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

The Charles Morris papers contain letters and documents relating to the naval career of Commodore Charles Morris, during the War of 1812 and his subsequent commands at the Portsmouth and Charlestown Navy Yards, and as a member of the Board of Navy Commissioners.

The Charles Morris papers contain 66 letters, 2 documents, and an engraved portrait, spanning 1801-1861. The collection relates primarily to Commodore Charles Morris' naval activities and career. A few materials represent Morris' involvement in the War of 1812, but the papers primarily document his command at Portsmouth and Boston Navy Yards and his tenure as a navy commissioner.

The Correspondence series spans 1801 to 1851. Early letters to Morris contain routine orders and requests, frequently from various secretaries of the Navy, including several items written by Secretary Paul Hamilton. Included is an order assigning Morris to the USS Constitution, dated June 22, 1812, as well as another order instructing him not to intercept any unarmed British ships bound for Sable Island (November 11, 1812). Other War of 1812 items pertain to furloughs, promotions, and strategy. Also included are several letters by Morris to colleagues such as Henry Dearborn and John Orde Creighton, concerning mutual acquaintances, appointments, and naval activities.

A particularly important item in the collection is a 20-page letter of May 20, 1819, written by John Quincy Adams to Smith Thompson, secretary of the navy. In the letter, Adams provided instructions and objectives for a diplomatic mission to Venezuela and Argentina, led by Oliver Hazard Perry. He also discussed such topics as restitution for several American ships seized during the Venezuelan Revolution, Venezuelan piracy off the coast of Florida, and the involvement of Spain and other European powers in South American politics. The letter likely came into the possession of Morris after the death of Perry from yellow fever in August 1819; Morris took over for Perry as leader of the naval expedition soon after. Also pertaining to the Venezuelan expedition is a letter from Thompson to Perry, further explaining the goals of the mission, and providing instructions to Perry in regards to pirate and slave ships (June 1, 1819).

Another segment of the correspondence, 1828-1829, concerns the presentation of an urn to General Lafayette by the midshipman of the Brandywine. Included is a manuscript copy of a letter from Lafayette, thanking the men of the Brandywine and praising their patriotism (December 25, 1828). Later correspondence relates to naval business, such as appointments, courts martial, and invitations to events. In an additional letter dated July 17, 1834, John Quincy Adams expressed hope that Morris would find a position in the navy for a relative, Joseph Adams. The latest correspondence in the series pertains to the activities of Morris' children, particularly George A. Morris, and contains comments on foreign relations and routine naval matters.

The Memoir, Documents and Portrait series contains four items. A seven-page memoir written by Charles or Harriet Morris in 1847 provides an account of the life and naval service of their son, Charles W. Morris. In the first document, dated August 29, 1815, Attorney General Richard Rush recorded the trials of alleged pirates. The second document is undated and relates to a silver medal awarded to Charles Morris. Finally, the series contains an 1861 engraved portrait of John Quincy Adams. Published by Johnson & Fry of New York, the image was engraved from a painting by Alonzo Chappel.

This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American diplomat.

This collection primarily consists of correspondence of U.S. diplomat Christopher Hughes; his twin sister Peggy Hughes Moore; his in-laws the Moore family; his spouse Laura Smith Hughes (1792-1832); their daughter Margaret Smith Hughes Kennedy (1819-1884); and Anthony Kennedy (1810-1892), his son-in-law. The papers largely date between the War of 1812 and the U.S. War with Mexico. Christopher Hughes corresponded with U.S. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and a large circle of friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic. The papers reflect American diplomatic policy in Europe after the War of 1812, particularly in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They also present the lives and experiences of the social and personal lives of women and children who traveled as part of the duties of an American chargé d'affaires.

The papers also include financial papers, military documents, property documentation, materials related to the San Pedro Company, writings, poetry, sketches, photographs, ephemera, and other printed items. Among the writings is an 1840 account of a visit by Christopher Hughes to physician Fru Jansen at Catherineberg for health care; 1842 travel writing by Margaret Hughes; and manuscript and printed poetry, including dinner toasts, a valentine poem, an acrostic on Margaret's name, translations, and more.

Other selected items include pencil sketches of four of the five peace commissioners at the Treaty of Ghent negotiations in Belgium, by Dutch artist P. van Huffel, January 1815. The portraits include John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and Christopher Hughes (as secretary of the delegation). A group of 24 photographs from the early 1930s depict the grave of Laura Smith Hughes (1795-1832) and the church where she was buried, Bromme Church in Akershof, near Stockholm, Sweden, and a variety of other people and places.

Please see the Christopher Hughes Indices and Notes for an index of letter writers and inventories of non-correspondence materials.

The Goulburn papers (301 items) contain the diplomatic correspondence and official documents of Henry Goulburn, British negotiator of the Treaty of Ghent. The collection includes the official and private letters between the British commissioners and the British Foreign Office, letters between the American and British commissioners, and drafts of the treaty. Included is one of the six original copies of Treaty of Ghent, written in the hand of Henry Clay and signed by each commissioner.

The Goulburn papers (301 items) contain the diplomatic correspondence and treaty drafts of the British and American negotiations for the Treaty of Ghent. The collection includes the letters between the British commissioners and the British foreign office, both official and private, and between the American and British commissioners. These comprise 80 letters, 74 drafts and copies of letters, and various enclosures, treaty drafts, and memoranda. Also present is one of the six original copies of Treaty of Ghent, written in the hand of Henry Clay and signed by each commissioner.

