1 December 1859

Broadside

Title: [Abolitionist broadside]

Abolitionist broadside endorsed "Distributed in the streets of Boston Thursday evening Dec.1, 1859, the day before the execution of John Brown." Bold text reads: "Let their epitaphs remain unwritten until the not distant day when no slave shall clank his chains in the shades of Monticello or by the graves of Mount Vernon." Brown was hanged on Dec. 2, 1859.

GLC09332

25 September 1852

Broadside

Title: [Slave sale]

Charleston slave sale by Louis D. De Saussure: "On Thursday…will be sold at Ryan's Mart, in Chalmers Street,…a prime gang of 25 Negroes, accustomed to the culture of Sea Island Cotton and Rice." Lists the enslaved people by with their names, ages and occupations. Ryan's Mart, one of most famous slave markets in the South, is the only known building used as slave auction gallery still in existence in South Carolina, and America's oldest slavery museum.

GLC09339

13 March 1855

Document

Title: 178 Sugar and Cotton Plantation Slaves!... [Slave sale catalogue from Waverly and Meredith plantations]

By J. A. Beard & May-…13th and 14th March, 1855… Will be Sold at Auction, at Banks Arcade, Magazine Street, in the City of New Orleans…" Catalogue of slaves, listed by families, individually described: "No. 1 field hand, fine axman, sawyer and hewer"; "nimble of foot in the dance"; "good seamstress, house servant, nurse and cook." Beard was the largest slave auctioneer in New Orleans.

GLC09340

April 1846

Document signed

Title: [List of slaves]

"A Schedule of the negro slaves, the separate property of Obedience Aurelia Runnels, wife of Hiram G. Runnels," lists 29 slaves by name, age, sex and complexion. This may have been produced in anticipation of an imminent duel between Hiram Runnels and Mississippi legislator Volney Howard so that her property would not be affected if her husband should die.

GLC09344

February 5, 1762

Manuscript document

Title: [Legal document transferring a slave woman's ownership]

Legal document from Nausau Island, New York, conveying a "Negro woman called…Candes thirty odd years of age" to Joseph Coles for 65 pounds, from Thomas Smith and John Butler, executors of the estate of Richard Butler.

GLC09345.01

2 January 1860

Broadside

Title: Carrier's Address To the Patrons of the Boonsboro Odd Fellow.

"Carrier's Address To the Patrons of the Boonsboro Odd Fellow." Maryland pro-slavery broadside with two columns of text in verse, dealing with the political troubles of the day, including a section ridiculing abolitionist John Brown, who had been executed after his raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia.

GLC09346

1863-1870

Barwood, James, fl. 1863-1870

Header Record

Title: [Collection of Barwood James]

Three letters, two of war date, from a British-born American seaman. One written during the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863. He offers fine detail on life aboard Civil War naval vessels, as well as the conflicted attitudes of many northern seamen and soldiers on war aims and race relations. He was skeptical about abolition, as seen in the question he raises with his friend, "Are we wronging 10,000,000 whites to right 4,000,000 Blacks who will never benefit by the righting?"

GLC09358

1850-1851

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Journal of the U.S.S. Portsmouth of the African Squadron, U.S. Navy]

Journal of the U.S.S. Portsmouth of the African Squadron, U.S. Navy, organized to protect legitimate American trading activity in western Africa, as well as to suppress "the Slave trade, so far as the Citizens of Flag of the U.S. may be found engaged therein." Includes a letter to the commander of the U.S.S. Dale, sending a copy of the treaty with Britain that authorized the anti-slave trade patrols, and the following order: "Should you meet any of the British Cruisers engaged in the suppression of the Slave trade, you are to communicate freely with them on this service, and whenever it can…

GLC09362

19 April 1862

Ward, Edward K., 1837-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Ward writes that there has been heavy skirmishing and fighting is expected every hour (possibly referring to the First Battle of Corinth or the Siege of Corinth). He is getting tired of the war and hopes to get a furlough. Asks his sister and family's opinion of the conscription law. Informs his sister that their father has bought him and [his brothers] a negro but has not sent him up yet. Asks that his sister and Rose, his other sister, write longer and more frequent letters. Begs his sister to get daguerrotypes of her and Rose done and sent to him. Asks to be updated on news and…

GLC02232.05

27 May 1862

Ward, Edward K., 1837-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Ward writes that they will be moving from Corinth soon, as the enemy is too close to the Tennessee River and Beauregard doesn't have room for strategic operations in Corinth. He complains of skirmishing with enemy pickets and being in the cold rain without any blankets, food, or sleep. Writes that every time the men go out on picket, they say goodbye to their friends. Reports that he expected to be promoted but still remains a non-commissioned officer. He fears that communication with his family in Memphis and Port Gibson will soon be cut off and would like photographs of his sisters. He…

GLC02232.06

17 December 1862

Ward, Edward K., 1837-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Writes that he has been on furlough for two months. The 4th and 5th Tennessee regiments have been consolidated and he is hopeful that he will be decommissioned as a result. He's sorry to learn that Mrs. Champlin and her daughters, are abolitionists and is particularly concerned about Miss Ettie Champlin's abolitionist inclinations. Regarding Miss Ettie, he writes: "and there goes one of my Memphis sweethearts for I can't marry a yankee girl." Mentions a girl he's met in Murfreesboro by the name of Midora Henson who meets his "pretty, smart, and rich" critera. His health has improved and…

