25 June 1798

Jay, John, 1745-1829

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William North

Arrived in New York on 23 June 1798 and received North's letter of 22 June 1798. Written by Jay as Governor of New York to North as Senator from New York. North wrote soliciting advice on foreign affairs from Jay. Says the French alliance of 1777 should be considered void, but advises that a declaration of war should be avoided. Says war must seem unavoidable and necessary before the general public will give its approval of such drastic measures. Regrets the drastic measures of the Jacobins in France. Believes Elbridge Gerry's decision to remain in France after the XYZ Affair, while done out…

GLC02528.02

13 October 1803

Jay, John, 1745-1829

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William North

Written by Jay in retirement to North, a former brigadier general and U.S. Senator working on his farm. Says he received North's letter of 22 September 1803 which stated Mr. Verplank would not authorize North to pay the creditors of Mr. DuBois's estate from the sale of his land. North had requested Jay's advice on how to proceed. Jay says he cannot form a proper judgment having not seen the papers concerning the trust. Says he should submit the matter to "two of our most eminent Counsellors at Law, and steadily and strictly follow their advice."

GLC02528.03

18 March 1781

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Richard Platt

Discusses the preliminary drawings of an artillery building at West Point which will include an ordnance store and a crane projecting from the building's pediment. Knox requests another building to serve as a laboratory.

GLC02531

24 November 1778

Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Alexander

Laurens, as president of congress, writes to the Earl of Stirling about the distribution of "the Treaties of Amity & Commerce & of Alliance" with France and trade relations with the United Provinces. He also bemoans the loss of virtue and unity which America had in 1775, decrying avarice and profiteering.

GLC02532

December 1857

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph manuscript

Title: "House divided" speech fragment re: slavery, Dred Scott, Kansas

A single page beginning "Why Kansas is neither the whole, nor a tithe of the real question." Written before the debates with Stephen A. Douglas, apparently in response to that Senator's Dec. 9, 1857 speech in opposition to Buchanan's State of the Union address (as suggested by Don Fehrenbacher, "House Divided," 89 ff.). Nicolay and Hay date the metaphor from Oct. 1858 while Basler assigns it to May 1858. Unpublished and unrecorded. Current dating is based upon Don E. Fehrenbacher's hypothesis that this speech responds to Stephen A. Douglas's speech in the Senate of 1857 Dec. 9 (Prelude to…

GLC02533

15 December 1778

Livingston, Robert, 1708-1790

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his son [possibly his son-in-law, James Duane]

Discusses a snow storm that may work to the American troops' advantage as the roads are impassable. Mentions a food shortage and the rising costs of provisions. Assures the recipient that his family, under Livingston's care, is healthy. Asks about the developments in Congress and whether any news has arrived from France, England, or Spain. Wonders whether the British will allow the war to continue for another year. Encloses a letter for recipient's brother Robert (not included) and wishes him a happy holiday.

GLC02537.01

18 April 1779

Livingston, Robert, 1708-1790

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Duane

Writes to his son-in-law about the state and activities of his iron works, where they were producing pig iron for Colonel Hay, Colonel Lewis, and General Schuyler. Mentions an upcoming meeting with the Governor of New York, in which he will let him know that "in case of no assistance no blame shall fall on me this is doing all what in reason can be Expected of me by my Country, at this critical moment." Also mentions inflation and the price of foodstuffs.

GLC02537.02

13 April 1781

Livingston, Robert, 1708-1790

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Duane

Writes to his son-in-law with family news. Discusses being "greatly pestered with a band of robbers." Requests news from the southern front in the American Revolution, specifically if Nathanael Greene was successful against Lord Cornwallis and accounts of Benedict Arnold's activities. Mentions his hopes for aid from the Dutch and that "English pride may be curbed and brought to reason."

GLC02537.03

3 September 1776

Nelson, Thomas Jr., 1738-1789

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Page

Discusses the American defeat at the Battle of Long Island and their retreat. Thinks the British will quit New York City very shortly. Reports that Brigadier General Lord Sterling and General Sullivan have been taken prisoner along with other valuable field officers. Adds that the Americans' 2400 troops bravely and successfully forced their way through enemy lines and kept the enemy's 10,000 soldiers at bay. Feels that the Americans must give up their islands until they build a marine power strong enough to defend them.

GLC02540

4 July 1817

North, William, 1755-1836

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Record of his family history and short biography]

Written by North for one of his grandchildren. Speaks of his family that came from Ireland in 1720 and settled in eastern Massachusetts at Yarmouth. Mentions that his mother sold the estate they had when he was 10 or 12 years old after his father died. The narration is not chronological and North tells a variety of stories from a variety of generations. The first four pages are connected and deal with family history and there is a separate fifth page that is the start of a biography, which is incomplete.

GLC02541.01

18 September 1823

North, William, 1755-1836

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [An account of the execution of Major John Andre]

Details the execution of Major John Andre, accused of being a spy, and expresses his sympathetic feelings toward Andre's unfortunate fate. Describes how Baron Von Steuben could not comply with Andre's wish to suffer a soldier's death by being shot since the only suitable death for a spy is hanging.

GLC02541.02

1720-1839

Header Record

Title: Collection of 50 correspondence of the North Family [Decimalized .01-.32.29]

Includes materials relating to William and Joseph North, and William Van Duersen (Duerson), an ancestor.

GLC02542

23 April 1652

Stuyvesant, Peter, 1592-1672

Manuscript document signed

Title: [West India Company deed for Teunis Cornelisse] [in Dutch]

Countersigned by New Amsterdam Secretary Cornelis Van Tienhoven. Deed granting property to Teunis Cornelisse. Includes official seal. For English translation, see GLC02542.01.01.

