Search

The Carlos Addision Rugg journals offer a glimpse into the activities of a United States Christian Commission agent operating in Virginia during the Civil War.

On September 11, 1861, Carlos A. Rugg enlisted at Perryburg, N.Y., in Co. K of the 9th New York Cavalry Regiment. Rugg was detailed as battalion Veterinary Surgeon in December, but served in that capacity only until the 20th of February, 1862, when he was discharged at Washington, D.C., following an injury inflicted by a horse. Rugg apparently recovered from these injuries, and in October, 1864, joined the U.S. Christian Commission in order to 'do his part' for the war effort. He served for the Commission in eastern Virginia, distributing Bibles and tracts and ministering to and assisting soldiers and freedmen.

The Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Slave Records is a register of black and mulatto children born in Dauphin County between 1780 and 1825. The volume contains approximately 170 bound slave records giving each child's name, date of birth, sex, race, as well as owner's name, occupation, and place of residency.

The Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Slave Records is a register of the names of black and mulatto children born in Dauphin County between 1780 and 1825. The volume contains approximately 170 bound slave records, with 7 loose copies, a memorial for John Ewing, and a printed notice in the book’s front cover.

The ledger contains a seven-page index at the front, followed by 49 pages of entries, with three to four entries per page. Glued inside the front cover is a printed copy of the March 29, 1788, law regarding the registration of the children of slaves -- An act to explain and amend an act, entitled, "An act for the gradual abolition of slavery." The ledger contains 6 officially embossed copies of entries copied in the volume, and an undated letter with a tribute to a lawyer named John Ewing, who died at the age of 40. The content of this letter is highly religious and laudatory.

The volume lists 105 female children and 92 male children. Only 17 of the 197 children have recorded surnames. Of the 97 different slave owners most of them (76%) registered only one or two children. Only 7% of owners registered more than four. Notable slave owners include John Andre Hanna, a Revolutionary War general and U.S. congressman; Cornelius Cox, a Revolutionary War colonel and elector from Pennsylvania in the 1792 presidential election [he voted for Washington]; and Mordecai McKinney, whose son defended numerous fugitive slaves in Pennsylvania in the 1850's. For a complete list of slave owners see the Additional Descriptive Data section below.

The register lists the names, birthdates, and owners of 197 children born to slaves in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in the 45-year period between 1780 and 1825. The registrar often recorded estimated ages of those born prior to April 1, 1789, but for those born after that date, he noted exact birthdates. In one case, the record shows the actual hour of birth. The racial designations are Negro, Mulatto, Negro or Mulatto, and colored child. In only one case is a parent named:

"Be it remembered that on the Seventeenth day of April A.D. 1819 William N. Irvine, Esq. Attorney at Law...maketh return on Oath that a female Mullatto child was born by his Negro Servant Ann, on the seventeenth day of November 1818 and that the said female child is called Harriet, is now living and has been supported by the said William and is of the age of 5 months and twenty-nine days."

The children born after the 1780 act for Pennsylvania's gradual abolition of slavery became free men and women in 1808. The last child registered (Eve, a Mulatto, born June 6, 1825) would have been able to obtain her freedom in June of 1853. Covering a 45-year period, this volume demonstrates that abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania was a gradual process.

This register contains records for Edwin S. Atwood & Co., a stable that rented horses and vehicles to customers around Northeast Harbor, Maine, in the early 20th century.

This register (500 pages) contains 250 pages of records pertaining to Edwin S. Atwood & Co., a stable that rented horses and vehicles to customers around Northeast Harbor, Maine, in the early 20th century.

Individual entries are written in pre-printed rows and columns, custom-made for Atwood; each entry is a row that spans 2 pages. Records state the driver's name, time of departure, and time of return; the horse's name and type of rented vehicle (e.g. buckboard, run about, cut [cut under], buggy, and surrey); the customer's name and pickup location; the reason for the hire; the price; and any remarks, usually about payment. Some customers paid with checks. The stable rented vehicles for local journeys, such as trips to the Episcopal Church and to the boat dock, as well as longer excursions to places like Ellsworth, a distance of about 25 miles. A few customers were referred to as "transients" or "strangers." The records cover June 11, 1910-October 9, 1910 (pp. 1-92); June 12, 1911-October 9, 1911 (pp. 93-178); and June 4, 1912-September 6, 1912 (pp. 179-250).

