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The Anthony Wayne family papers contain correspondence, diaries, documents, and accounts relating to several generations of the Wayne family of Pennsylvania. Of particular note is material concerning Anthony Wayne's service in the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War, and William Wayne's service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Correspondence and Military Documents series (Volumes 1-17) contains approximately 1,450 items (3.5 linear feet), spanning 1756-1853, and arranged chronologically. The bulk of the series is correspondence, but it also contains various types of documents, including legal materials, military returns, land surveys, and lists.

Anthony Wayne

The 18th-century material in the collection (Volumes 1-10) relates primarily to the career of Anthony Wayne, including his surveying activities; acquisition and maintenance of a plantation near Savannah, Georgia, and the activities of Native Americans in its vicinity; service in the Revolutionary War; and leadership as commander-in-chief of the Legion of the United States during the Northwest Indian War. It includes incoming correspondence from numerous notable government and military officials, as well as a considerable amount of Wayne's outgoing correspondence and memoranda.

A portion of materials in the collection shed light on Wayne's activities and opinions during the American Revolutionary War, in which he served as a brigadier general. On November 22, 1777, Wayne wrote to Thomas Wharton, the "president" (i.e., governor) of Pennsylvania, on the subject of recruitment, arguing that allowing the hiring of substitutes and the paying of an "enormous bounty" would hinder efforts to attract soldiers. He also discussed the importance of uniforms to morale, arguing that they caused "a laudable pride which in a soldier is a substitute for almost every other virtue." Additionally, Wayne exchanged several letters with a friend, Colonel Sharp Delany, in which they discussed various war-related matters. On July 26, 1780, he provided a defense of his raid on Bull's Ferry, which failed and resulted in substantial American casualties. Other letters pertain to Wayne's injury from a musket-ball lodged in his thigh (November 12, 1781), his uniform (May 10, 1783), and the concerns of Savannah merchants who feared the loss of protection after the British evacuation (June 17, 1782). Also of interest is a memorandum spanning the dates June 20, 1777-October 21, 1780, in which Wayne gave his criticisms of the decisions of the Executive Council and of the Continental army in Pennsylvania, and complained of demoralization of the troops, especially the Pennsylvania Line.

A large number of letters and documents, particularly in the late 1780s, pertain to Wayne's rice plantation in the vicinity of Savannah, called Richmond and Kew, which was given to him by the state of Georgia for his wartime service there. Wayne took out large loans in order to revive the estate in 1785, two years after he left it "in a depreciating state" (June 29, 1783) to return to Pennsylvania. Wayne's letters describe his great difficulty in purchasing affordable slaves to work the land, his efforts to produce and sell rice and corn, and the scarcity of currency in Georgia, which compounded his troubles turning a profit. The papers also document Wayne's struggle to repay his loans and his dispute with his creditors, which became particularly intense in 1787, and resulted in his loss of the plantation in 1791. On that subject, he wrote, "I have been in treaty with my Persecutors" (March 1, 1791). His primary correspondents on these matters were William Penman, James Penman, Adam Tunno, Samuel Potts, Sharp Delany, and Richard Wayne.

Several items during this period also refer to the ongoing conflict between white settlers in Georgia and Native Americans there. One letter to Wayne from Benjamin Fishbourn concerns a Creek uprising in Georgia, during which the natives burned homes and absconded with corn and rice ([October 1786]). Although Wayne claimed that "the Indian depredations in this State have been so much exaggerated as to deter any purchasers" (February 20, 1788), he nonetheless kept track of many strife-filled incidents. On October 7, 1788, he wrote, "We are all confusion here on account of the Indians and Spaniards - the first carrying off our Negroes and other property - the latter Countenancing and protecting them!" He also described the imprisonment of his tenants by Native Americans (October 7, 1788), the abandonment of plantations by white settlers out of fear of "depredations" by natives (December 5, 1788), and the arrival of troops in the south to challenge the Creeks (December 5, 1791). On October 21, 1789, he wrote that he and his neighbors expected an "Indian war" at any time. After Wayne left the south permanently, he continued to receive periodic reports on conflicts between natives and white settlers, including an attack on Creeks at "Buzzard Town," during which whites killed and imprisoned many natives, as described in letters dated October 26 and December 17, 1793. Also of interest is a list of settlements in the Upper and Lower Creek Nation, including towns and villages called "The Buzzard Rost," "New Youga," "Swagelas," and "Cowetaws" (July 2, 1793).