Goulburn and the other British commissioners primarily communicated with Prime Minister Liverpool, Foreign Secretary Lord Castlereagh, and Secretary of War Earl Bathurst, providing them with updates on the negotiation process and receiving instructions and peace guidelines from their superiors. The foreign office also kept the commissioners abreast of military developments in North America, such as the burning of Washington and their defeat at Plattsburgh, New York. Goulburn and his colleagues also exchanged notes, formal gambits, and treaty drafts with the American commissioners ("Ministers Plenipotentiaries") John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and Jonathan Russell. The collection also contains copies of communications with President James Madison and Secretary of State James Monroe. The negotiations centered on agreements regarding frontier boarders, Native American land guarantees, naval impressments, Atlantic fishery rights, and general maritime rights. Together, these papers document the peace treaty proceedings throughout the fall of 1814, which ultimately led to the settlement at Ghent.

• October 5, 1813: Letter from Baring Ashburton to Lord Castlereagh concerning impressments and preliminaries to the negotiations with America
• November 8, 1813: Letter from St. John's merchants to Sir Richard Goodwin Keats concerning special fishing privileges near Newfoundland for France and the United States
• January 7, 1814: Newspaper clippings reporting peace overtures
• June 29, 1814: A proclamation from President James Madison which refers to the British blockade of the United States a "paper blockade"
• July 18, 1814: A memorial concerning Loyalist Reverend Bennet Allen's claim for lost property
• July 28, 1814: Instructions from Lord Castlereagh of the foreign office to the British Peace Commission containing requests and requirements for peace (14 enclosures)
• August 8, 1814: Protocol of the peace conferences as revised by the British and American commissioners
• August 9, 1814: Report to Castlereagh on preliminary meetings at Ghent, with enclosed letters from President Madison to the American commissioners
• August 14, 1814: Letter from Castlereagh to British commissioners concerning Indians, fisheries, and boundaries
• August 19, 1814: A draft note from British commissioners to the Americans outlining the British peace requirements
• August 24, 1814: The American commissioners rejection of the British terms
• August 30, 1814: Letter enclosing a copy of a note from Castlereagh to James Monroe offering direct negotiations instead of Russian mediation
• September 1, 1814: Letter from Henry Bathurst to Goulburn, rebuking him for almost breaking off negotiations
• September 4, 1814:Draft of the treaty with British alterations
• September 9, 1814: Letter in which the United States rejects the Canadian boundary proposed by Great Britain
• September 16, 1814: Letter from Henry Bathurst to Goulburn concerning pressures to make peace for political reasons in Britain
• September 17, 1814: Letter from Robert Liverpool to Goulburn concerning negotiating for Indian boundaries
• September 19, 1814: Draft letter from British commissioners to American commissioners concerning boundaries and Indian affairs
• October 4, 1814: Letter from Goulburn to Bathurst concerning the burning of Washington and the decision to communicate this intelligence to the American commissioners (response on October 21, 1814)
• October 8, 1814: Letter from British commissioners to American commissioners regarding an ultimatum on the Indian question
• October 13, 1814: Letter from American commissioners to the British commissioners defending the Louisiana Purchase and denying territorial ambitions
• October 18, 1814: Letter from Bathurst to the British commissioners concerning impressments, maritime law, fisheries, and the boundaries of Maine, Niagara, and Michilimackinac
• October 21, 1814: Letter from Liverpool to Goulburn concerning the grave political consequences of continuing the war
• November 10, 1814: American treaty submission with British comments
• November 21, 1814: Letter from Bathurst to Goulburn discussing the effect of Prevost's failure at the Battle of Plattsburgh on the peace process
• November 1814: American commissioners to British commissioners concerning the disposition of prisoners after the peace treaty is signed with an American amendment to article 8 of the treaty
• December 7, 1814: Letter from British commissioners to American commissioners concerning the charge of the British stealing slaves during the war
• December 10, 1814: Letter from British commissioners to Castlereagh concerning verbal alterations in the treaty, technical details, and general progress in negotiations
• December 14, 1814: Letter from British commissioners to Castlereagh concerning copies of the article relating to the Passamaquoddy Islands
• December 14, 1814: Letter from American commissioners to British commissioners concerning the Passamaquoddy Islands and the boundaries on the Mississippi River
• December 26, 1814: Letter from Bathurst to Goulburn congratulating him on the treaty signing
• December 26, 1814: Letter from American commissioners to British commissioners concerning a project for a commercial treaty between the United States and Great Britain
• December 28, 1814: Commercial treaty in the hand of John Quincy Adams
• December 29, 1814: Letter from American commissioners to British commissioners regarding stolen slaves that the British sold in the West Indies
• December 30, 1814: Letter from Goulburn to Bathurst explaining minor changes to the treaty

The collection contains one letter from Goulburn, stationed at the Irish Office, to an unknown recipient concerning Goulburn's interest in representing Cambridge University in the British House of Commons (February 8, 1826).

The Levett Harris letterbook contains 82 retained copies of official and semi-official letters from Harris, American consul to Russia, to correspondents in Europe and America. His recipients include members of the U.S. peace commission at Ghent, bankers and merchants in the U.S. and England, and other professional contacts.

