Collections

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 correspondence, military documents, photographs, and other items related to James Leonard Sturgeon's service in the Royal Air Force in Canada during World War I. The collection also contains family photographs from 1900-1933.

This collection (0.25 linear feet) is made up of correspondence, military documents, photographs, and other items related to James Leonard Sturgeon's service in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during World War I. The collection also contains family photographs from 1900-1933.

The Correspondence series contains 15 letters and letter fragments that Sturgeon wrote to his family between March 1918 and November 1918. Sturgeon, who signed his letters "Leonard," wrote 2 letters while traveling from California to Canada in the spring of 1918. He wrote the remaining letters while serving in the Royal Flying Corps (later the Royal Air Force) in Long Branch and Deseronto, Ontario, describing his experiences during training flights and airmen's duties. Several letters from late 1918 pertain to his stay at a base hospital and to the influenza epidemic, which led to a complete quarantine of his unit. In November 1918, he was stationed at Camp Rathbun, where he considered the possibility of remaining in the air force after the war. An undated letter written from Vancouver, British Columbia, mentions a physical examination at the Royal Flying Headquarters and wounded soldiers who had returned home.

The Military Papers series (8 items) concerns James L. Sturgeon's military service. These include a base pass, Sturgeon's official service record, a discharge certificate, and 2 items about his honorary appointment as second lieutenant. The series also includes King George V's address to Royal Air Force members on Armistice Day. Two newspaper clippings relate to James L. Sturgeon's military service, including his spinal meningitis infection, and one concerns pioneers in Manitoba in 1881 and 1882. The final item is a membership card for The Aero Club of Canada.

The Photographs series contains over 160 photographs related to James Leonard Sturgeon's military service and to the Sturgeon family from 1900-1933. One group of photographs, including all of the military material, is housed in the Graphics division. The earliest photographs represent members of the Sturgeon family, including James Leonard Sturgeon and his siblings, as well as a festival that took place in Riverside, California, in 1900. Items pertaining to Sturgeon's military service in 1918 include photographs of Sturgeon, members of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, crashed military airplanes, Long Branch Camp, and Camp Rathbun. Later photographs and undated items show Sturgeon among fellow Stanford University students, scenery from vacations in the western United States, and the Sturgeon family. One photograph is printed on a small metal plate.

The Soldiers and Sailors Book of Worship is the following volume: For Soldiers and Sailors: An Abridgement of the Book of Common Worship[,] Published for the National Service Commission of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1917).

This collection contains letters that James Edwin Lough and his wife, Dora A. Bailey, exchanged around the turn of the 20th century. During the year before their marriage, Bailey wrote to Lough about her life in Somerville, Massachusetts; Lough later wrote to Bailey about his life in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he was a college professor.

This collection (0.5 linear feet) contains approximately 340 letters that James Edwin Lough and his wife, Dora A. Bailey, exchanged around the turn of the 20th century. During the year before their marriage, Bailey wrote to Lough about her life in Somerville, Massachusetts; Lough later wrote to Bailey about his life and work in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he was a college professor.

Dorothy Albonetta Bailey ("Dora") wrote around 280 letters to James Edwin Lough ("Ed") between September 1899 and June 1900. She commented on her life and social activities in Somerville, Massachusetts; shared her feelings for Lough; and discussed their upcoming marriage. James Lough also received letters from other correspondents, including cousins and acquaintances; his father wrote him a letter about marriage on June 22, 1900. Most items dated after June 1900 are Lough's letters to his wife from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and New York City, where he was a college professor. Lough discussed travel between Wisconsin and the East Coast, and occasionally referred to his teaching; he sometimes enclosed newspaper clippings. In a series of letters from 1905, Dora Bailey Lough provided news of their young son. Additional items include a carte-de-visite photograph of a child, made by J. W. Black & Co., a metal nameplate for James Edwin Lough, a list of addresses, and a page of the Boston Herald from October 1, 1899.

