John Davidson incoming correspondence, 1780 December 3-1783 October 30

The Davidson-Chapman-Dodge-Beall papers consists of five series: Davidson papers, Chapman papers, Dodge papers, Beall papers, and Miscellaneous.

Series I, Davidson papers, primarily contains papers related to John Davidson, a Scottish immigrant and successful merchant in Annapolis. Over two boxes in this series consist of incoming business correspondence addressed to Davidson, spanning 1769-1794. The remainder of the collection contains correspondence to and from other Davidson family members, including John Davidson's brother Samuel and his wife, Eleanor. Also included are indentures, deeds and wills, financial statements (bills, receipts, checks), and miscelleous papers grouped with the Davidson papers without apparent affiliation with the family.

Series II, Chapman papers, consists of papers related to the family of Henry H. Chapman. This series is further arranged into subseries based on members of the Chapman family. Series II, Subseries A contains two letters addressed to John Chapman, Henry H. Chapman's father, as well as his will and a document concerning his estate. Subseries B contains 3 folders pertaining to Henry H. Chapman, including incoming correspondence, estate papers, and miscellaneous documents. Included in the miscellaneous folder is a document titled "Negroes belonging to H. H. Chapman" which lists the first names and ages of enslaved individuals for the year 1813. There are 60 names on the list, the oldest being 64 and the youngest 6 months. There are also notes next to certain names, noting if they have been "sold", or are "infirm", "sickly", or "dead". In the space on the list next to a woman named Cate, aged 56, the author of the document wrote "good for nothing."

Series II, Subseries C, contains one folder of correspondence addressed to Mary Chapman, as well as estate papers from her death in 1848. Subseries D consists of incoming correspondence and miscellaneous papers related to Edward Chapman, son of Henry H. and Mary Chapman. Most of the documents in the Miscellaneous file are letters recommending Edward Chapman for a position of clerk in the Department of the Navy. The folder also contains a copy of Chapman's will, and a drawing of a man with a hook nose and long chin with the caption, "The Goliath of the Navy." According to a letter dated November 1, 1843, Edward Chapman was released from employment with the Department of the Navy. The cause is not listed.

Series II, Subseries E, consists of Miscellaneous Chapman family materials, including financial statements (checks, bills, receipts), an account book belonging to Eleanor Maria Chapman Forest, genealogical notes, and miscellaneous papers grouped with the Chapman papers without apparent affiliation with the family.

Series III, Dodge papers, consists of documents related to the family of Francis Dodge, Jr. This series is further arranged into subseries based on the members of the Dodge family. Series III, Subseries A, contains papers related to Francis Dodge, Sr., including outgoing correspondence, estate papers, and typed copies of his correspondence. The majority of the outgoing letters are to his wife, Elizabeth Thomson, 1812-1827, while away visiting his family. Francis Dodge Sr., addresses Elizabeth as "Dear wife", or "Dear Betsy", and frequently repeats his desire to see her and the children. Also included in this file is a letter dated December, 1828 from Francis Senior to Francis Junior, urging his son to exhibit good conduct and to set an example for his younger brothers. He writes, "At the first therefore think, that you, being the oldest son, are to set an example for your younger brothers who will expect and claim any indulgencies you may be permitted and who will be more easily led along the right path, if you first mark it out and walk it." The final folder in this subseries contains several typed copies of this letter.

Series III, Subseries B, contains papers related to Francis Dodge, Jr., including a scrapbook of poetry and verse, incoming and outgoing correspondence, and business and calling cards. The scrapbook, dated 1831-1851, contains both original poetry and poetry copied from newspaper publications. The last page of the scrapbook contains a single poem written by Francis Dodge, III, and dated July 14, 1851. Originally stored rolled up tightly, the scrapbook has been flattened, but still curls when removed from the folder.

Series III, Subseries C, contains materials related to Jane Elthedra (Chapman) Dodge, the wife of Francis Dodge, Jr. Included are two folders, one with outgoing correspondence, and one folder with an account book of the family's expenses, 1843-1846. The account book lists everything the family uses and the price paid, including food and clothing, household items, toys for the children, and wages paid to household staff, among other expenses. With three young children between the ages of nine and six, Jane managed a busy household, all of which is documented in the account book. The folder of correspondence contains eight letters, all addressed to her husband, who she calls "Frank" between 1845-1848. She informs him of their family's health, goings on at home, and expresses her love and affection for her absent husband. In a letter dated May 10, 1847, she writes, "You left me, dearest, in not very good spirits, and before night I was quite overdone, I certainly felt entirely wretched and lonely. I came to my own room, and after taking a hearty cry, and thinking that, nothing but necessity should ever part us again, I felt better and went to bed. But again this evening, how I have missed you!" In several of the letters, Jane mentions her sister "Fanny", who would later be her husband's second wife after Jane's death.

Series III, Subseries D, contains papers related to Henry H. Dodge, Francis and Jane's eldest son. The subseries contains three folders consisting of incoming and outgoing correspondence, and deeds and indentures. A successful banker, most of the incoming correspondence is business in nature. Several letters in the folder of outgoing correspondence reflect a family rift brought on by the expectation that Henry would pay ongoing costs for a house he once lived in with his father. This topic is brought up throughout the series by other members of the Dodge family, including letters between Adeline Dodge Lanman and her brother, Francis Dodge, Jr. Three letters by Henry between February 17-25, 1862, addressed "Dear Lizzie" and "Dear Madam", are most likely to Lizzie Offley, Henry's cousin, who presumably managed affairs on behalf of her mother, the home's owner. In a letter dated February 19, he writes, "You attempt to express sorrow and regret that you caused my Father pain, by taking possession of the house. I must differ, with you, in regard to the cause of your regret, my opinion being that the only regret you have ever had is that he should have left there owing you $400." Two letters from Lizzie are filed within Box 6, Folder 8, Henry H. Dodge incoming correspondence.

