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The New Hampshire carte-de-visite album contains photographic portraits of unidentified individuals and lithographic portraits of prominent Union Army officers, and President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln.

The New Hampshire carte-de-visite album (15cm x 12cm) contains 20 studio portraits of unidentified individuals and 8 lithographs of famous individuals. The photographs show men, women, children, and infants -- one, Louize M. Rollins [sic], is identified. The lithographs are portraits of Union officers Elmer Ellsworth (2 items), William Rosecrans, Samuel Francis Du Pont, Ulysses S. Grant, and George Meade, and of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. The volume's brown leather cover has a geometric design in relief, with additional floral designs stamped in gold, and two metal clasps.

The papers include notes, unpublished papers, drafts, and related correspondence, mostly about Madeline La Framboise, Charles H. Salter, and Ulysses S. Grant.

The Papers are divided into Correspondence (4 folders) and Papers (approximately 1 cubic ft.). The Papers include his completed papers, drafts of the papers, and research notes, as well as Related Correspondence, 1968-1995, and undated. Most of the material relates to his biographies of Madeline La Framboise and Brevet Major Charles H. Salter. There are several smaller papers on other topics, including women fur traders. All of the materials are undated except for the General and Related Correspondence.

Books that were originally part of the collection have been separately cataloged.

Madeline La Framboise (circa 1780-1846), a fur trader at Mackinac Island, was a squaw who married Joseph La Framboise, another fur trader at Mackinac Island.

Charles H. Salter (died 1892) of Detroit, Michigan, was a Civil War veteran. He enlisted in Detroit at age 21 in April 1861 in Company A of the Michigan First Infantry. Salter mustered out in August 1861, and re-entered service in Company E, Sixteenth Michigan Infantry as a Second Lieutenant. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in Company B in August 1862. In September 1864 Salter became the Acting Brigade Inspector and was commissioned as a Brevet Major of the U.S. Volunteers for his courage and bravery throughout the war. He was discharged in January 1865. Salter died on March 23, 1892. (This information is from the Regimental History of the Sixteenth Michigan Infantry, p.141.). Other Civil War materials may be found under Civil War notes and “Such an opportunity” draft, about General Ulysses S. Grant.

This collection consists of personal letters that Caroline F. Putnam, an antislavery activist and schoolteacher, wrote to Sallie Holley and Emily Howland, her colleagues and friends, between 1868 and around 1877. Putnam described the everyday challenges of running a school for freed slaves in Lottsburg, Virginia, as well as Reconstruction politics in the postwar South.

This collection (111 items) contains personal letters that antislavery activist and schoolteacher Caroline F. Putnam wrote to Sallie Holley and Emily Howland, her colleagues and friends, between October 22, 1868, and 1877. Putnam described the everyday challenges of running a freedmen's school in Lottsburg, Virginia, as well as Reconstruction politics in the postwar South.

In her earliest letters, Putnam discussed an upcoming trip to Virginia; her impressions of Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and the opening of the Holley School in Lottsburg Virginia, in 1868. Most letters pertain to her life and work at the Holley School, the administrative aspects of running the school, and the numerous struggles faced by her students, mostly freed slaves and their children. On November 21, 1868, she described classroom conditions on one particularly cold evening, encouraged other educated women to help educate former slaves, and favorably compared her students to their white counterparts. Her letters to Holley often mention the work of Emily Howland, who ran a similar school in Heathsville, Virginia, until 1870. In her later letters, Putnam addressed the positive and negative responses to the school from members of the community, such as the moving reflection of an African American preacher overwhelmed by seeing children from his community coming home from school, as only white children had been able to do before the war (November 21, 1868).

Putnam also wrote about local politics and the Grant administration. For example, she addressed one letter to Senator Charles Sumner, congratulating him on his efforts to prevent disenfranchisement of freedmen (December 25, 1869). She read widely, and her letters often contained references to both local and national newspapers.

Additional material includes a printed invitation from Booker T. Washington to the Fourth Annual Session of the Tuskegee Negro Conference (ca. 1895), and several fragments.

Mary Frances Grant Cramer sent these three letters to her school friend Susie while traveling in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland between 1867 and 1869.

Mary Frances Grant Cramer sent these three letters to her old school friend Susie while traveling in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland between 1867 and 1869. For details about the content of each letter, please see the box and folder listing below.

The George Hunt papers include two pocket diaries kept by Hunt during his service in the 15th New York Cavalry, a memoir, "Custer and his Red Necks: A brief Sketch of incidents of the Civil War of 61 & 65," written at least a decade later, and a pocket-sized carte de visite album containing photographs of Hunt and fellow cavalry members.

