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

This collection consists of a manuscript schoolbook that belonged to Abraham P. Sherril in the mid-1810s and 4 daybooks that Sherril kept between 1837 and 1850. The schoolbook contains rules and example problems in subjects such as mathematics, business finance, and surveying, as well as examples of a daybook and double-entry ledger. The daybooks concern sales of foodstuffs, cloth, and other items in Pike, New York, from the 1830s-1850s.

This collection consists of a manuscript schoolbook and 4 daybooks. The Schoolbook (145 pages) contains 118 pages of notes and example problems concerning mathematics, business finance, and surveying, dated at East Hampton, New York, from March 1815-March 1818. Many of the geometrical and surveying problems are illustrated, and financial problems pertain to subjects such as European currencies and calculation of interest. The schoolbook also includes a copied poem. The final 27 pages provide examples of a daybook (January 1, 1819-January 31, 1819, 11 pages) and double-entry ledger (January 1, 1819-May 29, 1819, 16 pages). The same accounts are represented in each of these sections, and most pertain to sales of foodstuffs and fabrics. The 4 Daybooks (June 22, 1837-May 29, 1850, 765 pages) record Sherril's accounts with customers in Pike, New York. He sold foodstuffs such as butter, spices, and tea; household goods such as brooms and nails; clothing and fabrics such as calico; and other items, such as tobacco and soap.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857, while serving aboard the mercantile clippers Charger from Boston to San Francisco and the Stag Hound from San Francisco to Hawaii and China. The Stag Hound carried 380 Chinese passengers from San Francisco to China, where it loaded a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods, to be returned to New York. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and the coasts of the Yangtze River, as well as shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857. He first served aboard the mercantile clipper Charger under the command of Captain Luther Hurd, travelling from Boston, Massachusetts, past Cape Horn, to San Francisco, California. He switched berths in San Francisco to the Stag Hound who carried Chinese passengers under Captain Peterson to Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Foochow (Fuzhou), via the Chang (Yangtze) River. They passed various places in the Philippines and South China Sea without stopping, and returned to New York with a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of ports like San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou, and shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

Details about the labor of sailing are found throughout the diary, with regular notes about wind, weather, and sea conditions, land sightings, and occasional notations of latitude and longitude. Charley described the Charger as "a new one" (January 1), and several times noted that the ship was outpacing others. He commented on various shipboard tasks like cleaning the deck, handling and repairing sails, managing dwindling food and provisions, and catching sharks, fish, and porpoises to eat. Comments about the difficulty of the work and various demands appear regularly, as well as notes of various mishaps on board, damaging storms, and other dangers, like falls, sails gone awry, the hazards of Cape Horn (March 7), freshwater getting tainted (March 20), waterspouts (August 27), and suspected pirates (September 16). At least one crewmember died, seemingly of illness contracted prior to the voyage, and Charley wrote of his distress at how his body and burial were handled (July 17).

When he switched berths to the Stag Hound, travelling from San Francisco to Hawaii and Hong Kong, Charley wrote of the demands of manning an "outward bound ship":

"Everbody is in bad humor. The officers irritable. the crew more so. words pass between them. everything to do and nobody to do it. Bed clothes. sea boats. jackets. chests. and numerous other things of a sailors outfit tumbled together in confusion. chickens crowing. geese quacking turkeys gobbling. pigs squealing. these are the scenes and noises that must be endured by the outward bound" (May 15). Noting that "people on shore think that a sailors leads an idle life," he detailed the daily labor they typically performed (August 30).

