurisdiction and methods, and offering related advisement. Waterman discussed Horace's wife Loverna and their daughter Theressa, who remained in Edmeston. He criticized Loverna's penchant for "new notions, and Castle Building" and her poor household management, and he recommended that she not join Horace in Canada. He also thought this was a good opportunity to teach Horace how to write letters (specifically capitalization) and provided details about laborers, agricultural product prices, and farm machinery. Horace's sister updated him on friends and family relationships, including the features of a newborn or infant baby. His mother added a note to let Horace know that she never forgets him.

Please see the box and folder listing below for detailed information about each letter in the collection.

This collection is comprised of two letters (six pages) to Horace Burlingham, who had fled to Canada as a deserter from the 9th New York Infantry Regiment (Hawkins Zouaves) during the American Civil War. His father Waterman, mother Amanda, and sister Mary Burlingham wrote joint letters to Horace in 1863, from their farm at Edmeston, New York. Waterman filled five pages of the letters, expressing relief that his son made it over the border, updating him on the status of other deserters from the area, sharing his knowledge of Provost Marshall Cole's area of jurisdiction and methods, and offering related advisement. Waterman discussed Horace's wife Loverna and their daughter Theressa, who remained in Edmeston. He criticized Loverna's penchant for "new notions, and Castle Building" and her poor household management, and he recommended that she not join Horace in Canada. He also thought this was a good opportunity to teach Horace how to write letters (specifically capitalization) and provided details about laborers, agricultural product prices, and farm machinery. Horace's sister updated him on friends and family relationships, including the features of a newborn or infant baby. His mother added a note to let Horace know that she never forgets him.

This collection is comprised of two letters (six pages) to Horace Burlingham, who had fled to Canada as a deserter from the 9th New York Infantry Regiment (Hawkins Zouaves) during the American Civil War. His father Waterman, mother Amanda, and sister Mary Burlingham wrote joint letters to Horace in 1863, from their farm at Edmeston, New York. Waterman filled five pages of the letters, expressing relief that his son made it over the border, updating him on the status of other deserters from the area, sharing his knowledge of Provost Marshall Cole's area of jurisdiction and methods, and offering related advisement. Waterman discussed Horace's wife Loverna and their daughter Theressa, who remained in Edmeston. He criticized Loverna's penchant for "new notions, and Castle Building" and her poor household management, and he recommended that she not join Horace in Canada. He also thought this was a good opportunity to teach Horace how to write letters (specifically capitalization) and provided details about laborers, agricultural product prices, and farm machinery. Horace's sister updated him on friends and family relationships, including the features of a newborn or infant baby. His mother added a note to let Horace know that she never forgets him.

Please see the box and folder listing below for detailed information about each letter in the collection.

This collection is comprised of a 4-page letter from surveyor and scientist Cadwallader Colden to botanist John Frederic Gronovius (October 1, 1755), in which he enclosed 17 pages of his daughter Jane's botanical descriptions and leaf impressions (1755).

This collection is comprised of a 4-page letter from surveyor and scientist Cadwallader Colden to botanist John Frederic Gronovius (October 1, 1755), in which he enclosed 17 pages of his daughter Jane's botanical descriptions and leaf impressions (1755). Cadwallader Colden mentioned that his previous correspondence may have been delayed on account of the capture of the packet by privateers, remarked on women and botanical study, praised his daughter's willingness to collaborate on botanical projects (and her possible discover of new genera), and expressed his esteem for Carl Linnaeus and the Linnaean system. Colden also mentioned the Royal Garden at Paris and referred to other scientists, including "Dr. Haller" [Albrecht von Haller] and "Mr. Calm" [Peter Kalm].

Colden enclosed a sampling of Jane's botanical work which contains descriptions of plants (e.g. cup, flower, chives, pistil, cover of seed, seeds, seat of the seeds, root, stalk, leaves) and leaf impressions.

• No. 299: Diandria Monogynia
• No. 302: [No name present]
• No. 300: Tetriandria Digynia
• No. 241: Pentandria Trigynia
• No. 291: Didynamia Gymnospermia
• No. 216: [No name present]
• No. 215: [No name present]
• No. 296: Clinopodium (Mountain-Mint)
• No. 304: Monadelphia Polyandria
• No. 153: Polyadelphia Enneandria
• No. 297: Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua (Helenia)

• No. 153: Polyadelphia Enneandria
• No. 304: Monadelphia Plyandria
• No. 297: Syngenesia Polygamia Superflua (Helenia)
• [Not numbered]: Rubus
• No. 296: Clinopodium (Mountain-Mint)
• No. 291: Didynamia Gymnospermia
• No. 299: Diandria Monogynia
• No. 300: Tetriandria Digynia
• No. 216: [No name present]
• No. 215: [No name present]
• No. 302: [No name present]

A single newspaper clipping from December 14, 1765, accompanies the Colden manuscripts. The clipping includes the text of a letter received by Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden, which prompted his "declaration that he would have nothing to do with the Stamps [Stamp Act, 1765] till the arrival of Sir Henry Moore." The printed letter threatens death to Cadwallader Colden if he were to enforce the Stamp Act. The printed letter contains the text of two labels that were affixed to the effigies of enemies of American liberties hung in Boston on November 4 at the Tree of Liberty.

This collection is made up of 5 letters that members of the United States Army wrote to Captain Cameron Mackenzie from September 17, 1943-October 27, 1943. The soldiers commented primarily on military life.

This collection is made up of 5 letters that members of the United States Army wrote to Captain Cameron Mackenzie From September 17, 1943-October 27, 1943. The soldiers commented primarily on military life. Mackenzie received 4 letters from men that he had served with in the 170th Field Artillery Battalion or other units, and received one letter from his uncle, Lieutenant Colonel George H. Davis. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information.

An anonymous United States Army sergeant wrote these 3 letters (18 pages) to his mother while serving at Camp Hancock, Georgia, between August and December 1917. "Herb," a member of Company D, 103rd Engineer Regiment, reported on his regiment's work laying pipes and about several aspects of military life.

An anonymous United States Army sergeant wrote these 3 letters (18 pages) to his mother while serving at Camp Hancock, Georgia, between August and December 1917. "Herb," a member of Company D, 103rd Engineer Regiment, reported on his regiment's work laying pipes and on several aspects of military life.

In each of his letters, "Herb" encouraged his mother not to worry about him, and he took pride in his work with the military and in his continuing advancement through the ranks; he was expecting a commission as lieutenant. He also mentioned some of his regiment's duties, which included laying pipes for newly constructed buildings at Camp Hancock and building temporary bridges for other units on bivouac assignments. Herb described other aspects of camp life, such as the comings and goings of other soldiers and his leisure activities, which included trips to nearby Augusta and football games. In two of his letters, he discussed the reorganization of the army's cavalry and artillery units, and in one letter, he mentioned English and French guest officers' instruction in trench warfare (November 11, 1917).

This collection consists of three letters written by Carl B. Bauder of the 135th Field Artillery Regiment to his friend, Lieutenant Ralph F. Henn, during his service in France with the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War.

This collection consists of three letters written by Carl B. Bauder of the 135th Field Artillery Regiment to his friend, Lieutenant Ralph F. Henn, during his service in France with the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War. In his first letter, Bauder discussed his duties, which included operating a machine gun against enemy airplanes; as he wrote to his friend, "we… have about completed our overseas training whence we hope we will get our crack at the Hun in the very near future" (September 8, 1918). He also attached a copy of The Endeavor Weekly, a newsletter published by Cleveland's Euclid Avenue Christian Church "for our boys in service," which encourages its readers to send a letter or card to Carl, one of five soldiers selected to receive mail. In his second letter, written on September 29, he briefly related his unit's general movements, but still felt "a long way from cleaning up the hun with our little gun." His third and longest letter (8 pages), dated November 24, 1918, recounts his military experiences in greater detail, including his specific movements since June 1918, copied from his diary. In addition to expressing his relief at the happy outcome of Ralph's recent bout of influenza, the soldier reflected at length upon his military experiences: "Though our period in active service has been comparatively short, I think I have experienced most of the things which an artilleryman ordinarily would," he wrote, and mentioned field combat, watching aerial battles, and being attacked by a submarine en route to Europe. Two of the letters are composed on YMCA stationery.

This collection is made up of eight partially printed postcards addressed to Governor of New York Roswell P. Flower, respecting the trial of convicted murderer Carlyle Harris (1868-1893). Harris secretly married Mary Helen Potts in 1890. After a traumatic termination of pregnancy and ensuing family issues, Helen took medication tainted with a lethal dose of morphine given to her by Harris. These postcards are from citizens in New York, Chicago, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., offering their opinions on Harris' sentence. They suggest commuting his sentence to 10 years, examining him to find out if he suffered the effects of being "electro magnetised", endorsing capital punishment for the "devilish" crime, and believing that he was innocent.

This collection is made up of eight partially printed postcards addressed to Governor of New York Roswell P. Flower, respecting the trial of convicted murderer Carlyle Harris (1868-1893). Harris secretly married Mary Helen Potts in 1890. After a traumatic termination of pregnancy and ensuing family issues, Helen took medication tainted with a lethal dose of morphine. These postcards are from citizens in New York, Chicago, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., offering their opinions on Harris' sentence. They suggest commuting his sentence to 10 years, examining him to find out if he suffered the effects of being "electro magnetised", endorsing capital punishment for the "devilish" crime, and believing that he was innocent.

The Charles C. Pratt papers contain incoming letters to Pratt about two of his political campaigns: his unsuccessful bid for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1902 and his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1908.

The Charles C. Pratt papers (859 items) contain incoming letters to Pratt about two of his political campaigns: his unsuccessful bid for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1902 and his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1908.

Pratt's incoming Correspondence (837 letters) pertains to state-level politics in early 20th century Pennsylvania. Many letters written during the early stages of Pratt's 1902 campaign were optimistic, and some writers already considered the election effectively settled in Pratt's favor, particularly due to his affiliation with the Republican Party. Others exercised more caution. The collection also has telegrams from the night of the election (November 4, 1902) and letters from Pratt's friends expressing their disappointment in the outcome.

The second group of letters, apart from one 1905 item, documents Pratt's campaign for the United States House of Representatives in 1908. The Republican Congressional Committee sent letters prior to the election, but most items are congratulatory letters to Pratt written from November 4-6, 1908. Later items include requests for official appointments and recommendations of friends or family for particular positions. Some items have illustrated letterheads, including one with an illustration of whiskey bottles and a distillery (November 2, 1902) and one for the Beach Sanitarium, "Famous for the cure of cancer without the use of knife or plasters" (November 4, 1908).

• Completed but unsigned survey about the potential abolition of direct primaries
• Petition for "legislation providing for a system of parcels delivery on the rural mail delivery routes, and for the establishment of postal savings banks" (4 copies)
• Petition for creation of a National Highways Commission
• Typed list of "Republican Voters, New Milford Twp."
• Typed election results from two Pennsylvania elections (November 1902), with notes on the 1908 United States House of Representatives election

• Newspaper clipping about George W. Kipp's expenditures during a congressional campaign
• "A Toast" ending with the lines "Here's champagne to your real friends/And real pain to your sham friends"
• Wedding announcement for Frederick W. Poten and Mary Belle Cross (February 11, 1909)
• Printed text of "An Act. Punishing the Printing, Posting and Distributing of Any Libelous Circular or Poster or Other Written or Printed Paper" (June 26, 1895)
• Printed pamphlet entitled "Another Bank Cashier in Politics. Another Bank Gone to Smash! Startling Instance of Misplaced Public Confidence"
• Printed circular from Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association
• Printed speech of Charles Morningstar & Co., of New York, before the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
• Charles C. Pratt speech notes (3 items)
• Notes and fragments (4 items)

This collection comprises five letters apparently sent and received by Captain Edward Willoughby Anderson in correspondence with Miss Maria Davis in 1864. The letters concern life in Richmond and a Confederate soldier's perspective of the Civil War. Also present are two photographs taken in and after 1915 of Charles Freeland Penley, a Union soldier who captured the Anderson/Davis correspondence during the Civil War.

This collection comprises five letters apparently sent and received by Captain Edward Willoughby Anderson in correspondence with Miss Maria Davis in 1864. The letters concern life in Richmond and a Confederate soldier's perspective of the Civil War. Also present are two photographs taken in and after 1915 of Charles Freeland Penley, a Union soldier who captured the Anderson/Davis correspondence during the Civil War.

See the Box and Folder Listing below for details about each item in the collection.

This collection is made up of letters that Charles Valek wrote to Violet Goodman of Cleveland, Ohio, while serving in the United States Merchant Marine in 1919. He wrote about his leisure activities while stationed on the USS Meade in Boston Harbor and about his later assignment in Newport News, Virginia.

This collection is made up of 5 letters that Charles Valek wrote to Violet Goodman of Cleveland, Ohio, while serving in the United States Marine Corps between June and September 1919. His first 3 letters pertain to his service on the USS Meade in Boston Harbor in June and July. He explained his decision to join the merchant marines after finding it difficult to find work in Cleveland, discussed the difficulty of making friends despite meeting many different people, and commented on his leisure activities, such as attending "nudie picture shows" and a circus. Valek also stated his desire to travel to different countries. In August and September 1919, he wrote from Newport News, Virginia, eagerly anticipating his departure for a trip to Germany, though his ship remained in dry dock in early September.

This collection is made up of letters that Senator Christopher Ellery wrote to his wife Clarissa from Washington, D.C., in 1803. Ellery discussed his involvement in political discussions and his love for his absent wife and children.

This collection is made up of 3 letters that Senator Christopher Ellery wrote to his wife Clarissa from Washington, D.C., in and around 1803 (one item is undated). Ellery discussed his involvement in political conversations, including a meeting in which he addressed President Jefferson about "removals from office," an upcoming convention, and friendly encounters with other Congressmen. He also reflected on his separation from his wife and children, expressed his love for his family, and offered sympathy for his wife, who oversaw the household while he worked in Washington.

The Civil War Ambulance Corps records and Graham family accounts are housed in a single bound volume. Forty pages of reports concern the actions of the Union ambulance corps from 1863-1865, and 41 pages of household accounts (1870-1884) pertain to the Graham family.

The ambulance corps records (pages 1-41) consist of copied correspondence addressed to various chiefs of ambulance operations. Numerous ambulance corps commanders wrote about their activities along the front, sometimes including statistics, for battles such as Gettysburg (August 28, 1863), Wapping Heights [Manassas Gap] (September 2, 1863), and the Wilderness (July 1864). The records cover a variety of divisions of the Army of the Potomac, and several of the later reports originated from John R. Pancoast of the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. The final item in this series is dated April 22, 1865, and mentions several skirmishes during the last stages of the war.

The second part of the volume contains financial records tracking the household and private expenditures of the Graham family (pp. 43-84). Total household expenditure for this family totaled $2,018.94 in 1871, including expenses for food, fabrics, and other goods. Family members whose specific expenses were recorded include: J. J. Graham, Jane P. Graham, Anna M. Graham, George H. Graham, Carrie Bell Graham, and Rose Clarke.

The Clarence E. Burt papers primarily consist of letters that Burt wrote to his aunt and uncle, Addie and Charles H. Mosher of New Bedford, Massachusetts, while serving with the United States Army in France during the World War I. Burt described the scenery and aspects of life near the front lines.

