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

This volume (234 pages) contains copied passages from histories, magazines, philosophical treatises, and other sources, dated from 1732 to the mid-1760s.

This volume (234 pages) contains copied passages from histories, magazines, philosophical treatises, and other sources from the mid-18th century.

The copied excerpts, written in a dense, consistent hand, are dated from 1732 to the mid-1760s, and most are attributed to their authors or other sources of origin, such as the Gentleman's Magazine of London, England. The creator if the commonplace book compiled information on subjects such as religion, history, philosophy, linguistics, medicine, and science, and often quoted specific articles, sermons, and treatises at length. The historical sections focus on English history, and the religious items occasionally incorporate words and lines in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Much of the religious material pertains to specific biblical stories. The book has a partial subject index, created by the compiler. John H. Treadwell later owned the volume, which holds his bookplate.

The Elizabeth Rous Comstock papers contain letters and writings related to Comstock's family, her Quaker ministry, and her social reform activities. The letters span her entire career with the greatest concentration of correspondence centering on her work with the Kansas freedmen's program and her family life. In addition to the Elizabeth Comstock material, the collection includes content related to her daughter Caroline, her grandchildren, and papers related to the Kempton family.

The Elizabeth Rous Comstock papers (282 items) contain letters and writings related to Comstock's family, her Quaker ministry, and her social reform activities. The letters span her entire career with the greatest concentration of correspondence centering on her work with the Kansas Freedmen's Association and on her family life. In addition to the Elizabeth Comstock material, the collection contains content related to her daughter Caroline, her grandchildren, and to the Kempton family.

The Correspondence series (151 items) contains 123 items related to Elizabeth Comstock and her family. The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by or addressed to Elizabeth Comstock between 1847 and 1890.

• Elizabeth’s correspondence with her friends, acquaintances, and immediate family, particularly with her husband, daughter, and sister Caroline.
• Correspondence related to Elizabeth’s work with social reforms and social justice, primarily concerning her relief work in Kansas in 1879 and 1880.

The family and friends correspondence primarily relates to everyday life, such as work, homemaking, visiting, family life; contemporary issues such as the Civil War and slavery; and news of friends and family, including illnesses, marriages, and deaths. Elizabeth wrote many of the letters, which document her perspective on her work, her marriage and relationship with her husband, and on religion and the Society of Friends. Elizabeth’s preaching, charitable work, and travels are often mentioned in these letters, including her trip across the Atlantic in early 1884. These letters cover both theoretical discussions of religious topics and discussions of the Society of Friends, its policies, and its schools. A subset of these letters regards Caroline De Greene’s serious illness and "mental suffering" in 1870, which may have been related to childbirth. Also of note is a letter from Elizabeth Steere that describes her experiences living in the remote Minnesota Territory (December 9, 1856).

The second group of Elizabeth's correspondence mainly consists of letters between Elizabeth and Joshua Longstreth Bailey, a dry goods merchant and philanthropist, who assisted her in her work with the Kansas Freedmen’s Relief Association from 1879 to 1881. Elizabeth discusses the logistics of supplying newly arrived African Americans with food, shelter, and a means of subsistence, and relates information about the migrants and their experiences in both the South and in Kansas. Elizabeth shares, in depth, her perspective on this large migration, which she refers to as "the Exodus." An item of note is a letter from John W. Snodgrass proposing a plan to buy land to aid resettled former slaves in Kansas (May 3, 1881). Other items concern Comstock's work to improve the lives of former slaves and prisoners during the Civil War, including a letter from Ed Howland who wrote to Comstock of a "plan before Congress to change the whole plan of taking care of colored people" (February 3, 1865). B. Dornblaser, the warden at the Illinois State Penitentiary, wrote to Comstock about pardoning Frederick Marx from Kentucky who was "tricked" into buying a stolen mule (April 5, 1865). She also communicated with Thomas Story Kirkbride, superintendent of the Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane (March 6, 1870).

The collection also contains material related to her daughter Caroline and to Elizabeth's grandchildren. Much of this is correspondence between Caroline and members of her family, regarding news, daily life, traveling and visiting, religion, work, and school. Of interest are letters of reference for Caroline "Calla" De Greene in support of continuing her education and recommending her for positions teaching French and German at the college level (May 2, 1893, July 11 and October 5, 1898, May 10, 1905, and March 19, 1906).

The Kempton Family material consists of 26 letters, which largely concern religious issues, everyday life, and news of family and friends. These include the 7 earliest items in the series, from 1827-1828, with the rest scattered throughout.

The Commonplace Book and Diary series (2 items) contains an 1839 commonplace book (52 pages) of poems and essays inscribed as belonging to Charity Kempton. Many entries center on the theme of a loved one leaving on a sea voyage. These include passages called "Seamen's Hymn," "Matrimonial Chart," and "The Old Oaken Bucket." The second item is Elizabeth Comstock's 34-page travel diary (8 blank pages) during the summer of 1878. It contains Biblical verses, brief descriptions of places she visited, notes on her activities, and notes on religious services she attended.