The Levett Harris letter book contains 82 manuscript copies of personal business and official and semi-official letters from Harris, United States consul to Russia, to correspondents in Europe and America. His recipients include members of the United States peace commission at Ghent, bankers in the U.S. and England, and other professional contacts. A comprehensive list of recipients is included in the additional descriptive data section of this finding aid. The letter book is in the hand of Harris' secretary, Joachim Schmidt, and, because Russians used the Julian calendar, the bulk of the letters include both Julian and Gregorian dates. With the exception of five letters from London, December 1813-April 1814, the letter book spans Harris’ service in St. Petersburg from July 10/22-November 11/23, 1814. A comprehensive list of Levett Harris’ recipients is included in the Additional Descriptive Data section of this finding aid.

Harris' eight letters to John Quincy Adams, in Ghent, report on his activities as chargé d'affaires. He informed Adams about interactions with Alexander I, public support of the United States in St. Petersburg, foreign visitors to the emperor, changes in titles and honors of Russian officials, discussions with the chancellor, and the health of Louisa and Charles Adams (who remained in Russia). On August 21/September 2, 1814, Harris offered to rent his former housing with furniture to Mr. and Mrs. Adams. His letters to Adams occasionally include candid reports, as in this passage regarding a British minister's view of peace talks between Great Britain and the U.S.:

"We have very late advices from England by sea -- private letters report some curious sayings of the P[lenipotentiary] R[epresentative] on our subject such as that he would never sign a peace with Mr Madison, that he would employ the whole force of his nation to overthrow him, to subdue us &c. H[is] R[oyal] H[ighness] must have found himself more than half seas over I think when he thus cheered us. it is to be hoped for their sake that his enlightened cabinet partake not of this happy spirit of their muster and for yours & the great interests confided to you that equal temperance will manifest itself in the deputies chosen to meet you" (August 21/September 2, 1814).

Levett Harris' correspondence with Alexander Glennie & Company (bankers), G. Shaw, Thomas Wilson, and others, pertains to his business activities. He discussed credits and debts, investment in what he hoped would be a profitable bullion shipment (July 10/22, 1814) and its disappointing yield (September 5/17, 1814), exchange rates, lost trunks, account corrections, shipments of wine and sundries, and other subjects. His letters occasionally document out-of-the-ordinary occurrences or practices. For example, Harris wrote about a shipment from Kiev Buxton & Company, London, which was held at the Russian custom house (September 5/17, 1814); and about a private shipment of paintings from Harris to John Vaughan, with a justification for the lack of "custom house interference" (September 16/28, 1814).

Harris peppered his business and diplomatic letters with two primary topics: fêtes and concerns about the progress of negotiations at Ghent and Vienna. One celebration in St. Petersburg was held in honor of the return of Emperor Alexander I; Harris wrote about a procession of nearly 900 military personnel, the emperor, the royal family, dukes and duchesses, and other prominent figures (July 30/August 11, 1814). He also informed his recipients about smaller parties and dinners with Russian officials and aristocrats, including Princess Beloselsky (July 29/August 9, 1814, and others). His letters reveal a deep concern for the state of negotiations at Ghent and he persistently entreated his recipients for news regarding them. In a typical example he pleads "By this time something must be known of our business at Ghent, where the British Commissioners have at length arrived. We should hope for peace, for it is really as necessary to our Adversary as to ourselves -- both are sufferers from the war & a longer continuance of it under present circumstances can only serve to gratify passion at the Expence of humanity & the dearest interests of both nations" (to Sylvanus Bourne, August 29/September 10, 1814). His outlook on the negotiations was pessimistic; one example of many is in a letter to John W. Forbes: "I perceive Mr. Adams is about returning here from his unsuccessful mission which will induce me after his arrival to travel towards France" (September 16/28, 1814, italics added for emphasis). He occasionally responded to news of the war, including the unwelcome news of the burning of Washington and the translation and distribution of pro-British papers on the subject (three letters dated October 17/29, 1814; one to John Q. Adams dated October 21/November 2, 1814; and one to Christopher Hughes dated November 4/16, 1814).

Other topics covered in Harris' letters include: an American sailor named Samuel Hunt supposed by his family to be held in Russia (to John Q. Adams, July 25/August 5, 1814, and to M. de Weydemeyer, July 26/August 6, 1814); Admiral Cochrane's proclamation of April 25 and the detrimental impact of British naval blockades on the whole of Europe (to M. de Weydemeyer, August 30/September 10, 1814); an unpleasant travel experience in Sweden, wherein a peasant drove him with an unfit horse resulting in the death of the animal, and Harris' subsequent detention by authorities at a Post House for refusing to pay for the horse (August 8/20, 1814); a request for assistance in promoting a plan to build a permanent bridge across the Neva River (October 3/15, 1814); questions regarding patents (November 4/16, 1814); and many others.

The Lucius Lyon papers contain the public correspondence of Lucius Lyon, United States representative and senator from Michigan, and surveyor general for Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Letter writers include Michigan governors, legislators, postmasters, physicians, and other local politicians, as well as residents of Michigan, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and Indiana, and national Democratic Party leaders during the years Lyon served in Congress. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a List of Contributors.