The collection also documents several aspects of Anthony Wayne's political career, and includes his notes on the Constitutional Convention, including his assertion that "The Constitution is a Dangerous Machine in the hands of designing men" (filed at the end of 1788). Also of note are his several letters to President George Washington, requesting favors for himself and his friends, and a letter describing Washington's visit to Savannah, during which Wayne escorted him around the city (May 18, 1791). Well-represented is the conflict between Wayne and James Jackson over the election of 1791 for a seat in the 2nd United States Congress to represent the 1st District of Georgia.

A large portion of the collection concerns Wayne's prosecution of the Northwest Indian War as commander-in-chief of the newly created Legion of the United States between 1792 and 1796. Early letters and documents record the Legion's travel across Pennsylvania, gathering recruits en route (June 8, 1792); the smallpox inoculations for the soldiers (July 6, 1792); the arrangement of men into sublegions (July 13, 1792); Secretary of War Henry Knox's decision to delay operations until after the winter (August 7, 1792; August 10, 1792); and the foundation of Legionville, Pennsylvania, the first formal military basic training facility in the United States (November 23, 1792). Numerous letters concern military administration, including provisioning, appointments and promotions, furloughs, and other routine matters. Discipline of the troops was also a frequent concern, and Wayne and his correspondents frequently made references to desertion, disciplinary measures, the distribution of whiskey as a reward for successful target practice, and courts martial. Examples of the latter include the court martial of Captain William Preston, whom Wayne called "a very young Officer-with rather too high an idea of Equality" (June 25, 1795); the case of a private, Timothy Haley, who was convicted but released under pressure from the civil courts (July 1, 1795); and the proceedings against Lieutenant Peter Marks for "ungentleman and unofficer-like conduct" (July 20-21, 1794). A booklet covering July 19-August 2, 1793, contains a number of court martial proceedings, for such offenses as drunkenness while on guard duty and use of abusive language.

The correspondence and documents created during this period also shed some light on various Native American tribes in the Midwest and their encounters with Wayne's forces. In a letter to Wayne, Henry Knox frets over the yet-unknown fate of Colonel John Hardin, who died in an ambush by the Shawnee (August 7, 1792).

• Attack on Fort Jefferson by a Potawatomi force (September 9, 1792)
• Attack on a forage convoy near Fort Hamilton by Native Americans (September 23, 1792)
• Attack on Fort Washington, resulting in the capture of three prisoners by native forces (October 2, 1792)
• Attack on Fort St. Clair by 250 Native Americans under Little Turtle (November 6, 1792)
• Skirmishes with Native Americans in southern Ohio (October 22, 1793) in which "the Indians killed & carried off about 70 officers leaving the waggons & stores standing"

Also of interest is a description by Israel Chapin of a Six Nations council at "Buffaloe Creek," which lists some of the attendants: "the Farmer's Brother, Red Jacket and Capt Billy of the Senkas; the Fish Carrier, head Chief of the Cayugas,; Great Sky head chief of the Onondagas; and Capt Brandt of the Mohawks; and great numbers of inferior Chiefs" (December 11, 1793). On January 21, 1794, Wayne voiced his suspicions concerning peace overtures from "Delaware, Shawanoes and Miami tribes" and accused them of buying time in order to "secure their provisions, and to remove their women and children from pending distruction." Jean-Francois (sometimes known as John Francis) Hamtramck, commandant of Fort Wayne, wrote very informative letters to Wayne, discussing the Native American traders in the area and the possibility of starting a trading house at Fort Wayne (February 3, 1795), the arrival of Potawatomi at the Fort (March 5, 1795), and a meeting with the Le Gris, chief of the Miamis, whom he called a "sensible old fellow, in no ways ignorant of the Cause of the war, for which he Blames the Americans, saying that they were too extravagant in their Demands in their first treaties" (March 27, 1795).

