22 April 1676

Rawson, Edward, fl. 1676

Autograph document signed

Title: [Order to the Major of Suffolk to send troops to help protect Concord and Medfield].

Written as Secretary of the Council of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1650-1686) to the leader of the Massachusetts Milita in Dorchester (the Major of Suffolk) a few days after the 18 April 1676 attack on Sudbury during King Philip's War.

GLC04629

February 26, 1775

Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790

Autograph note signed

Title: to David Hartley

Signed in text in the opening of the note and written in the third-person: "Dr. Franklin presents..." Sarcastically explains British methods for taxing the American colonies. Date from docket.

GLC04632

2 April 1862

Plattenburg, Alfred W., fl. 1862

Broadside

Title: to Alfred P. Putnam

Plattenburg, an agent working for the Western Sanitary Commission, sends Reverend Putnam a report of his mission to deliver hospital stores to Union troops fighting in Arkansas and Missouri. His report is printed on the same page with the orders he received to undertake the journey. To encourage donations to the Commission, he states "I am fully convinced that no army was (so far as provision for the wounded was concerned,) ever sent into the field in such destitute condition as ours ... Could the kind and sympathizing men and women of our loyal States, who place these abundant…

GLC04633

7 December 1864

Defoe, William W., fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Emery Defoe

Defoe, a Civil War soldier, updates his parents on Union progress, stating "as yet we have had few killed the soldiers are all in good Spirits and fear nothing." Continues writing at a later time, requesting that if he is killed in battle, his parents ensure that his son George W. Defoe receives a proper education. Again resumes writing at a later time to relate the events of a recent battle, stating "this has been one of the bloodiest battles that has been fought since the war began. the Rebs have lost in killed and wounded Near (17,000) seventeen thousand." Accompanied by a United States…

GLC04634

16 September 1864

Kappes, Charles, fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sim Van Winkel

Kappes, a Union soldier waiting for his discharge in the Annapolis United States General Hospital, relates the events of his capture to friends in New Jersey. Reports that while engaged in battle near Richmond, Virginia, his corps was surrounded by Confederate soldiers and forced to surrender, after which he was taken as a prisoner. Complains of poor conditions prisoners were exposed to while on Belle Island, near Richmond, stating "I was almost starved and then such rations as they do give why the farmers of the north would not be guilty of giving it to his hogs if he did the old Pig would…

GLC04635

30 June 1862

Campbell, Fannie, fl. 1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas E. Vermilye

Campbell, a nurse, informs Pastor Vermilye of events which took place while she rode aboard the Union hospital steamer, the Kennebec, travelling to White House, Virginia. States that while on the Pamunkey River, the Kennebec met many transports traveling in the opposite direction, escaping fires and battle that raged behind them. The Kennebec then retreated to Yorktown, Virginia, as "mild flowers were blooming on the banks Nature in her rich June dress enthroned like a queen sat bland and smiling as if the bloodred hand of civil war was not lifted in her domain." Reports that General…

GLC04636

circa 1864

Gillespie, Elizabeth Duane, 1821-1901

Broadside

Title: [Announcement for the Central Fair Letter Boxes]

Gillespie, postmistress for the Central Fair, directs Fair participants to "Letter-Boxes, as a great convenience to all desiring to correspond with visitors to the Fair; as well as for letters to be delivered throughout the City, or at the Post Office for mailing." Summarizes mailing requirements and rates.

GLC04637

25 April 1864

Suddards, W. (William), 1805-?

Printed document

Title: to Joseph A. Murray

Reverend Suddards, Chairman of the Office of the Committee on Labor, Income, and Revenue, transmits a letter to Reverend Murray requesting his donation of one day's salary, income, or revenue for benefit of the Great Central Sanitary Fair. Printed on stationery of the Office on Labor, Income, and Revenue. Accompanied by an illustrated Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission envelope signed and free franked by John W. Forney, Secretary of the Senate. Others listed as members of the Committee on Labor include Alonzo Potter (Protestant Episcopalian, Bishop), James F. Wood (Roman…

GLC04638

3 May 1864

Bond, L. Montgomery, fl. 1864

Printed document

Title: [Printed circular number one from the Office of the Committee on Labor, Income, and Revenue]

The Committee for a Day's Labor requests a donation of one day's earnings from all classes of the community for benefit of the Great Central Fair. Printed on Office of the Committee on Labor, Income, and Revenue stationery. Accompanied by an illustrated Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission envelope signed and free franked by John W. Forney, Secretary of the Senate, addressed to Joseph A. Murphy. Lists members of the Committee for a Day's Labor, including Bond (Chairman), John W. Claghorn (Treasurer), Reverend E. W. Hutter (Corresponding Secretary), and McGregor J. Mitcheson (…

GLC04639

5 July 1864

Envelope

Title: [Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission envelope]

Includes a printed scene depicting a wounded Union soldier in the foreground and a United States Sanitary Commission horse-drawn wagon in the background. Addressed to Charles G. Leland (possibly the noted author, journalist, and folklorist).

GLC04640

13 May 1864

Envelope

Title: [one side of a Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission envelope]

Includes a printed scene depicting a wounded Union soldier in the foreground and a United States Sanitary Commission horse-drawn wagon in the background. Addressed to Mrs. Hugh Davids.

