“The Letters of the Presidents” Lunch Talk Recap

By Anna Cook

On 4 November, Assistant Reference Librarian Tracy Potter and intern Sarah Desmond (Endicott College), gave a progress report on their project to survey the presidential papers held at the MHS. This project, funded by a generous donation from MHS trustee Dennis Shapiro (in attendence), has as its goal the preparation of a web-accessible subject guide to letters written by U.S. Presidents within the collections of the MHS. The finished guide will document all known correspondence, located through bibliographic research and a survey of staff members, and list the MHS holdings by president and then collection and subject matter. The only type of correspondence omitted will be straight-up autographs (i.e. signed commissions), which contain no substantive writing by the individual themselves. There will be a particular emphasis on documents from the presidential years, although other items will also be included as known. Sections on “other materials” and “related material” (items not held at the MHS which may be of interest) will add further value to the finding guide.

Hundreds of letters have so far been identified and itemized, including a twenty-eight page list of letters from Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-seven pages of letters from George Washington (including 173 letters to Timothy Pickering alone), and forty-nine letters from John F. Kennedy, mostly located in the Leverett Saltonstall autograph collection. Letters from every single President have been found in our collections, with the exception of the two most recent individuals to hold the office: George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Tracy and Sarah shared some of their favorite finds, including a letter from Richard Nixon in the Leverett Saltonstall papers in which Nixon relates his enthusiasm over a Fig Festival in California.

Conversation during the audience question and comment period focused on the methodology for locating the correspondence, questions about the intended audience for the finding guide, and suggestions for future uses of the information that will come out of this project, (such as a web-based exhibition highlighting the presidential papers held here at the Society).  Peter Drummey shared one of his own favorite items from a U.S. President: a preserved bird found in a letter from Theodore Roosevelt to a bird-watching friend during Roosevelt’s college days. 

We congratulate Sarah and Tracy on the work they have already put in and wish them luck as they forge ahead.

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This Week @ MHS

By Jeremy Dibbell

A reminder that tonight, 9 November, we’ll host the official book launch for Woody Holton’s Abigail Adams. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., with a talk to follow at 6 p.m. There will be an opportunity to purchase copies of Abigail Adams and have books signed after the talk. More info here.

On Tuesday, 10 November, the Boston Environmental History Seminar series continues with a 5:15 p.m. talk by Strother Roberts of Northwestern University, “Pines, Profits and Popular Politics: The Timber and Lumber Trade of the Colonial Connecticut River Valley.” Harvey Green of Northeastern University will give the comment. Please read the Seminars @ MHS blog post for more information on attending seminars, including how to make reservations and receive the papers in advance.

Also, please note that the MHS will be CLOSED on Wednesday, 11 November, in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.

Posted in This Week @MHS

Remember, Remember …

By Jeremy Dibbell

Most of us probably don’t tend to think of 5 November as a holiday, but in colonial Boston it was one of the most festive days of the year. In Britain the holiday was (and still is) known as Guy Fawkes Day; here in New England it was called Pope’s Day, or Pope Night. There is an excellent introduction to the holiday at 5th of November in Boston, a site mounted by our sister institution the Bostonian Society.

There are many items in our collections relating to Pope’s Day, but I wanted to highlight one of them today: the James Freeman notebook. Rev. James Freeman (1759-1835), was one of the founders of the Historical Society, and his little historical notebook (given to the Society in 1791) “contains notes on population, prices, epidemics, unusual weather, and earthquakes in Massachusetts, particularly the earthquake of 1755; also, descriptions of Guy Fawkes Day pageants and riots in Boston, and of the public reaction in Boston to the Stamp Act of 1765.” These aren’t personal recollections by Freeman, but rather contemporary newspaper accounts that he copied later.

On the first page of the notebook, under the heading “1745,” Freeman writes: Nov’r 5. Two Popes were made & carried thro the streets in the evening 1 from the N. & ye other from ye S. attended by a vast number of negroes & white servants w/ clubs &c., who were very abusive to ye inhab. insulting persons and breaking windows &c of such as did not give them money to their satisfaction, & even of those who had given them liberally, & ye 2 Popes meeting in Cornhill their followers fell upon one another w/ ye utmost rage & fury. Several were wounded & bruised & some left for dead, & rendered incapable of business for a long time. Fleets Evening Post.” This account appeared almost verbatim in the Boston Evening-Post issue dated 11 November 1745, which also included a letter to the printer “written by a Gentleman of great Character.” The gentleman urged Mr. Fleet not to suffer the riot “to pass off without a public Rebuke … What a Scandal and Infamy to a Protestant Mob, be it of the rudest and lowest Sailor; out of Boston, or even of the very Negroes of the Town, to fall upon one another with Clubs and Cutlasses, in a Rage and Fury which only Hell could inspire, or Devils broke loose from their Chains there, could well represent!”

