January 13, 1857

Humphreys, Joseph, fl. 1845

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Gibson Humphreys

Written on verso of Bill of Exchange [dated 12/6/56] belonging to Samuel Humphreys. Joseph tells his wife of the hardships on his trip including running out of sugar and having to substitute "whiskey & water" for coffee. He is sending Bob back for 3 bottles of whiskey.

GLC04501.081

18 May 1857

Gibson, Alfred, fl. 1857

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Gibson

Hailstorms ruined some of the cotton crop. The cotton gin processes about 12 bales a day. Sickness on the plantation has taken the lives of five slaves, all under the age of four. Albert lost two slaves, one 17 years old and the other 20. A monument was erected at the grave site of Tobias Gibson, the first Methodist Preacher in Mississippi, who has been dead for 50 years. The citizens of Vicksburg are having a reception for Colonel Jeff Davis.

GLC04501.082

1 September 1857

Miller, Eliza, fl. 1857

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to her brother Tobias Gibson]

Recipient is inferred from content of the letter. Eliza describes her stay at the Battery Hotel and hopes that such resorts in the South will prevent Southerners from going north "in search of pleasure or comfort."

GLC04501.083

14 December 1857

Higgins, R., fl. 1857

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Tobias Gibson]

Announces that he has married Ann. He encourages Tobias to remarry after the death of Louisiana Gibson (see GLC04501.100).

GLC04501.084

February 2, 1858

Manuscript document

Title: [Account of Mr. Hart Gibson]

Account of debt owed to Hamilt and Company.

GLC04501.085

15 August 1858

Slaughter, Atticus, fl. 1858

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Tobias] Gibson

He writes about his wife Virginia and plantation business.

GLC04501.086

7 October 1858

Gibson, Tobias, fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah [Gibson] Humphreys

Writes that he has just arrived and that both the cash crop and the provision crops are doing well. He wishes he could bring surplus hands from Sumners Forest to Live Oak to help with the sugar grinding. He feels guilty about leaving Loula and Hart with her since she has children of her own. The letter is continued on October 8th.

GLC04501.087

8 October 1858

Gibson, Claude, fl. 1852-1858

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Tobias Gibson]

He, Toby and John McKinley Gibson are studying in Heidelberg. Mr. Preston has been appointed Minister to Spain.

GLC04501.088

10 July 1860

Gibson, John McKinley, fl. 1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Tobias Gibson]

Writes that he and Toby are going to Switzerland in September. He justifies the trip by stating that the universities in Switzerland are as good as those in Germany and French is spoken there "even better than in Paris." They intend to go to Paris next year. The bottom of the page has been cut with some loss of text. Written in the kingdom of Jena Saxe, Weimar, Germany.

GLC04501.089

25 July 1860 to 29 July 1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: Journal entries

Journal entries taken from a book. The first leaf appears to be journal or diary entries from Blue Lick Springs. It contains information about the weather, news about various people, and illness. Second leaf dated April 30th (no year) contains a listing of clothes for Loula Gibson and Lucy [Humphreys]. A section dated January 4, 1863 contains a listing of beverages consumed, mostly port wine and brandy.

GLC04501.090

26 November 1860

Humphreys, D.C., fl. 1845

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph A. Humphreys

Writes that he will not be able to come home as soon as he expected to.

GLC04501.091

February 4, 1863

Gibson, William P., fl. 1862-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to his sister Mary Humphreys]

Briefly describes his journey from New York to Cincinnati.

GLC04501.093

21 April 1864

Smith, Edward, fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Gibson

Dated at "Cotton Press No. 4." Smith, a member of the 2nd LA Cavalry, Co. G, informs Gibson of his being wounded, captured and imprisoned. He requests $200-$300 in city funds.

GLC04501.096

12 October 1856

Gibson, John McKinley, fl. 1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Gibson

A letter written at school which discusses the strictness of his instructor, asks for an allowance, declares that he neither smokes nor swears, and asks his father for permission to talk to girls.

GLC04501.098

20 February 1871

Gibson, Tobias, fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah [Gibson] Humphreys

A melancholy letter discussing the difficulty of running a profitable plantation. Tobias worries over his children and his failings. He mentions the death of his wife, 20 years ago to the day. He writes of another woman he fell in love with after Louisiana died: "we were everything to each other but the nuptial ceremony . . . ." but "we do not correspond, but I hear occasionally of her."

