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2 volumes

This collection is made up of 2 volumes that Marianna Chandler Lanman composed while studying at Mrs. Rowson's Academy for Young Ladies in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1814. One concerns arithmetic, focusing on practical applications in bookkeeping, conversion, and monetary transactions; the other contains copied poems, calligraphic alphabets, and graphic illustrations.

This collection is made up of 2 volumes that Marianna Chandler Lanman composed while studying at Mrs. Rowson's Academy for Young Ladies in Boston, Massachusetts, around 1814. One concerns arithmetic, focusing on practical applications in bookkeeping, conversion, and monetary transactions; the other contains copied poems, calligraphic alphabets, and graphic illustrations. Lanman dedicated both volumes to her parents.

Lanman composed the first volume, entitled "Practical Arithmetic[:] Comprising All the Rules for Transacting Business" (10"x16", 60 pages), at Mrs. Rawson's Academy in 1814. Its sections, each labeled in calligraphy, concern mathematical operations, rules and theorems; weights and measures; and practical applications of mathematical principles. Many of the later pages concern subjects such as the calculation of simple and compound interest, the value of "federal money" against "lawful money" (state currencies), commission charges, and bookkeeping. The explanatory text is accompanied by finished exercises and problems. The volume also includes tables of weights and measures and an index.

The second volume, "Specimens of Penmanship" (16"x10", 23 pages), is undated. Lanman copied poetry and proverbs on the book's odd-numbered pages; most concern subjects such as happiness, rural living, and gratitude. The title of a poem on the "Pleasures of retired Life" is written on a drawing of a ribbon (p. 19). One poem, entitled "Virtue's Tears Embalm the Brave," is dedicated to the memory of American casualties of the War of 1812 (p. 21). The volume contains several drawings: a hermit in his home (p. 3), a bald eagle among patriotic decorations (p. 21), a sailing ship (p. 21), and a line drawing of a bird with the word "industry" in its feathers (p. 23). The volume also includes examples of cursive, German, and Old English alphabets.

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325 pages (1 volume)

The Massachusetts Militia orderly book consists of general, division, brigade, infantry, sub-legion, and company orders sent to the 1st Division Massachusetts Militia, organized by Captain Daniel Badger of the 5th District of Boston.

The Massachusetts Militia orderly book (325 pages) consists of general, division, brigade, infantry, sub-legion, and company orders sent to the 1st Division Massachusetts Militia, organized by Captain Daniel Badger of the 5th District of Boston. Entries span from March 2, 1805 to May 7, 1811, and were copied almost daily between 1806 and 1809. The orders provide information about the operation of the militia and the day-to-day lives of the soldiers. Entries touch on a wide range of topics, such as: dress requirements, arms maintenance, company drills and exercises, parades, inspections, attempted mutinies, courts martial, punishments, discharges, recruitment, and promotions. Also mentioned were meeting times and places for the officers, which often took place in the evening at concert halls and captains' houses. While several clerks copied orders into the volume, the majority were recorded by Sergeant Samuel Howe. A label on the item’s inside cover reads: “1812 Relic of the Revolution property of Mrs. S. P. Badger.”

Orders span many levels of command, from the state-level to the company-level.

Below is a list of order types and the officers who gave the orders:
  • General orders: Commander-in-Chief William Donnison and Governor James Sullivan
  • Division orders: Major General John Sargeant, Major General Simon Elliot, Major General Elijah Crane, and Aide-de-camp Minott Thayer
  • Brigade orders: Brigadier General John Winslow, Brigadier General Charles Clement, and Major Bryan P. Tilden
  • Infantry orders: Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Badger
  • Sub-legion/regiment orders: Major Peter Osgood and Major Jacob Stern
  • Company orders: Daniel Badger and Adjutant George Bass
Entries of note include:
  • Page 21: Description of soldiers' clothes
  • Page 25: Regulations for number of band musicians allowed per regiment
  • Page 41: Punishments for soldiers discharging muskets in the streets while parading
  • Page 135: An order from the President of the United States (Thomas Jefferson) to fill state troop quotas
  • Page 204: General order from the President, by Congress’s Insurrection Act, to secure troop levels for state militias
  • Page 222: Funeral orders to commemorate the death of Governor James Sullivan
  • Page 248: Detailed instructions for multiple companies of Massachusetts militia, including captains Binney, Rhoads, Hudson, Cutler, Canterbury, Badger, Crookens, Homer, Dean, Howes, Curtis, Ellery, and several new companies
The ordely book contains reports on the following courts martial:
  • Page 49: Lieutenant John F. Valentine
  • Page 51: Lieutenant Nathan Bacon
  • Page 62: Lieutenant Reuben Sanborn
  • Page 111: Captain Joseph Loring, Jr.
  • Page 200: Captain Amos Binney
  • Page 287: Captain Thomas Howe
  • Page 324: Lieutenant Colonel Calvin Hubbell