For 5 November 1764, Freeman writes: “It was formerly a custom on these anniversaries for ye lower class of people to celebrate the evening in a manner peculiar to themselves, by having carried images erected on stages, representing the Pope, his attendant, &c. and these were generally carried thro’ the streets by negroes & other servants, that ye minds of ye vulgar might be impressed w/ a sense of their deliverance from popery, & money was generally given to them, to regale themselves in the evening, when they burnt the images. But of late those who are concerned in this pageantry make a party affair of it, & instead of spending the evening agreeably, the champions of both ends of the town prepare to engage each other in battles under the denomination of S. end & N. end. In ye afternoon the magistrates & other officers of the town went to the respective places of their rendezvous, & demolished their stages, to prevent any disorders, which they did without opposition. Notw/standing which as soon as it was dark, they collected again, & mended their stages, which being done they prepared for a battle, & about 8 o’clock the two parties met near the mill bridge where they fought with clubs, staves, brick bats, &c for about half an hour, when those of ye S. end gained the victory, carrying off not only their own, but their antagonist’s stages &c which they burnt on Boston neck. In the fray many were much bruised & wounded in their heads & arms, some dangerously. It should be noted that these parties do not much subsist at any other time.” This account appeared in the Boston Evening-Post of 12 November 1764.

The following year, in the wake of the Stamp Act riots, Freeman’s entry indicate that things turned out a little differently: “It has long been the custom in Boston on ye 5th of Nov’r for Nos. of persons to exhibit on stages some pageantry denoting their abhorrence of popery & the horrid plot which was to have been executed on that day in the year 1605. These shows have of late years, been continued in the even’g, & we have often seen the bad effects attending them at such a time; the servants & negroes would disguise themselves & being armed with clubs would engage each other with great violence whereby many came off badly wounded. In short, they carried it to such lengths that two parties were created in ye town under the appellation of N. end & S. end. But the disorders which had been committed from time to time induced several gentlemen to try a reconciliation between the 2 parties; accordingly the chiefs met on the 1st of this inst., & conducted the affair in a very orderly manner. In ye even’g the commander of ye N. & after making general overtures they reciprocally engaged in an Union, & the former distinctions to subside, at the same time the chiefs with their assistants engaged their honour no mischief should arise by their means, & that they would prevent any disorders on ye 5th. When the day arrived about noon the pageantry representing the Pope, the Devil, & several other effigies signifying tyranny, oppression, slavery, &c. were brought on stages from the N. & S. & met in Kings Str. where the union was established in a very ceremonial manner, & having given three huzzas, they interchanged ground, the S. marched to ye N. & the N. to the S. parading thro’ ye streets until they again met near ye Court House. The whole then proceeded to Liberty tree, under the shadow of which they refreshed themselves for a while, & then returned to ye Northward agreeably to their plan. They reached Cop’s hill before 6 o’clock, where they halted, & having enkindled a fire, the whole pageantry was committed to the flames & consumed.” This account appeared in the Boston Evening-Post of 11 November 1765.

 

For more information on Pope’s Day, I recommend 5th of November in Boston, plus the excellent Pope Night series at Boston1775. Brendan McConville’s excellent book The King’s Three Faces (University of North Carolina Press, 2006) contains much background and context. On James Freeman, see F.W.P. Greenwood’s memoir of him, published in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 3d. Series Volume V (1836), pp. 255-271.

Posted in From Our Collections

Join Us for Launch of Holton’s “Abigail Adams”

By Jeremy Dibbell

On Monday, 9 November, the MHS hosts the official launch of Woody Holton’s Abigail Adams, a new biography of the woman Holton calls the “most richly documented woman of America’s founding era.” Holton offers important new insights into the life and times of his subject: Catherine Allgor, quoted on the dust jacket, says of the book “This is not your father’s Abigail Adams. Woody Holton has given us the gift of the most fully rounded picture of those most famous of Founding Mothers to date. Entrepreneur, politician, mother, wife – Abigail Adams emerges from Holton’s burnished prose as the compelling, complicated person she was. The discoveries he has made, and the insights they have inspired, will shape how we think of revolutionary men and women and partnerships both political and personal.”

Much of Holton’s research for this book is drawn from the Adams Family papers collection here at MHS (in its various forms), so needless to say we’re delighted to see the project come to fruition and are very much looking forward to the launch event. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, with a talk by Woody Holton to begin at 6 p.m. Copies of the book will be available for purchase after the lecture.