Charley's depictions of shipboard life also reference issues of discipline and management of the crew. While on the Charger, he noted the captain distributing "a lot of tracts" to the crew (January 18 and February 8) and complained of officers making sailors work on the Sabbath (January 25). He wrote a detailed description of the Charger's officers on March 11, including physical and behavioral attributes, and noted that the rest of the crew consisted of 28 men from America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, and Italy. He noted several physical fights and that crew members were imprisoned for matters like theft and violence (February 14 and May 8) or threatened to have their noses wrung by the captain for fighting (April 30). Charley recorded that the third mate confined "one of our boys who goes by the name of Jimmey Ducks" in the hencoop for "not feeding the fowls in the morning" (February 15). On another occasion, "the mate frightened one of the greenhorns nearly to death by hoisting him up to the royal mast head" when he cried when being asked to slush the mast (February 23). As provisions began to run out, Charley bemoaned that the sailors had to drink rainwater that was tainted by the ship's tar and paint, while "the officers can drink and use as much of the Boston water as they choose" and the steward "used two buckets of the good water to wash the cabin floor" (April 19). Upon landing in San Francisco, Charley noted that Captain Hurd was trying to convince the sailors to continue on with him on the next leg of the voyage by withholding wages from the crew, was struck by a passenger who accused him of "ill treatment to his sister," and that "Whenever our crew see him in the streets they are hooting him and throwing stones at him" (May 10-11).

Charley continued to note disciplinary issues when he transferred to the Stag Hound, including reminiscences about being imprisoned in Honolulu for refusing to work while on a whaling voyage aboard the Hobomok in 1852. Others' refusals to work and their punishment were documented (June 14), as well as efforts to manage unruly passengers (May 22). He noted that infighting and complaining "is the custom with sailors... When they cannot find fault with the officers or with the grub they must growl amoung themselves for pastime" (May 26). On the return voyage, Charley noted the "youngsters" were yelled at for being slow in their work (August 24).

The volume contains much detail about issues of race and ethnicity. He wrote about a man "that goes by the name of Jim Crow. he would make a horse smile to hear him singing comic songs and spouting Shakespere &c.," possibly an African American sailor (January 26). Charley made another reference to "James Crow" on February 28, participating in a demonstration by the sailors when their "advance was up" and they "assert[ed] our rights as sailors" and made an effigy that was hung and buried at sea. Charley called him a "courious genious. he makes sport for all hands in the ship. I don't know how we would get along without him" (February 28). Charley was pleased "to see my friend Crow" among those who switched berths to the Stag Hound (May 14). Charley commented on his singing and musical abilities (June 24, August 11), and he wrote about him in a poem (June 12), travelled ashore with him in Hong Kong (July 7), and remarked on his cure for toothaches (September 8).

Charley's entries also reflect on the individuals he encountered during his voyages, including a description of indigenous South Americans sailing catamarans to fish, some 20 miles from shore (February 5), and the multi-ethnic crew of the Stag Hound. On May 24, Charley described in detail the Stag Hound's Dutch captain and his wife, the Dutch first and second mates, the English third mate, American bosun and carpenter, and two Chinese stewards and two Chinese cooks. "Before the mast we have a sprinkling of all nations. It would puzzle a Philadelphia Lawyer to understand one half of them. I dont believe that there was one half of the confusion at the building of the tower of Bable as there is in our forecastle at meal times."

The bulk of his racial commentary revolves around the approximately 380 Chinese passengers who travelled aboard the Stag Hound to Hawaii and Hong Kong, of which he initially wrote disparaging comments (May 12). Some of Charley's entries reflect on Chinese shipboard experiences, such as gambling (May 20) and fighting (June 6), while others seem to indicate prejudiced behavior on the part of the Stag Hound's captain. He rationed Chinese passengers' allowance of water (May 22) and threatened violence against one English-speaking Chinese passenger for complaining (January 19). While approaching China, Charley noted the crew worked on cleaning guns due to "lots of pirates now in these seas, but we do not fear them so much as we do the passengers, for it is a common thing for them to try and take the vessel that they are in when they find that they are near to China" (June 25). He remarked on the Chinese Emperor, "said to be the brother of the Sun, and likewise the King of ten thousand islands" (June 29), the passengers praying for fair wind (July 1), and reacting with joy upon seeing the area near Hong Kong (July 5). He described Hong Kong, commenting on religion (July 6-7) and fears of Chinese boarding the ship at night to murder the crew (July 10). He noted passing the wreck of the Wild Duck and seeing Chinese junks painted "with large eyes on their bows so that they can see" (July 20), and he described places they passed while travelling up the Chang River under the guidance of a Chinese pilot and their arrival at Foochow (Fuzhou). He noted the work Chinese laborers undertook on the Stag Hound while at Fuzhou (July 24, 26, 27) and detailed his visit to a "pagoda" in the city (August 2).