The Clarence E. Burt papers contain 18 letters and postcards and 2 ephemera items pertaining to Burt's service in the United States Army during World War I. He wrote to his aunt and uncle, Addie and Charles H. Mosher of New Bedford, Massachusetts, about his experiences in France in 1918.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. Burt's letters and postcards pertain to his military service between June 1918 and December 1918. He discussed his voyage to France, expressed his love for Paris, and recorded his impressions of local towns, which were almost devoid of able-bodied men of fighting age. In August 1918, Burt spent roughly two weeks in a hospital devoted to bone and joint injuries after spraining his ankle in a shell hole. After returning to his surgical work on the front lines, he described conditions in his dugout, which had been taken from the Germans only days before: rats and lice kept him company in the "underworld cage" and he watched as men marched past him "to certain death" (October 20, 1918). Burt also reported the constant bombardment and seeing French villages destroyed by war. Pleased by Germany's capitulation, he hoped the peace terms would "wipe Germany off the map," and mentioned German atrocities and rotting horse carcasses (November 24, 1918). Despite his negative experiences, his letter of November 24, 1918, reveals his satisfaction with his ability to "do my share" by lessening the pain of injured soldiers.

The Ephemera series contains a printed program for a Thanksgiving Day Matinée for wounded soldiers, presented by the Red Cross (November 28, 1918), and an undated French pamphlet advertising Monte Carlo (undated).

This volume contains autographs and notes that Clement Stewart collected from fellow students at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in March 1864.

This volume contains autographs and notes that Clement Stewart collected from fellow students at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in March 1864. The front cover bears a gold-tooled illustration of a book of "Autographs," lying on a table beside a quill pen and inkwell; both covers have additional decorative tooling.

Stewart wrote the names of those he wished to contribute on blank pages of the volume before approaching his friends for their remarks, and many commented on the number of sheets he had assigned for them. Most wrote in letter format and gave their campus addresses with their signatures. They reminisced about college, referring to Stewart's "Moral Show"; "class politics" (related to the college); social activities; the first time they met Stewart; and aspects of Stewart's character. Some offered advice. Auxenicus Mari Piña Venezuela Hildreth Dickeson's note is a pun about the military draft ("Well, may you prosper in life & also in getting out of the draft for you might catch a cold."). The majority of these friends graduated with Stewart in 1864, though some underclassmen also contributed to the album.

This collection contains one letter, one circular advertisement, and three sketches related to James H. McFarlane's desire to have the St. Louis artistic firm Collins & Chambers design promotional posters for Cassie and Victoria Foster, the "Fairy Sisters."

This collection contains one letter, one circular advertisement, and three sketches related to James H. McFarlane's desire to have the St. Louis artistic firm Collins & Chambers design promotional posters for Cassie and Victoria Foster, the "Fairy Sisters." A printed advertising circular and manuscript letter, both dated October 16, 1872, provide the firm's credentials for creating "Show Paintings," including a list of similar performers recently depicted and the rates charged for various poster sizes. These are accompanied by three undated pencil drawings of possible poster designs; two claim that the sisters are the smallest people in the world, and other simply refers to them as part of "The Wonders of the World." Though one design is particularly heavy on text, all three depict the sisters, with two using normal-sized adults for comparative purposes, and seem to be located in an idyllic environment, possibly near a pond. Text on two of the posters gives the girls' ages as 10 and 3, and their weight as 12 pounds and 6 pounds, respectively.

This collection contains 3 letters written by members of the Coon and Howard families in Lakeview, Michigan; Waukee, Iowa; and Orchard Park, New York, in the late 1800s. The women of the Howard family contributed to each of the letters, describing their farms and sharing aspects of their everyday lives.

This collection contains 3 letters written by members of the Coon and Howard families of Lakeview, Michigan; Waukee, Iowa; and Orchard Park, New York, in the late 1800s. Hiram Cornwell of Lakeview, Michigan, wrote the first letter to his sister-in-law, Jane Coon of Belleville, New York, noting the difficulties of earning a living in Michigan (November 11, 1877). Phebe Howard contributed to the letter, suggesting that Jane move to Michigan, where land was cheap and weaving work was available.

Ida H. Elliott wrote the second letter to her mother from Waukee, Iowa, on September 22, 1889. Elliott discussed her work tending the house and farm, her children's school, her sale of chickens, and the quantities of crops they had stored, including potatoes, sweet corn, and apples.

Lena B. of Orchard Park, New York, sent the final letter to her sister, Miss E. Blanche Coon of Sandy Creek, New York (postmarked March 24, 1890); she commented on the family and described a trip to Buffalo, New York, including the cost of velvet and a photographer's rates.

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and newspaper clippings related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in a Native American burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860.

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and a newspaper clipping related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in an Indian burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860. The items were once bound together under the title "Hebrew Inscriptions alleged to have been dug up in Ohio, U.S.A." Wyrick wrote an 8-page letter to William Brockie, editor of The Sunderland Times, on September 8, 1860, about his archaeological exploits. He recounted his actions on June 29, 1860, the day of his discovery, describing the Newark burial mounds and the Hebrew-inscribed "Keystone" he discovered there. Wyrick addressed the possibility that he had been the victim of a hoax, but ultimately expressed his belief that the stone was a genuine ancient artifact, possibly a relic of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. His letter also refers to the draining of a nearby artificial pond, the durability of the logs located on its floor, and the discovery of several skeletons in a burial mound.

Wyrick's letters contain references to enclosed drawings and maps (which are present in the collection). Four colored drawings include two- and three-dimensional views of each of the Keystone's four inscribed faces, a diagram of the burial mound where Wyrick unearthed the artifact, and a cross-section of a mound containing several skeletons. Three of the manuscript maps are overhead views of the Newark earthworks, including copies of maps by Caleb Atwater (1820) and Squier and Davis (1848), and Wyrick's own detailed map (1860). A final manuscript map is a view of an artificial lake near Utica, Ohio (undated). Some of the visual materials have lengthy captions written on the verso.

The final items in the Wyrick collection are two newspaper clippings published in The Sunderland Times on October 6, 1860, regarding the Wyrick excavation. One article reprints several lengthy quotations from Wyrick's letter to William Brockie, and the other contains translations of the stone's Hebrew inscriptions.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that D. Bell, Jr., wrote to his parents in England while traveling in Canada during the summer of 1777. Bell discussed his uncomfortable transatlantic voyage, his leisure activities in North America, his relationship with a woman back home, and other subjects. His letters contain brief references to the colonial "Rebels" and to General John Burgoyne.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that D. Bell, Jr., wrote to his parents in England while traveling in Canada during the summer of 1777. Bell discussed his uncomfortable transatlantic voyage, his leisure activities in North America, his relationship with a woman back home, and other subjects. His letters contain brief references to the colonial "Rebels" and to General John Burgoyne. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

This collection contains 11 letters that Dennis McElhone wrote to his friend, Andrew B. Cochran of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1860. McElhone commented on life in Washington, D.C., where he worked as an assistant messenger for the United States House of Representatives, and remarked on political issues such as the presidential election of 1860.

This collection contains 11 letters that Dennis McElhone ("Denny") wrote to his friend, Andrew B. Cochran ("Andy") of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, from February 16, 1860-July 23, 1860. McElhone commented on life in Washington, D.C., where he worked as an assistant messenger for the United States House of Representatives. He wrote about political issues, such as possible nominees for the presidential election of 1860, and inquired about friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. McElhone expressed his support for the Democratic Party, but indicated his willingness to vote for a Republican candidate under certain circumstances. He also described differences between the North and the South, commented on sectionalism in politics, and mentioned mutual acquaintances and his plans to visit Pennsylvania. For more information, see the Detailed Box and Folder Listing below.

This collection contains 5 official copies of letters exchanged by United States Army officers regarding African American regiments in the Carrollton District of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1864. The writers discussed topics including courts martial, troop transfers, commemorations of the Emancipation Proclamation, and soldiers' wives and families.

This collection contains 5 official copies of letters exchanged by United States Army officers regarding African American regiments in the Carrollton District of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1864. The writers discussed topics including courts martial, troop transfers, commemorations of the Emancipation Proclamation, and soldiers' wives and families.

The box and folder list for this finding aid includes information about the contents of the letters in the collection.

This collection is made up of six letters (with five accompanying envelopes) from Confederate veteran Edward A. Roher to his friend E. P. Freeman, written from the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum in White Plains, New York. Freeman and Roher were fellow residents of the Home for Old Men and Aged Couples in New York City, or as Roher called it, "the Home." Roher wrote that "Mr. Cammon" [President of the Home, Hermann H. Cammann] placed him in the asylum and that only with his approval could Dr. Durham be convinced to send him back to the Home. In an undated letter, Roher wrote that a former matron of the Home had him removed because she was afraid he "was becoming mad or unmanageable of otherwise undesirable for a boarder." He also described his section of the asylum, lamented his loneliness and unhappiness at being retained against his will, and noted that he destroyed many of the letters he had written because they were "queer, disconnected, ridiculous, and useless."

This collection is made up of six letters (with five accompanying envelopes) from Confederate veteran Edward A. Roher to his friend E. P. Freeman, written from the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum in White Plains, New York. Freeman and Roher were fellow residents of the Home for Old Men and Aged Couples in New York City, or as Roher called it, "the Home."

Roher wrote that "Mr. Cammon" [President of the Home, Hermann H. Cammann] placed him in the asylum and that only with his approval could Dr. Durham be convinced to send him back to the Home. In an undated letter, Roher wrote that a former matron of the Home had him removed because she was afraid he "was becoming mad or unmanageable of otherwise undesirable for a boarder." He also described his section of the asylum, lamented his loneliness and unhappiness at being retained against his will, and noted that he destroyed many of the letters he had written because they were "queer, disconnected, ridiculous, and useless."

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Photographs are also included.

The Edwin F. Belden friendship album (25cm x 18cm, 141 pages) contains autographs (sometimes accompanied by poems or other inscriptions), newspaper clippings, and biographical notes by and related to New York politicians, Civil War soldiers, and other individuals. Included are 112 salted paper and 3 albumen photographic portraits. The album has a hard cover with Belden's name and a decorative border stamped in gold on the front. Plates on the inside of the front and back covers feature a patriotic eagle and banner with the slogan "The Federal Union it must be preserved" and of a building used as "Republican Head Quarters" in 1860.

The first 37 pages contain signatures from members of the New York State Assembly, where Belden was a messenger in the early 1850s. Some politicians accompanied their signatures with brief personal message for Belden, often including well wishes and advice. Many signers recorded the name of the district they represented, and most dated their contributions April 16, and 17, 1851. This section of the album is followed by other autographs that Belden solicited in the mid-1850s, as well as an endorsement from his employers Lemuel Jenkins and C. Ten Broeck (November 22, 1852, p. 41).

The remaining contents, dated 1860-1866, are comprised of small photographic portraits, brief biographical notes, inscriptions, autographs, and newspaper clippings related to a variety of individuals, including many men who served in the Civil War. One page of individual full-length portraits represents members of the Albany Zouave Cadets with military equipment and musical instruments. Belden labeled most of the photographs and often included notes about the subjects' dates of death. Several entries include copied correspondence, inscriptions and autographs, and obituaries or other news articles. Contributors included former New York Governors Washington Hunt and John A. King; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and Samuel Streeter, a former delegate representing Albany at The Colored Men's Convention of 1840 (also pictured, October 30, 1860, p. 63). A letter from William F. Russell, a former member of the state legislature, is laid into the volume after the autographs (April 19, 1886).

Eliza Ross wrote a daily diary for her child (or children) while traveling from Boston, Massachusetts, to Ipswich, England, on the Havilah in the fall of 1875. She commented on weather patterns, meals, aquatic animals, the ship's crew, and visits to the shore.

Eliza Ross wrote a 26-page daily diary for her child (or children) while traveling from Boston, Massachusetts, to Ipswich, England, on the Havilah from August 21, 1875-October 13, 1875. She commented on weather patterns, meals, aquatic animals, the ship's crew, and visits to the shore. The journal is written on loose pages.

Most entries focus on Ross's daily experiences and activities, and she often mentioned the meals she ate on the ship and (later) on shore. At sea and in port, Ross observed birds, fish, and dolphins, and she commented on the scenery during the Havilah's travels along Britain's southern shore. On one occasion, several men onboard caught a hawk (September 19, 1875). Ross discussed some aspects of the crew's daily routine, characterized the captain as a disciplinarian (September 29, 1875), and reported her "conclusion that a woman is no use at sea" (August 26, 1875). When the Havilah arrived at the Isles of Scilly, Ross and her traveling companion, George, telegraphed her mother to inform her of their safe arrival. Ross described the Isles of Scilly, though she did not visit the shore (September 27, 1875-September 28, 1875), and her shore excursions near Falmouth (September 29, 1875-October 1, 1875) and Ipswich (October 4, 1875-October 13, 1875).

This collection contains two letters Francis H. Webster wrote to his siblings while serving with the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment in 1863. Webster described several aspects of camp life and provided his opinions about the conduct of the war.

This collection contains two letters Francis H. Webster wrote to his siblings while serving with the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment in 1863. Webster described several aspects of camp life and provided his opinions about the conduct of the war. When his wife Susan joined the regiment near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Webster remarked about the impact that female assistance had on the troops. He also related rumors about the Confederate Army, then heading into Pennsylvania, while both armies prepared for the engagement at Gettysburg, July 1-3. He offered his opinions on a variety of subjects; for example, on military leadership, he wrote: "No wonder this war is not settled…way it car[ri]ed on, drunken Genrals & so on" (July 26, 1863).

Private Frank J. Gurtler sent these 3 letters to his sister, Isabella Jones of Rochester, New York, while serving with the 108th United States Infantry's hospital corps at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, in late 1917.

Private Frank J. Gurtler sent these 3 letters (22 pages) to his sister, Isabella Jones of Rochester, New York, while serving with the 108th United States Infantry hospital corps at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, in late 1917. He responded to news of home, asked about Isabella's children, and reported his receipt of packages. He commented on his attempts to stay warm at night; his work as a dental assistant, helping to pull teeth and prepare for dental fillings; and the Camp Wadsworth soldiers' purchase of $2,000,000 in Liberty Bonds. In his two December letters, Gurtler wrote about the camp's Christmas celebrations. The letters are written on YMCA stationery.

The Gabriel-Marie-Théodore-Joseph d'Hédouville Collection is made up of 17 incoming and outgoing letters, drafts, and documents pertinent to d'Hédouville's time as French commissioner to Saint-Domingue. Dating between January 26 and December 18, 1798, d'Hédouville's communicated with Governor-General Toussaint Louverture, André Rigaud, Spanish Governor of Santo Domingo Joaquín García, and others. The manuscripts pertain to military, naval, and political affairs in Revolutionary Haiti; a still stolen from physician "Citoyen Ferrié" and spirited away to Santo Domingo; and French Royalists in exile in Guadeloupe.

The Gabriel-Marie-Théodore-Joseph d'Hédouville Collection is made up of 17 incoming and outgoing letters, drafts, and documents pertinent to d'Hédouville's time as French commissioner to Saint-Domingue. Dating between January 26 and December 18, 1798, d'Hédouville communicated with Governor-General Toussaint Louverture, André Rigaud, Spanish Governor of Santo Domingo Joaquín García, and others. The manuscripts pertain to military, naval, and political affairs in Revolutionary Haiti; a still stolen from physician "Citoyen Ferrié" and spirited away to Santo Domingo; and French patriots in exile in Guadeloupe.

Please see the box and folder listing below for details about each item in the collection.

The George Ballantine collection contains 8 letters that Ballantine wrote to his brother, William A. Ballantine, in 1865, as well as 1 letter by an officer in Ballantine's regiment. The letters concern Ballantine's internment in Libby Prison and his subsequent imprisonment by the Union Army for unspecified reasons.

The George Ballantine collection contains 8 letters that Ballantine wrote to his brother, William A. Ballantine, in 1865, as well as 1 letter by an officer in Ballantine's regiment. The letters concern Ballantine's internment in Libby Prison and his subsequent imprisonment by the Union Army for reasons unknown. One broadside is also present.