The Lucius Lyon papers (12 linear feet) contain the public and private correspondence of Lucius Lyon, United States representative and senator from Michigan, and surveyor general for Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Lyon received letters from southern Michigan governors and legislators, as well as postmasters, physicians, and other local politicians. Other contributors include residents of Michigan, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and Indiana; easterners interested in land speculation, settlement, and Michigan politics; and national Democratic Party leaders during the years Lyon served in Congress.

The Correspondence Series comprises the bulk of the Lyon papers. Topics discussed in the Chronological Correspondence Subseries include Michigan statehood, Wisconsin statehood, Indian relations, government appointments, and local politics. Also included are numerous proposals and requests to the United States government for investments and improvements for harbors, lighthouses, roads and mail routes, safety, and protection on the Great Lakes. As well as letters from government officials, Lyon received letters from citizens of virtually every county in Michigan. Several of these letters relate to pension or bounty lands owed to Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veterans and their families (e.g. January 13, 1834; December 8, 1834; January 24, 1835; March 22, 1838; January 3, 1844; November 30, 1844). Letters written during and following the boundary dispute over Toledo provide an on-the-ground view of how residents of the region experienced the conflict and its subsequent effects. A letter written April 9, 1835, accuses the Toledo Postmaster of designating his office as being in Ohio, which was seen as "having taken an improper part in the controversy now pending, between that State & Michigan Territory, which has created much excitement & dissatisfaction among the people." Though the bulk of the letters are official in nature, the collection also contains personal letters to and from Addison, Anna, Asa, Daniel, Edward, Enos, Ira, Lucretia, Mary, Orson, Sarah Atwater, Truman H., and Worthington S. Lyon. Notably, Lucretia Lyon wrote 111 letters to her brother Lucius between 1827 and 1850.

As a Michigan official and surveyor, Lyon dealt regularly with matters concerning Native Americans and their interactions with settlers and the United States government. Much of this material concerns treaties, such as the 1833 Treaty of Chicago and the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters, as well as claims made by and against Native Americans (see for example August 3, 1838; September 24, 1838; December 28, 1838; and an undated letter signed by [Musk]Rat's Liver, also known as Wazhashkokon). Tribes involved include the Choctaw, Fox, Oneida, Potawatomi, Sac (Sauk), Lakota/Dakota, Saganaw, and Ho-Chunk. Also discussed is the Shawnee Prophet (September 2, 1834) and payments to white doctors who vaccinated the Indians against smallpox (March 8, May, 30, and June 12, 1834). Several letters relate to the Second Seminole War and reference Thomas Jesup, Winfield Scott, and Sam Jones (July 26, 1836; February 8, 1838; March 25, 1838; and April 23, 1838).

Lyon also received 14 anonymous love letters (including one undated Valentine housed in the Miscellaneous series) in 1849 and 1850 signed “Mignonette.” One of these letters by the fellow Swedenborgian admirer is signed L.A. Northup whose possible identity could be Laura Adeline Northrup, daughter of a local blacksmith that Lyon visited at least once. A typescript copy of Lyon’s final reply to this woman indicates that she was much younger than him and that he would prefer to remain friends.

The Typed Copies Subseries contains 32 typed transcripts of letters to and from Lucius Lyon and members of the Ingersoll family not present in original format in collection. Some copies note the location of originals at the time they were made. Original letters date from 1833 to 1850 as well as undated.

The Caroline Portman Campbell and James H. Campbell Correspondence Subseries consists of letters relating to Caroline Belzora Portman Campbell, who donated the Lyon Papers to the University of Michigan, and her husband, James H. Campbell, a lawyer in the Grand Rapids area. Campbell (1859-1926) was active in civic and historical organizations including those related to the history of the state of Michigan. The earliest piece of correspondence is a June 30, 1770, letter written by a Quaker woman, Hannah Jackson, which was previously in the possession of Caroline Portman Campbell’s stepmother, Jennie A. Baley Portman. There is also a January 21, 1849, letter written by Portman Campbell’s great-grandmother, Elizabeth Latham, and great-uncle. Other material relates to James H. Campbell's law practice and Caroline Campbell's historical research as well as ownership and donation of the Lucius Lyon papers to the University of Michigan. The bulk of the material is from 1884-1924.

The Native American Treaty Documents Series contains material primarily related to the 1837 Treaty of St Peters (alternatively known as the Treaty with the Chippewa or White Pine Treaty) as well as additional papers related to other contemporary treaties with Native American tribes in the Midwest. The 1837 Treaty Claims Subseries contains the 189 numbered claims and various un-numbered claims submitted by the Ojibwa who ceded a large plot of land in present-day Minnesota and Wisconsin to the United States in the Treaty of St. Peters (Treaty with the Chippewa or the White Pine Treaty) on July 29, 1837. There are two types of claims for financial compensation per the treaty stipulations. The first type of claims, the Article 3 Claims Sub-subseries, are those made by members of the tribe who were of mixed European and Native American ancestry. The second, the Article 4 Claims Sub-subseries, are claims made by those owed money by the Ojibwa. Also present are powers of attorney for claimants, lists of names of claimants, and other related documentation in the Other Treaty Documents Subseries.

• Manuscript account of Jonathan Kearsley's military service during the War of 1812.