Several references to women also appear in the diary. Charley remarked on the presence of the captain's wife aboard the Charger, noting her disdain for sailors (January 4, March 16). As the initial voyage to California wore on, Charley recorded a fight between the captain and his wife where she was threatened with violence if she spoke to the first mate (April 24). The captain's wife also accompanied the Stag Hound, and Charley described her and her scorn for the sailors as well (May 24). The captain's daughter was also aboard the Stag Hound, and Charley noted the purchase of a cat for her and her distress during a typhoon (July 27, September 7). He later noted the cat's disappearance and his suspicion that sailors disposed of it, "for a sailor would as soon see his Satanic Majesty on board of his ship as a cat for to him a cat is linked with superticion [sic]" (August 17).

Mentions of other ships throughout the volume reflect the international dynamics of sea travel and mercantilism. Charley noted ships from various American ports, Prussia, Brazil, England, and France. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, he observed French, English, and Portuguese men-of-war (July 6 and July 8), and named American ships by name while in Chinese ports. He recorded the goods taken on the Stag Hound in China, including opium, silver, fire crackers, tea, silk, and fancy matting.

In addition to his diary entries, Charley also documented his experiences with drawings. He included several pictures of Chinese junks and coastal views of the following locations:

• Cape Horn
• Tierra del Fuego
• South Farallon Islands
• Morotai Island
• "Wahoo" [O'ahu]
• Diamond Head
• "Cocowaner" island
• "Peico" island
• Balintang Islands
• Bashee Islands
• Batan Island
• Sabtang
• Goat Island
• "An Island in Hong Kong Harbor"
• "Great Lema Island"
• Pratas Islands
• "The last light of Hong Kong"
• "[Oaksu?] Islands"
• several views from along the River Chang
• Balabac Strait

Charley included clips of poetry and quotations, mostly relating to sailors and sea life. He copied a poem attributed to a crew member, "To the Albatross" (February 25), and others appear to be originals that he may have composed, such as one celebrating the passage past Cape Horn (March 7), another musing on the wide variances in a sailor's life (April 22), and one entitled "To the Stag Hound" (May 31). Other poems memorialize food poisoning (June 12), the death of a crewmate (July 17), and heading home for America (August 16). The final page of the volume includes a poem entitled "To Charley, by J.H.S." about their friendship and an amusing incident regarding cheese, seemingly written at their parting, and the lyrics to a song about a charcoal vendor.

A post-1886 newspaper clipping, "Boston Clippers," is pasted on the inside front cover and references the few remaining "splendid clippers which the discovery of gold in California and Australia produced," including the Charger .

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857, while serving aboard the mercantile clippers Charger from Boston to San Francisco and the Stag Hound from San Francisco to Hawaii and China. The Stag Hound carried 380 Chinese passengers from San Francisco to China, where it loaded a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods, to be returned to New York. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Fuzhou, and the coasts of the Yangtze River, as well as shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

A sailor only identified as "Charley" maintained this diary from January 1, 1857, to September 22, 1857. He first served aboard the mercantile clipper Charger under the command of Captain Luther Hurd, travelling from Boston, Massachusetts, past Cape Horn, to San Francisco, California. He switched berths in San Francisco to the Stag Hound who carried Chinese passengers under Captain Peterson to Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Foochow (Fuzhou), via the Chang (Yangtze) River. They passed various places in the Philippines and South China Sea without stopping, and returned to New York with a cargo of tea, silk, fancy matting, and other goods. Charley wrote about social matters, including descriptions of ports like San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou, and shipboard life among sailors, officers, and passengers. He commented several times about one of his crewmates, possibly an African American man who went by the name of "Jim Crow," and noted the presence of captains' wives and children. He included several drawings of Chinese ships (junks) as well as coastal views of places in South America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. Charley also included a number of poems, mostly relating to sailors and seafaring, several of which appear to be originals.