On a personal note, I started Abigail Adams last night, and read long into the wee hours. It’s as captivating a biography as any I’ve ever read.

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This Week @ MHS

By Jeremy Dibbell

Another busy week around here!

Join us on Wednesday, 4 November for two events: at 12 noon Tracy Potter and Sarah Desmond will discuss their current and ongoing MHS research project, “The Letters of the Presidents: A Survey of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society.” Tracy and Sarah are scouring the MHS’ holdings to create a complete guide to presidential manuscripts in our collections. [Note: This is a changed event from the regular schedule; Karen Woods Weierman’s brown-bag lunch talk has been postponed].

Also on Wednesday, as part of our “Creating the Past” Conversation series, novelist William Martin will speak on “Creating the Past Through Historical Fiction.” Martin is the author of several historical novels, including Harvard Yard, Cape Cod, Back Bay, and The Lost Constitution. The conversation will be moderated by Steve Marini. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., and the event will begin at 6 p.m. More info here.

On Thursday, 5 November, as part of the Boston Early American History seminar series, former long-term MHS fellow Michael Hoberman will present a talk, “‘His Solemn Profession of his Faith in the Messiah Already Come’: Judah Monis and the Limits of Puritan Hebraism.” William Pencak of Penn State will deliver a comment. Please read the Seminars @ MHS blog post for more information on attending seminars, including how to make reservations and receive the papers in advance. The seminar will begin at 5:15 p.m.

And on Saturday, 7 November, as part of the John Brown and New England series of public events, David Reynolds will speak on “Warriors for Freedom: John Brown and Henry David Thoreau.” Reynolds will “describe how the Transcendentalists were the boldest and most publicly visible proponents of John Brown in the immediate aftermath of Harpers Ferry. Virtually everyone in the North, including radical abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, initially reacted negatively to Brown’s attack on Virginia. Henry David Thoreau stood alone in coming out immediately and eloquently on Brown’s behalf and planted the seed for the mass veneration of John Brown that grew steadily in the months before and after John Brown’s execution on December 2, 1859. Focusing on three newly discovered letters housed at the American Antiquarian Society and written by Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Dr. Reynolds will argue that if it had not been for the positive reception and promotion of John Brown by Thoreau and other Transcendentalists, Brown may very well have passed into obscurity as a solitary, crazed anarchist.” This event will begin at 2 p.m.

Posted in This Week @MHS

Voices from the Past: 1-2 November

By Jeremy Dibbell

A new month, something new and different here at The Beehive. Since there are a tremendous number of diaries in the MHS collections, I thought it would be neat to pick out some “voices from the past” and highlight a few of these. I’m going to try this in various different ways, the first of which is to look at some anniversary posts (“this day in history”, if you will). You can search our online catalog (ABIGAIL) for diaries by year (just use “Diaries Year”, i.e. “Diaries 1709” in the subject box), so I’ve taken a look at diaries from 1709 onward, every hundred years and picked out some interesting entries from 1-2 November. Following the year I’ve listed the number of manuscript diaries from our collections that cover the period. A link at the end of each person’s entry will take you to the ABIGAIL record for their collection.

1709 (8 Diaries)

– Thomas Prince (1687-1758), newly-minted minister. Later pastor of the Old South Church, Boston (and a great book collector). He kept a fascinating (and quite beautiful) journal while travelling on the ship Thomas and Elizabeth as part of a fleet on several journeys: Boston to Barbados, 29 March – 4 September 1709; Barbados to London, 5 September 1709 – 16 March 1710; London to Madeira, 17 March – 29 April 1710; Madeira to Barbados, 30 April – 2 August 1710; Barbados to Great Britain, 3 August – 17 October 1710. The entries contain geographic coordinates, wind direction and speed, and weather, as well as descriptions of daily occurrences including incidents between the fleet and other ships, poetry, and ballads.  On 1-2 November 1709 (days 58 and 59 of his trip) he carefully records in small hourly tables the wind direction and speed, weather conditions (breezy at 6 a.m., smooth sea at 6 p.m., cloudy at 10 p.m. on 1 November; the following day they had fair weather at 2 a.m., rain at 8 a.m., faint wind at 2 p.m., and clear skies at 6 p.m.), the speed of the ship, miles travelled, &c. On 2 November he records their latitude as 49 degrees, 43 minutes.