  Written in Lucius Lyon's hand. Kearsley described his job removing dead bodies from the battlegrounds and recounted the death of Major Ludowick Morgan near Lake Erie.

• Lucius Lyon memo book, 1830-1843
• Lucius Lyon notebook, 1838
• Lucius Lyon memo book, 1842-1843
• Oraculum (manuscript fortunetelling book)
• Berrien County, Michigan, notebook
• "Diagram of Salt Wells Sunk at the Rapids of Grand River, Michigan"
• Lucretia Lyon receipt book

  Lurectia Lyon's receipt book includes recipes for biscuits, cookies, gingerbread, and cakes (palate cake, diet cake, perpetual cake) and household goods such as nankeen dye, food preserves, and cures for cholera morbus, deafness, warts and corns, poisonous vine infections, and dysentery.

• Account notebook, April 1850-February 1851
• Eliza Smith / Pamelia Thayer account book, 1835-1849
• Isaac Bronson Account Book

The Land, Legal, Business, and Financial Papers Series contains documents related to Lyon's business interests spanning 1820 through his death in 1851, along with papers relating to his family's finances after his death. Included are legal documents involving Lyon or officiated by him (these are largely from Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin) as well as Lyon's personal and professional financial records, including receipts, bills, invoices, and account lists (1820s-1840s). An early document is an account of sundries taken by the British and allies after surrender of Detroit on October 16, 1812. The collection includes two maps: a printed Wisconsin Territory map by David H. Burr of the U.S. House of Representatives (1836) and a manuscript map showing nine towns of Jackson County and three of Calhoun County, Michigan, with some of the leading roads, ca. 1830. The series is organized into a Chronological Subseries, Financial Bundles Subseries, a Petitions Subseries, and Maps subseries.

The Pamphlets, Government Documents, Blank Forms, Broadsides, Newspapers, Ephemera, and Other Printed Items Series contains printed legal and legislative documents, advertisements and regulations, invitations, and blank forms, among other items. It also includes newspaper pages and clippings dating from 1833 to 1937. Please see the box and folder listing of this finding aid for a complete list of the items in this series.

The Miscellaneous Series contains various items, including Lyon's commissions as a Regent of the University of Michigan and Surveyor General of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan; undated caucus ballots; a 1905 typed biographical sketch of Lewis Cass, and more.

• A description of the village of Lyons
• The charter of the Illinois and Michigan Canal & Railroad Company
• List of officers employed in the Quarter Masters Department
• Proceedings relative to the admission of the State of Tennesse into the Union
• An undated Knigts of Templar address
• Various receipes
• A Valentine sent in 1850
• Knitting directions

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a List of Contributors for the Lucius Lyon papers. For more information on contributors see the Clements Library card catalog.

The Oliver Hazard Perry papers contain Perry's naval and personal letters, as well as material related to members of the Perry family. The collection documents Perry's activities during the War of 1812, including his victory at Lake Erie and the ensuing controversy surrounding the conflict; his service in the Mediterranean; his final mission to Venezuela; and the reaction to his death. Also documented are Perry's father, Captain Christopher Raymond Perry (1761-1818); his brother, Commander Mathew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858); his wife Elizabeth C. Mason Perry (1791-1858); and various other relatives, as well as genealogical records. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a Correspondence Inventory.

The Oliver Hazard Perry papers span 1761-1969, with the bulk of the material falling between 1810 and 1819. The collection contains Perry's naval and personal papers, as well as material related to other members of the Perry family. It is arranged into 8 series: Chronological Correspondence and Documents; Naval Accounts and Receipts; Perry Family Estate and Business Papers; Commemorations and Monuments; Miscellaneous Writings; Printed Items; Ephemera; and Perry Family Genealogical Material.

The Chronological Correspondence and Documents series comprises the bulk of the collection and contains approximately 900 personal and professional letters of Oliver Hazard Perry and his family. While O. H. Perry contributed 34 letters between 1799 and 1819, the majority of the correspondence consists of his incoming letters. The series documents Perry's naval career, especially his service in the War of 1812, including his victory at Lake Erie and its ensuing controversy; his service in the Mediterranean; his mission to Venezuela; reactions to and descriptions of his death; and his family in the years following his death. The collection includes letters to and from O. H. Perry's father Christopher Raymond Perry (1761-1818); his brother Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858); his wife Elizabeth C. Mason Perry (1791-1858); and other relatives, friends, and associates.

While the majority of the series focuses upon Oliver Hazard Perry, a portion relates to his father's naval career. A group of approximately 35 letters, dated 1795 to 1800, concerns Christopher R. Perry's naval service in the West Indies. Included are 11 letters between Christopher Perry (on board the US Frigate General Greene) and Toussaint L'Ouverture, in which they discuss the role of the US Navy in the region. Also of note are:

• October 24, 1795: Freeman Perry to Christopher Perry describing the discovery of mammoth bones and tusks in Piggin Swamp, South Carolina, and near Wilmington, North Carolina.
• May 8, 1799: John Adams to Christopher Perry concerning the discharge of a Quaker man from the navy.
• March 13, 1800: US Consul in Port-au-Prince Robert Ritchie asking Christopher Perry to keep the US Frigate General Greene close in order to support Toussaint's efforts.

