American Manuscripts

: Mary Guion diary, 1800-1852 (bulk 1800-1808).; Diary kept by Mary Guion Brown (1800-1852, bulk 1800-1808). Beginning when she was 17, she records, in considerable detail, the personal and social life of a young girl in Westchester County, N.Y., including daily activities, her efforts to encourage or discourage some of her many suitors and often quoting their conversation in her entries, courting, visits to friends and relatives, local news, social events such as balls and spinning bees, and reflections on life and love. She frequently mentions various members of the Smith, Knapp, Lownsbury, Haight, Hobby, and Searles families. Entries become less frequent after 1808 and mainly concern significant events such as births and deaths., Mary Guion, of North Castle, New York; married Samuel Brown in 1807.

: Moses Sproule Diary, 1779.; Journal, May 17, 1779-October 17, 1779, kept while Sproule was quartermaster sergeant in the Third New Jersey Regiment on Sullivan's Indian Campaign. The journal records events of the campaign against the Iroquois in Pennsylvania and New York, including the battle of Newtown, and the Iroquois's capture and killing of Thomas Boyd. It also includes a diagram of the army's order of march. Published in R.W.G. Vail, 'The Western Campaign of 1779,' New-York Historical Society Quarterly, 41 (1957), p. 35-69.

: New-York African Free School records, 1817-1832; These records cover the latter portion of the African Free-Schools' existence, ending two years before oversight for the schools was transferred to the Public School Society. They relate to classroom observation, student performance, behavior and promotions, as well as examples of lessons and student work. The records are in four volumes. The first includes regulations, by-laws, and reports, from 1817 to 1832. The regulations are for the format of the school's examination procedures, while the reports give numbers of students promoted for each quarter. These are limited to school No. 1. A substantial portion of the volume is also made up of observations of the visting committee, giving their impressions of the progress being made, along with the behavior and organization of the classroom and students. The second volume is also filled with reports and observations of the visiting committee, but these are limited to school No. 2, and cover 1820 to 1831. Added to the closing pages of the volume are several pages of lessons on adding, subtracting and division of money, with examples. The third volume includes extracts, compositions, addresses and pieces spoken at public examinations for 1818 to 1826, but early pages do include some material on promotions.The fourth volume complements the third with penmanship and drawing studies by the students (1816-1826). Of particular interest are copies of the speech given by James McCune Smith on the occasion of the Marquis de La Fayette's visit to New York in 1824.While there is little, if any, information on individuals in the first two volumes, attributions are often given for the material appearing in volumes three and four.

: New-York Manumission Society records, 1785-1849; New-York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves (1785-1849), commonly known as the New-York Manumission Society, was established to publicly promote the abolition of slavery and manumission of slaves in New York State. The society provided legal and financial assistance to manumitted slaves in need of protection, slaves seeking manumission and supported legislation and efforts to enforce laws banning the sale of slaves in New York State. The records include meeting minutes, commission reports, financial records, indentures, and registers from the year of its organization to its dissolution in 1849. Subjects covered include appointments, elections, political activities, finances, reports on individual cases, the sponsorship and operation of the African Free School and African American houses of refuge. Among its active members were: Robert C. Cornell, W. W. Woolsey, Nehemiah Allen, Melancton Smith, William T. Slocum, Samuel Bowne, Adrian Hegeman, Willet Seaman, Thomas Burling, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, James Duane, John Murray, Jr., William Dunlap, Alexander McDougall, Noah Webster, and Egbert Benson.

: Petition of 547 loyalists from New York City, November 28, 1776.; Also known as the 'Loyalist declaration of dependence', this was the second petition addressed to the Royal Commissioners Richard and William Howe from loyalists seeking special protection under British occupation. Their first petition, for the suspension of martial law, went unanswered; in this second, insisting that they had risked their lives and fortunes opposing 'the most unnatural, unprovoked rebellion, that ever disgraced the annals of time', the loyalists sought only 'some level of distinction' from the 'inhabitants in general'. Little improved for the loyalists, however, and they suffered additionally from the demoralizing effects of inflation, wartime profiteering, street violence, and general dirt and stench., 547 signatures appear on the parchment, a copy of which was sent to London; other signatures, 157 of which have survived, in a loose sheet or sheets of paper, were appended to the memorial. Two fragments of these paper sheets remain'-- Vail, R.W.G. 'The loyalist declaration of dependence of November 28, 1776,' New-York Historical Society Quarterly 31, no. 2 (April 1947), p. 70.