Prince’s journal also contains some fascinating ballads and poetry. On his page for 1 November are written the 12th and 13th stanzas of a ballad he began recording back on 28 August, “On y’e Battle of Oudenard, June 30 1708. Jack Frenchman’s Lamentation. An excell’t New Song: to y’e Tune of I’ll tell Thee Dick, &c.” Below this, he’s copied another few lines of verse (not part of the ballad):

“Unhappy news! again without success!
Alass who can my sorrows now express?
Oh Thou unhappy continent of Spain!
Oceans of Blood for Thee are spillt in vain!
Routed again! again my army broke!
This is a fatal, mortifying stroke!
Alas what shall I do? I fear they’l force
Me at y’e last to take Benhadad’s course!
Since Israel’s Kings so mercifull have been;
Mercy I hope to find from Britain’s Queen:
I’ll stay a while & see how matters go,
My spirit cant yet bare to stoop so low:
But if it must be so, it must be so.”

In the upper right corner of the page Prince records his “remarks” for the day. On 1 November he writes (slightly expanded based on his handy list of abbreviations at the front of the journal): “At 10 y’e morn: we sounded 61 Fath: Grainy [?] cs: sand [coarse sand], white & yellow; w’th [bits of] scallop shells, some of [which were] small & [word unclear]. By [which] we Judg ours: on y’e coast of France; [which] is generally such sort of Ground & about y’e same Depth of Water: [which] grows deeper towards y’e Brittish shoars; [where] y’e Ground is much finer & whiter. At y’e same time, y’e [wind] [weaving?] to y’e NE, we kept on our Larb: [tack] till 12, [when] we stood to y’e Nor-ward.”

For 2 November, Prince remarks “About midnight, we fell in [with] a strange Fleet, [which] put us in a great confusion, but wasnt [thoroughly] discerned till about 2, a Gun was fired [that] alarmed us. At y’e same time we saw 2 Top-Lights, & several ships [that were] larger [than] any of our Fleet. At [daybreak], we Discover’d our Comma[nders] Ensign flying, & we Reckon about 50 [sails]. But as it grew Lighter we can count 54, and y’e 14 or 15 [sail that were] strangers, appear’d [very] Large, on our Larb: Bow, to [the Leeward], & y’r Ensign seem’d to [be White which made] us afraid [they were] French Men of War. But we [were] presently undeceiv’d, [when] at [sunrise] we saw [the] Red-cross; upon we concluding [them] to [be the] Brittish Squadron of y’e White, we bore down to [them]; & by 10, [the] Men [of] War saluted each other. Below the remarks, Prince outlines the “Plimouth-Squadron of Cruisers” in a table, listing eight third-rate and eight fourth-rate ships with the number of guns on each (the Russel, Royal-Oak, and Newark with 80 guns; the Kent and Restoration with 70; the Plimouth, Medway, and Montague with 64; the Monk, August, and St. Albans with 60; and the Depforth, Romney, Falmouth, Salisbury, and Winchester with 54 guns apiece).

His remarks continue next to the table: “My [Lord] Dursley, [Vice] Admiral of y’e White, in y’e Kent, lets fly a White Flag w’th St. Georges Cross, at y’e [foretop masthead]. Y’e Medway & Falmouth [are] sent on a seperate Cruize. My [Lord a Day] or 2 ago Gave [DuGuay with] 5 or 6 [Men of War] a chase, till [they] rais’d [their] Hulls, but y’e Night Parted [them]. Y’e Lost-Light of Scilly Lights last night, at 10. & [they] Judge, we are 15 or 20 Leag[ues] to [the] NbE. Having steer’d SbW, till they fell in [with] us.” (Thomas Prince journal)

1809 (26 Diaries)

– John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), American minister to Russia. St. Petersburg, Russia. Line-a-day diary for 1 November: “Wednesday. Looking out for lodgings, first alone. Then with Harris, who called on us again in the Evening.” Long diary for 1 November: “I was engaged all this morning after breakfast, in visiting houses and apartments to be let. First going out alone; and afterwards in Company with Mr. Harris who called upon me for that purpose. I have an length seen two places, either of which will supply us with better accommodations than any that we have hiterto seen. Mr. Harris called upon us again in the Evening. I read and wrote very little this day.”

Line-a-day diary for 2 November:”Still in search of lodgings with my wife. Visits from Harris and Mr. Meyer. Harris sent a Russian Dict’ry & Grammar.” Long diary for 2 November: “Went out this morning with Mrs. Adams and looked over two or three houses, and lots of apartments which we have not yet engaged. Met Mr. Harris and Mr. Meyer, who called and paid us a visit. I delivered him a letter of credit from Mr. Grey. Mr. Harris called again and passed a couple of hours with us in the Evening. He sent me also a Russian and French Dictionary and Grammar, from which I began the attempt to learn the character of the Russian Alphabet. Among the peculiarities of this Country with which is will be proper to become more conversant, are the stoves, the kitchens, the double windows, the construction of the houses generally and the drojky’s – These and other things will be the subjects of more particular future observation. I tried this day two of their most ordinary liquors. The quas, at two kopoeks the bottle and the chitslisky at five. They have a taste of small beer; with an acid not unpalatable to me, though much so to all the rest of the family.” (John Quincy Adams diaries)

