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Collection

James McHenry papers, 1777-1832

3 linear feet

The James McHenry papers contain correspondence and documents related to the political career of James McHenry. The majority of the materials pertain to his tenure as Secretary of War from 1796 to 1800. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a full list of letter-writers in the James McHenry papers: James McHenry Contributor List.

The James McHenry papers contain over 800 items related the life and career of James McHenry. Included in the materials are approximately 670 letters and 106 documents, primarily related to McHenry's political career, as well as financial records and miscellaneous documents, including poetry and genealogical materials. The majority of the correspondence and documents are drafts or retained manuscript copies.

The Correspondence and Documents series spans 1777-1832, with the bulk of materials concentrated around 1796 to 1803. The first box of the collection contains documents and correspondence related to McHenry's service in the Revolutionary War, including correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. The materials include a draft of a letter to British general Henry Clinton regarding his military failures, written in McHenry's hand but signed "Z" (October 26, 1779), as well as a copy of a letter allegedly written by Clinton to Lord George Germain, which McHenry sent to Samuel Louden of the New York Packet to be published (March 24, 1780). The postwar materials in the collection pertain to McHenry's tenure as a Maryland statesman. Along with documents related to McHenry's political career during those years is a letter dated August 13, 1794, which relates news of the massacre of French colonists at Fort Dauphin in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), led by Jean-François, an important figure in the Haitian Revolution.

The bulk of the collection, representing 1796 to 1803, documents McHenry's tenure as secretary of war under presidents Washington and Adams. The correspondence and documents relate to military structures, provisions, international relations, treaties, politics, and relations with Native American tribes. The collection contains frequent correspondence with other cabinet members and politicians, including Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott as well as President George Washington, John Adams, and the Marquis de Lafayette. McHenry served as secretary of war during the Quasi-War with France and, as a staunch Federalist, favored positive relations with Britain over France. A large portion of the correspondence during this period relates to the ongoing feud with that country. A letter from James Winchester to McHenry describes the suspicion with which the Federalists regarded Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans, who favored closer relations with France: "…tho' they will not openly shew at this time their predilection for France, they will discover it in the first calamitous event which may happen to our Country. Depend on it they are not to be trusted. I speak of the party here" (April 18, 1789). Several months later McHenry wrote in an unaddressed letter draft that he believed the President should recommend a declaration of war with France to Congress. He also expressed his concerns over "a faction within the country constantly on the watch and ready to seize upon every act of the Executive which may be converted into an engine to disaffect the people to the government" (November 25, 1798).

In addition to national and international politics, many of the items relate to U.S. relations with Native American tribes, including the Creek, Chickasaw, and Miami. The materials frequently concern attempts to maintain peace and create treaties with the tribes, as well as to prevent them from giving their loyalty to other countries, such as Britain, France, or Spain. Box 2 contains a copy of a "Talk of the Chickasaw Chiefs at the Bluffs represented by Wolf's Friend, Ugalayacabé" regarding the tribe's concerns about the Americans: "Tell me if I may return to my Nation to appease the tumult of their minds. Shall I tell them the talk of the Americans is falsehood? Shall I assure our warriors our children and our women that your flag will always wave over our land, or tell them to prepare to die?" [1797]. This box also contains a small series of letters from General Anthony Wayne, written from his headquarters in Detroit, where he was stationed before his death, after successfully leading U.S. troops in the Northwest Indian War (August 29 to October 3, 1796). After the war, Miami Chief Little Turtle, became a proponent of friendly relations with the Americans. McHenry wrote to him upon his resignation as secretary of war, thanking him for his friendship: "…I shall carry with me the remembrance of your fidelity, your good sense, your honest regard for your own people, your sensibility and eloquent discourse in their favour, and what is precious to me as an individual, a belief that I shall always retain your friendship" (May 30, 1800). Other documents include an extract of a letter from Major Thomas Cushing to Brigadier General James Wilkinson, writing that he had given gifts to the Native Americans in order to prevent them from siding with the Spanish at New Orleans, who were attempting to win their favor (February 15, 1800).

Boxes 6 through 8 contain correspondence and documents written after McHenry's resignation as secretary of war at the end of May 1800. Though he retired from politics, his letters document that he maintained a keen interest in domestic and international issues. Senator Uriah Tracy wrote regular letters to McHenry in February 1801, keeping him up-to-date on the daily events regarding the presidential election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. After the election, McHenry wrote a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands William Vans Murray, in which he discussed the election and why public opinion had shifted from the Federalists to Jefferson: "I still am of opinion, that we should have gained nothing by the election of Mr. Burr, could it have been accomplished by federal means. The general sentiment is so strong and ardent for Mr. Jefferson, that experience alone can correct it" (February 23, 1801). This section of correspondence also contains a draft of a letter to the speaker of the House of Representatives containing McHenry's defense against charges brought against him regarding disbursements while secretary of war (December 22, 1802), as well as his opinions of current political happenings, including the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the Embargo Act of 1807. Several of the letters written during this period also relate to McHenry's low opinion of John Adams, who forced him out of office. In a series of letters exchanged by McHenry and Oliver Wolcott in 1800, McHenry described his anger regarding Adams, and expressed regret that Adams remained in office after George Washington left. Over ten years later, McHenry wrote a letter to Timothy Pickering, responding to a series of memoirs Adams had printed in the Boston Patriot . He accused Adams of making significant errors and misrepresentations, and mused, "How many recollections have these puerile letters awakened. Still in his own opinion, the greatest man of the age. I see he will carry with him to the grave, his vanity, his weaknesses and follies, specimens of which we have so often witnessed and always endeavored to veil from the public" (February 23, 1811).

The Bound Items series consists of a diary, a published book of letters, a book of U.S. Army regulations, an account book, and a book of poetry. McHenry kept the diary from June 18 to July 24, 1778, beginning it at Valley Forge. It contains accounts of daily events, intelligence, orders, the Battle of Monmouth, and the march of Washington's army to White Plains, New York. The 1931 book, entitled Letters of James McHenry to Governor Thomas Sim Lee is the correspondence written by James McHenry to Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee during the 1781 Yorktown Campaign. The book of army regulations spans ca. 1797-1798, while the account book covers 1816-1824. The book of poetry is handwritten but undated and unsigned.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a full list of letter-writers in the James McHenry papers: James McHenry Contributor List.

Collection

James V. Mansfield papers, 1844-1928 (majority within 1859-1883)

8.5 linear feet

The papers of spiritualist and writing medium James V. Mansfield (1817-1899) are made up of correspondence, diaries, client record books, testimonials, documents, photographs, printed items, printing blocks and plates, writings, artwork, ephemera, and other materials, largely dating between 1859 and 1883. Mansfield was a prolific writer and careful observer, who shared details on working as a spiritualist in San Francisco, California, between 1862 and 1864, and in New York after the American Civil War through the early 1880s. He reported and reflected on everyday life, cultural topics, social and political happenings, spiritualists and spiritualism, religion, personal and professional financial matters, business and trade, physical surroundings, scenery, and more. His voluminous writings include over 21,400 pages of letters; around 780 pages of diary entries between 1866 and 1871; 21 client record books and ledgers; and additional writings. Also included are client and spirit communications, and letters of J. V. Mansfield's spouse Mary Hopkinson Mansfield and son John W. Mansfield, largely between the 1850s and 1910s.

The papers of spiritualist and writing medium James V. Mansfield (1817-1899) are made up of correspondence, diaries, client record books, testimonials, documents, photographs, printed items, printing blocks and plates, writings, artwork, ephemera, and other materials, largely dating between 1859 and 1883. Mansfield was a prolific writer and careful observer, who shared details on working as a spiritualist in San Francisco, California, between 1862 and 1864, and in New York after the American Civil War through the early 1880s. He reported and reflected on everyday life, cultural topics, social and political happenings, spiritualists and spiritualism, religion, personal and professional financial matters, business and trade, physical surroundings, scenery, and more.

Mansfield's voluminous writings include 11,903 pages of letters home to his wife and children while living in San Francisco between 1862 and 1864; 8,819 pages of letters from New York City (largely to his son J. W. Mansfield) between 1871 and 1882; around 780 pages of diary entries between 1866 and 1871; 21 client record books and ledgers; and more. Also included are client and spirit communications, letters of seamstress Mary Hopkinson Mansfield and artist John W. Mansfield largely between the 1850s and 1910s, photographs, prints, advertisements, printing blocks, artwork on paper, testimonials, documents, and much more.

The Correspondence Series is comprised of 35 letterbooks containing 11,903 pages of letters by James V. Mansfield from San Francisco, California, to his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, between 1862 and 1864. In addition, between 1844 and 1928, 219 letters were exchanged between James V. Mansfield, his spouse Mary Hopkinson Mansfield, his son John Worthington Mansfield, and others. The bulk of these are 126 letters (8,819 pages) by James V. Mansfield from New York City, largely to his son John W. Mansfield between 1871 and 1882. Also present are 50 letters and communications from J. V. Mansfield's clients and spirits between 1856 and 1887; and a group of 43 letters, copied extracts, and reflections collected by Mary H. Mansfield about her husband's spiritualist services between 1858 and 1882.

Letterbooks by James V. Mansfield, San Francisco, California, 1862-1864.

James V. Mansfield wrote 11,903 pages of journal-like letters to his spouse and children, while he was in San Francisco, California, between 1862 and 1864. These letters were written in 35 bound volumes with paper covers. Mansfield appears to have sent the letterbooks to his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, as his spouse Mary H. Mansfield marked the dates she received them. In the first letter, beginning on Monday, March 7, 1862, J. V. Mansfield recounted his journey from New York City to San Francisco, California. He traveled aboard the ship North Star until he reached the Isthmus of Panama, and then continued the rest of his journey on the Sonora. He described the deplorable conditions on the overly crowded ships, including shortages of food and clean drinking water, and flea and bedbug infestations in the sleeping quarters. He also reported his first impressions of San Francisco, such as the general appearance and attitudes of the people, as well as the climate and geography.

His correspondence illuminates the social conditions and cultural life of San Francisco. Mansfield described the diverse array of people he encountered, social attitudes, and ethnic and nationalist tensions. In addition to indigenous peoples of California, immigrants from Mexico, China, Ireland, and Germany were all living in the city in substantial numbers. Those from China and Ireland comprised the largest immigrant groups that he observed. Many people had also traveled from the East Coast or the southern states to San Francisco. Some of these newcomers found work as miners or servants. Like Mansfield, many New Englanders came to California with the intention of staying only for a short period of time before returning home.

Although San Francisco was far removed from the operations of the Civil War, the people felt the impact of Confederate and Union victories and defeats. J. V. Mansfield was deeply concerned by the war and recorded his impressions of the news of battles as was reported in San Francisco. Mansfield witnessed discrimination against African Americans and frequently encountered anti-Union sentiments. He noted, for example, "...they will not for a long time submit to allow the colored man or woman the same rights, same privileges as they themselves claim a Strong Southern feeling is Evident on the face of things here" (volume 25:224). He related examples of African Americans being barred from privileges the white people enjoyed, such as not being able to ride on steam engines and in horse carriages. One such case was brought before a municipal judge, who decided in favor of the persons of African descent, granting them the right to use public transportation.