George Ballantine wrote 8 letters from June-November 1865, while attempting to muster out of the Union Army following his lengthy imprisonment. He discussed his detention by the Union Army and his ongoing efforts to clear his name. Ballatine often mentioned the legal aspects of his case, which he believed put him in double jeopardy. In his letter of June 10, 1865, he asked William to write to the commanding general on his behalf and included a brief history of his imprisonment, suggesting that his arrest related to an escape from Libby Prison; he did not provide further details about the specific charges against him. Throughout the summer, he tried to return to his regiment and muster out, despite the fact that his term of service had expired the previous October. As of November 4, 1865, Ballatine was at Richmond, where he anticipated being mustered out within the week. The collection includes a letter from a Union Army major regarding George's case, as well as a printed memorial broadside for members of the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regiment, Battery F.

The George A.C. Barnett papers consists of a set of letters written to a woman named "Dotty" between November 30, 1864, and December 25, 1864, while Barnett was serving as 1st Lieutenant in the 17th New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry.

The correspondence of George A.C. Barnett consists of a set of 27 letters written to a woman named "Dotty" between the dates of November 30, 1864, and December 25, 1864. The letters were written from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Just as Barnett arrived in Tennessee, the railroad was cut, making it impossible to send or receive mail. As a result, Barnett collected his daily correspondence, numbered each page, and eventually sent the batch of letters as a collected work. The letters, totaling 192 pages, describe Barnett's daily activities, thoughts, and feelings.

A small printed etching of the Three Graces is affixed to the November 30th letter. Pen and ink drawings illustrate the letters of December 18th (a man in tall boots), 19th (a pair of elegant "breeches"), and 20th (a horse).

This collection is made up of 7 letters that George Franklin Lee of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote to his father, wife, and son while traveling in 1844. He described the scenery, towns, and people that he encountered along the Ohio River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Illinois River, and Great Lakes.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that George Franklin Lee of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wrote to his father, wife, and son while traveling through in 1844. He described the scenery, towns, and people that he encountered along the Ohio River, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Illinois River, and Great Lakes.

Lee's letters (approximately 20 pages) are dated from April-May 1844. He wrote 4 letters from St. Louis and Independence, Missouri, and 1 letter each from Chicago, Illinois; Buffalo, New York; and Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. Lee traveled by river steamers, including the Valley Forge, Lexington, Jasper, Panama, Bunker Hill, and Emerald. He reported the names and populations of cities and towns he passed and visited, and often compared them to northeastern cities. He occasionally encountered migrants headed west.

While in Missouri, Lee visited Indian agents and spent time with the Shawnee and Kickapoo Indians, noted the denominations of local religious missions, and described some aspects of Native American life. He also responded to news of his family's health, mentioned his business affairs, and commented on riots in Philadelphia. On his return journey from Missouri, Lee traveled on the Great Lakes, where he saw Mackinac Island and Detroit, Michigan, and Cleveland, Ohio. After reaching New York, he visited Niagara Falls, where he hiked behind one of the waterfalls and discussed English customs in Canada. One letter includes an engraving of the Cathedral of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri (postmarked May 11, [1844]).

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family, while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

Young addressed his letters to his parents, George H. and Rebecca Young, and to his brother, Jacob B. Young. He occasionally signed his letters "Hardesty." He described his experiences at Vicksburg during the Union occupation, and recorded his impressions of African Americans and captured Confederate soldiers (April 24, 1864). Young expressed fondness for military life, which he preferred to farm work, and provided details about camp life and the size of his battery. In one letter, he suggested that his brother Jacob ride to Vicksburg to collect his pay, though he anticipated difficulties along the route, such as possible capture by Confederate forces (April 24, 1864). He drew a picture of a person carrying a letter (May 2, 1864), and wrote 3 letters on stationery from the United States Christian Commission.

Ensign George W. Kressbach wrote 16 letters to his family in Monroe, Michigan, while serving on the USS LCI(R)-770 in the Pacific during the spring and summer of 1945. He commented on military life, discussed his relationship with his girlfriend, responded to news from home, and briefly described his experiences while on leave.

Ensign George W. Kressbach wrote 16 letters to his family in Monroe, Michigan, while serving on the USS LCI(R)-770 in the Pacific during the spring and summer of 1945. He commented on military life, discussed his relationship with his girlfriend, responded to news from home, and briefly described his experiences while on leave.

Kressbach addressed most of his letters to his mother, Harriet ("Hattie") Nieman Kressbach, though he intended his letters to be read by the entire family. He listed the names of the locations he visited, including Eniwetok Atoll, Guam, the Philippines, and Okinawa. He provided his family with a description of Manila, including the Walled City (or Intramuros district) and the effects of recent bombing raids (July 30, 1945). Kressbach also wrote about his lodgings and meals onboard the ship, and books he had read. While stationed near Samar, Philippines, in early September, he commented briefly on the island boats and on trade between American sailors and Filipinos. In one letter to his father, he privately discussed his financial concerns. Many of Kressbach's letters contain his responses to his mother's questions, and he occasionally mentioned his girlfriend, Dorothy.

This collection is made up of ten energetic and at times impolite letters from sailor George S. Payne to his cousin Fayette W. Pierce, 1838-1845, and two miscellaneous incoming letters to Pierce. Payne wrote six letters from areas around New York City, both on land and shipboard (the brig Erie, bark Chancellor, and schooner Laurel), describing his leisure activities, attendance at church services, preparations for sailing, and a robbery of items on his boat. On arriving back at New York from a voyage to Buenos Aries, Argentina, in June 1842, he vividly described political assassinations and executions under General Juan Manuel de Rosas. The same year, he wrote a diatribe against the Thanksgiving holiday, focusing on the inhumane treatment of farm animals. Payne suffered from rheumatism and spent part of 1845 receiving treatment near Tampa, Florida, and recovering in St. Louis, Missouri. One of the remaining letters to Pierce, from J. F. Payne in 1857, includes a vivid and poetic description of travel to Florence, Nebraska.

Please see the box and folder listing below for details about the contents of each letter.

The Grace D. Banker collection contains letters, photographs, and newspaper clippings written by or relating to Grace D. Banker, a telephone operator who served during World War I as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe with the American Expeditionary Forces.

Banker sent two letters to Georgette Poulard, an American immigrant of French origin. On April 8, 1918, in French, Grace Banker informed her friend that she did not see any submarines on the voyage to France, described her appreciation for the French countryside, and gardens, and assured her that she did not carry a revolver as she was not in danger. On September 10, 1918, Banker wrote about the news of her father's death, the picturesque quality of her surroundings, and her current lodgings in a French home. Accompanying the letters are three empty envelopes addressed to Poulard, one containing a newspaper clipping about Banker's decoration and some plant material in a small envelope labelled "My Four and Five and six/leaf clovers/Georgette/Poulard."

The collection includes a silver gelatin portrait photograph of Grace Banker in uniform, mounted in a separated trifold photo mat. A contemporary newspaper clipping, "First Passaic Girl to join the Army," includes a newsprint reproduction of the portrait; it is pasted on the damaged mat.

This collection consists of a commonplace book (approximately 50 pages) compiled by Ann Greene after 1790, and an account of a 44-day voyage John Grew and his family took from Liverpool to Boston in the summer of 1795. The 22-page travel diary also includes an 8-page copy of a letter Mary Grew, John Grew's mother, wrote to her family in England upon her arrival in Boston.

This collection consists of a commonplace book (approximately 50 pages) compiled by Ann Greene after 1790, and an account of a 44-day voyage John Grew and his family took from Liverpool to Boston in the summer of 1795. The 22-page travel diary also includes an 8-page copy of a letter Mary Grew, John Grew's mother, wrote to her family in England upon her arrival in Boston.

Ann Greene's commonplace book has two parts: 33 pages of transcribed poetry (24 poems) begin at the front cover, and 15 additional pages of personal reflections and letter drafts begin at the back cover. Much of the poetry was originally written by British authors whose work circulated widely in the eighteenth century, such as James Boswell, James Thomson, William Cowper, and Elizabeth Singer Rowe. Greene occasionally recorded the volume and page from which she transcribed poems. The other portion of the volume contains personal resolutions about making good use of one's time, interspersed with light-hearted notes about beaux or friends.

The travel diary records the Grew family's emigration from Birmingham England, to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1795. Daily entries, written between May 23 and July 8, 1795, detail several aspects of the voyage, such as the weather, passing ships, maritime wildlife, and the ship's progress. The diarist also mentioned an instance when another vessel mistook their ship for a French privateer, and the effects of a tumultuous storm.

The final 8 pages contain a copy of a letter Mary Coltman Grew (1756-1834) wrote to her mother in England from Boston, Massachusetts (July 24, 1795). She detailed her initial impressions of the city and of local customs. Among other topics, she reflected on the climate, housing, servants, dress, food, and religious customs. She also related an anecdote about Benjamin Franklin, who reportedly distributed printed cards to strangers in order to preempt any inquiries about him.

The Haiti collection contains approximately 132 items related to the social, military, and economic history of Haiti from the mid-18th century through the 19th century. The collection includes correspondence, documents, and a scrapbook. The scrapbook, compiled by Victor Advielle, chronicles the history of the island from 1803, during the last stages of its revolution, through the 1890s.

The Haiti collection contains approximately 130 items related to the social, military, and economic history of Haiti from the mid-18th century through the 19th century. The collection includes correspondence, documents, visual material, and a scrapbook. The scrapbook, compiled by Victor Advielle, chronicles the history of the island from 1803, during the last stages of its revolution, through the 1890s.

• Bonneau et Avril DS, Journal des travaux..., September 1780. La Grande Plaine, [St. Domingue]. Beginning with a list of enslaved persons by profession/type of labor or other details (six women, for example, are indicated as free per the will of M. Baugé). The journal follows, indicating plantation events and the distribution of enslaved workers at different labor or at the hospital. With content related to mill work, sugar production, placing persons in irons, and more.
• Lory, Plombard & Co. ALS to Mr. Guillaumier; November 6, 1783. Cap. News of his brother, finances, and matters relating to enslaved persons (including their health).
• [Jean-Baptiste] Arnaudeau ALS to Madame Veuve Fleuriau, January 26, 1788; Bellevue, [Saint Domingue]. To his aunt, offering condolences on the death of her husband. Recommends buying the Fortin land as it is good for cultivating sugar cane. Purchase of enslaved persons for a good price (10 men and 2 women). Production of sugar and land on the Fleuriau plantation.
• Legal document from 1790 relating to the complicated distribution of Pierre Douault's estate, including the coffee plantation he owned in Saint Domingue.
• Delaire, Painparay & La Maiguere ALS to M. Peyrac, 1791 December 24; Nantes, [France]. 2 pages. Has received news from Port-au-Prince about the ratification of the treaty between "les Blancs & les Gens de couleur." Comments on how the gens de couleur have dictated the law, which is harsh against whites, but upholding it supports peace and protects property holders.
• [Pierre-César-Charles, marquis de] Sercey Partially Printed DS to "l'enseigne St. Prix," 1793 September 1; [New York, New York], 1 page. In French. Written near the New York harbor aboard theÉole . Orders from Commander of the Leeward Islands, "Le Commandant de la Station des Iles de L'Amérique Sous Le Vent," to embark on the frigate Surveillante to continue the ship's service. On illustrated letterhead with a decorative header; the portion featuring three fleurs-de-lis is inked out. N.B. Sercey commanded a fleet of ships carrying colonists fleeing from St. Domingue during the Haitian Revolution to New York and then on to France.
• British officer L. Dichter letter, describing Haiti as the "Devil's own Country"; July 4, 1796.
• An autographed letter by Toussaint L'Ouverture, written on his personal stationery; [1796].
• Citoyen Dodge Gorham and Dodge Gorham et Compagnie partially printed certificates (2) and manuscript document (1) pertinent to the shipment of goods, including beef, on the ship Zéphir (Zephyr) September 12, 1797. Le Cap.
• A deposition providing a firsthand account of revolutionary activity in 1793; October 25, 1799.
• Lovise Munroe manuscript protest, 14 Fructidor [September 1, 1800]; Môle Saint-Nicolas, Saint Domingue. 6 pages. Official notary copy of the protest of Lovise Munroe, captain of the Schooner Two Brothers of Boston, which sailed out of Philadelphia bound with goods consigned to merchant John Lewis at Cap Français. Was forced into the port at Môle Saint-Nicolas, "having been Contraried by the Winds & Weather." General Hyacinthe Moïse ordered that Munroe would "be so good to land All the Articles Useful to the State, such as, Tar, Pitch, Gun-Powder, Muskets, Swords, Pistols, Lead, Bunting, Tin and Flints, these articles will be deposited in the Arsenal in the Manner Order'd and Citn. [Mansey] Colin charged with the sale of the Surplus of the Cargo, will take the Arrangements he shall think most suitable with General Moyse, for the reimbursement of these Articles and the best of his Interest." After the goods were sold, Lewis claimed that he did not receive any compensation for the long sojourn in Môle Saint-Nicolas, but instead needed money to pay for flour, cloth, and cordage for the vessel's use.
• Robert McTaggart letter to Philadelphia merchants [John Reed, Standish Forde, and Samuel Israel]; January 18, 1804. Cap Français. Respecting trade issues, stagnant markets, spoiled produce, government restrictions on coffee purchases. Reference to ships at harbor and difficulties with French privateers.
• Letter to Martin[-Pierre] Foache, April 6, 1804. Au Cap. Describes persecution of white residents preceding the massacre ordered by Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
• A ca. 1815 legal summary of a case regarding the difficulties of collecting bills in post-revolutionary Saint Domingue. References the inability of the French merchant Reveliere to establish a trading house in Saint Domingue around 1802, which forced him to sell his cargo with a military contractor, but payment was later suspended by a governmental decree. Notes the impact on third-party bearers of the bills.
• B[elfast] Burton [draft letters?] to [Richard Allen?], [1825]; Semana, Haiti. 2 pages. Two letters on opposite sides of a single sheet. Discussion of issues with Pierre Joseph Marie Granville (Jonathas Granville), governance, authority, "there is nothing equal to truth & honesty and industry..." Politics, meddling of Alexander, support but apprehensions regarding President Jean-Pierre Boyer, and the campaign to promote African American immigration to the Republic of Haiti.
• Eugène-Léopold-François Pesnel DS petition to Faustin Soulouque, [1856?]; Cherbourg, [France]. 14 pages. Petition by Pesnel, requesting Empereur Soulouque to grant compensation to Marie Jeanne Pesnel, his mother, for property and proceeds lost as a result of the Haitian Revolution. Marie's father Thomas de Launay owned dwellings north of Cap Français and in Borgne. He had lived in Saint Domingue for 45 years before his death in 1781. The properties, including a cafeterie, had an annual profit of around 300,000 francs. The capital was 6,000,000 francs, which would have increased considerably in the hands of merchant de Launay and his descendants. Pesnel's request include a lengthy affirmation of his Republican sentiments, love of freedom, and dislike of slavery. The last page of the petition includes a transcription of a baptismal record of Marie Jeanne de Launay.

Other items are two photographs, a copy of L'Écho de la Timbrologie that traces the history of Haiti (January 31, 1954), a Carte de l'Isle de Saint Domingue ([1759], housed in the Map Division), a 1788 postmark from "Cap Haitien," and a newletter about French colonial postmarks.

Victor Advielle compiled the scrapbook, entitled Notes sur Haiti, in Paris in 1895. In addition to newspaper clippings, speeches, correspondence, and government documents, the volume has a piece of music entitled "Les paroles sont de Mr. de la Soriniere danjou, Et la Musique de Mr. Boran de St. Domingue." The scrapbook pertains to Haiti's 19th-century history. The section entitled "Ma Correspondence avec Légitime" contains personal correspondence between Victor Advielle and François Denys Légitime, who later became president of Haiti (1888-1889). The material within the scrapbook is in French.

