William Heath Papers 1774-1872 Guide to the Microfilm Edition Encoding sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

Table of Contents Collection Summary Biographical Timeline Collection Description Arrangement Acquisition Information Other Formats Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Biographical Timeline

Collection Description

The William Heath papers consist of 46 reels of microfilm. The bulk of the collection concerns military matters during the American Revolution. Heath served in the Continental Army from its inception to its dissolution in 1783. The papers cover his service as a field commander, 1776-1777; his command of the Eastern District, Mar. 1777-June 1779; and the Lower Hudson District, June 1779-1783. The collection consists of loose papers, diaries, and orderly books.

Arrangement

This collection consists of 31 numbered volumes on 46 reels of microfilm. Reels 1-26 contain loose papers formerly bound into 26 vols. These materials are arranged chronologically according to the original sequence in the volumes. The items have two sets of numbers on them: 1) the original volume and page numbers which are marked on the back of each document and 2) a second set of page numbers on the front of each document assigned during disbinding. Although the page numbers changed slightly, the order of the documents remained the same. The volume and reel numbers are equivalent, although many reels have been split between two reels of microfilm. Volume 17, for example, is located on reels 17 and 17B.

Each item has been individually cataloged in the MHS manuscript catalog, published by G. K. Hall in 1969 as the Catalog of Manuscripts in the Massachusetts Historical Society. Each entry contains a volume and page number indicating its exact location on the microfilm. Because the materials are not in perfect chronological order and because many documents have been misfiled, this is the most exact way of locating a document on the microfilm.

If the G. K. Hall catalog is not available, two indexes are helpful in determining the approximate location of items on the microfilm. The first index is known as the "26 Volume Index" and is Volume 27 of the collection. It has been filmed at the beginning of each reel except for the split reels described above. Volume 27 was not filmed separately and does not have a corresponding reel number: there is no reel 27. The second index is actually an individual volume index filmed at the beginning of its corresponding reel. Both indexes contain an alphabetical list of names and page numbers. The separate volume indexes also contain occasional descriptions of the contents of documents.

Both indexes refer only to the original numbering system. Page references in the indexes do not match the page numbers on the front of each document, but the items remain in their original order.

Reels 28-29 contain Heath's orderly books, 1776-1783. Reel 29B also includes miscellaneous papers, 1775-1872 (see collection description for more information). Heath's diaries, 1775-1804, are on reels 30-31.

Acquisition Information

The papers were purchased from the heirs of William Heath by Amos A. Lawrence, who in turn donated them to the Massachusetts Historical Society in May 1859. Additional miscellaneous materials were donated in 1970 by Mrs. Robert G. Peck of Chicago, IL.

Other Formats

On microfilm, P-205, 46 reels.

Selections published in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 5th series, Vol. 4 (1878); 7th series, Vols. 4 and 5 (1904-5).

Detailed Description of the Collection

Note: If it is available, consult the published Catalog of Manuscripts of the Massachusetts Historical Society, (G.K. Hall, 1969) to determine the volume and page number of each individual document.

Note: There is no reel 27. The contents of volume 27 appear at the beginning of each reel except where the reels have been split: i.e., on reel 12, but not 12B, etc.

Preferred Citation

William Heath papers, Massachusetts Historical Society

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.