: Philip John Schuyler account book, 1763-1770; Account book, 1763-1770, kept by Philip John Schuyler in Saratoga, New York. Entries record small daily sales of a general store trading in such merchandise as rum, tea, salt, boards, wheat, flour, hides, sugar, molasses, drygoods, herring, fabrics, powder, glass, etc. and additionally include payments for labor and services such as mending shoes, keeping cattle, sawing logs, weaving, dressing flax, milling, repairs, etc. Hundreds of daily entries include the names of Cornelius Van Denbergh, William Vrooman, John Earhart, William McNeash, Benony Smith, Robert Armstrong, William Duer, Elihu Webster, William Boyd, Joseph Chethert, Nicholas Clute, Abraham Welch, and many other early residents of Saratoga and neighboring communities. American soldier and statesman of Albany, New York. Schuyler was a participant in the French and Indian war and the American Revolution and was the owner a substantial estate in Saratoga, New York.

: Prison times, 1865.; Newspaper: 4 p., 7 3/4 x 12 1/4 in. This is the first edition of the ""Prison Times." The handwritten newspaper includes original articles, advertisements, announcements, barracks directory, Christian Association directory, notices of clubs, etc., by prisoners at the Fort Delaware Federal prison camp on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. The paper's editors and proprietors include William H. Bennett, Aborn Harris, John W. Hibbs, and George S. Thomas., William H. Bennett, Aborn Harris, John W. Hibbs, and George S. Thomas fought for the Confederate Army. Bennet had the rank of captain before his inprisonment. Harris was mustered in as a sergeant in company H of the 3rd Florida Infantry Regiment. He eventually rose to the rank of third lieutenant. Hibbs was mustered in as a third lieutenant in company D of the 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment. He eventually rose to the rank of captain. George S. Thomas was mustered in as a captain in company C of the 64th Georgia Infantry Regiment. He never rose ranks.

: Records of the Association for the Benefit of Colored Orphans, 1836-1972 (bulk 1850-1936); The Association for the Benefit of Colored Orphans was founded in 1836 and was originally located on Fifth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets in Manhattan. The Colored Orphan Asylum was among the earliest organizations in the country to provide housing, training, and employment specifically for African-American orphans. During the Draft Riots of July 14, 1863, the Colored Orphan Asylum was attacked by a mob. At that time, it housed some 600 to 800 homeless children in a large four story building surrounded by grounds and gardens. The crowd plundered the Asylum, then set fire to the first floor. The building burned to the ground. The records of the Colored Orphan Asylum document the activities of the institution from 1836 to 1972, with the bulk of the records falling between 1850 and 1936.

: Register of baptisms, marriages, communicants & funerals begun by Henry Barclay at Fort Hunter, January 26th 1734/5; Register of baptisms, marriages, communicants and funerals among the Mohawk Indians, including entries from January 26, 1734/5 through February 16, 1745/6. Rev. Henry Barclay was born in Albany. He graduated from Yale in 1734, and was appointed catechist to the Mohawks at Fort Hunter, N.Y. in 1736. He went to England in 1737, where he was ordained January 30, 1737/8 and sent back by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel as missionary in Albany and Fort Hunter. He reached Albany in April, 1738 and continued his work there and at Fort Hunter until October, 1746, when he was inducted rector of Trinity Church, New York. He died in 1764.

: Richard Varick papers, 1743-1871 (bulk 1775-1830); Richard Varick, born in New Jersey, 1753, served as Captain, deputy muster-master-general, and George Washington's secretary during the Revolutionary war. He was appointed one of the first mayors of New York and served from 1789-1801. He died in 1831. His papers pertain to a variety of subjects, including Varick's command of a company in Alexander McDougall's battalion at Ticonderoga and in Canada during 1775; his service on courts-martial in 1775; problems of the bateau service in northern New York State in 1776; his position as secretary to Gen. Philip Schuyler in 1775-1776; his work as deputy muster master general, inspector general at West Point, first aide-de-camp to Benedict Arnold (including papers about Arnold's defection and subsequent investigations), and as recording secretary for George Washington (including papers about the transcription of Washington's letters); and suits handled by him as an attorney practicing in Poughkeepsie in 1782-1783, and in New York City after the war.