– Alexander Hill Everett (1790-1847), secretary to John Quincy Adams. St. Petersburg, Russia. Writing on 1 November: “Our first care has been to equip ourselves under the direction of a tailor, till which time we were unable to stir out and indeed have as yet seen nothing of the curiosities of the place. The weather has as yet been uncommonly mild, today Nov. 1 is the coldest and the temperature is at 6 [degrees] Keau, the air very clear & bracing. …

One of the first things that at once delights and surprises an American traveller here is the great respect entertained by the Emperor and Court for the national character. Mr. Harris, our agent has received most marked [favor] from his Imperial Majesty and the Court and all distinguished persons here and the reception Mr. Adams has received is thus far equally flattering. We found a few of our countrymen that expect to pass the winter among them was Mr. Fisher, with whom I had contracted an acquaintance at Christiansand and in whose company I expect much satisfaction. Besides him are Mr. Osgood, the brother of my classmate Osgood, Capt. Shreve of Salem, Mr. Waters of Boston and several others.

The effect of Petersburg when it first strikes the eye is very great. It is the most beautiful city in Europe, though inferiour in size to Constantinople, London, Paris, Vienna, Naples, Berlin & Moscow. The publick buildings are in a style of wonderful magnificence. I have not yet had an opportunity to examine any of them, but as I do, I shall note my observations. The granite embankments of the Neva and of the canals, surrounded with railings of iron are most stupendous and admirable, whether we consider the immense labor, bestowed upon them or their incalculable utility. The famous status of Peter the Great is one of the most striking monuments in the place and one that first meets the eye on landing. It stands in the middle of a square in the first Admiralty Quarter which you pass through as you enter the town from the quay. He is on horseback in the attitude of gaining the summit of a rough rock, an allegorical representation of his victory over the savage state of his country. …” (Alexander Hill Everett diaries)

1909 (23 diaries)

– Robert James Streeter (1889-1951), student at Clark College, Worcester. Later a history teacher. On 1 November 1909 he records the temperature (50) and the weather (Clear, calm) before recording the events of the day. “That story about Cross was not so. I played tennis with Woodbury & gave him a hard rub on teh second set. After Glee Club Fletcher & I went down to Porter’s house after some dress suits. LeSure [?] was up here raising cain when we got back. He threw a pillow at me, bending my glasses, & I broke them trying to fix them.”

The following day, 2 November, Streeter notes that the temperature was 60 and the weather “Cloudy, some showers.” “We had a quiz in logic & one in Biol. I cut Biol. Lab this afternoon & went downtown to see an occulist, but did not get there till after office hours. This eve Parris, Oberg & another fellow was up here this eve. Today the state election takes place. The first of the Ellis Concerto is given this eve.

Streeter also kept an expense book, in which he records that he spent 10 cents on ice cream on 1 November, and 5 cents for carfare and 5 cents on ice cream on 2 November [a fellow after my own heart, eating ice cream well into November!] (Robert James Streeter diaries)

– William Lawrence (1850-1941), Epsicopal Bishop of Massachusetts (1893-1927). On 1 November 1909, he records “Home before breakfast. Wrote. Met Rose of Nashville at Mr. [Oliver’s?] office & work on statement of history of Geo. Peabody College for two hours. Rose & I lunch at Union Club.” He goes on to describe several church services that afternoon and evening. On 2 November, he writes “Office hours: 1 1/2 hours with Rose & Oliver[?] finishing statement. Lunch. [Word unclear] with Julie to Salem … funeral of __ Endicott Peabody. Rain. Brght Edith Wolcott back. Wrote in Ev’g. (William Lawrence diaries)

– William Cameron Forbes (1870-1959), Secretary of Commerce and Police for the Philippines (he would be named Governor-General later in November). On 2 November he writes: “I must have got a sunstroke in a little way on Sunday as I went out to inaugurate the new [polo] field and see how much a pony cut it up, and that night had a fierce headache. So in all day yesterday, only getting up enough energy to lunch with my bureau chiefs. If I am to become Governor at the end of this week it may be that a new Secretary of Commerce and Police will be appointed, and that I shall step out of the office I’ve held now for nearly six years.

So old Strong came round, tenderly looking after me. He looks worn and dragged, poor fellow. His wife has blood poisoning and has been very ill, but is recovering slowly.

