22 October 1846

Fremont, John Charles, 1813-1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to E.M. Kerne

Informs Lieutenant Kerne, commander of the district of the Sacramento Valley, that Peter Brennan, this letter's bearer, has authorization to enlist men "in the service of the United States at the rate of twenty five dollars per month." Asks Kerne to give Brennan assistance. Fremont was then engaged in military activities against California, then owned by Mexico.

GLC02475.05

July 13, 1854

Gray, Asa, 1810-1888

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Writes to an unknown bookseller asking if he has copies of Gray's manual of botany available because Mr. Willis, the principal of the Freehold Institute, is not able to obtain a copy. Asks what the selling price is. With small square fragment of blue lined paper with text, possibly cut from another letter. Addressed from Banbridge.

GLC02475.06

17 March 1853

Kane, Elisha Kent, 1820-1857

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Ticknor

Writes that he has noticed "that you have made no charges against our little party for the host of troublesome commissions connected with my lectures" and considers it "a direct contribution to the object of our Expedition." Offers his thanks.

GLC02475.07

23 March 1786

Logan, Benjamin, 1743-1802

Document signed

Title: [Indenture for sale of land in Virginia]

Signed on verso by Tuck Welles [Greencolt?] who states "This Indenture was acknowledged by the said Benjamin Logan to be his Act & declared ordered to be Recorded." Logan, a pioneer, sells a parcel of land to Isaac Shelby, John Logan, William Montgomery, and Hugh Logan, Lincoln County justices of the peace. Indicates the parcel size as 26 acres. Mentions various markers, such as sugar trees and creeks, indicative of boundary lines. Sealed and delivered in the presence of Joseph Russell and John Bailey.

GLC02475.08

11 May 1891

Peary, Robert E., 1856-1920

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Clarence C. Buel

Indicates that he is planning "an Expedition to determine the northern terminus of Greenland." Reports to Buel, the assistant editor of Century Magazine, that he has been advised to seek an outlet for publishing articles related to the expedition, but had not yet made specific plans.

GLC02475.10

1811

Pike, Zebulon M., 1779-1813

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Hamilton

Indicates to Lieutenant Hamilton that he has waited three days for the General and plans to move to another location. Asks for "the descriptive lists of those men whom the Genl. brought Down with him." The address identifies Hamilton as an aid de camp.

GLC02475.11

1810

Rafinesque, C.S (Constantine Samuel), 1783-1840

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Plans for a fort and monument in Tennessee]

Top half of the page depicts the "Plan of the Stone-Fort at the fork of Duck River, in Tennessee." Lower half of the page contains plans for a "Monument Six miles above Nashville on the Cumberland River." Both establishments are marked as "surveyed by 1810" and copied by Rafinesque, a naturalist and philologist.

GLC02475.12

3 September 1857

Walker, William, 1824-1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Heiss

Replies to a letter from Major Heiss received 30 July 1857. Instructs Heiss to send Walker's sword as soon as possible, addressed to Walker at the City Hotel. Inquires if Heiss met General Charles Frederick Henningsen on Henningsen's way north. Expresses gratitude to Heiss for not giving his sword to Mr. Lockridge (possibly Colonel Samuel A. Lockridge), who "has proved himself utterly wanting of credit or confidence."

GLC02475.14

7 April 1862

Farragut, David Glasgow, 1801-1870

Autograph letter signed

Title: to P. Wales

Written by Flag Officer Farragut to Wales as Surgeon on the USS "Colorado." Commands him to take charge of the hospital at Pilot Town and to make arrangements for the comfort of the sick and wounded. He is allowed to take any of the houses, furniture, or appliances as needed. Forwarded by Captain T. Bailey. 2 black and white bust engravings of Farragut included. Written while aboard the Flagship "Wissihigan".

GLC02476

20 May 1779

Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Harrison

Written by Henry as Governor of Virginia to Harrison, a Declaration of Independence signer, as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. Says he has enclosed a letter he received by express from Charlestown, South Carolina (not included). Wants Harrison to report it to the state assembly. Says he has held the messenger until the assembly has heard the letter's contents. Wants to be able to send him back with news of any measures the assembly passes relative to South Carolina. This letter is in reference to the raid of Charlestown by British General Augustine Prevost 11-13 May 1779. General…

GLC02477

28 November 1776

Hogun, James, ?-1781

Document signed

Title: [Bill for moving and provisioning troops in North Carolina]

Receipt accounted for by Colonel Hogun that billed North Carolina for captured American prisoners. Hogun was promoted to Colonel two days previously. Hogun was later captured at Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1780. He refused parole to stay with his men who were being pressured to serve in Jamaica as royal militia. He died in captivity in January 1781.