Mansfield observed vast differences between New Englanders and the people in California. Of the latter he wrote, "...they are a hard set of people driving on from 4. O.clock in the morning till 10 or 12. O.clock at night, their general appearance is of Brown Complexion long hair, long whiskers, and not more than one in 4 Ever shave; so you can imagine what for a looking people they are and all invariably Chew & Smoke Tobaco, & drink the meanest Kind of Whiskey. Consequently they swear much and their word is not usually worth a fig either, under or with out oath" (volume 14:115-116). Throughout the letters, he gave a substantial amount of commentary on the indigenous peoples of California and of Native Americans in general, of whom his opinion was not high. He thought Native Americans deliberately interfered with mail sent overland, especially when he had not received his wife's letters: "...the mails are to be conveyed by steam and not overland -- you see the trouble the Indians gave the mail carriers..." (volume 1:16-17). He did recognize the atrocities white people committed against them, and later believed that Native Americans were not at fault for poor mail service.

James Mansfield also provided substantive commentary on sex and gender, noting differences between women on the East Coast and in San Francisco, especially in terms of appearance and dress. He wrote about feminine beauty and was quick to note the physical aspects of women he encountered, and whether or not they were sufficiently attractive in his view. He described women from different ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese and Irish immigrant women. A number of the former worked as prostitutes, while the latter were overwhelmingly employed as servants. In several instances, he remarked on the hard life these women endured, especially those who worked as domestic servants. He also noted differences between the ways in which "Western" and "Eastern" women were treated, especially after noticing public displays of subservience among Chinese women.

J. V. Mansfield provided significant commentary on San Francisco marketplaces. He found a variety of foods that he had not seen before, or at least in such abundance. The overwhelming plentitude of fruits of all kinds included strawberries, cherries, apples, pineapples, bananas, figs, peaches, mangoes, pears, grapes, oranges, and watermelon. He also related what he ate for his daily meals and the prices of food. Wine was widely available, which "they drink here as they would water in the East" (volume 13:83). Mansfield periodically visited his brother and sister-in-law, Jera (1825-1896) and Ellen G. Estabrook Mansfield (1836-1917), who had moved to Napa several years before his arrival. There, they planted a vineyard, where Mansfield was first exposed to the blossoming wine culture in California.

J. V. Mansfield became acquainted with prominent people in San Francisco. The one who perhaps had the greatest influence on him was the preacher Thomas Starr King (1824-1864). Mansfield dutifully attended King's sermons every Sunday, and wrote about him profusely, including his impact on the city. He considered King to be one of the greatest minds of the 19th century. When King died on March 4, 1864, the city mourned, including Mansfield. Shortly after his death he wrote, "How lovely the Sabbath morning appears to those who were wont to attend Thos Starr King's meeting there is no use his departure has created a vacuum that cannot be filled in the minds in the hearts of this people--The Bell Tolls now for church service, but it has lost its charm for me. it seems like tolling for the funeral requiem of the great good man rather than an invitation to listen to his heavenly, soul stiring thoughts..." (volume 34: 509). With the exception of fellow spiritualist Emma Hardinge (1823-1899), Mansfield wrote of no other person with such admiration.

Spiritualism and the general religious community figured prominently in his correspondence. Although he referred to himself as the "notorious Spiritual Writing Medium" (volume 2:51), his being a public persona did not always guarantee financial success. He did procure enough business to send money to his family on a regular basis, via Wells Fargo and Company. Mansfield often gave detailed accounts of his séances, revealing the names and messages of the spirits. He described a variety of individuals who came to him to communicate with the deceased, some wanting advice, others seeking comfort in the wake of the death of a loved one. Publicly prominent people also wished to utilize his talents, including Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882). He wrote spirit communications in different languages and alphabets, most of which he claimed to not know. He frequently spoke of other mediums, especially Emma Hardinge, the eminent clairvoyant and public speaker. After much encouragement, Mansfield convinced her to travel to San Francisco, thinking her talents would earn her great success. Once in California, Hardinge's lectures attracted sizeable crowds that rivaled those of Thomas Starr King.

Chronological Correspondence, James V. Mansfield's letters from New York City, etc., 1844-1928.

The chronological correspondence is made up of 219 items dating from 1844 to 1928, and they are largely addressed to John W. Mansfield from his father James V. Mansfield. Other members of the Mansfield and Hopkinson family also contributed and received letters, including James' sister-in-law Ellen "Nellie" Mansfield, who resided in Napa Valley, California, and Mary Hopkinson Mansfield's family in Salem, Vermont.

The substantial portion is 126 letters (8,819 pages) by James V. Mansfield from New York City, largely to his son John W. Mansfield between 1871 and 1882 (bulk 1871-1877). Some of them have appended letters by John's mother and sister. They provide a vivid account of Mansfield's time in New York City, and of his travels to Burlington, Iowa; Chicago and Quincy, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Boston, Massachusetts; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Derby and Salem, Vermont. James V., Mary H., Mary G., and John W. Mansfield each contributed their perspectives in the letters, revealing much about the family's lives and activities.

J. V. Mansfield typically began his journal-like letters with a description of his previous letter, providing variably the number of pages he wrote, the date posted, postage rates, steamship names and routes, and the expected arrival time to Europe. Each letter, many spanning two weeks and reaching over 100 pages, often contained various enclosures such as documents, envelopes, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and postage stamps.

At the time of his earliest letter to his son John in Europe, J. V. Mansfield resided at 361 Sixth Ave, New York. The father wrote detailed observations about the city, the United States, and Europe. His correspondence covers a wide range of subjects, touching on economics, market trends and prices, healthcare, homeopathic medicine, politics, bank exchange rates (typically sending to his son via John Monroe & Co. at No. 8, Wall Street), current cases in the New York courts, post office systems, religion (Baptists, Shakers, Quakers, Catholics, Methodists, Evangelicalism, Sectarians), Spiritualism and Spiritualists, and a wealth of details about everyday life.

James V. Mansfield wrote extensively about Spiritualism, his work as a writing medium, other Spiritualists, and the place of Spiritualism in his own worldview. Interacting with clients was often an every-day experience for Mansfield and he commonly wrote about the individuals who sent him letters or came into his parlor for a sitting/séance. He included their names, where they wrote from, the spirits they sought to contact, the reasons clients sought him out, and sometimes whether or not the contact was successful. Mansfield wrote, "One man asks, Had he better move West. Another asks, shall he sell His property or Keep it for a rise. Another wants his Father to tell Him what number in the Kentucky Lottery will be the Lucky one. another wishes to know If she will succeed in driving a mans wife away, & & [sic.] will he marry her. another, yesterday, asked me If I could tell, If She was then 3 months with child, as the Dutchman said 'mine Got vats a people'" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, page 43). One reflection on a client was about U.S. Vice President Henry Wilson, who had visited him on August 14, 1875, to communicate with the spirits of his wife Harriet Howe Wilson and son Henry Hamilton Wilson. Following V.P. Wilson's own death on November 22, 1875, Mansfield wrote:

"The hour of the Clock is now 4 P.M the Body of Henry Wilson has passed to the 42 Station Depo. the crowd on Broadway was immense, nearly as large as that of Abraham Lincolns Funeral while passing through New York. Well the great Man has passed into another sphere of Existence, an Existence of Conscious individuality, to day I have no doubt, but he is with His dear Wife Harriet Howe Wilson and His Son Col. Henry Hamilton Wilson both of which He Communicated with through my hand Augt/14/75 at Saratoga Springs N.Y. the great man wept tears of Joy, as he read endearing words from His wife and son." (letter beginning November 27, 1875, page 5).

J. V. Mansfield occasionally gave readings at public venues such as Republican Hall and the Masonic Temple. On, January 31, 1876, for example, Mansfield was requested to speak and perform spirit communications for members of the public. He wrote: "Last Evening I gave a public seance at Republican Hall 33d Street, the Hall was packed to its fullest capacity, I put into the Society hands 110$, I gave 32 tests in a promiscuous Audience, without writing Simply Calling out those I see in the audience I have never before given more then 29 of an Eve" (letter beginning February 1, 1876, page 16).

Mansfield described the state of spiritualism in New York throughout his letters. He wrote, for example, "Notwithstanding, spiritualism /ie/ modern spiritualism was born in the state of New York, perhaps there is no state in the United States that pays less attention to the subject than N.Y. state. In the City of New York there is said to be ten thousand spiritualists and among them all, it is difficult to Raise sufficient means from the crowd to pay the Sunday speakers say nothing about paying expenses of the Halls" (letter beginning March 7, 1874, page 17). Another example passage is: "Spiritualism has yet to have its trials, at the present time the Spiritualists of America have no recognized system of religious worship--unless it be to be at war with Every other ism that does not accept its ism they boast of these 40 000 000 of believers, and when assailed by sectarian church order, there is not over about 15 persons in all New York City that can be found to Stand Battle, & they are so soon vanquished by Superior forces, that really the Spiritualists of New York, are not a drop, compared to the Quantity of water, in the Atlantic Ocean, with those they have to Contend with" (letter beginning October 20, 1875, pages 37-38).

In 1878, the Modern Spiritualists Society held a Thirtieth Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism gathering at Republican Hall, with speakers including a number of persons that are present throughout Mansfield's correspondence. Some of the spiritualist men and women mentioned in Mansfield's letters are his friend Emma Hardinge / Emma Hardinge Britten, Professor S. B. Brittan (i.e. Samuel Byron Brittan), J. J. Morse (i.e. James Johnson Morse), clairvoyant Dr. John Ballou Newbrough, trance medium Emma Jay Bullene, and others.

Spiritualism provided Mansfield with comfort when he struggled. He wrote, for example, "Was it not that I know the Spiritualists have the only rational demonstrated assurance of an after life, I would weigh anchor, where I am, & go ashore, and persue another course, rather than to Endure the tortures I am subjected to, in order to get along, and keep body and soul together. Out of the 13 hours waking moments I dare say I am thinking how will I be able to pay my way the next week, a continual perplexity of mind, a Longing to depart and if such there be rest for the weary, I hope to find it. I well appreciate the feelings, or the spirit that prompted the Psalmist to say & write, 'I would not live alway.'" [NB: Job 7:16, King James Version] (letter beginning October 20, 1875, pages 38-39).

