May 20, 1782

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter

Title: to James Madison

The letter mentions the discussion of British seriousness about peace, defeat of Comte de Grasse in the West Indies, and other war news. Also mentions: distrust of British, French fleet, Virginia House of Delegates, and Mr. Tyler. Signature and salutation has been clipped-off.

GLC00099.088

June 17, 1782

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Madison

The letter discusses news of the War in West Indies, situation at Charleston, SC, plight of Pendleton's nephew, a British prisoner there, acknowledgment of U.S. Independence by the Dutch (John Adams, Ambassador), powers of Congress, settlement of pre-war merchant debt, and finances of Virginia and war debt. Also mentions: Richmond, VA, Comte de Rochambeau, Comte de Grasse, military rumors, Baltimore, MD, General Greene, Harry Pendleton, General Leslie, Lord Cornwallis, and trade with Britain.

GLC00099.090

July 1, 1782

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Madison re: loss of correspondence, war in West Indies, Va.

The letter discusses loss of correspondence, war in West Indies, and Virginia Assembly. The letter is on verso of sheet: extract, copied by Pendleton, of a commentary on standing armies and their cost. The transcribed material is written in a much less neater hand. Title noted on page 2: "Resources of Northern Governments" (Holland, Denmark, Sweden & Russia).

GLC00099.091

August 12, 1782

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Madison re: British troop movements, tobacco crop, Indians

The letter discusses British troop movements in the Carolinas, tobacco crops, and Indian wars. Also mentions: the French fleet, Charleston, the Dutch fleet, West Indies, and Colonel Crawford.

GLC00099.093

August 26, 1782

Pendleton, Edmund, 1721-1803

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Madison

The letter discusses prisoner exchanges, hopes for peace, and annexation of Canada. Also mentions: General Carleton and Edmund Pendleton Jr's runaway slave. There is purple mold staining on the letter.

GLC00099.095

20 March 1839

Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of William Field for violations of maritime law]

Countersigned by Secretary of State John Forsyth. Field, master of the schooner Boston, was convicted of illegally landing a seaman and for omitting to deposit his register at the U.S. Commercial Agency at the port of Aux Cayes in Haiti. Since he acted without willful negligence or wish to defraud, penalties were remitted and released from prosecution on payment of costs.

GLC00068.05

March 16, 1799

Stoddert, Benjamin, 1751-1813

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Smith

Benjamin Stoddert discusses a treaty between Britain and Haitian general Toussaint Louverture. He mentions a ship bound for India, letting General [George] Washington know that he will be returning to New York. Also talks about spices. Letter seems to have been written in a hurry. Address leaf has a cut hole where the seal used to be on the center left above the address. Directly opposite is a mark and bit of wax from the seal. Also on the right is a column of numbers where someone did some calculations. Above the address in the upper left hand corner is a round stamp with PHI MR around the…

GLC00308.05

1856

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Pamphlet

Title: James Buchanan, his doctrines and policy as exhibited by himself and friends.

Attacks Buchanan as a Southern supporter using letters and speeches from Buchanan himself and his supporters. Includes editor headings as charges against Buchanan, such as "Mr. Buchanan in favor of seizing Cuba" "If you can't buy Cuba, steal it" and "Always Faithful to Slavery." Published by Greeley & McElrath at the Tribune Office. Dated as 1856 by David M. Lesser, Fine Antiquarian Books LLC. Sewn binding.

GLC00267.202

1763-1783

Leland, Patrick, fl. 1763-1783

Document

Title: [Regimental petition of Patrick Leland]

Petition stating that Leland was discharged from Lord Blakeney's regiment and recommended to the British Royal Bounty of Chelsea, but was taken prisoner by the enemy. He was a prisoner in Port au Prince, Haiti for 7 months, and then was sent home by Governor Moore in Jamaica by ship. He did duty as a marine for 4 months. Requests his pay. Lord Blakeney possibly refers to Baron William Blakeney, lieutenant-governor and lieutenant-general of Minorca in 1747.

GLC01450.070

October 15, 1783

Haynes, Samuel, fl. 1783

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Baker and Blow

Addressed to Mr. Baker and Blow, merchants, South Quay, Virginia. Encloses a certificate from the Auditor's office for eight hundred seventy-nine pounds, eleven shillings, four pence for rum. Discusses the appraisal value of the rum. Requests that Baker and Blow inform the assembly that he is waiting at his expense to get paid for the shipments, having come over from his home in St. Croix, the West Indies. Hopes they will order payment soon with interest.

GLC01450.111

August 25, 1781

Steward, William, fl. 1781

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas Seymour

Discusses business relating to the exchange and sale of nails and board. Postscript informs Seymour about information he has learned from men aboard a sloop of his that arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. Discusses a ship or fleet that sailed with a French fleet and was bound for Havana to meet some Spanish ships. States that it was reported that they have 10,000 troops, 300 heads of cattle, and clothing. He cannot guess their destination.

GLC01450.126

December 7, 1781

Galvez, Bernardo de, 1746-1786

Letter signed

Title: to Don Pedro Piernas

Rough translation done amongst the staff. Letter written by Galvez as the Spanish military commander that harried British forces in the Deep South and the Caribbean to Piernas as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish forces. Quick note that says that after Captain Gilberto Guillemard reestablishes himself and arrives at the plaza, he will have permission and assistance to do whatever is necessary. There is discoloration on the paper where a paperclip was used.

