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

The Cuba collection contains around 91 individual manuscripts (mostly documents) related to the economic, racial, and political history of Cuba largely from the early to the late 19th century. The collection primarily focuses on the indentured servitude of Chinese workers, as well as Cuba's enslavement, trade, and manumission of largely African people. Another subset of the materials relates to 19th century insurrections and filibusters on the Island, including the López Expedition and Cuban resistance pertinent to the Ten Years' War.

The Cuba collection contains around 91 individual manuscripts (mostly documents) related to the economic, racial, and political history of Cuba largely from the early to the late 19th century. The collection primarily focuses on the indentured servitude of Chinese workers, as well as Cuba's enslavement, slave trading, and manumission of largely African people. Another subset of the materials relates to 19th century insurrections and filibusters on the Island, including the López Expedition and Cuban resistance pertinent to the Ten Years' War. The collection includes correspondence, documents, business records, citizenship certificates, death records, and contracts. The bulk of the materials were created in or relate to activities or people in Havana. Others relate to Santiago de Cuba.

Please see the box and folder listing below for details about each item in the collection.

The Cuba photograph album contains 40 photographs of buildings, monuments, and other sights in Havana, Cuba, taken by an unidentified American tourist around 1901.

The Cuba photograph album contains 40 photographs of buildings, monuments, and other sights in Havana, Cuba, taken by an unidentified American tourist around 1901.

The album (14 x 18 cm) has grey cloth covers and is in fragile condition, with some early pages possibly missing. All 40 photographs are in good condition and include detailed inscribed captions. Most images are of major buildings and monuments such as the Cathedral Havana, Tacon Market, and Morro Castle.

• The wall where Spanish soldiers executed eight medical students falsely accused of desecrating a cemetery in 1871.
• Hotel Inglaterra (still in operation) with the empty pedestal in front where a statue of Queen Isabella II of Spain stood until 1899.
• The remains of the USS Maine, sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.
• Tourists looking through the fence at General Fitzhugh Lee’s Marianao headquarters where he served as a commander of occupation forces from January 1899 until November 1900. Gen. Lee was a popular consul general in Havana from 1895 until the Spanish-American War broke out in April 1898, and he was the last American to leave Cuba. During the war, he trained a group of volunteer soldiers in Jacksonville, Florida, but never saw combat. He was appointed commander of occupation forces in the Havana District and returned to Cuba on January 1st, 1899, the day the Spanish evacuated the island

This volume contains hundreds of prescriptions pasted into a volume of Singer & Wheeler's "Illustrated Catalogue of Druggists' Sundries, Stationery, Surgical Instruments, Etc." The majority are written on Cunningham & Co. Druggists and Apothecaries prescription sheets or are written on blank slips of paper, but other pharmacies from Xenia and other Ohio cities are also represented, including Flemings' Drug Store and Farrell & Ready Druggists.

This volume contains hundreds of prescriptions pasted into a volume of Singer & Wheeler's "Illustrated Catalogue of Druggists' Sundries, Stationery, Surgical Instruments, Etc." The majority are written on Cunningham & Co. Druggists and Apothecaries prescription sheets or are written on blank slips of paper, but other pharmacies from Xenia and other Ohio cities are also represented, including Flemings' Drug Sture and Farrell and Ready Druggists.

Between January 1851 and April 1852 David Barrows of Nicetown, Pennsylvania, kept these two paper-bound, stab-sewn diaries, which he labeled on their covers as "log books." He recorded his experiences working in his family's hosiery manufacturing business, providing many details of working with his siblings and mother on mitts, hose, stockings, and other products. Barrows frequently wrote about family dynamics, including content reflecting a troubled and abusive relationship with his father, who lapsed into bouts of drunkenness, verbal abuse, and absenteeism. In addition to these confrontations with his father, Barrows wrote other entries reflecting his efforts to secure his independent economic future and his struggling efforts to court Annie Rusby.

Between January 1851 and April 1852 David Barrows of Nicetown, Pennsylvania, kept these two paper-bound, stab-sewn diaries, which he labeled on their covers as "log books." He recorded his experiences working in his family's hosiery manufacturing business, providing many details of working with his siblings and mother on mitts, hose, stockings, and other products. He wrote about maintaining the ledger and dealing with bank accounts, receiving orders, repairing and sourcing tools, tracking wool prices, washing and tying stockings up, purchasing and getting yarn dyed various colors, contracting out the spinning of wool into yarn, working with the frame and loom, and other related business activities, providing insight into family-run manufacturing operations. Several entries reflect the broader economic environment, including a robbery of yarn from the family's shop (February 23, 1851) and a meeting of local stocking weavers to address some men "working under price" (March 10, 1851; March 12, 1851).