: Salvator Cillis correspondence, 1917-1919; Salvator Cillis (September 5, 1892-February 17, 1966) was born in Potenza, Italy and immigrated to New York with his family in 1901. He worked as a sign painter at The Levy Company before being drafted for service in World War I attached to the 77th Division, 306th Infantry. This collection is composed of illustrated letters, postcards and envelopes produced by Cillis during this period (1917-1919). The correspondence covers his basic training at Camp Upton, Long Island before being sent to France and often invokes a sense of humor while discussing military life, with descriptions of the quality of food at Camp Upton, a snowball fight with other soldiers, everyday aspects of training, as well as his experiences abroad. Illustrations in pen and ink, and watercolor, depict fellow soldiers, and scenes from both Camp Upton and France. Cillis’ letters are mainly to Morris Van Veen, William Chasin and Dorothy M. Harris, his coworkers at the Levy Company., Salvator Cillis (September 5, 1892 February 17, 1966) was born in Potenza, Italy. He immigrated to New York with his family in 1901. Cillis worked as a sign painter at The Levy Company before being drafted for service in World War I. He was trained in Camp Upton, N.Y. and served in the 77th Division, 306th Infantry. Cillis was stationed in France from mid-1918 and was discharged in May 1919. He applied for a passport to study art in Europe in 1923, returning to New York a year later. Cillis remained listed in the directories as a sign painter in the 1930s. He died in 1966 and is buried in Long Island National Cemetery.

: Sarah R. Blunt correspondence, 1862 March 4-1865 July 24.; Sarah R. Blunt's letters to her mother, father, sisters, and cousin in Brooklyn, New York, written from hospitals in Point Lookout, Maryland and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (March 4, 1862-July 24, 1865). She writes of her living conditions, duties, and the wounded soldiers., Sarah R. Blunt (born in 1830 or 1831) was a Union nurse during the Civil War. Leaving her home and family in Brooklyn's third ward, Blunt aided soldiers at Point Lookout, Maryland, and Harper's Ferry, Virginia.

: Selected Papers of William Alexander, Lord Stirling, 1767-1782; Known as the "Republican Earl", William Alexander, "Lord Stirling", was born in 1726 in New York City. He served on the Provincial Councils of New York and New Jersey, and in 1775, joined the Whigs in rebellion against the Crown. In March 1776 Alexander was appointed brigadier general and took chief command of the defense of New York City. In 1777, he was promoted to major-general. He died in January 1783 of fever and gout. These selected papers, spanning the years 1767 to 1782 (with a gap between late December 1779 and June 1781), consist of correspondence sent and received, military orders and reports, and bulletins to the Continental Congress. The earliest documents relate Lord Stirling’s early commercial dealings, but the bulk of the papers chronicle his activities during the American Revolution. Notable correspondents include most of the military and political leaders of the new state and national governments, as well as prominent merchants in New York and New Jersey.

: Solomon Nash diary, January 1776-January 1777.; Diary kept by Solomon Nash from January 1776-January 1777, while serving in Captain Jotham Drury's artillery company in Massachusetts and New York. Nash writes of his daily routine in the army and his experiences in the Boston and New York areas. He mentions such events as engagements with the British, the evacuation of Long Island, the plot against General Washington, destruction of the statue of King George, and activities of the artillery on Governor's Island, as well as actions of British ships, desertions, and fatalities., Solomon Nash was a Revolutionary War soldier from Abington, Massachusetts.

: Stephen Bayard letters,1728-1743; Four letters from Stephen Bayard to Gilbert Livingston of Kingston, N.Y., and one to Evert Wendell of Albany, datedNewYorkbetween 1728 and 1743, before Bayard became mayor of the city. The correspondence is largely concerned with financial matters, especially debts Bayard wished to collect. One letter to Livingston is signed by both Stephen and Nicholas Bayard; another, dated December 6, 1731, mentionsnewgovernmental appointments inNewYorkandNewJersey and praises a grand jury charge by James De Lancey., Stephen Bayard was the mayor ofNewYorkfrom 1744 to 1747.