George Gilbert kept this volume from 1848 to 1862, writing diary entries and other documentation relating to his work as an itinerant teacher, primarily in Pennsylvania and Maryland. He also recorded various financial transactions, including matters relating to agricultural labor in Massachusetts.

George Gilbert kept this volume from 1848 to 1862, writing diary entries and other documentation relating to his work as an itinerant teacher, primarily in Pennsylvania and Maryland. He also recorded various financial transactions, including matters relating to agricultural labor in Massachusetts.

Diary entries are scattered throughout the volume in a non-chronological fashion, spanning April 1852 to November 1854, reflecting George Gilbert's studies and work as an itinerant teacher in Easthampton, Massachusetts; Tyburn, Pennsylvania; Richboro, Pennsylvania; and Perrymansville, Maryland. He frequently commented on the weather and agriculture of the region, the people in the communities, the quality of the students who attended his schools, and his uncertainty about where he would teach next. He often compared the locales to Massachusetts, where he lived previously, and wrote disparagingly of the students. On June 30, 1853, Gilbert recounted a portion of his teaching history to that point and commented on notable students, primarily those who struggled with learning or who had physical disabilities. He noted one student who was deaf.

Gilbert's diary entries also reveal glimpses into his social life. He recorded events like news of Louis Kossuth visiting North Hampton (April 24, 1852); Jenny Lind performing a concert (May 6, 1852); attending a re-enactment of a Revolutionary War battle (December 25, 1852); boarding at a tavern (August 28, 1853); attending a spirit rapping (September 19, 1853); and frequenting churches. At least two references appear to be related to the woman he would go on to marry, Jane Phelps. Gilbert also wrote sparingly on race and ethnicity, including mentions of an Irish student, passing an African American church (October 23, 1853), and Christmas celebrations where he noted distributing candy to African American children (December 25, 1853).

Early in the volume, George Gilbert listed out the names of students he taught in various places, including Oakham, Palmer, Perrinton, West Greece, Tyburn, Richboro, and Perrymansville. On several occasions, he also recorded the students' ages, which ranged from three to 22.

Gilbert used the volume for various other purposes. An ink impression of a leaf appears near the front of the volume. Notes about financial transactions, such as boarding, wages, and expenses are also included throughout. Later accounts indicate Gilbert may have turned to agricultural work in West Brookfield by 1856. Gilbert copied a warranty deed from 1853 regarding the sale of land in West Brookfield between Bostwick Gilbert and Avery Keep. Two illustrations were drawn into the volume, one of which represents the workings of a water wheel.

This collection is made up of two volumes containing book containing essays and poetry composed by Henry Dickinson, as well as a register of boys and girls who attended the Westtown ("Weston") School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, between 1799 and 1805. The first volume is made up of undated essays and poetry often relate to religious topics, and the second volume is a friendship album of poetry and extracts, copied and addressed to Dickinson from his Weston School classmates between 1805 and 1806.

This collection is made up of two volumes containing book containing essays and poetry composed by Henry Dickinson, as well as a register of boys and girls who attended the Westtown ("Weston") School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, between 1799 and 1805. The first volume is made up of undated essays and poetry often relate to religious topics, and the second volume is a friendship album of poetry and extracts, copied and addressed to Dickinson from his West-Town Boarding School classmates between 1805 and 1806.

Volume 1 contains undated essays and poetry composed by Henry Dickinson, as well as a register of boys and girls who attended the Westtown ("Weston") School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, between 1799 and 1805.

The first section (21 pages), entitled "Henry Dickinson's Piece Book," contains essays, epigrams, and poetic excerpts, often dealing with religious topics. One essay, entitled "Carianers," examines the native people of the Ava Kingdom, in what is now Myanmar (Burma).

The remainder of the book, beginning from the opposite cover, is labeled "Henry Dickinson's Book" and consists of ledgers of female and male students admitted to the Westtown School between 1799 and 1805. This register is divided by gender, and covers approximately 500 female students (31 pages) and 430 male students (23 pages). Each name is accompanied by the individual's student number, age, parents' names, and place of residence. Henry Dickinson is listed as number 329 in the list of male students. Most of the students came from the area around Philadelphia, and several came from Wilmington, Delaware. Near the end, both ledgers have several skipped or incomplete entries.