No polo on Monday, and today being election day I have taken it generally easy, only going to a Carnival directors’ meeting, as I am still President of the Association, and having to walk part way home as Cootes, headless and heedless as a boy of four, had run off with my machine and forgotten to order it back for me.

A few days ago I made my return call on Admiral Sebree when he had all his captains and coadjutors, by whatever rank distinguished, collected on the flagship; – and all this to save me the trouble of going to each of his eight ships, and Uncle Sam the cost of eight times seventeen guns, which would have been indeed a bombardment and taken all the morning. We drank champagne in the Admiral’s cabin. I sat at a table with three admirals, as Nazro had turned up, and we were indeed ranky.” (W. Cameron Forbes journals)

I hope these are of interest, and look forward to more of these “voices from the past” in future posts.

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“McClellan in Boston”: Lunch-Talk Recap

By Elaine Grublin

On Wednesday, 28 October, the MHS hosted a brown-bag lunch talk, “McClellan’s Visit to Boston, January 28-February 8, 1863″  in which Carol Bundy, a current Andrew W. Mellon Fellow and long-time MHS researcher, led a discussion of her current project. An audience of about twenty, comprised of MHS members, staff, and research fellows, as well as local scholars and history enthusiasts, listened as Carol presented a brief synopsis of her research before engaging her in a lively question and answer session.

At the outset of the program Carol described her project as an “unformed mass of dough, just beginning to rise” meaning that the project is in its early stages and she is still working on identifying the main characters and primary direction of her narrative. She introduced the audience to her project by giving a bit of background about both McClellan’s visit and the social and political environment in Boston in the winter of 1863. 

While McClellan’s visit to Boston in that winter is the focus of the project, McClellan himself is not the center of Carol’s research. The project is “not so much about McClellan, as about Boston’s reaction to McClellan.” As a result Carol has been working to identify the men responsible for bringing McClellan to Boston that winter, as well as fleshing out his itinerary. Through contemporary diary accounts she has already identified a committee of twelve men responsible for bringing McClellan to Boston. The hope is that the project will grow from there as she explores these men and their connections to both each other and the places that McClellan visited during his time in the city.

The greater questions to be explored include the reasons for McClellan’s visit to Boston, and why was he seemingly so popular with Bostonians at the time. Bundy presented the argument that the men who brought McClellan to Boston supported him for various – mostly personal – reasons which were more pragmatic than ideological, and raised her own questions about the reaction of the city at large. 

During the discussion part of the program attendees raised questions about the role of religion in the development of the political and personal motivations surrounding individual positions on the emancipation issue, the appeal of McClellan (which was presented as being a superficial appeal), and the form that the written project may take once the direction of the project becomes more clear.

A hearty thank you to Carol for an engaging presentation and for sharing her research with us. Keep your eye out for the resulting publication down the road.

Posted in Uncategorized Tagged

MHR Volume 11 Available

By Jeremy Dibbell

The 2009 volume of the Massachusetts Historical Review is now available. You can order a copy here.

The volume’s contents:

Essays
– Jason M. Colby, Race, Empire, and New England Capital in the Caribbean, 1890-1930
– J. Patrick Mullins, “A Kind of War, Tho’ Hitherto an Un-Bloody One”: Jonathan Mayhew, Francis Bernard, and the Indian Affair
– Neil Longley York, Rival Truths, Political Accommodation, and the Boston “Massacre”
– Stephen Kantrowitz, A Place for “Colored Patriots”: Crispus Attucks among the Abolitionists, 1842-1863
– Robert J. Robertson, Louisa Catherine Adams Kuhn: Florentine Adventures, 1859-1860

Notes & Documents
– M. X. Lesser, A Transcendentalist Conversion Narrative

Review Essay
– Elizabeth R. Varon, The Afterlife of Abolition

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This Week @ MHS

By Jeremy Dibbell

A busy week at 1154 Boylston Street!

Join us Tuesday, 27 October for a lecture by Bruce Ronda, “The Kaleidoscope of History: John Brown after Fifteen Decades.” This event is part of John Brown and New England, a series of public programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. Refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., and the talk will begin at 6 p.m. More info here.

On Wednesday, 28 October, we’ll have a brown-bag lunch talk at 12 noon with MHS short-term research fellow Carol Bundy; she’ll speak on “McClellan’s Visit to Boston, January 28-February 8, 1863.”

On Friday, 30 October, another brown-bag lunch talk (also at 12 noon): Electa Kane Tritsch will discuss her book Medfield’s Dwight-Derby House: A Story of Love and Persistence. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. More info here.

And for MHS Members and Fellows, don’t forget the special exhibition opening event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 29 October: Librarian Peter Drummey will speak on the new exhibit “Atlantic Harvest: Ellery Sedgwick & The Atlantic Monthly, 1909-1938.” Registration is required for this event; more info here.

