Emily Chatard correspondence, 1844 September 26 and undated

The Dugan-Robison manuscript collection consists of four series: Dugan family, Robison family, Related families, and Miscellaneous.

Series I, Dugan family, contains correspondence, land papers, and business papers relating to members of the Dugan family. The bulk of this series consists of correspondence sent by Harriet Buchanan Dugan to her daughter, Jane Dugan Robison, after the latter's 1893 marriage to John K. Robison. Harriet's letters to her daughter inform her of events at home, and inquire about the welfare of Jane and her son-in-law. The series also contains letters sent by Harriet to other family members, as well as letters she received, including two letters from Cumberland Dugan before their marriage in 1856. Two additional folders contain the incoming correspondence of Cumberland Dugan and letters of introduction, and a third folder contains correspondence from Francis Cumberland III to his sister, Jane Dugan Robison.

Six folders in Series I pertain to Daniel Boone Dugan, whose father, Ferdinand Chatard Dugan, was the son of Harriet and Cumberland Dugan. Daniel Dugan's papers consist of incoming correspondence, business papers, and land records relating to the sale of land in Howard County for the purpose of building Columbia. According to notes from the donor, Daniel Dugan served as a "straw man" by purchasing four parcels of land on behalf of the Rouse Company. According to a disclaimer signed by his wife, Anne Sanford Dugan, Daniel Dugan purchased 377 acres of land in Howard County in September 1962. A final folder in this series contains a genealogy of the Dugan, Buchanan, and Chatard families.

Series II, Robison family papers, contains the correspondence of Jane Dugan Robison, her husband, John Keeler Robison, and papers related to his service in the United States Navy. Approximately half of this series contains correspondence from John K. Robison to Jane Dugan, most of which are dated before their marriage. The first letters are dated before Robison's graduation from the Naval Academy, and are written on academy stationary. Robison is very passionate in his declaration of love for Jane, and implores her to love him back in the same manner. Although Jane's responses are not included in the collection, it is clear that she is hesitant to marry due to their difference in religion, her being a Catholic and he being a different denomination. They were married in 1893, after which Robison's letters to Jane are more sporadic, as they spent their time together. The series contains a lengthly letter from Robison in 1908 while aboard the U.S.S. "Kentucky," as well as several letters written between 1918-1919.

The remainder of Series II contains three folders of papers related to John K. Robison's service in the United States Navy. The first of these folders consists of 14 reports conducted between 1916-1920 on Robison's fitness as an officer. Each report has the same sections to fill out with information about the officer and their duties, professional qualifications, and remarks from their reporting senior. On a report for the period October 29-November 7, 1917, while Robison was commander of the U.S.S. "Huntington," Admiral William S. Benson wrote that he was "particularly struck with his close attention to duty, the excellent manner in which he handled his ship, and the very fine spirit that seemed to prevade the personnel on board."

A further folder contains correspondence and reports issued by John K. Robison during his service, the bulk of which date between 1916-1919. The subjects of the reports include aeronautic operations on board the U.S.S. "Huntington" and the inspection of German merchant ships following the armistice. The final folder in Series II contains a congressional record of the 1st section from the 68th Congress, 1924. The folder contains clippings of resolutions to be passed in the wake of the Teapot Dome scandal.

Series III, Related families, contains the papers of families related to the Dugans and Robisons. These familly names include: Nelson, Buchanan, Chatard, Coulter, and Boone. This series contains the earliest letter in the collection, a 1786 letter to Thomas Buchanan. Other examples from the series include correspondence to Charlotte Nelson, the sister of Anna Maria Nelson (Harriet Buchanan Dugan's mother), and select correspondence to and from Archibald and Philemon Coulter, the sons of Anna Maria Dugan Coulter.

Series IV, Miscellaneous, contains two folders of various notes, printed ephemera, and newspaper clippings. There is also one photograph of an unidentified family sitting on the front porch steps of a house.