: Susan B. Anthony letters, 1859-1888, undated; Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a key figure in the women's suffrage and abolitionist movements in the United States. Five of the letters concern speeches by Frederick Douglass, Theodore Tilton, Julia Ward Howe, and Mary L. Booth, as well as Anthony's own speaking engagements. Recipients include Theodore Tilton and Mary L. Booth. One letter is about remaking a dress. One letter is undated but is probably written by Anthony around November 1895, since it regards Elizabeth Cady Stanton's 80th birthday celebration at the Metropolitan Opera House, organized by Anthony and Mary Lowe Dickinson.

: The legend of Breakneck, [not after 1868].; Original manuscript of the poem ""The Legend of Breakneck,"" written and illustrated by artist Thomas Prichard Rossiter. Manuscript contains 67 full and half page black and white illustrations executed in ink wash. Volume measures 26 x 21 cm. Pasted onto the second front fly leaf is a letter written to Rossiter by George William Curtis, dated Jan. 1, 1868, thanking him for the opportunity to examine the illustrations to the Breakneck legend. Bound in brown leather with a hand tooled decorative title frame executed in brown and green on the cover. Bound by Edith Rossiter Bevan and dated and initialed by her on the bottom border inside the back cover: ""19 . E . H. R. 09""

: Trade Book of the Sloop Rhode Island, Dec. 1748-July 1749; Account book, 1748 Dec.-1749 Jul., kept aboard the sloop Rhode Island while on a voyage to Africa to procure slaves for her owners, Philip Livingston and sons, New York City. Peter James was shipmaster. Included are accounts for the purchase of slaves, gold, and other goods; for sales of rum and other provisions to the crew, various expenses, the purchase of provisions, an inventory of goods delivered to Captain David Lindsey, a record of the deaths of 37 slaves, etc. The trading was carried out on various locations between Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast.

: Tribute from the City of New York to the illustrious friend of freedom, 1824-1825.; On the occasion of General Lafayette’s visit to New York City in 1824 the New York Common Council prepared this commemorative volume (1824-1825) containing transcripts of resolutions and addresses of various organizations as a duplicate of the volume presentation to Lafayette. The volume includes numerous specimens of decorative and figural penmanship by Isaac F. Bragg and Christopher Hunt, elaborate page borders and vignettes, two small oval portraits of George Washington and General Lafayette by Henry Inman and Thomas Cummings, and four full page pen and ink wash drawings, executed by Charles Burton, depicting the United States Capitol building, Fort Lafayette (N.Y.), New York City Hall, and the construction of the Erie Canal. Text includes copies of addresses and resolutions prepared by the Common Council and various other organizations, including members of the New York Bar, the Society of the State Cincinnati, and the faculty of Columbia College. Bound in gold tooled morocco with silk doublures, signed at foot of spine by J.H. Sackmann, bookbinder, N.Y.

: Walt Whitman letters, 1863 July 27-1863 September 9; Walt Whitman’s letters to the parents of Erastus Haskell of the 141st New York Volunteers, who died on August 2, 1863 in Armory Square Hospital, Washington, D.C., where Whitman frequently visited the sick and wounded. He wrote the Haskells, of Breseport, New York, on July 27, 1863 to inform them that their son was very ill with typhoid fever. In a letter written August 10 he describes his visits with Erastus and their son’s last days. In the final letter, dated September 9, Whitman thanks Mr. Haskell for his acknowledgement of the letter of August 10 and reiterates his Brooklyn address so that Mr. and Mrs. Haskell may write to him at home. An earlier letter, written April 5, 1863 by Joel M. Jansen and Erastus E. Haskell, describes their regiment's good accommodations despite the poor weather. Erastus says further that he and the other musicians have not been on duty for some time, but anticipate active service soon., Erastus Haskell, born May 25, 1844, and died August 2, 1863, was a fife player in Company K, 141st New York Volunteer Infantry band. Prior to his military service, he worked as a carpenter. Erastus also had one sister, Abigail, who was deaf. His father, Samuel Baldwin Haskell (1810-1876) suffered a stroke, rendering him unable to work.

