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

The Job and Betsey Allen papers consist of 4 letters the couple wrote to Job's brothers-in-law in Morris County, New Jersey, from their home in Fredericktown, Ohio. The couple described life on their farm.

The Job and Betsey Allen letters consist of four letters written by the couple from their home near Fredericktown, Ohio, to two of Job's brothers-in-law in Morris County, New Jersey. The couple shared news about their farm life. Job wrote the first part of the first three letters, addressed to Charles F. DeCamp and Anson Brown, with Betsey often adding a shorter note addressed to her sisters back in New Jersey. Job described the area around Fredericktown and provided details on the population growth occurring in the area. Of an encounter with local Indians, he wrote: " … they came and Incamped in about one Hundred Rods of of us and Staid five or six Days … our Children soon got aquainted with them[.] Job he wass a traiding knives and getting broaches they ware verry Friendly … a Cheaf and his Family could talk tolerable good English[.] I went out to see him one morning and asked him a grate many Questions and he wuld anser verry correct" (1814). Additionally, the couple mentioned a local religious revival (1816) and gave updates on the Ohio branch of their combined families (1819). The final letter in the collection, written solely by Job Allen in 1835, concerns his financial affairs.

Dr. Job H. Terrill of Chester, Pennsylvania, kept this ledger beginning in 1827. It contains an index followed by 136 pages of the names of patients, the dates he saw them, the services he provided, and the costs for service. The most frequent services provided by Dr. Terrill were obstetrics and vaccinations, though he also charged for lancing, bleeding, dressing wounds, providing dental procedures (i.e. extracting teeth), giving advice and medicines, staying the night, and other services. He listed his patients largely by patriarchs' names (even in the cases of births). He attended to prisoners at the Delaware County jail, apprentices (in one case, he extirpated the tumor of a "bound girl", April 26, 1834, page 29), in-laws (the Eyres), and three African American clients.

Dr. Job H. Terrill of Chester, Pennsylvania, kept this ledger, which contains an index followed by 136 pages of the names of patients, the dates he saw them, the services he provided, and the costs for service. The most frequent services provided by Dr. Terrill were obstetrics and vaccinations, though he also charged for lancing, bleeding, dressing wounds, providing dental procedures (i.e. extracting teeth), giving advice and medicines, staying the night, and other services. He listed his patients largely by patriarchs' names (even in the cases of births). He attended to prisoners at the Delaware County jail, apprentices (in one case, he extirpated the tumor of a "bound girl", April 26, 1834, page 29), in-laws (the Eyres), and three African American clients.

Dr. Terrill identified his African American patients with the preface "Bl". They include:

• "Robert (that lived with Ruby)," delivering a son (September 4, 1842, page 63).
• "Gales (the Barber)," delivering a daughter (August 25, 1842, page 70).
• "Abraham Murry," delivering children (May 20, 1841, and July 17, 1843, page 130).

A few notes follow Dr. Terrill's death, respecting the payment of bills.

This collection is comprised of 3 letters that Joe Emerson wrote to his cousin, Julius H. Shreve of Lincolnville, Pennsylvania, while living and working in Black Hawk, Colorado, between April 1884 and April 1885. Emerson commented on aspects of his life in the West, such as wages, health, and separation from his family back East.

This collection is comprised of 3 letters that Joe Emerson wrote to his cousin, Julius H. Shreve of Lincolnville, Pennsylvania, while living and working in Black Hawk, Colorado, between April 1884 and April 1885. Emerson commented on aspects of his life in the West, such as wages, health, and separation from his family back East.

Emerson frequently wrote about the physical effects of high altitude and his overall health. He also provided descriptions of the scenery and weather near his worksite, which was located on a mountain outside of Black Hawk. The heavy snowfall and winter storms made his work difficult. He remarked on the effects of separation from his wife and family, and shared his desire to return home in his last letter of February 5, 1885. Although Emerson never explicitly discussed the nature of his work, he speculated about his wages and expressed optimism about the amount of money he could earn in Colorado, "the land of gold & silver."

The Joel Munsell collection contains two distinct groups of materials. The first series comprises letters and printed material related to printer and antiquarian Joel Munsell’s 1847-1850 investigation of the 1777 murder of Jane McCrea, and the second series consists of 19 letters from Munsell to Elias Nason, primarily concerning historical publications.

The Joel Munsell collection contains 26 letters, 2 essay fragments, a pamphlet, a clipping, and several transcriptions of letters, which the library acquired in two distinct groups. The groupings have been preserved as two series, within which items are arranged chronologically.

