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

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Collection

David Ziegler penmanship exercises, [19th century]

1 volume

This volume contains handwriting exercises produced by David Ziegler in German Schrift during the 19th century. The penmanship practice is in a blank book with a printed cover headed "Ships," with an illustration of ship and a short passage using sailing as a religious metaphor. "Stereotyped by L. Johnson of Philadelphia."

This volume contains handwriting exercises produced by David Ziegler in German Schrift during the 19th century. The penmanship practice is in a blank book with a printed cover headed "Ships," with an illustration of ship and a short passage using sailing as a religious metaphor. "Stereotyped by L. Johnson of Philadelphia."

Collection

Samuel Young journal, 1846

1 volume

Samuel L. Young of Reading, Pennsylvania, kept this 108-page journal "during a tour through the United States" between June 1, 1846, and October 12, 1846. He traveled by railroad, steamship, and stagecoach, and recorded his impressions of major cities, local scenery, and fellow travelers. Young ventured as far west as St. Louis, Missouri; as far north as Niagara Falls, Canada; and as far south as Lexington, Kentucky.

Samuel L. Young of Reading, Pennsylvania, kept this 108-page journal "during a tour of the United States" between June 1, 1846, and October 12, 1846. He traveled by railroad, steamship, and stagecoach, and recorded his impressions of major cities, local scenery, and fellow travelers. Young ventured as far west as St. Louis, Missouri; as far north as Niagara Falls, Canada; and as far south as Lexington, Kentucky.

Young's journal, which contains descriptions and anecdotes from his travel, begins with an entry expressing his sadness upon leaving his loved ones (p. 1). He departed Reading for New York City, where he remained for 4 days; there, he witnessed a procession by the Sons of Temperance. Young then traveled to Connecticut and Massachusetts, where he commented on Boston's Chinese residents (p. 8). He continued to Niagara Falls, Detroit, and Chicago. In Detroit, he received copper samples from Morgan Bates, a prospector (p. 31); in Chicago he recorded his disappointment with the city and its construction. While in western Illinois and Iowa, Young visited a smelting furnace and mine (pp. 43-44), a "lead cave" and mine (pp. 48-49), and the Mormon temple at Nauvoo, Illinois (pp. 56-58).

When Young reached St. Louis, Missouri, he boarded a riverboat bound for Louisville, Kentucky, though he and three other travelers opted to walk the final stretch of the trip (pp. 70-71). Young recalled a stagecoach conversation about slavery, though he declined to participate (pp. 74-75). Upon his arrival in Lexington, Kentucky, he met with Henry Clay at his Ashland estate (pp. 87-88). Young spent much of September in Cincinnati, Ohio. Between Cincinnati and Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), he met Lewis C. F. Fatio, former captain of the United States revenue cutter Wolcott, who was on his way to contest a charge of disobedience in Washington, D. C. (pp. 101-102). Young began the last leg of his journey on October 10, 1846, heading for Philadelphia and, later, Reading, where he returned on October 12 (p. 108).

Young occasionally encountered dangerous situations, including a narrowly avoided stagecoach accident between Kalamazoo and St. Joseph, Michigan (p. 33), a fire next door to his Chicago hotel (pp. 36-37), and a suspicious stagecoach passenger at Rockford, Illinois (p. 42). He made acquaintance with many fellow travelers, and often joined them for excursions. Young played the accordion, read local newspapers and the works of Friedrich Schiller, occasionally measured the distances he traveled or noted the costs of transportation, and recorded the name of every hotel at which he boarded.

Collection

George H. B. Young letters, 1864

7 items

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that Private George H. B. Young wrote to his family, while serving with the 26th Ohio Independent Light Artillery Battery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, between April 24, 1864, and September 16, 1864.

Young addressed his letters to his parents, George H. and Rebecca Young, and to his brother, Jacob B. Young. He occasionally signed his letters "Hardesty." He described his experiences at Vicksburg during the Union occupation, and recorded his impressions of African Americans and captured Confederate soldiers (April 24, 1864). Young expressed fondness for military life, which he preferred to farm work, and provided details about camp life and the size of his battery. In one letter, he suggested that his brother Jacob ride to Vicksburg to collect his pay, though he anticipated difficulties along the route, such as possible capture by Confederate forces (April 24, 1864). He drew a picture of a person carrying a letter (May 2, 1864), and wrote 3 letters on stationery from the United States Christian Commission.

Collection

Dai Tōa Sensō hōdō Shashinroku [Photographic News Record of the Great East Asia War Album], 1942

1 volume

The Dai Tōa Sensō hōdō Shashinroku [Photographic News Record of the Great East Asia War Album] contains 40 mounted photographs depicting events from the Pacific theater during World War II up to circa 1942. With Japanese letterpress titles and descriptions. Includes images of Pearl Harbor, the advance on the Malayan peninsula, the fall of Singapore, the Philippines, the island of Corregidor, and portraits of Japanese military commanders.

The Dai Tōa Sensō hōdō Shashinroku [Photographic News Record of the Great East Asia War Album] (20 x 15 cm) contains 40 mounted photographs depicting events from the Pacific theater during World War II up to circa 1942. With Japanese letterpress titles and descriptions. Includes images of Pearl Harbor, the advance on the Malayan peninsula, the fall of Singapore, the Philippines, the island of Corregidor, and portraits of Japanese military commanders.

The photos are mounted on unbound cards. The album has a faded navy blue cloth cover with gold embossed printing, and is housed in a gray wrapper with green cloth spine.

Collection

William Yardley mathematics and surveying exercise book, 1812

1 volume

The William Yardley Mathematics and Surveying Exercise Book contains solved geometric, trigonometric, and surveying exercises, including practical problems and illustrated examples that feature drawings of buildings, animals, and landscape elements.

The William Yardley Mathematics and Surveying Exercise Book contains solved geometric, trigonometric, and surveying exercises, including practical problems and illustrated examples that feature drawings of buildings, animals, and landscape elements. Calligraphic lettering appears throughout.

One letter written by Harry [Crockett?] to his mother, Mrs. L. F. Crockett, from Portland, Maine, on October 8, 1903, is laid into the volume. Written on John W. Perkins Company, Wholesale Druggists, illustrated stationery, the letter comments on family matters, business, and deaths of acquaintances, including one gentleman who was killed by an electric car.

Collection

David Wyrick collection, 1860

1 volume

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and newspaper clippings related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in a Native American burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860.

This collection is made up of a letter, drawings, maps, and a newspaper clipping related to David Wyrick's discovery of inscribed stones in an Indian burial mound near Newark, Ohio, in 1860. The items were once bound together under the title "Hebrew Inscriptions alleged to have been dug up in Ohio, U.S.A." Wyrick wrote an 8-page letter to William Brockie, editor of The Sunderland Times, on September 8, 1860, about his archaeological exploits. He recounted his actions on June 29, 1860, the day of his discovery, describing the Newark burial mounds and the Hebrew-inscribed "Keystone" he discovered there. Wyrick addressed the possibility that he had been the victim of a hoax, but ultimately expressed his belief that the stone was a genuine ancient artifact, possibly a relic of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. His letter also refers to the draining of a nearby artificial pond, the durability of the logs located on its floor, and the discovery of several skeletons in a burial mound.

Wyrick's letters contain references to enclosed drawings and maps (which are present in the collection). Four colored drawings include two- and three-dimensional views of each of the Keystone's four inscribed faces, a diagram of the burial mound where Wyrick unearthed the artifact, and a cross-section of a mound containing several skeletons. Three of the manuscript maps are overhead views of the Newark earthworks, including copies of maps by Caleb Atwater (1820) and Squier and Davis (1848), and Wyrick's own detailed map (1860). A final manuscript map is a view of an artificial lake near Utica, Ohio (undated). Some of the visual materials have lengthy captions written on the verso.

The final items in the Wyrick collection are two newspaper clippings published in The Sunderland Times on October 6, 1860, regarding the Wyrick excavation. One article reprints several lengthy quotations from Wyrick's letter to William Brockie, and the other contains translations of the stone's Hebrew inscriptions.

Collection

Sarah Wright correspondence, 1900

4 items

This collection is made up of four letters sent in response to Sarah Wright's inquiries about her missing husband Frank Wright, dated between April and June of 1900. Three letters are from J. M. Hawks, one of Frank's friends, and Dr. Lewis Van Gilder Guthrie, the superintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane in West Virginia, where Frank died in 1896.

This collection comprises four letters sent in response to Sarah Wright's inquiries about her missing husband Frank Wright, dated between April and June of 1900. Three letters are from J. M. Hawks, one of Frank's friends, and Dr. Lewis Van Gilder Guthrie, the superintendent of the Second Hospital for the Insane in West Virginia, where Frank died in 1896.

For detailed information about each item in the collection, please see the box and folder listing.

Collection

William D. Workman collection, 1957

42 items

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

Most items in the Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings series are letters of thanks Workman received shortly after his television appearance. Viewers and listeners sent 23 acknowledgments in letters, postcards, and telegrams, most written on September 30, 1957. Though the overwhelming majority of correspondents provided positive feedback, one provided a strongly negative response. Most letters originated from viewers in southern states, who lauded Workman for his comments on the effects of integration policies on the South, and often expressed their own opinions and thoughts on racial issues and on relations between the North and South. Writers overwhelmingly supported segregation. Many referred to the right to self-governance, and a man named Ed. C. Dennis, Jr., jokingly referred to the possibility of South Carolina seceding from the Union. One woman also noted her father's service in the Confederate Army, and many writers commented on recent desegregation attempts in Little Rock, Arkansas. A few correspondents also shared their feelings, usually negative, about Jews and Catholics. Workman received newspaper clippings and pamphlets on similar topics, particularly on religious and political issues; one took exception to the upcoming film Island in the Sun, which featured interracial romances. The series also holds a bundled group of letters between Workman and producers at CBS, who thanked him for his participation in the program.

The Typescript and Photograph series contains a typescript of the "Report on Integration," which aired on CBS television on September 29, 1957, and on CBS radio on September 30, 1957, as well as a black-and-white photograph of the panel participants.

Collection

Joseph Woory account, 1666

6 pages (1 item)

The Joseph Woory account records the travels of an English expedition that set out from Charles Town on June 16, 1666, to explore the area from Cape Romano down to Port Royal.

