RECONSTRUCTION AND LAWLESSNESS IN TEXAS.

A vivid and fascinating letter capturing the lapse of law and order in Reconstruction Era Texas, where a deluge of immigration stymied political progress, accompanied by newspaper clippings with considerable manuscript commentary illuminating the lawlessness and pervasive crime in the Lone Star State.  Kentucky-native William Alexander (1819–1882), former three-time...

FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS
DURING THE TRAIL OF TEARS

A substantive and important 7-page letter written by a trader and whiskey dealer operating in Fort Smith, Arkansas Territory, offering an intimate and detailed account of his activities in the region—chronicling his travels, business, and the broader scene in Arkansas. At Fort Smith, he contracts with the U. S. government.....

ENGINEER CALVIN BROWN'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS
OF THE MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD

A firsthand account of the Mare Island Navy Yard, then under construction, where the U.S. Navy civil engineer Calvin Brown would design and build Drydock #1—considered both his masterwork and one of the most remarkable masonry structures in California and the broader U.S.  The Mare Island Naval Shipyard.....

CONFEDERATE ASSISTANT SURGEON SEEKS PROMOTION

A multifaceted letter illuminating medical aspects of the Civil War.  Tazewell Howard, newly arrived assistant surgeon to George Paul Harrison’s training camp outside Savannah, Georgia, describes his new appointment and attempts to use his connections to secure a higher paying post. He reports a certain dissatisfaction with his lot.....

“THIS IS A PRITY HARD COUNTRY FOR A MAN TO LIVE”

A pair of letters written during the winter and spring seasons in gold rush era California, commenting on the steep costs of living and relating various forms of labor the writer has undertaken for modest pay.  These letters span a period of three months, January–March, 1857; each is addressed...

THE BIRDMAN ON CANARIES, DARWIN, AND MORE

A captivating letter by Robert Stroud—known as “the Birdman of Alcatraz”—to his friend Fred Daw, concerning Stroud’s research on canaries, his violent childhood, the forthcoming biopic on him, his projected multi-volume autobiography, his challenge to Darwin, and more.  Imprisoned at Alcatraz, Robert Stroud (1890–1963) here writes to his long-time.....