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The Abigail Clark Farley collection is made up of essays, poetry, letters, and fiction that Farley wrote around the 1860s and 1870s. Topics include slavery, the Civil War, Seventh-day Adventists, and the state of Wisconsin.

The Abigail Clark Farley collection is made up of approximately 150 pages of essays, poetry, letters, and fiction that Farley wrote around the 1860s and 1870s. Some individual items contain more than one work, and she occasionally practiced decorated penmanship. The lengthiest item is a story entitled "Slander," a 52-page work (pages 5-8 are not present), and other essays or letters are as long as 4 pages. Though most items are attributed to Abigail Clark (later Abigail Farley), some are excerpts from other sources, such as "The Narative of Lewis Clark" [sic].

Around the time of the Civil War, Farley wrote essays expressing her opposition to slavery and her feelings about the war's high death toll. In many letters, poems, and essays, she commented on Seventh-day Adventism, various religious and moral topics, and friendship. Other essays and copied poems concern nature and the geography of Wisconsin. A group of elegiac poems are accompanied by genealogical notes. The collection includes a brief biographical note about Queen Victoria.

Abigail Farley's letters include an item written under a male pseudonym chastising a female acquaintance for unbecoming behavior (October 7, 1865) and a letter to Ellen G. White about her new husband's abusive behavior (March 28, 1871). One manuscript concerns a prophecy that came to Quaker minister Joseph Hoag. Small ink drawings of birds appear on one page of poems. One item documents partial terms for Abigail Clark's employment as a penmanship instructor. The collection includes recipes for lemon pies, rheumatic drops, several kinds of cake, and nerve ointment.

This collection is made up of letters that Sarah Ann Krewson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, received from her husband Abraham and her son John during the Civil War. Abraham H. Krewson served with the 174th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in South Carolina in 1863, and John Krewson served with the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regiment, Battery F, in the South in 1865.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Sarah Ann Krewson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, received from her husband Abraham and her son John during the Civil War. Abraham H. Krewson wrote 3 letters to his wife from Port Royal and Beaufort, South Carolina, between February 1, 1863, and May 17, 1863. He commented on his journey to Port Royal, during which Confederate forces captured four Union vessels; finances, including bounty payments; and the proximity of Confederate troops at Beaufort. His final letter contains a list of food prices.

John Krewson, Sarah and Abraham's son, wrote 4 letters to his mother: 3 are dated April 3, [1865]-September 12, 1865, and 1 is undated. He expressed his belief that the war would soon end and described his work on a Virginia farm, where he grew corn. While working on the farm, he mentioned his ability to "cheat the goverment" (September 12, 1865).

The Abraham Lincoln collection contains 15 letters and documents written by Lincoln and 11 letters concerning Lincoln or the Lincoln family.

The Abraham Lincoln collection contains 26 items by or pertaining to Abraham Lincoln, and spanning [ca. 1845] to 1865, with the bulk of materials concentrated in the years 1856 to 1865. See the "Detailed Box and Folder Listing" for an inventory of the items.

This collection is comprised of 12 incoming and outgoing letters of Alexander Lyman Holley, and 1 report card. Holley wrote 7 letters to his father, Alexander Hamilton Holley, about his educational experiences in Farmington, Connecticut, and about his life in New York City in the early 1860s. He received letters from his father (2 items), stepmother (1 item), and grandfather (1 item), who provided advice and news. His wife Mary wrote 1 letter to her father-in-law.

This collection is comprised of 12 incoming and outgoing letters of Alexander Lyman Holley, and 1 report card. Holley wrote 7 letters to his father, Alexander Hamilton Holley, about his educational experiences in Farmington, Connecticut, and about his life in New York City in the early 1860s. He received letters from his father (2 items), stepmother (1 item), and grandfather (1 item), who provided advice and news. His wife Mary wrote 1 letter to her father-in-law.

Alexander Lyman Holley composed 7 letters to Alexander Hamilton Holley between 1841 and 1862. His first 4 letters concern his education and social life at Furnace Village, [Massachusetts], and Farmington, Connecticut. He wrote about his social life, progress in school, and travels (including his June 19, 1847, letter regarding a trip to the "Bristol copper mines"). In 2 later letters, he reflected on anti-Union rioting and railroad destruction in Baltimore, Maryland (April 27, 1861), and on the difficult birth of his daughter Gertrude (October 28, 1862).

Holley's stepmother, Marcia Coffing Holley, shared her anticipation of his upcoming visit (April 28, 1849). His father wrote 2 letters dispensing life advice on alcohol, socializing, and other topics (11 pages, July 7, 1849, and July 23, 1849). Other correspondence items are a note Holley received from his grandfather, Erastus Lyman, concerning financial matters (October 9, 1854), and a letter Mary H. Holley wrote to her father-in-law about family news. The final item is an undated report card for Alexander Lyman Holley, with a brief note Holley wrote on the back.

The Alfred C. and Cordelia Arnold papers consists of Civil War-era correspondence that provides an intimate glimpse into the relationship of a young Connecticut couple, separated by the war.