Series III, Subseries E, contains two folders of incoming and outgoing correspondence of Francis Dodge, III. His outgoing letters are all addressed to family, mostly giving updates on his activities aboard the steamship, "Mississippi," between February and April 1861. An envelope addressed to Francis or "Frank" in the file of incoming correspondence contains a document dated March 15, 1865, excempting him from military service by reason of asthma. He died two months later.

Series III, Subseries F, contains nine folders of miscellaneous Dodge family papers, including financial statements (accounts, bills, checks, receipts), genealogical notes, papers related to the Thomson family (Francis Dodge Jr.'s mother's family), and miscellaneous papers of unknown origin. In a file of Dodge family papers (Box 7, Folder 5), there are various deeds and indentures as well as letters from various members of the Dodge family to one another. The folder contains a letter from Elizabeth (Thomson) Dodge to her husband, Francis Dodge, Sr., dated July 16, 1815. She writes, "The children are well except Mary, she was rather unwell last week but is now much better, they all want to see you very much. I am well and enjoy myself as well as can be expected deprived of your society which you know is everything to me..." This subseries also contains a folder of papers related to the schooner "Fairfax", a vessel owned by F. & A. H. Dodge. In October 1861, the "Fairfax", which was then carrying a load of hay, came under battery fire from the Confederates while being towed by the steamboat "Resolute" on the Potomac and was captured. The folder contains an account of the incident and correspondence regarding the liability of its loss.

Series IV, Beall papers, consists of documents related to the family of John J. Beall, husband of Elizabeth Dodge Beall. The series is further arranged into subseries based on the members of the Beall family. Series IV, Subseries A, contains the papers of William D. Beall, John J. Beall's father. Included are account books, a folder of incoming correspondence, and a file containing letters recommending William Beall for a clerkship in the War Department, 1824-1828. Many of the letters mention that William was the son of Lloyd Beall, a Revolutionary War soldier. In a letter dated December 14, 1825, Hon. S. Smith writes, "I feel a very deep interest in his family- his father was my brother officer of the Revolution, and being distinguished in the service he was retained until his death- his very large family required all his pay for their support, he died and left them without means. His mother is of a most respectable family in Maryland and depends for existence very much on the pittance her son can spare." The 1850 United States Federal Census lists William D. Beall's occupation as a clerk in Federal Public Administration. Subseries B contains two account books beloning to Beall's wife Martha Louisa (Marbury), dated 1875-1876. Both books contain only one page of notation.

Series IV, Subseries C, contains the incoming and outgoing correspondence of John J. Beall. Most of the outgoing letters are addressed to his wife, Elizabeth (Dodge) Beall, between 1886-1896, whom he calls "My dear wife", "My darling", or "My old Mis'". Many of the lettters are addressed to the care of Hon. Barnes Compton in Laurel, Maryland. John Beall writes to his wife of the health and well-being of their family and events in D.C.

Series IV, Subseries D, consists of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Elizabeth (Dodge) Beall, circa 1852-1896. All six of the letters in the file of outgoing correspondence are addressed to her father, Francis Dodge, Jr., whom she calls "Dearest Papa". The earliest letter is dated November 30, 1852, when Lizzie (as she was known to family and friends) was just 14 years old. She writes to inform her father of the health of her Aunt Fanny (her father's second wife), who had just given birth to her half-sister Ella. In a later letter of June 19, 1862, Lizzie writes to her father from Niagra Falls, 6 days after her wedding to John J. Beall. She says, "We have had a very pleasant journey so far and are now talking of going to Canada on Saturday but have not fully decided yet." The folder of incoming correspondence contains letters from friends, with the exception of an 1895 letter from Frances Chapman Dodge, her half-brother Forest's daughter. The envelope reads, "Mrs. Beall" in large block letters, under which it says "Frances Chapman Dodge; first letter." The letter itself is lined , and again in large block lettering reads, "Dear Aunt Lizzie. I send my love to all. Frances." At the time, she was just five years old.

Series IV, Subseries E, contains one folder of letters from Frank Beall, the son of Elizabeth and John J. Beall. With the exception of two letters to his father, all of Frank's letters are addressed to his mother, circa 1881-1892.The four earliest letters, dated between August 7-21, 1881, Frank wrote just shy of his 10th birthday. On August 21 he writes," I would rather see you than all the presents you could bring me." In the seven months before his death, he sends nine letters, in which he frequently mentions his ill health and many ailments.

Series IV, Subseries F, contains six folders of miscellaneous Beall family papers, including account books, financial statements (accounts, bills, checks, receipts), various Beall related correspondence and documents, papers related to the firm of Beall & Shoemaker, and estate papers for Robert F. Pinkney, of which John J. Beall was the executor. Box 8, Folder 10, Beall family papers, contains several items of note related to the Beall family. There is an undated note that reads, "Miss Lizzie Dodge will be pleased to see Master John Beall on Thursday evening next at 7 1/2 o'clock." Given that the couple were married in 1862, this note likely stems from their courtship, circa 1860-1862. The folder also contains a letter dated August 15, 1862, from the Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to Frank Dodge Beall, acknowledging receipt of his request to take leave without pay due to ill health.

Series V, Miscellaneous, contains papers related to the Hanson and Harris families, printed materials, envelopes, and various documents of unknown provenance. Box 9, Folder 6, contains a folder of miscellaneous manuscript materials that are not directly attributed to any of the families in this collection.