Mansfield spent time writing about the practices of other mediums and offered skeptical and critical evaluations of spirit photography and materializations. He found most instances of the former to be deceptive. Mansfield reported, for example, that a petition from Paris, France, circulated at the Hall he attended. The signers were to be presented at the French legislation as an act of sympathy for a man in prison "for making bogus Photographs of departed spirits." Mansfield wrote, "I dare Say he will get many Signers, and it will be duly forwarded by Mr Andrew Jackson Davis to whomever the petition has been Confided. Generally I believe the man L. has been considered a tool in the hands of others who used them for bad purposes" (letter beginning January 31, 1876, page 19). He also described a "Lady Medium" in the city who held circles at her house at least three times a week and had hundreds in attendance. She claimed to materialize things like fresh produce from the spirit world to the physical world. Mansfield found her activities fraudulent, writing, "She plays upon them. She brings in a Basket of Potatoes, Beets, Turnips, Cabbages, Pumpkins and all such tricks, and pretends the spirits brought them in when In fact She had bought them not two hours before at the grocery not ten rods from her house this is why the world cries" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, page 41). He summarized:

"I have but little confidence in any materialization or Spirit Photography--I have seen so much of that which is called Spirit Manifestation, through Materialization, But I have My doubts of the genuineness of any that I have as yet Witnessed, there may be Some instances of the Materialization, of spirit, but I do not believe more then one in 20 passd of[f] as being real, is anything less then a fraud, I will not allow people to cram down my throat that does not appear Square & willing to be tried under test conditions they Exact it of me Every time, and I do not complain--" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, pages 39-40).

James V. Mansfield shared his medical issues and health practices with his son and other family, such as attacks of paralysis that he thought were likely caused from overtaxing his nervous system. He wrote of homeopathic remedies and daily self care, with a repeated emphasis on the importance of walking every day for longevity. He reflected on Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, who reportedly lived to the age of 109 [NB: Waldeck died on April 30, 1875]. He described the Baron as a marvelous artist when he was 104 years old, who had been intimate friends with Napoleon, and walked 3 full miles a day. Mansfield wrote, "Every day after he was 108 years old, How remarkable. Only think a man 40 years older than myself walking 3 miles Every day, & I am not able to walk 1/3 of that distance daily without grunting like an 'expiring cow' But it is all in habit, If I had accustomed myself to walking say one or two miles per day, I would have been quite another man, to day" (letter beginning May 1, 1875, page 5). Mansfield described the subject of health at length and the connections between the mind, body, and soul. Other health-related subjects include practicing physicians in the local community, sicknesses, stories of medical malpractice, health care experiences of groups diverse in age, gender, and ethnic background, and God's active role in the state of his health.

James V. Mansfield sent letters home while he traveled for business and health reasons, most notably on his trip to Saratoga Springs, Newport, and Long Island, in 1875, and his lengthier westward travel between June 1876 and July 1877. Mansfield's trip to Saratoga Springs began by connecting with an editor from a Saratoga paper (August 3, 1875). After arriving, he sent a letter home requesting handbills to be printed and sent to him. He also remarked that people in Saratoga Springs had not been exposed much to Spiritualism and felt as though they had a right to see him "about matters that appear so strange to them." He described clients such as Dr. John F. Gray, local businesses such as the Grand Union Hotel and the Stewart Store, and notable figures in the city, such as Vice President Henry Wilson, Governor Samuel J. Tilden, and Alexander Hamilton's three living sons. While there, Mansfield remarked on the direct effects of the weather on his business, citing no afternoon clients on account of lightening and rain: "My success depends upon fair weather, in a pecuniary way" (August 4, 1875). Toward the end of his trip, James wrote that he felt physically better but was anxious to know if he would have frequent callers when he arrived back home. Mary H. Mansfield wrote to James that she was on her way to Vermont; he wished he could have accompanied her but had to take care of business instead. He thought he might visit after her arrival.

Mansfield's westward trip of 1876-1877 consisted of travel from Chicago to Denver, Colorado, while spending time en route at Quincy, Illinois, and Burlington, Iowa. James reflected on the difficulty of finding inexpensive places to stay and shared rates of hotels, such as the Tremont House and the Grand Central Hotel. He documented prices paid for advertisements, meals, and necessities. While in Quincy, Illinois, his friends J. J. Morse and Mrs. Morse, invited him to their home for a meal. He wrote that the Morses sought a spiritual communication with their dear departed (letter beginning June 14, 1877, page 7). Persons Mansfield interacted with on this journey included the Brittans, the Morses, and Jacob M. Smith (former mayor of Quincy, Illinois). He corresponded at length with his wife Mary Hopkinson Mansfield and daughter Mary Gertrude "Gertie" Mansfield at this time, especially as Gertie worked toward divorcing her husband George W. Hayes. James expressed his ongoing fears that George would kidnap his grandson Albert "Bertie" Hayes out of spite. In multiple letters, he warned the family never to let Bertie out of their sight.

James V. Mansfield's letters of the 1870s and early 1880s provide an extraordinary volume of commentary on life in New York City and elsewhere. He wrote about everyday personal and social life, fixing his attention on a great many areas of interest such as Post-Office embezzlements, preparations for the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876, lectures and public speakers, murders and suicides, economics, market trends, costs and prices, medicines, illnesses, local doctors, mediums, politics, natural resources, foods and fruits in season, the sinking of the Harvest Queen, and much more.

A reader of James V. Mansfield's letters can follow the progression of a variety legal proceedings in the New York and other courts. Mansfield wrote his observations, views, and other commentary as cases developed. He remarked with some frequency on the direct effects of financial resources on the outcome of legal cases at a local and Federal level, as well as crushing disparities of wealth between employers and employees.

One case that involved a close friend was that of physician Addison C. Fletcher. Dr. Fletcher pioneered whiskey and tobacco stamps that were used by the United States Government without his permission, and he had a case in Washington, D.C., to dispute the alleged violation of his patent rights. J. V. Mansfield's letters were used as evidence to support Fletcher's claims, as Mansfield had written about the physician and his patent long before the legal battle began. The case was described by J. V. Mansfield from beginning to end. The physician borrowed money from friends and family to afford the legal expenses he incurred at the nation's capital but was unable to win his claim in court.

"Dr. A. C. Fletcher is yet at Washington. He is trying to Engineer his matters through Congress. But he find it hard work. those Congressmen must have money If you Expect any favor from them. the first Question from them is, are you worth or can you command large sum of money. If not then you have no Show, but if you tell them you Shall be well paid & can convince them of your ability & sincerity, they tell you, your case is Sure ‒" (letter beginning January 8, 1876, page 11).

J. V. Mansfield also followed the trial of Edward S. Stokes between 1873 and 1876. In 1873, he revealed that Josephine Mansfield, a distant cousin, played a central role in the feud between James Fisk, Jr., and Edward Stokes. By 1876, Mansfield reported that Stokes remained incarcerated at Sing Sing Prison. At the time, Josephine Mansfield (Josie) had failed to appear at a court hearing in New York City as requested, leading Mansfield to speculate that she was living elsewhere--but that she might return if Stokes were released. Mansfield pondered how the city's community would react to their reunion. He wrote: "If Edward S. S. gets out of Sing Sing & I dare Say he will, then I dare say Josie will be forth coming. But should they undertake to live together, unless they are Married, & Even then I doubt if they would dare live together in this City, & yet they may Popular Opinion or feeling of the inhabitants of this City no doubt has changed naturally since Stokes went into Prison" (letter beginning January 18, 1876, page 87). Ten days later, Mansfield again reflected on the contrast in treatment within the legal system for wealthy individuals like Stokes versus those less fortunate. He wrote, "The suit of Edward S Stokes has cost him and the family up to the time of Stokes' incarceration at Sing Sing 213 000. that is why Ed was not hanged by the neck five years ago. Had Edward Stokes and his Father have been poor people He never could have escaped death at his first trial" (letter beginning January 28, 1876, page 8).

Mansfield commented at length on the William "Boss" Tweed trials between 1871 and 1876. He again kept a close eye on the role of financial resources, noting that the judges presiding over the Tweed trial were susceptible to money's influence. For example, "Money is powerful. no use our judiciary are Milk and Water men when money stares them in the face . . . Let any common Laborer steal 100$ from the same till Tweed Has, and tried before the same Judges Tweed is to be tried before, they would get not less than 5 years Hard Labour in the States Prison. But the rich go unpunished" (letter beginning November 18, 1871, page 32).

Mansfield also shared with his family news he received from other correspondents and newspapers across the country. Following the arrival of The Telegram, Mansfield lamented the grim and fatal effects of poverty, illustrated by the high profits of the Big Bonanza Mine at Virginia City, Nevada, whose dividend was $1,700,000, while its "houseless employees" were paid $500. He provided two painful descriptions of out-of-work men committing suicide for want of resources, one of them murdering their wife and child so they would not suffer the results of destitution. "Unless there is a financial Change for the Better, & that very soon Hundreds of sensitive Men, and Women, will commit suicide, in this city, before next February, the pressure is to heavy, weak & sensitive minds cannot Endure the Burden" (letter beginning November 6, 1875, page 8).

James encouraged John W. Mansfield to return home for the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. He mentioned that the Railroad company had built a track to the Exhibition grounds for easier access to the city. He effused that many people from the South, West, and North, including foreigners, would visit New York and Philadelphia for the first time on account of the great event. In one letter, he wrote condescendingly about a group of 200 Native Americans that he called "Red Men of the forest" coming to Philadelphia. He opined on how amazed they must be at the building and infrastructure improvements made since the treaty with William Penn in 1682 (letter beginning January 18, 1876, pages 92-93).

J. V. Mansfield followed developments of women's rights activities in New York City. Of the First Congress of Women of the Association for the Advancement of Women, Mansfield wrote, "At the present time the strong Minded women are having a convention in this City. Among them is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Miss Maria Mitchell, Mary F Davis, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Elizabeth Churchill, Mrs. Livermore, Caroline A. Soule, Elizabeth B. Chase, Elizabeth Peabody, Julia Ward Howe, the Loverings, Mrs. Charlotte Beebe Wilbur, & others who takes up the club for woman Suffrage" (letter beginning October 11, 1873, page 70). Mansfield wrote on other social and political matters, such as Ulysses S. Grant and the Democratic party, particularly around the U.S. Presidential contest of 1876. Mansfield noted, for example, while he still believed Grant would run for a third term, "But Chas Francis Adams, will be the Strongest man the Republicans or the Democrats to Run against Grant But Grant has his foot firmly on the neck of the Democratic party, and he will keep it there, Bull Dog like, until he sees himself Master, of the Situation, Hitherto the Herald has been blowing against Grant and the 3d term. But as it Ever has before courted the popular, as well as the Stronger party, She now blows for Grant, feeling sure of his success" (letter beginning January 8, 1876, page 10). A few of the many public figures discussed by Mansfield were Charles O'Connor, Alexander T. Stewart, Henry Ward Beecher, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Wilson, Mary Todd Lincoln, Dr. Alexander Mott (son of Valentine Mott), Moody & Sankey, Cephas B. Lynn, Frederick William Evans, among many others. The Bonaparte family was discussed on several occasions, and Mansfield wrote that he possessed photographs of Louis Napoleon, Eugenie, and Prince Plon Plon, but only lithographs of "the great Napoleon."

The Clients and Spirit Communications Series is made up primarily of letters by individuals seeking James V. Mansfield's spiritualist services between 1856 and 1887. Some are requests for his services as a test medium, in once case specifically wanting an example of an answer and unbroken seal. Many were people with economic distress and personal struggles. Some wrote to Mansfield that they were unable to pay for spiritual services, citing illness or financial constraints. Mansfield handled letters containing no $3.00 payment within them ("Dead heads" as he called them) in different ways. Sometimes, he would provide spiritual services for free out of sympathy, and other times he would disregard the 'dead heads' and write how unjust it is for clients to expect services free of charge, especially as he was himself constantly under economic and sometimes physical distress. Nevertheless, Mansfield occasionally offered his services without charge, driven by the belief that his gifts of communicating with the spirits were bestowed upon him for a greater spiritual purpose and that his financial hardships on Earth were worth it for the assured afterlife.