The Poems Series (10 items) contains handwritten copies of poems, all of which are religious in nature. Included among the 9 unattributed poems are a cautionary poem on dancing and drinking, a 16-page poem called "The Ministry of Angels," and a poem entitled "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: A Dialogue in Verse." The single attributed poem is a copy of William Cowper's "God Moves in Mysterious Ways."

The Corrections for Caroline Hare's Life and Letters of Elizabeth Comstock series (1 item) is 7 pages of notes and corrections for Caroline Hare's biography of Elizabeth Comstock (see the Related Materials section for information on the Clements' copy of this book). The comments range from grammatical edits to insights into personal events and her ministerial efforts.

The Miscellaneous Writings series (25 items) contains non-correspondence material including: religious quotations, miscellaneous notes jotted down on scraps of paper, Friends meeting minutes, recipes, and essays on religion and marriage. Most of these items are unattributed but are likely from Elizabeth Comstock, Chastity Kempton, and others. Of note is a three-page item containing "Dying expressions of Soldiers," including the last words of a soldier on the Battlefield of Fredericksburg (December 13, 1862), and those of a man about to be hung in Nashville, Tennessee. This series also contains instructions for refining sugar, and remedies for common maladies, such as heartburn, dysentery, snake bites, and nausea, "By the celibrated Indian Doctor John Mackintosh, of the Cherokee Nation; None of which have ever before been communicated to the world" (undated).

The Documents series (11 items) contains various official documents related to the Comstock and Kempton families.

• Elizabeth Comstock's ancestors’ 1740 marriage covenant between William and Mary Moore
• A deed from Isaac Steer to Aaron Kempton in Woodstock, Michigan (1845)
• A handwritten pass from Philip Henry Sheridan allowing Comstock and her companion Mary B. Bradford to travel by rail to Baltimore, through enemy lines (December 9. 1864)
• A document entitled "The Colored Exodus. A Statement of Monies Received from Various States, Canada, and England.
• Elizabeth's sister Lydia Rous' last will and testament (March 5, 1889).

The Accounts series (6 items) contains 3 lists of books to be sent to various Friends libraries and associations, 1 list of donated goods such as fabric and clothes addressed to E. Smith of Victoria Road, an 1875 bill for goods, and an item documenting money owed with interest for an unspecified purpose.

The Printed Ephemera series (24 items) includes miscellaneous printed material: passes to cross Union and Confederate lines during the Civil War; 8 "Bible Reading Leaflets;" two Quaker related essays; a fragment of a book labeled "Self-Communion" (pages 3-10); 4 poems (prayers); 4 event cards; and a catalogue for mechanical farming equipment. The collection also holds one of Comstock's hymn books entitled, Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (Words Only) , by P.P. Bliss and Ira Sankey. The handmade cover is reinforced with a portion of a postcard stamped March 9, 1878 (95 small pages of hymns).

The Newspaper Clippings series (50 items) is composed of printed items related to the Kansas Freedman's Relief program. These include several essays and articles written by Comstock and her colleagues, as well as newspaper stories about Comstock's activities aiding African American "refugees" in Kansas, who were suffering from sickness, poverty, and unemployment. Many of these include pleas for charity. The clippings come from newspapers across America, as well as from England.

The Prints and Photographs series (8 items) consists of 7 photographs, including 2 of Elizabeth and 1 of her daughter Caroline, one print of the residence of R. Hathaway in Rollin, Michigan.

• Elizabeth Comstock, taken in Philadelphia for De Greene, undated
• Elizabeth Comstock portrait, hand colored and in a small square wooden frame (Behind his photograph, as part of the backing, is a small picture of 7 angels with trumpets, clipped from a postcard).
• Carrie Wright De Greene O'Harrow, 1881
• Freddie Hare at age 4 ½, August 1874, labeled "for Carrie" (Carte-de-visite)
• Unlabeled picture of a girl, undated
• Woman reading (likely Caroline Hare), accompanying the letter dated February 22, 1882 (Carte-de-visite taken by J. Cooper)
• A portrait of a woman in a small metal frame accompanying the letter from March 16, 1870.

• A machine catalogue with images of: Cooks Sugar Evaporator, Cross-Cut sawing machine, a victor mill, vertical mill with sweep below, and a back-geared mill
• Ink sketch of Caroline Hare’s home in letter, February 13, 1870
• An engraved portrait of Comstock in a newspaper clipping from early 1881

This volume records annual excise duties collected by the British government between 1700 and 1774. The excise tax income book records the net excise income for every year during this period, as well as income for individual goods or products for every year starting with 1745.

This 18-page volume, entitled "Gross and Net Produce of Excise from 1700 to 1774," provides the annual amount of excise duties collected by the British government between 1700 and 1774. From 1700 to 1744, the book records the total annual gross and net income earned from excise taxes, as well as management costs accrued from salaries and other taxes. Between 1745 and 1774, the volume also documents the amount of excise paid on individual goods and services, including malt, candles, hops, "sope," paper, "callicoes &c.," wire, starch, hides, plate, coffee, tea, chocolate, "licences," glass, and coaches. After 1755, the "plate" category was sometimes broken down into "plate licences" and "plate duty." "Cyder" was included after 1765. This volume bears the bookplate of James Brindley.

