Letters from Benjamin Welles to John Henry Tudor, 1799-1801

Benjamin Welles wrote these six letters to his friend and classmate, John Henry Tudor, between 1799 and 1801. Four of the letters are dated, and the dates of the other two can be deduced from their contents. Welles wrote Tudor four times in September 1799, at the onset of their senior year at Harvard, in an attempt to clear up hurt feelings and false rumors that he believed had caused a chill in their friendship. The cause of the rift is never fully explained, though Welles alludes to "a viper" and "villainous hypocrite" who apparently spread rumors and fueled discord between the two friends. In one letter, Welles asserts that "College is a rascal's Elysium - or the feeling man's hell." In another he writes: "College, Tudor, is a furnace to the phlegmatic, & a Greenland to thee feeling man; it has an atmosphere which breathes contagion to the soul [...] Villains fatten here. College is the embryo of hell." Whatever their discord, the wounds were apparently eventually healed; in a letter written June 26, 1800, Welles writes to ask Tudor about his impending speech at Commencement exercises. In an October 29, 1801 letter, Welles writes to Tudor in Philadelphia (where he appears to have traveled in attempts to recover his failing health) and expresses strong wishes for his friend's recovery and return to Boston. This letter also contains news of their classmate Washington Allston's meeting with painters Henry Fuseli and Benjamin West.

Letters from Timothy Pickering to his brother and father, 1797-1798

These two handwritten letters by Timothy Pickering were written on February 14, 1797 and June 14, 1798 to his brother John Pickering and his father Timothy Pickering, respectively. The letter to his brother, John, discusses mutual friends, classmate Thomas Lee, and John’s recent attendance at a sermon by Dr. Joseph Priestley. The letter from Timothy to his father includes a discussion of Timothy’s expenses and the amount of money needed to pay his debts, a request for new shoes for commencement, the news of Timothy’s invitation to join honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and a few comments on his forensics course at Harvard.

Letters of a business woman to her daughter, and, Letters of a business girl to her mother

by Zora Putnam Wilkins.

B. Copies of three letters to Moody Noyes, 1800

It is unknown who made these manuscript copies of three letters from John Henry Tudor to Moody Noyes; they are not in Tudor's hand. The letters were written on September 23, 1800; November 7, 1800; and February 20, 1801. Noyes and Tudor were classmates at Harvard College, where both graduated in the class of 1800. The letters were written after they had graduated from Harvard, and in them Tudor recounts travels with his family around New England, including a stay in Saratoga and Ballston Springs, New York; his interest, shared by Moody, in entering into a store or other form of business, although he found "merchants in general [to be] a contemptible set of beings"; the maxims of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld; his hurt feelings at Moody's failure to answer his letters; and his imminent travels to Cuba with his brother, Frederic, made in hopes of restoring his health.

B. Copies of three letters to Moody Noyes, 1800

It is unknown who made these manuscript copies of three letters from John Henry Tudor to Moody Noyes; they are not in Tudor's hand. The letters were written on September 23, 1800; November 7, 1800; and February 20, 1801. Noyes and Tudor were classmates at Harvard College, where both graduated in the class of 1800. The letters were written after they had graduated from Harvard, and in them Tudor recounts travels with his family around New England, including a stay in Saratoga and Ballston Springs, New York; his interest, shared by Moody, in entering into a store or other form of business, although he found "merchants in general [to be] a contemptible set of beings"; the maxims of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld; his hurt feelings at Moody's failure to answer his letters; and his imminent travels to Cuba with his brother, Frederic, made in hopes of restoring his health.

[Letter from Caleb Gannett to Edward Wigglesworth], 1775 May 2

Handwritten letter from Caleb Gannett to Professor Edward Wigglesworth written in "Saybrook" on May 2, 1775. In the letter Gannett mentions that he "took the small-pox" and describes it briefly and requests Wigglesworth to investigate the state of his possessions left behind at the College. Gannett references the College being used as a barracks and discusses events in the Revolutionary War. The verso includes the note: "Letters from C. G. to Prof. Wigglesworth given me by Rev. Dr. Andrews Apr. 1841."

Letter from William Tudor to his family,

Four letters written from Tudor to his family while he was traveling in France in 1800 and 1802. In two letters, he describes in detail his capture by a French privateer aboard the ship Minerva in the spring of 1800. He also discusses the business activities of "Mr. C" (John Codman), his employer. Tudor additionally describes the French countryside and the impact of the French Revolutionary Wars on the cities.

Letter from William Abbot to William Tudor,

One letter from Tudor’s Phi Beta Kappa brother thanking him for a visit to Rockwood and commenting on the deportment of his sisters, as well as the progress his brother John was making at Harvard.

Letter from William Boyd to William Tudor,

One letter outlining plans for the funeral of their Harvard classmate, John Russell.

Letter from S. Jackson Prescott to William Tudor, undated

One undated letter inviting Tudor to dine with Prescott and other friends.

Letter from John Russell to William Tudor,

One letter briefly describing Russell’s studies at the home of Rev. Dr. McClintock in Greenland, N.H., where he was staying during a nine-month suspension from Harvard for theft of college property. Tudor, who was also found to be involved, was suspended for six months. Russell also inquires about fellow classmates, some of whom participated in the theft.

Letter from Leonard Woods to William Tudor,

One letter written from Princeton discussing his activities over the holidays and requesting news of classmates and friends.

Letter from Luther Wright to William Tudor,

One letter sympathizing with Tudor regarding his suspension from Harvard and assuring him his company is missed.