The Battle of Fallen Timbers receives only minor attention in the collection in the form of letters, expressing praise for Wayne's victory, from army paymaster Caleb Swan (October 19, 1794) and Francis Vigo (February 22, 1795). However, efforts to end hostilities are well documented with such items as a copy of the Treaty of Greenville (August 3, 1795), Wayne's account of the signing and its impact on various tribes and their leaders (August 14, 1795), and letters from several civilians requesting help in locating family members captured by Native Americans (June 1, 1795; July 27, 1795).

Isaac and William Wayne

After Anthony Wayne's death in December 1796, the focus of the series shifts to his son, Isaac Wayne, and then to Wayne's great-grandson, William Wayne (née William Wayne Evans); the activities of the two men occupy much of the material in Volumes 11-16. Early letters mainly pertain to the family matters and finances of Isaac Wayne, including the ongoing settlement of his father's estate and various claims against it. Several items relate to his career, including an acceptance of the resignation of a soldier from Erie Light Infantry Company during the War of 1812 (March 27, 1813), and a circular letter urging support for his candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania (October 3, 1814), which was ultimately unsuccessful. Other topics include his refusal of a nomination to Congress (February 1824); requests for information about his father by historians and biographers; the August 1828 death of his son Charles, who served in the navy; and other political and family matters discussed by Wayne. His primary correspondents include William Richardson Atlee, Charles Miner, Callender Irvine, Samuel Hayman, and various members of Evans family, to whom he was related through his sister Margaretta.

The bulk of the letters postdating 1850 relate to William Wayne. Early correspondence concerns his courtship with his future wife, Hannah Zook, in 1852, the death of Isaac Wayne on October 25, 1852, and various social visits and family concerns. On March 14 and 15, 1860, Wayne wrote to his wife about travel through Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Erie to Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though he stayed in the prominent Monongahela House, he described Pittsburgh as a "dirty village," and unfavorably compared the "Western Penitentiary" to its counterpart in Philadelphia, "the Castle on Cherry Hill." He noted that Cleveland "is said to be the handsomest City in the Union," but reserved his opinion on this point.

The collection also contains six letters written by Wayne during his Civil War service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. On June 27, 1862, he wrote to his wife from James Island, South Carolina, concerning his regiment's role in building fortifications and mounting guns. He also commented on General George McClellan and his cautious strategy. Wayne wrote the remainder of the letters from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On October 13, 1862, three days after the Confederate raid on Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Wayne wrote about rumors concerning "the movements of 'secesh' along our border" in what he suspected was an attempt to interfere with the election of 1862. In another letter, he expressed disappointment that he had arrived at camp too late to accompany a group of new recruits to Washington (November 3, 1862). Of interest are four letters from Wayne's friend, Joseph Lewis, which relate to Wayne's attempt to resign from the army, as well as five items relating to General Galusha Pennypacker. The Pennypacker correspondence includes a sketch of his service, written by Edward R. Eisenbeis (December 24, 1865), and letters concerning his recovery from severe wounds received at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865. Also of interest are several postwar letters to and from General George A. McCall concerning his meetings with Wayne.

The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Letter Books series contains three volumes of Anthony Wayne's outgoing military correspondence. The periods covered are June 4, 1792-October 5, 1793 (Volume 30), April 12, 1792-June 21, 1794 (Volume 31), and October 23, 1793-September 20, 1794 (Volume 32). The letters are official and semi-official in nature and pertain to army administration, encounters with Native Americans, troop movements, provisioning, and other topics.

The Land Documents series (Volume 17) contains land indentures, surveys, and deeds relating to several generations of the Wayne family, 1681-1879. This includes numerous documents relating to the Waynesborough estate and illustrating its possession by various family members. The surveys pertain to such matters as the line between Easttown and Willistown in Pennsylvania, several surveys performed for James Claypool in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and a drawing (including several trees) of the land of James Rice. Also included is a vellum land indenture dated October 3, 1732, between Anthony Wayne's father, Isaac, and a widow named Mary Hutton.