The Foulke Family papers consist of correspondence and legal documents, as well as a few genealogical documents, for a prominent Quaker family living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, through the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Foulke Family papers consist of 14 correspondence and 58 legal documents, as well as a 9 genealogical items and miscellaneous fragments. Much of the collection consists of legal documents including: deeds and draughts of land, some with sketched maps of the property that record the bordering neighbors; contracts and an indenture from 1807; the last will and testaments of Michael Bishop and William Shaw (both undated); estate inventories (1781, 1784, 1796, 1807); a carriage license for Bucks County, Ohio (1816); a subscription list to defray the costs of building a new meetinghouse; Quaker marriage certificates from 1737 and 1777; and an anti-war printed epistle of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1812. Many of the documents relate to issues arising from the handling of estates.

Among the letters are several missives between friends and family members, including a letter concerning problems with local Indians (1763); a memorial tribute to Edward Roberts (1778); five items written between 1798 and 1818 addressed to William Shaw, apparently a relative of the Foulkes; and a lengthy letter from Townsend Speakman, describing a Quaker meeting in Pittsburg lead by prominent church leader, Jesse Kersey (September 22nd, 1813).

The Genealogy and Fragments folder holds a printed three page Foulke Genealogy from the papers of Samuel Foulke (1718-1797), describing the family's lineage in seventeenth-century Wales. The fragments are largely undated and unattributed and contain writings on the genealogy of the Penrose family (17-18th centuries), and a series of testimonies denouncing Joseph Greir's character as, among other things, a "Theif & a Rogue."

This collection contains the letters, documents, and accounts of George Clinton, colonial governor of New York. The bulk of the collection is comprised of drafts of Clinton's letters, incoming official letters, Clinton's letter book for 1752-1753, military memoranda, documents related to Indian affairs, and personal, government, and military accounts during King George's War.

The George Clinton papers (985 items) contain the letters, documents, and accounts of George Clinton, colonial governor of New York. The bulk of the collection documents the years 1744 through 1753, and is comprised of drafts of Clinton's letters and speeches, incoming letters, Clinton's letter book for 1752-1753, military memoranda, and personal, public, and military accounts. The collection is rich in correspondence concerning Indian relations and the political history of New York, along with records concerning Clinton's troubled personal finances.

The Correspondence and Documents series (699 items) consists Clinton's outgoing letters and speeches, as well as incoming letters, military and government reports, instructions from Whitehall, intelligence on French and Indian activities, memoranda, legal papers, and court documents. Included are 191 items written by Clinton, of which many are draft dispatches that contain material omitted in the official copies sent to London. The papers largely concern New York politics, including political sparring with James DeLancey and the Assembly, as well as military activities and affairs with Native Americans. Clinton maintained correspondence with Massachusetts Bay Lieutenant Governor Spencer Phips concerning frontier conflicts with Indians, communicated with General Peter Warren concerning the siege at Louisbourg, and discussed allying with the Six Nation Indians against the French during King George's War with George Thomas and Sir William Johnson.

• July 2, 1741: George II to Benning Wentworth detailing the boundaries of New Hampshire, certified by Theo. Atkinson
• June 25, 1742: George II to Clinton discussing a conspiracy and attack on Fort George by "Blacks and Others" during which buildings and stores were burnt, an incident that resulted in 30 executions
• June 1744: Michael Houden to Clinton concerning "Observations…touching the method of succeeding in the intended expedition agt. Canada"
• [1744]: John Lydius' account describing the state of the French military at Crown Point
• August 19, 1745: Spencer Phips to Clinton requesting a quota of troops in aid of Massachusetts troops on the frontier near Fort George, in case of a war with the Indians
• September 12, 1745: George Thomas of the Philadelphia Assembly to Clinton supporting a treaty with the Six Nation Indians at Albany
• September 14, 1745: Peter Warren to Clinton listing the French ships bound for Louisbourg
• April 9, 1746: Newcastle to Clinton instructing the raising of a body of regular troops from New York for a land expedition against Montreal
• June 1746: James Livingston's account of French defense on the St. Lawrence River near Quebec
• July 19, 1746: Stephen Bayard to Clinton concerning British and Dutch prize ships and a demand for the return of "the free Negros which Capt. Denas took and sold at Rhode Island"
• September 11, 1746: Intelligence on the French fleet from a French sailor cast away
• January 22, 1747: Clinton's reasons against attacking Crown Point
• April 22, 1747: Clinton to Knowles giving an account of his and his family's attendance at a country dance where they were treated rudely
• October 20, 1747: John Roberts to Clinton concerning an Indian spy pretending to be a Seneca
• October 25, 1747: Sir Charles Knowles to Clinton discussing his views on trading with the enemy during a time of war
• November 1747: Massachusetts General Court's amendments to the agreement of September 8, 1747, between Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, concerning their mutual defense and security
• October 6, 1748: "The information of Thomas Williams who went with the Flag of Truce to Canada," which included intelligence from a black prisoner captured by the French, information on French-Indian relations on the Mississippi River, and the difference in prices of beaver pelts purchased by British and French traders
• October 28-November 10, 1748: Benjamin Stoddert journal containing descriptions of Crown Point, Montreal, and Québec
• September 24, 1749: Clinton to Newcastle describing the "State of the present disloyal Situation of Affairs in New York…" and concerning conflicts between the governorship and assembly
• October 3, 1750: Spencer Phips to Clinton concerning the French instigating the Indians to attack British settlers on the eastern frontier of Massachusetts
• May 18-30, 1751: George Croghan's journal of his trip to Ohio, in which he reported that the French were keeping the Indian women and children naked and not letting the tribes trade with the British
• [July 2, 1751]: List of condolence gifts for the loss of Onondaga Indians who died in Canada, and notes on Indian rituals of condolence as said by Mohawk chief Hendrick
• July 1751: Clinton's "Reasons for the Suspending of James Delancey Esqr from the Execution of the office of Lieutenant Governour…"
• January 25, 1753: Lewis Morris to Clinton concerning purchasing a slave in New York
• April 20, 1753: Sir William Johnson to Clinton concerning the mobilization of military forces by the French and Indians
• August 20, 1753: Bill of exchange of two Negro women from Anne Clinton to Elizabeth Williams
• August 4-14, 1757: Copies of 10 letters concerning the French and Indian capture of Fort William Henry, describing the murder and scalping of women, children, "Negroes, Mollatoes & soldiers"
• June 1758: Clinton's will dividing his meager estate among his family