GLC04501.100

29 March circa 1840

Humphreys, Sarah, fl. 1830-1840

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph A. Humphreys

Writing to her son, she recounts the family's experiences in the city. Her daughters have attended so many parties they are running out of clothes. She wishes for a lock of her son's hair to make a bracelet. Writes that she has been to see "Daguerre's celebrated chemical pictures [Dioramas] from Paris, (oil paintings) in which, by modifying the light upon the picture, are exhibited two entirely distinct representations on the same canvas . . . ." She identifies the images as the Monastery of Mount Surrat in Catatonia, St. Eteinne's church at Paris, and the crumbling of mount Rouffiberg…

GLC04501.101

1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Sarah Gibson]

Writes to her niece that she is feeling better and sends news of other family members.

GLC04501.102

1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Sarah Gibson]

Writes to her niece about family news, particularly concerning a cousin who just married and Nathaniel, who is very ill.

GLC04501.103

1861-1865

Gibson, Tobias, fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to Sarah Gibson Humphreys]

He discusses social activities in Lexington. He also instructs Sarah to forward his letters if she and Mr. Humphreys cannot come to Lexington.

GLC04501.104

1861-1865

Humphreys, Marian, ?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sallie

News concerning family members. Contents suggest these are probably Sarah Gibson Humphreys' children. The letter is partly cross-written.

GLC04501.105

May 6, 1857

Manuscript document signed

Title: Extract of a dispatch from Mr. Crawford to Lord Clarendon

A manuscript extract from a May 6, 1857 dispatch from British consul at Havana, Joseph T. Crawford, to Lord Clarendon, giving names and tonnage of five American vessels sent to Havana, presumably for the slave trade. The ships are the schooner "Abbot Devereaux," brig "R.B. Lawton," schooner "J.H. Record," barque "Clara B. Williams" and barque "Minetonka." This is followed by a one paragraph update, written in the same hand as the extract, and signed "G.G.," noting the August 1, 1857 capture of the "Abbot Devereaux," with 266 slaves on board, by the HMS "Frazer" and the September 2, 1857…

GLC05832.01

12 October 1857

Davidson, Hunter, 1827-1913

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William McBlair

Lt. Davidson of the USS "Dale" reports on his official interview with Commodore Wise, commander of the H.M.S. "Vesuvius," regarding Wise's capture of the slaveship "Bremen" on October 10, 1857. Davidson interviewed Wise by order of the captain of the "Dale," William McBlair. Written on board the U.S.S. "Dale" off the West Coast of Africa. Davidson relays Wise's statement that he boarded the "Bremen" and told her captain that he knew she was a slaver flying an American flag without proper papers. The slaver's captain then threw the flag and papers overboard, stating that he would rather be…

GLC05832.02

October 19. 1857

Conover, Thomas A., 1794-1864

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to William McBlair

Directing McBlair to proceed to the Congo River area to suppress the illegal traffic in slaves and ordering him to cooperate with British naval forces already in the area. Sends "private instructions" (possibly related to GLC00722.04) on how to deal with foreign vessels. Tells McBlair "The slave trade appears to be centered chiefly at and near the mouth of the Congo River" and that he should patrol mostly around this area while searching for illegal slave trading ships. Written on board the U.S.S. "Cumberland" at St. Paul de Loando, now called Luanda, the capital of Angola. These orders…

GLC05832.03

13 November 1857

Burgess, George F., 1827-1860

Manuscript document

Title: [Statement regarding slave ship capture]

Clerical copy of a statement by British commander George F. Burgess recording the capture of the slave ship "Joseph H Record" by HMS "Antelope" on September 3, 1857. The vessel had "191 Slaves on board - and had a crew of Spaniards & Italians - or other foreigners - no papers or colours." The statement also excerpts the boarding book of the HMS "Hecate" regarding information received about the "Windward," a ship flying American colors, but with a Portugese crew. The original statement was written on board the HMS "Hecate" at Sharks Point, R. Congo. The schooner "Joseph H. Record" was…

GLC05832.04

1857 circa

Pike, John W., fl. 1857

Manuscript document

Title: Information regarding slavers, received from the master of the "Jupiter" captured by Her M S "Antelope"

Clerical copy of a deposition taken by Lt. John W. Pike, captain of the HMS "Antelope," from the master of the "Jupiter," an illegal slaver captured by the "Antelope" in June of 1857. The statement describes the operation of an illegal slave ship, including financing, use of false papers and colors, circuitous route taken, initial contact with slave traders in Africa by the raising of certain colors, refitting of the ship from a merchant hold to a slave ship, picking up of the slaves some time later, and other tactics. It then details the voyage of the "Jupiter" prior to her capture. The…

GLC05832.05