This collection is made up of letters related to Dr. James Macdonald, his brother John, and the family of Silvanus Miller, all of New York City. It includes letters exchanged by female members of the Miller family, who wrote about social news in Newburgh, New York, and letters of introduction for James Macdonald during his tour of Europe in 1831.

This collection is made up of letters related to Dr. James Macdonald , his brother John, and the family of Silvanus Miller, all of New York City. It includes letters exchanged by female members of the Miller family, who wrote about social news in Newburgh, New York, and letters of introduction for James Macdonald during his tour of Europe in 1831.

The first 5 letters pertain to the family of Silvanus Miller. Anicartha Miller received a letter in French on September 13, 1820, and Mary Ann Harris (later Mary Ann Parish) wrote 2 letters to her aunt, Mrs. Silvanus (Margaret) Miller from Newburgh, New York, in July 1821, and one letter to her cousin, Anicartha Miller, in March 1823. She commented on social news and provided prices for a teacher's services. In September 1821, Anicartha Miller wrote to her mother about Mary Ann's recent wedding.

In the summer of 1831, James Macdonald traveled to Europe to observe asylums and meet other doctors who treated the mentally ill. The collection contains letters of introduction for Macdonald, addressed to doctors in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Germany; 3 are written in German. During his stay in Paris in 1832, Macdonald received personal correspondence, including a letter from his brother John about finances (March 20, 1832). In December 1837, John Macdonald wrote to Anicartha Miller about the possibility of dissolving their four-year engagement.

Later items include a series of 4 letters James Macdonald received from his wife, Eliza Harris Miller Macdonald, in 1840; she shared social news from Newburgh, New York, remarked on the behavior of their infant daughter, and commented on Macdonald's decision to adopt Christianity. The final letter in the collection is a request for James Macdonald's consent for the marriage of his daughter, Flora (undated, signed J.W.B.).

This collection is made up of 43 drafts of outgoing letters by James Mario Matra, while serving as British Consul in Tangier, Morocco, between 1801 and 1804. He wrote detailed letters to the Home Secretary and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in London about diplomatic and trade issues, Anglo-Moroccan relations during the Peace of Amiens, ships seized by Barbary pirates or held by Sultan Mawlay Sulayman, payment negotiations and refusals, happenings in the Moroccan Court, internal consulate affairs, and relations between Morocco, European powers, and the United States. The draft letters include revisions, stricken content, and additions. Also present are English translations of a letter from Sulayman to Tangier consuls and orders to Ra'is Ibrahim Lubaris (enclosed in September 20, 1803).

This collection is made up of 43 drafts of outgoing letters by James Mario Matra, while serving as British Consul in Tangier, Morocco, between 1801 and 1804. He sent detailed letters to London about diplomatic and trade issues, Anglo-Moroccan relations during the Peace of Amiens, ships seized by Barbary pirates or held by Sultan Mawlay Sulayman, payment negotiations and refusals, happenings in the Moroccan Court, internal consulate affairs, and relations between Morocco, European powers, and the United States. The draft letters include revisions, stricken content, and additions. His recipients included Home Secretaries Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester (1801-1803, 26 letters, 86 pages) and Charles Yorke (1803-1804, 7 letters, 27 pages); as well as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies John Pratt, 2nd Earl Camden (ca. 1804, 9 letters, 34 pages). Also present are English translations of a letter from Mawlay Sulayman to Tangier consuls and orders to ship captain Ibrahim Lubaris (enclosed in September 20, 1803).