The bulk of this collection consists of letters between Alfred “Charlie” Arnold and his wife Cordelia “Delia” Arnold. These letters offer little information on Arnold’s military activities, but do provide a glimpse of an intimate, loving relationship between a husband and wife separated by the war. The letters from Alfred trace his movements from New London, Connecticut, in 1862-1863, to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1864, and to Baltimore, Maryland, and City Point (now Hopewell), Virginia in 1865. They discuss family and friends, money issues, weather and health, and their feelings for one another.

Letters to the Arnolds from friends and family include one from Francis E. Arnold to her daughter-in-law; one from Delia's father to Alfred, and letters from Sister Jenny and their close friend Eliza.

The Allen family papers contain personal correspondence of the family of Northborough, Massachusetts, preacher John Allen. Allen and his sons, Joseph Henry Allen, Thomas Prentiss Allen, and William Francis Allen, often discussed antebellum politics and other matters, including slavery and abolition.

The Allen family papers contain personal correspondence of the family of John Allen, a preacher in Northborough, Massachusetts. He and his sons, Joseph Henry Allen, Thomas Prentiss Allen, and William Francis Allen, often discussed antebellum politics and other matters of intellectual concern, including slavery and abolition.

The Correspondence series (260 items) consists primarily of personal correspondence between family members. Thomas Prentiss Allen composed many of these letters, though his brothers and their sister Elizabeth also contributed. The well-educated Allens discussed a wide range of personal and political topics, and their letters provide a vivid picture of the politically charged antebellum era. They often shared opinions on local and national politics, emphasizing the conflicts over slavery that eventually erupted into secession and Civil War. Notably, Thomas Prentiss Allen expounded at length on Daniel Webster's famous speech urging support of the Compromise of 1850 and offered his own opinions on the political issues involved, including the Wilmot Proviso (March 24, 1850). Other letters of particular interest concern the Free Soil party and the Fugitive Slave Act (December 10, 1850 and January 9, 1851). Elizabeth Allen wrote a majority of the later items in the collection to Joseph Allen, her father, communicating a view of her life on the home front during the Civil War and occasionally mentioning the war and domestic politics.

• Fathers and Children, containing manuscript essays based on Biblical verses (September 1842)
• A Discourse on Occasion of the Death of Hon. John Quincy Adams..., by Joseph Henry Allen (1848)

The Photographs series (2 items) contains two 19th-century portraits printed on thick cards.

The Miscellaneous series (5 items) contains a newspaper clipping regarding the death of William Francis Allen, as well as four manuscripts about various topics.

Brothers Andrew and Jacob Jessup wrote 3 letters home to their family while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. They discussed the possibility of death, visits home, family news, and finances.

Brothers Andrew and Jacob Jessup wrote 3 letters home to their parents and siblings while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. In letters from Grand Rapids (January 20, 1864) and Jackson (September 17, 1865), Michigan, Andrew Jessup discussed the possibility that he would be killed during the war; his intention to read the Bible, abstain from gambling, and keep good company; and a $30 fine he incurred while attempting to arrest a pair of deserters. Writing from MacDougall Hospital at Fort Schuyler, New York, on July 30, 1864, Jacob Jessup anticipated his return home for a furlough and commented on news of his siblings. He believed that his sister Alida might stand to lose 40 acres of land if "Seth" did not return.

This collection contains approximately 430 items, nearly all of which are incoming letters addressed to Artemas Hale, a cotton gin manufacturer and politician from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Hale received correspondence from acquaintances and political contacts throughout southeastern Massachusetts, as well as from politicians serving in Washington, D. C., and from family members who resided in Mississippi. Most letters concern mid-19th century politics on both national and local levels, and writers address issues such as the Whig Party, education, the Mexican War, and slavery. Approximately 10 items are letters by Artemas Hale, invitations, and a manuscript poem.

This collection contains approximately 430 items, nearly all of which are incoming letters addressed to Artemas Hale, an agent for a cotton gin manufacturer and a politician from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Hale received correspondence from acquaintances and political contacts throughout southeastern Massachusetts, as well as from politicians serving in Washington, D. C., and from family members residing in Mississippi. Most letters concern mid-19th century politics on both national and local levels, and writers address issues such as the Whig Party, education, the Mexican War, and slavery. Approximately 10 items are letters by Artemas Hale, invitations, and a manuscript poem.

The majority of Hale's incoming letters concern political matters in Massachusetts and throughout the United States, particularly between 1839 and 1860. Most authors wrote from the area near Hale's home in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, or from Washington, D. C. Several politicians were frequent correspondents, and many discussed their involvement with the Whig Party, as well as other aspects of party politics. Others commented on local and national elections; the collection contains commentary on each presidential election between 1844 and 1860. Additional frequent topics include the Mexican War, slavery and sectionalism, and the affairs of the United States Congress. Early letters often concerned the budget and workings of the Massachusetts State Normal School (now Framingham State University), as well as national affairs. Notable contributors include Julius Rockwell, Horace Mann, Samuel Hoar, Samuel J. May, John S. Pendleton, Robert C. Winthrop, Daniel P. King, and Joseph Grinnell.