Joseph Woory was a member of the English expedition that set out from Charles Town on June 16, 1666, to explore the area from Cape Romano (Cape Fear, called Cape San Romano by the Spanish) down to Port Royal. The expedition took 26 days, during which time they visited St. Helena Island, where they saw a large wooden Spanish cross, Edisto, and Kiawah Island. Woory wrote about the rich quality of the soil, the different kinds of vegetation, varieties of fish and fowl, and Indian fields planted with corn, peas, and beans. The explorers visited Indian villages at Edisto and St. Helena, where they left behind one of their company, Henry Woodward, to learn the Indian language. Woory reported that the Indians were friendly and "seemed very willing to have us settle amongst them." The company sailed from Port Royal on July 9 and arrived at Charles Town on the 12th.

Collection

Robert Dayton Williams journal, 1870

1 volume

The Robert Dayton Williams journal recounts the author's voyage to Europe on the steamer Australia in September 1870. Williams described stormy weather, seasickness, daily activities, and navigation errors during the ship's passage from New York to Glasgow. The journal entries are accompanied by ink drawings.

The R. Dayton Williams journal (21 pages), entitled "Yankee Vandals Abroad, or Our Trip to Europe," is an account of the author's voyage from Albany, New York, to Glasgow, Scotland, from September 15, 1870-October 1, 1870.

The journal begins with a 2-page preface in which Williams pays tribute to the advances in nautical travel between the 1770s and 1870s and explains his reasons for visiting the British Isles. The account opens with the Williams' trip from Albany to New York, accompanied by family members, and their search for Anna's trunk on the day they were to set sail; a humorous poem recounts the latter episode. The preface and opening remarks are followed by daily entries dated September 17, 1870-October 1, 1870, during the Australia's time at sea. The opening lines of many entries, including the preface, are colored or otherwise illustrated. Illustrations (see list below) accompany most of the entries.

During the transatlantic journey, Williams commented on the food, the scenery, and his pastimes, which included games of quoits and backgammon with the captain and other passengers. Early in the voyage, the ship encountered stormy seas, which resulted in flooded passenger cabins, injuries to members of the ship's crew, and prolonged seasickness. Williams described cod fishermen along the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and compared the Anchor Line's ships with the faster vessels of the Cunard Line. Entries often report the distance the Australia had traveled and the remaining distance to Derry, Ireland, the ship's first destination. On September 29, Williams mentioned the captain's recent navigational error, which led to confusion about the ship's current position and course; the mishap resulted in a slight delay, though the course was later corrected. In his entry of September 30, Williams recalled the Hibernia, an Anchor Line steamer that had remained missing for four weeks after being blown to sea in a gale off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. The same day, the Australia reached Derry and soon left for Glasgow, where Williams and his wife disembarked on October 1. A printed drawing of the Australia and a newspaper clipping about the Williams' journey are pasted into the first page of regular entries, and the entry of September 30 contains a table of observed latitude and longitude for September 19, [1870]-September 28, [1870].

List of pen and ink drawings (excluding embellished text)
  • Two men searching for Anna Williams's trunk at the Wescott's Express freight office (page 7)
  • A man and a woman on the deck of the Australia (page 7)
  • Log floating at sea (page 8)
  • Australia and other ships engulfed by stormy seas (page 9)
  • The Williams' stateroom on the Australia (page 10)
  • A man "Before and After Sea Sickness" (page 11)
  • Codfish (page 11)
  • Rings and target from game of quoits (page 12)
  • "Cod Fishing on the New Foundland Banks" [sic] (page 13)
  • Driftwood board (page 13)
  • "Mr Brown's Circus Blanket," a colorful coat (page 14)
  • "Forecastle Passengers" (page 17)
  • Sounding line (page 19)
  • Map of British Isles and coast of Holland, Belgium, and France, showing the Australia's erroneous and corrected courses (page 20)
Collection

HMS Glasgow log book, 1815

1 volume

This log book covers the journey of the English 50-gun frigate HMS Glasgow under the command of Captain Henry Duncan between February 1, 1815, and August 28, 1815. The log records daily information on weather, longitude and latitude, distance, and incidents onboard.

This volume, entitled "Log of The Proceedings of H.M.S. Glasgow" (73 pages) chronicles the ship's travels around the Bay of Biscay between February 1 and August 28, 1815. Midshipman James Williamson recorded daily information about the weather, the ship's course, and incidents onboard. The first 3 pages contain a chart of the ship's course, position, and bearings, maintained daily between February 1 and August 5, 1815; the dates April 1-May 24 are not included. Each day of the week is represented by an astrological symbol in a repeating pattern used throughout the entire volume. The longer log entries commence on February 1, 1815, and cover the ship's course, winds, and remarks about events on the ship, such as the arrival and departure of visitors, discipline of sailors, maintenance work, ships encountered, change of course, weather, and other daily occurrences. The Glasgow moored in Plymouth Sound and "Hamoau" between April 1 and May 25, at Plymouth between June 5 and June 9, and at Sheerness and Chatham, England, between August 8 and August 28. A color-coded map showing the progress of the Glasgow between southwest England and the Bay of Biscay is pasted into the volume between the pages covering May 6 through May 24.

Collection

Ephraim Smith Williams, Genealogy of the Williams Family from Their First Settlement in America, 1868

1 volume

This manuscript volume chronicles the genealogy of the descendants of Robert Williams, a native of Wales who settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, around 1638. The book, written by Ephraim Smith Williams in 1868 and presented to his daughter Jenny, concentrates on his branch of the family and includes information about the Gotee family, his wife's ancestors, and a brief biographical sketch of his father, Oliver Williams.

Ephraim Smith Williams wrote this 52-page genealogical manuscript, titled Genealogy of the Williams Family from Their First Settlement in America, for his daughter, Jenny M. Williams, in 1868. The book chronicles the genealogy of their branch of the Williams family from the arrival of Welshman Robert Williams in Roxbury, Massachusetts, around 1638. Most Williams family members were born in Roxbury until the early 19th century, when Oliver Williams, the son of Benjamin Williams and Anne Fuller, moved his family to Detroit, Michigan. Genealogical information includes the names of Williams family members, their spouses, and their descendants, covering successive generations into the 1860s. Dates of births, deaths, and marriages are recorded when known. Ephraim Williams added information until at least 1885, often making notes of recent deaths. Other annotations record his relationship to certain family members, and he identified his two namesakes as well as his father's half-siblings. Though most branches of the family remained in Massachusetts, others lived as far away as Michigan, Texas, and California. Several generations of the Gotee family, ancestors of Ephraim's wife, Hanna Melissa Gotee, are also represented.

The genealogical information is supplemented by a half-page dedication note and 3 pages of family history. This additional information briefly relates some events from the lives of Oliver Williams and his son, Ephraim Smith Williams, including Oliver's experiences as an early settler in Detroit, Michigan, and as a British prisoner during the War of 1812. Other topics include a description of travel between Detroit and Saginaw, Michigan, in the 1810s and 1820s, and observations about the region's development, especially the diminishing Native American presence. Also included are brief biographical notes regarding Ephraim Smith Williams.

Collection

Western Reserve (Ohio) collection, 1796-1808, 1814

24 items

The Western Reserve (Ohio) collection contains documents related to the sale and purchase of land in the Western Reserve and in the state of Ohio, shortly after it gained statehood.

The Western Reserve (Ohio) collection contains 24 legal documents, dating 1796-1808 and 1814, which relate to the purchase of land in the Western Reserve. Many of the items document land purchases by Nathan Elliott of Hartford, Connecticut. The collection includes Elliot's land deeds for "fifteen hundred twelve hundred thousandths" of the total Reserve for $1575 (April 13, 1796), "nine hundred twelve hundred thousandths" for $2000 (July 27, 1796), and "one thousand six hundred and thirty twelve hundred thousandths" for $3260 (July 28, 1796). Also present are a certificate for one share in the Connecticut Land Company and several land deeds related to James K. Garnsey. Four documents dated May 27, 1805, concern land purchased "at Public vendue, " lying south of Lake Erie, and referred to as 'sufferers land'. These list the names of early settlers and their payments.

One document dated June 24, 1814, reflects the sale of six lots of land in Ashtabula County, Ohio, by Revolutionary War veteran Nehemiah Hubbard (of Middleton, Connecticut) to Ladock Mann for the sum of $4,000. Witnessed by Nathan Strong and Sally Strong.

Collection

Cuba collection, circa 1748, 1798, 1824, 1830-1899 (majority within 1845-1858, 1865-1883)

0.25 linear feet

The Cuba collection contains around 91 individual manuscripts (mostly documents) related to the economic, racial, and political history of Cuba largely from the early to the late 19th century. The collection primarily focuses on the indentured servitude of Chinese workers, as well as Cuba's enslavement, trade, and manumission of largely African people. Another subset of the materials relates to 19th century insurrections and filibusters on the Island, including the López Expedition and Cuban resistance pertinent to the Ten Years' War.

The Cuba collection contains around 91 individual manuscripts (mostly documents) related to the economic, racial, and political history of Cuba largely from the early to the late 19th century. The collection primarily focuses on the indentured servitude of Chinese workers, as well as Cuba's enslavement, slave trading, and manumission of largely African people. Another subset of the materials relates to 19th century insurrections and filibusters on the Island, including the López Expedition and Cuban resistance pertinent to the Ten Years' War. The collection includes correspondence, documents, business records, citizenship certificates, death records, and contracts. The bulk of the materials were created in or relate to activities or people in Havana. Others relate to Santiago de Cuba.

Please see the box and folder listing below for details about each item in the collection.

Collection

Western America collection, 1820-ca. 1898

0.25 linear feet

The Western America collection is a group of miscellaneous individual items relating to the settlement of the western United States, including present-day Wisconsin, California, Oregon, and Missouri.

The Western America collection contains 39 miscellaneous individual items relating to the settlement of the western part of the United States, including present-day Wisconsin, Missouri, Oregon, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The items span 1820 to ca. 1898, with the bulk of materials concentrated around the 1840s and 1850s. They pertain to numerous topics related to western expansion, and include descriptions of growing towns, discussions of economic opportunities and hardships, references to social customs and mores on the frontier, and scattered mentions of relations with Native Americans.