Approximately 30 letters reflect Oliver Hazard Perry's naval career before the War of 1812. In three letters to his mother Sarah Perry, he discussed his professional and social activities (December 15, [1800], and June 14, 1804). In the third letter, dated September 16, 1805, Perry commented on the First Barbary War. Nine letters from Navy Department officials concern his command of the ship Revenge (1809-1810) and other military responsibilities. Notable items include:

• April 20, 1807: Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith informs Perry of his commission as a Lieutenant in the US Navy.
• January 17, 1811: John Rodgers to Perry, informing him that he and the other commissioned/warrant officers, recently the crew of the schooner Revenge, are suspended until the completion of an investigation into the recent loss of the schooner.

The bulk of the correspondence and documents centers upon Oliver Hazard Perry's service in the US Navy, principally during the War of 1812 and in the years leading up to his death in 1819. Approximately 200 items relate to Perry's participation in the War of 1812. A group of letters from the war's earlier stages offer details on Perry's actions preceding his successes in the Great Lakes campaign. However, letters from this time period primarily document the naval war on Lake Ontario and Perry's Lake Erie victory on September 10, 1813. Perry communicated closely with Navy Department officials and fellow officers on the Great Lakes offensive, including William Bainbridge, Isaac Chauncey, Benjamin Crowninshield, Samuel Hambleton, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Homans, David Porter, and John Rodgers. The correspondence also includes content respecting the decades-long controversy surrounding the actions of Jesse Elliott during the battle Battle of Lake Erie (see especially 1817-1818).

• February 19, 1813: William Rogers to Perry mentioning news from the North West that William Henry Harrison's army was attacked by the English and Indians.
• June 23, 1813: Information from General Harrison to Perry regarding enemy movements, recommending that Perry sail up the Lake to intercept the enemy.
• August 9, 1813: Perry to his father discussing the impending arrival of more men to Lake Erie. Mentions of the Lawrence, Niagara, and Caledonia.
• September 10, 1813: Perry's commission as Captain of the United States Navy, signed by President James Madison.
• September 15, 1813: Perry to his wife describing the aftermath of the battle and his present emotional state.
• October 26, 1813: Jesse Elliott to Perry defending his actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.
• October 26, 1813: British commander from Lake Erie writing about his favorable treatment as Perry's prisoner.
• December 28, 1813: Jesse Elliot expresses confusion as to why America was misinformed about the details of the Battle of Lake Erie.
• July 3, 1815: William Henry Harrison to Perry providing his account of the Battle of Lake Erie.
• July 11, 1817: William Henry Harrison to Perry concerning the Battle of Lake Erie controversy.
• Undated: Lake Erie battle material including a diagram of the conflict and 16 crew and prisoner lists.
• Undated. William Crane to Melancthon T. Wooley containing an evaluation of the prize ships taken at the Battle of Lake Erie.
• Undated. Copied letter of William Henry Harrison concerning the Battle of Thames River.
• Undated: Matthew C. Perry's account of the Battle of Lake Erie.

Approximately 200 letters concern Perry's Mediterranean duty and his mission to Venezuela (1816-1819). Those from his time in the Mediterranean document his command of the US Frigate Java and the administration of the Mediterranean Squadron while at sea. Particularly rich descriptions of Malaga and elsewhere in Spain may be found in Oliver H. Perry's letter of February 17, 1816 and in his Mediterranean journal, February 22-March 1, 1816. Also included are orders from Isaac Chauncey, William Montgomery Crane, and other leadership in Washington. See, for example:

• March 11, 1816: John Heath to Perry, discussing their differences and referring to a "mortifying situation" (Port Mahon on the Java).
• September 10, 1816: Crew of the Java to Perry requesting time off and money for shore leave at the Port of Messina.
• October 8, 1816: Perry to Isaac Chauncey, discussing the violent incident that occurred between him and John Heath.
• December 11, 1816: Miguel de Sarrachaga, Governor of Minorca, writes to Perry asking why American ships have entered the harbor at Mahon without first informing him.

Oliver H. Perry's assignment to Venezuela in 1819 and his sudden death from yellow fever on the return voyage are well represented in the collection. The Perry family received accounts of his final days as well as an outpouring of condolences from friends and naval officials, many of which contained remembrances of Perry. Multiple 1826-date letters relate to the transportation of Perry's body from Trinidad to Newport, Rhode Island. Items of note include:

• May 20, 1819: Secretary of State John Quincy Adams to Perry with instructions concerning the slave trade.
• May 28, 1819: Perry receives permission from Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson to have the schooner Nonsuch accompany him to Venezuela.
• August 24, 1819: Mordecai Morgan to Matthew C. Perry, giving an account of Perry's final hours.
• September 24, 1819: Two letters from Charles O. Handy of the John Adams to Elizabeth Perry and Matthew C. Perry, informing them of Perry's death.
• September 24, 1819: Charles O. Handy to Christopher Grant Perry, describing Perry's death and offering details about Perry's interment on Trinidad.
• October 27, 1819: John N. Hambleton's list of Perry's effects at his death.
• November 13, 1819: Elizabeth Perry to her mother-in-law Sarah Perry, lamenting the death of her husband.
• October 17, 1826: Samuel Southard to Elizabeth Perry, concerning the movement of Perry's remains to Rhode Island.
• Undated. Department of State to Oliver Hazard Perry, giving instructions for his mission to Venezuela.
• Undated. Charles O. Handy's funeral oration for Oliver Hazard Perry.