Personal letters Hale received from family and friends are interspersed throughout the collection, including family letters written before 1839 and 2 letters written in 1840 by Thophilus P. Doggett, a minister in Bridgewater, regarding his travels to Florida and throughout the Caribbean. Hale's brother Moses wrote of his life as a farmer in Westport, Mississippi (June 5, 1843). Another relative, Harrison Hale, wrote 4 letters between 1847 and 1851, providing his impressions of southern life and, particularly in his letters dated April 8, 1859, and February 3, 1861, about the upcoming Civil War. In addition, 2 of Thomas B. Lincoln’s letters concern railroad construction in Texas (December 23, 1855) and the outbreak of military hostilities (December 11, 1860), and [Keith A.] Bartlett wrote 1 letter about his Union Army service at Camp Brightwood (October 8, [1861]). The collection also holds two pages of indexes, possibly taken from a letter book, and a patriotic poem entitled "Sleeping for the Flag" (undated).

The Beatty family papers consist of correspondence and diaries that document a Pennsylvanian family's activities from May 20, 1831, to June 1, 1886. Included is a set of diaries from Mary Assheton Beatty, a short diary from her son, Joseph Henry Beatty, and letters addressed to Joseph Henry concerning the family and his activities in business and service in the Civil War.

The Beatty papers date from May 20, 1831, to June 1, 1886, with the bulk falling between February 2, 1855, and November 18, 1878. The papers touch on subjects such as the Tuscarora Academy, Steubenville Female Seminary, child rearing, homemaking, everyday life, education, and religion.

The correspondence is almost exclusively addressed to Joseph Henry Beatty (J. Henry or Henry) though a few are addressed to his parents and to his brother Reading. Joseph Henry received letters from his brother-in-law George Curwen, and letters to and from various family members relating news, giving advice, and asking questions about his schooling, his work in oil well management, his service in the Civil War, and farming. The letters also give substantial information about Joseph Henry's sister, Fanny, and her husband, Robert Holmes. A letter from George F.Curwen to J. Henry Beatty, January 12, 1861, contains a rough sketch of the layout of a plot of land [Bucks or Montgomery County?].

The diaries series consists of two sets of diaries: one written by J. Henry's mother, Mary A. Beatty, dated 1850-1854, and a 16-page diary written by J. Henry Beatty in 1855 while in boarding school. Mary's diaries detail the family's daily life as well as their experiences with education, marriage, childbirth, employment, and travel.

The miscellaneous items include several pages from The Press, a Philadelphia newspaper, regarding the oil industry in Northern Pennsylvania, a Calling card for Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Wiegand, and empty envelopes.

This collection is primarily made up of Benson J. Lossing's incoming and outgoing correspondence concerning his writings about and interest in numerous subjects in American history. Essays, newspaper clippings, and ephemera are also included.

This collection is primarily made up of Benson J. Lossing's incoming and outgoing correspondence (179 items, 1850-1904) concerning his writings about and interest in numerous subjects in American history. Essays, newspaper clippings, and ephemera are also included (18 items, 1849- ca. 1884).

The Correspondence series (179 items) mostly contains incoming letters to Lossing about his career as a historian. Some writers thanked Lossing for sending them copies of his books or otherwise commented on his works, such as his Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812. Others offered biographical details on historical figures, notes on family genealogies, and information about historical events. Some older correspondents provided firsthand accounts of events, and other writers shared information about potential primary source material. The American Revolutionary era and War of 1812 were common topics, though at least one letter was written during the Civil War. Historical figures discussed included John André and Oliver Hazard Perry; one man wrote about busts of George Washington at Mount Vernon. Some authors enclosed newspaper clippings in their letters, and two made drawings: one of an unidentified building (June 2, 1851) and one of the grave of James Ross (May 11, 1852). One letter from a publisher postdates Lossing's death.

Benson Lossing wrote occasional letters about his work, and at least one of his letters contains a printed form letter requesting historical information.

The Writings and Biographical Sketches (8 items) are brief essays about historical topics, mostly in Benson J. Lossing's handwriting. Subjects include copied inscriptions from a monument marking the Battle of Red Bank and biographies of Colonel Anthony White, William H. Winder, and Alexander Lillington. One item is a copied "Parole of Honor," with Lossing's added notes on some of its signers. Two signed manuscript drafts of articles include "The British Flag and the American Sailor Boy," which was later published as "Anna Van Antwerp and John Van Arsdale" in the Christian Union, and "Mr. Lincoln A Statesman," which appeared in Osborn H. Oldroyd's The Lincoln Memorial: Album-Immortelles. An essay about William H. Winder is attributed to Mrs. A. W. Townsend of Oyster Bay, New York.

The Printed Items series (10 items) is comprised of programs, newspaper clippings, obituaries, a chapter in a published volume, and engravings. One clipping is a reprint of an article written by Benson J. Lossing.