A few items of note include:
  • A letter of May 20, 1832, discussing the Black Hawk War, murder by a prostitute and community backlash against her, and the tarring and feathering of an African American man.
  • A description of the Oregon Territory by a recent female settler [ca. 1838].
  • A frustrated miner's description of his bad luck in Placerville, California [ca. 1851].
  • A letter from Santa Clara, California, concerning the love affair of a miner's wife, and the husband's subsequent abandonment of her and their child with the remark that "such is life in Cal." (June 26-28, 1854)
  • A July 15, 1876, description of Geneva, Minnesota, including its ethnic mix, farming prospects, and food.
  • A May 21, 1889, letter from a woman to her husband describing the cable-cars and schools of San Francisco, California.
Collection

Samuel Coates collection, 1772-[ca. 1809]

12 items

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and a poem related to Philadelphia merchant Samuel Coates, including Coates's recounting of Mayhew Folger's discovery of the HMS Bounty mutineers' colony on Pitcairn Island, correspondence concerning nautical travel in 18th-century New York and contemporary opinions on the American Revolution. Four items relate to the late Doctor Samuel Cooper, for whom Coates served as estate executor.

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and a poem related to Philadelphia merchant Samuel Coates. Most of the material consists of incoming personal letters addressed to Coates, including three letters by Richard Dimsdale, who recounted his recent nautical travels around New York City and throughout the state of New York (June 29, 1773) and provided his opinion on recent social unrest in the colonies (September 9, 1775). Another acquaintance, Joseph Pemberton, inquired about food prices in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, and shared his desire for Washington to surround General Howe and secure victory (January 23, 1777). Additional incoming items include a letter from Ezekiel Edwards (October 25, 1772), a shipping receipt (December 18, 1772), and a letter from William Jones concerning the estate of the late Samuel Cooper (February 4, 1799). The collection also holds three items written by Samuel Coates: a letter to Moses Brown describing a recent epidemic and conditions in the Pennsylvania Hospital (October 30, 1798); a letter about Samuel Cooper's estate (December 6, 1806); and a letter from Samuel Coates to Henry Clifton (ca. 1809) containg whaling captain Mayhew Folger's account of his discovery of a colony on Pitcairn Island consisting of the widows, children, and last survivor of the HMS Bounty mutineers. Additional material includes an indenture apprenticing Samuel Cooper to Samuel Clark, Bartholomew Wistar, and Samuel Coates, managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital (January 1, 1793), and a poem written by Enoch Lewis in memory of Samuel Cooper (September 6, [1798]).

Collection

Boston (Mass.) photographs, ca. 1905

1 volume

This collection consists of photographs of Boston, Massachusetts, and other New England towns, taken around the turn of the 20th century. The collection includes pictures of commercial and municipal buildings, battleships, and city landmarks.

This collection consists of photographs of Boston, Massachusetts, and other New England towns, taken around the turn of the 20th century. The collection includes pictures of commercial and municipal buildings, battleships, and city landmarks.

Large format photographs show a variety of Boston scenes, including commercial streets and buildings, harbor views, waterfront parks, the USS Hartford and USS New York, a streetcar station and tracks, a horse-drawn firefighting ladder truck, and a crowd waching the launch of an unrigged yacht in Boston Harbor. Buildings depicted include Faneuil Hall, the Jordan Marsh department store, and the U.S. Customhouse. A scene on the Boston Common shows the statue of George Washington being decorated, with a crowd of pedestrians including a Civil War veteran wearing a uniform with medals. Also included is a photograph of the Witch House in Salem, Mass., former residence of Joseph Corwin, a judge at the Salem witch trials; and a collision of two locomotives with a photographer on the scene, possibly staged. The first image (10cm x 14.5cm), an overhead view of Charlestown and the Bunker Hill Monument, is affixed to a wall calendar for the year 1884; all of its removable monthly pages are still intact. The calendar was presented with "Compliments of Annie T. Smith."

Collection

Saratoga Prisoners of War collection, 1778

6 items

This collection is made up of correspondence regarding prisoners of war during the American Revolution, particularly members of the Convention Army. The letters address topics such as prisoners' injuries, parole, and labor.

This collection (6 items) is made up of correspondence regarding prisoners of war during the American Revolution, particularly members of the "Convention Army," made up of prisoners from the Battle of Saratoga. Several items refer to Major General William Heath and British Major General William Phillips. The letters pertain to passes, prisoners' treatment, parole, and a road-building project in Pennsylvania. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information on each item.

Collection

Pennsylvania Civil War pollbook collection, 1864

3 volumes

The Pennsylvania Civil War pollbook collection contains pollbooks documenting the absentee voting of residents of four Pennsylvania counties during the Civil War, who were in Company C, 11th Pennsylvania Infantry; Company E, 198th Pennsylvania Infantry; and a detachment at Camp Biddle near Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Civil War pollbook collection contains three poll books with records of the 1864 election, held October 11, 1864, for soldiers in the field voting by absentee ballot in Pennsylvania.

The book for residents of Westmoreland County within Company C, 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, documents many aspects of the election. These include its location (Fort Dushane in Dinwiddie County, Virginia), the names of the poll officials, the names and residences of the 15 soldiers who voted, and the number of votes received by various candidates. The offices up for election were U.S. Representative, State Representative, Prothonotary, Clerk of Quarter Sessions and Oyer and Terminer, County Commissioner, Director of the Poor, County Auditor, and Trustees of Academy.

The book for voters of Philadelphia and Delaware Counties within Company E, 198th Pennsylvania Infantry, contains similar information for their election, held at "Camp near Petersburg." It includes the names and addresses of 31 voters, as well as names of candidates and number of votes each received for the following offices: U.S. Representative, State Representative, State Senator, Sheriff, Register, Clerk of Orphans' Court, Coroner, County Commissioner, Director of the Poor, County Auditor, Reviewer of Taxes, and City Commissioner.

The pollbook for residents of Wyoming County, within a detachment at Camp Biddle, contains the voting record of just one man, Albert Strong of Northmoreland Township.

Collection

Haiti collection, 1761-1826, 1856, 1895, 1954

0.5 linear feet

The Haiti collection contains approximately 132 items related to the social, military, and economic history of Haiti from the mid-18th century through the 19th century. The collection includes correspondence, documents, and a scrapbook. The scrapbook, compiled by Victor Advielle, chronicles the history of the island from 1803, during the last stages of its revolution, through the 1890s.

The Haiti collection contains approximately 130 items related to the social, military, and economic history of Haiti from the mid-18th century through the 19th century. The collection includes correspondence, documents, visual material, and a scrapbook. The scrapbook, compiled by Victor Advielle, chronicles the history of the island from 1803, during the last stages of its revolution, through the 1890s.

Selected items include:
  • Bonneau et Avril DS, Journal des travaux..., September 1780. La Grande Plaine, [St. Domingue]. Beginning with a list of enslaved persons by profession/type of labor or other details (six women, for example, are indicated as free per the will of M. Baugé). The journal follows, indicating plantation events and the distribution of enslaved workers at different labor or at the hospital. With content related to mill work, sugar production, placing persons in irons, and more.
  • Lory, Plombard & Co. ALS to Mr. Guillaumier; November 6, 1783. Cap. News of his brother, finances, and matters relating to enslaved persons (including their health).
  • [Jean-Baptiste] Arnaudeau ALS to Madame Veuve Fleuriau, January 26, 1788; Bellevue, [Saint Domingue]. To his aunt, offering condolences on the death of her husband. Recommends buying the Fortin land as it is good for cultivating sugar cane. Purchase of enslaved persons for a good price (10 men and 2 women). Production of sugar and land on the Fleuriau plantation.
  • Legal document from 1790 relating to the complicated distribution of Pierre Douault's estate, including the coffee plantation he owned in Saint Domingue.
  • Delaire, Painparay & La Maiguere ALS to M. Peyrac, 1791 December 24; Nantes, [France]. 2 pages. Has received news from Port-au-Prince about the ratification of the treaty between "les Blancs & les Gens de couleur." Comments on how the gens de couleur have dictated the law, which is harsh against whites, but upholding it supports peace and protects property holders.
  • [Pierre-César-Charles, marquis de] Sercey Partially Printed DS to "l'enseigne St. Prix," 1793 September 1; [New York, New York], 1 page. In French. Written near the New York harbor aboard theÉole . Orders from Commander of the Leeward Islands, "Le Commandant de la Station des Iles de L'Amérique Sous Le Vent," to embark on the frigate Surveillante to continue the ship's service. On illustrated letterhead with a decorative header; the portion featuring three fleurs-de-lis is inked out. N.B. Sercey commanded a fleet of ships carrying colonists fleeing from St. Domingue during the Haitian Revolution to New York and then on to France.
  • British officer L. Dichter letter, describing Haiti as the "Devil's own Country"; July 4, 1796.
  • An autographed letter by Toussaint L'Ouverture, written on his personal stationery; [1796].
  • Citoyen Dodge Gorham and Dodge Gorham et Compagnie partially printed certificates (2) and manuscript document (1) pertinent to the shipment of goods, including beef, on the ship Zéphir (Zephyr) September 12, 1797. Le Cap.
  • A deposition providing a firsthand account of revolutionary activity in 1793; October 25, 1799.
  • Lovise Munroe manuscript protest, 14 Fructidor [September 1, 1800]; Môle Saint-Nicolas, Saint Domingue. 6 pages. Official notary copy of the protest of Lovise Munroe, captain of the Schooner Two Brothers of Boston, which sailed out of Philadelphia bound with goods consigned to merchant John Lewis at Cap Français. Was forced into the port at Môle Saint-Nicolas, "having been Contraried by the Winds & Weather." General Hyacinthe Moïse ordered that Munroe would "be so good to land All the Articles Useful to the State, such as, Tar, Pitch, Gun-Powder, Muskets, Swords, Pistols, Lead, Bunting, Tin and Flints, these articles will be deposited in the Arsenal in the Manner Order'd and Citn. [Mansey] Colin charged with the sale of the Surplus of the Cargo, will take the Arrangements he shall think most suitable with General Moyse, for the reimbursement of these Articles and the best of his Interest." After the goods were sold, Lewis claimed that he did not receive any compensation for the long sojourn in Môle Saint-Nicolas, but instead needed money to pay for flour, cloth, and cordage for the vessel's use.
  • Robert McTaggart letter to Philadelphia merchants [John Reed, Standish Forde, and Samuel Israel]; January 18, 1804. Cap Français. Respecting trade issues, stagnant markets, spoiled produce, government restrictions on coffee purchases. Reference to ships at harbor and difficulties with French privateers.
  • Letter to Martin[-Pierre] Foache, April 6, 1804. Au Cap. Describes persecution of white residents preceding the massacre ordered by Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
  • A ca. 1815 legal summary of a case regarding the difficulties of collecting bills in post-revolutionary Saint Domingue. References the inability of the French merchant Reveliere to establish a trading house in Saint Domingue around 1802, which forced him to sell his cargo with a military contractor, but payment was later suspended by a governmental decree. Notes the impact on third-party bearers of the bills.
  • B[elfast] Burton [draft letters?] to [Richard Allen?], [1825]; Semana, Haiti. 2 pages. Two letters on opposite sides of a single sheet. Discussion of issues with Pierre Joseph Marie Granville (Jonathas Granville), governance, authority, "there is nothing equal to truth & honesty and industry..." Politics, meddling of Alexander, support but apprehensions regarding President Jean-Pierre Boyer, and the campaign to promote African American immigration to the Republic of Haiti.
  • Eugène-Léopold-François Pesnel DS petition to Faustin Soulouque, [1856?]; Cherbourg, [France]. 14 pages. Petition by Pesnel, requesting Empereur Soulouque to grant compensation to Marie Jeanne Pesnel, his mother, for property and proceeds lost as a result of the Haitian Revolution. Marie's father Thomas de Launay owned dwellings north of Cap Français and in Borgne. He had lived in Saint Domingue for 45 years before his death in 1781. The properties, including a cafeterie, had an annual profit of around 300,000 francs. The capital was 6,000,000 francs, which would have increased considerably in the hands of merchant de Launay and his descendants. Pesnel's request include a lengthy affirmation of his Republican sentiments, love of freedom, and dislike of slavery. The last page of the petition includes a transcription of a baptismal record of Marie Jeanne de Launay.