GLC02232.10

23 December 1862

Ward, Edward K., 1837-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Writes that spending Christmas away from home will be difficult for him and he will miss his family. Discusses his celebration plans for the holidays. Explains that despite being away from home, he is able to visit his lady friends. Reports on news of various men that serve with Ward including Charly Locke whom he believes was been taken prisoner. Describes an incident where a shot hit his canteen and he mistook the water running down his leg for blood. When he determined he was not injured, he continued until shortly after, he was shot in the foot. Asks his sister to remember him to…

GLC02232.11

5 May 1863

Ward, Edward K., 1837-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Advises his sister that in order to keep a sweetheart she should give him a daguerreotype and not a photograph of herself. Writes that his "sweetheart," Miss Melinda, has replaced him for another fellow. He discusses how many of the soldiers get positions (promotions) just talking their way up. Asks his sister to give his love to all the girls and writes that he will marry any that will take him, assuring them that he is still good looking and not "as some contraband, or American gentleman of African descent." There is missing text due to holes in the paper. The letter is very fragile.

GLC02232.17

14 December 1839

Warley, Jacob, fl. 1839

Manuscript document

Title: "In Senate...committee on Federal Relations...in relation to an alleged violation, on the part of ...[Maine]

"In Senate...committee on Federal Relations...in relation to an alleged violation, on the part of ...[Maine], of that important provision of the constitution of the United States, concerning the apprehension and trial of 'fugitives from justice.' ... The Governor of this State...to correspond with...Georgia..."

GLC09141.02

5 November 1852

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Broadsheet

Title: To the voters of Oswego and Madison counties New York

Thanking them for electing him to a seat in Congress, and reprising his anti-slavery, pro-equality platform.

GLC09329.02

16 November 1846

Brown, Neill, fl. 1846

Autograph letter signed

Title: to a cousin

[Slavery] From Cleveland, Ohio to a cousin in North Carolina: "I am here surrounded by abolitionists, yea in the very hot bed of this class of people.… Three weeks since there was a negroe woman who said she was a fugitive slave from Mississippi, got up in the pulpit of one of the churches here and related her suffering while in slavery, more than three fourths of what she said of the usage or treatment of slave in the south I know to be false. A few nights after this in the same church 2 individuals who had been imprisoned in the penitentiary of some slave state for negro stealing or as they…

GLC09373

14 December 1862

Wright, Sereno A., fl. 1862-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mother and Sister

They left Ship's Island and are now bound for New Orleans. They passed by large plantations where they saw "darkies." The darkies looks happy to see them but the whites are not.

GLC02751.15

4 January 1863

Wright, Sereno A., fl. 1862-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mother

He went to church today for the first time in a while and enjoyed it immensely. He says there is little religious feeling among the troops. They are stationed by an old negro cabin in which 2 crippled men and and one woman live.

GLC02751.17

8 May 1865

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Autograph letter signed

Title: [to unknown]

Letter to unknown recipient, discussing the evils of slavery and Lincoln's assassination.

GLC09586

August 24, 1865

Unknown

Envelope

Title: [Leather Valise/Pouch]

A transmittal envelope for pardon of Payne. There is a seal on the back.

GLC00044.07.03

August 24, 1865

unknown, 1808-1875

Object

Title: [Leather Valise/Pouch]

Lather valise/pouch contained a pardon for Payne and a transmittal envelope and letter. GLC00044.07.01-.03

GLC00044.07.04

Circa 1865

unknown, 1808-1875

Document

Title: [Society of Colonial Wars membership application for I. H. Payne]

A application to be part of the Society of Colonial Wars, includes geneological line for the applicant as well as a description of the service of his ancestor

GLC00044.07.02

January 31, 1865

Powell, George May, 1835-1905

Photograph

Title: Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment Picture

One photograph montage dated January 31, 1865 entitled, "Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment Picture." Reverse side contains a key for each senator photographed. Those photographed had voted to prohibit slavery. (see another copy in the Powell collection GLC00687, and in GLC07033; Powell designed the photograph.)

GLC01230.01

January 31, 1865

Powell, George May, 1835-1905

Photograph

Title: Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment Picture

One photograph montage dated January 31, 1865 entitled, "Anti-Slavery Constitutional Amendment Picture." Reverse side contains a key for each senator photographed. Those photographed had voted to prohibit slavery. (see another copy in the Powell collection GLC00687, and in GLC07033; Powell designed the photograph.)

GLC01230.02

1973

Brown, Roscoe C. Jr., 1922-2016

Pamphlet

Title: Black Culture Quiz

One pamphlet entitled, "Black Culture Quiz" printed by New York University dated 1973. Prepared by professors at New York University's Institute of Afro-American Affairs. Categories are split by four components pertaining to African American History; "People and their Work," "Places and Events," "Sports, Entertainment and the Arts," and "Science and Economic Life." Also contains a reference list of readings related to the questions.

GLC09640.223