Barrows frequently wrote about family dynamics, including how he spearheaded business affairs during his father's trip to England, how his parents had to sleep in the front room due to stockings being hung in their chamber (April 1, 1852), working alongside his brothers and sisters on manufacturing tasks, and making fun of a young sibling whose fingers bled while winding yarn (March 11, 1852).

The diaries include content reflecting a troubled and abusive relationship with Barrows' father, who lapsed into bouts of drunkenness, verbal abuse, and absenteeism. Barrows wrote extensively about one particular episode where he and his mother followed his father, who responded with rage, saying, "he was not going to be watched & dictated to by a Prentice boy (he meant me)... & then he began to Dam us & said he would make the blood fly when he began & then he wished us all in hell & said he should do has he liked & he'd be Damed if any body should stop him he then said he would make a man of me... Oh! Lord I comit it all into thy care & keeping this might be with my Dear Mother keep her from being hurt or kiled by my Father..." (March 13, 1852). He recounted confronting his father about the episode, his father's apologetic response, and his retort "it was his actions that I took notice of more than his word" (March 15, 1852). In addition to these confrontations with his father, Barrows wrote other entries reflecting his efforts to secure his independent economic future. On March 11, 1852, he noted his idea to start his own manufacturing operation producing "some kind of goods, that Father did not make, and then let him sell them for me to his customers."

The desire to establish his own business was likely spurred by his struggling courtship with Annie Rusby, which Barrows wrote about throughout the two volumes. He recorded when he wrote and received letters, and one entry documents her efforts to break their betrothal, "she said a great deal to me about my poor situation in life," and his bristling at being "hen pecked by a person that I intend to have for my wife" (February 27, 1852). His mother approached him about a rumor circulating that he had been secretly wed, which he denied (March 28, 1851), providing further insights into a young adult's romantic pursuits and his interpersonal dynamics while entangled in a family business.

This orderly book was kept by Major David Bradish during the Revolutionary War, when he was stationed in Providence, Rhode Island, at the headquarters of General John Sullivan.

Major David Bradish was stationed in Providence, Rhode Island, at the headquarters of General John Sullivan, from August 16, 1778, to April 3, 1779. The orderly book (210 pages) contains general orders, brigade orders, regimental orders, reports of courts-martial, punishments apportioned to soldiers, extracts from acts of congress, and other entries. Of note is the entry from January 15, 1779, which records General Washington's court-marshalling of Major General Lee, Major General St. Clair, and Major General Schuyler. Lee was charged for disobedience of orders in not attacking the enemy, for misbehaving (retreat) in front of the enemy June 28th, [1778], and for disrespect of the Commander-in-Chief, June 28 and July 1, 1778. He was found guilty and relieved of command for 12 months. St. Clair was charged for neglect of duty, treachery, in-attention to progress of the enemy, and for shamefully abandoning Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. He, however, was cleared of these charges, with honor. Schuyler was found not guilty of neglect of duty for not being at Fort Ticonderoga.

After the last orderly book entry, a number of pages are missing, following which are brief notes on loan payments from 1782-1786.

In 1845, John Manning of Lebanon, Conn., brought charges against Dr. David Holmes for medical malpractice. This collection contains letters concerning the trial, which was held by the First Ecclesiastical Church of Lebanon.

The David Holmes papers contain 10 letters written by Holmes to church members, primarily Nichols and Wetmore in Lebanon, and 2 letters written by his wife, Betsy Holmes, to Nichols and Calhoun, pastors at the Lebanon church. Nine letters were written by Nichols to Holmes regarding his trial by the church committee. The collection also includes two letters were written by Manning, the instigator of the case, and one letter by written by the church committee to Holmes. The bulk of the correspondence is concentrated in 1845-1847.

There are two main areas of interest in the Holmes papers. First, the letters between Holmes and members of the church illustrate church discipline and the relationship of the church with its members. An individual brought initial charges against Holmes to the church for justice. The church had the authority to charge and try individuals. Nichols tells Holmes that he can appeal the outcome of his case to the New London county council. The prominence of the church in public and private life is apparent in this collection.