• Land in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania (December 15, 1764)
• Wayne property in Easttown and Willistown, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
• Newtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
• Waynesborough, Chester County, Pennsylvania ([ca. 1784])
• Survey notes on a tract of land reserved by Wayne on the Little Setilla River, Georgia (July 23, 1786)

The Other Legal Documents series (Volume 17) spans 1686-1868 and contains wills, inventories, certificates, financial agreements, and other document types. Included are several documents related to the death of Samuel K. Zook, brother-in-law of William Wayne, at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863; certificates related to the Ancient York Masons, Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati, and the American Philosophical Society; and several articles of agreement concerning financial transactions between various members of the Wayne family. Also of note are the wills of Anthony Wayne, Mary (Penrose) Wayne, Elizabeth Wayne, William Richardson, and others.

The Diaries and Notebooks series (Volumes 17-20) contains 19 diaries and notebooks written by various members of the Wayne family between 1815 and 1913. Of these, Charles Wayne wrote one volume, an unknown author wrote one, William Wayne wrote ten, and William Wayne, Jr., wrote seven. The books have been assigned letters and arranged in chronological order. The Charles Wayne notebook, labeled "A," covers 1815-1816 and contains algebraic equations and notes from Charles' lessons at Norristown Academy in Pennsylvania. Volume "B," written by an unknown author, dates to about 1820 and contains a number of medicinal cures for ailments such as cholera, snakebite, consumption, jaundice, and dysentery, as well as notes on the weather and references to agriculture and a few daily events.

William Wayne, the great-grandson of Anthony Wayne, wrote volumes "C" through "L," documenting the years 1858 to 1872, with a gap from November 11, 1861-August 13, 1862. The volumes record Wayne's pre-Civil War agricultural pursuits, his service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, and his postwar activities. Of particular interest are the entries that Wayne wrote while posted on Hilton Head Island in August 1862, as well as his brief descriptions of the arrival and processing of recruits at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in October of the same year. He also referenced Pennsylvania politics, the elections of 1863 and 1864, and the reaction of Philadelphians to the news of Lincoln's assassination. Also worth noting are Wayne's accounts of the Confederate cavalry raids on Chambersburg in November 1862, the Gettysburg campaign, and Wayne's attempts to recover the body of his brother-in-law after Gettysburg. Postwar, Wayne wrote on such topics as Reconstruction (August 14, 1866), a cholera outbreak in New York (November 4, 1865), and election fraud and rioting in Philadelphia (October 14, 1868).

William Wayne, Jr., wrote diaries "M" through "S," 1883-1913, with a gap between September 30, 1902, and April 19, 1911. These contain near-daily brief entries on weather, family life, health, and Wayne's interest in politics. Included is a description of an unveiling of a Sons of the Revolution monument (June 19, 1893), the illness of his wife, Mary (Fox) Wayne (February 28, 1884), and Wayne's work during an election (February 19, 1884).

The Account Books series contains 24 volumes, spanning 1769-1856. The earliest volume ("A") covers approximately 1769 to 1780, and contains accounts for unknown transactions, as well as scattered memoranda concerning travel between Ireland and North America and several references to schooling. Volume "B" is Anthony Wayne's military account book for 1793-1794, which lists monthly pay to various members of the Legion of the United States. Volumes "C" through "S" encompass a large amount of financial information for Anthony Wayne's son, Isaac, for the years 1794-1823. Volumes "T" through "X" are overlapping financial account books for William Wayne, covering 1854 through 1877. Also included is an account book recording tannery transactions and activities of the Wayne family in the 18th century (Volume 29), and a book of register warrants drawn by Anthony Wayne on the paymaster general in 1796 (Volume 34)

The Anthony Wayne Portait and Miscellaneous series contains an undated engraved portrait of Wayne by E. Prud'homme from a drawing by James Herring. Also included are various newspaper clippings, genealogical material, and printed matter representing the 19th and 20th centuries.