Volume 2 contains around 20 poems and extracts of poems copied by Henry Dickinson's classmates at Weston/West-Town/Westtown Boarding School between 1805 and 1806. The extracts are predominantly religious in nature, including, for example, excerpt from Edward Young's poetry on hope, Isaac Watts' Excellency of the Bible, Henry Baker's The Universe, and many others. Each copyist is identified after their contribution.

Around 1879-1883, John Hill Martin compiled The Philadelphia Bar, a list of lawyers admitted to the bar in Philadelphia between 1682 and 1883. His list includes the date of each man's admission and, less frequently, biographical information.

Around 1879-1883, John Hill Martin compiled "The Philadelphia Bar, Collected, Corrected, and Arranged by John Hill Martin, Attorney at Law," a list of lawyers admitted to the bar in Philadelphia between 1682 and 1883. The volume has partial lists of sources that Martin consulted (pp. 2, 4), a list of abbreviations (p. 5a), and a preface, in which Martin discussed other lists of Philadelphia lawyers that he consulted (pp. 3-4a). The list, which is organized alphabetically by surname, appears on recto pages numbered 6-138, with additional entries and/or biographical details written on most verso pages. Each name is accompanied by the date of admission to the bar, and some entries have additional biographical information. A list of lawyers admitted to the Berks County bar, with their dates of admission (2 pages), and a list of Philadelphia attorneys copied from the New Trade Directory of 1800 (2 pages) are pasted into the book's final pages.

The Lake Township (Mich.) Stray Book contains descriptions of marks used by the township's farmers to identify their livestock.

The Lake Township (Mich.) Stray Book has 17 pages of descriptions of marks that farmers in Lake Township used to identify their livestock. The entries are dated April 10, 1846-October 2, 1880, and describe cuts made to animals' ears. The township clerks who recorded the descriptions were Comfort Pennell, Ebenezer P. Morley, Joel W. Blakeman, Henry Lemon, John H. Nixon, R. L. Dudley, H. W. Hawley, Milton J. Morley, Solomon Maudlin, John Loop, Marshall C. Travor, Oliver P. Miller, William Williams, and Wesley W. Beattie. The final page has a note about stray sheep who wandered onto W. H. Whipple's farm on December 14, 1885. The volume has the bookplate of Louis P. Neck and a brief note about Oliver P. Miller.

The first portion of this volume dates from 1816 to 1854 and contains records on African Americans registering with the Jackson County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, in accordance with the state's restrictive Black Laws. The bulk of the entries are copies of evidence used to prove free status with brief notes about the officials who attested to the information in the originating state and recorded the information in Ohio. Occasionally the entries provide physical descriptions of the registrants, including general age, skin tone, height, hair, and scars or marks on their bodies. The second portion of the volume primarily contains copies of the commissions for Jackson County justices of the peace from 1816 to 1842. Occasional justices' resignations appear as well as documentation of ministers authorized to solemnize marriages.

The first portion of this volume dates from 1816 to 1854 and records information on African Americans registering with the Jackson County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, in accordance with the state's restrictive Black Laws. The first entry is apparently a copy of an 1816 document (Wm Sterett was county clerk in Mason, West Virginia) that was recorded by the Jackson clerk in 1818. The bulk of the entries are copies of evidence used to prove free status, with brief notes about the officials who attested to the information in the originating state and recorded the information in Ohio. Evidence provided includes manumission deeds, brief notes about manumission papers, portions of wills, oaths, court certificates, registration records from other states, and statements made in open court. Occasionally entries also provide physical descriptions of the registrants. Such descriptions often include the registrants' general age, skin tone, height, hair, and scars or marks on their bodies. Registrants in the volume appear to have migrated from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina or have already been residents of Ohio.