The Jane McCrea research series documents Munsell’s 1847-1850 investigation into the 1777 murder of Jane McCrea with correspondence, writings, and printed matter. The eight letters in the series concern the conflicting accounts of the murder by Epaphras Hoyt and Charles Neilson, including Munsell’s letters to each man, soliciting more information, and their responses. In his 9-page letter, dated January 30, 1849, Hoyt purported to describe the exact location of the murder, described the sources of his information, and gave his opinion on Neilson. Neilson’s much briefer letter of January 25, 1849, contradicts Hoyt’s claim that McCrea was "called by any other name than Jane" and describes gathering the information from his parents and other locals. Additionally, the collection contains a 1913 letter by J.T. Holmes that concerns reports of the McCrea murder. Also of interest are two short drafts that Munsell wrote; they shed light on his interest in the matter and express pity for McCrea, "consigned…to the tender mercies of the scribbles in all after ages, at whose hand she has been cruelly maltreated, for more than half a century." Rounding out the series is Hoyt’s version of the McCrea murder story, printed in the Proceedings of the New-York Historical Society (June 1847), and a newspaper clipping containing an 1851 eulogy for Hoyt by Luther B. Lincoln.

The Letters to Elias Nason series contains 19 letters written by Munsell to historian and Congregational minister Elias Nason between 1862 and 1866. Seven of the letters relate to various aspects of the New-England Historical and Genealogical Register, which Munsell published. Topics related to the serial include the inclusion of Dutch-Americans in the register (January 18, 1862), the publication's coverage of Boston (March 15, 1862), and the appropriateness of its commentary on current events (August 19, 1862). The remaining letters primarily concern the publication of two works by Nason, Sir Charles Henry Frankland, Baronet: or Boston in the Colonial Times (1865) and A Memoir of Mrs. Susannah Rowson (1870). Munsell wished to print the works but lamented the poor market for biographies, noting, "I have found it advantageous to disguise such books under some other name" (September 28, 1863). He also discussed errors in Nason's manuscripts (February 21, 1865), the financial concerns of printing Frankland (June 3, 1865), and the flaws in several atlases published by rival firms (November 2, 1865). Other subjects mentioned in Munsell's letters are the poor market for antiquarian books (January 18, 1862) and his views on social history: "I desire to rescue every man's memory from oblivion who has a history, and am garnering up names with facts attached to them…" (March 19, 1862).

Joel W. Andrews of Albany, New York, compiled meteorological records in this volume from December 1858-December 1868. He recorded barometric readings, temperatures, and remarks about weather conditions.

This volume (around 440 pages), titled Meteorological Observations, contains meteorological records that Joel W. Andrews of Albany, New York, compiled from December 1, 1858-December 31, 1868. Andrews took barometric and thermometer readings 3 or 4 times daily, noted the wind direction, reported the day's maximum and minimum temperature, made remarks about weather conditions, and recorded monthly precipitation totals. Andrews made some observations while traveling in northern New York State and in Vermont; many entries mention the offices of Albany newspaper Atlas & Argus.

Andrews's notes occasionally concern astronomical phenomena such as the aurora borealis and meteor showers, and he pasted in newspaper clippings about a severe storm (May 1859) and a record high barometric reading (January 1866). On at least one occasion, his daughter Ada wrote in the volume in his place.

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary. He traveled to various places in northern California, took camping trips with friends, participated in outdoor activities, and attended dances and plays. Some entries reflect racial tensions in Stockton.

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary (134 pages). The diary's frontispiece is a poem by Nick Kenny entitled "Youth."

Though he occasionally mentioned his schoolwork and grades, Sanford wrote most frequently about his social life and leisure activities, almost all of which involved his friend Glenn. They and other friends went camping, attended theatrical performances (often at the College of the Pacific) and dances, and participated in outdoor activities throughout the year. Sanford traveled around northern California, writing about trips with friends and family to Mount Diablo (April 1949), Yosemite National Park (June 1949), Santa Cruz (July 1949), and the "Old Hearst Ranch" (August 1949). He played saxophone in the school marching band and briefly participated in the Sea Scouts during the summer. Some entries refer directly or indirectly to Mexican and African-American residents of Stockton, including Sanford's attempts to communicate with persons who "spoke Mexican" and the presence of African Americans at a December school dance. Some clipped images of locations that Sanford visited and unidentified individuals participating in fishing and similar outdoor activities are pasted into the volume. Sanford's diary also contains pencil sketches of a man painting on a ladder, a birthday cake, and other subjects. A program from a school talent show is also pasted in.

The Johanna Gleeson collection is made up of 29 letters that Gleeson received from family members and friends after emigrating from County Cork, Ireland, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1877. Her most frequent correspondents were her friend Mary Anne Murphy, who reported social and political news from Kilnarovanagh, Ireland, and her cousin and future husband Michael Gleeson, who commented on his life and work in California and Colorado.

The Johanna Gleeson collection is made up of 29 letters that Gleeson received from family members and friends after emigrating from County Cork, Ireland, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1877. Her most frequent correspondents were her friend Mary Anne Murphy, who reported social and political news from Kilnarovanagh, Ireland, and her cousin and future husband Michael Gleeson, who commented on his life and work in California and Colorado.

Mary Anne Murphy wrote 12 letters about her life in Kilnarovanagh, where she often interacted with Johanna's aunt. She reported local news such as births, marriages, and deaths, and sometimes listed the names of others who were planning to emigrate to the United States. In her later letters, she occasionally discussed her desire to emigrate. Murphy also expressed concern for Johanna after hearing of a flood in Philadelphia, and complained of one particularly cold winter. Her letter of June 20, 1881, concerns political turmoil, the possibility of war, and conflicts between Irish landlords and tenants.