Details about the labor of sailing are found throughout the diary, with regular notes about wind, weather, and sea conditions, land sightings, and occasional notations of latitude and longitude. Charley described the Charger as "a new one" (January 1), and several times noted that the ship was outpacing others. He commented on various shipboard tasks like cleaning the deck, handling and repairing sails, managing dwindling food and provisions, and catching sharks, fish, and porpoises to eat. Comments about the difficulty of the work and various demands appear regularly, as well as notes of various mishaps on board, damaging storms, and other dangers, like falls, sails gone awry, the hazards of Cape Horn (March 7), freshwater getting tainted (March 20), waterspouts (August 27), and suspected pirates (September 16). At least one crewmember died, seemingly of illness contracted prior to the voyage, and Charley wrote of his distress at how his body and burial were handled (July 17).

When he switched berths to the Stag Hound, travelling from San Francisco to Hawaii and Hong Kong, Charley wrote of the demands of manning an "outward bound ship":

"Everbody is in bad humor. The officers irritable. the crew more so. words pass between them. everything to do and nobody to do it. Bed clothes. sea boats. jackets. chests. and numerous other things of a sailors outfit tumbled together in confusion. chickens crowing. geese quacking turkeys gobbling. pigs squealing. these are the scenes and noises that must be endured by the outward bound" (May 15). Noting that "people on shore think that a sailors leads an idle life," he detailed the daily labor they typically performed (August 30).

Charley's depictions of shipboard life also reference issues of discipline and management of the crew. While on the Charger, he noted the captain distributing "a lot of tracts" to the crew (January 18 and February 8) and complained of officers making sailors work on the Sabbath (January 25). He wrote a detailed description of the Charger's officers on March 11, including physical and behavioral attributes, and noted that the rest of the crew consisted of 28 men from America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, and Italy. He noted several physical fights and that crew members were imprisoned for matters like theft and violence (February 14 and May 8) or threatened to have their noses wrung by the captain for fighting (April 30). Charley recorded that the third mate confined "one of our boys who goes by the name of Jimmey Ducks" in the hencoop for "not feeding the fowls in the morning" (February 15). On another occasion, "the mate frightened one of the greenhorns nearly to death by hoisting him up to the royal mast head" when he cried when being asked to slush the mast (February 23). As provisions began to run out, Charley bemoaned that the sailors had to drink rainwater that was tainted by the ship's tar and paint, while "the officers can drink and use as much of the Boston water as they choose" and the steward "used two buckets of the good water to wash the cabin floor" (April 19). Upon landing in San Francisco, Charley noted that Captain Hurd was trying to convince the sailors to continue on with him on the next leg of the voyage by withholding wages from the crew, was struck by a passenger who accused him of "ill treatment to his sister," and that "Whenever our crew see him in the streets they are hooting him and throwing stones at him" (May 10-11).

Charley continued to note disciplinary issues when he transferred to the Stag Hound, including reminiscences about being imprisoned in Honolulu for refusing to work while on a whaling voyage aboard the Hobomok in 1852. Others' refusals to work and their punishment were documented (June 14), as well as efforts to manage unruly passengers (May 22). He noted that infighting and complaining "is the custom with sailors... When they cannot find fault with the officers or with the grub they must growl amoung themselves for pastime" (May 26). On the return voyage, Charley noted the "youngsters" were yelled at for being slow in their work (August 24).

