Rare Books
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Manuscripts
This collection contains the letters, manuscripts (including sermons, 4 diaries, and 1 poem), and documents. Includes 195 sermons by William Cooper and Samuel Cooper, 1718-1783 (strongest for the period 1740-1759) and correspondence, covering international politics in relation to the American colonies (1769-1783), French officers in North America (1778-1783), and the Cooper family affairs (1759-1798). Some pieces are in French. Among the correspondents are John Adams (3 pieces), Charles Hector d'Estaing (3 pieces), Benjamin Franklin (5 pieces), Gideon Hawley (2 pieces), Anne César de la Luzerne (6 pieces), Charles Gravier de Vergennes (2 pieces). There are two letters (1771, Feb. 25 and 1776, Jan. 8) from Gideon Hawley describing his life among the Indians. There are 177 pieces of Samuel Cooper and 43 pieces of William Cooper. The John Adams items include two autograph letters signed to Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes, 1779 February 16 and 27 (CO 7, CO 13) and one letterpress copy of a letter to Benjamin Franklin, 1783 September 13 (CO 36), not in Adams' hand. Some notable items include: Cooper, Samuel. Letter to the Corporation of Harvard, declining the presidency of the college. [February 10, 1774] Hawley, Gideon. Two letters to Dr. Cooper, describing his life among the Indians. February 25, 1771 and January 8, 1776 Lee, Arthur. Letter to Dr. Cooper, regarding the mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line. Jan. 18, 1781 Lovell, James. Letter discussing the neutrality of Russia and Denmark and the possible action of Holland; also, Virginia's relinquishment of [UNK]to western territory. February 1, 1781 The diaries cover the periods 1764 January 1 - 1765 February 2; 1769 October 22 - December 31; 1775 April 18 - September 23; and 1775 April 19 - May 17, 1776. The 1769 diary was published in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 55 (1901), pp. 145-149, and the 1775-1776 diary was published in The American Historical Review, vol. 6 (Jan. 1901), pp. 301-341.
mssCO
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Manuscripts
Fragment of Samuel Cooper's 1775 diary. Brief entries for Apr. 10 - 18 describe Cooper's travels to Milton, Roxbury, Weston, Waltham, and Lexington. A long entry recorded on May 6, 1775, recaps the events that took place since April 10, including the "Troubles in Boston," Cooper's decision to leave the city because of "Menaces & Insults" that he had received, his travel to Weston, the battle of Lexington, and the town meeting in Boston with Thomas Gage on Apr. 30, 1775, and the inhabitants of Boston who "sufferr'd greatly for Want of Supplies... & much more from the Trror & Anxiety."
mssCO 271
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Rare Books
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