The Letter Book series (1 volume) is a 175-page copybook covering Clinton's final year as New York governor from January 3, 1752, to February 23, 1753. Entries are primarily drafts of letters from Clinton, as well as copies of letters from prominent New York lawyer James Alexander and other New York officials. Recipients include Sir William Johnson, Cadwallader Colden, John Catherwood, George Clarke, and Benjamin Stoddert, among others. Topics covered include New York politics (concerning the council, assembly, and James DeLancey), military matters (concerning troops at Fort Frederick, Oswego, and Fort George), relations with the Six Nations and Catawba Indians, and British relations with Spain.

• February-March 1752: Letters discussing the January 11, 1752, mutiny at Oswego under Captain John Mills
• September 20, 1752: Letter concerning a widow's military pension
• October 25, 1752: Letter concerning Clinton's membership in a missionary society promoting the Gospel at Staten Island
• December 5, 1752: Letter to Governor of St. Augustine Fulgencio Garcia de Solis discussing British-Spanish relations, governmental issues in East Florida, and efforts to emancipate enslaved people "that could prove [their] right to it." December 6, 1752 letter to Francisco Caxigal de la Vega, Spanish governor of Cuba, referencing previous communications with Garcia de Solis.

The Indian Speeches and Councils series (38 items) consists of copies of official treaties, deeds of surrender, proclamations, conference and speech transcriptions, petitions, responses from sachems, and other official interactions between the British colonial government and the Six Nation tribes. Documented are activities at Albany, Annapolis Royal, Cape Breton, Mount Johnson, Fort George, Oghguago (Tuscarora Village on the Susquehanna), Lake Ontario, Niagara, and Quebec. Of interest is material related to expeditions against the French in Canada, conferences at Philadelphia and Albany, and items from important figures such as Sir William Johnson and Mohawk chief Hendrick Theyanoguin (1692-1755).

• December 13, 1726: Deed of surrender from the Cayuga, Onondaga, and Seneca Indians with the Sachem's marks
• May 21, 1744: Paul Mascarene to William Shirley reporting on letting women and children into the garrison after a rumor of approaching French and Indian forces created panic in the region
• December 4, 1750: Speech from Cayuga Sachem and a reply from William Johnson concerning a Five Nations and British alliance
• August 8, 1751: Colden's State of Indian Affairs
• November 11, 1752: Letter from South Carolina Governor James Glen to the Six Nation confederation concerning friendships between northern and southern tribes (Creeks, Cherokee, and Chickasaw)
• June 16, 1753: Response to the "Mohawk Indians complaining of Encroachments on their Lands and Frauds in the purchase of them--Fort George in New York"

The Accounts series is organized into three subseries: Personal Accounts, Indian Accounts, and Government and Military Accounts.

The Personal Accounts subseries (114 items) documents George Clinton's finances, particularly his and his family's personal expenses in New York, and records of his debts in his final years. Items include receipts for goods and services, records of paid and outstanding bills, stocks purchased, two financial memo books (1745 and 1750-1754), and a cash book (1748).

The Indian Accounts subseries (20 items) contains colonial government accounts for Indian presents, disbursements paid to Indians for military expeditions, and payments to British officers for Indian prisoners and scalps. These primarily document interactions with the Six Nation tribes.

The Governmental and Military Accounts subseries (113 items) contains paymaster records for troops, laborers, and government officials; accounts for troop provisions, stores, medicine, and supplies; levy and customs accounts; payments for transportation of goods and mail; and other financial records related to New York's colonial administration. Included are the expenses for the aborted British and Indian expedition into Canada against the French (March 1747 and November 1, 1748), and the expenses for John Young "entertaining the French Embassy for Exchange of Prisoners" (October 17, 1748).