The volume contains much detail about issues of race and ethnicity. He wrote about a man "that goes by the name of Jim Crow. he would make a horse smile to hear him singing comic songs and spouting Shakespere &c.," possibly an African American sailor (January 26). Charley made another reference to "James Crow" on February 28, participating in a demonstration by the sailors when their "advance was up" and they "assert[ed] our rights as sailors" and made an effigy that was hung and buried at sea. Charley called him a "courious genious. he makes sport for all hands in the ship. I don't know how we would get along without him" (February 28). Charley was pleased "to see my friend Crow" among those who switched berths to the Stag Hound (May 14). Charley commented on his singing and musical abilities (June 24, August 11), and he wrote about him in a poem (June 12), travelled ashore with him in Hong Kong (July 7), and remarked on his cure for toothaches (September 8).

Charley's entries also reflect on the individuals he encountered during his voyages, including a description of indigenous South Americans sailing catamarans to fish, some 20 miles from shore (February 5), and the multi-ethnic crew of the Stag Hound. On May 24, Charley described in detail the Stag Hound's Dutch captain and his wife, the Dutch first and second mates, the English third mate, American bosun and carpenter, and two Chinese stewards and two Chinese cooks. "Before the mast we have a sprinkling of all nations. It would puzzle a Philadelphia Lawyer to understand one half of them. I dont believe that there was one half of the confusion at the building of the tower of Bable as there is in our forecastle at meal times."

The bulk of his racial commentary revolves around the approximately 380 Chinese passengers who travelled aboard the Stag Hound to Hawaii and Hong Kong, of which he initially wrote disparaging comments (May 12). Some of Charley's entries reflect on Chinese shipboard experiences, such as gambling (May 20) and fighting (June 6), while others seem to indicate prejudiced behavior on the part of the Stag Hound's captain. He rationed Chinese passengers' allowance of water (May 22) and threatened violence against one English-speaking Chinese passenger for complaining (January 19). While approaching China, Charley noted the crew worked on cleaning guns due to "lots of pirates now in these seas, but we do not fear them so much as we do the passengers, for it is a common thing for them to try and take the vessel that they are in when they find that they are near to China" (June 25). He remarked on the Chinese Emperor, "said to be the brother of the Sun, and likewise the King of ten thousand islands" (June 29), the passengers praying for fair wind (July 1), and reacting with joy upon seeing the area near Hong Kong (July 5). He described Hong Kong, commenting on religion (July 6-7) and fears of Chinese boarding the ship at night to murder the crew (July 10). He noted passing the wreck of the Wild Duck and seeing Chinese junks painted "with large eyes on their bows so that they can see" (July 20), and he described places they passed while travelling up the Chang River under the guidance of a Chinese pilot and their arrival at Foochow (Fuzhou). He noted the work Chinese laborers undertook on the Stag Hound while at Fuzhou (July 24, 26, 27) and detailed his visit to a "pagoda" in the city (August 2).

Several references to women also appear in the diary. Charley remarked on the presence of the captain's wife aboard the Charger, noting her disdain for sailors (January 4, March 16). As the initial voyage to California wore on, Charley recorded a fight between the captain and his wife where she was threatened with violence if she spoke to the first mate (April 24). The captain's wife also accompanied the Stag Hound, and Charley described her and her scorn for the sailors as well (May 24). The captain's daughter was also aboard the Stag Hound, and Charley noted the purchase of a cat for her and her distress during a typhoon (July 27, September 7). He later noted the cat's disappearance and his suspicion that sailors disposed of it, "for a sailor would as soon see his Satanic Majesty on board of his ship as a cat for to him a cat is linked with superticion [sic]" (August 17).

Mentions of other ships throughout the volume reflect the international dynamics of sea travel and mercantilism. Charley noted ships from various American ports, Prussia, Brazil, England, and France. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, he observed French, English, and Portuguese men-of-war (July 6 and July 8), and named American ships by name while in Chinese ports. He recorded the goods taken on the Stag Hound in China, including opium, silver, fire crackers, tea, silk, and fancy matting.