The George Hunt papers include two pocket diaries kept by Hunt during his service in the 15th New York Cavalry and a memoir, "Custer and his Red Necks: A brief Sketch of incidents of the Civil War of 61 & 65," written at least a decade later. The diaries consist of terse entries that provide few details about battles and events.

In contrast, his memoir is fully fleshed out and filled with anecdotes and patriotic flourishes, suggesting that in writing this account, he may have relied as much on printed works as on his own notes and memory. "Custer and his Red Necks" has the earmarks of an address written for a veterans' reunion, and was clearly written after Custer's death. Slightly over half of the memoir concerns Custer's early life and military experience before Hunt's regiment were placed under his command. Hunt was enamored of the dashing figure cut by Custer, and the memoir is celebratory of the man and his achievements.

The collection also includes several other items, including Hunt's pocket-sized carte de visite album, containing photographs of Hunt, fellow members of the 15th New York Cavalry, and selected generals, including Grant and Sheridan; a pocket New Testament; an Ithaca Trust company notebook containing miscellaneous notes (1907); and a file of newspaper clippings relating to veterans' reunions.

This collection consists of 113 letters, written primarily between Union soldier Doctor Tarbell and his fiancée, and later, wife, Mary Lucy Conant. Doctor served as a Sergeant in New York's 32nd Infantry, Co. A, and as a Lieutenant, Captain, and Brevet Major in the Commissary Regiment, U.S. Volunteers.

The Doctor Tarbell and Mary Conant papers are comprised of 112 letters, written primarily between Union soldier Doctor Tarbell and his fiancée (and later wife), Mary Lucy Conant, and one genealogical document. Doctor served as a sergeant in the New York 32nd Infantry, Co. A, and as a lieutenant, captain, and brevet major in the U.S. Volunteers. The collection covers Doctor’s war-time service in the Union Army and some of his post-war career. The Civil War letters form a remarkably dense series that highlights the intimate relationship of Tarbell and his fiancée Mary. The collection contains 35 letters from Doctor to Mary, and 46 letters from Mary to Doctor, mainly during 1864 and 1865. Additionally, Doctor wrote one letter to his parents T. B. and Lydia Tarbell, and received two letters from them and two from his siblings. The remaining 29 letters are either from relatives of Mary or they pertain to post-war activities of the Tarbells.

Both Tarbell and his fiancée wrote in an educated and literary style; their letters reveal an affectionate relationship. Between January and February 1864, both Tarbell and Conant wrote almost exclusively about their relationship. However, as the Army of the Potomac moved south, both writers began to focus more on the progress of the war and to assume a more fervently patriotic tone. Many of Mary's letters contain political asides ("Does the Army weary of Gen. Meade, or is it politicians & aspirants that wish to oust him?" March 13, 1864); references to life at home during wartime; and several extended lyrical passages and pro-Union sentiments. Tarbell's responses, which were also substantive and descriptive, often referred to military matters, his work as a commissary, and army morale.

At times, Tarbell's patriotism and pride in his commission shine through, as during his company's inspection by General Ulysses S. Grant (April 18, 1864). Tarbell described the journey down to Richmond, his regiment's movements, what he knew of the progress of the war, the actions of the 6th Cavalry Corps, and his encounters with southern civilians. He wrote to both Mary and his parents from Danville Military Prison, expressing his hopes that an exchange of officers was imminent (October 22, 1864, and November 20, 1864). After his release, he recounted the parades in Washington, D.C. following the ending of the war, and the review of General Sherman’s Army (May 25, 1865). On July 28, 1865, he mentioned his promotion to brevet major.

The 5 letters written to Mary during Tarbell's imprisonment are filled with sympathy and encouragement, along with family news. In a letter from Mary's young niece, Hattie Carpenter, she described the return of soldiers to Iowa (January 15, 1865). Mary A. E. Wages wrote to Miss Hardy requesting funds to establish a freedman's high school in Richmond: "The black people of Richmond are the only loyal people in the whole city...They not only need help, but are worthy objects of it" (Nov. 18, 1866).

The 13 letters from 1881 suggest that the Tarbells were in some unspecified financial difficulty, and that Doctor had been employed as a typewriter agent. The remaining 10 letters were written by Tarbell or Conant relatives and friends.

This collection also contains one genealogical document that lists the birth and marriage dates for members of the Conant and Tarbell families (1793-1884). Included is a list of Doctor and Mary Tarbell's children. This document is undated and unattributed.