James Matra kept Whitehall informed of the many economic, political, and governmental issues pertinent to Tangier and Anglo-Moroccan relations. For example, the consul provided updates about a case involving Marrakesh merchants Meir Cohen Macnin and his nephew David Cohen Macnin from August 1801 to December 1802. In brief, the Macnins were assured funding by the late Governor of Mogadore to purchase trade goods in England and bring them back to Morocco. One of the Macnins stayed while the other went to England to procure the items on long credit. When the cargo-laden ships returned to North Africa, the Sultan ordered the ship master to sign for the goods at full freight cost. Once the goods were delivered, however, "the Moors" would only pay half freight. Two shipments were held in this manner, with goods estimated at 200,000 Dollars. The Macnins' finances and property were held in limbo and the Macnin in England was disallowed from returning. Finally, on December 23, 1802, Matra reported that he'd received a long answer from the Sultan, which contained a history of the case and statement that the Macnins "were not worth an ounce" until employed by the Governor of Mogadore on public monies to expand commerce with England. The Sultan did not believe that an unfamiliar Jewish merchant could secure large credit in London and so the purpose of holding/seizing the shipments was to protect what belonged to his Treasury. Matra concluded, " having no farther demands against the Jew [Macnin] he [Sulayman] pardons him he may return here & Trade, or he may remain in London & trade to the country, for his Person & Property are safe."

James Matra commented on American business and diplomacy throughout his letters. In the summer of 1803, for example, he reflected on Sulayman's "ill humour" because of the non-arrival of the American Consul (James Simpson), followed by the American seizure of the ship Tripoli on its way from Gibraltar. "Being disappointed in cruising on the Dutch, his Barks will sail with Orders to attack the American Commerce, and when they make any Prizes, the Consul will be spoken to. The Imperialists & Neapolitans, not having any connexion with this Country, will also be in danger if met with" (July 1, 1803). Two months later, Matra gave a report on the American Consul and diplomatic matters associated with the capture of an American Brig, which was then "met by a Frigate belonging to the States, who seized the Moor & his Prize; the Moorish Rais in his justification shewed his Orders from the Governor of this Place, by which it appeared that he was sent out expressly to cruise against the Americans" (September 2, 1803). An English translation of the orders to Ra'is Ibrahim Lubaris is present, enclosed in Matra's letter of September 20, 1803. The Sultan then seized an American ship unloading in Mogadore, and James Simpson was placed under guard at the American consulate. On September 20, Matra wrote to Yorke, enclosing an English translation of a letter from "Mulay Suleiman" to the consuls in Tangier, indicating that "Servant Hashash in arresting the American Consul whom he received advice of the taking our Ship, the fighter for the Islam. We neither ordered nor will we Order the Consul to be Arrested, should War ensue between Us and his Nation he shall be sent to his Country in security, both with respect to his person and property." The following month, Matra indicated that Sulayman and the Americans came to an agreement by which opposing ships would be returned with an added stipulation that Sulayman be given the American ship on the condition that it would not return to Tripoli while war ensued with the United States. The ship arrived and "Muly Suleiman for the third time has confirmed the Treaty made by the States with his Father . . . No satisfaction was given, nor none demanded for the sudden & unprovoked hostility of the Moor, nor for the violent treatment of the American Consul. Had the War continued it was the American plan to declare the whole coast blockaded, except the export of live stock for Gibraltar Spain & Portugal; had it gone to that extremity, there would have been a complete revolution in this Country in less than three months."

In addition to ongoing diplomatic and trade minutia, Matra was frustrated with challenges in his own consular home. For example, in a letter to Lord Pelham, he gave his report on a long-running struggle with Richard Mounteney Jephson, his wife Catharine Joliffe Jephson, and "Miss Jolliffe," one of Catharine's sisters. According to Matra, he and Jephson had a cordial official relationship. However, Miss Jolliffe had been staying with the Matras for around eight months, during which time they learned that she was treated with the "contempt of her Sister, & tyranny of the Husband." While James Matra was in London, the Jephsons invited themselves to visit the Matras' home in Tangier, and then argued with Henrietta Matra, disgusted her, and kept Miss Jolleffe in tears "the whole time he was here." The Danish Vice Consul made arrangements for the Jephsons to stay in a "Moorish House" until James' return. Matra indicated that Miss Jolliffe took ill, during which time her sister Catharine made no inquiries about her health. Acrimonious correspondence ensued between them until Matra resolved to safely restore Miss Jolliffe to her mother. Afterward, according to Matra, the Jephsons began entreating Miss Jolliffe against doing so, with visits, messages, and letters containing "much very illiberal abuse." At one of the visits, Mrs. Jephson gave Miss Jolliffe "the obscene Letter from her Brother" [which Matra sent to Pelham but is not present in this collection]. Matra believed that no more improper paper could be handed from one sister to another and told Mr. Jephson that no reconciliation could be made. Jephson agreed, and, to the Matras, he described Miss Jolliffe as "the most abandoned Character" and warned them "against the danger of giving our confidence to such a monster." To this, Henrietta was staggered, but Matra indicated that he defended Miss Jolliffe.

