1831-1864

Header Record

Title: Collection of George Wortham [Decimalized .01-.56]

The majority of this collection consists of correspondence and other documents directed to Captain George "Granville Greys" Wortham from other military personnel. These materials discuss recruitment of personnel and unrest within the Confederate army, court martial proceedings and punishment for crimes such as desertion and theft, and day-to-day movements and communications of the army. The collection also includes documents signed by Wortham, including letters to his father. Some materials lend particular insight into Confederate views of African-Americans. One correspondent writes of his…

GLC02233

1774-1775

Newspaper

Title: Pennsylvania journal and weekly advertiser. [No. 1674 (January 4, 1774) - no. 1725 (December 27, 1775)] [with gaps]

Revolutionary War era newspaper: Pennsylvania Journal. 5 and 19 April 1775 issues contain fugitive slave ads. Issue number 1698 is missing. March 8, 1775 contains African Slavery In America written by Thomas Paine in 1774.

GLC01706

20 November 1860

Andrew, John A. (John Albion), 1818-1867

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robinson

To D. or Dr Robinson. Mentions an article by Huntington, and discusses the Personal Liberty Act. Notes that a person whose name is illegible "made a fool of himself on the subject of the Personal LIberty Act. Others are doing the same thing. They are blind leading others scarcely less blind that they are."

GLC02467.01

1863

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Pamphlet

Title: [Message regarding govermental liability for the value of slaves who escaped while impressed]

Confederate President Davis's statement, issued 21 April 1863, reports "Whether the liability of the Government shall be extended to such cases is a question to be determined, not by the Executive, but by Congress." Includes communications from various Confederate governmental officials discussing the necessity of impressment and governmental liability for escaped slaves. The earliest statement is dated 14 February 1863. This printing includes no publisher information and was possibly previously bound within a larger volume.

GLC08473

circa 1860

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Pamphlet

Title: Relations of states. Speech of the Hon. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, delivered in the Senate of the United States, May 7th, 1860, on the resolutions submitted by him on 1st of March, 1860.

The resolutions submitted and discussed reaffirmed the legality of slavery and states' rights, championed the doctrine of popular sovereignty, and called for faithful observance of fugitive slave laws, among other things. Offers a constitutional and legal history in defense of the resolutions. Printed by John Murphy & Co.

GLC08477

23 September 1796

Greenleaf, Thomas, 1755-1798

Newspaper

Title: Greenleaf's New York journal & patriotic register. [Vol. 1, no. 72 (September 23, 1796)]

Contains Washington's farewell address, in which he articulates his desire to return to retirement and his thoughts on the United States Government. Includes information on foreign and domestic affairs, announcements, and notices of sale. Contains fugitive slave ads.

GLC08748.01

10 May 1796

Yundt, Leonard, 1756-1825

Newspaper

Title: Federal gazette & Baltimore daily advertiser. [Vol. IV, no. 784 (May 10, 1790)]

Printed and sold by Leonard Yundt and Matthew Brown at 3 Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Front page consists entirely of advertisements, including an auction for "A healthy Negro Man, Who has been accustomed to work on a farm." Other ads include land sales, dry goods, and announcements of sailing vessels. Second page reports on events in the U.S. House of Representatives "On the motion for making provision for carrying into effect the treaty with Great-Britain." Page three has various letters, ship news, and advertisements. Those ads include two for runaway slaves. One was put in the…

GLC08720.03

11 May 1796

Yundt, Leonard, 1756-1825

Newspaper

Title: Federal gazette & Baltimore daily advertiser. [Vol. IV, no. 785 (May 11, 1790)]

Printed and sold by Leonard Yundt and Matthew Brown at 3 Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Includes 2 page supplement. Front page consists entirely of advertisements. They are mostly ads for various goods and services, real estate sales, and announcements of sailing vessels. Second page relates news from U.S. House of Representatives "On the motion for making provision for carrying into effect the treaty with Great-Britain." Page 3 and part of page 4 (the supplement sheet) are a continuation of news from Congress. This supplement sheet has a tear at the top corner. Rest of page 4 is ads,…