: William Atlee letter to Joseph Nourse, 1777; Autograph letter, signed, from William Atlee, Deputy Commissoner of Prisoners, to Joseph Nourse, Deputy Secretary of the Board of War, dated Lancaster, August 23, 1777. Letter discusses the transfer of British and German prisoners to various locations throughout Pennsylvania, and supply and intelligence issues.

: William Burnet papers,1720-1742(bulk 1720-1729); Three folders (62 items) of mostlyofficialsigned documents from Burnets tenure as governor of New York and New Jersey, including land grants, warrants for letters patent, memorials, leases, receipts, bills, and lists of accounts. James Alexander is a frequent co-signer and correspondent, and the collection also includes several bonds from Alexander to Burnet for fairly large sums of money. A few later documents discuss the disposition of Barnets estate., William Burnet served as governor of the colonies of New York and New Jersey from 1720-28, and as governor of the colony of Massachusetts from 1728-29.

: William Morris tune-book, 1776-1777.; Tunebook of musician William Morris of Captain Tucker's Company, New Jersey's First Regiment, Hunterdon County, dated 1776-1777. Volume contains approximately fifty patriotic and martial tunes including "Liberty Song," "American Artillery," "Quick Step Bunker Hill," "The Basket of Oysters," and "The Wild Irish Man." Some tunes are entered twice. Four staves printed on each page; music and titles in manuscript. Inscription on the inside of front cover reads: "William Morris, First Regiment, Hunterdon [Co., N.J.], 1776, 1777.", Musician in the Continental Army; served in Captain William Tucker's Company, First Regiment, Hunterdon County Militia, New Jersey.

: William Oland Bourne left-handed penmanship papers, 1862-1868 (bulk 1865-1868); The William Oland Bourne collection in the New-York Historical Society's Manuscripts Department includes correspondence, papers, broadsides, and unpublished manuscripts related to his work as a social reformer, editor and author in New York City during the 1850s and 60s. Through his publication, The Soldier's Friend, he sought to aid disabled soldiers by offering prizes to those who had lost their right arms in combat during the American Civil War and had learned to write with their left hands. It is the material relating to this enterprise that was selected from the collection for digitization. The selection includes letters, photographs and papers regarding the competition sponsored by Bourne's publication, The Soldier's Friend, for best specimens of left-handed penmanship by disabled soldiers., William Oland Bourne (1819-1901), social reformer, editor, and author in New York City. He was the editor of 'Soldiers Friend,' a publication hat advocated for the rehabilitation of soldiers who suffered injuries and trauma during the American Civil War. He lived and worked in New York City.

: William Pitt Fessenden correspondence,1839-1888(bulk 1858-1869); Correspondence of William Pitt Fesssenden, and his sons Francis Fessenden and James Deering Fessenden. The majority of letters are addressed to William Pitt Fessenden on financial and political matters, but a few are private; several letters are addressed to Francis Fessenden, including one from William Pitt Fessenden. A handful are addressed to James Fessenden. Four letters (J.C. Ropes to P.W. Chandler,1868; Joshua C. Stone to A.J.C. Sowdon, 1868; Charles Allen to A.J.C. Sowdon, 1868; and William Paine to J.A. Deblars, undated) are not addressed to any member of the Fessenden family, but mention William Pitt Fessenden or one of his sons., William Pitt Fesssenden was a U.S. senator from Maine (1854-1864, 1865-1869) and Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War (1864-1865). His sons, General Francis and Brigadier General James Deering Fessenden were both lawyers active in Maine politics and served in the Civil War.

: William Yarrington diary, 1759-1776.; William Yarrington's diary, September 21, 1759-October 30, 1776, recording his military experiences in the Crown Point area during the French & Indian War (1759) and also in the Revolutionary war, 1775-1776. He served with the 3rd N.Y. near Ticonderoga in 1775 and with the 2nd N.Y. (detached) as home guard on Long Island in 1776. Also included are some accounts.

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