GLC02478

1775-1913

Header Record

Title: American inventors: 19 letters and documents [decimalized]

[decimalized 02480.01-02480.19]

GLC02480

22 October 1907

Burbank, Luther, 1849-1926

Typed letter signed

Title: to Fred Lockley

Replies that he holds stock in a certain cactus company as security for payment for cactus plants which the company purchases. Informs that the stock is not considered an investment. Claims he has no other connection to the company. Written on stationary from Horticultural Novelties, Burbank's Experiment Farms, Santa Rosa, California.

GLC02480.01

18 March 1851

Colt, Samuel, 1814-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ned Dickerson

Requests information from Dickerson, a lawyer, regarding an extension for the Whittier patent. Informs Dickerson that he hopes to schedule his patent suit the following Monday.

GLC02480.02

6 June 1893

Edison, Thomas Alva, 1847-1931

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Friend Griffin

Orders several motors. Comments on his financial situation, "I am poor and needy, so if you could manage to do a neat bit of philanthropy I would like to buy them at shop cost plus 10 percent profit." Written on stationary from the Laboratory of Thomas A. Edison. One black and white bust engraving of Thomas Edison included.

GLC02480.03

17 April 1858

Ericsson, John, 1803-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Ericsson as the pioneering naval engineer and inventor to an unknown recipient. Says he has enclosed Mr. Stimpson's letter relative to the broken exhaust valve stem (not included). Says he included it to "show what a capital fellow he is." References an innovation Stimpson made involving a nut and a screw in an engine. Ericsson drew a small picture of the design in the middle of the letter.

GLC02480.05

20 August 1842

Goodyear, Charles, 1800-1860

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Silliman

Sends Silliman, chemistry professor at Yale, enclosed examples (not included) of his improvements in gum elastic. Claims that "the elastic articles will not loose their elastic quality by age or by use."

GLC02480.09

12 March 1868

Hoe, Richard March, 1812-1886

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R. H. Gibbons

Hoe, inventor of the Hoe Rotary Press, writes to Gibbons regarding property at 516 Broadway in New York City available for lease after 1 May 1869.

GLC02480.12

18 April 1855

Howe, Elias, 1819-1867

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tucker

Discusses taking measurements of the state room and states that Tucker can do it himself next Friday, or Howe will do it and will forward the measurements next Saturday. One bust engraving of Howe included.

GLC02480.13

15 June 1880

Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 1834-1906

Autograph letter signed

Title: to T.M. Barber

Discusses editing a paragraph describing an observatory in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Addressed to Barber as Professor, Western University of Pennsylvania.

GLC02480.14

13 April 1867

McCormick, Cyrus Hall, 1809-1884

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

McCormick, inventor of the reaping machine, writes to an unknown recipient regarding an approaching meeting.

GLC02480.15

25 July 1792

Stevens, John, 1749-1838

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Kean

Stevens, noted for his developments in steam locomotion, discusses financial matters with John Kean, cashier of the Bank of the United States.

GLC02480.17

February 3, 1913

Westinghouse, George, 1846-1914

Typed letter signed

Title: to R. R. Robinson

Thanks Robinson for sending books. Encloses a check for $100 (not present). Addressed to Rev. R.R. Robinson, Secretary-Treasurer, Wm. McKinley Normal & Industrial School, Alexandria, Va.

GLC02480.18

8 May 1819

Whitney, Eli, 1765-1825

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Trumbull

Whitney, noted for his invention of the cotton gin, writes to Colonel John Trumbull, an established artist residing in New York City. Introduces Trumbull to Lucius Manson, a young, self-taught artist from New Haven, Connecticut, who will soon visit New York. Requests that Trumbull assist and encourage Manson in his artistic pursuits.

GLC02480.19

26 April 1862

Jackson, Thomas J. "Stonewall", 1824-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Richard S. Ewell

"Stonewall" Jackson discusses enemy troop positions while preparing for his Valley campaign. Believes Banks "still at New Market." Jackson is twenty eight miles from New Market, and "only about 16 miles from Fishers Gap." Also asks Ewell to send communications to General Johnston for him. Accompanied by two non-contemporary clippings describing document that were used during its sale. Written at "Swift Run Gap." One right profile and one seated engraving of Jackson included.

GLC02481