The Lord George Sackville Germain papers contain the political and military correspondence of Germain, British military officer and secretary of state for North America during the American Revolution. In addition to official letters and reports, the collection comprises copies of secret military dispatches, reports and extracts detailing the activities of the commanders and colonial governors of North America, and a copybook of letters between American diplomat Benjamin Franklin, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall, and Boston reverend Samuel Cooper. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids: The Subject Index and Contributor List provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the Correspondence and Documents series (Volumes 1-16). This index also contains a list of contributors. The Volume Guide includes notes on the contents for 22 volumes in the collection. The Guide to Volumes 17-21 provides lists of the documents in each of these volumes.

The Lord George Sackville Germain papers (6 linear feet) contain the political and military correspondence of Germain, British military officer and secretary of state for North America from 1775 to 1782. Though the papers document Germain's entire public career, the bulk of the material relates to his role overseeing the military during the American Revolution. In addition to official letters and reports, the collection is also comprised of copies of secret military dispatches, reports and extracts detailing the activities of the commanders and colonial governors of North America, and a copy book of letters between American diplomat Benjamin Franklin, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall, and Boston reverend Samuel Cooper.

The Correspondence and Documents series (4.5 linear feet) contains drafts and retained copies of letters from Germain and official incoming letters and documents sent to Germain during his years of military and public service. The collection includes little related to Germain's personal life.

The series holds some correspondence relating to Germain's early military career, including ten letters he wrote to his father while serving in the War of Austrian Succession. Though only a few items relate to Germain's service at Minden, present are several letters written and received by Germain in Germany in 1759, and French and Indian War-era letters from politicians and military leaders such as Pitt, Temple, Holland, Mansfield, Bute, Newcastle, Charles Townshend, Grenville, and Ligonier. Of special interest are the letters of Lord Jeffery Amherst and General Wolfe's account of the fall of Louisbourg and the military in Canada. Germain held no high office between the French and Indian war and the American Revolution but he kept in close contact with Sir John Irwin, with whom he discussed politics and current events.

The bulk of the collection covers Germain's tenure as secretary of state to the colonies (1775-1782), and provides a thorough account of his public policy decision-making process. As American secretary, Germain maintained voluminous correspondence with ministers and officials in England, particularly secretaries of state Lord Suffolk and Lord Stormont, Undersecretary William Eden, and Solicitor General Alexander Wedderburn. Germain also received regular updates from Richard Cumberland, whom Germain sent to Madrid to negotiate peace with Spain.

As a key overseer of the British war effort, Germain had direct communication with the commanders-in-chief in America and their immediate subordinates, as well as with the naval commanders. Included are letters from Thomas Gage, William Howe, Richard Howe, John Burgoyne, Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, John Vaughan, Guy Carleton, and Frederick Haldimand. He communicated frequently with the British governors in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Florida, and with Governor Henry Hamilton at Detroit. As France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the war, much of his attention turned to naval action and trade (sugar and slaves) in the West Indies. He also dealt with the Carlisle peace commissioners, various merchants, and loyalists, such as Jonathan Boucher, physicist-adventurer Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. The series concludes with 58 undated letters, largely written during the Revolution.

• 1757: "Considerations on the present State of the Military Operations in North America"
• January 20, 1775: Thoughts on the Dispute between Great Britain and Her Colonies, by Brook Watson
• July 29, 1775: Report on the occupation of Charlestown Heights, written by William Howe
• August 20, 1775: Military report by General John Burgoyne
• October 18, 1775: An early "Constitution" created by the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, declaring independence and laying out the groundwork for a cooperative government among the colonies, containing 13 articles
• December 29, 1775: "Reflections on the Dispute with the Colonies by Apollos Morris," containing a history or empires and discussion of the problem
• [1775]: Report by John Shuttleworth on the British and American forces throughout North America: artillery, arms, and navy
• [1775]: "Advantages of lord Cornwallis's Expedition going rather to Chesapeake Bay than to the Carolinas," by Sir John Dalrymple
• January 12, 1776: Letter from Lord Ellibank who proposed returning Canada to the French as the most effective means of reducing the rest of our colonies
• January 17, 1776: Proposal for growing vegetables for the British troops in North America - radishes, red spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and potatoes etc.
• July 4, 1776: Contemporary manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence created for Germain
• August 10, 13, 1776: Reports on the campaign in New York from William Howe, stationed at Staten Island
• 1776: Peace commission instructions from Germain
• February 28, 1777: "Thoughts for conducting the War from the Side of Canada"
• March 18, 1777: "Political Remarks on the present state of affairs in respect to the Rebellion in America, and the danger of its involving us in a War in Europe"
• April 2, 1777: William Howe's 3rd plan of military operations in North America
• 1777: "A State of the Circumstances in Philadelphia"
• March 8, 1778: A description of Germain's southern strategy sent to Henry Clinton
• March 24, 1778: "Plan for taking of French and Spanish Islands," by John Drummond
• May [26], 1778: Extract from Burgoyne's speech to the House of Commons concerning the Battle of Saratoga
• August 24, 1778: British spy Dr. John Berkenhout's "Journal of an Excursion from New York to Philadelphia in the Year 1778," reporting on Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, and others
• February-July 1779: "A Short Journal and Remarks of Transactions, that happened at Grenada & other parts of the West Indies"
• March 31, 1779: Two copies of letters from George Washington to Henry Clinton, enclosed in Clinton to Germain, no. 46, April 2, 1779
• 1779: "Hints for the Management of an intended Enquiry: an assessment of the War with America," including reports on the state of the military and intelligence looking into Howe's decisions: such as "Why did he not attack Washington at Valley Forge" and "Why did he not pursue Washington's Army after the Defeat at Brandywine,” and General Grey's "evidence and opinions and extracts from Howe's letters used at the inquiry"
• March 8, 1780: "Sketch of a System by which the rebellious Colonies in America might be reduced to Obedience in two Campaigns, which offers a strategic plan for engaging the rebels"
• July 25, 1780: Extracts from General Horatio Gates' orderly book, headquarters at Buffalo Ford July 25-August 15, with details on divisions from Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia
• August 10, 1780: Petition from Ethan Allen and others from Vermont, concerning their unhappiness with the Continental Congress and their desire to form an independent British province, by John Griffiths
• August 21, 1780: Reports from General Charles Cornwallis on the victory at Charleston and the Battle of Hanging Rock
• October 1780: Copy of a letter by Alexander Hamilton discussing and describing the capture and trial of John André, and Arnold and Washington's involvement in the incident
• October 1781: Reports on the battle and surrender of Yorktown and the siege of Chesapeake Bay
• January 13 and 15, 24, 1782: Letters from Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson, A New Hampshire Loyalist in the British cavalry, stationed in South Carolina, describing fighting at the end of the war