Other items are two photographs, a copy of L'Écho de la Timbrologie that traces the history of Haiti (January 31, 1954), a Carte de l'Isle de Saint Domingue ([1759], housed in the Map Division), a 1788 postmark from "Cap Haitien," and a newletter about French colonial postmarks.

Victor Advielle compiled the scrapbook, entitled Notes sur Haiti, in Paris in 1895. In addition to newspaper clippings, speeches, correspondence, and government documents, the volume has a piece of music entitled "Les paroles sont de Mr. de la Soriniere danjou, Et la Musique de Mr. Boran de St. Domingue." The scrapbook pertains to Haiti's 19th-century history. The section entitled "Ma Correspondence avec Légitime" contains personal correspondence between Victor Advielle and François Denys Légitime, who later became president of Haiti (1888-1889). The material within the scrapbook is in French.

Collection

William Quitman Wilkins diary, 1869

1 volume

William Quitman Wilkins kept this daily diary from January 1, 1869, through April 27, 1869, largely while attending medical school at the University of Louisiana and receiving clinical training at the Charity Hospital of New Orleans. He reported on case studies, operations, recommended treatments, pharmaceuticals, post mortem examinations, tests, and other aspects of his education. Wilkins also reported on his evening and weekend social activities, including attendance at concerts, operas, "varieties," Mardi Gras, and other events.

William Quitman Wilkins' kept this daily diary from January 1, 1869, through April 27, 1869, largely while attending medical school at the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) and receiving clinical training at the Charity Hospital of New Orleans. He reported on case studies, operations, recommended treatments, pharmaceuticals, post mortem examinations, tests, and other aspects of his education. Wilkins kept his diary in a pre-printed "Patent Self Closing Diary for 1869."

The physicians he studied under included Drs. Frank Hawthorn, J. D. or S. M. Bemiss, Stanford E. Chaille, Warren Stone, and others. Examples of conditions represented in Wilkins' notes include dysentery "from alcoholic poison," pneumonia, typhoid, gangrene of the penis, delirium tremens from the use of opium, malaria, syphilis, constipation, chorea (in a ten year old), opium poisoning, suffocation from hemorrhage, and other ailments. He also wrote of smallpox vaccination and amputations. In one instance, he witnessed an African American woman's operation for "skirrus" (i.e. scirrhous) cancer of the breast (February 27).

In the evenings and on weekends, he attended concerts, "varieties," operas, and plays. He met Tom Thumb and visited Henry Clay's monument on Canal Street (January 9), watched James Robinson & Son (January 18), attended a performance of Fire Fly (January 21), assisted in the wedding of his aunt Sallie and uncle John (January 28), reported on Mardi Gras (February 9), and witnessed the Fireman's Festival and Parade (March 4).

W. Q. Wilkins had apparently received a gunshot wound in his leg/hip and toward the end of the term he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments (March 12). He left New Orleans on March 18, and arrived home in Oxford, Mississippi, the next day. After his arrival, he suffered for weeks with chills, a fever, and leg abscesses. During this time, he briefly mentioned family visitors, reading, taking invoices of drugs, and much bedrest. On April 3, Dr. Isom (possibly Dr. Thomas Dudley Isom [1816-1902]) removed two more bone fragments from his leg. By April 27, his health had improved and he began to study his textbooks once again.

The final 24 pages of the diary contain notes for one of Dr. Chaille's tests, lists of medicines, Medical Association of Lafayette County's fees for various medical treatments, names and addresses, and other notes.

Collection

William D. Wilkins recipe book, 19th century

1 volume

This recipe book, which belonged to William D. Wilkins of Detroit, Michigan, in the mid-19th century, contains instructions for making several kinds of baked goods and puddings.

This recipe book (80 pages, not all of which are used), belonged to William D. Wilkins of Detroit, Michigan, in the mid-19th century. The first 33 pages consist of recipes for cakes, cookies, gingerbreads, puddings, jellies, "domestic yeast" (p. 27), "hop beer" (p. 31), and a "knickerbocker pickle" (pp. 53-54). The volume also contains instructions for using molasses as a preservative (p. 28), dyeing paper blue, and calculating a numerical puzzle (pp. 62-63). Page 51 includes a brief record of accounts with Ann English; one entry gives the value of a bonnet.

Collection

Helen L. Wild diary, 1906

1 volume

Helen L. Wild kept this diary immediately following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Wild described the state of the city, fires, her family's experiences, residential and commercial displacement, and other effects of the event on the city and its residents.

Helen L. Wild, a San Francisco teenager, kept this diary, titled "The San Francisco Earthquake, Being the Impressions of One H. Wild Who Stood it all Even to Eating Relief Food and Is, So Far, Alive to Tell the Tale," during and in the days following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Wild described the state of the city, fires, her family's experiences, residential and commercial displacement, and other effects of the event on the city and its residents.

Wild began the diary on April 18, 1906, with a description of the earthquake and immediately resulting fires. Later that day, she visited some heavily damaged sections of the city, including the downtown business district, and commented on the flames then engulfing Market Street and other areas. She and her family temporarily evacuated their home and slept in a tent alongside others at a local park. Wild continued to write throughout the following weeks and reported on aspects of the rebuilding process, such as relief efforts and the gradual restoration of normalcy. She also included some personal reflections about the disaster. Wild maintained the diary until May 2, 1906.

Collection

E. E. Wilcox journal, 1893-1896, [1917]

1 volume

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this volume around the 1890s. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec.

Edward E. Wilcox, a native of Franklin County, New York, wrote narrative recollections of hunting trips, painted watercolors, created sketches and drawings, and pasted photographs and newspaper clippings in this journal from approximately 1893-1896. Most of the material concerns hunting and fishing excursions in northern New York and southern Québec. The volume contains 200 pages, not all of which are used.

Wilcox wrote a 2-page introduction on June 2, 1893, intending to record details of his life for friends and family to discover after his death. In approximately 43 additional pages of prose, he wrote about his courtship with and wedding to Clara Stuart, his early years in New York City, numerous hunting and fishing trips in northern New York, and a summer vacation in New Hampshire and Québec. Two of the accounts describe a salmon run and an encounter with bears, and one pertains to a youthful prank. Some of the journal's watercolors, drawings, and sketches illustrate aspects of Wilcox's travel stories; most depict hunters, fishers, fish, rowboats, cabins, and woodland scenery. One pencil drawing utilizes shading to create the illusion of a nighttime view and appropriate shadows. Photographs include a picture of a man in a military uniform posing by a paper globe and paper cannonballs (possibly taken around 1917), studio portraits of an unidentified man and woman, a studio portrait of a man in his underwear, views of steamboats in a canal or lock, pictures of cacti in a desert, and a picture of hunters in a wooded area. Also present are interior shots of a shipping or similar commercial office and a man working in an enclosed office space, as well as street scenes. Two newspaper clippings concern E. E. Wilcox's use of shed human skin as a painting canvas and a painting he made as a young man.

Collection

Francis Wickham diary, 1796

1 volume

The Francis Wickham diary contains entries for August-October 1796, when Wickham served with the British Royal Navy in Martinique. He wrote about Martinique's wildlife, navy life, travels, and other topics.

The Francis Wickham diary contains approximately 75 pages of entries, covering August 23-October 5, 1796, while Wickham served with the British Royal Navy in Martinique. In his diary, Wickham wrote articulately about the climate, plant and animal life, habits of the British sailors, places he visited, and the ubiquity of illness among the sailors.

In early entries, Wickham showed a particular interest in Martinique's wildlife and climate. He described birds and speculated about their migrations (August 24, 1796), discussed fruits, reptiles, and insects, and in several entries, expressed sadness at the high mortality rate for the British in Martinique, which he attributed to the "vile" climate (September 20, 1796). He also frequently commented on the habits of the British sailors, including their tendency toward melancholy (August 27, 1796), the "riot and debauchery" in which they participated, and their love of "accursed grog" (September 4, 1796).

In later entries, Wickham wrote more frequently about travel and political events. On September 10, 1796, he described a trip to Lamantine, a small town in eastern Martinique, where he visited a market and was offended by several Frenchmen playing billiards on a Sunday. He also noted his surprise about a visit from Sir Hyde Parker, Jr., and gave accounts of several political developments, such as Admiral Joseph de Richery's escape from Cadiz, Spain, and the activities of privateers, whom he called "perfect desperadoes each arm'd with a brace of pistols and cutlass" (September 14, 1796). In late September, he expressed anxiety that he and others would be stationed in a more dangerous climate, and gave an account of magical powers used by a local woman after the poisoning of several slaves (September 23, 1796). In early October, he described his trip to Fort Royal and St. Pierre, Martinique, and a play he attended called "Two Misers." Wickham's last entry in the volume on October 5, 1796, is lengthy; it describes an upcoming exchange of prisoners with the French, as well as the annoyance Wickham and other sailors felt in the presence of Admiral Parker, who had been "order'd from this station."