The second area of interest in the collection relates to medical practice. The charges against Holmes are finally revealed as malpractice. The malpractice charges are sustained by the church, but no disciplinary action resulted other than suspension. "I think it much cheaper and easier to live down suspicion and prejudice than to quarrel about the matter" Holmes wrote to Wetmore. Holmes wrote a compelling article about pharmacists who dispense medicine carelessly in his newsletter dated nine years after the case with the church was settled: "Most druggists have fallen into the foolish and dangerous practice of preparing different qualities of the same medicine to suit the taste of their customers, the consequence is that no reliance can be placed in their preparations."

While this collection is small, the case against Holmes is fully documented, providing information about church discipline and medical practice in the 1840s.

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 David Ross papers contain financial documents and correspondence regarding the estate of Pennsylvania merchant Mark Freeman and the Revolutionary War-era tobacco business of Virginia planter David Ross, who handled Freeman's financial affairs after Freeman's departure for Europe in 1779.

The David Ross papers contain financial documents and correspondence regarding the estate of Pennsylvania merchant Mark Freeman and the Revolutionary War-era tobacco business of Virginia planter David Ross, who handled Freeman's financial affairs after the latter's departure for Europe in 1779.

Most early items are financial documents, such as accounts related to Mark Freeman's estate. These pertain to Freeman's purchases in the 1770s and to debts owed after his death. Also included is a power of attorney granting Mark Freeman, William Temple, and Robert Wilson, all of Middletown, Pennsylvania, the right to represent the estate of James Forbes, also of Middletown (May 4, 1776). Other financial records concern the firm Forbes & Patton's purchases of snuff, rolling paper, tobacco, and other goods.

Later items primarily pertain to David Ross, who took over Freeman's affairs in 1779. The collection contains a copy of an indenture allowing Ross to become Freeman's attorney (August 2, 1779) and records regarding Freeman's finances. These documents reflect the difficulties of conducting trade during the American Revolution. Ross traded indigo, tobacco, and other products throughout the war, often in the Caribbean, and repeatedly mentioned the complications presented by the war. In one item, Ross discussed the possible future of Kentucky (January 29, 1781).

The David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography consists of over 100,000 images in a variety of formats including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes de visite, cabinet photographs, real photo postcards, stereographs, and mounted and unmounted paper prints. The collection is primarily made up of vernacular photographs of everyday life in Michigan taken by both professional and amateur photographers from the 1840s into the mid-twentieth century. In addition to supporting local history research, the collection has resources for the study of specific events and subjects. Included are images related to lumbering, mining, suburbanization; the industrialization of cities; travel and transportation; the impact of the automobile; the rise of middle-class leisure society; fashion and dress; ethnicity and race; the role of fraternal organizations in society; and the participation of photographers in business, domestic, and social life. The collection is only partially open for research.

The subject contents of different photographic format series within the Tinder collection vary, depending in part upon how each format was historically used, and the date range of that format's popularity. For example, cartes de visite and cased images are most often formal studio portraits, while stereographs are likely to be outdoor views. Cabinet photographs are frequently portraits, but often composed with less formality than the cartes de visite and cased images. The postcards and the mounted prints contain very diverse subjects. The photographers' file contains many important and rare images of photographers, their galleries, promotional images, and the activities of photographers in the field. See individual series descriptions in the Contents List below for more specific details.

Included throughout are images by both professional and amateur photographers, although those by professionals are extant in far greater numbers.

This diary (around 29 pages) was maintained by 18-year-old David Weston in July and August of 1863 in Boston and Reading, Massachusetts. His entries reflect the labor he performed, such as making shoes, sawing and splitting wood, and agricultural tasks. He also added notes regarding the Boston Draft Riot, its aftermath, and other Massachusetts military events.

This diary (around 29 pages) was maintained by 18-year-old David Weston in July and August of 1863 in Boston and Reading, Massachusetts. His entries reflect the labor he performed, such as making shoes, sawing and splitting wood, and agricultural tasks. He also added notes regarding the Boston Draft Riot, its aftermath, and other Massachusetts military events.

Weston wrote about the impact of the draft on his friends and family; for example, on July 16, 1863, "the Governor ordered troops to be in readiness, in the evening a crowd got together in front of the Armory of the 11th Battery in Cooper St. . . . the crowd pulled up bricks from the sidewalk & began to storm the door..." (page 5). A portion of an envelope laid into the volume lists the weights of six individuals (including Weston) taken at the Reading railroad depot in October 1862.