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Sommier verhael, van sekere Amerikaensche voyagie, gedaen door den ridder Balthasar Gerbier, baron Douuily
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Next Door Neighbours
Manuscripts
Adaptation of two French dramas in which content was merged. The play was not one of Inchbald's more popular plays. Sir George Splenorville disqualifies himself from his high position in society as he gives money to release Willford from prison in an attempt to seduce Eleanor.
mssLA 912
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"Mr. Van Inglen". To Speed, John James, 1803-1867
Manuscripts
The collection consists of 305 letters, indentures, announcements, and receipts. There are also 19 pieces of ephemera and 39 albumen, tintype, and daguerreotype photographs. The majority of the correspondence was sent to John James Speed from business associates and family members. One associate, George James Pumpelly, wrote 99 letters to Speed between 1853-1863. Pumpelly's letters discuss finances, the possible purchase of coal mines, and various ventures Speed was involved in at the time. Speed received several letters from supporters after his appointment to the Legislature in 1832. There is an unsigned speech given by Speed at the Republican National Convention held in Baltimore, MD, in June 1864. Several subjects touched upon in the speech include President Lincoln, Vice-Presidential nominee Andrew Johnson, and the Civil War. The photographs include portraits of Ezra Cornell and his wife along with a few images of some of the Speed family including John James Speed and his son and daughter, Frederic and Cornelia Speed.
HM 61408
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The Modoc Campaign
Manuscripts
This manuscript is William Murray's account of his involvement with the U. S. Army's campaign against the Modoc Indians in 1873. Murray served in the12th Infantry, Company G, out of Angel Island, California. There is much anticipation among the troops as they march, and news of the active conflict arrives frequently. Murray describes the countryside and weather in detail, as well as his daily military duties and drills. There is much troop activity, with different companies and regiments in constant movement, and Murray tracks it all while stationed at a makeshift headquarters called Van Bremer's Mount. Company G soon moves to the "Lava Beds," the location of "the Modoc Stronghold," where they make camp. On April 11, the company's "Council tent" is attacked by the Modoc after peace talks break down, and several soldiers are slain in what Murray calls "infernal treachery." General Edward Canby is shot and killed by the Modoc leader known as Captain Jack. Of the scene, Murray describes it as "a most sad and disturbing spectacle for the men of this command to witness." Following this event, Murray reports that "an immediate advance and attack on Capt. Jack's stronghold was intended" for "the men were clamoring loudly for vengeance on the murderers." However, General Alvan Gillem does not act so hastily, and opts to plan a careful assault, which was carried out April 15. There followed three days of fighting, which Murray describes in detail. The Modoc had many advantages due to their familiarity with the broken terrain, but the artillery bombardment and number of American troops eventually proved too much to overcome, and on April 17, the "Stronghold" was taken. Murray describes the interior in detail. On April 26, Captain Evan Thomas led a group of soldiers in pursuit of the Modoc, only to be ambushed in an attack Murray calls "The Thomas Disaster." Murray was not part of Thomas' ill-fated expedition due to an injury to his eye suffered in the three-day conflict.
mssHM 31523
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Scamman, Henry. 1 letter (1885, July 17) to Rowena C. Denning. 1 item
Manuscripts
The collection is arranged alphabetically by author, or in the case of ephemera, type. The first six boxes consist entirely of correspondence, the lone exception being a manuscript entitled "Mind your Business," one of Scamman's school papers. Highlights include an extensive series of correspondence between the husband and wife from the early 1890s detailing Scamman's discovery that one of his trusted employees, Henry T. Briggs, had embezzled thousands of dollars from Scamman's bank in Downieville. Though Scamman did not prosecute Briggs criminally, he ordered his disgraced clerk to hand over all of his life insurance, his stock in the gold mine in which both men had invested, and any money in his possession. Also prominent in the correspondence are letters to and from captains of Scamman's ship, the bark "Wildwood." The collection's ephemera component is its largest, and includes business ledgers, checks, legal documents, receipts, bills, mortgages, promissory notes, insurance policies, deeds, and tax forms. There is also an autographed copy of a book given to Scamman's daughter in 1932 in oversize. Subjects in the collection include: agriculture; banks and banking; Butte County and Downieville (Calif.); merchant ships; mining; and Saco (Me.).
mssScamman papers
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My own experience with the Vasques Bandits
Manuscripts
This manuscript is Snyder's account of his experiences in the mercantile business in Monterey County, California beginning in 1872. He ran a "branch store" and a "hotell." At length and in detail, Snyder describes an incident where his store was robbed by armed "Spanyards," the leader of whom he names as "Vasques." The bandits shot and killed a partially deaf man when he did not heed their demands for him to submit, and shot a second man hiding in a nearby barn. After killing a third man, Vasques declares that "he had only one way to make a living and that was by robbing, and as long as other people had any money he intended to have his Share of it if he had to kill a man to gett it." The bandits did not kill Snyder because he "submitted." The bandits stole eleven horses, including one that had been a present to Mrs. Snyder, loaded them with the stolen goods, and rode away. Snyder called the aftermath "a Mournfull looking Site." He reports that Vasques was eventually captured in San Jose and hanged. With typewritten card containing a brief biography of Snyder.
mssHM 16695
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Van Dyke, Robert E. and Gladys Van Dyke. 1 letter (1990, Aug. 9) to Catherine Turney
Manuscripts
There are 711 items in the manuscript section which are arranged alphabetically by author and then title. Materials without author and title are arranged alphabetically by type. Oversize materials are located in boxes 34 and 35. The manuscripts consist of various screenplays, television and movie treatments, biographies, and novels, both published and unpublished, written by Turney throughout her career (some written with co-authors such as Jerry Horwin and Stephen Longstreet). The collection includes an unproduced screenplay, written for Bette Davis titled "Angel Manager." A version of the screenplay for "Of Human Bondage" is located in the manuscripts. Also included is one of the first scripts for "Japanese War Bride," originally titled "East is East." There are materials related to Turney's first play, "Bitter Harvest," including two published copies with Turney's edits, and her most successful play, "My Dear Children." The manuscripts section also contains drafts of Byron's daughter and Turney's research notes for that book. Other manuscripts include: a draft of her biography "The Patriarch," which was intended to illuminate the lives of the women in George Washington's life; a fictional trilogy regarding early California entitled "Light in the Spring," "Manifest Destiny," and "Fruit of the Vine;" and a biography of Aimée Dubuc de Rivery entitled "The Beautiful One." Research notes and materials for her biographies and novels are listed under "Note cards" and "Notes." There are reviews of Turney's biographies and novels, two interviews with Catherine Turney, and poetry written by Turney while she attended Bishop's School. Of note are seventeen drawings by the artist Stephen Longstreet. There are also manuscripts relating to the creation and early days of the Pasadena Community Playhouse and two manuscripts regarding Catherine Turney's experiences with John Barrymore in the 1930s while he played the leading role in "My Dear Children."
mssTurney papers