David Porter and David Dixon Porter papers (4 linear feet) contain the letters and writings of two American naval officers who served in the 1st Barbary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. Included are official and family letters, as well as David D. Porter's manuscript drafts of his history and fiction works.

David Porter and David Dixon Porter papers (4 linear feet) contain the letters and writings of two American naval officers who served in the 1st Barbary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. Included are official and family letters, as well as David D. Porter's manuscript drafts of his history and fiction works.

The David Porter Correspondence series (232 items) contains Porter's incoming and outgoing letters covering 1805 to 1840, most of which deal with his naval service during the War of 1812, and his West Indian patrol duty, with some items documenting his time in the Mexican Navy and his diplomatic career. Present are seven items related to his time in the Mediterranean during the First Barbary War, eight letters from Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith during Porter's service in command of the United States Gun Boats at New Orleans prior to the War of 1812, and 15 War of 1812 era letters from Isaac Hull concerning his interest in administrative improvements in the navy. Other topics include the release of officers and crew of the U.S. Essex, Porter's relationship with the Carrera brothers and support for Chilean independence, and Porter's command of the West India Squadron (1823-1825).

• March 10, 1809: Edward Livingston to David Porter requesting an opinion of his proposed improvements to the harbor of New Orleans
• September 21, 1812: John Stricker to David Porter announcing the safe arrival of the Prize brig Lamprey, captured by Porter on July 13, 1812
• May 3, 1824: Cecilio Ayllon, military governor of Cuba, to Porter concerning the disrespectful and damaging conduct of American sailors at a woman's property near Matanzas, Cuba
• June 23, 1826: Partial letter from David Porter describing the terms under which he was accepting command of the Mexican navy
• January 1843: George Read's naval order and an order of the procession, with diagram, for David Porter's funeral
• April 24, 1843: Abel P. Upshaw's general order concerning the death of David Porter

The David D. Porter Correspondence series contains Porter's incoming and outgoing letters between 1834 and 1889. These include few letters from early in his naval career, 26 Civil War era letters, and many peacetime letters with fellow naval officers and government officials. Also of importance are 24 letters dealing with the 1889 Benjamin Butler controversy, along with typescripts of material related to the court. Other family papers include 3 items to Evelina Porter and a small number of late 19th and 20th century material concerning the naval career of Theodoric Porter.

• January 10, 1847: David P. Porter's "Last will and testament"
• June 18, 1854: C.J. Latrobe to David D. Porter, Bay of Panama, concerning gratitude to Porter from the passengers on the Golden Age, the first steam ship crossing of the pacific to Panama
• March 23, 1855: Harry S. Wayne to David D. Porter, concerning introducing camels for use in U.S.
• August 25, 1861: G.H. Heap to his brother-in-law David D. Porter describing pre-war excitement in Washington D.C.
• June 1, 1862: Letter to David D. Porter planning an assault on the mouth of the Mississippi River
• September 6, 1862: Edward Hooker to David D. Porter recounting the naval engagement of the Louisiana
• June 5, 1863-May 30, 1865: 11 letters to or regarding David Dixon Porter and the Mississippi Squadron. Two of these letters refer to African Americans, including contraband (December 1, 1863) and "peddlers" (April 23, 1864).
• September 28, 1864: David D. Porter's general order for the Mississippi Squadron announcing his leave of office
• January 7, 1879 and April 21, 1889: William Tecumseh Sherman to David D. Porter discussing memories of Sherman's brother, Porter's current naval activities, and social engagements
• August 8, 1879: Fragment report on the construction of the Danish ironclad Helgoland
• March 3, 1884: Ulysses S. Grant to David Porter describing the state of Grant's health

The David D. Porter Manuscript Writings series is comprised of drafts and fragments of Porter's literary and historical works, novels, essays, speeches, and biographical notes.