In addition to his diary entries, Charley also documented his experiences with drawings. He included several pictures of Chinese junks and coastal views of the following locations:

• Cape Horn
• Tierra del Fuego
• South Farallon Islands
• Morotai Island
• "Wahoo" [O'ahu]
• Diamond Head
• "Cocowaner" island
• "Peico" island
• Balintang Islands
• Bashee Islands
• Batan Island
• Sabtang
• Goat Island
• "An Island in Hong Kong Harbor"
• "Great Lema Island"
• Pratas Islands
• "The last light of Hong Kong"
• "[Oaksu?] Islands"
• several views from along the River Chang
• Balabac Strait

Charley included clips of poetry and quotations, mostly relating to sailors and sea life. He copied a poem attributed to a crew member, "To the Albatross" (February 25), and others appear to be originals that he may have composed, such as one celebrating the passage past Cape Horn (March 7), another musing on the wide variances in a sailor's life (April 22), and one entitled "To the Stag Hound" (May 31). Other poems memorialize food poisoning (June 12), the death of a crewmate (July 17), and heading home for America (August 16). The final page of the volume includes a poem entitled "To Charley, by J.H.S." about their friendship and an amusing incident regarding cheese, seemingly written at their parting, and the lyrics to a song about a charcoal vendor.

A post-1886 newspaper clipping, "Boston Clippers," is pasted on the inside front cover and references the few remaining "splendid clippers which the discovery of gold in California and Australia produced," including the Charger .

Christian Hoffman, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky, compiled this 201-page book of poetry, largely in the German language, with eight poems in English. Hoffman's selections include poems or poem fragments by Henry Kirke White, Lord Byron, Agnes Franz, Friedrich Rückert, Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau, Friedrich von Sallet, August Henrich Hoffmann, and others. Christian Hoffmann apparently included several original spiritual poems, such as "Des Kinder schwingender Geist" (pages 18-24) and "Die Absched des Prindes Gottes" (pages 169-170). Several blackletter script titles, decorative initials, and illustrations are present. The three illustrations include an urn with flowers (page 69), an angel with a harp (page 168), and a vignette of three maidens holding a banner with the words "O laube", "Liebe und" and "Hoffman" (page 76).

Christian Hoffman, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky, compiled this 201-page book of poetry, largely in the German language, with eight poems in English. Hoffman's selections include poems or poem fragments by Henry Kirke White, Lord Byron, Agnes Franz, Friedrich Rückert, Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau, Friedrich von Sallet, August Henrich Hoffmann, and others. Christian Hoffmann apparently included several original spiritual poems, such as "Des Kinder schwingender Geist" (pages 18-24) and "Die Absched des Prindes Gottes" (pages 169-170). Several blackletter script titles, decorative initials, and illustrations are present. The three illustrations include an urn with flowers (page 69), an angel with a harp (page 168), and a vignette of three maidens holding a banner with the words "O laube", "Liebe und" and "Hoffman" (page 76).

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889.

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889. The loosely bound, 32-page volume opens with an inscription from William Cullen Bryant's poem "The Painted Cup," (p. 1) and also includes a copy of "Of a'the Airts the wind can blaw…," a poem by Robert Burns (p. 3). Of particular interest is a cheerful and humorous narrative poem composed by a woman staying with several female friends under the watchful eye of a chaperone, Aunt Margaret, and a male "protector," Rob. The poem, entitled "Camping Out," describes each of the six members of the camping party and includes a few of their adventures as well as a hint of nostalgia (pp. 19-25; p. 10). The book also contains a series of short cheers associated with prestigious colleges, including Princeton and Yale (p. 12), and, two ink drawings of three male friends: Newton Shepard, William S. Church, and F. B. Foster. One drawing, a tree labeled "Log Cabin" and adorned by an owl (p. 5), appears to be a detail of a larger image of a log cabin labeled "Eagle Point" (p. 32). The book also contains a number of autographs collected from camp visitors from around the country.

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).