James Matra's letters cover wide range of additional subject matter, including remarks on Sulayman's brothers, Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions in the lead-up to the War of the Third Coalition, the American blockade of Tripoli (and their refusal to grant Great Britain a pass to deliver corn to that city), antisemitism, supplying gunpowder and armaments to Sulayman, an "adventurer" who claimed to be Syrian but who Matra believed was a French spy, and other diplomatic and consular matters.

The James McHenry papers contain correspondence and documents related to the political career of James McHenry. The majority of the materials pertain to his tenure as Secretary of War from 1796 to 1800. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a full list of letter-writers in the James McHenry papers: James McHenry Contributor List.

The James McHenry papers contain over 800 items related the life and career of James McHenry. Included in the materials are approximately 670 letters and 106 documents, primarily related to McHenry's political career, as well as financial records and miscellaneous documents, including poetry and genealogical materials. The majority of the correspondence and documents are drafts or retained manuscript copies.

The Correspondence and Documents series spans 1777-1832, with the bulk of materials concentrated around 1796 to 1803. The first box of the collection contains documents and correspondence related to McHenry's service in the Revolutionary War, including correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. The materials include a draft of a letter to British general Henry Clinton regarding his military failures, written in McHenry's hand but signed "Z" (October 26, 1779), as well as a copy of a letter allegedly written by Clinton to Lord George Germain, which McHenry sent to Samuel Louden of the New York Packet to be published (March 24, 1780). The postwar materials in the collection pertain to McHenry's tenure as a Maryland statesman. Along with documents related to McHenry's political career during those years is a letter dated August 13, 1794, which relates news of the massacre of French colonists at Fort Dauphin in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), led by Jean-François, an important figure in the Haitian Revolution.

The bulk of the collection, representing 1796 to 1803, documents McHenry's tenure as secretary of war under presidents Washington and Adams. The correspondence and documents relate to military structures, provisions, international relations, treaties, politics, and relations with Native American tribes. The collection contains frequent correspondence with other cabinet members and politicians, including Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott as well as President George Washington, John Adams, and the Marquis de Lafayette. McHenry served as secretary of war during the Quasi-War with France and, as a staunch Federalist, favored positive relations with Britain over France. A large portion of the correspondence during this period relates to the ongoing feud with that country. A letter from James Winchester to McHenry describes the suspicion with which the Federalists regarded Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans, who favored closer relations with France: "…tho' they will not openly shew at this time their predilection for France, they will discover it in the first calamitous event which may happen to our Country. Depend on it they are not to be trusted. I speak of the party here" (April 18, 1789). Several months later McHenry wrote in an unaddressed letter draft that he believed the President should recommend a declaration of war with France to Congress. He also expressed his concerns over "a faction within the country constantly on the watch and ready to seize upon every act of the Executive which may be converted into an engine to disaffect the people to the government" (November 25, 1798).