• Two autobiographical manuscripts, parts 1, 2, and 3 of My Career in the Navy Department and portions of a journal describing his Civil War experiences
• Draft of an adventure story
• Pages 353-474 of a novel
• Notes on the Civil War, in particular the Vicksburg campaign and the Red River Expedition, and Sherman and Lincoln, for his book The Naval History of the Civil War
• "Extracts from my Journal made for General Badeau, when he was writing the life of General Grant. These are a little fuller than the Journal"
• Sketch of the career of D. D. Porter in the Mexican War (1870s)
• Report concerning a 1873 North Western Texas Land and Copper Expedition
• Various naval reports: Fleet Tactics, Report of the Board on injuries received by the Hyascar in the action of October 8, 1879, a "List of Vessels of the Chinese Navy and Custom Service" with details on class, tonnage, guns, carriages, number of men, horse power, location built, and construction material (1864-1877)

The Miscellaneous Documents series consists of newspaper clippings, a David D. Porter article entitled "The Opening of the Lower Mississippi, April 1862," a color map of Fort Jackson, and a schematic diagram of torpedo machinery designed for the tugboat Nina (May 1869).

The Gray family papers document the family relationships of William and Eckley Gray, while serving in the Union Army, and Lucy Doan Gray, William's wife and Eckley's mother, as she managed the family farm in New Salem, Illinois.

The papers of William and Eckley Gray present an unusual view of side-by-side service of a father and son during the Civil War. As a junior officer and enlisted man, respectively, the Grays present strikingly different personalities, the stable and directed father paired with his unstable and seemingly rudderless son. Information on military aspects of the war is relatively scarce in the Gray papers. However, the collection provides excellent insight into the effect of the war on family relationships, hinting obliquely at some of the long term effects that the war had on some of its participants.

In a sense, the heart of the collection is the letters written by Lucy Gray. More than anything, the anguished tone of her letters stands out, as she pleads with the men to return home and assist the family and farm, or as she complains about the Eckley's profligacy, drinking and gambling. The tension between mother and son, and his occasional, half-hearted efforts to patch things between them take on a particularly tragic tone given the apparent aimlessness of his later life and his death by drug abuse.

Among the more interesting individual letters in the collection are three letters from Eckley to his mother, one describing a night-time bombardment at Vicksburg (1863 July 9), another discussing the anti-Lincoln attitudes of the soldiers of the Veterans Reserve Corps (1864 October 10), and an extraordinary letter (July 19, 1864), bemoaning Lincoln's latest call for troops and his apparent inhumanity.

The Gray Family Papers include a manuscript receipt book dating circa 1840s-1860s, which belonged to William Gray. The recipes are largely medicinal, including entries for treatment of influenza, Dr. Thomas Hopes remedy for cholera morbus, a powder of mandrake, plaster for a lame back, Beeches Black salve, saline laxative, Beeches emetic, anti-billious powder, lotion for "Falling of the hair & Impetigo," a treatment that "cured Mr Gess's boy of Epilepsy of five years Standing The boy is 9 years old," mild counter-irritating linaments, ipicac, lotion for "falling of The hair and all scaly Eruptions," paste for piles, Dr. White's Toothache Drops, diaphoretic powder, a treatment "for Secondary Syphilis," and a treatment for cholera. Opium is an ingredient in multiple recipes. Non-medical recipes include an entry for making gunpowder from sawdust and several short recipes for corn bread and tea bread.

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.

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos, of Albany, New York, solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

The John E. Boos collection consists of over 1,200 personal manuscript recollections or brief notes by persons who met or saw Abraham Lincoln and by persons who experienced the Civil War. John Boos solicited and compiled most of these reminiscences in the early 20th century. The collection is arranged in four series: Bound Volumes (compiled by and bound for John Boos), Unbound Volumes (binders apparently compiled by John Boos, but never bound), Loose Items, and one Book.

Boos collected autographs and reminiscences on uniquely sized 6.5'' by 9'' paper, and he instructed those he was soliciting to leave a wide 1.5'' left margin for binding. All but one volume in Series I are bound collections of this Boos-standard paper and most contributors in Series II and III contributed a note or autograph on the same size paper.