These client letters originated from locations across the country, including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Maryland, Kansas, New Hampshire, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and elsewhere. One was in response to an 1876 advertisement placed in Voice of Angels.

The earliest client letter was sent by S. Chamberlin of Boston on April 14, 1856; Mansfield had supplied Chamberlain with a communication from his wife, and Chamberlain wrote back weighing his considerations for disbelieving or believing in spirit communications. D. H. Barlow wrote on July 3, 1860, asking for clarifications about the spirit of Mrs. Sherman (who he does not know) and a web of spirit contacts including his "Spirit Bride," five "Directing Spirits," and a "Guardian Spirit" (his mother). On August 1, 1876, a person without money wrote from New Era, Oregon, and asked for services because they were given strong impressions from the spirits the night before. (Mrs. Sirmantha E. Johns). On the back JVM wrote "Free".

Cora Metcalf of Knowlton, Wisconsin, wrote to J. V. Mansfield in 1876, asking him to try to communicate with Daniel Metcalf who was last seen with a Mr. Trewax; she hoped to discover whether or not her husband was in the spirit world. On September sixth of the same year, Nelson Martin of Baldwin City, Douglas County, Kansas, hoped that Mansfield could connect with an excellent physician in hopes of getting medical advice that would restore him. Martin could not pay currently, but if the locusts spared his crops he would be able to do so; Mansfield replied free of charge.

On November 2, 1887, T. Read noted that he received a reply from Mansfield stating that he could not get a response from the spirit--but that Mansfield neglected to send back his three dollars. Two seemingly contradictory letters include one by Otto Kunz, emotionally praising the response he received in Kurrantschrift (including a pasted-on clipping of two manuscript words in German, and a translation of Mansfield's German spirit writing into English); and a letter from J. P. Lehde at New Orleans, September 1, 1876, stating that Mansfield returned his sealed letter (which was in German) because the spirit was unable to manifest itself to the medium in that language.

This series also includes an undated manuscript poem by deceased Adah Isaacs Menken (her spirit through a writing medium).

The 43 Mary Mansfield Letters, Extracts, and Reflections are a collection of individuals' testimonials and newspaper clippings in which writers reflected on James V. Mansfield's mediumship. The bulk of them are in the hand of Mary H. Mansfield, copied from originals dating between 1858 and 1886. Many were solicited through advertisements seeking testimonials attesting to the validity of J. V. Mansfield's abilities. The Mansfields placed ads in spiritualist newspapers, including the Banner of Light, the Herald of Progress, and others. Some of the responses of former clients include copies of questions they had sealed within their letters to Mansfield, along with detailed accounts of how he accurately responded to their spiritual inquiries. Throughout the testimonials, authors emphasized that their letters remained sealed, and the confidentiality of their contents was preserved.

One letter from July 23, 1859, was originally written in the Banner of Light. It addressed an article in the Christian Register, which suggested that Mansfield's ability to respond to sealed letters was a result of the automatic action of the brain. The author of the testimonial refuted the article's claim and recounted an incident where Mansfield correctly answered a sealed letter written in Spanish, despite not understanding the language. The writer argued for the implausibility of attributing Mansfield's abilities to the automatic action of the brain, emphasizing instead the mysterious power of his mediumship.

Some of the testimonials are accompanied by newspaper clippings. One from September 1860, "Papers on Spirit Writings through J.V. Mansfield," featured N. B. Wolfe. Wolfe sent a sealed letter to Mansfield containing information about his departed friend and Mansfield accurately informed him of the friend's death, including the precise manner, place, and time. This extraordinary feat was described as surpassing mere psychometric or psychological powers and instead to Mansfield's spiritual gifts.

The Trial Testimony of James V. Mansfield is an 85-page manuscript containing the examination and cross-examination of Mansfield in the New York courts, October 15-16, 1878. The long-contested estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt was re-opened in September 1878, and eldest son William H. Vanderbilt claimed that, with the help of mediums, he connected with the spirit of his father--who informed him that he wanted William to inherit the entire estate. Because Cornelius Vanderbilt was a client of James Mansfield, he was ordered to take questions in court as a witness. In Mansfield's words: "I have been pressed here by the strong arm of the law unwillingly." Over the course of two days, Mansfield answered questions about times, places, circumstances, and contents of interactions with Cornelius Vanderbilt. He was forbidden to consult his client record books "memoranda books" while being asked about each interaction, requiring him to recall from memory details about letters from and meetings with the deceased Vanderbilt. Mansfield struggled at times to provide estimates; his frustration at not being able to look up accurate details was apparent.

Mansfield recalled that he first received a letter from Vanderbilt sometime before 1857, several more while Mansfield lived in Boston, and one while he lived in California. When Mansfield returned from the west and settled in New York City, he estimated that Vanderbilt visited in person around a dozen times between 1864 and 1875 (in New York City and at least once when at Saratoga Springs). The lawyer asked James V. Mansfield whether he and Vanderbilt discussed spiritualism. Mansfield responded "That is pretty much all that I converse upon any way. If people call, they call for that and nothing else. Consequently it would be that and nothing else." He was questioned about Cornelius Vanderbilt's handwriting and signature, and the process the men went through when at the office. Vanderbilt would sit across the table from Mansfield, and Vanderbilt would write out questions, fold the paper up, and pass it to Mansfield. The medium would place his left hand on it, channel the spirit or spirits (described in detail), and automatically write responses with his right hand. He would then read Vanderbilt the responses. According to Mansfield, Vanderbilt would typically open up the questions and say something like "I will show you whether they were relevant to the question."

Mansfield recalled that Cornelius Vanderbilt would ask questions like 'do you see me with Frank?' He would write to Tunis Egbert, saying 'please advise me for the best' and 'have you any word with charlotte?' As well questions to his mother, father, and wife, with questions like 'do my ways please you?' In at least one case he asked 'brother' about a kidney complaint. On one occasion, Vanderbilt asked Mansfield for his views on whether or not a literal Hell exists, and another time declared that spiritualism provided him with comfort. Mansfield stated clearly that he never met Vanderbilt with Charles Foster or Henry Slade, despite knowing those men well. Vanderbilt always paid the fee of $5.00, typically for an hour session; the charge was a flat one regardless of how long the session lasted, but Mansfield noted that Vanderbilt would pay more of his own volition when over a couple hours passed.

Several pages of the testimony relate to J. V. Mansfield's use of the professional title "Dr." The cross-examiner asked repeatedly, in different ways about his medical background and education. Dr. Mansfield stated that he had no medical training except through his own reading, but that he used the title on the grounds that "other people created me." When asked if Mansfield claimed to be a medical doctor or doctor of divinity, he replied "I do not claim anything; I leave that for the public to determine." Though he did not assume the professional title of Doctor, he justified the use of a business card printed "Dr. James V. Mansfield" because that title was given to him by the public.

One particularly cynical series of questions and answers pertained to the exact mechanism by which Mansfield received and delivered spirit communications as telegraphs and signals. The lawyer asked, for example, "Suppose the spirit wanted to telegraph the following sentence: 'Modern spiritualism is a humbug and a fraud'. What would be the telegraphic signals. Explain them?" He pressed Mansfield on issues such as whether or not spirits can be dishonest or whether spirits in Hell also communicate through him. Mansfield responded to questions about his views on Heaven, Hell, and posthumous rewards and punishments. In once instance, Mansfield emphasized that he had experience in front of large audiences "and pick out and tell through the audience who stands by the side of them--their spirit friends who have been departed for years, and give their names." The lawyer asked how he did it. Mansfield replied that he should come to his office and pay the fee.

James V. Mansfield's Diaries date from January 6, 1866-December 23, 1866, and December 24, 1866-March 17, 1871 (two volumes, each approximately 390 pages). Mansfield spent the bulk of these years in New York City. His diary entries range in length from a few lines to a full page (rarely are they more than a page long). J. V. Mansfield began these diaries after returning to the east coast from California and they more or less conclude around the time his son John left the U.S. for Europe. The topical content of Mansfield's diary entries is like that found in his personal correspondence. Most entries include remarks on or discussions about the weather. He regularly mentioned whether he received client callers or mail, sometimes specifying names of individuals and details about their cases. The callers mentioned in the diaries appear to match the entries in the client record book, though at least one visit in the diaries is not in the client records where expected: "Have had several paying callers to day. Among them a messenger from Washington from several of the Officials, asking certain advise touching matters of State. The report was telegraphed to the Executive Officer" (October 22, 1866).

He discussed his family's activities and milestones, such as his son John's entry into the National Academy of Design, his wife Mary's house-hunting activities, personal correspondence, and more. He reported on news from the Herald and other papers, and commented on social and political issues, leisure and entertainments, Spiritualism, Spiritualists, religious subjects, health, and medicine. A few examples include U.S. President Andrew Johnson's political policies and Reconstruction, the death of Winfield Scott, deaths in N.Y.C. from inadvertently poisoned flour, cholera, prominent public individuals, personal reflections on God and the heavens, crimes and executions, accidents and deaths, and theater and concert attendance (in at least one case listing the performers, in another commenting on Theodore Rustin in Medea). He remarked on the arrival of Swedenborgian Mr. Gurdin to the city, who sought German emigrants to the $100,000 worth of land he owned in Tennessee (October 11, 1866). The diarist regularly attended lectures of the First Spiritualist Society of New York at Dodsworth Hall (including presentations by Emma Hardinge and many others).

Mansfield sometimes provided anecdotes from his everyday life. On awakening the morning of September 14, 1866, Mansfield noted in the margin "Music from the spheres" and then wrote poetically about heavenly laughter from the "fairy lands" that blended from his spiritual dreams into the reality of the waking world--only to find that it was laughter of Mrs. Redman in the next rooms.

At this time, James Mansfield was optimistic about the Spiritualist movements. He wrote, "If increasing in numbers is progressing, then Spiritualism is most certainly progressing, and I go further in my statement, I tell them, that within the next 1/2 Century Spiritualism will swallow up all other isms, and it will be as common as natural for Spirits and Mortals to talk in this way as it is for mortals to talk with each other face to face" (October 19, 1866).

Once the diaries reach the later months of 1868, Mansfield's entries became more and more brief, occupying only a few lines, documenting the weather, mail, callers, and out of the ordinary events.

In the margins, Mansfield added manicules to indicate particularly significant lines or passages. Some direct the reader to interactions with publicly prominent individuals and others to meaningful events in his and his family's lives. A number of pages have creased corners, apparently all flagging entries in which Mansfield wrote about Dr. A. C. Fletcher. The endpapers of the diaries have pasted-in or laid in newspaper clippings and manuscripts, including some recipes and poetry.