Collection

B. Whitney travel diary, 1816

1 volume

This diary (4"x5.75", 105 pages) contains a traveler's impressions while visiting Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., from November 9, 1816-November 26, 1816.

This diary (4" x 5.75", 105 pages) contains a traveler's impressions while visiting Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., from November 9, 1816-November 26, 1816.

Whitney began his travels in New York City on November 9, when he embarked for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After remaining at Philadelphia for several days, he traveled to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Following a brief return to Baltimore, he set out for New York, where he arrived on November 26. Throughout his travels, done primarily by steamboat and stage, Whitney noted the quality of his accommodations, both in the major cities and in smaller towns. He wrote more detailed descriptions of his main destinations and of his activities, which included visits to famous locations such as the White House, United States Capitol, and Fort McHenry. While in Washington, D.C., Whitney attended a session of Congress. In addition to sightseeing, he took an interest in mechanical processes, and described visits to a cannon foundry and two glassworks, among other excursions.

Collection

Phebe Whitford diary, 1862

1 volume

Eliza "Phebe" Whitford kept her diary between January 1 and December 31, 1862, recording her itinerant life away from home with various relatives in Cattaraugus County, New York, and reflecting on her psychological and religious inner life. She recorded her diary entries in the regular blank pages of a small (3.25 x 2.5") printed volume, "Daily Texts, with Verses of Hymns: Adapted for General Use" (N.Y.: American Tract Society, n.d.). Phebe Whitford was a Seventh Day Baptist and attended regular services and meetings. She ruminated on her faith and on her anxious and nervous state, noting that when disappointed she was apt to distrust God. She remarked on hearing Elder [Julius M.?] Todd (passim) and Silas Burdick (March 22) preach, friends going off to fight in the Civil War (June 30), attendance at a Gerrit Smith meeting (July 20), the arrival of a "real smart" fugitive slave in town (August 8), and the presence of an African American man named West at their meeting (August 10). She also attended singing school and practiced on the melodeon.

Eliza "Phebe" Whitford kept her diary between January 1 and December 31, 1862, recording her itinerant life away from home with various relatives in Cattaraugus County, New York, and reflecting on her psychological and religious inner life. She recorded her diary entries in the regular blank pages of a small (3.25 x 2.5") printed volume, "Daily Texts, with Verses of Hymns: Adapted for General Use" (N.Y.: American Tract Society, n.d.).

Phebe Whitford was a Seventh Day Baptist and attended regular services and meetings. She ruminated on her faith and on her anxious and nervous state, noting that when disappointed she was apt to distrust God. She remarked on hearing Elder [Julis M.?] Todd (passim) and Silas Burdick (March 22) preach, friends going off to fight in the Civil War (June 30), attendance at a Gerrit Smith meeting (July 20), the arrival of a "real smart" fugitive slave in town (August 8), and the presence of an African American man named West at their meeting (August 10). She also attended singing school and practiced on the melodeon.

Collection

William White Sermon, Of Anticipation of Heaven, [18th-19th century]

1 volume

In this 68-page sermon, Bishop William White of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania explored the topic of salvation and the Christian promise of heaven.

In this 68-page sermon, Bishop William White of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania explored the topic of salvation and the Christian promise of heaven.

White's sermon, titled "Of Anticipation of Heaven" and numbered 159 in a series, concerns doctrines of salvation and the promise of heaven. White discussed related topics such as good works, the "fruits of the spirit," and spiritual changes within recent converts.

William White made annotations to the sermon; some revisions appear on tipped-in or pasted-in pieces of paper and others were made in red ink. Passages from scripture are identified by notes in red ink at the bottom of each page. George Macpherson, White's great-grandson, had the original pages re-bound in the late 19th century, pasted White's autograph onto the front cover, and presented the volume to George W. Childs as a gift. His February 26, 1882, letter bequeathing the book to Childs is laid into the volume.

Collection

John Wheeler journal and essays, 1859

1 volume

This volume contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept the journal between December 1858 and September 1859, detailing his experiences after moving to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. He later wrote an essay in which he reflected on the cultural differences between New England and Virginia. In a second essay, he discussed "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity.

This volume (205 pages) contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept a journal of his travel to, and experiences teaching in, Albemarle County, Virginia, between December 1858 and October 1859 (pp. 1-137); wrote an essay based on his experiences, focusing on cultural differences between New England and Virginia (pp. 139-174); and composed an essay on the professions of law, medicine, and divinity (pp. 187-216).

The first, and largest, portion of the volume is the journal Wheeler kept between December 1858 and October 1859, while he traveled to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. The first two pages contain an introductory essay on the virtues of traveling, and pages 3 through 21 recount his journey from New Hampshire to Virginia, beginning on December 21, 1858. He mentioned multiple sightseeing destinations along the way, including Plymouth Rock (p. 5), and arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia, on December 31 (pp. 16-17). There, he made the acquaintance of the Durrett family, with whom he remained close throughout his stay in the South.

Wheeler began to keep regular journal entries on January 1, 1859 (p. 21), and thoroughly described his life as a schoolteacher, as well as his impressions of southern scenery and customs. Many entries mention the violent treatment of slaves, including men being lashed for stealing a pig (p. 77) and a legal case that ended with the sentence of execution (p. 84). Wheeler often attended religious services, commented on southern hospitality, and described the scenery, particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wheeler did not keep his journal between January 23 (p. 67) and July 4 (p. 70), though he recorded the dates of planting and ripening of several crops (p. 68).

Wheeler left Albemarle County on September 26 (p. 121) and traveled to Luray, Virginia, where he witnessed the hanging of a female slave (pp. 123-126). From there, he traveled to Alexandria, where he provided a detailed account of a visit to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington (October 8, pp. 132-137). The journal concludes with a brief closing statement on page 137.

In the second section is an essay that Wheeler composed after he returned to his home in New Hampshire (pp. 139-174). He wrote about his impressions of the South and his experiences, often commenting on the differences between customs in Virginia and in New England.

The third part of the volume contains an essay about the history and characteristics of "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity. It begins on page 197 and continues through page 216, though pages 176 to 184 are blank.

Three clippings from published works are laid into the journal: an image of King Umberto I of Italy, recently assassinated (pp. 174-175); and two pages of poetry (pp. 180-181).

Collection

Davenport West collection, 1945

18 items

This collection contains reports, notes, and manuscript maps related to the actions of Task Force Poinier, a United States Army unit, between March and April 1945, as well as a narrative account of the 331st Infantry's experiences in France in January 1945. The reports provide detailed records of American military operations as Allied forces progressed eastward across Germany in the closing months of World War II.

This collection contains 3 reports, 3 pages of notes, 11 manuscript maps, and a narrative account of the 331st Infantry Regiment's experiences in France in January 1945, written by Technical Sergeant Davenport West. The reports provide detailed records of American military operations as Allied forces progressed eastward across Germany in the closing months of World War II.

The S-3 Worksheets series contains 3 typed reports on the actions of various units including Task Force Poinier (comprised of companies from the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron; the 18th Tank Battalion; the 809th Tank Destroyer Battalion; and the 7th Armored Infantry Battalion).

The first document (5 pages, incomplete) is a list of communications received from various units moving east through Germany toward the Rhine River on March 1 and 2, 1945. These communications often reported encounters with enemy troops and occasionally relayed information received from captured prisoners of war. The battalion receiving the communications was stationed in Wankum, Germany, near the country's western border.

The second report (20 pages) is comprised of daily communications compiled throughout March 1945. The typescript has occasional manuscript revisions and marginal notes. During the first part of the month, soldiers remained in camp and spent most of their time participating in training exercises, and on March 24 they began making preparations to join other troops attempting to cross the Rhine River. The orders received on March 24 pertain to several tactical considerations for the upcoming military action to establish an Allied line between Hamm and Soest, Germany. The resulting battle to capture the town of Dorsten is covered in detail between March 28 and March 31.

The third S-3 worksheet, an incomplete copy of a report entitled "Secret After Action Report" (2 pages), contains daily updates on Task Force Poinier's progress through Germany between April 1, 1945, and April 4, 1945.

The Manuscript Narrative and Notes series includes a narrative account and 3 pages of miscellaneous notes. The narrative is entitled "Travels of Too Bad: Le Havre to Herzberg," and chronicles an unidentified unit's experiences between January 5 and January 12, 1945, written by "an informal EM" (p. 1). After landing on January 5, the unit traveled through northern France, and the author described the countryside and the army's movements. Though the narrative ends near Nomény, [France], on January 12, a table of contents indicates that the full document was intended to conclude after the author's unit moved into Herzberg, Germany. The narrative is accompanied by 3 pages of notes.

Ten Manuscript Maps show various sections of Germany that the 7th Armored Infantry Battalion crossed in March and April 1945. These include detailed battle maps showing the location of various American units, as well as overlays of the battalion's route. An additional map is a sketch of the town of Dorsten, Germany.

Collection

James West, Elements of Navigation, 1785

1 volume

Elements of Navigation, a manuscript adaptation of John Robertson’s work of the same name, provides instruction and practical exercises in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, geography, astronomy, and navigational principles (781 pages). The volume is heavily illustrated with mathematical diagrams. It also contains a 1785 copy of a ship log for a 1772 voyage from England to Madeira, (21 pages).

"Elements of Navigation," a manuscript adaptation of John Robertson’s work of the same name, provides instruction and practical exercises in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, geography, astronomy, and navigational principles (781 pages). The volume is illustrated with mathematical diagrams. It also contains a 1785 copy of a ship's log for a 1772 voyage from England to Madeira (21 pages). The book is divided into 14 primary chapters, 11 of them preceded by an ink or watercolor illustration of buildings, ships, and places, such as the watercolor drawings "The Desire in a Storm" and "A west View of Islington, old Church." (See below for complete list.) Several chapters are further divided into sections, and most chapters or sections are followed by problems, questions, case studies, answers, and explanations. Please see the box and folder listing below for a table of contents.

The volume begins with explanations of basic mathematical principles, including arithmetic operations, decimals and fractions, roots and powers, notation, and "Tables of English Money, Weights, and Measures" (pp. 9 verso-10 verso). This chapter is followed by theorems and problems of geometry and trigonometry. The subsequent section on geography contains prose explanations of the discipline's foundations, such as the shape of the Earth, the concept of latitude and longitude, and the currently known world. Remarks on the continents are accompanied by tables showing major countries, principal cities, rivers, and mountains. The tables for North and South America are split, and individual states within the United States are identified as "countries," as are California, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Louisiana, Canada, New Britain, New Wales, and others. Introductory geographic material also includes content on winds, tides, and bodies of water. A segment on "chronology" introduces several scales for measuring time, and explains the reasoning behind concepts such as the leap year and the "Golden Number" (pp. 147-147 verso).