The correspondence following O. H. Perry's death (approximately 150 letters) largely concerns members of his family, especially his brother Matthew C. Perry, wife Elizabeth Perry, son Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr., and grandson Oliver Hazard Perry. Many of these letters relate to the ongoing controversy surrounding Elliot and the Battle of Lake Erie, with Matthew C. Perry petitioning a number of his brother's colleagues to contribute their viewpoints on the conflict. Matthew Perry also received letters containing anecdotes and reminiscences about O. H. Perry from family and friends. Included among these letters are childhood memories by his sister Sarah W. Perry (see especially November 18, 1839; February 19, 1840; and March 27, 1840). Additional topics represented include celebrations of Perry's Lake Erie accomplishments, including the 1860 celebration in Cleveland, Ohio; Elizabeth Perry's letters with government officials concerning her pension; and the naval service of Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr. Notable items include:

• July 28, 1828: Mr. Davis to Benjamin Hazard offering the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry (finished by Stuart's daughter) for sale.
• July 11, 1838: Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr.'s commission as lieutenant in the navy, signed by President Martin Van Buren.
• August 12, 1839: John Chambers to Matthew C. Perry regarding James Fenimore Cooper's work on Elliott and O. H. Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie, as well as his own reminiscences of the battle.
• August 12, 1839: Charles O. Handy to Christopher Grant Perry, describing Perry's death and details about Perry's interment on Trinidad.
• September 28, 1839: John Chambers to Matthew C. Perry, discussing O.H. Perry in the aftermath of the Battle of Lake Erie as well as Alexander Slidell, who wrote a biography of Perry.
• March 30, 1847: Christopher Perry's commission as first lieutenant of the 4th Regiment of United States Infantry, signed by President James K. Polk.

The correspondence and documents series includes the following seven bound volumes:

• Troop Landing and Artillery Instructions and Letter Book, March-November 1813 (101 pages). The volume contains 35 pages of naval instructions and 66 pages of copies of outgoing letters. The instructions (pages 1-35) cover the following topics: Slow Matches, Priming Fuses, Portfires, Quick Matches (English Method), Fire Sticks, To drive of Ram Sky Rockets &c., Proportion of Mallets, Charges for Sky Rockets &c., Sky Rockets in General, Composition for Rocket Stars, Sky Rocket Moulds, Mixing Compositions, and Questions and Answers Related to Naval Gunnery. The index for the instructions is located on page 177. The letter book (pages 86-152) is comprised of 85 letters spanning March to June 28, 1813, along with two letters from November 29, 1813.
• Orderly Book, "Lake Erie", July-October 1813 (29 pages) containing general orders sent by Perry and other officers stationed on Lake Erie. The orders cover the preparation for and execution of the Battle of Lake Erie, July-October 1813. Topics include navy provisions, order delivery, discipline, and battle instructions.
• The series also consists of two Letter Book Indexes (letter books not present). The first volume covers 1814 to 1815, while the second spans the year 1815-1816. Each index is organized alphabetically and entries each contain the name of the recipient, date, and a brief summary of the letter's contents.
• Oliver H. Perry Notebook, "Notes of Last Cruise" (61 pages) consists of 39 pages of diary entries and notes relating to Perry's 1819 diplomatic mission to Venezuela and 22 pages of quotations and other notes kept by Perry, primarily relating to morality and human nature.
• Modern History Academic Notebook (51 pages) is a manuscript study book of lists and tables of information about the United States and British governments, and on classical history and Biblical history. The front cover inscription states: "A. K. Terry's bought of W[illiam] S. Gilbert." Gilbert apparently completed the notebook between 1821 and the summer of 1822.
• Oliver H. Perry, Jr. Yachting Journal and loose papers (97 pages and 4 loose items) describe Perry's yachting adventures around Long Island. The notebook dates from July to September 1905 while the loose pages contain notes from 1902, 1904, and 1910. Perry described daily activities on the ship and on shore.

The Naval Accounts and Receipts series (approximately 20 items) covers 1813 to 1821 and is comprised of Department of the Navy accounts from Oliver H. Perry's service in the War of 1812 and the Mediterranean Squadron. It also includes materials related to Christopher R. Perry's naval career. Of note are accounts documenting the construction and outfitting of the Independence and Chippewa, and receipts from Rhode Island, 1815.

The series contains one bound account book of Oliver H. Perry (60 pages), documenting Perry's naval expenses while in the Mediterranean from February 1816 to November 1818. The majority of the expenses were for food, wine, supplies, and the payment of loans. Perry purchased goods from Malaga, Port Mahon, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, Messina, Gibraltar, Malta, Naples, and Palermo.

The Perry Family Estate and Business Papers series (approximately 160 items) spans 1800 to 1913, with the bulk falling between 1857 and 1878. These materials document Perry family members' financial activities and business endeavors, including the Perry, Wendell, Fay & Company and the Middlesex Company. The series also contains Perry family wills, land surveys from 1828 and 1865, and 17 personal receipts (1813-1817) of Oliver Hazard Perry and Christopher Raymond Perry.

The Commemorations and Monuments series (approximately 52 items) consists of letters and documents pertinent to monuments celebrating O. H. Perry in Rhode Island (1841) and Cleveland (1860). The series also includes information about the Battle of Lake Erie Centennial Celebration in Erie, Pennsylvania, 1913.

