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Updated January 2009
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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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) |

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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. |
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