Posted in This Week @MHS

On Arriving in St. Petersburg

By Jeremy Dibbell

Exactly eighty days after departing Charlestown, MA (5 August 1809), John Quincy Adams and his party arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia on the afternoon of Monday, 23 October 1809 (see the track of their journey here). He wrote in his short diary (manuscript image, Twitter update) “St. Petersburg. Came in a Government Boat. Visit to Mr. Harris our consul. Lodge at the Hotel de Londres.”

Here’s how JQA recounted the day in his long diary (manuscript images, partial transcription)

“It blew a heavy gale of wind all the night, which continued this day so that it was equally impossible for the ship to warp into the mole* and for any boat to go off to the ship. But it was fair as possible for coming up to Petersburg. Admiral Kolokoltzoff, who, with the Governor of Cronstadt, this morning paid me a visit, offered me the use of a Government boat, with a deck and a cabin, but at the same time advised us to stay here, until the weather should be more moderate. The admiral the next in command under him, Lomenne, also paid us a visit, and recommended to us to wait for fine weather. But we could procure no lodgings at any public house. We had been already too burdensome to Mr. Sparrow, and could not think of continuing longer at his house. An American gentleman, Mr. Martin, was coming up to Petersburg, and offered to bear us company; and by delay we might have lost the finest opportunity for completing in three or four hours of time the remainder of our voyage. We therefore determined to proceed, and after writing a letter for Mr. Smith, which Mr. Sparrow engaged to deliver as soon as it should be possible to get on board the ship we embarked in the Government boat about elevent o’clock. It took us nearly two hours to warp out of the mole, and then three hours up to Petersburg, where we landed just below the bridge over the Neva, upon the quay, at four o’clock in the afternoon. It blew a strong gale all the way up. We passed rapidly the palaces of Oranienbaum and Peterhof, and the bar seven wersts** below the city, where there is only eight feet of water, and where the channel is winding and narrow, obliging our boat several times to change her tacks.

When we came to the land, Mr. Martin immediately went and procured a carriage, in which the ladies rode with the child, while we walked to his lodgings. A Mr. Richardson, whom we met upon the quay, and who undertook to look out lodgings for us, came in early in the evening, and with him I when to the Hôtel de Londres, in the street called the Newsky Perspective, and engaged an apartment of five indifferent chambers, but said to be the best in the city.”

Remember, however, that there were others accompanying Adams. Alexander Hill Everett, one of JQA’s young secretaries, left a diary of the voyage and his time in Russia: what does he have to say about the arrival in St. Petersburg? Writing retrospectively on 1 November, Everett recalls the trip into the city: “Preferring a voyage by water from Cronstadt to Petersburgh on account of the difficulty of procuring land-conveyances we came up in the packet on the morning of Monday the 24th [sic] and reached Petersburgh in three hours after leaving the Mole. The operation of warping out of the Mole employed as much as one hour. It is done by fastening ropes to piers erected at considerable distances from each other in the Mole and hauling up to them by windlass. The distance is 30 wersts. Captain Martin, an American of Portsmouth N.H. came up with us and invited us to his lodgings to dine and having obtained lodgings for us at the H tel de Londrs which though indifferent were the best that could be obtained we adjourned there at about 10 in the evening. The lodgings were rather indifferent, though extravagantly high in their price, and we are served with our meals from a traiteur*** which forms another enormous article of expence. In fact I soon found on arriving here that the expence would be extravagantly high.

On our arrival we were immediately introduced to Mr. Leavitt Harris of Philadelphia, a gentleman holding the station of Consul General of the United States here but who from a particular favour of the Emperor to the Americans is ranked with the corps diplomatique and received as a Minister Resident. He is a gentleman of very amiable manners and apparently of good talents. He assisted in procuring us lodgings at the Hotel and has since bestowed every attention that politeness could dictate. We found in the Hotel Mr. Richardson, of Norfolk, Virginia, who left Petersburgh the day but one after we arrived for England and from thence to the Mediterranean by whom I had an opportunity of writing to my dear friend Cogswell. I have not much satisfaction that the letter will reach him there for probably before the time it arrives he will be safe at home but I could not miss even the possibility. There were several vessels also about sailing for America by which I have had an opportunity of writing to several dear friends, to my brothers Oliver and Edward, to my sister Lucy, to my Uncle House, to Mr. William Gray on business, to my Lucretia and I hope to have an opportunity of sending some more letters in the course of the fall.”