The Secret Military Dispatches volume (429 pages) is comprised of 246 secret dispatches and orders sent by Germain to political and military leaders between 1775 and 1782. In these, Germain discussed military strategy for the British army and navy in America and the West Indies with Henry Clinton, John Dalling, John Grant, Frederick Haldimand, John Vaughan, and the Lords of the Admiralty, among other officers and governors. One letter is housed separately in Volume 23, a retained copy of George Germain's letter to William Howe, January 5, 1776.

The Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Pownall, and Samuel Cooper letter book (296 pages) contains copies of 68 letters from Benjamin Franklin, Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Pownall, and Reverend Samuel Cooper of Boston. These communicate both British and American points of view of the developing unrest in the colonies between 1769 and 1774. Throughout the volume, Franklin and Pownall wrote from London while Cooper wrote from Boston; each voiced their unique perspective on political and civil conflicts between England and America.

The Undated Reports series (39 items) consists of undated documents found in Germain's papers relating to trade, customs, government finances, Irish policies, military strategy proposals, assessments on the outcome of military engagements, conditions on the ground in various colonies, the state of West Indian islands, and the role of the French and Spanish in the American Revolution.

The Supplements series (40 items) is comprised of documents submitted to Germain to keep him informed about the conditions and developments of the American conflict. Many contain added commentary aimed to inform and influence his decision-making. The documents include reports and compiled summaries of correspondence and military dispatches related to operations throughout North America.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids: The Subject Index and Contributor List provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the Correspondence and Documents series (Volumes 1-16). This index also contains a list of contributors. The Volume Guide includes notes on the contents for 22 volumes in the collection. The Guide to Volumes 17-21 provides lists of the documents in each of these volumes.

The papers of George Townshend, 4th Viscount and 1st Marquis Townshend, particularly concerning his lord lieutenancy of Ireland.

The collection contains 127 letters and 7 letterbooks, covering the years 1649 to 1848, with the bulk concentrated around 1767-1772. The materials relate almost entirely to Townshend's career as lord lieutenant of Ireland.

The Correspondence series primarily contains Townshend's incoming correspondence for the 1760s and 1770s, with a small number of outgoing items written by Townshend. Letters concern Townshend's political career, the politics of Ireland, the Seven Years War, political patronage, and Townshend's social and family life. While sailing to North America in the spring of 1759, Townshend wrote some of the earliest letters in the collection to his wife Charlotte; in these he described the voyage and his shipmates. On February 18, 1759, he mentioned acquainting himself with a French pilot on the deck of the HMS Neptune, and wished that his young son George could see the assemblage of ships at Plymouth. Other early letters relate to his career in Parliament, including a bill to expand the militia, which he strongly supported (May 11, 1765).

During 1767 to 1772, the years in which Townshend served as lord-lieutenant of Ireland, the bulk of letters concern Irish politics, political patronage, and Townshend's social life in Dublin. One frequent topic was the augmentation of the army in Ireland, which Townshend advocated as a way to standardize the size of British and Irish regiments. The collection includes the comments of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, on the subject (March 14, 1768), as well as those of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Earl of Grafton (October 18, 1768). Also present is Lord Frederick North's discussion of another of Townshend's undertakings, the division of the Irish Board of Revenue into two boards of excise and customs (January 3, 1771), and Shelburne's comments on a bill to enable Catholics to lend money to Protestants (May 7, 1768).

