November 24, 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William H. Seward

Letter is on Executive Mansion stationery, and discusses news of the Siege of Knoxville. Four days after the address at Gettysburg.

GLC00940

January 3, 1899

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Bay-bah-Maush who had been convicted of resisting arrest in October 1898 and sentenced to 8 months in Otter Tail County Jail]

Bay-bah-Maush, an Indian, was pardoned by McKinley. No reason for pardon mentioned. Countersigned by Attorney General John W. Griggs.

GLC00943

December 16, 1782

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Letter signed

Title: to William Stephens Smith

Letter in hand of aide-de-camp Benjamin Walker, and written to Smith, the Commissary of Prisoners to the Army. References Smith's letter from December 12, 1782. Thanks him for intelligence it contains. Disagrees with Smith's assessment on Dobbs Ferry. Says it can withstand a small surprise attack and that it was never designed to deal with a large attack. Says the daily intercourse between the inhabitants "of the lower country" with the enemy is alarming and should be broken up. Would like suggestions on how to do that. At this point, after the American victory at Yorktown, Dobbs Ferry was…

GLC00949

23 November 1864

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph endorsement signed

Title: [Endorsement on a letter by Governor Pierpont]

Lincoln endorsement on the address leaf of a letter to Lincoln, from Francis H. Pierpont dated 23 November 1864. In the letter, Pierpont states he would be relieved if Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant had a meeting. Lincoln replies, "My time is of indespensable importance to me now; but I will see Gov. Pierpoint with Gen. Grant now if he calls."

GLC00951

06 May 1875

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the pardon of C.A. Hayne].

GLC00956

September 21, 1789

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams chronicles a trip to New York to visit the first United States Congress. Adams describes his interactions with a man named Atkins and another named Mr. Mayer in Newport. He also describes various passengers on the ship he took to New York. In New York, Adams heard speakers in the House of Representatives discuss various topics. He comments on the lower than expected level of eloquence, expressing confidence that he and Bridge will be great statesmen. He notes that Gerry Jackson of Georgia and Aedanus Burke of South Carolina speak most, and Ames, Madison and Vinning speak best.…

GLC00958.05

September 11, 1794

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams apologizes for delay in notifying Bridge that President Washington has appointed Adams minister to the Netherlands. Adams will not be able to attend to business Bridge had given him. Adams left much of his unfinished business to a former classmate at Harvard named Beale, and discusses some of his unfinished cases. He suggests a way to settle the debts that Adams and Bridge owed to each other. He mentions the case of Cowdin and Maynard that Adams was involved in. He bids Bridge farewell, reaffirms their friendship, requests continued correspondence, and urges him to join public life.

GLC00958.10

September 26, 1818

Adams, John, 1735-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Caesar Augustus Rodney

Letter discusses revolutions in South America, and mentions memories of James Otis. Rodney had just returned from South America

GLC00922

1798

United States. Congress

Broadside

Title: Resolution to amend Article II [Election of President]

Printed by John Fenno. The proposal was never enacted.

GLC00927.01

December 9, 1800

Maryland, House of Delegates

Broadside

Title: Resolutions for amending the Constitution on Election of the President

Docketed "N. Pinckney, Secretary;" also docketed on verso. Dated at top December 9; read to Senate December 10 and tabled; read to Senate again on December 19 and assented to.

GLC00927.02

November 20, 1861

Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry S. Randall

Greeley writes to Randall, a biographer of Thomas Jefferson, about the relative qualities of Jefferson, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Expresses thanks for Randall's "vindication of Jefferson from the personal calumnies which had somewhat blackened his reputation." He expresses his reverence and love for Jefferson as the author of the Declaration of Independence but wishes Randall had "let him have some venial faults" to make him appear more human. He indicates that he has greater admiration for Hamilton, who he attributes greater responsibility "In building a…

GLC00935

March 8, 1859

Tyler, John, 1790-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Tyler

John Tyler writes a letter to his son in which he touches on the issue of slavery and the election of 1860. He discusses "Healy's portrait of me" as admirable and being "often mortified at the misrepresentations of me which are occasionally seen in the print shops." He discusses the plans and character of James Semple. In regard to current affairs he writes: "The Country, I fear, is in a bad state." He attributes the dissension among Democrats as "about a mere abstraction." He comments that "A cotton region will have slaves, while a grazing country [western territories] does not want them."…

GLC00948

7 June 1790

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Printed document signed

Title: [Joint resolution of congress for paying veterans of the American Revolution]

Signed by Jefferson as Secretary of State.