The Writings series is made up of 13 items dating from the 19th century. The bulk is notes, essays, and reflections by John W. Mansfield. The topics include art and architecture (5 items: notebook on European architecture and art, and loose sheets with headers such as "Method of Enlargement and Reductions of Drawing," "Masters of Art and their Works," and "First Painting"); a 55-page story titled "La Navidad En Las Montañas"; and a 13-page essay with revisions titled "Son : What Troubles You?" The remaining six items include poetry (including "Night Thoughts," 1853), "Strike the Harp Gently" (with decorative capital lettering), a poem in a child's handwriting beginning "I am a cent...", a sheet bearing John Mansfield's name with Kanji letter above it, and two genealogical notes.

The collection includes Artwork and Illustrations [NB: The nine items in this series are distinct from the "Portraits and Photographs," "Prints," and "Framed Materials" sections of the collection, all of which also include artwork and illustrations]. This series includes:

  • A sketch for a battle scene, marked November 13, 1867.
  • A drawing of a woman carrying a child at a streetcorner, looking into an undertaker's window display of coffins (the most prominent being a child's coffin), marked November 10, 1867.
  • Rough or unfinished sketches of a fireplace, the exterior of the Hopkinson Inn (est. 1816), and an advertisement for tickets to an April 1860 play titled "My Farm in the West."
  • A small manuscript booklet showing different shield parts and designs, and what they are called (i.e. Dexter Chief, Chief, Sinister Chief, Honour Point, Fess Point, Nombrill Point; engrailed, invected, indented dancette, Per Bend Sinister, Per Saltire, Per Chevron, etc.).
  • An accomplished watercolor and paint illustration of the "Watch Wheel" Scotts coat of arms, "Reparabit Cornua Phoebe."
  • A small pen sketch of a bespectacled and mustachioed man's face, baring his teeth and looking very much like Theodore Roosevelt.
  • A scrapbook into which the owner (John Worthington Mansfield?) pasted cut-out engravings showing coats of arms, knights, early modern figures and statues, etc.

The Printed Items in the papers include two examples of James V. Mansfield's business cards (one a "Dr." Mansfield example); calling cards of John E. Drake and Charley Gunn; an advertisement for "Dr. Jas. V. Mansfield" at Saratoga Springs with séance and correspondence prices and a portrait of Mansfield; a heavy stock card "Robert Emmett's Last Speech. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then let my epitaph be written"; a printed envelope that originally contained flower seeds for Mansfield; newspaper clippings on art-related topics in France; and other fragments and notes.

One item is a printed exhibition flier for "Dubufe's Great Painting of The Prodigal Son. Now on Exhibition at the Leavitt Art Rooms, 817 Broadway, cor. 12th Street.", with marginal notes by John W. Mansfield. On the front page includes the 15th chapter of Luke, over which Mansfield wrote "All nonsense."

The series contains numerous copies of a printed May 16, 1883, circular by The American Spiritualist Alliance, seeking membership for the purposes of establishing a Library and Reading Room, and meeting space at a headquarters in New York. The circular is from President Nelson Cross, and applications should be directed to J. V. Mansfield.

This series includes three pamphlets:

  • Dr. D. Winder, Angels and Spirits from a Scriptural Standpoint : The mystery of modern "Spiritualism" Rationally and Historically explained, by the records and teaching of the Scriptures. Cincinnati, Ohio: s.n., [19th century].
  • Advertising pages with entries for various spiritualists, materialization and transfiguration mediums, magnetic healers, a physical and musical medium, medical clairvoyants, and more, most tied in some way to Onset, Massachusetts, and advertisers' presence at upcoming camp meetings. These pages are mutilated and missing text; they may have been extracted from a publication.
  • Thomas R. Hazard, Mediums and Mediumship. Boston: Colby & Rich, [1876?]. Cover and first 12 pages of this stab-sewn pamphlet are mutilated with some text loss.

James V. Mansfield's Client Record Books and Ledgers are made up of 21 volumes documenting business interactions with clients seeking spiritualist services from 1859-1882. Nineteen record books contain names of clients, where they were located, and the date requests were received and answered. Entries sometimes include information on the person(s) the client was trying to contact in the spirit world, but almost never Mansfield's spirit responses to client questions.

Mansfield's clients lived in areas across the United States, such as Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Maine, Indiana, New York (Buffalo, Brooklyn, New York City, etc.), Oregon, Missouri, Kansas, Delaware, California (some from Mission San José), and elsewhere. These men and women most often wished to contact deceased children, spouses, siblings, parents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and ancestors.

Some queries regarded connection with lost family members and friends, family dynamics, plans for the future, the workings of the spiritual sphere, the reunion of loved ones in the afterlife, relationship advice, attempts to find out whether or not someone had died, missing persons, health concerns and requests to deceased physicians for diagnoses, business and financial matters, clarification of wills, last words of the deceased, settlements of property, and other legal issues. Clients would sometimes simply ask their deceased family or friends questions such as "Are you happy?"

J. V. Mansfield identified clients sometimes as French, Italian, English, and German. He rarely noted religious affiliations, except occasionally "Quaker" or "Orthodox." He at times wrote down or sought out and pasted in newspaper clippings of biographical notes and obituaries related to the deceased. He sometimes noted the causes of death, with a number caused by railroad and carriage accidents. These client records were working documents that Mansfield did consult later, to make reference notes. In the 1859-1861 volume, for example, beside Mrs. E. Davis he wrote "See Book 42 Nov 9th/66."

In addition to the client record books are two alphabetic ledgers, one marked on the cover "From A to F" and the other "M to R," with content dating from December 24, 1860, to March 26, 1883. A printed J. V. Mansfield advertisement is pasted on the pastedown of the first volume. Only a portion of the first ledger contains entries by Mansfield, which are client interactions organized alphabetically by surname. They were drawn from the client record books that make up the rest of this series.

The "From A to F" volume includes brief entries, copying information in the client record books recording client, the person(s) they wished to contact, geography, and date of entry. An unusual entry is one undated entry falling between June 1 and June 5, 1868, of "Butler, Benja. F." seeking to contact family members, as well as several living and dead governmental and political figures: Amos and Abbott Lawrence, John and Elizabeth Wilson, Rufus Choate, Charles Sumner, Thaddeus Stevens, Salmon P. Chase, Abraham Lincoln, and John A. Andrews.

James V. Mansfield made some progress on ledger letters "A" and "B," but the project was apparently abandoned. The second volume is blank, with the exception of two pages of accounts by a currently unidentified individual in 1933.

The Portraits and Photographs series contains two daguerreotypes, three ambrotypes, two tintypes, one cabinet card, three cartes-de-visite, four other photos on paper, two glass plate negatives, and five silhouette and painted portraits. These are largely images of James V. Mansfield, Mary Hopkinson Mansfield, and the Mansfield family, along with two "spirit" photographs (one of a "spirit drawing" by the Andersons and the other of "father W W Worloch" of Albany). See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.

The James V. Mansfield and John W. Mansfield Printing Plates include 10 different steel (1) and copper (9) plates. They include three printing blocks for bust portraits of James V. Mansfield, and drypoint and mezzotint portraits of unidentified men by artist John W. Mansfield. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.

The collection's Prints include nine unique artistic works by John W. Mansfield in the 1880s, with between one and 16 variant prints of each. They include both drypoint and mezzotint prints. The subjects include a moonlit river, landscapes, portraits of unidentified men, and portraits of his father James V. Mansfield. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of the series.

The collection includes four Framed and Oversize items, including two printed broadside advertisements for James V. Mansfield and two portraits of J. V. Mansfield by his son John W. Mansfield--one a drypoint print and the other a large charcoal portrait based on a tintype photograph. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.

Collection

Latin America collection, 1518-1883 (majority within [18th-19th century])

57 volumes

Collection of bound and miscellaneous manuscripts relating to the history of Latin America between 1518 and 1882. These materials pertain to laws, religious doctrines, indigenous cultures and interactions with Europeans, city ordinances, land holdings, and other subjects. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created the following descriptions of each volume in the collection: Latin America Collection: Volume Descriptions.

The Latin America collection is made up of 57 volumes of miscellaneous items related to New Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala. The items span from 1518 to 1882. The materials came to the Clements Library from multiple dealers and donors between 1928 and 1951. The New Spain series is made up of volumes that broadly cover the areas under Spanish control in Latin America. The Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala series is made up of materials that specifically address each of those areas. Topics addressed in the letters and documents include laws, religious doctrines, indigenous culture and interactions with Europeans, city ordinances, land holdings, viceregal matters, and many other subjects. Of particular note is a 1760 manuscript copy of a 1587 original of three religious dramas in the Nahuatl language. In 2023, an 1822 contemporary manuscript copy of Manuel de la Barcena's Manifiesto al Mundo: La Justicia y Necesidad de la Independencia de Nueva-España was added to Volume 38.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created detailed the following descriptions of each volume in the collection: Latin America Collection: Volume Descriptions.

Collection

Lucius Lyon papers, 1770-1934 (majority within 1833-1851)

12 linear feet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Notebooks, Recipe Book, and Writings Series contains the following eleven volumes:
  • Manuscript account of Jonathan Kearsley's military service during the War of 1812.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Collection

Michigan collection, 1759-1959

0.75 linear feet

The Michigan collection contains appoximately 300 miscellaneous items relating to the history of present-day Michigan between 1759 and 1947.

The Michigan collection contains approximately 300 miscellaneous items relating to present-day Michigan during the 18th through the 20th centuries. Spanning 1759 to 1947, it comprises letters and documents pertaining to Native American activities, French settlement, trade, politics, town growth, agriculture, and land surveying.

A few notable letters and documents include:
  • August 8, 1763, account of the Siege of Detroit by James MacDonald.
  • Speech to the Ottawas attributed to Pontiac [1763].
  • Robert Rogers' request for the removal of "Mr. Roberts the Commissioner of Indian affairs" (September 4, 1767).
  • May 12, 1781 deed granting Michilimackinac to the British, signed by four Chippewa chiefs with their totem marks.
  • A letter from John Jacob Astor, dated August 18, 1819, which refers to the fur trade and "Mackinaw skins."
  • Discussion of the advantages of Niles, Michigan, by a recent settler (Sept. 1, 1836).
  • August 26, 1840, letter concerning the political and economic climate of Michigan.
  • Discussion of farming near Kalamazoo, Michigan (January 28, 1847).
  • Three letters from Robert McQuaid, a soldier in the 27th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War (May 21, 1863; July 12, 1863; June 28, 1864).
  • A letter dated August 7, 1916, with a description of summer vacation on Isle Royale.
  • A letter on the prospects of the Democratic Party in Michigan (May 13, 1935).
Collection

Oliver Hazard Perry papers, 1796-1969 (majority within 1812-1819)

4 linear feet

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

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

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

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

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

Approximately 30 letters reflect Oliver Hazard Perry's naval career before the War of 1812. In three letters to his mother Sarah Perry, he discussed his professional and social activities (December 15, [1799?], and June 14, 1804). In the third letter, dated September 16, 1805, Perry commented on the First Barbary War. Nine letters from Navy Department officials concern his command of the ship Revenge (1809-1810) and other military responsibilities. Notable items include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Printed Materials series consists of pamphlets and newspapers clippings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Collection

Peter Warren papers, 1738-1751 (majority within 1744-1751)

1.25 linear feet

Online
The Peter Warren papers are the letters, documents, and financial papers of Admiral Peter Warren, the British naval officer who led the siege of the French fortress at Louisbourg in 1745. The collection primarily contains material related to the Louisburg expedition in 1745 and the British occupation of the outpost. The Peter Warren papers were originally part of the Thomas Gage papers.