GLC08720.04

13 May 1796

Yundt, Leonard, 1756-1825

Newspaper

Title: Federal gazette & Baltimore daily Advertiser. [Vol. IV, no. 787 (May 13, 1796)]

Printed and sold by Leonard Yundt and Matthew Brown at 3 Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Front page consists entirely of advertisements for various goods and services, sales of real estate, and announcements of sailing vessels. Second page has news on U.S. House of Representatives "On the motion for making provision for carrying into effect the treaty with Great-Britain." Also has a few ads, including one put in by William Lorman for a 40 dollar reward for a runaway "Mulatto Man named Frank, 20 or 21 years of age." Third page contains various letters and ship news, and several…

GLC08720.05

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

8 April 1776

Edes, Benjamin, 1732-1803

Newspaper

Title: Boston gazette and country journal. [No. 1090, (April 8, 1776)]

Prints resolution of Congress dated March 23, 1776. Also reports on news regarding the evacuation of Boston by the British. Contains fugitive slave ads.

GLC08748.02

1852

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Pamphlet

Title: Freedom national; slavery sectional. Speech of Hon. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, ...

Title continues, " ... on his motion to repeal the fugitive slave bill, in the Senate of the United States, August 26, 1852." Printed by Buell and Blanchard. Untrimmed.

GLC08644

1853

Drayton, Daniel, 1802-?

Book

Title: Personal memoir of Daniel Drayton, for four years and four months a prisoner (for charity's sake) in Washington jail. Including a narrative of the voyage and capture of the Schooner Pearl.

Published by Bela Marsh. Includes a frontispiece printed portrait of Drayton.

GLC08547

17 June 1864

Garrison, William Lloyd, 1805-1879

Newspaper

Title: The Liberator. [Vol. XXXIV, no. 25 (June 17, 1864)]

Prints articles on the British and Foreign anti-slavery society and a letter of Gerritt Smith to Elizabeth Cady Stanton about 1864 presidential election. Brief article praises the equalization of pay for African American [colored] soldiers. Covers the Baltimore, Maryland convention, the re-nomination of President Abraham Lincoln, and the other presidential nominations. Also includes articles on the emancipation of the serfs in Russia, the repeal of the fugitive slave law, the Methodist Church and slavery, and Negro suffrage in Montana.

GLC08608

October 21, 1862

Semmes, Paul Jones, 1815-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Emily J. Semmes

Gives instructions to his wife to secure their property from the Union occupation of General Benjamin Butler during the Civil War. Directs her to go immediately across the Mississippi river to their plantation. Doubts that the Federals have visited the plantation yet but believes it possible that Dye (possibly the overseer) has run off. "...or, if he has remained at the plantation, that some of the negroes have run off to the Yankees." Advises that if she cannot get to the plantation, to secure any property and move the negroes. If she cannot stay on the plantation, he tells her to rent a…

GLC00175

February 25, 1850

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Tyler

James Buchanan discusses the Compromise of 1850, the Wilmot Proviso, which he notes "is dead," and the issue of California statehood as it relates to slavery. He notes some of the measures that might make sectional compromise possible. He indicates his belief that Congress will pass the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and speculates that California could be admitted along with one of the states from the land won in the Mexican War. He also writes that he has "been maturing a project for the settlement of the Slavery question." Docketed: "As to the Union Question." Marked as "Private."