The remainder of the work focuses on the art of maritime navigation. Several topics include: the calculation of compound courses, oblique and windward sailing, sailing in currents, and globular sailing. The sections devoted to each topic are comprised primarily of rules or theorems, exercises, and illustrations of practical applicability. A chapter on "spherics" introduces spherical geometry and trigonometry. Two chapters on astronomy explain concepts in "star astronomy," "terrestrial astronomy," and "spherical astronomy," such as the composition of the Solar System, planetary movements, and mathematical applications. The final 80 pages contain information on the art of sailing and expand on principles previously discussed. These pages include instructions on how to calculate the location of a ship at sea, make necessary observations, and correct a ship's course, among other similar topics.

The final 21 pages consist of a log from an unknown ship traveling from England to Madeira in 1772, transcribed by James West in 1785. Between July 2 and July 11, the log contains notes on the weather, wind direction, and general remarks of occurrences on board as the ship prepared for its journey at Deptford, London. On one occasion, the author mentioned a sailor being disciplined for drunkenness (July 3). Between July 12 and July 28, the log documents the weather, wind direction, ship's location, use of various sails, and other information compiled throughout the course of each day. The ship arrived at Madeira on July 28. The log is followed by a brief note by James West concerning the location of Funchal, Madeira.

The non-mathematical illustrations separating the book's chapters are done in ink or watercolor, and depict rural scenes and sailing ships.

These are:
  • [View of a village, with a man fishing in a river], p. 2
  • [View of a river, with a cylindrical building in the foreground and a church in the background], p. 76
  • [View of an arched gateway, with attached buildings and bridge], p. 114
  • [View of a stone building with a high-peaked roof, alongside a body of water], p. 138
  • "The Victor in a calm sea," p. 187
  • [Oval-framed view of two persons sitting beside a river, with a ship and fortifications in the background], p. 202
  • "The Desire in a Storm," p. 223
  • [Oval-framed view of a small sailing vessel on shore beside a stone building], p. 241
  • "A west View of Islington, Old Church," p. 267
  • "Teneirs House," p. 319
  • "At Abingdon 1782," p. 349

The royal coat of arms of the British monarch is imprinted on the volume's front and back covers.

Collection

Piñon Lodge, Crystal, New Mexico Photograph Album, approximately 1925

49 photographs in 1 album.

The Piñon Lodge, Crystal, New Mexico photograph album contains 49 photographs of log buildings and other structures of Piñon Lodge in Crystal, New Mexico, and picturesque views of the surrounding area.

The Piñon Lodge, Crystal, New Mexico photograph album contains 49 photographs of log buildings and other structures of Piñon Lodge in Crystal, New Mexico, and picturesque views of the surrounding area. The album (18.5 x 29 cm) has string-bound black leather covers and is partially disbound. Individual photographs are affixed to black paper leaves, with sketches of desert scenes and captions drawn in the margins with white ink; on the verso of the front cover is a sketch of a man in Western wear on horseback, signed by W. E. Wells.

Images of include views from locations such as Bridge Canyon, Bonito Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Canyon del Muerto, ruins in Chaco Canyon, Coal Canyon, the Four Corners Region, the Grand Canyon, Inscription Rock at El Morro (with a photograph of the Spanish inscription from 1620), the Arizona village of Kayenta, Monument Valley, Painted Desert, petrified forests, Rainbow Bridge, and the Venus Needle near Crystal. Pictures of Native Americans, mainly focusing on the Navajo, include views of Navajo hogans, a loom, and women on the steps of Piñon Lodge; the Hopi settlement of Hotevilla, with corn drying on the rooftops of pueblo dwellings; and a Zuni pueblo with Thunder Mountain in the distance. Opposite several photographs are pasted typescript copies of a Piñon Lodge advertisement which includes a sample trip itinerary and describes the region's attractions for camping and hiking.

Collection

Joseph Foster correspondence, 1835

6 items

This collection is made up of correspondence and documents concerning a dispute between Joseph Foster of Warner, New Hampshire, and the Warner Congregational Church. Foster exchanged letters and signed statements with the church's pastor, Jubilee Wellman, about his attempts to atone for (unspecified) improper financial conduct.

This collection contains 6 incoming and outgoing letters and documents (20 pages) concerning a dispute between Joseph Foster of Warner, New Hampshire, and the Warner Congregational Church. Foster exchanged letters and signed statements with the church's pastor, Jubilee Wellman, about his attempts to atone for (unspecified) improper financial conduct.

The first item in the collection is Foster's signed statement confessing to financial transgressions (January 17, 1835), and the remaining 5 items relate to allegations later lodged by James Straw, a fellow church member, concerning Foster's atonement. Straw believed that Foster had not fulfilled the terms of his official confession. Reverend Jubilee Wellman later presented Foster with a formal list of charges and provided minutes from a meeting that had convened to discuss Foster's actions. After being found guilty by a unanimous vote, Foster wrote to Wellman, expressing his sadness at being estranged from the congregation (September 1, 1835). The final letter is Wellman's response to Foster, in which he gave further information about the charges and evidence against Foster and encouraged him to seek repentance (8 pages, September 21, 1835).

Collection

Eagleswood Academy photograph album, 1863-ca. 1890

1 volume

The Eagleswood Academy album is a 50 page cartes de visite album given to Theodore Weld by his former students at Eagleswood Academy in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on November 23, 1863. The 24 x 31 cm album has a brown leather cover, entitled "Theodore D. Weld" in gilt inlay. The album contains 194 photographs the majority of which are cartes de visite with some tintypes and gem tintypes interspersed. All of the photographs in the album are studio portraits. Most are presumably former students of Eagleswood Academy. Many of the individuals in the album are unidentified. Four loose items are also present in the album: an 1895 lithograph portrait of John Adams; a calling card for Mrs. Silas F. Overton; a calling card for a Miss Moseley; and a list of names, presumably of people within the album, that seems to have been created at a later date, presumably by Weld's daughter Sarah Grimké Weld Hamilton.

The Eagleswood Academy photograph album consists of a single bound volume of carte de visite photographs tucked into the pages along with some gem tintypes, one of which is encased. The album contains slots for four different photographs on each page. There are 169 cartes de visite in the album, all of them studio portraits of either individuals or small groups. There are also a few instances where gem tintypes are placed within the same slot as a carte de visite.

The album appears to have been gifted to Theodore Weld in 1863 from his former students. While many of the photographs were likely present in the album at that time, it appears that other photographs were added through the 1870s and possibly later. The photographs are mostly of Weld's former students, though some are individuals who appear to have no explicit connection with the school.

Enclosed in the album is a folded sheet of paper containing a list of names. Individuals on this list partially correspond to the physical order within the album. The list appears to have been created during the late 1860's and amended up until approximately 1877. Asterisks seem to indicate that the person had passed away, though in some cases the individuals without asterisks on the list had been dead for years prior. It appears that no new entries were added after 1877. The authorship of the list is uncertain, but appears to have been Sarah Grimké Weld Hamilton.

In 1886 Theodore Weld began reaching out to former students for additional photographs to put together in an album. Some of the photographs in this album may come from this period. A January 1, 1899 letter from Sarah Hamilton to her daughter mentions that she received her father's old school album with many pictures of her old classmates and their spouses and children. From this statement it appears that not all the people in the album necessarily went to or taught at Eagleswood.

Three other loose items are also present in the album: an 1895 lithograph portrait of John Adams, a calling card for Mrs. Silas F. Overton, and a calling card for a Miss Moseley.

Some of the photographs within the album have names written on the back, while others offer no clues as to who the person is. Through other sources some of the unnamed individuals in the album have been tentatively identified.

One interesting item of note is the photograph in slot #196 of the album, which has portraits taken many years apart of the same (unidentified) individual on both the front and back of the paper mount.

Other items of note include:
  • A portrait of Charles Burleigh Purvis, African-American doctor and cofounder of Howard Medical School. (slot #53)
  • A portrait of Bayard Wilkeson in Civil War uniform. Wilkeson died aged 19 at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. (slot #85)
  • A portrait of Ellen Wright Garrison, daughter of Martha Coffin Wright and niece of Lucretia Coffin Mott, the famed women's-rights activists who organized the 1848 Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, NY. (slot #32)

The Eagleswood album contains penciled inscriptions beneath the various photographs, often times recording the name of the photographer as well as any other information written on the back of the paper mount of the photograph. Researchers should be aware that this information was added by a former member of staff and numerous errors are present. For conservation reasons these inscriptions have not been erased.

Researchers should refer to the following indices for more accurate information on identified individuals, photographers, and inscriptions within the Eagleswood album:
  • Photographer Index, containing the names of all the photographers in the album as well as any inscriptions handwritten on the photographs.
  • Individuals Index, containing the names of all the identified, and tentatively identified individuals who have portraits present in the album.

Collection

Arthur Welch letters, 1916

0.25 linear feet

This collection consists of letters, postcards, and photographs related to Private Arthur E. Welch of the United States Army, who served with the 1st Regiment, Company L, in and around Nogales, Arizona, between July and October 1916. Welch discussed everyday life along the United States-Mexico border, his work in a military ice house, and developments in the region's military conflicts.

This collection consists of 100 letters, 2 postcards, and several photographs related to Private Arthur E. Welch of the United States Army, who served with the 1st Regiment, Company L, in and around Nogales, Arizona, between July and October 1916. Welch wrote his first 2 letters to his mother, Mrs. M. J. Welch of Willimantic, Connecticut, while in training at Niantic, Connecticut, about his life in camp. His next 5 letters recount his journey to Nogales, Arizona, and describe the scenery in Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

The bulk of the collection consists of Welch's daily letters to his mother from July 4, 1916-October 2, 1916, about his experiences while stationed in Nogales, Arizona. He reported news of recent military developments, commented on his accommodations in camp, and discussed several aspects of his life in the army, including his training, his work in an ice house, and his attendance at Catholic religious services. He also described the area and discussed a lengthy march his unit made to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he remained for much of August. Welch occasionally mentioned relations with the Mexicans and their independence celebrations on September 16, as well as the actions of Pancho Villa. One of his friends, Ed Ryan, wrote a letter to Mrs. Welch about his experiences after being wounded in the arm; he also mentioned Arthur's work in the ice house (September 21, 1916). By early October 1916, Welch began to anticipate his return to the East Coast. Two photographic postcards depict Arthur E. Welch in uniform and in a pair of overalls.