The volume contains 3 loose items: a small card with a ribbon labeled "1778 Mrs. S.P. Badger #13 Fort Green Place"; a printed general order from June 15, 1807); and a printed company order from April 19, 1810.

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26 items

This collection is made up of letters written by and addressed to members of the Minot family of Boston, Massachusetts, between the 1820s and 1840s. The letters pertain to family members' lives in Boston and New York City, travel, and other subjects.

This collection is made up of letters written by and addressed to members of the Minot family of Boston, Massachusetts, between the 1820s and 1840s. Louisa Minot wrote to her daughter Mary about life in Boston and New York City. She shared news of family members, discussed her travels, and described visits to a deaf and dumb asylum for children (June 20, 1824) and an insane asylum (undated). Her letter of September 11, 1836, mentions a pet monkey. Mary wrote undated letters to her mother about her experiences in New York City, including her journey to New York, social activities, and attendance at concerts and theatrical performances; she also wrote about medical treatments she received on Staten Island. Mary also received letters from Louisa Lee, a friend in Boston, and G. de Castillio, a man who discussed his intention to visit Italy (July 25, 1842). William Minot wrote one letter to his daughter Julia about the progress of Boston's public garden (July 27, 1839).

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138 items (0.5 linear feet)

The Nathaniel Freeman papers contain letters and documents relating to the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety of Sandwich, Massachusetts, during the Revolutionary War. The committee, of which Freeman was the chairman, investigated alleged Tory activities around Cape Cod. The cases of Seth Perry and John Jennings are particularly well documented.

The Nathaniel Freeman papers (138 items) contain letters, depositions, and documents relating to the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, of Sandwich, Massachusetts, during the Revolutionary War. The committee, of which Freeman was the chairman, investigated and prosecuted alleged Tory activities in the Cape Cod area. They heard the pleas of accused Loyalists and their friends and family, and administered the oath of allegiance to them. The committee also supervised the equipping and disciplining of the militia and maintained official communication with Boston and other nearby towns. Of particular interest are letters and petitions concerning suspected Loyalists who were imprisoned and banished to Rhode Island. The collection provides a picture of how small town governments in the rebelling colonies dealt with those loyal to the British Crown.

The Correspondence series (47 items) is comprised of official letters addressed to Nathaniel Freeman and the Committee of Correspondence. These letters, spanning 1773-1804, largely concern efforts to banish Loyalists from the area, and include responses of the accused parties. Of note are six letters pertaining to an alleged Loyalist sailor named Seth Perry. These consist of a personal letter to Freeman from jail asking for lenience; a letter informing Freeman of Perry's escape to Newport; a letter from Perry to Freeman requesting permission to reunite with his family and manage some recently inherited property in Sandwich; and a 1785 letter from Freeman to the governor of Massachusetts disputing Perry's claim to property because of his wartime disloyalty.

Other notable letters include:
  • March 8, 1774: Long patriotic letter from James Warren that uses the "house divided" quotation from scripture
  • November 9, 1774: Letter from John Winthrop, President of the Commercial Club of Boston, congratulating Freeman for his patriotism and heroism during an unspecified Tory attack

The Deposition series (65 items) documents depositions generated by the committee to investigate allegations of Loyalist activity near Barnstable, Massachusetts. Included are depositions taken in March and April 1778 relating to the case of Edward Davis, a "one-legged man" who met with many of the town's Tory sympathizers. The investigation exposed a number of Loyalists; their communications with fellow sympathizers from surrounding towns; their dealings with the British at Newport, Rhode Island; and their attempts to pass counterfeit money. Also notable are 10 depositions relating to Loyalist John Jennings and 8 items concerning Loyalist Seth Perry, including his claim against the state in 1785 for confiscated property. Much of the collection consists of deposition copies, forwarded by Freeman to the governor of Massachusetts.

