November 2, 1862

Greene, George Sears, 1801-1899

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edwin Denison Morgan

Greene writes to Morgan, the New York Governor, about the loss of all but one field-grade officer in Greene's brigade. Mentions the death of Colonel Goodrich. He recommends that Richard Edely, the current chaplain, be appointed colonel of the 60th Regiment of New York Volunteers.

GLC01597

1 August 1791-2 January 1792

Carter, Robert, 1728-1804

Document signed

Title: [Manumission of a slave]

Appears to be a copy dated 2 January 1792, of a document written on 1 August 1791. Note at bottom signed by Thomas Edwards on 2 January 1792 says "An extract from the Deed recorded in the Northumberland District Court." Document says that Carter was using the 1782 Virginia emancipation act to "emancipate from slavery Sampson at Aquarius in Frederick County aged twentyone years."

GLC02448.04

20 June 1765

Perry, James, fl. 1765

Document signed

Title: [Receipt for receiving an estate of 635 pounds and a negro girl]

Cosigned by Christopher Robinson and Silas Helme as witnesses. Legal document signed by James Perry Jr. that he received 635 pounds, 5 shillings and "One Negro Girl Named Lucy" from William Potter, the executor of the estate of Perry's mother Marcy Potter. Also says that he received his daughter Mary Perry's part of the inheritance as her natural guardian. Red wax seal next to James Perry's signature.

GLC02448.18

1845

Carney, Julia A. Fletcher, 1823-1908

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: Little drops of water [poem signed and dated 1845]

GLC02453.07

21 March 1780

Dunlap, John, 1747-1812

Newspaper

Title: Pennsylvania packet or the general advertiser. [March 21, 1780]

Contains dispatches of General George Washington and Congress. Includes reports on various ships, and war news from Georgia. Contains a report from the House of Commons pertaining to a bill for the encouragement of Irish trade. Includes a report on Continental troops taking a British officer (Captain Ogden) hostage near Tarrytown, New York. Refers to an investigation conducted by General Philip Schuyler related to events in Canada. Contains an extract of minutes of the General Assembly, authorized by Assembly Clerk Thomas Paine, related to "An Act for striking the sum of One hundred…

GLC08748.05

14 May 1796

Yundt, Leonard, 1756-1825

Newspaper

Title: Federal gazette & Baltimore daily advertiser. [Vol. IV, no. 788 (May 14, 1796)]

Printed and sold by Leonard Yundt and Matthew Brown at 3 Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland. First page is entirely advertisements, including ones for various goods and services, real estate sales, and announcements for sailing vessels. Second page has news from Congress "On the motion for making provision for carrying into effect the treaty with Great-Britain." The page also three advertisements dealing with slaves: one put in anonymously selling "A Young Negro Woman, and 2 Children," another one put in by Richard Welch of Montgomery County for a six dollar reward for a runaway "Negro Man…

GLC08720.06

January 17, 1774

Dunlap, John, 1747-1812

Newspaper

Title: Pennsylvania Packet or the general advertiser. [Vol. 3, no. 117 (January 17, 1774)]

Prints on page two an account on the manumission of slaves calculating what the estimated costs would be to pay for the manumission of all slaves in the Colony. Also includes news from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia and public postings.

GLC08689

1830

Bowen, Henry, 1794-1874

Broadside

Title: A mirror for the intemperate

Temperance broadside with poems and extracts such as "Ode to Rum" and "Set Down that Glass." Also includes some illustrations. Printed on cloth for Nathaniel Boynton by Henry Bowen's Chemical Print. Mounted on cloth covered board; dimensions include mounting.

GLC08600

July 19, 1968

Nixon, Richard M., 1913-1994

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lewis L. Strauss

Richard M. Nixon thanks Admiral Strauss for his influence in gaining the endorsement of President Eisenhower in the 1968 presidential election, referred to as "the historic decision announced by the General last night." Written on Nixon's personal stationery.

GLC00162.26

October 5, 1862

Stevens, Whitfield, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Archabald Wade

Whitfield Stevens, a Confederate soldier from Company A of the 4th Virginia Infantry (Stonewall Brigade) writes to his grandfather (letter addressed "Dear Granpa") and sends his letter in a "Yanky Envelope." Written from "Camp Bunkers Hill" outside of Winchester, Virginia. Mentions that his regiment has been badly wounded and predicts that they only have one big fight left in them before they break for winter.

GLC00220

July 3, 1862

Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Wallace J. Ford

Then Brigadier General Garfield writes to a friend at home about "the congressional affair" shortly after he aided in the Battle of Corinth. He comments about his poor health and his weight loss. Back in Ohio, Garfield's friends were urging him to run for the 19th congressional district's seat, but he tells Ford he does not want his name "to go before a Convention at all unless there is more than an even chance that I would be successful." He describes military preparations for a Fourth of July celebration and the nearby Disciples of Christ, one of which he describes as a secessionist "…

GLC00261

February 4, 1862

Benjamin, Judah Philip, 1811-1884

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jefferson Davis

Writing to the Confederate President, Confederate Secretary of War Benjamin notes that there is much molasses available in Louisiana and suggests that molasses would be welcomed by the troops to improve their deficient coffee.