Davis Castle's journals provide information on his service in the Signal Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

Davis Castle's journal provides limited information on his service in the Signal Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The document is made up of brief entries, at times illegible handwriting, and empty pages. Castle tended to report second hand information rather than his own experiences.

On the first "Memoranda" page following December 31, 1865, is a list of births in Davis Castle's immediate family. The pages dated November 1, 1864 and August 25, 1865 contain coded passages.

Willia Kossak served on the staffs of Generals Grant and Sherman during the Civil War, rising to the position of Chief Engineer of the 17th Army Corps during Sherman's campaigns in Georgia. His journals cover the Vicksburg and Atlanta Campaigns with Sherman, including progress reports, accounts, and personal observations and opinions. The first journal also contains lists of private citizens in Vicksburg evicted to make way for military defense works, and a map showing fortifications in the city. The second volume includes lists of supplies for troops, pencils sketches of the area around Ackworth, Ga., and Nenesaw Mountain, and a section titled "Alphabetical list of Pontoncers, Ponton Train, Dept. of the Tennessee."

William Kossak's two journals cover only a portion of his Civil War service as an engineer in the command of William Tecumseh Sherman, but they include important information on two campaigns during which the engineers -- and Kossak in particular -- made key contributions.

Journal, June 16, 1863-May 3, 1864

During the Vicksburg Campaign, Kossak was responsible for various projects in Vicksburg and the surrounding countryside in Mississippi. His primary concern was with lines of defence, although he reported progress on the Vicksburg city hospital and on officers' headquarters. He was also involved in rationing whiskey and other liquor to the troops. Kossak's journal often takes on the mantle of a diary when he embellished cut-and-dried progress reports with his personal observations and opinions on subjects ranging from contrabands and countersigns to desertion (see esp. Feb 14, 1864), the weather, prices, pontoon-trains, and Generals Grant, McPherson, and others. In the margin, he kept an account book of sorts, showing cash spent.

Of special interest are lists of private citizens in Vicksburg evicted to make way for military defence works, and a note on March 18, 1864 that states tersely: "16th anniversary of the Revolution in Prussia (Berlin). God Bless the Dead!" Laid in the volume is a map showing fortifications in the city.

Journal, June 16, 1864-May 30, 1865

This second volume of Kossak's journal concerns the Atlanta Campaign and its aftermath, a period during which Kossak was chief engineer of the 17th Army Corps. Stylistically, the reports in this volume echo those of the first. Kossak wrote from James B. McPherson's headquarters until that General's death before Atlanta in July, 1864, after which he was assigned to Sherman's headquarters.

Kossak provides an engineer's perspective on several of the major battles of the Atlanta Campaign, particularly of the Battle of Atlanta itself, and he includes several excellent lists of supplies distributed to troops. Pencil-sketch maps of the area around Ackworth, Ga., appear on pages 3, 5, and 7, and of Kenesaw Mountain on pp. 119-123. At the back of this journal is a section entitled: "Alphabetical list of Pontoncers, Ponton Train, Dept. of the Tennessee."

This collection is made up of letters that John Sharp received from friends who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, manuscript maps, and a brief toast in honor of Ulysses S. Grant. The soldiers discussed their service in the South, including remarks on skirmishes and raids.

This collection (8 items) is made up of correspondence, maps, and a toast. John M. Sharp, a resident of Delavan, Wisconsin, received 6 letters pertaining to his friends' service in the Union Army during the Civil War. John R. Siperly of the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment wrote 3 letters from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and "Fort Overall" between July 10, 1863, and February 1, 1864. He discussed his unit's movements through Kentucky and Tennessee; described Franklin, Tennessee, where he was stationed for a time; commented on war news; and provided news of his regiment and its officers. His letters also refer to skirmishes against Confederate troops, shared his negative opinion about the Copperhead political movement, and mentioned his belief that Confederate troops had become demoralized.

Milton A. Goff of the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment wrote 3 letters to John Sharp from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, between October 22, [1864], and February 22, [1865]. He mentioned the hardships he suffered after his regiment had been shipwrecked near New Madrid, Missouri, en route to Vicksburg, and after being stranded without rations during a raid in Louisiana. He also described several actions against Confederate troops and commented on his regiment's efforts to enlist African Americans.

The remaining items are 2 undated manuscript maps showing land along the Mississippi River and land in southeast Minnesota, both enclosed in an envelope addressed to R. J. A. McGowan of the 5th Wisconsin Volunteers, and an undated toast celebrating Ulysses S. Grant's presidency.