GLC02542.01

28 March 1689

Schuyler, Peter, 1657-1724

Document signed

Title: [Land grant for Joseph Yetts].

Countersigned by Robert Livingston. Schuyler and Livingston had procured the charter for the city in 1686. Livingston was Schuyler's brother-in-law. Signed by Peter Schuyler as mayor of Albany. Features paper seal.

GLC02542.02

23 May 1692

White, Daniel, fl. 1692

Document signed

Title: [Deed of land indenture]

Sale of land in Hadley, Massachusetts. The agreement being made between the Whites, Daniel and his wife Sarah, and Thomas Meakins's executor Samuel Partrigg, Justice of the Peace. Witnessed by Stephen Belding, Samuel Hornblom, and John [illegible]. Sarah signed with an "X" as her mark. Two red wax seals still extent next to signatures.

GLC02542.03

January 21, 1729

Ballantine, John, 1677-1735

Document signed

Title: [Order to attach goods or estate of two merchants]

Order written up by Ballantine as clerk to the sheriff of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Order states that the sheriff is commanded to attach the goods or estate of Giles Dulake Tidmarsh and Samuell Appleton. Asks that Tidmarsh, if he is in Suffolk County, be apprehended and brought before the Court of Common Pleas. Tidmarsh and Appleton owe money to James Bowdoin of Boston, from a deal made 21 June 1728. They owed slightly over 838 pounds, which was not paid on demand. They have only paid slightly over 293 pounds in sundry goods to Bowdoin at this point, leaving a debt of slightly over 544…

GLC02542.04

17 July 1733

Belcher, Jonathan, 1682-1757

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Appointment of John North as Justice of the Peace in York County, Massachusetts]

Handwritten document signed by Belcher as the Governor of Massachusetts. Also signed by J. Willard Story. With contemporary genealogical notes in the margins.

GLC02542.05

22 June 1774-25 July 1774

Lott, Abraham, fl. 1785-1789

Manuscript

Title: [Journal of trip to Albany, New York]

Leather bound journal of Abraham Lott. Journal describes his journey from New York to Albany. Travelled by ship from Boston to the Hudson River. Mentions meeting Philip Schuyler and Philip Livingston, among other noteable New Yorkers. Tells of his business and social interactions with prominent people in Albany. In last entry says he leaves Albany. End of journal has a separate list of his travel expenses.

GLC02542.06

8 July 1779

Cushing, Charles, fl. 1779

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph North

Written by Brigadier General Cushing to Colonel North. Reports that he received an express letter from General Lovell asking him to have his men ready to march immediately to Townsend, where they will rendevous with the fleet. Wants North to get his quota of men there as soon as possible. Says if he can engage the services of a doctor for the campaign to do it. Place written is included, but it is illegible.

GLC02542.07

10 November 1780-29 November 1780

Manuscript

Title: [Journal of voyage from New York City aboard the Raleigh]

The unsigned manuscript, apparently British in origin, was written while on the Frigate "Raleigh," commanded by Captain James Gambier. Gives list of passengers, who are all officers and says they are bound for the Chesapeake. On 12 November his destination changes to Cape Fear, North Carolina. Sees several ships of the line before leaving New York. Mentions a storm on 17 November. Says they captured several ships during their voyage southward. Heard the British fleet became separated on 17 November because of the "gale."

GLC02542.08

16 September 1782

Hanson, John, 1715-1783

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of William North as captain of 9th Massachusetts]

Signed by Hanson as President of Congress and countersigned by Benjamin Lincoln as Secretary of War. Document is official notification of William North's appointment as captain in the 9th Massachusetts Regiment. Says he is accorded the rank from the 10 May 1777. Includes embossed paper seal at top corner.

GLC02542.09

15 April 1784

Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of Major William North as Inspector of Troops under General Knox]

Document written in a secretarial hand and signed by Thomson as Secretary of Congress. Based on Baron Friedrich Von Steuben's recommendation to Congress in a 19 March 1784 letter, Congress has resolved to approve and confirm Major William North as Inspector to the Troops under the command of General Henry Knox. Only dated "15 April" but note in an unknown hand at bottom says "It appears by the Barons appointment to the above office to W North that this was done in the year 1784."

GLC02542.10

16 November 1786

Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790

Printed document signed

Title: [Commission of William North as a Major in the United States Army]

Partially printed document signed by Massachusetts Governor James Bowdoin countersigned by Secretary John Avery. North among troops raised by order of Congress on 20 October 1786. Features paper seal.

GLC02542.11

18 September 1788

Von Steuben, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, 1730-1794

Letter signed

Title: to William North

Whimsical letter written by Von Steuben in retirement and in debt in New York to his former aide North, who was also in retirement at Duanesburg, New York. Refers to North as "my dear Bill." Looks back on the last year. Mentions that "you did cut your name & mine, in a Big tree" and that the Constitution was signed. Says ten years ago Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga. Says nothing is decided by Congress, in reference to an application for a pension still pending before that body. Says he is going to winter with Armstrong and that they are going to take the corner house at Nassau Street…

GLC02542.12

9 April 1796

Jay, John, 1745-1829

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of William North to New York militia]

Signed by Jay as Governor of New York, countersigned by Lewis A. Scott as Secretary. Document appoints North as a Major Commandant of a Battalion of Militia in the County of Albany, New York. Note on verso, dated 16 July 1796, and signed by "R. Lush" as "Clk. & one of the Commisr &c." Note says that North was qualified as a Major, agreeable to law. Embossed paper on recto.

GLC02542.13