John Boos's interviewees related an almost uniform admiration or reverence to the President and his memory. Within the first binder of Series II, for example, William Strover (who was not a Civil War veteran, and who never met Lincoln) remarked: "I consider him the greatest man that has come upon the earth since Jesus Christ, and surely the greatest American that lived." Such high praise is featured throughout the entire collection. One example expressing disdain for Abraham Lincoln is a November 24, 1930, letter by Confederate and Presbyterian minister Milton B. Lambdin, who was skeptical about Boos' intent in contacting him. He suspected that Boos made the connection on account of a multi-issue article Lambdin produced for the Confederate Veteran (1929) titled "A Boy of the Old Dominion..."

Series I: Bound Volumes, 1931-1970

Eight of the nine volumes contained in this series are letters and reminiscences compiled by Boos. The volumes revolve around individual persons or themes, including the Lincoln-Douglas debates; Lincoln's assassination; Lincoln's guards; General George H. Thomas, a leading figure in the Western theater of the Civil War who retired to Troy, New York; Johnson Brigham, a fellow Lincoln enthusiast who met the President on several occasions; and the story of Confederate General George Pickett as told by his wife, La Salle Corbell Pickett; and a selection of "Mr. Lincoln's Soldiers."

Boos interspersed the manuscript and typed accounts with ephemeral items and his own narratives of relevant events. He frequently provided an overall account of the volume's theme (usually with lengthy quotations from his correspondents) before presenting the reminiscences and a brief biography of each contributor. In his introductions to these personal accounts, Boos sometimes included a narrative of how he had met and interviewed the individual or linked the person's memories of Lincoln to similar ones. Most of the volumes include a title page, dedication, illustrations, and an index.

The accounts in these bound volumes differ in length, tone, and detail, but they provide insight into how a variety of individuals remembered the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln more than a half-century after the fact. Many of his contributors were Union Army veterans, but he also tracked down individuals who witnessed the Lincoln-Douglas debates as children, Mrs. M. O. Smith who saw Lincoln at Gettysburg,a Confederate soldier, several of Lincoln's personal guards, an actress who had performed in Our American Cousin the night Lincoln was shot (Jeannie Gourley), a man who was in the same Ford's Theater box as Lincoln and who was stabbed by John Wilkes Booth (Henry Rathbone), and the man who recorded the testimony of witnesses to the assassination (James Tanner). The accounts address subjects ranging from the President's dress and style of speaking to the contributors' reflections on his legacy and greatness.

One bound volume, inscribed to John E. Boos by its creator Bernhardt Wall, contains etchings of locations in New York State visited by Lincoln. Three letters from Wall to Boos are enclosed in this 1938 volume.

Series II: Unbound Volumes (extracted from binders), 1905-1941

Series II includes the contents of 13 binders, arranged roughly into thematic categories, apparently by Boos himself (likely with the intention of binding them as he did with the letters in Series I). The order of pages within the binders has been maintained in its present housing.

Boos placed each incoming letter, reminiscence, or autograph into a top-loading page protector with related materials. In some volumes, for example, Boos matched each manuscript with his own typed or handwritten notes, which variously included the veteran's name, where they saw Lincoln, regimental information, where Boos met the veteran, and Boos's impressions of the individual. Boos wrote many of these notes on the back of scrap paper, such as advertising mail received by Boos or sample primary election ballots (some of the scrap paper contains illustrated letterheads).

Binders 1-3: Lincoln's Soldiers (3 binders, 1905-1927). Lincoln's Soldiers largely consists of letters sent to Boos, many with their envelopes still attached. Most contributors utilized Boos-provided paper, though some utilized their own stationery. Despite its title, "Lincoln's Soldiers" is comprised of letters by civilians and soldiers alike. Many contributors had met President Lincoln, and Boos collected as much information as possible about those encounters. Others were unable to meet Lincoln, but shared vivid memories of their times in Andersonville Prison, or interactions with other famous leaders, such as General Sherman (W. H. Jennings) and General Grant (J. E. Parmelee). Some documented their efforts to preserve Lincoln's memory or their involvement in Veteran's organizations.