John Quincy Adams’ wife Louisa also commented on the voyage into the city, writing in her 1840 sketch “Adventures of a Nobody”: “At Breakfast Mr. Sparrow informed us that a heavy had sprung up; the Vessel been blown many miles down (leagues) I mean and the she probably would not get back for ten days. Here was a position agreeably defined: Myself a white Cambric Wrapper; my Sister the same; A Child of little more than two years old with only the suit on his back, and the Minister with the Shirt he had on; solus!! We did appear quite in the Garb of the Aberiginals of our Land but as near as possible to do it honor.

We embarked again in the Admirals all the Females the Child Mr Adams Mr. Everett and Mr Gray en suite and Nelson–;at twelve at noon we started: and were two hours before to warp out of the Mole–;and we were four hours more before we arrived at the Wharf at Petersburgh and had to wait until a Carriage could be procured to take us to and the water had already affected the Child very much so that it required to be more than a philosophic Squaw to bear up against our varied trials Mr Martin an American Gentleman whom we met at Cronstadt accompanied us and kindly had a dinner served up and every as comfortable as possible in the horrid Hotel that could possibly be got.

Immediately after dinner Mr. Harris the Consul came and all the Shop keepers were set in motion to procure the requisites for ready use. And we had an outside garment and the Minister was dressed from top to toe much to his discomfiture in a superb style Wig and all to be presented to the Chancellor of the empire when he should be ready to receive him.”

So now our weary travelers are safe in St. Petersburg, and Mr. Adams’ ministerial duties await him. Stay tuned! We hope you’ll continue to follow along on Twitter and watch for additional updates here.

* More on the “Cronstadt mole” (harbor) here. For “warp out of the mole,” see Alexander Hill Everett’s entry for the procedure.
** A “werst” or “verst” is a Russian measure of linear distance equivalent to about two thirds of a mile.
*** More on traiteurs here.

On our arrival we were immediately introduced to Mr. Leavitt Harris of Philadelphia, a gentleman holding the station of Consul General of the United States here but who from a particular favour of the Emperor to the Americans is ranked with the corps diplomatique and received as a Minister Resident. He is a gentleman of very amiable manners and apparently of good talents. He assisted in procuring us lodgings at the Hotel and has since bestowed every attention that politeness could dictate. We found in the Hotel Mr. Richardson, of Norfolk, Virginia, who left Petersburgh the day but one after we arrived for England and from thence to the Mediterranean by whom I had an opportunity of writing to my dear friend Cogswell. I have not much satisfaction that the letter will reach him there for probably before the time it arrives he will be safe at home but I could not miss even the possibility. There were several vessels also about sailing for America by which I have had an opportunity of writing to several dear friends, to my brothers Oliver and Edward, to my sister Lucy, to my Uncle House, to Mr. William Gray on business, to my Lucretia and I hope to have an opportunity of sending some more letters in the course of the fall.”

John Quincy Adams’ wife Louisa also commented on the voyage into the city, writing in her 1840 sketch “Adventures of a Nobody”: “At Breakfast Mr. Sparrow informed us that a heavy had sprung up; the Vessel been blown many miles down (leagues) I mean and the she probably would not get back for ten days. Here was a position agreeably defined: Myself a white Cambric Wrapper; my Sister the same; A Child of little more than two years old with only the suit on his back, and the Minister with the Shirt he had on; solus!! We did appear quite in the Garb of the Aberiginals of our Land but as near as possible to do it honor.

We embarked again in the Admirals all the Females the Child Mr Adams Mr. Everett and Mr Gray en suite and Nelson—at twelve at noon we started: and were two hours before to warp out of the Mole—and we were four hours more before we arrived at the Wharf at Petersburgh and had to wait until a Carriage could be procured to take us to and the water had already affected the Child very much so that it required to be more than a philosophic Squaw to bear up against our varied trials Mr Martin an American Gentleman whom we met at Cronstadt accompanied us and kindly had a dinner served up and every as comfortable as possible in the horrid Hotel that could possibly be got.

Immediately after dinner Mr. Harris the Consul came and all the Shop keepers were set in motion to procure the requisites for ready use. And we had an outside garment and the Minister was dressed from top to toe much to his discomfiture in a superb style Wig and all to be presented to the Chancellor of the empire when he should be ready to receive him.”

So now our weary travelers are safe in St. Petersburg, and Mr. Adams’ ministerial duties await him. Stay tuned! We hope you’ll continue to follow along on Twitter and watch for additional updates here.

* More on the “Cronstadt mole” (harbor) here. For “warp out of the mole,” see Alexander Hill Everett’s entry for the procedure.
** A “werst” or “verst” is a Russian measure of linear distance equivalent to about two thirds of a mile.
*** More on traiteurs here.

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