The Peter Warren papers (268 items) are the letters, documents, and financial papers of Admiral Peter Warren, the British naval officer who led the siege of the French fortress at Louisbourg in 1745. The collection primarily contains material related to the Louisburg expedition in 1745 and the British occupation of the outpost. Included are communications with navy commissioners and treasury officials; monthly pay lists of carpenters, masons, smiths, and laborers; accounts of fuel and building materials purchased for the strengthening of Louisburg; and Warren's accounts with his London agents, Samuel and William Baker. Many of the letters and accounts are directed or attributed to both Peter Warren and General William Pepperrell who also commanded at Louisbourg.

The Correspondence series (72 items) is comprised primarily of letters written to Warren concerning trade and money lending interests in London and the colonies, the siege in Louisbourg and its aftermath, and supplying and paying the British navy. Warren received letters from contacts in London, Boston, and Philadelphia. Several letters mention his success in Louisbourg and provide details about his personal accounts and finances. The series contains four memorials concerning troops who fought in Louisbourg and payments made to Warren and Pepperrell by the British Treasury.

Of note:
  • A series of 12 letters from merchants Samuel and William Baker of London, in which they discussed commerce opportunities, details on loans, and news from London.
  • May 26, 1744: the description of the plight of a widow of a "regularly bred" officer who drowned in Antigua.
  • November 2, 1745: A report to Warren concerning the shortage of sailors willing to work on British navy ships. Many of the men impressed into service had fled to Rhode Island.
  • December 14, 1745-May 17, 1746: An 18-page, 21-letter booklet containing "Joint Letters By Admiral Warren and General Pepperrell at Louisburg To be entered in the Admiral's Letter Book." The volume contains letters addressed to several colonial governors (Governor William Shirley of Boston, Governor John Wentworth of New Hampshire, Lieutenant Governor Paul Mascarene of Nova Scotia, Governor George Clinton of New York, Thomas Penn of Pennsylvania, Lewis Morris of New Jersey, Thomas Bladen of Maryland, and William Gooch of Virginia), and merchants Apthorp and Sparhawk. Topics discussed include intelligence on the French Navy, requests for troop provisions and quotas, a description of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia, and news of expected British reinforcements arriving from Gibraltar.
  • October 20, 1747: Reports on the capture of the ship Vigilant and inventories of the stores and guns on board the ship.
  • March 5, 1749: A letter from Warren to William Montague about a dispute over the prize for the ship Union.

The Documents series (35 items) contains legal documents, requests made by the Boston Council of War, estimates for the proposed construction of barracks at Louisbourg, plans relating to attacking French forces in Canada, and meeting notes from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The series also contains lists of ships in Warren's squadron, and lists of ships under Sir Edward Hawkes and Duke D. Enville's command.

Of note:
  • September 9, 1745: Orders from King George for holding courts martial on Cape Breton Island.
  • September 10, 1745: A signed copy of the council of war held at the Citadel of Louisbourg concerning intelligence on a French squadron reported in the seas around Cape Sable.
  • January 6, 1746: Approval of Warren and Governor Shirley's plan to move on the French forces of Quebec.
  • June 6, 1746: Instructions from the Council of War ordering Warren to take a small group of ships to the Mouth of the St. Lawrence River to blockade French ships from supplying Canada.
  • September 10, 1746: Reports on the wreck of the ship Shirley during a violent storm at Annapolis Royal.
  • September 21, 1746: A request from the Council at Boston for Warren to protect the town from the French navy.
  • October 13, 1746: A request from the Council at Boston to Warren and his ship Bien Amie to defend the fort at Annapolis Royal against the French.
  • Undated: "Signals by Night and Day" for ships in Warren's squadron.

The Financial Records series (161 items) is comprised of the accounts for operations at Louisbourg, including account books, bills of lading for incoming shipments, pay lists for laborers, and other financial records. Also present are items documenting Warren's personal accounts and his interests in money lending.

The Account Books subseries (9 volumes) contains Warren's naval and personal account books.

These include:
  • Account Book 1: August 22, 1738-December 21, 1751: Personal accounts for Warren with Samuel and William Baker and other financiers, accounts for victualling Warren's ships, Navy Commission debts, prize inventories for the ships Vigilant, St. Francis Xavier, La Charmonte, La Notre Dame de la Deliverence, Le Suprenant, Les Deua Amis, La Marie de Grace, St. Andrew (64 pages).
  • Account Book 2: July 15, 1745-May 31, 1746: "Account Of the Disbursements for the Repair and other public Expense of the Garrison of Louisbourg &c." This account includes the names and pay of workers at the fort (22 pages).
  • Account Book 3: July 22, 1745-October 15, 1745: "Second Attested Copies of Accounts for Fuel. Book No. 1." This account volume includes descriptions of orders and lists of the laborers who loaded wood and fuel at Louisbourg (61 pages).
  • Account Book 4: August 2, 1745-September 18, [1745]: "An Account of the Deliverance's Cargo," a prize ship brought to Louisbourg (7 pages and 10 loose documents).
  • Account Book 5: August 31, 1745-May 2, 1746: "Second attested Copies of Accts. for Contingencies. Book No. 3." This account contains the names and occupations for workers at Louisbourg. Laborers worked at the Royal Hospital, mines, and repairing the city and fort after the siege. Others were paid for guarding captives from the Cape Sable (Micmac) Indians (96 pages).
  • Account Book 6: September 6, 1745-May 21, 1748: "Accounts for Contingencies. Book No. 3." This volume contains accounts and descriptions of supplies and labor for projects in Louisbourg, including taking care of the sick and repairing the city. Also present is a list of the sailors on board the ship Vigilant, captained by Sir James Douglas (40 pages).
  • Account Book 7: September 6, 1745-August 20, 1748: "Accts. for Contingencies. Book No. 3." This volume largely duplicates the previous volume but covers accounts into August 1748 (58 pages).
  • Account Book 8: November 18, 1745-May 30, 1746: "Second attested Copies of Acct. for Fuel. Book 2." A continuation of account book three, this volume includes descriptions of orders and lists of the laborers who loaded wood and fuel at Louisbourg (55 pages).
  • Account Book 9: April 27, 1749-December 18, 1764: Peter Warren and Lady Warren's personal cash account book (40 pages).

The Bills of Lading subseries (3 volumes, 93 bills) consists of bills documenting cargo arrived on board ships sent from Boston to Louisbourg. Many of these items are partially printed forms with details on the inventory and crew filled out by hand. See the additional descriptive data for a list of ships and their masters.

The Pay Lists subseries (35 items) contains pay lists for overseers and laborers who worked at Louisbourg. Labor included hauling cannons; repairing roofs, chimneys, and other parts of military and public buildings; constructing pickets, bridges, and gates; and digging wells. Lists are organized by date and by regiment or work group.

The Pay Orders and Other Financial Records subseries (123 items) is comprised of content similar to the supply and labor accounts in the Account Book series. Many items are labeled "Second Original" and have signatures from Warren and Pepperrell. These are accounts concerning supplies, such as wood, boards, shingles, and glass, as well as payments to workers for repairing and cleaning barracks, storehouses, guardhouses, gates, and other public buildings at Louisbourg.

Warren left Louisbourg in 1746. The financial records from 1747-1750 document his interests in money lending in Massachusetts and England, and his and his wife's personal accounts. Also present are shipping invoices for the ships Willing Mind, Lydia, and Robert & Molly, and reimbursements to Massachusetts Bay for expenses incurred during the siege and occupation of Louisbourg. Of the 18 undated items is an extract for provisioning troops sailing from Gibraltar to Louisbourg.

Collection

Revolutionary Cuba and Philippines collection, 1849-1925 (majority within 1895-1903)

2.75 linear feet

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

Please see the box and folder listing in this finding aid for extensive, detailed descriptions of items and groups of items in the Revolutionary Cuba and Philippines Collection.

Collection

Weld-Grimké family papers, 1740-1930 (majority within 1825-1899)

14 linear feet

The Weld-Grimké family papers consist of correspondence, diaries, notebooks, autobiographical documents, printed materials, photographs, realia, and newspaper clippings. The collection addresses such subjects as abolition, women's rights, temperance, religion, education, and the lives of members of the Weld-Grimké family, including Sarah and Angelina Grimké and Theodore Weld. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies letters acquired by the Clements Library in 2012 and letters published in Barnes and Dumond: Weld-Grimké Family Papers Writer Index.

The Weld-Grimké family papers contain approximately 3,200 items spanning 1740 to 1930, with the bulk concentrated between 1825 and 1899 (14 linear feet total). They form a record of the lives of abolitionists Sarah Moore Grimké, Angelina Emily Grimké Weld, and Theodore Dwight Weld, and they offer insight into the lives of the Welds' children: Charles Stuart Faucheraud Weld, Theodore Grimké Weld, and Sarah Grimké Weld. The collection includes 2,889 letters, nearly 200 newspaper clippings, 16 diaries, 39 notebooks and other writings, a manuscript biography of Theodore Weld, 37 loose photographs, 2 photograph albums, 17 valentines, and 13 objects and ephemeral items. The papers are a valuable source of information on the major reform and political issues of the 19th century, and they provide extensive documentation on the personal lives and activities of the Weld and Grimké families. Although anti-slavery movements and abolitionism are central themes in the papers, the collection includes material on women's rights, the American Colonization Society, temperance, political philosophy, religious introspection and commentary, education, literature, health and dietary reform efforts, spiritualism, and a wide array of other subjects.

In June 2012, descendants of the Weld family donated 961 hitherto unresearched letters to the Library, which focus on Sarah M. Grimké, Angelina and Theodore Weld, and the Weld children and grandchildren between 1853 and 1900 (these letters are included in the quantities of items listed above). The 2012 acquisition has an emphasis on the legacy of the anti-slavery activists, women's rights activism, temperance, family dynamics and activities, physical and mental health, and education.

The Correspondence series spans 1740-1930 (bulk 1819-1900) and contains 2,985 items (seven linear feet). The correspondence is physically arranged in one chronological sequence, although the following summary is divided into two components: Letters acquired by the Clements Library before 2012 (1) and letters acquired as part of the 2012 addition (2).

1. Weld-Grimké family correspondence acquired by the Clements Library before 2012

Prior to 2012, the Weld-Grimké family papers included 2,024 letters, dating mostly between 1819 and 1900, and relating predominantly to the lives and activities of Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina E. Grimké, Sarah M. Grimké, and their network of correspondents.