The collection consists of twenty-one illustrated letters written by Hank Hanft around 1919 to his approximately five-year-old brother Robbie, likely in or near Wisconsin. The letters were written using block letters, likely to assist a young child's ability to read them, and feature the use of pencil, crayon, and watercolors to produce drawings and paintings. The illustrations include scenes of fishing, farming, and hunting, and objects such as animals and plants, boats, and household and agricultural goods. Hank also wrote moralizing stories, often about animals or children.

The collection consists of twenty-one illustrated letters written by Hank Hanft around 1919 to his approximately five-year-old brother Robbie, likely in or near Wisconsin. The letters were written using block letters, likely to assist a young child's ability to read them, and feature the use of pencil, crayon, and watercolors to produce drawings and paintings. The illustrations include scenes of fishing, farming, and hunting, and objects such as animals and plants, boats, and household and agricultural goods.

Hank also wrote moralizing stories, often about animals or children, with lessons such as, "Never Be Late," "Always Go to Sunday School," "When You Fight, Soak the Other Boy, But Don't Talk and Swear About It," among others. Two items relate to witches, one a watercolor painting of a Halloween scene with a witch flying on a broomstick and the other a short story about an old lady who refused to eat and turned into a witch. Only one letter is dated in the collection, written from Hank to his father on May 3, 1919, requesting financial support to cover housing costs, suggesting Hank may have been a young adult or attending school away from home.

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

Thirty-five of Langnecker's letters (dated March 28, 1918, to October 22, 1918), bear numbers between 7 and 55, apparently comprising part of a series. He wrote most frequently about his duties, which included overseeing a spa and performing surgical operations; he often provided anecdotes about his relationships and interactions with co-workers. Several letters pertain to Langnecker's relationship with his wife, and he discouraged her from attempting to join him in France (July 21, 1918). Langnecker mentioned visits to "Castle Brahau." Though he focused on life at the hospital, he shared his negative opinions of Belgian citizens (April 6, 1918) and nurses (August 31, 1918), and he discussed the potential consequences of women remaining in the workforce after the war (September 23, 1918). Two of Langnecker's letters have enclosures: a newspaper clipping with a photograph of William Sowden Sims and an advertisement. Langnecker drew a diagram of his bedroom in his letter of October 16, 1918.

This collection contains 7 letters that Helen Eastman received in 1943 from Lee Blanchard, Therald Eastman, and H. W. Woodward, as well as 1 undated letter, 1 printed poem, and 1 pencil sketch. The men discussed their service in the United States Army and Navy; Blanchard described his experiences in North Africa and Italy.

This collection contains 7 letters that Helen Eastman received in 1943 from Lee Blanchard, Therald Eastman, and H. W. Woodward, as well as 1 undated letter, 1 printed poem and 1 pencil sketch.

Private First Class Lee Blanchard wrote 5 letters to Helen Eastman between June 27, 1943, and November 25, 1943, while serving with the 10th Field Hospital in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He described the scenery from his travels and responded to news she sent from home. While in Sicily, he visited catacombs; he also remarked on ancient Greek and Roman ruins in Italy and in Constantinople.

On July 15, 1943, Seaman Second Class H. W. Woodward ("Willis") wrote to Helen Eastman from the United States Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island, where he attended storekeeper's school. He related news of family and friends, and reported that he planned to graduate in August. Helen's cousin Therald Eastman wrote to the Eastman family on December 16, 1943, thanking them for a Christmas gift and reporting on his courses at the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The final letter to Helen Eastman, an undated item signed by "Maurice," pertains to the Christmas season and provides family news.

The collection also contains a printed fragment of a poem entitled "Two Opinions," which presents a boy's opinion on the opposite sex, and a pencil drawing of a person in a high-collared uniform.

The collection consists of a 172-page diary, composed in the summer of 1906 (July 3-Sept. 2) about Helen Moorhouse’s experience as a hired musician at a hotel on Cape Cod, and a series of 32 letters that Moorhouse wrote from the Nichewaug Inn in Petersham, Massachusetts, to Alice E. Brown, the woman with whom she was romantically involved, in the summer of 1915.

The collection consists of a 172-page diary, composed in the summer of 1906 (July 3-Sept. 2) about Helen Moorhouse’s experience as a hired musician at a hotel on Cape Cod, and a series of 32 letters that Moorhouse wrote from the Nichewaug Inn in Petersham, Massachusetts, to Alice E. Brown, the woman with whom she was romantically involved, in the summer of 1915. The diary includes numerous photographs, concert programs, and other clippings related to her summer. Both the diary and correspondence reflect Moorhouse’s interests in music, botany, art, and reading.

I. Diary, 1906

Helen Moorhouse’s 172-page diary from the two months she spent as a contracted musician at the Hotel Mattaquason in Chatham, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1906 offers a detailed account of daily life at a summer resort on Cape Cod.

Positioned somewhere between the hotel’s wait-staff and guests, Helen and her fellow trio members, Mary Molly Durgin and E. Isabel Foster, performed twice each day, but otherwise seem to have spent much of their time reading, sewing, and going on outings to the beach or into the village of Chatham. The diary entries record these activities, along with anecdotes about the hotel guests and employees, with particular attention paid to how the music the trio prepared and performed was selected and received. Other figures that appear throughout the diary are Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Wilkey, the Hotel Mattaquason’s proprietors; hotel guest Mrs. Edward Arthur James, of Chicago, and her son Sydney L. James, a violinist who often played with the Middlesex Trio over the course of the summer; Miss Ellen L. Cabot, a hotel guest who frequently commented on the trio’s music; Miss Haddock, a guest who also performed music; and Mr. Middlemass, the hotel’s head waiter and a student at Harvard. Other entries of note include a lengthy description of ice on the Great Lakes (29-31), the visits of an Armenian trader to the hotel (59; 113), a description of meeting journalist Lillian Whiting, who wrote The House Beautiful (83), and the complaints of an old crank of a Women’s Club Woman (99-103).

The journal contains various pieces of ephemera related to the concerts, activities, and places described in the written entries. These additions include 65 photographs (18 of which are cyanotypes), of beach scenes, the village of Chatham, the hotel, and its guests and staff; 2 real photo postcards; 2 hand-drawn sketches, one a diagram of her room and the other the view from her window; 2 news clippings; 6 concert programs from the Middlesex Trio’s performances at the Mattaquason; 3 visiting cards; 4 dinner menus from the hotel; a letter of music recommendations from Mr. Herbert H. White; and several other miscellaneous pieces of the hotel’s promotional literature. A couple of the photographs show men outfitted in dresses to play a hybrid game of baseball and tennis with the ladies of the hotel (132-133).

Moorhouse seems, in part, to have kept the diary as a record of the summer to share later with her parents, who were themselves vacationing for part of the summer at the shore in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.

II. Correspondence, [1915]

This portion of the collection consists of thirty-two letters that Helen Moorhouse wrote between the end of June and mid-August 1915 to Alice E. Brown, a widow with whom she was romantically involved.

Moorhouse was in the midst of a nine-week contract to perform as a member of a music trio at the Nichewaug Inn in the central Massachusetts town of Petersham, while Brown was at home in Melrose, just outside Boston. During their time at the Nichewaug, Moorhouse and her fellow musicians, Susie Wells and a Miss Wilson, tended to practice music or paint landscape scenes in the mornings and performed each afternoon and evening in the hotel’s music room. The letters also reveal her keen interest in botany, art, and reading. In particular, she spent much of the summer reading the works of American philosopher John Fiske, whose son was the proprietor of the Nichewaug, as well as a history of architecture.

Moorhouse’s account of her days at the Nichewaug are interspersed with outpourings of longing for Alice, her Dear Heart, and candid reflections about how the couple was negotiating the familial and financial terrain of their relationship. News about Brown’s two children, Effie and George, as well as Moorhouse’s aunts feature prominently in the correspondence. A couple of the letters additionally contain Moorhouse’s thoughts on current events, including World War I, women’s suffrage, and the status of Native Americans living on reservations. In one of the letters, she included sketches of British war posters that a group of women fundraising for Belgian refugees had brought to the hotel to display and sell.

Henry A. Peck of Bristol, Connecticut, wrote 3 letters to his brother Tracy while serving in Company I of the 10th Connecticut Infantry Regiment in Virginia in 1864. He commented on the soldiers' opinion of General Benjamin Butler, the upcoming presidential election, and skirmishes with Confederate troops, among other topics.

Henry A. Peck of Bristol, Connecticut, wrote 3 letters (10 pages) in 1864 to his brother Tracy while serving in Company I of the 10th Connecticut Infantry Regiment along the James River. Each of his letters mentions recent military engagements between Union and Confederate troops, mostly skirmishes or shelling. He often reported soldiers' complaints about General Benjamin Butler, including his own opinion of Butler, and expressed his support for Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. Peck believed that Union Army soldiers would strongly support Lincoln if allowed to vote, and briefly wrote about rumors of Copperhead political tactics in New York. Peck's first two letters are dated from Bermuda Hundred, Virginia (June 8, [1864]), and Deep Bottom, Virginia (July 17, 1864), and his third letter from the United States General Hospital at Fort Monroe (October 30, [1864]).

This collection is comprised of 14 illustrated letters that Henry Brevoort Eddy of Mamaroneck, New York, wrote to Louise Lyman, a friend living in Tarrytown, New York, and London, England. Eddy discussed his social life in Tuxedo Park, Mamaroneck, and New York City, and illustrated each letter with multiple (often humorous) ink drawings.

This collection is comprised of 14 illustrated letters that Henry Brevoort Eddy of Mamaroneck, New York, wrote to Louise Lyman, a friend living in Tarrytown, New York, and London, England. Eddy wrote 4 letters from New York City and Tuxedo Park, New York, between July and September 1895; he discussed a heat wave affecting Tuxedo Park and the surrounding area, as well as Sunday excursions in New York City, illustrated with cartoon portraits of beachgoers and a ferry boat. While in Tuxedo Park, he wrote of and illustrated sporting activities such as golf, bicycle riding, and tennis. A humorous drawing in his letter of August 12, 1895, shows a man and a woman quivering after a loud burst of thunder. In his other undated letters, he described and illustrated aspects of his social life and leisure activities, which included his frequent attendance at the Harvard Club in New York City. He often wrote his letters on Harvard Club stationery.

Eddy shared his observations on topics such as the effects of bicycling on women and commented on Lyman's letters and letter-writing habits. He occasionally mentioned his artistic work, including his upcoming posters for the New York Ledger and his desire to make his living drawing cartoons. Accompanying illustrations depict Eddy and others reading, and include several sketched cartoon portraits. Many of Eddy's drawings and observations were humorous, and on one occasion his work prompted him to depict himself as the devil drawing cartoons. Two illustrations show men fighting, and 3 refer to "Carl," an African-American acquaintance. One letter dated "July 8" includes a newspaper clipping of a poem Eddy composed, illustrated with several small, refined drawings and titled "This Is the House That Jack Built."

The Hiland H. Weaver papers contain 11 letters written by an officer of the 3rd Iowa Independent Light Battery during his service in the western theater of the Civil War.

The Hiland H. Weaver papers contain 11 letters written by an officer of the 3rd Iowa Independent Light Battery during his service in the western theater of the Civil War. In his early letters, written in 1861, Weaver described camp life and his unit's eagerness to see action. On December 14, 1861, he said, "it is very uncertain when I will see you again but I hope it will not be very long. There is some prospect that there will be a…battle fought near here before long and the most of the boys are ancious to have a hand in it but some look rather pale when there is anything said about getting into a fight[.]" In 1864, Weaver exhibited a similar devotion to the cause, and wrote, "I do not care if we stay in [our winter quarters] as long as the war lasts for I am tired of running around the country and if Old Abe is reelected I think we will have this war brought to a close in less than six months…and we will have peace on honorable terms" (October 16, 1864). Weaver also ruminated on the harsh human cost of armed conflict as he described the devastation of a recent battlefield: "It is hard to see the destruction there is when an army passes through a country" (undated). In an undated fragment, Weaver provided a graphic description of battlefield casualties: "It was a heartrending sean there was men with their heads shot off and some shot all to pieces…and in fact any thing you may immagine." All together, Weaver's correspondence provides insight into the western theater of the Civil War, both at the beginning of the conflict and during its closing stages.

Three young girls named Lillian Holmes Keyes, "Mildred," and "Edith" wrote these 6 letters to their grandparents in the summer of 1896. Edith's letters were penciled by her mother, Fannie. The girls wrote on illustrated children's stationery and commented on scenery, wildlife, health, and family news. Mildred addressed one of her letters from East Tilton, New Hampshire.

Three young girls named Lillian Holmes Keyes, "Mildred," and "Edith" wrote these 6 letters to their grandparents in the summer of 1896. Edith's letters were penciled by her mother, Fannie. The girls wrote on illustrated children's stationery and commented on scenery, wildlife, health, and family news. Mildred addressed one of her letters from East Tilton, New Hampshire.

Lillian Holmes Keyes wrote 2 letters to her grandparents on July 19 and 22, 1896, about her ongoing recovery from scarlet fever. Though she could not interact with other children, she did enjoy a trip to a nearby lake with her Aunt Alice. "Mildred" sent 2 letters (July 9, 1896, and undated), describing a picnic and other outdoor activities such as swimming. She also thanked her grandmother for throwing her a 7th birthday party. The final 2 letters are attributed to a child named Edith, though they are written by her mother, Fannie. The first letter reports family news, such as the recent sale of their store and an anticipated August vacation. The second offers greetings to various family members and bears scribbled drawings by a young child (possibly Edith).

Each letter is written on illustrated children's stationery with images of children writing, accepting a letter from a dog, riding in a cart, and repairing a doll.

The Horatio Noyes collection is made up of letters and essays pertaining to Louisiana sugar plantations, life on the Wyoming frontier, travels through the South, the history of astronomy, and other subjects.

The Horatio Noyes collection is made up of 5 letters (28 pages) and 2 essays (70 pages). Noyes wrote a detailed letter to his son Charles in December 1871 about his travels in rural Louisiana, including his impressions of riverboat steamers and sugar plantations. A later draft (unsigned) describes the author's travels in Virginia and North Carolina, with a detailed description of Richmond and observations about Southern culture. Two unsigned letters from late 1879 and early 1880 describe a soldier's life on the Wyoming frontier, with Horatio Noyes's requests for the letters to be proofed and returned to him. Two lengthy essays concern the history of astronomy and contemporary astronomical knowledge, particularly about the Solar System. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information.

This collection pertains to a letter written by United States Navy Lieutenant Huyler B. Ellison in February 1944. Ellison, who was asked to defend his remarks about the United States Army, offered a lengthy explanation of his history with the army and the reasoning behind his controversial comments.

This collection (6 items) pertains to a letter written by United States Navy Lieutenant Huyler B. Ellison in February 1944. The collection includes a copy of a typed V-mail letter that Ellison sent to John D. Nordberg of West Orange, New Jersey, on February 25, 1944. In the letter, Ellison complained about his assignment with the army and threatened to resign from the navy. Three letters by Captain Tully Shelley, a naval intelligence officer, and W. H. Tuck, commander of the United States Navy Reserve, address Ellison's comments about the army and contain requests for an explanation by Ellison (March 1944). A later letter by Tuck informs Ellison that he would suffer no further disciplinary actions (March 20, 1944). Also present are 2 typed copies of Ellison's explanation, concerning his history with the army and his disillusionment following an incorrect medical diagnosis and subsequent discharge.

This collection contains 6 letters written by Irving L. Blinn to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis W. Blinn of Los Angeles, California, during a trip around the world in 1892. Blinn and an unnamed companion traveled primarily by steamship and railroad, and made their way from Kobe, Japan, to Paris, France, between May 9 and September 14, stopping at Bombay, Cairo, and Athens.

