St. Louis Mercantile Library Special Collections
Pages
-
-
M-536 Smith, Charles Army Paymaster Seminole War Correspondence
-
Letter written by Charles H. Smith, an Army Paymaster in the Territory of Florida. Writing from St. Augustine in East Florida, Smith discusses the status of payments to both regular and volunteer troops. He also responds to a letter from Florida territorial governor Richard K. Call. The last page of the letter, which bears an address to Nathaniel Towson, the Paymaster-General of the United States Army, features a St. Augustine postmark and a “FREE” handstamp. The letter is dated October 26, 1836.
-
-
M-552 Scudder, John Missouri Hotel Lease Indenture
-
Manuscript lease indenture between John Scudder and Benjamin L. Turnbull to lease the Missouri Hotel in St. Louis. The manuscript, dated November 15, 1836, contains witness signatures and an inventory of hotel goods, including feather-beds, lamps, linens, and a Franklin stove. The document indicates the property will be used as a tavern or house of entertainment, and a list of payments is included on the back.
-
-
M-562 Brown, John Trapping Correspondence
-
Letter written by John Brown of Peoria, Illinois to his parents in Morris County, New Jersey. The letter describes plans for possible fur trapping expeditions in the Rocky Mountains and the “Winnebago swamps”. Brown describes the necessary equipment for this kind of expedition and extends an invitation to his friend William Laurence to join the group. He also discusses the rapidly increasing population in the area, the prices of goods, and his work on the construction of the Peoria County Courthouse. The letter is dated July 7, 1835.
-
-
M-565 Barbeau, Charles Fur Trader's Manuscript Map of Illinois Country
-
Manuscript map by fur trader Charles Barbeau. The map illustrates the Illinois Country surrounding the Mississippi River and Kaskaskia River around 1803-1804. The map highlights settlements in the area at the time, including “Fort L’Kentucky” and three English trading posts. Travel times are also noted between various points, and an illustration of an animal appears at the bottom of the page. The name Isaac Hill is also mentioned, possibly referring to the man President Thomas Jefferson commissioned to survey the Illinois Territory around 1808.
The verso lists an inventory of furs, livestock, hunting rifles, and other goods in addition to a number of enslaved people. Both the map and inventory are written in French.
-
-
M-567 Van Swearingen Correspondence About Tensions with Indigenous People
-
Letter written by Van Swearingen to Captain Josiah Swearingen of Berkeley County, Virginia, dated March 17, 1791. The author describes a raid against indigenous people, led by Samuel Brady, in retaliation for the capture and killing of settlers. He details the aftermath of the raid and the expectation of upcoming battles. The second half of the letter also discusses Van Swearingen’s financial lending practices.
-
-
M-606 Patton, Samuel N. California Gold Rush Letter
-
This letter, dated April 21, 1852, was written by former Philadelphia resident Samuel N. Patton. Writing to a friend from Rich Gulch in Calaveras County, Patton describes his experience moving to California to be a miner, traveling through the boomtown of San Francisco and the varying landscape of the region. He also describes meetings with friends and his views on gold fever. The letter offers a new migrant’s perspective on the business practices, social relationships, and natural environment at the heart of the California Gold Rush.
Pages