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The items include diaries, financial records, a newspaper clipping scrapbook, and a photograph album.

The Williamson family collection is made up of 9 bound volumes pertaining to Clara Gurley Williamson, her daughters Ruth and Mary, and other members of the Williamson family.

The D. Abeel Williamson Diary, composed in a pre-printed pocket diary, contains David Abeel Williamson's daily entries about his life in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from January 1, 1862-May 25, 1862, and about his experiences with the 7th New York Militia Regiment from May 26, 1862-August 27, 1862. His early entries mainly record the weather and his social activities; he mentioned his admission to the bar in his entries of May 21, 1862, and May 22, 1862. A newspaper clipping about the surrender of Fort Donelson is pasted into the entries for February 16, 1862, and February 17, 1862. During his time in the army, Williamson noted the hot weather near Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, and mentioned other aspects of military service, such as guard duty, marching, and reviews. A commuter's ticket for the "New Jersey Rail Road" is laid into the volume's pocket.

The Hattie S. Williamson Memorandum Book contains financial records of collections that the Second Reformed Dutch Church Sunday School of New Brunswick, New Jersey, received from November 26, 1865-June 16, 1867. The amount of each donation is recorded next to the donor's name. Other records pertain to the Sunday school's accounts with the Novelty Rubber Company and the church's efforts to raise money for an organ.

The Clara Gurley Account Book, kept from July 9, [1875]-April 16, 1880, contains accounts for Gurley's purchases of items such as books, ribbon, fabrics, and buttons. A piece of fabric is pinned onto the book's final page.

The first Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, written in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, covers the year 1905. Williamson began writing in Dresden, Germany, where she had lived with her children since late 1903, and recounted her daily activities and news of acquaintances. In April, she and her children took an extended tour of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland, where Williamson remarked on visits to museums and other points of interest. The entries from August concern the family's return to the United States on the Holland-American Line steamer Ryndam and their first months back in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Williamson kept a record of letters written and received and acquaintances' addresses in the volume's memoranda section. She laid newspaper clippings, a letter, calling cards, small photographs, stamps, and other items in the volume. The final page of the diary contains a newspaper clipping about the Williamsons' return to the United States and intention to relocate to Indianapolis.

The Mary Williamson Diary recounts the author's travels through Europe from April 10, 1905-August 11, 1905. Williamson described her daily activities and sightseeing in cities such as Prague, Munich, Venice, Rome, and Paris, as she visited museums and places of historical importance with her mother and sister. The diary includes a list of books Williamson read from 1907-1908 and a list of addresses of European hotels.

The Ruth A. Williamson Diary pertains to the author's experiences and travels in England from June 7, 1909-September 3, 1909. She spent most of her time in London; some later entries mention travels around southern England and to Edinburgh, Scotland. Williamson most frequently wrote about sightseeing and visiting famous landmarks, but also commented on other activities, such as shopping. Ruth A. Williamson's calling card is laid into the volume.

The second Clara Gurley Williamson Diary, also in a pre-printed Excelsior volume, contains daily entries about Williamson's life in Indianapolis, Indiana, from January 1, 1918-April 2, 1918. Williamson commented on her social activities, her health, and news of her friends and family members, especially her children. She occasionally mentioned news of the war, such as the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (February 22, 1918). Financial records and instructions for knitting a "Kitchener sock" are written in the back of the volume. Items laid in include a calling card for Charles G. Williamson containing his military address, a cloth United States flag mounted on a small wooden dowel, and clippings about the deaths of Henry Janeway Hardenburgh and Douw D. Williamson. A postcard with a painting of Waikite Geyser in New Zealand, addressed to A. Parsons in London, England, is also laid into the diary.

The Scrapbook (1860s-1880s) is comprised of newspaper clippings about numerous topics, including biographies of William Gurley and biographical notices about other members of the Gurley family, such as Clara Gurley Williamson and Esther Gurley Cook. Some clippings feature prominent individuals such as Ulysses S. Grant, Charles Dickens, and Louisa May Alcott. Items report national news, news from Troy, New York, and stories about Emma Willard and the Troy Female Seminary. Additional topics include poetry, international travel, and stamp collecting.

A Photograph Album contains 42 carte-de-visite photographs, 2 lithographs, and 1 tintype print. Most of the photographs are studio portraits of men, women, and children, including many members of the Gurley family and related families. Most of the pictures are dated 1866-1880, though the album includes a 1902 photograph of Charles G. Williamson in a military uniform.