This collection contains 6 letters written by Irving L. Blinn to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis W. Blinn of Los Angeles, California, during a trip around the world in 1892. In his first letter, written on May 9, 1892, Irving reported that he had just left Kobe, Japan, for Hong Kong on the steamer Ancona. He commented on the nationalities of the ship's passengers, who were mostly British, and noted that the ship was loaded for cargo intended for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In further letters written in India and on the Red Sea, he continued to report on his progress, and detailed his anticipated westward route, which included a stop at Cairo. He often described the geography of his surroundings as well as his fellow passengers on the Hassiha; among the passengers was a British soldier headed home after being stationed in India. Blinn maintained an interest in the presidential election cycle, and noted the nomination of Grover Cleveland, who ran for president against the incumbent Benjamin Harrison. In his final two letters, written in Athens, Greece (August 10, 1892), and Paris, France (September 14, 1892), he described his sightseeing activities and wrote about the experience of traveling.

This collection contains 7 letters that Private Jacob Klein wrote to his cousin, Charles F. ("Carl") Meitzler of Strasburg, Ohio, while serving in the United States Army's 17th Infantry Regiment in the Philippines in 1901. Klein wrote about local customs, the scenery, and aspects of the Philippine-American War.

This collection contains 7 letters that Private Jacob Klein wrote to his cousin, Charles F. ("Carl") Meitzler of Strasburg, Ohio, while serving in the United States Army's 17th Infantry Regiment in the Philippines in 1901.

Klein's letters, each around 4 pages long, concern aspects of life in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War. In his second letter, he described his trip to the Philippines via the Atlantic Ocean, Suez Canal, and Indian Ocean (April 18, 1901). He often commented on local scenery and weather, particularly in his letter dated June 9, 1901. He wrote a detailed letter about Filipino customs and daily life in response to Meitzler's request that Klein's letters be published in an Ohio newspaper (July 7, 1901). In more personal letters, Klein sometimes provided his opinions about Filipinos. Though Klein often wrote of his everyday experiences, he also discussed the status of military operations, including news of recent engagements, updates on the progress of the war, and stories of Filipinos hanged for criminal activity.

This collection consists of two letters from Jacqueline Onassis to Douglas Mansell, thanking him for the 4th grade field trip he led at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation's shipyard in Hoboken, New Jersey. In one letter, she enclosed 19 handwritten reflections by the students about the shipyard visit. The field trip was for Onassis's son, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and his class at the Collegiate School for Boys in New York. Five photographs depicting the class and their chaperones at the shipyard, featuring Onassis and her son, accompany the correspondence.

The James Akin collection contains four items related to an engraving made by him in 1805. The material includes two personal letters and two testimonies.

The James Akin collection contains four items related to an engraving made by him in 1805. The material includes two letters and two testimonies . Both letters, written in the summer of 1805 by John McKown, relate to an engraving of "a very handsome Stone Horse on type metal," requested of Akin by McKown (June 3, 1805). The two testimonies contain statements made by Moses Moody and William Hooker to the Court of Common Pleas reflecting McKown and Akin's dispute about the proper price for the completed plate.

This collection is made up of autobiographical manuscripts, correspondence, documents, and family photograph albums related to James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of the items pertain to Pond's service during the Civil War and both father and son's lecture business.

This collection is made up of autobiographical manuscripts, correspondence, documents, and family photograph albums related to James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of the items pertain to Pond Sr.'s service during the Civil War and both father and son's lecture business.

The Pond Family Papers series includes one box containing miscellaneous correspondence ranging in date from 1896-1932, Civil War related material, autobiographical sketches, family photographs, and personal photograph albums.

The Civil War related material includes a few items relating to James Pond's Civil War service in the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, among which are a typescript of official reports relating to the massacre at Baxter Springs, Kansas, a printed poem on the massacre, and a printed notice of the death in the 1880s of William T. Brayton of the 3rd Cavalry. Pond also collected other reminiscences of the war, including an autobiographical account of Mrs. Horn, wife of a Missouri surgeon, which includes a description of Quantrill's raiders pillaging town and taking her husband prisoner, and a memoir of Edward P. Bridgman, a soldier in the 37th Massachusetts Infantry who served with John Brown in 1856, and may have known Pond.

More than half of this series consists of autobiographical manuscripts, parts of which, at least, were published as magazine articles. Most of these focus on his early years (prior to 1861) when he and his family were living a marginal existence in frontier Wisconsin and when he was a young man in search of a livelihood. The collection includes three major manuscripts, each present in several copies or versions, all of which are related to each other - "A Pioneer Boyhood," "The American Pioneer: My Life as a Boy," and "Pioneer Days" - plus there are less polished manuscripts of childhood and Civil War reminiscences. All appear to have been written initially in 1890, though some copies were apparently made several years later. In addition, there is an autobiographical sketch "How I got started in the Lecture Business" in which he describes his part in Anna Eliza Young's "apostatizing" and entering onto the lecture circuit.

The collection also contains 5 photograph albums. These volumes contain over 800 personal photographs taken between 1896 and 1902, including many pictures of family members at leisure both indoors and outdoors and Pond's business acquaintances from his lecture agency. Travel photographs include views of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as a group of pictures taken during a visit to England, Switzerland, and Germany in 1901. European items include a series of colored prints, located in Volume 4. The albums contain images of locomotives, railroad cars, and steamships. Volume 1 contains images of the inauguration of William McKinley and Volume 2 contains images of crowds gathered for a GAR parade in Buffalo, New York. Throughout the albums are glimpses of various lecture tours and clients including John Watson (Ian Maclaren) and Anthony Hope in Volume 2 and Francis Marion Crawford in Volume 3. Other notable figures include Sam Walter Foss and William Dean Howells in Volume 1, Charles W. Blair and Edward William Bok in Volume 3, and Sir Henry Morton Stanley, Charles William Stubbs, Robert Stawell Ball, Horace Porter, Frank Thomas Bullen, and Israel Zangwill in Volume 4. In addition to the albums, there are loose photographs of family, James B. Pond Jr., and the Adventurers' Club of New York. Oversized photographs are housed in Box 3.

The Pond Lecture Bureau Papers series consists of one box containing client files (arranged chronologically), loose photographs, and ephemera. Much of the content consists of correspondence between clients/prospective clients and photographs of clients (likely for promotional material). This series spans from 1877 to the 1940s covering periods of ownership from both James B. Pond, Sr. and Jr. Some of these clients are as follows: Henry Ward Beecher, Reverend Joseph Parker, Thomas DeWitt Talmage, Leon Pierre Blouet, Reverend John Watson (Ian Maclaren), William Winter, Edward Rickenbacker, Harry A. Franck, Gunnar Horn, Maurice Brown, and Major Radclyffe Dugmore. Unidentified oversized photographs and a scrapbook are housed in Box 3.

This collection is made up of six letters written by Private Kirwin to his mother while serving in France between August 1918 and December 1919 with the American Expeditionary Forces. He mentioned Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Armistice of November 11, 1918, and he utilized colored, printed "Y.M.C.A," "Salvation Army," or "American Red Cross" stationery.

This collection is made up of materials related to James M. Curtin, including his brother Will's letters about his travels in France in the spring of 1919, photographs taken in France in 1919, a narrative of the Curtin siblings' visit to Europe in 1961, and drafts of a short story.

This collection is made up of 7 items related to James M. Curtin of Marcellus, New York, and his siblings. His brother Will wrote letters to his mother and siblings from Paris, France, on March 13 and May 18, 1919; one is written on stationery of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace. Will Curtin described life and leisure activities in Paris, and recounted his travels around France, including a trip to Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Two photographs taken on May 11, 1919, show "Mr. Curtin" and three women posing with soldiers near Reims Cathedral. The collection contains 2 undated drafts of a short story by James M. Curtin, entitled "A Misadventure on a Spring Holiday" (27 pages and 32 pages, respectively).

The final item is an unsigned manuscript (96 pages) regarding a "European Trip Taken in 1961 by Genevieve, Mary and James Curtin" (August 7, 1961-October 5, 1961). The narrative consists of daily entries about the family's travels in Ireland, France, and Italy, including extensive travel within the Republic of Ireland and visits to Lourdes, Nice, Rome, and Paris. The author recorded many details about the family's Irish ancestors, particularly those who settled in New York and Iowa, and discussed their sightseeing activities in Cork, Galway, the Aran Islands, Connemara, Dublin, and other locations. While in southern France and Rome, the family visited several churches; on one occasion, they witnessed a private speech by the Pope. The Curtins saw many ancient landmarks while in Rome and then flew over the Alps to Paris. While there, they took a trip to the Palace of Versailles. The account ends mid-sentence with the family's return to New York after a transatlantic journey on a Holland-American Line steamer.

The James Silver papers consist of 12 letters, each of which is several pages long, composed by Silver during his 1872 visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, recounting his journey from New York, where his family resided, to Louisiana, as well as his time spent in and around New Orleans. Silver included 39 ink sketches of people and scenery throughout his letters.

The James Silver papers consist of 12 letters, each of which is several pages long, composed by Silver during his 1872 visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, recounting his journey from New York, where his family resided, to Louisiana, as well as his time spent in and around New Orleans. Silver included 39 ink sketches of people and scenery throughout his letters. The rough voyage took him past Havana, Cuba, before he entered the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River Delta. In New Orleans, Silver wrote about the sights and sounds in detail, paying particular attention to the peculiarity of hearing French in the French Quarter, of taking a train ride to Lake Pontchartrain, and of seeing the Mardi Gras celebrations. The young traveler frequently mentioned African Americans, and included some ink sketches of them in his letters. Also of interest is Silver's discussion of the city's unique burial practices and the social implications of them (February 7). The 39 sketches, interspersed throughout his letters, show buildings, farms, the streets of New Orleans during Mari Gras, and beaches along the Gulf Coast, as well as portraits. Along with the natural and man-made scenery, Silver drew scenes involving local people of all races, including trips to the market, families, fellow passengers on his railroad journeys, and couples dining in restaurants. Additionally, he sketched different events he witnessed during his travels, such as a man with a gun approaching him, a production of Hamlet that included a severed head, a drunkard being arrested by an African American police officer, a bowler hitting him with a ball, and a cluster of "hackmen" arguing about the price of a ride.

This collection consists of 19 letters that Janie Grant wrote to her husband, Major J. A. C. Grant of the Gordon Highlanders, while living in Perth, Scotland, in August 1945. She discussed her efforts to meet him at London and Edinburgh following his upcoming discharge, anticipated their future life together, and complained of conflicts with family members.

This collection consists of 19 letters Janie Grant wrote to her husband, Major J. A. C. Grant of the Gordon Highlanders, while living in Perth, Scotland. She wrote letters almost daily between August 13 and August 31, usually 3 or 4 pages long, and discussed aspects of the couple's anticipated reunion and postwar domestic life.

Janie wrote 4 letters while traveling between Perth and Edinburgh by train, one from Edinburgh (August), one while on vacation at Lochearnhead (August 19), and the remainder from Perth. Though she most frequently focused on domestic and family affairs, on August 15 she commented on the end of the war, expressing her uncertainty about the future. Many letters concern Janie's attempts to meet her husband in either London or Edinburgh following his anticipated discharge in late September, including her difficulty securing hotel reservations. Other letters regard plans for their future, such as their attempts to find a temporary home, her desire to secure a servant for a cottage they planned to rent (August 23), and her future role as a housewife. She also mentioned the possibility of traveling to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and reported her frustrations and conflicts with family members.

Janie frequently wrote about her social life, shopping trips, dental and other health issues, female friends, and her efforts to dispose of letters from former lovers and male friends. By late August, she was anticipating a visit with her husband in Edinburgh around September 21.

This collection consists of four letters addressed to Hudson River School artist Jasper F. Cropsey from art collector L. Warrington Gillet and O. A. Gill [likely Owen A. Gill] of Baltimore, dated January 24, 1845, to February 4, 1846. The letters are accompanied by one annotated envelope, postmarked May 6, 1859.

This collection consists of four letters addressed to Hudson River School artist Jasper F. Cropsey from art collector L. Warrington Gillet and O. A. Gill [likely Owen Gill] of Baltimore, dated January 24, 1845, to February 4, 1846. The letters are accompanied by one annotated envelope, postmarked May 6, 1859.

Gillett asked whether or not Cropsey ever painted the "little picture" he ordered following Gillet's purchase of "Evening" (January 24, 1845). Three letters from O. A. Gill [probably Owen Gill], January 5-February 4, 1846, respect the purchase, shipment, and receipt of paintings. In his letter of January 5th, Gill informed Cropsey that "The old place looks pretty much the same as ever. The only improvement I'm making is cleaning out briars, stumps, under wood &c.--The very thing which you, as an artist would put your bets in at once--All these things look very well in a picture, but when you see them in nature youre always disposed to imagine them the hiding places of Snakes, lizzards & such 'Varmints'."

The Jayne papers contain letters from Samuel Ferguson Jayne, during his service as a relief agent with the U.S. Sanitary Commission, to his fiancée Charlotte Elizabeth Jayne in the summer of 1864. He described his work at the U.S. Colored Hospital at City Point, Virginia, treating wounded soldiers from the battles at Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the Battle of the Crater (Petersburg).

The Jayne papers consist of 17 letters from Samuel Ferguson Jayne, during his service as a relief agent with the U.S. Sanitary Commission, to his fiancée Charlotte Elizabeth Jayne in the summer of 1864. The letters, dated May 22-August 19, 1864, track his travels on the Mary Rapley steamboat and document his efforts at the U.S. Colored Hospital at City Point, Virginia. They discuss the numerous wounded soldiers coming from battles at Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the Battle of the Crater (Petersburg), and include vivid details on the treatment of the men and the facilities of the hospitals. Jayne often notes the difficulties of getting the Union doctors to treat black troops. He wrote, "We have had to almost fight the doctors to get them to treat the colored men decently and to find them proper attention. When we came here most of the men were without beds. Now we have them upon, not only beds, but every man has also an iron bedstead, entirely covered by mosquito netting" (July 12). On August 9th, Jayne wrote that "There are very few agents here, who are adapted to such 'low' work as that of taking care of sick negroes" (August 9).

Jayne described in depth the types of wounds and afflictions the solders suffered. On August 4, he wrote "we are overcome with sick and wounded...I have found many who fought hand to hand with rebels, as their wounds are those made by the butts of muskets or clubs...We have twelve men digging graves today for our hospital alone." In a letter dated April 9th, he described a "terrible explosion" of an ammunition boat at City Point, Virginia, and its aftermath. Though the letters contain many details on his work managing the sick in the hospitals, they also include expressions of love for Charlotte, who Samuel was "compelled to write" in order "to keep [his] wits straight" (August 9, 1864). Jayne also commented on political and ethical issues of the war. For example, in the letter from August 19, 1864, he questioned the morality of paying black soldiers to fight in place of a drafted white soldier:

"I do not think it would be exactly fair to obtain a negro for a substitute. In the first place, in all modesty, they do not make as good soldiers as the whites, and at the present crisis of affairs, from all that I can learn from observation and report, one white man, even as insignificant as myself, is equal to two negroes for war purposes. Then, the negro fights under great disadvantages. If taken prisoner he is either murdered or sold into slavery--and I think that a government that permits its soldiers to be thus dealt with, without retaliating upon the enemy ought to go to perdition, or at least to a strongly seasoned purgatory. I would not ask a man to go as my substitute who would be murdered in cold blood because he was not of my race and color. Until we can procure the African some rights of civilized warfare, let the Anglo Saxon fight his own battles."

Jayne drew several sketches and commented on them. Of note is a picture of a ground plan of the U.S. Colored hospital, City Point, Virginia camp, annotated with the functions of many individual tents. It includes the positions of hospitals for the 5th, 6th, and 9th Corps. This plan accompanies the letter from July 15, 1864, in which Jayne provided additional details of the hospital camp.