In addition to references to these political issues, the Correspondence series contains numerous mentions of patronage as well as payments made to several Irish politicians. On January 16, 1768, Shelburne wrote to Townshend, acknowledging his "secret and confidential" letters and recommended offering a "certain Salary" to the lord chief justice of the Kings Bench in Ireland. He also noted, "In regard of the Bill for Appointing The Judges during good Behaviour, I can add nothing more to what I have already said on that Subject to your Excellency." Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquis Bath, noted in a letter that "other Opportunities must be found, as soon as possible, for providing for some of the most eminent of those Gentlemen who so honorably supported Government the last Session of Parliament" (July 8, 1769). In addition, Townshend received frequent requests from friends and acquaintances for favors and minor roles in the government. This includes a request by a Henrietta Macartney that Townshend confer on her younger brother "any small place of about four hundred pounds a year" (February 11, 1768), as well as a request for a favor from William Barrington for a friend's son. Occasional bits of Irish news, letters concerning family matters (including the death of Townshend's wife in August 1770), and remarks about Townshend's departure from Ireland in late 1772 are also part of this series. On this last topic, Richard Jackson wrote, that the exit must provide "agreeable Relief to you from the long Fatigue and Trouble of a painful Preeminence in this Country" (September 4, 1772).

The Letter Books series contains 7 letter books covering 1767-1772. The original numbering of volumes 1-7 has been kept despite some overlapping dates. The letter books consist of George Townshend's outgoing letters to various recipients, including, among many others, William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington; Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton; William Petty-FitzMaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784); Frederick North, Lord North; and John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Several early letters contain references to the death his younger brother, Charles, in August 1767, and the family's grief over the loss. However, most letters relate to politics, patronage and appointments, and Townshend's activities as the lord-lieutenant of Ireland. In letters to his colleagues, Townshend wrote candidly about many topics, including the filling of political vacancies, conditions in Ireland, and his agenda for augmenting the army in Ireland and reorganizing the Irish Board of Revenue. In a letter of November 28, 1768 (Volume 1), he wrote to Grafton, "With respect to Ireland it is true Sir that Preferments in the Church since I have been here, have gone chiefly and in unnatural Proportion to the Natives." To Lord Frederick Campbell, he wrote about the Irish poor: "The emancipating the poor Irish Peasants from the savage Oppressive Landlords…will have a very salutary effect both upon the Service of the Crown & the prosperity of the Kingdom." ([January 1769] Volume 1, page 337). The letterbooks provide a wealth of information on the various positions taken by Townshend, as well as the duties required of him as lord-lieutenant.

The Gibbs family papers consist primarily of copies of 17th century documents relating to early colonial history. Also important is a collection of courtship letters, a set of diaries, and a genealogical tract.

The Gibbs family papers are a heterogeneous collection consisting largely of copies of 17th century documents apparently made by William Gibbs (b. 1785) in the 1820s when studying the early colonial history of Essex County, Mass. Most of the documents relate to Cape Ann and the towns of Salem, Lynn, and Beverly, and include a number of items pertaining to the sale or grant of lands by Massachusett Indians to English settlers. Several are copies of depositions taken from elderly Native Americans between 1680 and 1700, documenting their recollections of the earliest land transactions, borders between towns, and the etymology and Massachusett names for rivers and other geographic features. The collection also includes copies of two letters written by William Gilbert, who bears an uncertain relation to the Gibbs, to his grandparents in England. In the first of these, Gibbs provides an excellent description of the destruction wreaked upon the towns of eastern Massachusetts during King Philip's War, and the in the second, he writes of being afraid to return home to England due to the depredations of "Turks" upon "richly Loaden" American shipping.

Among the more important materials in the Gibbs papers are Henry Gibbs' (1709-1759) copies of 21 of his 27 courtship letters to his first wife, Margaret Fitch, written between December 27th, 1737 and December 19th, 1738 (the first of the letters preserved is numbered "6", and they continue in unbroken succession until one month before the couple was married). These letters provide an intimate view of the initiation and pursuit of a relationship between members of two of Salem's elite families. From the beginning, the letters are familiar, affectionate, even flirtatious, becoming ever more so over the course of the year. "I ought to look upon myself as somewhat unreasonable in my desires," he wrote in letter no. 8 (the third preserved), "when ye more I am with you, ye more Covetous I am of being so, & yt it is with regrett yt I am even now at a distance from you: however, I can't but regard it as a sure presage yt (if ever it be my happy Lott to live with you) your Company will alwaies be a Source of ye most pleasing entertainment & Delight to me." Elsewhere (letter 10), he wrote "When I mention ye friendship I have for you, I am far from confining it to a cold, Stoical Approbation of ye good qualities I think you possessed of, but include in it all yt is meant by Love considered as an Affection of ye Soul. Tis this tender passion joined with that regard & esteem which reason and judgement approve of, yt is ye only foundation of ye pleasure yt is ever found in Friendship." In this correspondence, Henry eloquently describes weddings, a Quaker meeting he attended, the love lives of acquaintances, local gossip, and above all, often at considerable length, his ideas of love. At several crucial junctures in letter 16, Henry resorted to the use of a code to disguise passages dealing with an apparently embarrassing encounter with a newly married friend. The letters are a rich source for the study of views of love and marriage among the upper classes in colonial Massachusetts.