The Eleazar Smith biographical sketch is Thomas A. Dickinson's 1881 transcription of Smith's memoir, originally written in 1828. Smith described his experiences as a militiaman during the Revolutionary War, as well as his work as an inventor and machinist in Medfield and Walpole, Massachusetts.

The Eleazar Smith biographical sketch (54 pages) is Thomas A. Dickinson's 1881 transcription of Smith's memoir, originally written in 1828. Smith described his experiences as a militiaman during the Revolutionary War and his work as an inventor and machinist in Medfield and Walpole, Massachusetts.

The first 2 pages consist of Dickinson's introduction to the manuscript, including a history of the original document and the date and place of Dickinson's transcription. A paper laid into these pages describes one of Smith's clocks, which ran until at least 1883. Pages 3-50 contain the transcription; the original manuscript's first 2 pages, lost prior to 1881, are not copied. Smith's biography consists of reminiscences and stories about his professional life, but he also discussed his finances and business relationships with men in Medfield, Walpole, and Boston. He frequently commented on his lifelong affinity for the clocks and other machinery that he repaired and made, and the memoir includes a detailed description of a nail-making machine he created (p. 32). Pages 12-18 pertain to Smith's time in a militia regiment during the Revolution, including his imprisonment on suspicion of counterfeiting and his decision to desert. The biographical sketch is followed by a poem about "General Smith," thought to include contributions by Eleazar Smith (pp. 51-52); brief notes about Mrs. Adams of Medfield, Massachusetts, one of Eleazar Smith's neighbors (p. 53), and a card tooth machine (p. 54); and a copy of Eleazar Smith's epitaph from his grave at the Walpole Rural Cemetery (p. 54).

Ella Dillard Bates, originally of Alabama, kept this diary from January to April 1862 while residing in the "upper country" of Georgia, likely in Bartow County. She wrote of domestic affairs, tending to her infant son, Horace, relationships with neighbors, gardening, her husband's travel and visits to plantations, and interactions with "servants," likely enslaved men and women. Occasional references to Civil War events also appear in the volume, as well as brief references to conflict with the likely enslaved "servants."

Ella Dillard Bates kept this diary from January to April 1862 while residing in the "upper country" of Georgia, likely in Bartow County. She wrote of domestic affairs, tending to her infant son, Horace, relationships with neighbors, gardening, her husband's travel and visits to plantations, and interactions with the household "servants," likely enslaved men and women. Occasional references to Civil War events also appear in the volume, as well as brief references to conflict with the likely enslaved "servants."

Ella's descriptions of Gustavus Bates' activities indicate that he was travelling to tend to business affairs, seemingly related to agriculture. He travelled to Allatoona, Acworth, Cartersville, Marietta, Covington, Cassville, Carsonville, and Atlanta and Ella noted instances when he dealt with corn and arranged for the slaughter and sale of hogs. At times, she wrote of him going to or returning from unnamed plantations, but his role at those sites is unclear. On several occasions, she referred to travelers staying with the family, including an African American man on his way to North Carolina (March 18).

Ella wrote of her infant son's health and development, daily activities, clothing, and relationship with his father. Several times she mentioned short trips taken with him, as well as the desire to get his ambrotype taken, "if he can sit still long enough." Entries also provide insight into the domestic work Ella Bates performed, including references to selling her butter, hardening lard, collecting broom straw, mending clothing, dealing with chickens, geese, and turkeys, gardening, and trading goods with neighbors. Ella also noted social visits and letters from family members, providing a glimpse into the work she performed tending to relationships and the family's social circle.

While Ella referred to those performing labor around her as "servants," it is likely that many if not all of these individuals were enslaved. Several people feature prominently, including Toney, of whom Ella wrote, "I think it is almost impossible for me to keep house without him" (January 3). Toney also appears throughout the volume performing various jobs like running errands or making deliveries, fixing Ella's garden, tending to candle molds, and other tasks. Likewise, a man named Ellick appears several times, running errands, salting meat, working with mules, and he appears to have had carpentry skills. Other named individuals who may have been enslaved workers appear only sparingly, performing various jobs.