In addition to national and international politics, many of the items relate to U.S. relations with Native American tribes, including the Creek, Chickasaw, and Miami. The materials frequently concern attempts to maintain peace and create treaties with the tribes, as well as to prevent them from giving their loyalty to other countries, such as Britain, France, or Spain. Box 2 contains a copy of a "Talk of the Chickasaw Chiefs at the Bluffs represented by Wolf's Friend, Ugalayacabé" regarding the tribe's concerns about the Americans: "Tell me if I may return to my Nation to appease the tumult of their minds. Shall I tell them the talk of the Americans is falsehood? Shall I assure our warriors our children and our women that your flag will always wave over our land, or tell them to prepare to die?" [1797]. This box also contains a small series of letters from General Anthony Wayne, written from his headquarters in Detroit, where he was stationed before his death, after successfully leading U.S. troops in the Northwest Indian War (August 29 to October 3, 1796). After the war, Miami Chief Little Turtle, became a proponent of friendly relations with the Americans. McHenry wrote to him upon his resignation as secretary of war, thanking him for his friendship: "…I shall carry with me the remembrance of your fidelity, your good sense, your honest regard for your own people, your sensibility and eloquent discourse in their favour, and what is precious to me as an individual, a belief that I shall always retain your friendship" (May 30, 1800). Other documents include an extract of a letter from Major Thomas Cushing to Brigadier General James Wilkinson, writing that he had given gifts to the Native Americans in order to prevent them from siding with the Spanish at New Orleans, who were attempting to win their favor (February 15, 1800).

Boxes 6 through 8 contain correspondence and documents written after McHenry's resignation as secretary of war at the end of May 1800. Though he retired from politics, his letters document that he maintained a keen interest in domestic and international issues. Senator Uriah Tracy wrote regular letters to McHenry in February 1801, keeping him up-to-date on the daily events regarding the presidential election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. After the election, McHenry wrote a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands William Vans Murray, in which he discussed the election and why public opinion had shifted from the Federalists to Jefferson: "I still am of opinion, that we should have gained nothing by the election of Mr. Burr, could it have been accomplished by federal means. The general sentiment is so strong and ardent for Mr. Jefferson, that experience alone can correct it" (February 23, 1801). This section of correspondence also contains a draft of a letter to the speaker of the House of Representatives containing McHenry's defense against charges brought against him regarding disbursements while secretary of war (December 22, 1802), as well as his opinions of current political happenings, including the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the Embargo Act of 1807. Several of the letters written during this period also relate to McHenry's low opinion of John Adams, who forced him out of office. In a series of letters exchanged by McHenry and Oliver Wolcott in 1800, McHenry described his anger regarding Adams, and expressed regret that Adams remained in office after George Washington left. Over ten years later, McHenry wrote a letter to Timothy Pickering, responding to a series of memoirs Adams had printed in the Boston Patriot . He accused Adams of making significant errors and misrepresentations, and mused, "How many recollections have these puerile letters awakened. Still in his own opinion, the greatest man of the age. I see he will carry with him to the grave, his vanity, his weaknesses and follies, specimens of which we have so often witnessed and always endeavored to veil from the public" (February 23, 1811).

The Bound Items series consists of a diary, a published book of letters, a book of U.S. Army regulations, an account book, and a book of poetry. McHenry kept the diary from June 18 to July 24, 1778, beginning it at Valley Forge. It contains accounts of daily events, intelligence, orders, the Battle of Monmouth, and the march of Washington's army to White Plains, New York. The 1931 book, entitled Letters of James McHenry to Governor Thomas Sim Lee is the correspondence written by James McHenry to Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee during the 1781 Yorktown Campaign. The book of army regulations spans ca. 1797-1798, while the account book covers 1816-1824. The book of poetry is handwritten but undated and unsigned.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a full list of letter-writers in the James McHenry papers: James McHenry Contributor List.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The James M. Smith family collection (122 items) contains letters and other materials related to James Murdock Smith of northern New York. The Correspondence series (115 items) includes Smith's correspondence from 1834-1889. Smith received 34 letters from his father, H. D. Smith, whose letters often pertain to politics, New York lands (with at least one mention of the Ogden Land Company, January 21, 1841), railroad construction and finance, and economic conditions in New York State. Among other subjects, he mentioned improvements to the town of Gouverneur (September 3, 1856), "unusually frequent" bankruptcies in Ogdensburg (January 3, 1854), Democratic Party factions, the Know-Nothings, and slavery and abolitionists. Smith's professional correspondence includes letters from New York Congressman Solomon G. Haven, who discussed the Dred Scott case (January 13, 1857), and from philanthropist Philo Parsons, who wrote about his plans to build a large park in Detroit, Michigan (December 8, 1873).

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

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