GLC04641

circa 1864

Envelope

Title: [Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission envelope]

Includes a printed scene depicting a wounded Union soldier in the foreground and a United States Sanitary Commission horse-drawn wagon in the background. Addressed to Joseph Reese Fry, who served as an organizer of the Union League of Philadelphia and as Chairman of the Committee on Musical Entertainments of the Sanitary Fair.

GLC04642

1864

Header Record

Title: Circulars regarding the Great Central Fair, a benefit for the United States Sanitary Commission. [Decimalized .01, .02]

GLC04643

6 June 1864

White, James William, 1826-1891

Header Record

Title: Letter and receipt regarding a contribution to the Great Central Fair [Decimalized .01-.02]

GLC04644

18 June 1864

Envelope

Title: [Envelope containing one thirty-cent Great Central Fair postage stamp]

Addressed to Charles H. Hart.

GLC04645

17 January 1860

Cobb, Thomas Read Rootes, 1823-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Cobb suggests that the proposed legal code sent to him by the recipient is too complicated, and should be simplified, while emphasizing remedies rather than general principles. Does not want the code, apparently for the state of Georgia, to become "too bulky." Also states: "I notice your suggestion about a Penal Code for Blacks & will act accordingly." Written to "Dear Judge."

GLC04646

13 February 1793

Fitch, John, 1743-1798

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Nicholson

Fitch, an inventor, suggests that Nicholson pay Mr. Stokes for use of Stokes' unspecified model. Instructs Nicholson, Comptroller-General of Pennsylvania, to take a receipt for this payment, which "may appear to a jury as a purchase" in case Stokes attempts to claim exclusive rights to the model. Includes a fragment possibly removed from this document with the notation "fragment text does not match document text."

GLC04647

circa 1850-1859

Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872

Autograph note signed

Title: [Telegram message for Samuel Morse's coachman]

Note to be relayed to Morse's coachman informing that he will be arriving on the five o'clock train tonight. Written on stationery of the New York, Albany & Buffalo Telegraph Co. Gold envelope is printed with "Morse's American Telegraph, New-York, Albany and Buffalo Line."

GLC04650.01

14 June 1871

Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872

Autograph letter signed

Title: [Introduction for Mrs. Alfred Vail]

General introduction to "any of my friends with whom she may meet" for the widow of his colleague in telegraph business, Alfred Vail. Mrs. Vail was visiting Europe with her family. Notes Alfred Vail's authorship of an early history of the telegraph and comments, " ... to him belongs the credit of the first attempts to collate the facts bearing upon the invention."

GLC04650.02

26 July 1888

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Autograph letter signed

Title: to my dear editor

Writes to an unidentified editor to clarify his statements about faith in an article. On the whole he prefers "Methodism to any other creed" because of its insistence on discipline and because of the lives lived by its adherents.

GLC04652

1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Broadside

Title: Facsimile of the Emancipation Proclamation

Large format facsimile of Lincoln's handwritten Emancipation Proclamation draft in the Confederacy. Includes blind stamp of authenticity, "Emancipation Proclamation," in lower left corner. Printed by Edward Mendel, Chicago. Prints Lincoln's letter of 26 October 1863 to the ladies in charge of the Northwestern Fair for the Sanitary Commission.

GLC04654

12 September 1750

Clap, Thomas, fl. 1750

Document signed

Title: [Yale College Master of Liberal Arts diploma for William Ellery].

Also signed by Jared Eliot, Anthony Stoddard, Benjamin Lord, William Russel, Thomas Ruggles, Solomon Williams, and Elnathan Whitman as Fellows. Written in Latin on parchment with a fabric ribbon attached. Accompanied by English translation. William Ellery graduated from Harvard College in 1747. A Member of the Continental Congress from 1776 until 1785, Ellery was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Clap signs as President of Yale College.

GLC04655

26 October 1799

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Empowering an attorney to sell lands from the the estate of the late Thomas Flucker]

Two related legal statements on the same sheet, signed by Knox twice and witnessed and signed twice by Justice of the Peace Josiah Reed. In the first part of the document (pages 1-2), Knox, acting as executor of the estate of the late Thomas Flucker, grants Daniel Davis of Portland, Maine, power of attorney to sell lands from the estate. The second part (page 3) gives Davis power to sell an additional plot of land. The last page has an autograph note by Isaac Leslie indicating the document was recorded in the Cumberland County, Maine. Flucker was Knox's father-in-law.

GLC04656

13 October 1794

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Hodgdon

Secretary of War Knox instructs Hodgdon to supply Fort Cumberland with clothing and shoes. These supplies were intended for the army sent to supress the "Whiskey Rebellion."

GLC04657

19 September 1778

Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795

Printed document

Title: [Secret draft budget for the United States]

Partial printed budget that the Continental Congress ordered the Committee on Finance to draft. Recommends a loan of 20 million dollars sterling from Europe and outlines the financial relationship with the states. Also recommends poll taxes and duties. With manuscript notes of Josiah Bartlett on the front and docket of "M. Bartlett" on verso.

GLC04658