Special Collections, New Acquisitions

The items shown below are among the many manuscripts and rare books acquired by Special Collections each year. These manuscripts may be viewed by visiting the Special Collections department of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. Complete transcripts and images will soon be accessible online through the Digital Library.

Hugh Ledlie, letter, New York, to Samuel Gray, Windham, Conn., 1765, October 9 (MS 2008.8)
View document		Hugh Ledlie, a shopkeeper in Hartford, Connecticut and captain during the French and Indian War, was a prominent member of the Windham, Connecticut Sons of Liberty during the Stamp Act crisis. Ledlie was probably involved in the intimidation of Nathaniel Wales in Windham which convinced him to resign his post as stamp agent. On September 18, 1765, another stamp agent, Jared Ingersoll, was approached by two groups totalling over 1,000 men. Faced with this incredible outpouring of hostility, Ingersoll resigned his post as well. Following this incident, the Connecticut legislature voted to send Eliphalet Dyer, William Samuel Johnson, and David Rowland to the Stamp Act Congress. Dyer was a prominent resident of Windham who served in the General Assembly before being appointed to the Governor's Council. Ledlie writes of accompanying Dyer to the Stamp Act Congress. They arrived on October 2, five days before the Congress convened. Ledlie writes that these men will determine the fate of the British colonies in North America. He refers to November 1, the day the Stamp Act is to go into effect, as: "that fattal Day which is Dreded by Every Socalled thinking man" and expresses his hope that "the present Congress will do something worthy Such a Sett of Smart Men as they appear to me to be ..."
John Nicholas, letter, Falmouth, Va., to James Rees, Geneva, NY, 1802, March 2 (MS 2008.7)
View document		John Nicholas was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was the son of Robert Carter Nicholas, brother of Wilson Cary Nicholas, governor of Virginia, and George Nicholas, attorney-general of Kentucky. A lawyer by training, Nicholas was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1793 serving Virginia until 1801. In 1803, he moved to Geneva in New York. Nicholas was elected to the state senate in 1806 and served for three years. He served as judge of the court of common pleas of Ontario, New York until his death in Geneva in 1819. In this letter, Nicholas discusses his impending move to Geneva in New York. He mentions his concerns of the possibility of flooding at the mill site and the receipt of a survey done by Capt. Baker. Nicholas expresses his desire to send his slaves to New York before his own departure but is prevented by the laws of that state. Nicholas suggests to Rees that the law should be changed.
Bond of Louisa Ross with the Common Council of Alexandria, Virginia, May 9, 1822 (MS 2008.12)
View document		Bond of Louisa Ross and Davis Bowie with the Common Council of Alexandria. The bond was required pursuant to an act of the council regarding slaves, free negroes, and mulattoes. This law required free negroes and mulattoes to post bond with good and sufficient security for fifty dollars to guarantee their "good, peaceable, and honest conduct, during their residence" in Alexandria. The bond was meant to guarantee the good behaviour of Louisa Ross.
James Rush letter to John Mason, George Town, November 10, 1800 (MS 2008.13)
View document		Writing one month after the execution of Gabriel, Rush discusses the disturbances caused by the slave patrols in the wake of Gabriel's rebellion. Rush notes that Governor Mason has called for militia patrols of the various quarters to look for any "improper assemblage of Blacks." The militia were to bring such blacks before a magistrate or the commanding officer. Rush feared this power would be abused.
Documents concerning the sale of Dr. Archer's slaves to satisfy a debt to the Farmers Bank of Virginia, 1829-1835 (MS 2008.14)
View document		Two documents concerning the sale of slaves belonging to Dr. John R. Archer to satisfy a debt owed to the Farmers Bank of Virginia. The first document is a copy of the suit issued by the Superior Court of Law of Petersburg, for the case of "The President, Directors, & Co. of the Farmers Bank of Va., against John R. Archer and Wm. B. Giles." The copy was made by the court's clerk, Harry Beverly Gaines, for Dr. Archer. William Branch Gaines endorsed the note of Archer and was also sued by the bank. The second item is a letter from George Jefferson, sheriff of Amelia County, concerning the sale of Dr. Archer's slaves and the handling of the money from the sale.
George Yonge letter to his agent in America concerning his land grant in New York, May 5, 1784 (MS 2008.15)
View document		George Yonge represented Honiton in Parliament from 1754 to 1794 and served as secretary of state for war at the time of the writing of this letter. The letter was written to his agent in America concerning his land grant in New York near Lake Champlain. Yonge grant was made before the war and he wants his agent to help him secure the grant and aid in securing settlers for the land. Yonge informs his agent that the English are ready to trade with the Americans "as soon as your Government is a little settled.…" Yonge informs his agent of the confusion involved in trading with America: "We must likewise know, if possible, with what Powers, or authorities we are to treat or settle any commercial, or mercantile matters — whether with each particular State, or with Congress. Whether if there is to be a general Treaty with Congress of a commercial Nature, there is to be a Particular one with Each State as far as may consist with the General one." Yonge goes on to discuss the political situation in England. At the end of Yonge's letter is the draft of a letter from his agent to the one person currently settled on the New York grant.
Denny, Nathaniel. Fourth of July orations, 1803-1804 (MS 2008.16)
View document		The first oration is a defense of the Federalists, and in particular John Adams and George Washington against the attacks of James Thompson Callender. Denny attacks Callender and Jefferson in the oration. Denny criticizes Jefferson's administration and the South in general. He writes of the "painful task of viewing our situation under a different administration. The affairs of our country at present day are governed & directed by men of the South.… School houses in Virginia are as rare as Brothels in New England & places of public worship as unfrequented, as horse races in Massachusetts." The second oration looks at the divisiveness in American political culture and uses the French and English Revolutions as examples of where America may be headed if things don't change. The final three pages of the manuscript include genealogical material on the Denny family.
An Abstract of a cargoe for the Windward Coast, Africa, 1756 (MS 2008.17)
View document		Abstract listing the cargo of an unknown slave trader bound for the Windward Coast of Africa, modern Côte d'Ivoire. The trader was most likely from Liverpool as some of the cargo is from Manchester. The cargo consists chiefly of manufactured goods including cloth, beads, muskets and spirits. Much of the cloth is Indian in origin, chiloes, brawles, niccanees, and bijudipauts. There are some raw materials including lead and iron listed in the cargo. The mention of cloth from Benin "if to be gott" implies trading en route. The cargo was to be traded for 250 slaves.