GLC00495

1864

Boker, George H. (George Henry), 1823-1890

Book signed

Title: Poems of the War

Written by Philadelphia poet, playwright and diplomat George Henry Boker. First edition copy signed by one of Lincoln's secretaries John G. Nicolay as "Jno G. Nicolay / Sept 19th 1864." Published by Ticknor and Fields. Contains 37 poems, including 4 sonnets (Boker is remembered favorably for his sonnets in particular). 31 of the poems deal with the war, including "The Crossing at Fredericksburg," "The Black Regiment," and "Before Vicksburg," among others. 6 fall under the heading "Miscellaneous Poems." Pebble-grained green cloth cover, stamped in blind with gilt-stamped title on spine. Boker…

GLC00530

1900-1929

Van Valkenburgh, Franklin Butler, 1835-1924

Document

Title: Robins and Robbins

Poem on two typed pages. The type is green instead of black. Size in the extent is for the larger sheet. The smaller sheet is 13.8 x 21.6 cm. Two stanzas on the smaller sheet and two longer stanzas on the the bigger sheet. Pencil note says the poem was by Franklin Van Valkenburgh. Several corrections made in pencil. Poem is a nonsensical and seems to revolve around a family story or an inside joke.

GLC00686.31

October 6, 1862

Breckinridge, John C. (John Cabell), 1821-1875

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William T. Avery

Confederate General Breckinridge discusses a possible position on his staff for Avery, which would have to be as a voluntary aide. Congratulates on his freedom "from Yankee bondage" and his hopes to meet Avery "often in the progress of our great and just struggle."

GLC00713

July 24, 1862

Longstreet, James, 1821-1904

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry A. Wise

Writes to Brigadier General Wise of D. H. Hill's Division, Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate Major General Longstreet (in reply from a letter from Wise of the day before) tells Wise that he will suggest to Commanding General Robert E. Lee that troops from Wise's brigade be preferred in troop exchanges with the Union. He adds that in the meantime he will send two brigades to support his picket line. "I am sending two Brigades down to occupy the ground from New Market to the Darbytown road. This I think will enable you to reduce your picket guards to some extent, and enable you to get…

GLC00714

November 16, 1865

Spinner, Francis Elias, 1802-1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Moses Fowler Odell

Francis Elias Spinner, United States Treasurer, responds to a telegraph and a letter from Odell, a former United States Representative from New York. He laments the suicide of Preston King, stating: "While his heart was overflowing with human kindness toward all men, he was rigidly just. No consideration of comfort or interest to himself or the warmest friendship for others, could for a moment sway him from the pursuit if what he believed to be right." Letter written on Treasury Department stationery. Docketed on the upper right corner of the last page.

GLC00669

1866

Melville, Herman, 1819-1891

Book signed

Title: Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.

First edition of Melville's only book of poetry. Inscribed on inital blank facing the titlepage: "Major Edward Y. Lansing from H. Melville. As a souvenir of his soldier hospitality at the cavalry camp in the Virginia woods, April 1864." Also inscriped by Lansing in pencil on page 187 above the peom "The Scout toward Aldis": "Major Edwin Y. Lansing's cavalry camp in the Virginia woods, April 1864." In April, 1864 Melville and his brother obtained a pass to visit the front to search for their cousin, Colonel Henry Gansevoort. Melville met Lansing in a scouting party he and his brother…

GLC00768.01

August 10, 1863

Buckner, Simon Bolivar, 1823-1914

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John S. Preston

Confederate general Buckner asks Colonel Preston to have some letters of General John Hunt Morgan's wife sent to Confederate President Jefferson Davis to be forwarded to Morgan, who was in a Union prison camp in Ohio. Partial docket on verso; lower half of the page is missing.

GLC01050

May 15, 1865

Roddey, Philip Dale, 1820-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William H. Hatch

Roddey, a Confederate Brigadier General, writes regarding disbanding troops and securing paroles. With an unsigned pencil note on verso probably written by General Hatch.

GLC00886

May 14, 1865

Smith, Thomas B., 1838-1923

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Letter addressed to "Dear Col." Smith, a Confederate brigadier general, writes as a prisoner of war in Fort Warren, Boston, Massachusetts. "I have applied this morning to the Sect. of War to take the Oath of Allegiance. I think the cause for which we have so long contended perfectly hopeless ... I don't think there is anything to be gained by staying longer in prison." He states that he would like the recipient to accompany him to Tennessee if he so decides.

GLC00887

August 24, 1864

Gilmer, Jeremy Francis, 1818-1883

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Victor von Sheliha

Letter marked unofficial. Gilmer writes as Confederate Major General about Lieutenant Colonel Sheliha's resignation and his appointment of a successor. He believes that it is unfortunate that Sheliha is resigning while Mobile, Alabama is besieged by Federal forces. "This is a serious step for any officer to take in the present condition of our affairs - and I regret that you should have thought it proper to take it ... even while the Enemy was knocking at the doors of Mobile ... " He explains that it was absolutely necessary to appoint a replacement immediately, " ... one who would struggle…

GLC00908

October 13, 1862

Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Dennison Baldwin

Dana discusses his recollection of an anti-slavery convention and his support for President Abraham Lincoln. Dana was currently U.S. district attorney for Massachusetts, appointed by Lincoln.

GLC00978

February 21, 1862

Buckner, Simon Bolivar, 1823-1914

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary K. Buckner

Confederate general Buckner writes to his wife, states that he is on his way to Indianapolis, where he was interred at Camp Morton after surrendering Fort Donelson to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. States that his staff is with him. With an autograph note signed on verso by Buckner to Grant, asking that it go to his wife. Sent care of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston.

GLC00992

July 9, 1862

Bixby, Horace, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Andrew H. Foote

Bixby, seeking a mail contract, asks Foote to recommend him to Postmaster General Montgomery Blair. He notes that Flag Officer Davis has already written such a letter. He adds that in the event of his flotilla being turned over to the navy, and there being a grade of pilot established, he would like to get the position of Pilot in Chief. Andrew Foote autograph note signed at bottom of recto says "Mr. Bixby is a clever, honest man. A. H. Foote U.S. Navy." Letter written while aboard the Flagship "Benton."

GLC00999