The Documents series (26 items) covers official materials from the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, of Sandwich, Massachusetts, including notes from meetings and petitions from the citizens of Sandwich. The series holds 5 items with commentary on the Boston Tea Party and the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts), including an official protest of the acts (September 30, October 5, and November 1, 1774), oaths from merchants not to sell tea until Parliament repeals the Boston Port Bill (1774), and and resolutions demanding the impeachment of Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson and Chief Justice Peter Oliver over the letter controversy (March 14, 1774). The series also includes a certificate indicated that Rev. A. Williams took an oath of allegiance to Massachusetts Bay (April 13, 1778).

Of particular interest are 5 petitions, including the petitions from accused Loyalists who were imprisoned and banished: Seth Perry, Melaiah Bourn, Isaac Knowles, Abel Ellis, Price Tupper, and John Jennings (March 20 and April 27, 1778); the petitions from their wives requesting permission to join their husbands (with their children and possessions) in Rhode Island (June 17 and December 14, 1778); and the petition of Loyalist Seth Perry concerning rights to inherited land in Sandwich.

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100 pages

The Nathaniel Fuller journal is the daily journal of a member of a carpentry team from Boston that built ships on Lake Oneida and Lake Ontario for the British Army during the French and Indian War. The volume also contains miscellaneous entries of accounts for military supplies and payments of wages.

The Nathaniel Fuller journal (100 pages) contains a daily journal of a member of a carpentry team from Boston that built ships on Lake Oneida and Lake Ontario for the British Army during the French and Indian War, from March 13, 1760-October 28, 1760 (pages 1-75). The volume also contains miscellaneous entries of accounts for military supplies, numbers of days worked, and payments of wages spanning from August 1761 to September 1762 (pages 80-86), and throughout 1760 (pages 89-100).

Fuller kept daily entries of their labors, briefly describing distances traveled and their carpentry accomplishments. The group consisted of 20 carpenters and was led by Captain James Barton. They were paid in advance to walk from Boston to Albany. They averaged 20 miles per day and stayed in private homes and taverns at night (March 13-28, 1760). The commanding officer at Albany supplied them with tools and wagons and sent them to Schenectady, New York, where they spent most of April, working seven days a week, calking boats with oakum and pine tar, and building new "battoes" (bateaus). On board four bateaus, the group proceeded up the Mohawk River to the blockhouse on Lake Oneida (May 12, 1760), then to Oswego (May 13, 1760), and finally to the south shore of Lake Ontario to "Nyagary" (Niagara) (May 16, 1760). At the mouth of the river, they built a house for living quarters, a barge, a schooner, and a sloop. Construction involved locating suitable timber, bringing the logs down the river, and cutting them into planks.

On August 14, the group returned to Oswego and built another schooner. On October 3, a British vessel arrived at Oswego from “Swagocha” (Oswegatchie, now Ogdensburg), transporting a commodore and soldiers wounded in the Battle of Montreal. The entire company, including the commodore, wounded soldiers, and carpenters, traveled up the Oswego River to Lake Oneida and arrived at Schenectady on October 16, 1760. Fuller received three dollars from the commodore and received a pass for seven men to proceed on foot to Boston on October 22; they arrived sometime after the last entry of October 28.

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0.25 linear feet

The Native American collection contains miscellaneous letters and documents concerning Native American Indians in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, and their interactions with British and American settlers.

The Native American collection is comprised of approximately 125 miscellaneous letters and documents concerning Native American Indians in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, and their interactions with British and American settlers (1689-1921). Topics range from land agreements, legal issues, treaties, descriptions of travel through Indian Territory, Indian uprisings and conflicts, Indian captivities, prisoners of war, Indian enslavement, and interactions with Quaker and Moravian missionaries. Tribes include the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cree, Iroquois, Ojibwa, Oneida, Ottawa, Kickapoo, Seneca, Shawnee, Sioux, among others, and concern activities in Canada, New England, the Midwest, the South, and the western frontier. Also present are items written in Cherokee, Mohawk, and Ojibwa.