Ella's diary provides glimpses into female domestic labor she oversaw. While unclear whether the women were enslaved, it is likely that they were. Mary and Francis labored in the household, cooking, cleaning, washing and tending to clothes, and other various tasks like sewing corn sacks and handling geese. Francis appears to have been pregnant, as Ella referred to her impending confinement (February 21). They may have also assisted in tending to Horace, as on April 7 Ella noted Mary falling with him. There are indications that a larger enslaved population was laboring for the family, including references to Francis "boil[ing] the hog feet & ears for the negroes" (January 8) and stopping with Gustavus to "see the servants plough" a field (April 11).

At times, the entries indicate conflict or resistance, including on January 13 when she wrote, "Some of the negroes have been trying to break in my hen house. I took Joe this evening and made him fix it up nicely." On January 17, she referred to May, a likely enslaved African American woman, as "impudent" and noted that upon being slapped "she was mad enough to knock me down." That same day she commented on Toney wanting to keep his clothes in the house, "if I do he will keep my dining room dirty all the time." Other events pertain to Mary who labored in the house, including her breaking a cup (January 20) and a workbox, which Ella accused her of doing to "steal my needles and thread" (February 17). Entries for February 21 and 22 refer to a man named Henry running away from a Mr. Cooper, and Ella commented about African American children "not let[ting] me raise many chickens this year" (March 28).

The diary includes passages that seem to imply conflict between Ella and a woman named Emma from Allatoona, who may have come to the Bates household with three young children (February 22). While unclear if Emma was enslaved, she may have been, as Ella wrote that "she is a splendid servant about a house" (February 24). Several days after the arrival, tension arose between Ella, Emma, and Gustavus, when Ella remarked, "Mr. Bates got so mad with me last night about Emma. He says he will never forget or forgive me for it as long as he lives" (February 27). On March 1, Ella acknowledged feeling jealous "about something I heard today it makes me sick," and on March 3, Ella stated her pleasure that Emma would be leaving; she departed on March 9, 1862.

Ella Bates occasionally referred to wartime events, including the fall of Nashville (February 26), Union forces taking "the engine from Big Shanty" (April 12 and 13), soldiers taking the railroad to Corinth (April 14), and anxieties about her husband enlisting in the Confederate Army (February 18, February 28, March 2, April 3, April 14). She also documented people in the household who ventured out to acquire newspapers, which may have been to follow wartime news among other purposes.

One page at the end of the volume appears to be a list of household tasks to accomplish, including those related to gardening, chickens, geese, and clothing. Several poems are also included at the end of the volume, including one entitled "Stone Mountain."

The inscriptions "Tennie Bates" and "T.M.B. Waverly Tenn" appear on the front pastedown and flyleaf, indicating the volume was in the possession of Tennessee Mae Bates, Ella Bates' granddaughter. Other names inscribed in the volume include "Aleck McClaren, Memphis Tennessee," "Miss Jennie Tidwill," and "G. H. Bates - 1861" suggesting Gustavus may have given the volume as a gift to Ella.

This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.

This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. In multiple instances, more than one student from a family appears to have written a poem, and the individuals from the same family used the same type of ribbons on their paper.

Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.

This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.

This collection consists of 24 slips of paper with poems written by female students at Washington, Maine, in August 1853, to their teacher Ethelda Coggan. Many are affectionate or urge remembrance, and several of the verses are repeated by multiple students. All but one of the poems includes a ribbon affixed to the paper or evidence that a ribbon had formerly been affixed. Several include locks of hair or hairwork pieces tied into the ribbons. In multiple instances, more than one student from a family appears to have written a poem, and the individuals from the same family used the same type of ribbons on their paper.

Two additional pieces of unsigned writing are also present. One appears to have been written at the end of the fall term, reflecting on the changes that occurred during the school season, including the death of a student's father, and on the relationships and fond memories created in the schoolhouse. The other piece is a manuscript draft of an essay on perseverance.