Manuscripts

Jefferson Martenet pocket letter book

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Description: This "Gregory's Pocket Letter Book" contains two letters written by "Jefferson," probably Jefferson Martenet. The first is a 19-page letter to "Dear Mother," dated 1853, December 14. Jefferson wrote his entries from Harbaugh Camp. In the book, Jefferson details a lost love and reflects on his change of heart with regard to marriage and courtship. The writer also discusses a severed business partnership and plans for moving to a new camp, then ends with words of affection for friends and family at home. The last 19 pages of the notebook is a letter by Jefferson to "Dear Bill," also dated 1853, December 14, and signed "Jeff."
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1853, December 14.
Call number: mssHM 83420
Creator: Martenet, Jefferson(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Purchased from Cowan's Auctions Eric C. Caren sale, Lot 149, September 2017.

Jefferson Martenet correspondence

Manuscripts

The correspondence includes 365 letters separated chronologically into 37 folders by year. Box 1 has 20 folders inclusive of the years 1837-1859. Twenty folders account for one folder for each year except 1838, 1839, and 1843 which do not have any correspondence. Letters 1-46 are mostly between Jefferson Martenet in Baltimore, Md. and his cousin Jefferson Morris Wampler. The letters between Martenet and Wampler deal with the topics of surveying after Texas Independence and the Mexican American War, courting, and family relations. Letters 47-192 are mostly between Jefferson Martenet in Calif. and his mother Catherine Margaretta Richardson in Baltimore, Md. There also a small number of letters to and from his siblings. During the 1850s Martenet began to write mostly to Mrs. Richardson about his hardships in California with mining and his opinions on the slavery question nationwide. Martenet comments about many major incidents and people before the U.S. Civil War including: "Bleeding Kansas," John Brown's Raid, the Know Nothing Party, and the Knights of the Golden Circle. Two people in particular he and his mother comment on are Millard Fillmore and Baltimore Mayor Thomas Swann. Martenet also made many off-hand remarks regarding race during the 1850s, especially African Americans, Chinese Americans, Indians, and Mexicans with his regular use of Spanish.

mssMartenet

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Isaac Ledyard, New York, letter to Thomas Jefferson

Manuscripts

Autograph letter signed; endorsed by Jefferson. Dated April 29, Jefferson corrects to March 29. (2 pages)

HM 5958

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John Wilson, Washington, D.C., letter to Thomas Jefferson

Manuscripts

Autograph letter signed; endorsed by Jefferson as received on December 3. (9 pages)

HM 9046

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Thomas Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia, letter to William Davies :

Manuscripts

Jefferson discusses a letter received from Baron von Steuben regarding new recruits and requests assistance from Colonel Davies to provide articles for them.

mssHM 25045

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Thomas Munroe, Washington, D.C., letter to Thomas Jefferson, Monticello

Manuscripts

Autograph letter signed; endorsed by Jefferson. Includes autograph draft of Jefferson's reply to Munroe, 1822 January 1, on second page of letter. Also includes enclosure of contemporary copy of John Quincey Adams letter to the Chevalier de Poletica, 1821 December 15. (3 pages)

HM 9156 (1&2)

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H. A. Parker pocket letter book

Manuscripts

H.A. Parker wrote this letter from San Francisco, California to his mother over several days from April 25-27, 1853. The letter is in a letter book and is comprised of 40 pages. He wrote in detail about a visit to Chinatown with friends, including the fishing industry. He described the Chinese community, the climate, and his living arrangements. Written in a Gregory's Express Pocket Letter Book, glossy printed wrappers.

mssHM 75845

Jefferson Martenet pocket letter book

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Jefferson Martenet correspondence

Isaac Ledyard, New York, letter to Thomas Jefferson

John Wilson, Washington, D.C., letter to Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, Charlottesville, Virginia, letter to William Davies :

Thomas Munroe, Washington, D.C., letter to Thomas Jefferson, Monticello

H. A. Parker pocket letter book