GLC00260

1787-1788

Hall and Sellers

Newspaper

Title: Pennsylvania gazette. [No. 2953 (January 3, 1787) - no. 3042 (September 17, 1788)] [with gap]

One bound edition of the newspaper Pennsylvania gazette containing number 2953 January 3, 1787 to number 3042 Sep 17, 1788, with a gap of number 3003 and a suplement to number 3032. The volume has the signature of Edanus Burke, Esq. on front pastedown. The newspaper was printed by Hall and Sellers. Contains the printing of the United States Constitution in issue number 2990. The Pennsylvania Gazette was an anti-Federalist newspaper. Some other issues of note included in the volume are: Northwest Ordinance issue number 2983, Constitution printed as "Plan of the New Federal Government"…

GLC00259.02

December 2, 1817

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Pamphlet

Title: Message from the President of the United States, to both houses of Congress, at the commencement of the first session of the fifteenth Congress.

Monroe reports that Amelia Island, near the Georgia boundary, had been seized and was "being made a channel for the illicit introduction of slaves from Africa into the United States, an asylum for fugitive slaves from the neighboring states, and a port of smuggling of every kind." He calls for its suppression. Printed by Edward De Krafft, Printer, Washington City.

GLC00267.030

1850

United States. Congress

Pamphlet

Title: Proceedings of the United States Senate on the Fugitive Slave Bill,- the abolition of the slavetrade in the District of Columbia, - and the imprisonment of free colored seamen in the Southern ports ...

Includes speeches of Senators John Davis, Grenville Winthrop, and others. Printed by T. R. Marvin.

GLC00267.066

12 June 1841

Alabama. Legislature.

Printed document

Title: Resolutions of the legislature of Alabama responsive to those of South Carolina on the subject of controversy between the States of Maine and Georgia.

27th Congress, 1st session. House of Representatives document no. 11. Concerns the stealing and carrying away of a slave named Atticus by Daniel Philbrook and Edward Kilbron from Georgia to Maine. Maine refused to surrender Philbrook and Kilbron as fugitives from justice. Resolves that states are required to return fugitives of justice according to the U.S. Constitution.

GLC00267.136.02

February 11, 1862

New Jersey Legislature

Printed document

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of New Jersey in favor of the Compromise measures.

32nd Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives document no. 13. Resolves to support the compromise measures passed by Congress addressing slavery and the boundaries of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War.

GLC00267.145.01

1852

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Pamphlet

Title: Freedom national; Slavery sectional. Speech of Hon. Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, on his motion to repeal the Fugitive Slave Bill.

Delivered in the Senate of the United States 26 August 1852. Sumner attacks the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act and calls for its repeal. Printed by Buell & Blanchard.

GLC00267.146

1864

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Pamphlet

Title: [Report submitted by Senator Charles Sumner calling for the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850]

Sumner, a United States Senator from Massachusetts, also asks for "the repeal of all acts for the rendition of fugitive slaves..." Report intended to accompany bill No. 141. Also includes a minority report, submitted 1 March 1864 by Senators John Carlile and Charles R. Buckalew, opposing the repeal of laws under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Report no. 24. 38th Congress, 1st session.

GLC00267.155

1850

Spencer, Ichabod S. (Ichabod Smith), 1798-1854

Pamphlet

Title: Fugitive slave law. The religious duty of obedience to law: a sermon, preached in the Second Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, Nov. 24, 1850.

Published by M. W. Dodd. Argues against resistance to government and law, and upholds citizens' religious duty to obey the law. Writes, "I am not justifying slavery... I am not justifying the fugitive-slave Law. It may be wrong: it may be unwise and unconstitutional... But, be it wrong- be it unwise and unconstitutional; there are civil courts to decide upon its constitutionality, and no man has any right to decide for himself that it is unconstitutional, and act upon that decision..."

GLC00267.141

1850

Thompson, Joseph Parrish, 1819-1879

Pamphlet

Title: The fugitive slave law; tried by the Old and New Testaments.

Argues against obeying laws from the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1850. Published by William Harned, New York, printed by B. L. Hamlen, New Haven, Connecticut. Reprinted from the New Englander for November 1850. Thompson was the pastor of the Broadway Tabernacle Church.

GLC00267.142