• Benjamin Johnston, enslaved and manumitted by Lawrence Augustine Washington "because of the solemn and entire conviction that I feel of the justice and propriety of the act"
• Lewis and Jinsey Burchett, enslaved and manumitted by John Burchett
• A number people enslaved and manumitted by John Poindexter, including Charles; Edy and her son Tarlton; and Jack
• Charles, husband to Edy named above, manumitted by her "in consideration of the natural love and affection which I bear to my husband Charles whom I purchased of David Shepherd"
• Walter, enslaved by Alexander Catlett and manumitted by his children Alexander Catlett, Jr., and Horatio Catlett
• Children of Lucy Morris (alias Yancy), born free: William Henry Yancy, Martha Jane Yancy, Charles Alexander Yancy, Lucy Ann Yancy
• Ann Carter, daughter of Hannah Grant, "a free woman of colour"
• Sam Cale, son of Sam Cale, "a free man of Colour"
• William Mitchel, "a Coulered man about to travel to the northwestern Country . . . born of free parents"
• Various men, women, and children enslaved by John Skurry and emancipated by his will, including Mack Skurry; the children of Eliza Skurry (William, Giles, Richard, Jane, Betsy Ann, Nancy); and Sally Ann
• Various men, women, and children enslaved by Joseph Perkins and emancipated by his will, including Isham; Milly, mother of five children, Ann, Martha, Jacob, John, and Isham; and Polly and her child Dick. Notably Polly appears to have registered in Jackson four years after Isham and Milly.
• Charles Roberts, born free
• Various men, women, and children enslaved by William Morrow and emancipated by his wife Elizabeth Morrow: Samuel Cale, his children Sam and Ester, and his grandchild Susan; Hannah Grant and her children Ann Carter, Jonathan, Reuben, Sam and Mary, and her grandchildren Frances or Sally; Sina and her child Fayette; Rachel and her five children, Betty, Sam, Agnes, Patton, and James
• Milly, enslaved by Richard Hawks and emancipated by his will
• Julius, enslaved by Thomas Whittington and emancipated by his will. Over fifty other additional men, women, and children were also named as being manumitted in the will.
• Richard Grant (alias Dick), enslaved and manumitted by James Withrow
• Ison McGhee, enslaved and manumitted by James Stephenson
• Jesse Artist, "of free Parentage"

The second portion of the volume primarily contains copies of the commissions for Jackson County justices of the peace from 1816 to 1842, while occasional justices' resignations also appear as well as documentation of ministers authorized to solemnize marriages. Denominations represented include Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and the United Brethren in Christ.

The collection also includes a single disbound page of financial accounts relating to court fees, ca. 1841.

This collection consists of documents related to Civil War enlistment in Parishville, New York, after the institution of conscription in 1862, including 48 affidavits claiming medical ineligibility.

This collection (52 items) consists of documents related to Civil War enlistment in Parishville, New York, after the institution of conscription in 1862. The collection contains 48 affidavits signed by Ansel S. Smith and Daniel Dagget, justices of the peace in Parishville. In these affidavits, many of which include sworn statements from physicians, men declared themselves medically ineligible for military service. The collection also includes three lists naming men from Parishville who were enlisted during the war, as well as one bound volume entitled "Enrollment of Persons Liable to Military Duty." This volume, dated September 6, 1862, provides the names of adult men living in Parishville, New York, their occupations, and remarks concerning their eligibility. Many, for example, had already enlisted prior to the draft; others held exempted jobs, and some were considered "alien."

This volume records the names and nativity of guests of the Shirley House (later the Missouri Hotel) in Fayette, Missouri, from June 1856-October 1858. Guests included members of at least three traveling circuses. Newspaper clippings are pasted into the first 10 pages, apparently over register entries.

This volume (around 280 pages) records the names and residence of guests of the Shirley House Hotel (later the Missouri Hotel) in Fayette, Missouri, from June 20, 1856-October 9, 1858. Many of the guests, whose names appear on approximately 270 pages of register entries, came from elsewhere in Missouri, though some traveled from other states and, on at least one occasion, from foreign countries such as Ireland. One note reports that a guest later went to jail (June 28, 1856), and another lists a guest's nativity as "no particular place" (July 6, 1857). Members of traveling circuses stayed at the hotel on three occasions: Herr Driesbach & Co. Menagerie & Circus of Brownsville, Ohio, visited on April 30, 1857; an unidentified group of performers visited on July 27, 1857; and the Spalding & Rogers North American Circus visited on May 6, 1858. The lengthy entry for Spalding & Rogers includes the names of performers, organized by profession, and ink illustrations of various types of performances, including a tightrope walker, monkeys, and men and women riding horses. Other visual material includes sketches of men and unidentified animals, and stylized lettering.

The volume's first 10 pages consist of pasted-in newspaper clippings (dated between 1866 as 1886) containing fiction stories, poetry, obituaries, and other articles of interest. A story about a "beautiful killer" is illustrated by an engraving of a woman about to stab a man, and a story about Grover Cleveland's marriage to Frances Folsom includes the couple's portraits. At least one poem commemorates Civil War soldiers.