• "Our pet lamb Molly," City Point Virginia, a pencil sketch of a young Black woman sitting in front of shelves of supplies (July 26, 1864).
• "Special Diet," a barefoot black man walking past army tents holding a mug and plate of fish (August 10, 1864).
• "For this are we Doctors," a black soldier with a bloody amputated arm (August 10, 1864).
• "Lizzie," a profile of a black woman sitting on a crate with her hands to her head (August 10, 1864).
• "Hospital bed" on the back: "This is a drawing of our hospital beds, with mosque-to netting. Made by Roberts, S. "(August 19, 1864).

This collection consists of three letters 1st Lieutenant Jean C. Barnes wrote to his mother during his service in France during the First World War.

This collection consists of three letters 1st Lieutenant Jean C. Barnes wrote to his mother during his service in France during the First World War. In his first letter, dated September 8, 1918, he mentioned that he enjoyed the scenery, and alluded to his boredom and a recent illness. By October 26, he had just left the hospital and had revised his opinion of France, writing of the miserable weather and adding, "This is one hell of a place." In his final letter, written on December 20, Barnes anticipated his imminent return to the United States, and recorded high local prices for several food items. He also reflected briefly on his wartime experiences, which included the loss of most of his belongings on the battlefield and his participation in the Saint-Mihiel offensive and the Meuse-Argonne campaign. Though short, his letters provide his perspective on the war in France, which he survived: "I don't know how I came out but I did somehow" (December 20, 1918).

This collection contains correspondence that Jewish Private J. Walter Feigenbaum received from his sister, Jeanette, and mother, Rose, while he served with the United States Army during World War II. The women, who lived in Washington, D.C., wrote of the domestic political situation prior to the 1944 presidential election, shared their opinions on developments in the war, and provided news of family friends.

This collection (24 items) contains correspondence that Jewish Private Jacob Walter Feigenbaum received from his sister and mother while he served with the United States Army during World War II. Jeanette Feigenbaum, Walter's sister, wrote most of the letters, often with brief notes from her mother Rose, who sometimes sent letters of her own (frequently in the same envelopes). The women discussed numerous political and personal topics, often related to the 1944 presidential election and domestic politics. Jeanette frequently expressed her frustrations with the political landscape, including her skepticism about Harry Truman, reaction to the Dewey campaign's tactics, and views on legislation related to the military. She commented on the progress of the war in Europe, reports of German atrocities against the citizens of Warsaw, Poland (August 30, 1944), and the political situation in Nazi Germany, including the failed plot to assassinate Hitler (July 21, 1944, and July 23, 1944). Her letters also mention Zionist newspapers, contain references to Jewish holidays, and discuss Jewish nationalism (September 5, 1944). Rose's letters focus more prominently on social news of family members and friends.

Each letter is accompanied by an envelope bearing a colored illustration of a soldier eager to receive mail. The soldiers depicted include jeep drivers, paratroopers, and machine gunners, and the envelopes belong to the same artistic series. Many of the letters also feature patriotic letterheads or watermarks, and two from September 1944 have panels from the cartoon "Private Buck," drawn by Clyde Lewis (September 5 and September 14, 1944).

This collection consists of condolence letters, newspaper scrapbooks, a letter book, a published memorial volume, and a photograph album related to John M. Francis of Troy, New York, and to his son Charles. The letters, which are addressed to Charles Francis, express sympathy following his father's death in June 1897; the memorial volume contains biographical sketches and published tributes to John M. Francis; and the newspaper scrapbooks chronicle John M. Francis's travels around Europe and the world between 1869 and 1876.

This collection (1 linear foot) consists of condolence letters, newspaper scrapbooks, a letter book, and a published memorial volume related to John M. Francis of Troy, New York, and to his son Charles.

The Condolence Letters series contains 211 items addressed to Charles S. Francis between June 5, 1897, and January 18, 1898. One letter from Hallie M. Brown concerns her regret about missing an opportunity to visit, and the remaining correspondence is made up of letters expressing the authors' condolences after the death of John M. Francis on June 18, 1897. Writers included Charles Francis's friends and family members and John Francis's personal and professional acquaintances. Many writers reminisced about their relationships with John M. Francis and shared stories about their experiences at the Troy Daily Times.

The Letter Book, Scrapbooks, and Published Memorial series (6 volumes) pertains to John M. Francis's travels around the United States, Europe, and Asia in the 1870s and to Charles S. Francis's career and business affairs. Four scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings of letters that John M. Francis sent to the Troy Daily Times while traveling abroad. Each contains lengthy descriptions of local people, customs, politics, architecture, geography, and history, and some also have accounts of transoceanic and transcontinental travel.

• Western Europe, June 12, 1869-October 15, 1869, including England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France (21 letters; 38 pages)
• Western and Southern Europe, July 18, 1871-December 28, 1871 (published August 2, 1871-January 3, 1872), including England, Wales, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic and Austria), Italy, and Greece (20 letters; 28 pages)
• Around the world, July 5, 1875-June 6, 1876, including the western United States, Japan, China, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and France (2 volumes containing duplicate clippings, 115 pages and 71 pages)

The letter book (282 pages), which belonged to Charles S. Francis, has retained copies of his outgoing correspondence from October 25, 1897-July 29, 1901. The letters pertain to personal and business affairs, such as Francis's editorial work for the Troy Daily Times and land he owned in Mississippi. Several newspaper clippings relate to Francis's appointment as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Greece, Romania, and "Servia."

The published memorial (125 pages), entitled In Memoriam: John M. Francis, March 6, 1823-June 18, 1897, contains an engraved portrait, a brief biographical sketch, reminiscences, essays, poetry, and reprinted newspaper obituaries commemorating the life and death of John M. Francis.

The Photograph Album (ca. 1905?) contains 14 images of a new automobile, family members, and pets (possibly in New York state); and 144 vacation photographs showing landscapes, buildings, and persons in Europe. The photos are not labeled or identified, but appear to show Switzerland or Austrian lake districts, as well as urban environments. The photographer captured many of these images with a panoramic camera.

This collection is comprised of 8 letters written by John Barr to his girlfriend, Ethel Mae ("Polly") Trueblood, of Cleveland, Ohio, during his World War I service with the YMCA near Paris in 1918. In these love letters, Barr discussed his experiences near the front, his negative opinions of the Germans, and the nature of his daily work.

This collection is comprised of 8 letters written by John Barr to his girlfriend, Ethel Mae ("Polly") Trueblood, of Cleveland, Ohio, during his World War I service with the YMCA in Paris in 1918. In these love letters, Barr discussed the nature of his daily work and his experiences. Despite being located near the front and witnessing some of the horrors of war, he maintained a positive attitude, and optimistically told Polly, "One has to be here to fully realize the importance of winning the war. And we are going to win" (June 27, 1918); however, he did not brook any tolerance toward the "Jerrys," "Boches," and "Huns," whom he often disparaged in his letters. Along with his descriptions of life in France and frequent proclamations of love and hope for the couple's future, he responded angrily to reports of strikers in the United States, questioning their loyalty and reinforcing the importance of men in the American Expeditionary Forces. In the letter of September 14, 1918, Barr attached a clipping from the June 7, 1918 issue of Stars and Stripes, featuring an article about war refugees captioned "Helpless Victims of the Hun."

This collection contains 21 letters that John J. Cronin, Jr. ("Jack") wrote to his father and brother in Hartford, Connecticut, while he traveled to North Carolina and Georgia during the spring of 1930 in an attempt to join an organized baseball team. The collection also has three letters that Cronin received from his brother, Harold.

This collection contains 21 letters that John J. Cronin, Jr. ("Jack") wrote to his father and brother in Hartford, Connecticut, while he traveled to North Carolina and Georgia during the spring of 1930 in an attempt to join an organized baseball team. On February 26, he reported that he and his traveling companion, John J. Carlin, Jr., had safely arrived in Washington, D. C., and his next few letters recount their experiences hitchhiking through Virginia to Durham, North Carolina, where they sought a place with a local team in the Piedmont League. His letters describe his experiences over the next several weeks, as he and Carlin made their way to Henderson, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, they discovered and briefly attended a baseball school run by Norman "Kid" Elberfeld, though they wished to stay only if the school guaranteed them a roster spot (March 9, 1930). Cronin declined his brother's offer to pay for the training. He and Carlin lingered again in Durham, where Albany Lawmakers manager "Wild" Bill McCorry allowed them to train with his team (March 22, 1930). Cronin described his training with the club, which he enjoyed, and began to appreciate the difficulty of gaining a place in an organized league. By April 8, he was on his way back to Hartford. Harold Cronin wrote 3 letters to Jack, his brother, providing news of Hartford and mentioning his support for Jack's baseball career. Some letters enclose newspaper clippings discussing the beginning of Cronin's southern trip (February 28, 1930), showing a cartoon bird heading for spring training (March 12, 1930), and reporting that John J. Cronin, Jr., and John J. Carlin, Jr. had been granted tryouts with the Atlanta Crackers (March 12, 1930).

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos, of Albany, New York, solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. The collection is arranged in four series: Bound Volumes (compiled by and bound for John Boos), Unbound Volumes (binders apparently compiled by John Boos, but never bound), Loose Items, and one Book.

Boos collected autographs and reminiscences on uniquely sized 6.5'' by 9'' paper, and he instructed those he was soliciting to leave a wide 1.5'' left margin for binding. All but one volume in Series I are bound collections of this Boos-standard paper and most contributors in Series II and III contributed a note or autograph on the same size paper.

John Boos's interviewees related an almost uniform admiration or reverence to the President and his memory. Within the first binder of Series II, for example, William Strover (who was not a Civil War veteran, and who never met Lincoln) remarked: "I consider him the greatest man that has come upon the earth since Jesus Christ, and surely the greatest American that lived." Such high praise is featured throughout the entire collection. One example expressing disdain for Abraham Lincoln is a November 24, 1930, letter by Confederate and Presbyterian minister Milton B. Lambdin, who was skeptical about Boos' intent in contacting him. He suspected that Boos made the connection on account of a multi-issue article Lambdin produced for the Confederate Veteran (1929) titled "A Boy of the Old Dominion..."

Series I: Bound Volumes, 1931-1970

Eight of the nine volumes contained in this series are letters and reminiscences compiled by Boos. The volumes revolve around individual persons or themes, including the Lincoln-Douglas debates; Lincoln's assassination; Lincoln's guards; General George H. Thomas, a leading figure in the Western theater of the Civil War who retired to Troy, New York; Johnson Brigham, a fellow Lincoln enthusiast who met the President on several occasions; and the story of Confederate General George Pickett as told by his wife, La Salle Corbell Pickett; and a selection of "Mr. Lincoln's Soldiers."

Boos interspersed the manuscript and typed accounts with ephemeral items and his own narratives of relevant events. He frequently provided an overall account of the volume's theme (usually with lengthy quotations from his correspondents) before presenting the reminiscences and a brief biography of each contributor. In his introductions to these personal accounts, Boos sometimes included a narrative of how he had met and interviewed the individual or linked the person's memories of Lincoln to similar ones. Most of the volumes include a title page, dedication, illustrations, and an index.

The accounts in these bound volumes differ in length, tone, and detail, but they provide insight into how a variety of individuals remembered the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln more than a half-century after the fact. Many of his contributors were Union Army veterans, but he also tracked down individuals who witnessed the Lincoln-Douglas debates as children, Mrs. M. O. Smith who saw Lincoln at Gettysburg,a Confederate soldier, several of Lincoln's personal guards, an actress who had performed in Our American Cousin the night Lincoln was shot (Jeannie Gourley), a man who was in the same Ford's Theater box as Lincoln and who was stabbed by John Wilkes Booth (Henry Rathbone), and the man who recorded the testimony of witnesses to the assassination (James Tanner). The accounts address subjects ranging from the President's dress and style of speaking to the contributors' reflections on his legacy and greatness.

One bound volume, inscribed to John E. Boos by its creator Bernhardt Wall, contains etchings of locations in New York State visited by Lincoln. Three letters from Wall to Boos are enclosed in this 1938 volume.

Series II: Unbound Volumes (extracted from binders), 1905-1941

Series II includes the contents of 13 binders, arranged roughly into thematic categories, apparently by Boos himself (likely with the intention of binding them as he did with the letters in Series I). The order of pages within the binders has been maintained in its present housing.

Boos placed each incoming letter, reminiscence, or autograph into a top-loading page protector with related materials. In some volumes, for example, Boos matched each manuscript with his own typed or handwritten notes, which variously included the veteran's name, where they saw Lincoln, regimental information, where Boos met the veteran, and Boos's impressions of the individual. Boos wrote many of these notes on the back of scrap paper, such as advertising mail received by Boos or sample primary election ballots (some of the scrap paper contains illustrated letterheads).

Binders 1-3: Lincoln's Soldiers (3 binders, 1905-1927). Lincoln's Soldiers largely consists of letters sent to Boos, many with their envelopes still attached. Most contributors utilized Boos-provided paper, though some utilized their own stationery. Despite its title, "Lincoln's Soldiers" is comprised of letters by civilians and soldiers alike. Many contributors had met President Lincoln, and Boos collected as much information as possible about those encounters. Others were unable to meet Lincoln, but shared vivid memories of their times in Andersonville Prison, or interactions with other famous leaders, such as General Sherman (W. H. Jennings) and General Grant (J. E. Parmelee). Some documented their efforts to preserve Lincoln's memory or their involvement in Veteran's organizations.

Binders 4-7: I Saw Lincoln (4 binders, 1911-1928). The bulk of the contributors to I Saw Lincoln met or saw Lincoln during his presidency; a smaller portion interacted with him prior to the presidency; and others saw him while lying in state or en route to Illinois in 1865. The I Saw Lincoln group includes Boos's incoming correspondence and autographs he personally collected while traveling. Glowing praise of Lincoln continues throughout these binders, including an anecdote by Daniel Webster (of Salem, Oregon), in which he described how he was "near being mobbed" in Arkansas in 1871 for calling Lincoln "the brightest star in the galaxy of American statesmen and patriots."

Binder 8: Antietam (1 binder, 1912-1937). The soldiers represented in Antietam were present at the battle; some provided descriptions of the confrontation, though the writers do not all focus on the event. Antietam is notable for having the longest continuous example (in the unbound portion of the collection) of prose by Boos, in which he described the battle and his meetings with the veterans.

Binders 9-11: Lincoln's Soldiers and Where They Saw Him (3 binders, 1911-1933). contains accounts from soldiers who saw Lincoln and soldiers who did not. This group includes a significant number of contributions by soldiers who guarded the President's remains.

Binder 12: Autographs of Abe Lincoln's Soldiers (1 binder, 1910-1917). This binder contains signatures of soldiers, with very brief notes on each veteran. Boos apparently revisited the binder at a later dated and added death dates.

[Unnumbered Binder]: [Additional Lincoln's Soldiers] (1 binder, 1911-1937). This binder includes accounts similar to those found in binders 9-11.

Series III: Loose Items, 1904-1949

This series is comprised of nearly 200 loose letters, disbound book pages, and notes. Many of these items were either part of one of the Clements Library's pre-2015 accessions, or were included with the Dow collection in unarranged binders. The bulk of the series is letters to Boos containing memories of Lincoln. The accounts provided by these eye witnesses include memories of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's assassination, hospital visits by the President, his 1860 Cooper Union speech, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and general memories of the Civil War period. The contributors include veterans, Ford's Theater attendees on the night Lincoln was shot, the daughter of Mary Todd Lincoln's personal nurse (Ealine Fay), and a woman who sang in the choir for the ceremony at which Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address (M. O. Smith). This series contains letters by Jennie Gourlay Struthers and James Tanner, who are also represented in the Then a Nation Stood Still volume in Series I.