The non-correspondence items are 1 photograph of a group of soldiers, as well as 3 scrapbook pages containing 31 photographs of Nogales, Arizona, and United States soldiers in uniform and at leisure.

Collection

George Weirick orderly book, 1814

1 volume

The orderly book of George Weirick, who commanded the 77th Regiment of the Pennsylvania militia at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, in 1814.

The George Weirick orderly book contains 84 pages of orders and records, spanning October 5-November 29, 1814. The orders are general and brigade level and include paroles, countersigns, fatigue and police details, a muster roll of the officers in the regiment, and details of numerous courts martial. The orderly book opens with a general order that "the troops will be held in readiness for Muster and inspection" and a mandate for the preparation of a muster roll and returns. Thereafter, many orders in the book relate to discipline. One early entry, dated October 19, 1814, notes that volunteers and militia "have degraded themselves by irregular and Disorderly Conduct" and declares that such behavior is "not to be Tolerated." The same order urges officers who lack "firmness" to enforce the rules to retire, and calls them "utterly unfit for War." Another addresses the difficulty of getting the soldiers to settle down in the evening and notes that "the lights should be out and the men silent" during rest hours (November 1, 1814). Others concern deserters and require officers to treat them with extreme severity. One order calls desertion an "infamous crime" and simply states, "Deserters must be shot" (October 19, 1814). An order from the General Headquarters, dated November 18, 1814, warns "contractors, agents, subtlers, all followers of the army" against informing newspapers of the strength, movements, and destination of the corps: “It is positively forbidden, such communications find their way into the news papers and many of our news papers find their way to enemy."

A significant portion of the orderly book concerns courts martial.

A few notable examples include:
  • Colonel Conrad Kreickbaum for unofficer-like conduct (November 4, 1814)
  • Captain Peter Hanly for drunkenness and unofficer-like conduct and accused of selling "the rations of his soldiers for his own private profit" (November 8, 1814)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Louis Bache, who was the great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, for mutiny, disobedience of orders, and insubordination (November 10, 1814). The orderly book devotes four pages to this case.
  • Phillip Buttinstine for gambling (November 14, 1814)

Another entry in the orderly book addresses the defense of Philadelphia and outlines appropriate actions for four possible scenarios of British attack on the city. Dated November 5, 1814, it gives instructions for responses to various British approaches -- from Delaware Bay, the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, and the head of the Elk River. Other orders pertain to the soldiers' need for clothing (October 31, 1814), the delivery of ammunition and other ordnance (November 6, 1814), the use of detachments for hospital duties (November 4, 1814), and other topics. Also included is a muster roll of field and staff officers in Weirick's regiment as of November 14, 1814 (pp. 66-67).

Collection

Francis H. Webster letters, 1863

2 items

This collection contains two letters Francis H. Webster wrote to his siblings while serving with the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment in 1863. Webster described several aspects of camp life and provided his opinions about the conduct of the war.

This collection contains two letters Francis H. Webster wrote to his siblings while serving with the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment in 1863. Webster described several aspects of camp life and provided his opinions about the conduct of the war. When his wife Susan joined the regiment near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Webster remarked about the impact that female assistance had on the troops. He also related rumors about the Confederate Army, then heading into Pennsylvania, while both armies prepared for the engagement at Gettysburg, July 1-3. He offered his opinions on a variety of subjects; for example, on military leadership, he wrote: "No wonder this war is not settled…way it car[ri]ed on, drunken Genrals & so on" (July 26, 1863).

Collection

Frederick L. Webb carte-de-visite album, 1862

1 volume

The Frederick L. Webb carte-de-visite album contains portraits of 12 non-commissioned officers who served in the 10th New York Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War.

The Frederick L. Webb carte-de-visite album (13.5cm x 10cm), entitled "Non-Commissioned Staff, 10th N. Y. Cavalry," contains formal studio portraits of 12 non-commissioned officers who served in the 10th New York Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War. Each man posed in uniform with a sword and two also posed with bugles. The officers are identified as master sergeants, quartermaster sergeants, commissary sergeants, saddler sergeants, chief buglers, a veterinary sergeant, and a hospital steward. The album's title is printed on a small piece of paper pasted into the book before the portraits; the text is framed by a decorative border. The volume's red leather cover has a tooled geometric design, and its small clasp is shaped like a lyre.

Collection

Webb family letters, 1891

3 items

This collection contains 3 letters (32 pages) that Thomson W. Webb ("Tommie") wrote to her sisters and aunt while visiting family members in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in March 1891. She reported extensively on her social outings, which included dances, parties, and interactions with local men.

This collection contains 3 letters (32 pages) that Thomson W. Webb ("Tommie") wrote to her sisters and aunt while visiting family members in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in March 1891. She reported extensively on her social outings, which included dances, parties, and interactions with local men.

While in Mississippi, Webb, her brother Whitney, and an unnamed sister stayed with their Aunt Alice and various cousins, who included Sam and Alice. Webb spent much of her time attending formal social gatherings, such as traditional balls, and related stories of her experiences with local men, both at social events and during visits. She also discussed clothing and food, described a ride on a "flying jennie" (March 17, 1891) and shared her enjoyable experience at a "euchre party," despite knowing that her aunt would disapprove (March 21, 1891).

Collection

Hiland H. Weaver papers, 1861, 1864-1865

11 items

The Hiland H. Weaver papers contain 11 letters written by an officer of the 3rd Iowa Independent Light Battery during his service in the western theater of the Civil War.

The Hiland H. Weaver papers contain 11 letters written by an officer of the 3rd Iowa Independent Light Battery during his service in the western theater of the Civil War. In his early letters, written in 1861, Weaver described camp life and his unit's eagerness to see action. On December 14, 1861, he said, "it is very uncertain when I will see you again but I hope it will not be very long. There is some prospect that there will be a…battle fought near here before long and the most of the boys are ancious to have a hand in it but some look rather pale when there is anything said about getting into a fight[.]" In 1864, Weaver exhibited a similar devotion to the cause, and wrote, "I do not care if we stay in [our winter quarters] as long as the war lasts for I am tired of running around the country and if Old Abe is reelected I think we will have this war brought to a close in less than six months…and we will have peace on honorable terms" (October 16, 1864). Weaver also ruminated on the harsh human cost of armed conflict as he described the devastation of a recent battlefield: "It is hard to see the destruction there is when an army passes through a country" (undated). In an undated fragment, Weaver provided a graphic description of battlefield casualties: "It was a heartrending sean there was men with their heads shot off and some shot all to pieces…and in fact any thing you may immagine." All together, Weaver's correspondence provides insight into the western theater of the Civil War, both at the beginning of the conflict and during its closing stages.

Collection

Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents, 1818, 1823-1851

46 documents

The Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents consist of 46 receipts, committee meeting reports, meeting requests, and grand lists of taxes relevant to operation of the 1st school district in the village of Perkinsville between 1823 and 1851. A single document dated March 10, 1818, grants David Graves permission to open a "publick Hous" in the town of Ira.

The Perkinsville (Vt.) School District documents consist of 46 receipts, committee meeting reports, meeting requests, and grand lists of taxes relevant to operation of the 1st school district in the village of Perkinsville between 1823 and 1851. School expenses reflected in the documentation include payments for teachers' wages, supplies, and services rendered. A single document dated March 10, 1818, grants David Graves permission to open a "publick Hous" in the town of Ira.

Local townspeople covered school costs, labor, and other needs. They cut and delivered fuelwood, boarded teachers, and transported educators to and from the school. They also repaired and cleaned the schoolhouse, and built desks and chairs. Supplies specified in the documents include brooms, blackboards, dippers and pails, nails, and glass. A letter dated August 6, 1841, to Mr. Horace Phelps contains a request for a supply of wool.

The bulk of these documents were generated by district clerks and superintending committee members, including Solomon R. Demary, Benjamin Chillson, J. F. Chillson, Luther Perkins, Charles Barrett, and Earle Woodbury. The receipts were signed and dated with the payment amount on the verso by the recipient. Many committee meeting reports were recorded on lined paper with dates in the left margin.

Two items of note include a meeting request for the purpose of building a house for the convenience of smaller scholars dated September 5, 1846, and a meeting request to discuss the opening a second school in District One, dated January 1, 1848.

Collection

Aulder Watt correspondence, 1917

13 items

This collection is made up of 12 letters that Private Aulder M. Watt received and 1 letter that he wrote while serving with Company H of the 10th Regiment, Illinois National Guard, at Camp Lincoln, Illinois, in 1917. Olive Stone, his fiancée, wrote 11 of the letters from her home in Clinton, Illinois, about their separation, and an aunt composed 1 letter concerning family news. Watt's letter to Olive pertains to his wages and recent labor strikes.

This collection is made up of 12 letters that Private Aulder M. Watt received and 1 letter that he wrote while serving with Company H of the 10th Regiment, Illinois National Guard, at Camp Lincoln, Illinois, in 1917. Olive Stone, his fiancée, wrote 11 of the letters from her home in Clinton, Illinois, about their separation, and an aunt composed 1 letter concerning family news. Watt's letter to Olive pertains to his wages and recent labor strikes.

Olive's often lengthy letters focus on local news, her love for Aulder, and her loneliness. She discussed the possibility of meeting him, either while visiting the Illinois State Fair or when he returned home on furlough. She occasionally reacted to news of his life in the military camp, and expressed her fear that he would be injured in the line of duty. Aulder received 1 letter from an unidentified aunt (September 28, 1917), and wrote 1 letter to his fiancée, in which he discussed recent labor strikes and his upcoming payment schedule.

Collection

Robert Waterston and Robert C. Waterston diaries, 1832-1833, 1861

2 volumes

This collection is made up of one diary of Robert Waterston of Boston, Massachusetts, and a diary of his son, Unitarian minister Robert Cassie Waterston. Robert C. Waterston kept his diary from May 1, 1832, to March 27, 1833. He wrote about attendance at meetings for The Association for Religious Improvement, religion, literature, life, philosophy, travel in New England (with a corresponding mileage log and related expenses), and weather observations. The elder Robert Waterson kept his diary between February 10 and April 7, 1861. He reflected on national politics, the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, secession, and the Civil War. He also noted weather observations and provided frequent religious mediations.