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143 items

The Neil family papers consist of letters and documents primarily relating to the Neil family of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and their business as merchants of linen, tea, and other goods.

The Neil family papers comprise 87 letters, 26 receipts, 17 financial records, 9 legal documents, 3 printed items, and 2 speeches, spanning 1774-1872. Early correspondence and records document trading and business activities, especially between William Neil and George Andrews. In particular, letters and bills of lading provide much detail on prices, quantities, and types of items purchased by the Neils and other local merchants (including Quaker merchant Abraham Barker). Several additional letters refer to health problems suffered by Margaret Neil, for which she was repeatedly bled (June 8, 1802).

A series of 1814 letters, written by Andrews to William Neil, concerns the War of 1812, including the merchants' preparations for attacks by the British and the effects of war on the market (August 6, 1814: "Business I believe is dull every where…. I am afraid to purchase Goods."). Also present are letters concerning a settlement for losses suffered by the Neils when the schooner John was captured by the British in 1815. A letter of March 28, 1831, recounts the circumstances of the capture and the case for restitution. Approximately five letters and documents dating to 1825, the year of William Neil's death, relate to his estate and the dispersal of his property.

Approximately 30 letters postdate 1830, most of which are the incoming correspondence of Thomas Neil. These primarily concern family news from various relatives, health issues, and details of business transactions. A letter to Maria Neil from her young granddaughter mentions "Emily has been working in the factory but is now going to school" (December 14, 1848). In an unusual and witty letter to Thomas Neil, a 20-year old named "Dorothy" requested his help in finding a husband and provided a humorous description of the man she wanted to find, including his height, the characteristics of his nose, and her preference that he oppose slavery (April 2, 1849).

The collection also includes 21 items relating to the ship Judah Touro and its journey from Boston to Portsmouth in January and February, 1861. These are receipts, records of payments, and several partial inventories.

The Maps series contains one map, entitled Plan of the town of Belfast from actual survey.

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56 photographs and 11 photomechanical prints

The New England, Boston, bridge engineering collection consists of 56 photographs including scenes in New England and New York and a railroad drawbridge under construction as well as a series of 11 half-tone images of Boston landmarks.

The New England, Boston, bridge engineering collection consists of 56 photographs including scenes in New England and New York and a railroad drawbridge under construction as well as a series of 11 half-tone images of Boston landmarks.

The photographer/compiler of the collection has not been identified. Photographs are included on loose pages that appear to have once been bound together. The initial grouping of photographs includes major landmarks such as Grant’s Tomb, scenes of action on city streets, and serene views of rocky shorelines. Automobiles only appear in a couple of photos. The steel railroad drawbridge documented in the second section can definitively be dated to 1908 when the Pennsylvania Steel Company built Bridge Number 3.40, better known as the “Bronx River Bascules,” for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

The final grouping of half-tones shows Boston as a modern, progressive city. Most of the images are derived from photographs, but the image of the new opera house was rendered from an illustration.

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97 items

The Nicholas Fish papers (97 items) consist of letters and documents that span Fish's career as a Revolutionary War officer and New York City politician. The collection is made up of 87 letters and 10 documents and financial records.

The Nicholas Fish papers (97 items) consist of letters and documents that span Fish's career as a Revolutionary War officer and New York City politician. The collection is made up of 87 letters and 10 documents and financial records.

The Correspondence series (87 items) is comprised of 14 letters written by Fish, 70 letters addressed to Fish, 2 letters to his son Hamilton Fish (1833 and 1844), and one item to the Committee of Defense of New York (August 4, 1815).