GLC01163

1493

Columbus, Christopher, 1451-1506

Pamphlet

Title: Epistola Christofori Colom... de insulis Indie supra Gangem.... [exploration]

First edition, in Latin, second (corrected) issue, printed at Rome after 29 April 1493. Gothic type; 33 lines per page. Pamphlet printing letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain concerning his first voyage to America, the so-called Barcelona letter. The earliest printed Columbus letter, describing his discovery of the Caribbean islands of Juana and Hispaniola.

GLC01427

7 October 1864

Collins, Napoleon, 1814-1875

Letter signed

Title: to Lester A. Beardslee

Signed by Collins as the commander of the USS "Wachusett." Written to Lieutenant Commander Beardslee. Collins tells Beardslee to take command of the prize steamer "Florida," and proceed with the "Wachusett" to the nearest northern port. He is only to stop at a neutral port in the West Indies out of great necessity. If they become separated he has permission to run into Key West, Hampton Roads, or any other port controlled by Union forces. Says he is to be vigilant, especially at night. Asks to have duplicate inventories made of everything on board. Collins had captured the "Florida" earlier…

GLC01920.01

15 December 1823

Colvin, Richard, fl. 1823

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Wharton

Requests that Wharton, the Mayor of Philadelphia, prevent the exportation of specie to the East Indies, which has a negative effect on the prices "of Property, of Labour and of Work, and of Produce." Also discusses DeWitt Clinton's suitability as a presidential candidate for the election of 1824.

GLC02221

January 27, 1847

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edward D. Gazzam

Encloses a passport and a letter for General Campbell. Gazzam was to depart on a voyage to Havana soon and apparently asked Buchanan if there were any dispatches needing posting. Buchanan politely replies that dispatches post to Havana by mail very quickly and that couriers are not usually paid to carry them so he cannot comply with his request.

GLC02103

16 September 1797

Bradford, William, 1729-1808

Document signed

Title: [Instrument of protest]

Signed by Bradford as notary public. James Bowers, Master of the Brigantine Flora from New York, had been seized and all his goods confiscated by a Royal Navy Schooner of War, the George and Ophelia. The protest notes that "perfect Peace and Amity existed between Great Britain and the... United States" at that time.

GLC02108

May 29, 1791

Behague, Jean Pierre Antoine, comte de, 1727-1813

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to George Washington [in French]

The letter, which is in French, appears to be about the request of several French officers to join the Society of the Cincinnati. Behague, Governor of the French Windward Islands, requests a diploma for himself and for Fressinaux from the Society of the Cincinnati. Also sends his regards and pleasantries to Washington. Includes, on page 2, a copy of the text of a letter from Lafayette to Behargue. Recipient inferred from content of this letter and from another letter (GLC02437.05115) written by President George Washington's secretary William Jackson, dated August 12, 1791.

GLC02437.04963

13 April 1792

Breck, Samuel, 1747-1809

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes to introduce into Knox's acquaintance several men from Martinique who have lately been residing in Boston. They will be visiting Philadelphia, and Breck asks Knox to make them feel welcome. He and his wife and children send their love to Mrs. Knox and their daughter.

GLC02437.05414

February 1799

Boyd, John P., fl. 1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Cryptic letter to Knox outlining the Colonel Boyd's military resume in the West Indies. Perhaps seeking a position from Knox.

GLC02437.07238

January 15, 1797

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Mentions the loss of two children and settling into his new home and the surrounding area. Also discusses Washington's retirement and the threat of war with France, "there will be no danger of the french attempting an invasion of our country. If they should we must resist..." Regarding the slave revolt in Santo Domingo, he says: "The whites will either starve or be murdered by the blacks." Noted as a draft in the docket. Knox's retained draft.

GLC02437.06900

25 August 1747

Folger, Timothy, fl. 1747

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Bowdoin

Discusses how his whaling business is not doing so well and therefore is going to the Bahamas on a trading voyage in order to make money for a bond. Place writ obscured due to a patch. Possibly Nantucket, Massachusetts.

GLC02437.08938

July 8, 1898

Bates, John C., 1842-1919

Manuscript letter signed

Title: to Joseph Wheeler

Bates writes, from "in front [of] Santiago," "I have swung my line forward so that it is now along the bluff next to the city. Am holding the 9th Mass. to cover any turning movement the enemy might make around my left flank. It was my intention, as soon as the truce was over, to feel out on the left to see if more advantageous positions could be secured. I should therefore be sorry to lose the 9th now. While I feel that I can make good use of them, the regiment will be returned to you at once if you say so."

GLC01650

September 30, 1854

McClellan, George B., 1826-1885

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jefferson Davis

McClellan, Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, describes the Island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) geographically and politically to Davis, Secretary of War. Relays information about Hispaniola obtained from the German explorer Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk. Referring to Hispaniola, he states "there are no indications of either commercial or agricultural prosperity."

GLC01669

January 25, 1765

Winthrop, John, 1714-1779

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jonathan Belcher

Winthrop congratulates Judge Belcher on recovering "from a dangerous illness." He notes having read that many French Acadians have been removed from Nova Scotia, Canada, to the West Indies, and observes that because of their religion, they "could hardly ever have been good Subjects to a Protestant government." Indicates that the Sugar Act and the Currency Act, referred to as "The late Acts of Trade," are widely discussed and cause much uneasiness among merchants and judges alike. He notes the death of Edward Wigglesworth, the first Hollis professor of Divinity at Harvard College. Discusses…

GLC01541.01