This collection is made up of one diary of Robert Waterston of Boston, Massachusetts, and a diary of his son, Unitarian minister Robert Cassie Waterston. Robert C. Waterston kept his diary from May 1, 1832, to March 27, 1833. He wrote about attendance at meetings for The Association for Religious Improvement, religion, literature, life, philosophy, travel in New England (with a corresponding mileage log and related expenses), and weather observations.

The elder Robert Waterson kept his diary between February 10 and April 7, 1861. He reflected on national politics, the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, secession, and the Civil War. He also noted weather observations, provided frequent religious mediations, and included a log of letters sent and received. On the rear cover are "A Few of the Last Words of Baron Bunson", attributed to "Review Chretienne, 15 December 1860".

Collection

Henrietta Walker autograph album, 1900-1902, 1945, 1964

3 items

The Henrietta Walker autograph album contains 48 autographed cards signed by presidents, politicians, and other famous people in the early 20th century. The collection also includes a Christmas card sent to Walker by Colonel F. W. Marshall, and a letter to Walker from Barry Goldwater.

The Henrietta Walker autograph album contains 48 autographed cards signed by presidents, politicians, and other famous people in the early 20th century. Of note are cards signed by Helen Keller and by William McKinley, the latter on a card from the "Executive Mansion, Washington." The collection also includes a Christmas card sent to Walker by Colonel F. W. Marshall (1945) and a letter to Walker from Barry Goldwater (July 27, 1964). Autographs were written on cards measuring approximately 4"x2". The cards are dated and many contain notes on the location where the autograph was acquired.

Collection

Noah F. Perry letters, 1918

15 items

This collection is comprised of 15 letters Noah F. Perry sent to Mary Jane Wade of Buntyn, Tennessee (now part of Memphis), while he served with a United States Army band unit at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson), South Carolina, between February and June 1918. Perry discussed several aspects of military life, such as his relationships with other soldiers, the possibility of being sent to France, and his experiences while in training.

This collection is comprised of 15 letters Noah F. Perry sent to Mary Jane Wade of Buntyn, Tennessee, while he served with a United States Army band unit at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson), South Carolina, between February and June 1918. Perry discussed his relationships with other soldiers, the possibility of being sent to France, and his experiences while in training, among other topics.

Perry wrote 6 letters in February 1918 and 8 between May and June 1918, as well as 1 undated letter. All are addressed to Mary Jane Wade, whom Perry regarded as a close friend. Perry wrote about Camp Jackson and about several facets of military life, such as fluctuations in the camp's population as men transferred between regiments and between military installations. Several letters provide Perry's opinions on fellow soldiers and officers, as well as his views on an African American regiment that entered the camp in late February. He often mentioned his frequent visits to nearby Columbia, South Carolina, where he often attended the theater and occasionally performed with his band unit. Other letters discuss training exercises, such as Perry's experiences with gas and machine guns. Though Perry did not provide the number of his regiment, he mentioned the 316th, 317th, and 318th Infantry Regiments, and in one letter provided his negative opinion of National Guard units (February 10, 1918).

Collection

Sheldon T. Viele letters, 1888

5 items

This collection is made up of letters that Sheldon T. Viele wrote to his wife and mother while traveling from New York to Rotterdam in August 1888.

This collection is made up of 5 letters (10 pages) that Sheldon T. Viele wrote to his wife (4 items) and mother (1 item) while traveling from New York to Rotterdam between August 2, 1888, and August 9, 1888. He and other members of the Holland Society sailed for Europe on the Netherlands-American Steam Navigation Company ship Amsterdam. Viele wrote about the weather, other travelers, and his activities, including writing and singing songs with his compansions. He he compared the accommodations and service favorably to his experiences on Cunard ships and commented on meals and dinner arrangements; in one letter, he drew a map of the dining saloon (August 2, 1888). Other passengers included a correspondent from the New York Herald. By the date of Viele's final letter, dated August 9, 1888, the Amsterdam had reached the English coast.

Collection

John Vaughan papers, 1779-1781, 1784, 1789, 1794

3 volumes and 3 loose items

The John Vaughan papers document British activities in the West Indies during the American Revolution. Covered are Vaughan's incoming letters, dispatches, bills, reports, and memoranda during his command of the Leeward Islands from November of 1779 to March 1781, as well as several postwar manuscripts pertinent to the British Colonial West Indies.

The John Vaughan papers (3 volumes and three loose items) document Vaughan's first two years as commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands, from November of 1779 to March 1781. The papers comprise approximately 470 items, almost all of which are incoming letters, dispatches, bills, reports, and memoranda from naval commanders and subordinates, officials in England and North America, and friends and relatives in England.

The papers primarily relate to the conduct of the Revolutionary War in the West Indies, and reveal a close coordination between the army and navy in the region. Topics documented include the capture of St. Eustatius, the capture of transports by the French, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the provisioning and paying of troops. Also covered are promotions, discipline, and reports on hardships, such as endemic sickness, supply shortages (food, candles, rum, and money), poor barracks, a lack of doctors and medicine, and bad weather. Of note are the letters from William Mathew Burt, governor of Antigua and St. Christopher's; Gabriel Christie, commander at Antigua; Lucius Ferdinand Cary, commander at Tobago; George Ferguson, governor of Tobago; Commodore William Hotham; Admiral Hyde Parker; Admiral Samuel Hood; George Brydges Rodney, commander of the Leeward Island Station; Anthony St. Leger, brigadier general at St. Lucia; Major Henry Fitzroy Stanhope; and Loftus Anthony Tottenham, brigadier general at Barbados.

In addition to the incoming material, this collection contains four items written by Vaughan:
  • Volume 1, item 23: After March 19, 1780: Memoranda for an answer to Christie's letter of March 18-19
  • Folder 1: May 11, 1784: Vaughan's deposition sent to Isaac Howell, for a property dispute involving Edward Foord, Samuel Delprat, Richard Clark, and Simon Nathan, over a lawsuit in Jamaica
  • Folder 1: September 29, 1789: Vaughan to an unknown property owner (partnered to a Mr. Alexander Ellis) concerning purchasing land on the Mohawk River
  • Folder 1: September 17, 1794: John Vaughan to William Wyndham, reporting on specifics of British troop strengths throughout the Caribbean. Mention of surrender of Belville Camp, Guadeloupe, by capitulation in October, and lost companies in that affair. Martinique is the most important island from a military perspective. St. Lucia. Enemy strength at Guadeloupe, specifying around 400-500 "whites" and 4,000 or 5,000 "Blacks" armed with muskets and bayonets. Guadeloupe would require a Garrison of troops, with the number of men needed to attack. Believes that they should raise the siege of Basse-Terre and keep the enemy in check. Royalists can't be relied on. Strength at Antigua, St. Christopher's, and Dominica. Sir Charles Grey, Admiral Jarvis, and islands of St. Bartholomew and St. Thomas. Current assessment of privateers. British and French reinforcements. Capt. Hare's 10th Light Dragoons: when they came from America, they had "hardly a sound horse amongst them"--consider discontinuing this expensive Corps.

Volume 1 contains 246 items; Volume 2 contains 276 pages; and Volume 3 contains 207 pages.

Collection

Jacob van Zwaluwenburg memoir, Undated

69 pages

Jacob van Zwaluwenburg's memoir contains a discussion of his experiences during the Civil War along with an account of his childhood in the Netherlands and America.

Jacob van Zwaluwenburg's autobiography contains discussion of his experiences during the Civil War along with an account of his childhood in the Netherlands and America. He discusses his family, schooling, and religious upbringing in the Hervormde Kerk (Reformed Church in the Netherlands). He describes the ocean voyage and Erie Canal journey which brought the family to Michigan.

Van Zwaluwenburg describes his wartime experiences in the 16th U.S. Infantry, from his humorous efforts to volunteer through the end of his enlistment. He provides particularly detailed descriptions of the battles of Shiloh and Stones River and the fighting around Chattanooga. His account centers on the experiences of a private and strays little into the fields of politics and the evaluation of generals. Although there are a few geographical and chronological errors, the account provides an interesting view of the common soldier in the regular army.

The journal is in both manuscript and typescript; however, the two are not entirely the same. The typescript copy, 36 pages long, follows the manuscript copy, 33 pages long, with only minor differences until page 18 of the manuscript and page 22 of the typescript. From this point the copies differ greatly, although they cover roughly the same events. The manuscript is incomplete, lacking an ending.

Collection

R. P. Van Deusen account book, 1840

125 pages

This account book, kept by R. P. Van Deusen, documents 18 trips of the barge Berkshire on the Hudson River and Erie Canal carrying passengers and cargo.

The account book of the barge Berkshire contains records eighteen trips up and down the Hudson River and Erie Canal. Some passengers paid simply for passage, some for passage and board. The diverse cargo included hay, reams of paper, vinegar, cattle, potatoes, books and oats. There is much detail of barge expenses as well, including provisions and the cost of being towed up and down the river by various captains and steamboats. Deposits to the Mercantile and Exchange Bank are also noted. A later possessor of the account book filled thirty one pages at the opposite end of the book with notations on the life and death of many authors, and starts with the witty quote, "Woodsman spare that tree." There are a few pages of manuscript verse, and sadly, several pages of accounts are covered up with poems clipped out of newspapers. Some of these have been removed.

Collection

Vanderpool religious journal, 1833-1841, 1866, 1885

1 volume

The Vanderpool religious journal contains religious diary entries from three authors over the course of 52 years.

The Vanderpool religious journal contains religious diary entries from three authors over the course of 52 years. The journalists began their portions of the volume with brief biographical introductions, and offered numerous musings on their relationships to religion. The first, and most prolific, writer began his biographical note with an account of his conversion, and on August 14, 1833, started his daily diary entries, which focused on the impact of religion on his life. After August 31, entries became more sporadic until a final note on January 1, 1841.

The second portion of the journal is dated November 14, 1866, and contains a brief autobiographical note about the author, likely C. W. Vanderpool, including indications of strong religious convictions. A loose paper inserted into this section of the volume indicates that the book was a gift to C. W. Vanderpool from his mother, Helen Elmira Vanderpool, of Buffalo, New York.

The third body of material in the journal consists of two pages written in January 1885 by a member of the Young Men's Christian Association, and relates primarily to attendance at several religious meetings and other events. This section of the volume concludes on January 30, 1885.

The journal also contains "Exertations from the following texts," which is a list of Bible verses and brief lines taken from them.