Theodore Weld received letters from an array of prominent anti-slavery activists, including the Grimké sisters, Lewis Tappan, Gerrit Smith, Elizur Wright, Jr., Beriah Green, James Armstrong Thome, Sarah Mapps Douglass, Lydia Maria Child, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, Charles G. Finney, James Birney, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Henry B. Stanton, Sereno Wright Streeter, Theodore Erastus Clarke, Dioclesian Lewis, and Samuel Dorrance. Many letters document Weld's friendship and working relationship with Charles Stuart. Letters of Theodore's parents, siblings, and other family members are also present.

From approximately 1821 to 1836, letters pertaining to Weld refer to his early pursuit of a career in the ministry, his association with temperance, and his early anti-slavery activities. Weld and his correspondents discussed the Colonization Society, Weld's near drowning accident in the Alum River in 1832, and his attendance at the Oneida Institute, Lane Theological Seminary, and Oberlin College. In addition to his work as an itinerant speaker on behalf of the American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS), incoming letters show that he received numerous requests to lecture at anti-slavery and temperance societies. His correspondence refers to threats of violence against abolitionists and sheds light on the activities of the AASS.

Weld's correspondence with the Grimké sisters began in 1837. His letters to and from the sisters, especially Angelina, primarily concern women's rights and abolition. Weld's attitude was frequently didactic, and his letters convey much advice to the sisters on becoming political activists. On February 8, 1838, Weld wrote a letter to Angelina declaring his love for her; most of the correspondence between this time and May 1838 revolves around their courtship and wedding. Their wedding certificate, dated May 14, 1838, is present in the collection's series of documents.

Correspondence from 1839 to 1844 is mainly concerned with Weld's publications, American Slavery As It Is andThe Anti-Slavery Almanack , as well as the Amistad court case in 1841. Correspondence with Angelina and Sarah during Weld's brief tenure in Washington, D.C, highlights his work with John Quincy Adams, Joshua Reed Giddings, and others in keeping the slavery question a subject of debate in Congress. The Welds' adoption of the "Graham diet" is discussed in letters of this period.

The years between 1845 and 1853 marked a time of transition for Weld as he began his career as a schoolmaster. Charles Stuart's letters to Weld indicate an increasingly strained friendship, and although Weld still corresponded with other abolitionists, fewer letters address the issue of slavery during the late 1840s and early 1850s. From 1854 to 1867, Weld corresponded mostly with his children. He also received many letters from former pupils, many of whom referenced their educations at Eagleswood. Letters from 1868 to 1895 revolve around the legacy of the abolition movement and family life. Weld began to receive letters from fellow aging abolitionists and their children, especially to offer condolences after the deaths of Sarah and Angelina.

Prior to the Clements Library's 2012 addition, the papers included over 500 letters by and over 250 letters to Sarah and Angelina Grimké. The sisters were introspective writers and typically sent detailed and lengthy letters to their friends and family members. This correspondence provides insight into major events in their lives, such as their struggles with religious identity, their speaking tour throughout Massachusetts in 1837, and the births of Angelina's children. They often discussed books they had read, such as Woman and Her Era by Eliza Wood Farnham, or public talks they had attended. Among their correspondents were Sarah M. Douglass, Jane Smith, Julia A. Tappan, Rachel and Mira Orum, Elizabeth Pease, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Elizabeth Smith Miller, Susan Wattles, Sarah Wattles, Augustus Wattles, Harriot Kezia Hunt, their brother Frederick Grimké, and others.

From 1825 to 1830, the sisters discussed and reflected extensively on religion. Letters during this period are especially pertinent to Angelina's religious conversions, first to the Presbyterian faith and later to Quakerism. Correspondence between 1831 and 1835 includes content on Society of Friends meetings and Angelina's encounters with Catherine Beecher. Thomas Smith Grimké and Hester Snowdon, a slave whom Angelina had known in Charleston, also wrote letters in the later 1820s.

Between 1835 and 1837, the Grimké correspondence documents the beginnings of the sisters' involvement in the anti-slavery movement. Several items refer to Angelina's published letter to William Lloyd Garrison and others pertain to her bookAppeal to the Christian Women of the South . The majority of letters written in 1837 and 1838 concern abolitionism and women's rights issues, highlighting the difficulties Angelina and Sarah encountered as female abolitionists and public figures. Some of the correspondents with whom the sisters discussed these issues include Sarah L. Forten, Sarah M. Douglass, Henrietta Sargent, Theodore Weld, Jane Smith, and Elizabeth Pease. One letter dated March 30, 1838, was written by Nancy Adams, a formerly enslaved woman living in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, recounting her life story and escape from slavery.

Angelina and Sarah received 16 letters from their mother, Mary Smith Grimké, in 1838 and up to her death in 1839. The letters reveal the sisters' continued involvement in abolition, especially the time they spent conducting research forAmerican Slavery As It Is . Motherhood, domesticity, and Angelina's children were frequent topics of discussion, especially from 1839 to 1847. Between 1848 and 1863, Sarah exchanged two dozen letters with physician and women's rights advocate Harriot Kezia Hunt; Frederick Grimké; and Augustus, Susan, and Sarah Wattles. In addition to discussing abolition and women's rights issues, they also wrote about spiritualism, religion, politics, and other intellectual topics.

2. 2012 Addition to the Weld-Grimké Family Papers correspondence

The 961 letters from the Clements Library's 2012 acquisition span 1853 to 1899, with the bulk dating between 1862 and 1899. The addition is comprised primarily of the incoming correspondence of Angelina and Theodore Weld's daughter Sarah Grimké Hamilton (neé Weld) and her daughter, Angelina Grimké Hamilton, in whose wooden trunk the papers were preserved. At least 75 different writers contributed to the newly discovered body of letters; the most prolific correspondents include Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina Grimké Weld, Sarah Moore Grimké, William Hamilton, Charles Stuart Weld, and Anna Harvell Weld. The Weld children also corresponded with their parents' associates, including Lucy Stone, James Armstrong Thome, and Henry B. Blackwell. This correspondence is largely family-focused, with content on race relations, women's rights, temperance, and the legacy of the anti-slavery activists and movements. Please note that the following numbers of letters attributed to individuals in this section only include those from the collection's 2012 acquisition.

Theodore Dwight Weld wrote approximately 180 letters between 1857 and 1893. He wrote to his daughter Sarah and granddaughter Angelina Hamilton extensively, offering advice on education, reassurance about Sarah's intellectual development, news about his activities and current events, family and financial matters, and recollections of his younger days. He referenced major sociopolitical issues of the time, such as women's suffrage and temperance (with content on the Woman's Christian Temperance Union). Weld wrote about and provided updates on many family members and friends, including the Shepards, the Birneys, Archibald Grimké, Francis Grimké, Charles Stuart Weld, Anna Harvell Weld, William Hamilton, Angelina Hamilton, and Angelina Grimké Weld.

Notable letters include:

  • Series of five letters related to his 1862-1863 lecture tour, including a November 23 letter respecting his speech at Boston's Music Hall. Following the lecture, Senator Charles Sumner thanked Weld profusely for his The Power of Congress Over the District of Columbia (1838) and remarked on recent interviews with President Lincoln over the subject of emancipation. His letter to Sarah Weld dated [November] 24, 1862, contains remarks on a visit with John Greenleaf Whittier.
  • May 20, 1863: Mentions a combat injury sustained by James G. Birney's son David Bell Birney ("All the Birneys were in the thick of the fight at Chancellorsville").
  • His letters addressed the ill-will that developed between Sarah and her sister-in-law, Anna Harvell Weld. Theodore Weld's remarks on the relationship and his efforts to understand the tension may be found especially in his letters of April 30, 1877; February 23, 1883; and July 12, 1890.
  • January 26, 1880: Discusses his lectures on women's suffrage.
  • January 6, 1883: Reflects on the death of Mary Anna, with remarks on the emancipation of "Aunty Betsey Dawson" in the 1820s and on Mary Anna's moral courage and self-sacrifice.
  • July 25, 1885: Reassures his pregnant daughter, who had expressed fears about dying in childbirth.

Angelina E. Grimké Weld's approximately 260 letters date from 1857 to 1878 (over 170 of them undated). She sent the majority of them to her daughter Sarah or granddaughter Angelina ("Nina"). The primary topics of conversation included food, housekeeping and home renovations, visiting lecturers, financial matters, health concerns, and politics. She also supplied news about Samuel Chace, Archibald Grimké, William Hamilton, Angelina Hamilton, Anna Harvell, the Haskells, the Mosleys, Gerrit Smith's family, the Philbricks, Charles Stuart Weld, Theodore Dwight Weld, and Theodore Grimké Weld.

Angelina Weld provided her daughter with motherly support, shown, for example, by an undated letter (January 20). In it, she addressed Sarah Weld Hamilton's concerns that "little Nina" showed preference to her father William Hamilton, by describing the jealousy she [Angelina] sometimes felt toward her sister Sarah M. Grimké, whom she recognized as having a closer relationship with Angelina Weld's children than they had with their mother. Angelina assured her daughter that she understood her feelings--and that Angelina felt relief when Sarah Moore Grimké moved out of their household.

Angelina Weld wrote multiple letters about the presidential election of 1876, including a compelling discussion of President Hayes' Cabinet and the appointment of Frederick Douglass as Marshall of the District of Columbia. On the latter, she remarked that it must have been hard "for the Democrats to swallow this, and yet I suppose as politicians the hope of the Colored vote to help them into office in future" was a factor in Douglass' confirmation. She believed that the strife of party politics would ultimately work to resolve "the most difficult problem of our day," the reconciliation of the black and white races (March 18, [1877]).

Sarah Moore Grimké's letters to her niece Sarah Weld (later Hamilton), number roughly 100 and span 1853 to 1869 (bulk 1862-1869). Her letters to Sarah offer a glimpse into their relationship, in which Aunt Sarah demonstrated a deep interest in her niece's life, offering educational advice (see for example her undated letter in which she encouraged her niece to pursue courses that would lead to a diploma), expressing concern for Sarah's physical and mental well-being, and discussing her niece's financial concerns/school expenses. Sarah M. Grimké also kept her niece abreast of family news, including details about the mental health struggles of "Sodie"/"Sody" (Theodore Grimké Weld) and the family's efforts to "cure" him (see especially June 10, 1863, and August 22, 1875). She also discussed literature (including Les Miserables in three letters in 1862 and 1863) and politics. Sarah M. Grimké provided updates on and news about Theodore Grimké Weld, the Birneys, Gerritt Smith, Lucy McKim Garrison, Charles Stuart Weld, and Julia Tappan.

Sarah Moore Grimké sent two letters to her niece and nephews while in Washington, D.C., 1853-1854:

  • [December 26, 1853 or January 2, 1854?], to Sarah, Charles, and Theodore G. Weld: Offers vivid descriptions of the Capitol building, the Senate and House chambers, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She informed her niece and nephews that she sat in the Chief Justice's chair and proclaimed that perhaps a woman would someday occupy the seat--an act that "amused" her companions. She described the John Trumbull paintings in the Capitol rotunda and noted that the empty alcove would be suitable for another once the slaves were emancipated.
  • [March 3, 1854?], to Sarah Weld: Comments that she will be leaving the city soon, but has not yet visited Mount Vernon. She reconciles herself by noting that "although [George] Washington may have done right in his day, yet his achievements in the cause of liberty are connected with cruelty & slaughter, and fail to inspire the mind with that sacred feeling of reverence, which we experience in contemplating the characters of Howard & Fry, of Oberlin and Chisolm." She then describes an incident in which a tall, stalwart, and fiercely angry white man dragged a young African American boy onto the Capitol yard in order to beat him for an alleged verbal slight. Following Sarah Grimké's intervention, which prevented the battery, she followed the aggressor long enough to witness him greeting a young child with great tenderness and affection. The lesson of the experience, she informed her niece and nephews, was that "we are two beings just as the evil or the good spirit has possession of us...let us try to be always under the influence of the good."