The series includes writings and other materials that shed light on John E. Boos's collecting practices and editing processes and a 1924 letter from Congregational minister William E. Barton to Walt Whitman expert Emory Holloway, with comments on the growing cult of memory surrounding Lincoln.

A folder of manuscripts and photocopies pertain to Grace Bedell, who is credited with convincing Lincoln to grow his whiskers. These items include photocopies of letters Bedell exchanged with Boos, original letters between Boos and Bedell's heirs, and letters between Boos and Congressman George Dondero, who at one point owned Bedell's original letter to Lincoln.

The Loose Items series also contains correspondence of Donald P. Dow, photocopies of Boos materials offered for sale, and photocopies of letters not present in the Clements Library's collection.

Series IV: Book. A publication containing 103 John Boos letters has been added to the collection: Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln, ed. By William R. Feeheley and Bill Snack (Cadillac, Mich.: Rail Splitter Pub., 2005).

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

This collection includes 2 letters that Lieutenant Colonel John Herries wrote to Charles Herries while serving with the 102nd Regiment of Foot in Canada during the War of 1812, as well as a later manuscript service record.

This collection includes 2 letters (7 pages) that Lieutenant Colonel John Herries wrote to Colonel Charles Herries while serving with the 102nd Regiment of Foot in Canada during the War of 1812, as well as a later manuscript service record (1 page).

Herries wrote his first letter (4 pages) from Moose Island, Passamaquoddy Bay, on October 30, 1814, and his second letter (3 pages) from St. John, New Brunswick, on August 5, 1815. Herries reflected on his military activities and reported recent war news, such as the Royal Navy's defeat at Lake Champlain in September 1814. Herries described New Brunswick as a "rascally country," and noted that its main population consisted of pioneers. In his second letter, he reported that he had read about the Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo. The final item is a manuscript document that provides details about Herries's military career, which included service in India, Europe, and North America. The record was compiled after his death; according to the docket, the document was "Read 12/2 51."

This collection is made up of 6 letters that John Howard Payne wrote in 1832 (1 item) and 1850 (5 items), including a letter of introduction and letters to English actress "M. A. Tyrrell." In 5 letters to Tyrrell, Payne discussed his desire to make her acquaintance; her recent financial difficulties in Buffalo, New York; and his possible reappointment as consul to Tunis.

This collection is made up of 6 letters that John Howard Payne wrote in 1832 (1 item) and 1850 (5 items). The first item introduces Maryland native Richard Lloyd to Colonel George P. Morris at West Point, New York ([1832]). Payne opened his correspondence with actress M. A. Tyrrell (alternately spelled "Tyrell" and "Tyrrel") with 2 unsigned letters, in which he discussed his admiration of her and his desire to make her acquaintance. He requested that she indicate her desire to meet him with a small gesture during her next public outing (January 12, 1850, and January 17, 1850). His following 3 letters, written from May 2, 1850-September 5, 1850, pertain to Washington, D.C., social affairs; the city's Adelphi Theatre; Payne's acquaintance with a woman named Rosa Jacques; a salary dispute regarding Tyrrell's time in Buffalo; and Payne's possible reappointment as consul to Tunis. His letter of July 29, 1850, refers to the Adelphi Theatre's "engagement of Jim Crow." Payne composed the text of a public acknowledgement of thanks from Tyrrell to those who had supported her during her difficulties in Buffalo (September 5, 1850).

The John K. Stoner correspondence is made up of 6 letters that Stoner wrote to his family during the summer of 1941, while he completed United States Army Air Forces training at Hickam Field, Hawaii. He commented on aspects of military life and anticipated his return home.

The John K. Stoner correspondence is made up of 6 letters that Stoner wrote to his family during the summer of 1941, while he completed United States Army Air Forces training at Hickam Field, Hawaii. In April, he focused on finishing school and promised to send his parents his graduation picture and diploma. After finishing his studies, Stoner spent much of his time socializing with other soldiers, despite a brief stay in the base hospital. He reported on some aspects of life on a military base, such as his excitement about the arrival of several new B-17 bombers (May 17, 1941). Though he looked forward to his return to the United States, Stoner admitted a fondness for Hawaii. Stoner wrote each of his letters on stationery illustrated with scenes from daily life in Hawaii, including a surfer, a girl playing the ukulele, palm trees, and fish. One colorful image shows two planes crossing the Pacific Ocean, hopping from San Francisco to Hong Kong via Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila.

The John Osborn Santo Tomas internment transcriptions are typed copies of letters that Osborn wrote from Manila, Philippine Islands, between February and April 1945. He described life in the city after Manila's liberation by the US Army and in the Santo Tomas internment camp, where he had been imprisoned during the war.

The John Osborn Santo Tomas internment transcriptions are typed copies of 21 letters (18 pages) that Osborn wrote about life in the Santo Tomas internment camp and in Manila, Philippines, between February 6, 1945, and April 15, 1945. Some of the letters are addressed to an acquaintance named Ruby.

Osborn wrote about many aspects of life in Manila just after the United States Army liberated the city. He described conditions in the Santo Tomas internment camp before the Americans' arrival, with most residents suffering from malnutrition and severe weight loss. He wrote during the final stages of the fighting, as Japanese bombs continued to reach Manila and the camp despite the presence of US forces. In his letter of February 23-25, 1945, Osborn listed some names and numbers of people wounded and killed during shelling on February 7 and February 10. In other letters he commented on Allied troops' progress in the Pacific, particularly in the Philippines.

Osborn often wrote about food and shared his appreciation for the army's provisions. He compared the fare to that from before the camp's liberation in his letter of February 16, 1945. He also wrote about the black market, war destruction, and the transition of Santo Tomas from an internment camp to a refugee camp. As the fighting became removed from Manila, Osborn met with acquaintances from outside the camp and attempted to recover some materials from his pre-war library, which consisted of around 900 volumes.

Brothers John P. Starbuck and Morgan Starbuck wrote 29 letters to their parents and sister in Nyack, New York, while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces in France and Germany following World War I. They discussed their health, daily activities, travel, and training.

Brothers John P. and Morgan Starbuck wrote 29 letters to their parents and sister in Nyack, New York, while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces in France and Germany following World War I. They discussed their health, daily activities, travels, and training.

John P. Starbuck wrote 20 letters home from March 6, 1919-June 23, 1919. He was stationed in Koblenz, Rhens, and Güls, Germany, where he described his army work, commented on German citizens, and reported news about his brother. He occasionally discussed the possibility and benefits of taking a vocational business course, and he was admitted to the 4th Corps Advanced Vocational School in Bad Neuenahr, Germany, in April 1919. While at the school, he copied his daily schedule, which included lectures, drill, and athletics. In May, Starbuck's regiment went to Malicorne-sur-Sarthe, France, where they awaited departure for home. Among other subjects, he mentioned his fellow soldiers' propensity for spending their money on "French booze."

Morgan Starbuck wrote 9 letters to his family from March [15], 1919-April 12, 1919. His early letters primarily concern his health and recovery from an influenza infection. His later letters pertain to his experiences in France while awaiting departure for the United States. In one letter, he shared his expectation that soldiers returning home would cause an increase in marriages.

The John Peddie collection is made up of a signed letter from John Peddie to William Henry Clinton, written from a bivouac on the "banks of the Bayoue Catalan" and dated January 24, 1815. Peddie wrote of "the fate of our unfortunate Expedition," referring to operations surrounding the Battle of Lake Borgne and the Battle of New Orleans. He enclosed a manuscript map and a copy of Charles Ramus Forrest's journal dated November 25, 1814-January 7, 1815. The letter and enclosures are part of the larger Henry Clinton papers.

The John Peddie collection includes a signed letter from John Peddie to William Henry Clinton, written from a bivouac on the "banks of the Bayoue Catalan" and dated January 24, 1815. Peddie wrote of "the fate of our unfortunate Expedition," referring to operations surrounding the Battle of Lake Borgne and the Battle of New Orleans. He offered his opinions about the causes of the British failures. Peddie requested Clinton's aid in securing a promotion.

Peddie enclosed a manuscript map of "Genl Lambert's position on the River Mississip[p]i," signed by John Fox Burgoyne, and a 15-page copy of Charles Ramus Forrest's "Journal of the Movements of the Army acting in the Southern part of the North American Coast." Forrest's account describes events from November 25, 1814, through January 7, 1815. He remarked on Major General Keane's command in Negril, Jamaica, the movements of the British Fleet as they proceeded to the American coast, and subsequent military decisions, maneuvers, and engagements leading up to the Battle of New Orleans. Forrest provided details on difficulties faced by British troops, including unfavorable tides and geography, and described military encounters with American forces. He also noted work on the Villeré Canal and included copies of orders and memoranda concerning military preparation and actions. Forrest concluded by summarizing the circumstances that stymied the British efforts in New Orleans, including their distance from supplies; the "impossibility of gaining intelligence" from locals, prisoners, and African Americans; the bad "nature of the Soil"; Americans' ability to prepare in advance and establish a strong line of defense; and the unexpected local opposition to the British.

The letter and enclosures are part of the larger Henry Clinton papers, though they are housed separately.

This collection consists of nine letters written by United States Navy sailor John Roy Brokenshire to a friend, Lillian Dow of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Though hampered by censorship, of which he frequently complained, Brokenshire discussed his life onboard the USS Louisiana during World War I.

This collection consists of 9 letters written by United States Navy sailor John Roy Brokenshire ("Roy") to a friend, Lillian Dow of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. In his first letter, dated June 7, 1917, Brokenshire described his arrival in Norfolk, Virginia, where he joined the crew of the USS Louisiana for duty in the Atlantic Ocean. He wrote about his journey from the Boston Navy Yard and gave his impressions of Norfolk, including comments on the weather and on the ships assembled there. He frequently shared his disdain for censorship, and suggested that he and Lillian utilize a code to evade such efforts, though no letters appear to have such a code. Brokenshire also wrote about life in the navy, including his experiences with laundry, referring to himself as "some washerwoman" (July 1, 1917). He felt that the war would continue well beyond the summer of 1917 (July 9, 1917) and discussed his opinions about an essay from the September 1917 issue of American Magazine, "The War Inside Myself," regarding the mindset of soldiers.

The John Slater collection contains letters and receipts to Slater, a textile manufacturer in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Slatersville, Rhode Island. Most of the correspondence pertains to Slater's business interests and finances and to the textile industry in the early 19th century.

This collection (23 items) is comprised of 15 letters and receipts to John Slater, a textile manufacturer in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Slatersville, Rhode Island; 5 incoming letters to Messrs. S. & J. Slater of Slatersville, Rhode Island; 1 financial document; and 2 newspaper clippings.

John Slater received 11 letters, 2 receipts, and 1 invoice/receipt while living in Smithfield, Rhode Island, from June 17, 1808-October 30, 1823. His correspondents, including his business partners Almy & Brown (June 17, 1808) and his brother Samuel (August 2, 1808, and August 4, 1823), discussed business affairs and finances, particularly in relation to the textile industry. In his first letter, Samuel Slater also mentioned Napoleon's intention to seize U.S. vessels as naval prizes. E. W. Fletcher's letter of October 30, 1823, includes a list of weekly expenses from the Slaters' mill in Jewett City, Connecticut. This group of items also includes a personal letter from Thomas and Grace Gamble, Slater's sister and brother-in-law in England (June 17, 1821), a receipt for Slater's subscription to the Rhode-Island American (October 10, 1817), and an invoice and receipt for tuition and firewood for Slater's daughters Eliza and Minerva at the Pawtucket Academy (November 20, 1823).

John Slater received a letter from [F.] A. Taylor in Slatersville about the possibility of constructing a parsonage (February 15, 1841). The final 5 letters (February 20, 1841-April 18, 1843) are addressed to Messrs. S. and J. Slater at Slatersville, Rhode Island. The first contains Samuel Slater & Sons' response to Taylor's request (February 20, 1841), and the remaining letters, all by William L. Slater, pertain to cotton purchases and prices. The collection also includes a financial account related to the Slatersville General Post-Office (July 1, 1840-September 1, 1840), an undated newspaper clipping about the possible re-opening of the Slater mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and an undated article containing Samuel Slater's biography.

This collection contains 3 letters that Private John Speer wrote to the Ihrie family while serving with the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment in 1865. He discussed his experiences in the army and anticipated the end of the Civil War.

This collection contains 3 letters (11 pages) that Private John Speer wrote to the Ihrie family while serving with the 2nd Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment in 1865. He discussed his experiences in the army and anticipated the end of the Civil War. His letters are addressed to his aunt, uncle, and cousin, who lived in Lisbon, Indiana. Speer described military actions and other aspects of military life, attempted to describe his feelings during a charge, and listed the battles in which he had participated; he also discussed his political views, including his support for the Republican Party.

The John Vaughan papers document British activities in the West Indies during the American Revolution. Covered are Vaughan's incoming letters, dispatches, bills, reports, and memoranda during his command of the Leeward Islands from November of 1779 to March 1781, as well as several postwar manuscripts pertinent to the British Colonial West Indies.

The John Vaughan papers (3 volumes and three loose items) document Vaughan's first two years as commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands, from November of 1779 to March 1781. The papers comprise approximately 470 items, almost all of which are incoming letters, dispatches, bills, reports, and memoranda from naval commanders and subordinates, officials in England and North America, and friends and relatives in England.

The papers primarily relate to the conduct of the Revolutionary War in the West Indies, and reveal a close coordination between the army and navy in the region. Topics documented include the capture of St. Eustatius, the capture of transports by the French, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the provisioning and paying of troops. Also covered are promotions, discipline, and reports on hardships, such as endemic sickness, supply shortages (food, candles, rum, and money), poor barracks, a lack of doctors and medicine, and bad weather. Of note are the letters from William Mathew Burt, governor of Antigua and St. Christopher's; Gabriel Christie, commander at Antigua; Lucius Ferdinand Cary, commander at Tobago; George Ferguson, governor of Tobago; Commodore William Hotham; Admiral Hyde Parker; Admiral Samuel Hood; George Brydges Rodney, commander of the Leeward Island Station; Anthony St. Leger, brigadier general at St. Lucia; Major Henry Fitzroy Stanhope; and Loftus Anthony Tottenham, brigadier general at Barbados.

• Volume 1, item 23: After March 19, 1780: Memoranda for an answer to Christie's letter of March 18-19
• Folder 1: May 11, 1784: Vaughan's deposition sent to Isaac Howell, for a property dispute involving Edward Foord, Samuel Delprat, Richard Clark, and Simon Nathan, over a lawsuit in Jamaica
• Folder 1: September 29, 1789: Vaughan to an unknown property owner (partnered to a Mr. Alexander Ellis) concerning purchasing land on the Mohawk River
• Folder 1: September 17, 1794: John Vaughan to William Wyndham, reporting on specifics of British troop strengths throughout the Caribbean. Mention of surrender of Belville Camp, Guadeloupe, by capitulation in October, and lost companies in that affair. Martinique is the most important island from a military perspective. St. Lucia. Enemy strength at Guadeloupe, specifying around 400-500 "whites" and 4,000 or 5,000 "Blacks" armed with muskets and bayonets. Guadeloupe would require a Garrison of troops, with the number of men needed to attack. Believes that they should raise the siege of Basse-Terre and keep the enemy in check. Royalists can't be relied on. Strength at Antigua, St. Christopher's, and Dominica. Sir Charles Grey, Admiral Jarvis, and islands of St. Bartholomew and St. Thomas. Current assessment of privateers. British and French reinforcements. Capt. Hare's 10th Light Dragoons: when they came from America, they had "hardly a sound horse amongst them"--consider discontinuing this expensive Corps.