Michael Gleeson wrote 6 letters to Johanna Gleeson, commenting on his experiences in the western United States. While living in Davisville, California, he provided news of an acquaintance's efforts to find work in California and Arizona and mentioned his own travels. After moving to Denver in 1880, he described the effects of a railroad accident he suffered while working as a brakeman, which resulted in a below-ankle amputation of one of his legs. Gleeson received treatment and financial compensation for his injury and later discussed his work as a railroad clerk, which occasionally involved meeting with other immigrants.

The remaining 11 letters from family and friends concern the writers' lives in Ireland and the United States. Gleeson's sister Maggie and several female cousins wrote about their lives in North America, often sharing news of other immigrants' travels; her brother requested an address for "Denny" and information about travel fares. Gleeson's friend Kate Shea provided updates from her home in Ireland. Another acquaintance, Celia Day, provided Gleeson news of the Newbold family after Gleeson moved from Philadelphia to Denver.

This collection is comprised of 7 items related to a legal dispute over lands in Ohio belonging to the heirs of Johann De Kalb, baron de Kalb, a French military officer who served with Continental Army forces during the American Revolution. De Kalb's granddaughter, Léonore Nicette de Kalb, became involved in a lawsuit after the sale of a tract of land without her knowledge or consent.

This collection is comprised of 7 items related to a legal dispute over lands in Ohio belonging to the heirs of Johann de Kalb, baron de Kalb, a French military officer who served with Continental Army forces during the American Revolution. De Kalb's granddaughter, Léonore Nicette de Kalb, became involved in a lawsuit after the sale of a tract of land without her knowledge or consent.

The collection contains 3 copied documents from French archives: a marriage certificate for Elie de Kalb and Marie Elisabeth Charlotte Signard, Léonore Nicette de Kalb's birth certificate, and a marriage certificate for Léonore Nicette de Kalb and Raymond Vandière de Vitrac, Vicomte d'Abzac. Two letters concern the testimony of Johann de Kalb's heirs, and the lawsuit's purpose and history. The latter is Léonore de Kalb's personal plea to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (April 7, 1856). Copies of two testimonies are accompanied by letters authorizing Charles L. Fleischmann to collect depositions from Léonore de Kalb and her husband. In their sworn statements, de Kalb and d'Abzac provided genealogical information about Johann de Kalb, his military service, and his descendants.

John A. Bodamer's journal documents his service in the 24th New York Cavalry during the Civil War. He fought in the Spotsylvania Campaign and the Battles of North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, and was a prisoner at the Confederate camps, Belle Isle and Danville.

John Bodamer's diary begins on the day he mustered in for his second enlistment. His entries are uneventful and very brief until the beginning of May, but from that point for a solid month, beginning with the "Battle of Pine Plain" (near the Wilderness) on May 6th, Bodamer records an almost continuous sequence of hard marches, little sleep, poor food, skirmishes, and battles, as the 24th Cavalry fought successively through the Spotsylvania Campaign and the Battles of North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg.

The heart of the diary is the passages recording his experiences as a prisoner at the notorious Belle Isle and Danville camps. Although the entries are brief, they are powerful testimony to the harsh conditions and inhumane treatment of prisoners. After December, Bodamer's diary entries become more scattered and shorter, perhaps as a result of his deteriorated condition.

The collection includes a tintype and two letters, one from his commander informing Bodamer's family of his capture and the other, his honorable discharge from the Army as 1st Lieutenant in the 10th Cavalry, November, 1870.

The Schoff Revolutionary War Collection contains the papers of John Adlum, private in the Revolutionary War, Major in the Provisional Army, Brigadier General in the Pennsylvania Militia, surveyor, and viticulturalist. The collection includes 16 items written between 1773 and 1784, and 2 drafts of his memoirs, 1773-1784.

The Schoff Revolutionary War Collection contains the papers of John Adlum, private in the Revolutionary War, Major in the Provisional Army, Brigadier General in the Pennsylvania Militia, surveyor, and viticulturalist. The collection includes 16 items written between 1794 and 1808, and 2 drafts of his memoirs, 1773-1784.

Of the letters, three deal with Adlum's activities surveying the upper Susquehanna River in 1794. The ten items from 1799 relate primarily to his service with the Provisional Army, 11th Regiment. In these letters, Adlum describes his meetings with the Seneca Chief, Cornplanter, who insisted that if the Seneca did not receive annuity payments due them, they would have to resort to hostilities. The 1807 and 1808 items are personal letters from Abel Marple and the undated/unidentified letter discusses relations between whites and Indians.

The memoirs, composed during and shortly after the Revolutionary War, are an account of Adlum's early years and of the period during which he was an active soldier in the war. Writing as a young private taken prisoner at the fall of Fort Washington, he describes British-held New York City from November 1776, until his parole in late 1777. The memoirs also offer glimpses of Nathanael Greene, George Washington, Wilhelm Knyphausen, Ethan Allen, and Hugh Gaine.