The series contains 52 items from Fish's military activities in the Revolutionary war (1776-1786). Forty-one of these letters are addressed to Fish as adjutant general of New York, 1785, regarding the raising and provisioning of troops to aid the first United States Army, commanded by Josiah Harmar on the frontier of the Northwest Territory. Discussed are transporting supplies, maintaining troop levels, defending the settlers of the region from Indians, taking prisoners of war, and punishing deserters. Fish received communications from the War Offices at Fort Schuyler; the Bronx; Albany; Philadelphia; and West Point. Many letters, notably, were from prominent American army officers, such as Secretary of War General Henry Knox, John Morin Scott (his former mentor), Major John Doughty, and Commissary of Military Stores Samuel Hodgdon. Of particular interest is a letter from Captain John Francis Hamtramck, who described catching and punishing 7 troops for desertion from Fort McIntosh in Western Pennsylvania (December 4, 1785), and another letter from Hamtramck, in which he discussed the poor treatment of the Six Nations hostages by the Americans in contrast to the civility shown Indian war prisoners held by the British (June 13, 1785).

A group of 36 letters relate to Fish's activities in New York politics between 1791 and 1830. These provide details of Fish's career as well as New York and American politics in general, including military affairs, the War of 1812, and presidential politics. On February 12, 1791, Fish wrote to President George Washington requesting an appointment as inspector for the district of New York. In his letter from March 10, 1794, fish discussed a dispute between Henry Dearborn and Theodore Sedgwick (March 10, 1794). In a letter to Fish, Jacob Radcliff expressed his support for Fish as New York alderman (November 8, 1810). Among letters written during the War of 1812, William Watson examined the role of Pennsylvania Germans in the Presidential campaign of 1812 (September 16, 1812); Fish wrote to James Madison concerning the punishment of Lieutenant William S. Cox for his part in the Chesapeake incident (after June 1, 1813); and Commodore J. Lewis, Chief Engineer Joseph G. Swift, and General George Izard all wrote letters regarding the defense of New York Harbor (May 8 and October 10, 1813, and August 4, 1815). (For a complete list of contributors, see the controlled access terms section.)

The Documents and Financial Records series (10 items) is comprised of military, personal, and official items.

Included are:
  • Two officer lists of the New York militia: one for the 1st Regiment (1775), and the other for the militia under Colonel John Lasher (September 25, 1776).
  • Fish's bank deposit book with the U.S. Bank from April 1792-June 1793 (8 pages).
  • Seven receipts for duties from the Supervisor's Office, District of New York, all signed by Fish (April 1795-February 1798).

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0.5 linear feet

The Pollard family papers contain correspondence, indentures, and financial records related to Asa D. Pollard and his children, including Joseph G. Pollard, Cyrus W. Pollard, Emily F. Pollard, and George F. Pollard. Members of the Pollard family corresponded about their lives in New Hampshire and Massachusetts from the 1840s-1860s.

The Pollard family papers (334 items) contain correspondence, indentures, and financial records related to the Pollard family of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The Correspondence and Documents series (228 items) includes personal letters between siblings Joseph G. Pollard, Cyrus W. Pollard, Emily F. Pollard, and George F. Pollard. From 1849-1865, the Pollard siblings wrote to each other about their daily lives, social activities, health, local travel, and family news from cities and towns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. Some of George F. Pollard's letters concern his education in New Hampton, New Hampshire. Joseph Pollard wrote about his work teaching in a country schoolhouse; in one letter, he mentioned his plans to attend a lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson, though he suspected it would be "beyond ordinary comprehension" (December 8, 1857). During the Civil War, the Pollards sometimes mentioned topics such as the draft, particularly as it related to Cyrus Pollard and his relocation from Woburn, Massachusetts, to Albany, New York; they also discussed George Pollard's attempt to obtain a commission in the Union Army. The Pollard siblings received letters from other acquaintances, occasionally pertaining to business matters.

The series also includes indentures regarding Asa D. Pollard and land in New Hampshire and Massachusetts; one document pertains to his purchase of a pew in the First Congregational Church in Woburn, Massachusetts (November 1, 1860). Undated items include a manuscript "Report of the School Committee of Woburn," a printed circular letter to children attending Sabbath schools, and a report about Emily Pollard's academic progress at the Charlestown Female Seminary.

The Financial Records series (106 items) is comprised of receipts, invoices, accounts, and promissory notes. Most of the items pertain to the financial affairs of Asa D. Pollard, including receipts for Pollard's tax payments in Derry, New Hampshire. Many of the remaining items, including most of the items dated after the mid-1850s, relate to Joseph G. Pollard's financial affairs in Boston.

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