GLC00953

1786-1802

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Header Record

Title: [Collection of letters to Harvard classmate James Bridge. Decimalized.] [Decimalized .01-.13.02]

A collection of letters from young John Quincy Adams to his Harvard classmate James Bridge, originally assembled by Bridge in a letterbook. The Adams letters were removed by a previous owner from the book and have been decimalized. The remainder of the collection, letters from other Harvard classmates retained by Bridge, are decimalized under one number. [decimalized GLC00958.01-GLC00985.13.02]

GLC00958

November 17, 1787

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams covers several topics in this long letter to his Harvard classmate shortly after their graduation. He attended the ordination of Henry Ware, his first roomate at Harvard. While there, he has saw a number of their fellow classmates and learned of their plans. He tells a story of how several classmates helped to pay the bills of two of their peers, allowing them to graduate. Adams discusses studying law in Theophilus Parson's office, and invites Bridge to join him in a few months when places become available (which Bridge did). He also briefly discusses law texts he is studying. Adams…

GLC00958.01

October 20, 1788

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams writes to his friend and former Harvard classmate, Bridge, about his health, law studies, and longing to see his female friends. Adams also reports that Townsend, who also studied law with Theophilus Parsons, is spending the winter in South Carolina and asked Adams to help "Jo." with his studies. Adams might be away, and hopes Bridge can fill in for him.

GLC00958.02

January 25, 1789

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams describes acting like a recluse, spending most of his time in study. He praises the fourth volume of Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." Adams asks that if Bridge sees a mutual friend, Stacey, to ask him to return Adams' copy of a work by Henry St. John Bolingbroke. He also asks Bridge to retrieve Adams' copies of Saunderson's Algebra and four volumes of Busson's works in French.

GLC00958.03

September 11, 1789

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams writes in detail about his journey from Boston to Newport via Providence. He describes his stage coach companions on the way to Providence, expressing a liking for an amiable eighteen year-old named Landman. He comments on Brown University. Adams then derides the music of some of the less genteel people he rode with by boat. Landman introduced Adams to a Mrs. Marchant and her daughters, of whom he was very fond, and spent the evening with, enjoying musical performances. Adams reports that he saw Bridge's friend, W. Amory. Adams will soon sail to New York.

GLC00958.04

June 20, 1790

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter

Title: to James Bridge

The first two pages of a longer letter, lacking signature. Writing a month after Bridge left Newburyport, Adams expresses sadness over their separation. Adams writes about a trip to Exeter, and a variety of social news. The letter ends as Adams begins to describe his work in court in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

GLC00958.06

August 10, 1791

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams denies that his father had any part in writing the Publicola letters, which attacked Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man" as too radical. Adams does acknowledge that he is the author, claiming that idleness motivated his effort to "dabble in political speculation." The letter reveals Adams' knowledge of his father's abuse by enemies. Adams also expresses mixed feelings about participating in politics. Information about Adams' law practice and news about the lives of various mutual friends also appears.

GLC00958.07

September 8, 1793

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams ends Bridge a pamphlet he wrote. Adams also asks Bridge to serve as attorney for the defendant in the case of Samuel Clark v. Tephamiah Newland. The case was brought over monies owed to Clark. Adams discusses the case at length, instructing Bridge on legal arguments to be employed and settlements to be offered. A letter Adams wrote two weeks later corrects the plaintiff's name, which was actually Ebenezer Clark (GLC00958.09).

GLC00958.08

September 22, 1793

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams corrects errors made in a previous letter (GLC00958.08) regarding comments made on the case of Clark v. Newland, for which Adams requested Bridge serve as the defendant's attorney. The plaintiffs name was actually Ebenezer Clark, not Samuel Clark. Also the justice hearing the case was in New Castle, not Woolwich. He tells Bridge that the defendant, Tephamiah Newland, died on September 12, 1793, and asks what amount Bridge was owed in legal fees. He comments on the "pestilential fever" raging in Philadelphia. Mentions that Bridges father owes Adams money from the Jones v. Hall case, and…

GLC00958.09

June 23, 1802

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bridge

Adams wishes to become reacquainted with his old friend from Harvard. Adams provides an outline of his history abroad since he last wrote Bridge in September 1794. He discusses travel to Holland, England, and Prussia, while serving the Unites States government. He mentions his marriage to Louisa Johnson and the birth of their son, George Washington Adams. Adams returned to the United States in 1801 and desired to return to private life and law practice, but was elected to the Massachusetts state senate. He comments on the establishment of the Wiscasset Bank, expressing his disagreement with…

GLC00958.11

July 12, 1801

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elias Shipman & others

An important letter responding to their protest about the dismissal of Elizur Goodrich in favor of Samuel Bishop. Goodrich was a "midnight" appointee of Adams, two weeks before leaving office. An important letter defending the care with which he replaced federal appointees. (See also GLC 5754 for Goodrich's letters during the Jefferson vs. Burr contest in the House). One black and white bust engraving of Jefferson included.

GLC00964

June 27, 1848

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to David B. Campbell

Lincoln replies to Illinois Attorney General Campbell and discusses his unpopular stand on the Mexican War. Mentions a speech on internal improvements and another in support of Zachary Taylor that would constitute the close of his Congressional career. Lincoln's speeches mentioned herein were delivered on June 20, (internal improvements) and July 27, 1848 (Zachary Taylor). Letter written on ruled stationery with docket by Lincoln.

GLC00965