Binders 4-7: I Saw Lincoln (4 binders, 1911-1928). The bulk of the contributors to I Saw Lincoln met or saw Lincoln during his presidency; a smaller portion interacted with him prior to the presidency; and others saw him while lying in state or en route to Illinois in 1865. The I Saw Lincoln group includes Boos's incoming correspondence and autographs he personally collected while traveling. Glowing praise of Lincoln continues throughout these binders, including an anecdote by Daniel Webster (of Salem, Oregon), in which he described how he was "near being mobbed" in Arkansas in 1871 for calling Lincoln "the brightest star in the galaxy of American statesmen and patriots."

Binder 8: Antietam (1 binder, 1912-1937). The soldiers represented in Antietam were present at the battle; some provided descriptions of the confrontation, though the writers do not all focus on the event. Antietam is notable for having the longest continuous example (in the unbound portion of the collection) of prose by Boos, in which he described the battle and his meetings with the veterans.

Binders 9-11: Lincoln's Soldiers and Where They Saw Him (3 binders, 1911-1933). contains accounts from soldiers who saw Lincoln and soldiers who did not. This group includes a significant number of contributions by soldiers who guarded the President's remains.

Binder 12: Autographs of Abe Lincoln's Soldiers (1 binder, 1910-1917). This binder contains signatures of soldiers, with very brief notes on each veteran. Boos apparently revisited the binder at a later dated and added death dates.

[Unnumbered Binder]: [Additional Lincoln's Soldiers] (1 binder, 1911-1937). This binder includes accounts similar to those found in binders 9-11.

Series III: Loose Items, 1904-1949

This series is comprised of nearly 200 loose letters, disbound book pages, and notes. Many of these items were either part of one of the Clements Library's pre-2015 accessions, or were included with the Dow collection in unarranged binders. The bulk of the series is letters to Boos containing memories of Lincoln. The accounts provided by these eye witnesses include memories of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's assassination, hospital visits by the President, his 1860 Cooper Union speech, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and general memories of the Civil War period. The contributors include veterans, Ford's Theater attendees on the night Lincoln was shot, the daughter of Mary Todd Lincoln's personal nurse (Ealine Fay), and a woman who sang in the choir for the ceremony at which Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address (M. O. Smith). This series contains letters by Jennie Gourlay Struthers and James Tanner, who are also represented in the Then a Nation Stood Still volume in Series I.

The series includes writings and other materials that shed light on John E. Boos's collecting practices and editing processes and a 1924 letter from Congregational minister William E. Barton to Walt Whitman expert Emory Holloway, with comments on the growing cult of memory surrounding Lincoln.

A folder of manuscripts and photocopies pertain to Grace Bedell, who is credited with convincing Lincoln to grow his whiskers. These items include photocopies of letters Bedell exchanged with Boos, original letters between Boos and Bedell's heirs, and letters between Boos and Congressman George Dondero, who at one point owned Bedell's original letter to Lincoln.

The Loose Items series also contains correspondence of Donald P. Dow, photocopies of Boos materials offered for sale, and photocopies of letters not present in the Clements Library's collection.

Series IV: Book. A publication containing 103 John Boos letters has been added to the collection: Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln, ed. By William R. Feeheley and Bill Snack (Cadillac, Mich.: Rail Splitter Pub., 2005).

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a comprehensive writer index, which identifies each contributor to the collection: John E. Boos Collection Writer Index.

Albion, Michigan, family. Papers of Barton Stout Taylor, Methodist clergyman; diaries of his wife, Elizabeth Gurney Taylor, detailing her everyday activities; papers of Ralph Wendell Taylor, alumnus of University of Michigan and teacher in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1908; and other family materials.

The Taylor family papers consist of correspondence Barton Stout Taylor, Methodist clergyman; diaries of his wife, Elizabeth Gurney Taylor, detailing her everyday activities; papers of Ralph Wendell Taylor, alumnus of University of Michigan and teacher in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1908; and other family materials. The collection is arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Family miscellaneous, Barton S. Taylor; Elizabeth Gurney Taylor; and Other family members.