The Miscellaneous Writings series includes manuscript speech notes, poems, letter fragments, and letter covers. Seven poems include works by Elizabeth Perry. A recipe for "Daube" (roasted meat) is also present.

The Typescripts series contains nearly 600 pages of un-proofed typed transcriptions of items in the Correspondence and Documents series.

The Printed Materials series consists of pamphlets and newspapers clippings.

The Pamphlets subseries is comprised of eight pamphlets, most of which concern commemorations for Perry:

• An Account of the Organization & Proceedings of the Battle of Lake Erie Monument Association: And Celebration of the 45th Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, At Put-in-Bay Island, 1858.
• Brief Memories of the Yale Class of 1802, 1862
• Calvert, George H. Oration, on the Occasion of Celebrating the Fortieth Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie: Delivered on the Tenth of September, 1853, in Newport, R.I. Cambridge: Metcalf and company, printers to the University, 1853.
• Exhibition of portraits by Gilbert Stuart at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1880.
• Inauguration of the Perry Statue, September 10, A.D. 1885: With the Addresses of William P. Sheffield, and the Remarks in Receiving the Statue by Governor Wetmore and Mayor Franklin, by William Paine Sheffield, 1885.
• The Perry Memorial and Centennial Celebration in Cleveland, 1913.
• The Perry Centennial Exposition at the Toledo Museum of Art, 1913.
• The Loan Exhibition of Relics and Heirlooms at the Newport Historical Society, 1913.

The Newspapers and Clippings subseries consists of 152 newspaper clippings containing material related to O. H. Perry, Perry memorials and remembrances, and the Perry family (1819-1913). Newspapers represented in the subseries include The Daily Cleveland Herald, the Newport, Rhode Island Herald of the Times, The Newport Daily News, The Boston Globe, The Boston Courier, The Newport Mercury, The Virginia Patriot, The New York Herald, and others.

The Ephemera series contains two pressed flowers, 25 Oliver H. Perry name cards, a Miss A. F. Gould name card, a Captain Perry US Frigate Java signature, a ticket for the World's Columbian Exposition (October 9, 1893), a stereoview of a painting of "Perry's Victory," and four postcards depicting Gilbert Stuart's portrait of O. H. Perry.

The Perry Family Genealogical Material series (85 items) is made up of 19th and 20th century investigations into Perry ancestral history. Included are a 63-page draft of Perry genealogy and a description of seven generations of the Perry family. Other resources are:

• "Index of Persons and Places"
• "Notes on the Huguenot Ancestors"
• "Notes on the Otis Line of Ancestors"
• "Notes on Elizabeth Scallay of Boston"
• Two volumes: "The Record of my Ancestry" (each includes notations about ancestors who participated in the colonial wars, Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812)
  • Volume 1: contains genealogy for the Perry family and 69 relates surnames, including the Hazard line dating to the Mayflower.
  • Volume 2: documents the Haggitts and 33 other family lines.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a Correspondence Inventory.

The Thomas Morton New English Canaan or New Canaan manuscript is Samuel Gardner Drake's 1830 transcription of Thomas Morton's book, New English Canaan or New Canaan (2nd edition: Amsterdam, 1637). The work describes Native Americans and New World flora and fauna, and satirizes the Massachusetts Bay colonists.

The Thomas Morton New Canaan manuscript is a copy of the 1637 Amsterdam edition of Morton's major work, New Canaan. Antiquarian Samuel Gardner Drake made the transcription in 1830, from John Quincy Adams' printed copy. In addition to a full transcription of all three volumes of the work, Gardner included Adams' and his own sources for further reading on Morton, as well as "Notes by the transcriber," in which he recounted his request to Adams to borrow the work and laid out his reasons for making a copy (p. ii).

Each of the three "volumes" that make up Morton's work addresses a different subject. The first contains information collected by Morton on Native Americans, including a description of a recent deadly plague (p. 23), child-rearing customs (p. 31-32), and lengthy accounts of Native Americans' home, and religious and agricultural practices. Morton was a fairly sympathetic, if at times confused, observer, and found a great deal to praise. In the second volume, Morton focused on the natural features of the New World, and cataloged and commented on a range of trees, herbs, animals, and minerals. He expressed great admiration for the wilderness, calling the New World "a Country so infinitely blest" (p. 92). The third volume satirizes the austerity of the Puritans and criticizes them for the massacre of members of the Massachusett tribe at Wessagusset (p. 111). It also incorporates several poems by Morton.

The William Tell Claude manuscript contains all of Claude's editorial columns written between December, 1846 and June, 1849, probably for the Maryland Republican.

The William Tell Claude manuscript contains all of Claude's editorial columns written between December, 1846 and June, 1849, probably for the Maryland Republican. As a deeply committed and tireless publicist, Claude launched a series of front door and back door attacks on the Democratic opposition, criticizing the Democratic war in Mexico and smearing the names of Democratic candidates for office.

The origins of the manuscript are unclear, but it appears to have been compiled at a later date, possibly simply to be retained for convenient reference, possibly for separate publication. Only one work of Claude's appears to found its way into print as a separate work, however, his war-time Address to the people of Anne Arundel County (1861).