Sarah Weld Hamilton's letters, about 120 in total, address women's rights and writing submissions to serials including the Independent (1869-early 1870s), her relationship with William Hamilton and her parents' disapproval of him (see especially October 28, 1869, and June 13, 1871), religion, and temperance. She later wrote about child rearing, family matters, visits to Cambridge and Boston (see especially October 21, 1891, in which she reminisces at length about her youth). Sarah included updates on and anecdotes about the Badger family, William Hamilton, Mary Livermore, the Blackwell family, her parents, Julia Ward Howe and her daughter Laura, "Lizzie" [Elizabeth A. L. Cram], Lucy Shepard, Thomas Hill, and Lucy Stone. Selected examples include:

  • November 29, 1869, to William Hamilton: Explanation of her views on women's roles, firmly stating her belief that women should be able to support themselves and not be dependent upon their husbands.
  • January 16, 1870, to William Hamilton: Description of Sarah Weld's responsibilities and fellow workers at the Woman's Journal office.
  • March 6, 1870, to William Hamilton: Mention of an "octogenarian Grimké" at a women's meeting and a reevaluation of her initial impressions of Julia Ward Howe.
  • March 13, 1870, to William Hamilton: Description of voting at Hyde Park with a group of women and the reactions of the men present. In her subsequent letters to William Hamilton, she remarks that he probably views the act as "play-voting," and offers her perspectives on the women's rights movement.
  • October 6-31, 1891, to Angelina Hamilton: Eight letters to her daughter while visiting Cambridge, Boston, and Hyde Park, with her father Theodore D. Weld. She offered lengthy recollections of her youth and discussed meetings with children and grandchildren of her parents' friends (Smiths, Wrights, Badgers, Garrisons, et al.), and provided explanations to help her daughter contextualize the information.

William Hamilton wrote about 40 letters between 1870 and 1899, primarily about his health, his wife Sarah's health and death, his daughter Angelina, and his work in various educational and occupational endeavors (ministry, law, trade, and lumbering). Of particular note are his letters to Sarah written while conducting business both in and around Washington D.C. A few examples include:

  • July 14, 1870 to Sarah Hamilton: discusses his recurring/continual health problems, which the doctor diagnosed as a disease "of a nervous character."
  • August 10, 1872-September 13, 1872, to Sarah Weld Hamilton: Twelve letters to his wife respecting travel and a visit to Washington, D.C., and his return trip to Boston. He described the city in detail, discussing government buildings, the city layout, and General Lee's house. He provided commentary on the presidential contest between Horace Greeley and incumbent president Ulysses S. Grant. On August 29, he noted: "the little I am able to gather about politics here, is that the Negroes are very nearly a unit for Grant--that the old Virginians are all nearly for Greeley and that more recent inhabitants are variously disposed."
  • November 6, 1898, to Angelina Hamilton: Discusses Angelina's ethical and spiritual concerns as they relate to practicing as a physician. Offers advice about the dangers of professional rivals, citing Dr. Luella Day as an example.
  • January 28, 1899-February 3, 1899, to Angelina Hamilton: Four letters respecting the final sickness ("brain hemorrhage" followed by a coma), death, and funeral of her mother.

Charles Stuart Faucheraud Weld's 10 letters date from 1868 to 1895 and primarily revolve around his duties/role as a son and brother. He wrote about US-European finance, Unitarianism and Dwight L. Moody, his aging parents' health, his efforts to help his brother Theodore engage with others, the death of Theodore D. Weld, and current writing. Charles Weld's wife Anna Harvell Weld sent approximately 50 letters between 1877 and 1895, and was a main source of news for Sarah Hamilton regarding the well-being of Sarah's father, Theodore Dwight Weld, and brother, Theodore G. Weld. Her correspondence also reflects the growing tension that existed between Sarah and herself. A later source of conflict was Sarah Weld Hamilton's desire to write a book about her father's life and her accompanying quest for supporting materials. Anna Harvell Weld also discussed Francis Grimké, Archibald Grimké, Theodore Dwight Weld, Theodore Grimké Weld, and Charles Stuart Weld. Examples of Anna Weld's letters include:

  • July 27, 1889, to William Hamilton: Asking for his assistance in stopping Sarah from writing a book about Theodore D. Weld.
  • February 12, 1890, to Sarah Hamilton: Anna tells Sarah that Theodore Dwight Weld does not want a book written about him.
  • February 16, 1892, to Sarah Hamilton: If someone is going to write about Theodore D. Weld, it should be his nephew, Archibald.
  • [postmarked February 3, 1894] to William Hamilton: Discussing Sody's living arrangements. Anna remarks that since Angelina Weld's death, no one has had control over Sody. She doesn't fully agree with sending him to an asylum and had hoped that William and Sarah Hamilton would take him. She refers to Sarah's claim that Sody had made an inappropriate advance towards Sarah, which Anna believes is either a misinterpretation or a faulty memory.

Angelina Grimké Hamilton wrote approximately 30 letters between 1878 and 1899, offering insight into her education and work towards becoming a physician. Her letters pertain to childhood activities, food, family, medical duties/work, and school. Of particular note are the letters she sent between December 9, 1892, and December 16, 1896, to Sarah, William, and Nettie Hamilton. In them, Angelina wrote about her time at Hahnemann Medical College and subsequent internship. She discussed her classes and clinical work, which included dressing a scalded arm, giving children vaccinations, and tending to a sprained ankle. She briefly mentioned visits to the Art Institute (March 5, 1893) and the Columbian Exhibition (February 19, 1893).

In 1868, the Grimké sisters discovered that they had nephews living in Washington, D.C. Although the Weld-Grimké Family Papers do not contain any letters by Archibald, and only two by Francis Grimké (October 31, 1879; November 6, [1879]), the correspondence does include many references to their education, activities, careers, and families. A few examples include:

  • July 31, 1868, Sarah Moore Grimké to Sarah Weld: Reference to her "newly found" nephews.
  • January 12, 1876, Theodore D. Weld to William and Sarah Hamilton: Brief remarks on Archibald Grimké's admission to the bar: "Mr. B. prophesies that A. will soon attain a position that few lawyers secure when so young. When he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court on motion of Mr. Sewall, he was warmly welcomed. One of the prominent lawyers, Mr. Shattuck took him by the hand and said 'Mr. Grimke welcome to our fraternity. From what I hear of you, I doubt not that you will be an honor to the Boston bar.'"
  • March 28, 1880, and May 1, 1880, Theodore D. Weld to Sarah Weld Hamilton: Remarks on the birth of Angelina Weld Grimké (NB: who would become a prominent writer, poet, and activist for African American rights in the 20th century).
  • February 23, 1883, Theodore D. Weld to Sarah Hamilton: Lengthy description of Francis Grimke's recent week-long visit, his sermon at the Orthodox Church, his Presbyterian congregation in Washington, D.C., and other subjects.
  • April 26, 1885, Theodore D. Weld to Sarah Hamilton: Theodore is the only person that has complete information about the departure of Archibald Grimké's wife Sarah Stanley and their daughter Angelina, outside the parties directly involved. While not at liberty to reveal much detail, Theodore provides Sarah with his perspectives on the separation.

The Diaries series contains 16 diaries: Nine by Sarah Grimké, seven by Angelina Grimké, and one by Louis Weld. Sarah's diaries date from 1819 to 1836 and they contain poetry, copies of Bible passages, and her thoughts on religion and marriage. She also reflected on women's issues, on her experiences as a Quaker, and about her daily experiences. Angelina's diaries date from 1828 to approximately 1835 and record her struggles with her transition between the Presbyterian and Quaker faiths, her relationship with Sarah, and her reasons for opposing slavery. The "Angelina Grimké Manuscript, 1832-1833" (beginning, "I think I have sincerely desired to receive a right qualification...") relates to her courtship with Edward Bettle, who died of cholera in 1832.

The Notebooks and Writings series consists of essays, lecture notes, and 39 notebooks kept by various members of the Weld-Grimké family. Theodore Weld's essays cover a diversity of subjects, including the oppression of women, Shakespeare's works, William Lloyd Garrison, abolition, and subjects related to political philosophy. Approximately eight notebooks belonging to Sarah are also in the collection; these include essays on women's political rights, the education of women, and the status of women in society. Her essays, "Sisters of Charity" and "The Condition of Woman" are some of the notebooks with titles. The series also includes Angelina's lecture notes and several undated autobiographical essays by Weld and his children. Of particular note is a biography of Weld written on 22 notepads by his daughter Sarah Grimké Weld Hamilton.

The Photographs series contains loose images in multiple photographic formats, including 18 cartes de visite, 17 cabinet cards, 5 developing out prints, 1 card mounted photograph, and 1 quarter-plate daguerreotype of the Weld-Grimké family by Greenleaf Weld. Also present are a Weld family album of cartes de visite and a photo album related to Eagleswood Academy, containing cartes de visite and tintypes.

The Printed Items series is made up of nearly 200 newspaper clippings, pamphlets, broadsides, and cards. The clippings mainly pertain to the topics of slavery and the abolition movement, although some also concern women's rights and the legacies of Theodore Weld and the Grimké sisters. Also included are family members' obituaries, including those of Sarah Moore Grimké. Nine family Bibles and Books of Common Prayer are also included, dating from 1740 to ca. 1921.

The Realia and Ephemera series contains several linear feet of three-dimensional objects associated with the Weld-Grimké family, including hair, Chinese ivory sewing box (gift of Benjamin Grimké), a cameo brooch, Angelina's eyeglasses and case, a silver Addison watch, a quilt presented by Eagleswood students, and a pocketknife belonging to Theodore Weld, a Chinese fan, a silhouette of Angelina G. Weld, and 17 elegant hand-cut valentines. Most of the items date to the mid-19th century.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies letters acquired by the Clements Library in 2012 and letters published in Barnes and Dumond: Weld-Grimké Family Papers Writer Index.

Collection

Women, Gender, and Family collection, 1678-1996 (majority within 1800-1906)

0.5 linear feet

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous individual items relating to women, gender, and family primarily in America, between 1678 and 1996.

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous items relating to women, gender, and family between 1678 and 1996. The bulk of the collection ranges in from 1800 to the early 20th century and is geographically focused on the United States of America. Topics include marriage and divorce, childrearing and motherhood, household management, and consensual and coerced sex. Other areas of interest cover women’s various forms of labor, legal restitution for paternity suits and financial support, and education for women and children. While not as heavily represented, multiple items detail women's engagement in politics, slavery and abolition, and women's rights.