A second important set of items in the Gibbs Papers are the diaries of Henry Gibbs (1749-1794) written between April 14th, 1789 and May 17th, 1793 (with some gaps). Gibbs' diaries are filled with deeply religious sentiments, fretting over the state of his soul and of the world, but contain numerous references to secular events, and moving discussions of sickness in the family, death, and other major life crises.

William Gibbs (b. 1785) was the author of a genealogical tract, Family notices collected by William Gibbs, of Lexington, Mass. (Lexington, Mass., 1845), and each of the first three Henry Gibbs is included in John L. Sibley's biographies of Harvard graduates.

The Graham family papers contain an assortment of letters, documents, and diaries relating to John Graham, Sr., and Jr., and to Sylvester Graham. Each man was a prominent physician and minister, though Sylvester was the more famous of the two for his Grahamite philosophy. The papers of John Graham, Jr., document his role in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

The Graham Family Papers contain 96 letters, 12 diaries and journals, 11 documents, 3 printed items, 59 miscellaneous writings, 7 genealogical items, and 8 newspaper clippings, relating to John Graham, Sr., John Graham, Jr., and Sylvester Graham.

Items concerning John Graham, Sr., are a religious copybook, begun c. 1724; three printed items (A Platform of Church Discipline [1731], A Few Remarks on the Remarker [1760], and the Sermon at the Ordination of Mr. Bradner [1761]); two manuscript biographies; and 12 letters between his son, John, Jr., and him, written during the French and Indian War.

John Graham, Jr.'s life is well represented through letters, journals, and documents. The Correspondence series holds 32 letters written by and 2 received by Graham. The earliest items are materials from the time of his installment and ministry in West Suffield (8 letters and 5 other items, plus a manuscript record book of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and meetings at the 2nd Church of Christ) and his service in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Particularly interesting are the 12 letters (incoming from his father and outgoing to his wife) written while he was at Camp Half Moon and Fort Edwards; they provide details on one engagement with Indians, information on troop movements, camp life, and his duties as chaplain. The 4 letters and 50-page diary kept by Graham while he accompanied the 1st Regiment during the Siege of Havana in 1762 provide useful information of the military operations there. The Revolutionary War materials consist of 10 letters between 1767 and 1779, including 3 written to his son Narcissus, and 7 from his half-brother, Chauncey Graham, from Fishkill. Chauncey also contributed 10 letters dated before the Revolution. He mentioned “Brother Robert," who was a member of the General Assembly meeting in Poughkeepsie (March 11, 1778), and seeing General Washington pass before establishing new headquarters (September 22, 1777). On February 15, 1779, he wrote that he was confident that the time of subjugation by Great Britain is near an end.

The collection holds 8 diary and journal items relating to John Graham, Jr. One item is a small bound volume of manuscripts, sermons, and copied letters, 1756-1780, that were collected and annotated in 1877. The [1739] and 1776-1785 journal contains a 21-page, four-chapter essay "Upon the Image of God and Man " that analyses original sin and "The Impossibility of Man's Recovery. " The bulk of the book consists of brief entries, often only one sentence, some of which describe soldiers' general movements. The entry from October 30, 1781, records that intelligence reports have confirmed the surrender of Cornwallis to Washington at Yorktown. The item entitled "Chronology of John Graham" duplicates some of the content of the previous journal, including notes on family and local events and holidays (1777-1785), but contains additional dates and synopses of his grandfather's letters (1746-1782). Also included in this series are John Graham's diary and religious notes (1749-1792), and a published book of extracts from his 1762 journal, published in 1896.

The Sylvester Graham material is very heterogeneous, with much relating to his lectures on health and the Bible. Of particular interest are the Sylvester Graham letters, which include: an 8-page letter to John Marshall on philosophy and politics (January 9, 1830), a 10-page letter to Henry Clay (1847) on politics and the presidential elections, a letter to the Citizens of Northampton (1850) outlining his personal history and reasons for leaving the city, and two letters relating to Graham's work with the American Sunday School Union. Among other items are letters from T. D. Weld, and Francis Condie, and 12 letters from attendees at Graham's lectures (1831-1844 and 1 undated).

The Writings Series holds 59 items from Sylvester including chapters from his book on Biblical Chronology, essays on American History, tea, coffee, opium, wines, experimental diets, the history of medicine, fruits and flowers, and a Fourth of July address, probably delivered by Graham.

The Documents Series (9 items) contains Reverend John Graham’s commissions as chaplain in the Connecticut State Militia, dated April 5, 1756, March 15, 1762, and October 14, 1777; John Graham, Sr.'s power of attorney (1756); Sylvester Graham's declaration of membership into the Vegetarian Society; and the marriage certificate for Sylvester Graham and Sarah M. Earl.

The Genealogy series (7 items) contains a 47-page biography of John Graham, Jr., written by Sylvester Graham, along with miscellaneous genealogy notes covering all three generations of Grahams.

Newspaper Clippings and Miscellaneous series (8 items) contains 3 newspaper clippings, a small metal button, an empty envelope, 2 auction descriptions of part of the collection, and a 9-page booklet entitled "The Direful Epidemick: A Loose Pindaric By Reubin Kitzinwinger Esqr."