Volume 1 contains 246 items; Volume 2 contains 276 pages; and Volume 3 contains 207 pages.

The John W. Davis papers consist of 43 letters, 1 fragment, 17 photographs, and 4 strips of negatives sent from Davis to his wife, Nellie, while he worked on military construction projects in Puerto Rico with the Madigan & Hyland Company during the Second World War. He provided detailed descriptions of the weather, scenery, and local people and customs. He frequently commented on his pregnant wife's health and the couple's finances.

The Correspondence series contains 43 letters (April 24, 1942-September 3, 1942) and one fragment of a letter, all written by Davis to his wife, Nellie, in East Rockaway, New York. Davis worried about the effects of censorship on his correspondence and complained when portions of the New York Times, sent to him by Nellie, were excised (June 25). Despite these concerns, he revealed a little about his work and much about his daily experiences in and opinions of Puerto Rico. He provided Nellie with his early impressions of the island and its people (April 24). He mentioned local food prices and his eating habits, particularly in his later letters. Although he grew increasingly accustomed to the warm weather, he maintained a generally negative opinion of the island, mitigated slightly by a visit to more modernized Ponce (July 13).

Davis often remarked about the content of Nellie's letters, inquired about her pregnancy and about news of acquaintances on Long Island, and sent portions of his wages home (often accompanied by a discussion of the couple's financial situation). Despite believing that mail service was somewhat unreliable, he frequently sent money home to his wife and attempted to follow war-related news, though he complained of the difficulty of obtaining reliable information. He also commented upon his contract situation and intent to return to New York in early September, though he explicitly stated that most details of his work must remain confidential.

The Photographs series holds 17 black-and-white prints depicting tropical scenery, people sitting on and fishing off of a dock, and the Marine Studios Biological Station, as well as 4 strips of negatives, each with two images.

This collection contains 4 letters that Boston merchant John Weir wrote to businessman Thomas Savage during a business trip to the Caribbean in 1760. Weir discussed shipments of molasses to Boston and commented on local prices and news in Monte Cristo, Santo Domingo.

This collection contains 4 letters (5 pages) that Boston merchant John Weir wrote to businessman Thomas Savage between March 20, 1760 and May 1, 1760, during a business trip to the Caribbean. The letters concern the shipment of molasses from the Spanish port of "Mounto Christo" (Monte Cristo, Santo Domingo, now the Dominican Republic) to Boston, and include Weir's system for labeling the barrels (March 20, 1760) and his reports on the amount of molasses shipped aboard particular vessels. Weir often reported prices in "pieces of eight" (Spanish dollars). He commented on price differences between Monte Cristo and Boston, as well as on his monetary affairs in Massachusetts, including financial support for his mother (April 28, 1760). Weir frequently mentioned merchant Josiah Newhall; one letter notes that Mrs. Newhall "has arrested Capt. Malcom" on account of undelivered molasses (May 1, 1760).

This manuscript consists of letters that John Whitehead Peard wrote to an unidentified correspondent about his activities in Italy between May and November 1860. Peard, an Englishman, served alongside the revolutionary forces of Giuseppe Garibaldi in Sicily and Naples.

This manuscript (36 pages) consists of letters that John Whitehead Peard wrote to an unidentified correspondent about his activities in Italy between May and November 1860. Peard discussed his military service under Giuseppe Garibaldi and Giacomo Medici in Sicily and Naples during the wars of Italian unification, including his travels and his experiences during the Battle of Milazzo. He referred to troop movements and military news, sometimes involving Neapolitan and Papal State forces as well as Garibaldi's units. Peard described visits to several cities, including Genoa, which he greatly admired, and Cefalù.

This collection is made up of correspondence and documents concerning a dispute between Joseph Foster of Warner, New Hampshire, and the Warner Congregational Church. Foster exchanged letters and signed statements with the church's pastor, Jubilee Wellman, about his attempts to atone for (unspecified) improper financial conduct.

This collection contains 6 incoming and outgoing letters and documents (20 pages) concerning a dispute between Joseph Foster of Warner, New Hampshire, and the Warner Congregational Church. Foster exchanged letters and signed statements with the church's pastor, Jubilee Wellman, about his attempts to atone for (unspecified) improper financial conduct.

The first item in the collection is Foster's signed statement confessing to financial transgressions (January 17, 1835), and the remaining 5 items relate to allegations later lodged by James Straw, a fellow church member, concerning Foster's atonement. Straw believed that Foster had not fulfilled the terms of his official confession. Reverend Jubilee Wellman later presented Foster with a formal list of charges and provided minutes from a meeting that had convened to discuss Foster's actions. After being found guilty by a unanimous vote, Foster wrote to Wellman, expressing his sadness at being estranged from the congregation (September 1, 1835). The final letter is Wellman's response to Foster, in which he gave further information about the charges and evidence against Foster and encouraged him to seek repentance (8 pages, September 21, 1835).

This collection is made up of letters that Private Joseph Kennel wrote to H. H. Matthews, a friend, from France and Germany between April 24, 1919, and September 25, 1919. Kennel described his experiences with the United States Army American Expeditionary Forces in Koblenz, Germany; discussed his unsuccessful attempts to obtain a United States passport and return home after his discharge; and commented on the treatment of veterans.

This collection is made up of 8 letters that Private Joseph Kennel wrote to H. H. Matthews, a friend, from France and Germany between April 24, 1919, and September 25, 1919. Kennel described his experiences with the United States Army American Expeditionary Forces in Koblenz, Germany; discussed his unsuccessful attempts to obtain a United States passport and return home after his discharge; and commented on the treatment of veterans.

Kennel sent his letters to H. H. Matthews of Cleveland, Ohio, though he addressed them to an unspecified group of friends. In the first 5 letters, he discussed his experiences in Koblenz, Germany, where he was stationed from April to August 1919. He appreciated the scenery along the Rhine River, but often complained of his loneliness, on account of non-fraternization rules and a lack of incoming mail. After September 1919, Kennel wrote 3 letters from Paris and Bruyères-sur-Oise, France (Seine-et-Oise department), about his work for the Red Cross and his attempts to return to the United States. Though he was naturalized in December 1916, Kennel was unable to secure a United States passport while in France, and he frequently voiced his frustration with the process. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the general treatment of soldiers after the war. He noted that many American veterans had been forced to live on the streets in Paris after running out of money, and expressed his displeasure at news of working conditions in the United States, which included riots and, he believed, higher salaries for draft dodgers. Kennel commented twice on his love of baseball and his hope that the Cleveland Indians would reach the World Series.

Joseph A. Kennel wrote many of his letters on printed stationary of the American Expeditionary Forces, Knights of Columbus overseas services, or the American Red Cross (including an inter-office variation).

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Joseph V. Bacon wrote to his sister Harriet and to his brother-in-law (surname Eaton), concerning disputes over the inheritance of his parents' estate. He composed the letters in Boston in June and July 1855.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Joseph V. Bacon wrote to his sister Harriet and to his brother-in-law, concerning disputes over the inheritance of his parents' estate. He composed the letters in Boston in June and July 1855.

Bacon proposed specific legal actions to be undertaken by his brother-in-law, Mr. Eaton, including the creation of deeds for the disputed land. Though initially cooperative, the relationship between the parties rapidly deteriorated, and Bacon revealed his increasing frustration with the fighting between his siblings. He referred to several heated arguments, and reflected on his sorrow as a result of the rifts that developed from the disagreements. Though he admitted that the matter was complicated by his parents' vagueness and secrecy, he primarily attributed the family conflict to Eaton's actions, and finally threatened to take the matter to court. His final letter, dated July 30, 1855, relates primarily to legal matters, but also refers to a woman’s role in relation to her husband, and alludes to a wife's presumed lack of privacy.

This collection consists of incoming letters sent to Mary Averell Knap of Brownsville and Ogdensburg, New York, between 1850 and 1862, and letters sent to her granddaughter, Lydia Averell Hasbrouck, of Ogdensburg, New York, in 1885 and 1886 by her cousin, Thomas Whitney Brown. The correspondence concerns daily life, occasional references to the Civil War, literature, and Brown's attempts to gain admission to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).

The Knap-Whitney family letters consist of approximately 88 letters. The correspondence addressed to Mary Averell Knap includes 4 outgoing and approximately 75 incoming personal letters dated between 1848 and 1864. Her parents, friends, cousins, and other family members commented on their daily lives, with occasional references to the Civil War. Mary Knap's father, Thomas Knap, informed his daughter about his life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1850, and occasionally discussed the sermons he heard. After 1850, Mary's correspondents primarily included her cousins and friends. In the mid-1850s, Maria M. Campbell (later Smith), a cousin, wrote about her education and social life at St. Mary's Hall, Burlington, New Jersey, and in October 1858 discussed her relocation to Fort Mason, Texas (resultant from her husband's affiliation with the United States Army's Second Cavalry). Susie P. Willene wrote of her life in "Frankford," and in one letter she shared her distaste for recent political developments in South Carolina, despite her southern heritage (June 22, 1855). Other friends reported social news, such as marriages and, in one instance, the author's secret engagement. Knap also received letters from several men, including one written in German.

Though Mary Knap continued to receive letters throughout the Civil War, her correspondents primarily focused on personal matters, such as her cousin Will's efforts to establish a forge at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. Others described a visit to an army encampment in Washington, D.C., and mentioned a soldier's aid society.

Mary A. Knap also wrote 4 letters to George Whitney in 1857, about her life in Brownsville and his unreciprocated romantic advances.

The correspondence sent from Thomas Brown Whitney of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to his cousin, Lydia Averell Hasbrouck of Ogdensburg, New York, includes 8 letters dated from 1885 and 1886 and 1 letter dated in 1940. He shared family news and stories, and commented on his daily life. An avid reader, he frequently discussed literature and literary figures, such as Lords Tennyson and Byron, and occasionally copied poetry into his letters. Whitney enjoyed fencing, and drew several figures fighting in his letter of December 26, 1885. After September 1885, the letters concentrate on his desire to attend College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and he wrote of his studies, college entrance exams, and classes in Latin. On April 6, 1886, he voiced his concerns about "hazing and general fighting" at Princeton. His letter dated March 23, 1940, reflects on a bout of "grippe" and attitudes towards the Second World War, including German anti-war sentiment.

The Lexington and Concord collection contains 20 depositions given by eyewitnesses of the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The depositions were ordered by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress for the purpose of establishing the claim that the British fired first. The collection also contains a list of the men killed and wounded in the conflicts.

The Lexington and Concord collection (22 items) contains 20 depositions given by participants and spectators of the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The depositions were ordered by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress for the purpose of establishing the claim that the British fired first. The committee made several signed copies of the depositions. One set was dispatched to the Massachusetts agent in London, while other sets were sent to neighboring colonies.

This set of 20 depositions, signed by 94 men between April 23 and 25, was sent by the Cambridge Committee of Safety to the Albany Committee. Thirteen of the depositions relate to Lexington and the other seven relate to Concord. Chairman of the Cambridge Committee, Richard Devans, enclosed the depositions in a letter dated May 7, 1775. Also present is a list of men killed and wounded in the conflicts. Commissioned by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, the document lists the casualties' names, residences, and conditions (killed or wounded).

This collection contains five letters written by a woman named "Lizzie" to "John," a close friend or family member. She discussed her life in New York City, with a particular emphasis on the 1875 Henry Ward Beecher trial, religion, and life in Harlem.

This collection contains five letters written by a woman named "Lizzie" to "John," a close friend or family member. She discussed her life in New York City, with a particular emphasis on the 1875 Henry Ward Beecher trial, religion, and life in Harlem. Lizzie, who first lived near Columbus Circle, was interested in the ongoing litigation between Henry Ward Beecher and Theodore Tilton, and repeatedly expressed her desire to procure tickets should the famous preacher take the witness stand. She wrote that "There are some who would never believe him guilty but consider him the victim of a cruel plot or circumstantial evidence; but there are other some [sic] who express themselves as willing to accept whatever verdict the jury brings in" (January 21, 1875). Lizzie also shared the experiences of her daily life, particularly after her relocation to Harlem, which she described in a February 1875 letter. In addition, Lizzie provided her thoughts on her local church and, briefly, on the merits of a number of New York newspapers (May 12, 1875). In one letter, dated March 12, 1875, she drew a small diagram of her lamp chimney.

This collection is a series of four letters written by Louis Bevens during his time at Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas, in November 1918. He addressed them to family members in Kansas City, Missouri, including his mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Bevens wrote about rheumatic pain in his leg, making it home for Christmas dinner, and need for employment. The letters have colored, printed "Knights of Columbus War Activities" letterheads.

The Louis E. Bevens letters are a series of four letters written by Bevens during his time at Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas, in November 1918. He addressed them to family members in Kansas City, Missouri, including his mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Bevens wrote about rheumatic pain in his leg, making it home for Christmas dinner, and need for employment. The letters have colored, printed "Knights of Columbus War Activities" letterheads.

This volume contains Louise Fitz's description of her trip from Boston, Massachusetts, to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, and to Niagara Falls in May 1893. In Chicago, she and her traveling companions visited the major exhibit halls, state and international buildings, and the Midway Plaisance. Photographs and travel ephemera are laid into the volume.

This volume (121 pages) contains Louise Fitz's description of her trip from Boston, Massachusetts, to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, and to Niagara Falls in May 1893. Between pages 5-97, Fitz wrote journal entries about her daily sightseeing activities on every other page; the opposite pages contain photographs and ephemera related to her travels. The final pages contain laid-in commercial photographs of Washington, D.C., and personal photographs of Trenton Falls in upstate New York.

Fitz's journal entries recount most of her trip, from the time she left Boston on May 17, 1893, to her visit to Niagara Falls on May 26, 1893. While in Chicago, she and her companions frequented the World's Columbian Exposition; she described multiple visits to the grounds and specific exhibits in the larger halls, noting the use of electric lighting and appliances. Fitz commented on her visits to state and international buildings, the Midway Plaisance, and a local museum. After departing Chicago, Fitz traveled by train to Niagara Falls. Fitz placed commercial photographs on the pages facing her journal entries. The images are primarily views of the exposition's major exhibit halls. Other items pasted or laid into the volume include a printed map of the fairgrounds and surroundings, newspaper clippings, a used ticket book and ticket stubs, a program from a musical concert, advertisements, and artificial flowers. A letter from a representative at the exposition's Massachusetts State Building provides the text of inscriptions on the Transportation Building and the "Golden Door" (August 31, 1893).

This collection consists of 17 letters Marinus Heyboer wrote to his brother Harry while training with the United States Army's 308th Field Artillery Regiment and 310th Field Hospital at Camp Dix, New Jersey, between February and April 1918. Heyboer discussed his training exercises, food, and other aspects of military life, in addition to responding to news of Harry's wife and young child.

This collection consists of 17 letters Marinus Heyboer wrote to his brother Harry while training with the United States Army's 308th Field Artillery Regiment and 310th Field Hospital at Camp Dix, New Jersey, between February and April 1918. Heyboer discussed his training exercises, food, and other aspects of military life, in addition to responding to news of Harry's wife and young child.

Marinus composed 7 dated letters at Camp Dix between February 23, 1918, and late April 1918, as well as 10 undated letters covering the period between his arrival at Camp Dix and his departure for Europe. After initially joining Battery B of the 308th Field Artillery Regiment, Heyboer began medical training with the 310th Field Hospital. He told Harry about several training exercises, such as drilling, attending lectures, practicing with field guns, and experiencing gas in the "gas chambers." He also commented on his experiences with horses, which included cleaning up after the animals and witnessing a fatal accident. Heyboer frequently responded to news of his parents and inquired about Harry's wife and baby, Marie and Harry Jr. In one letter, he described two African American regiments that were also training at Camp Dix (March 16, 1918).