Steamboat Caroline (1839)

Message from the President of the United States transmitting in compliance with the resolution of the House of Respresentatives of the 28th ultimo, information in relation to the destruction of the steamboat Caroline.

Burning of the Caroline (1840)

Message from the President of the United States, transmitting correspondence in relation to the burning of the steamboat Caroline.

John N. Jackson papers, 1960-1989, n.d.

John N. Jackson was born in Nottingham, England in 1926. He developed a passion for landforms and geography from his father, a high school math and science teacher who had studied geology. During the Second World War, he served in the British Navy. He received his BA from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. After spending a year as a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, he was hired in 1965 as the founding head of the Geography Department at Brock University. He taught at Brock for more than 25 years, immersing himself in the geography and history of the Niagara area. He became particularly interested in the history of the Welland Canals. He authored 20 books on various topics, including land use in Niagara, the history of St. Catharines, the Welland Canal, and railways in the Niagara Peninsula. He died in 2010, at the age of 84.

Laura Dexter letter, commenting on the McLeod murder trial, October 5, 1841

Alexander McLeod was Deputy Sheriff of the Niagara District during the Rebellion of 1837-38 in Upper Canada. On December 24, 1837, he became aware of a scheme by the rebels to use the American steamboat Caroline to provide supplies to William Lyon Mackenzie and his followers on Navy Island in the Niagara River. McLeod notified the authorities in Upper Canada about the situation. A few days later, on December 29, Commodore Andrew Drew led a band of men, including McLeod, to the American side, where the Caroline was moored at Schlosser’s Wharf. A scuffle ensued, in which American Amos Durfee was killed. The Caroline was then released from its moorings, set on fire, and drifted downstream before sinking. Many Americans viewed the incident as a violation of their sovereignty. Tensions between the United States and England were already strained over a boundary dispute between Maine and New Brunswick, and the situation with the Caroline further escalated the tension. McLeod was subsequently arrested in November, 1840 in Lewiston, NY and indicted for arson and murder. The British foreign secretary, Lord Palmerston, insisted that McLeod be released and could not be held personally responsible for the incident, as he was acting on orders from authorities in Canada. Eventually, McLeod was acquitted.

Schooner Ranger document, 1810-1815

Partial transcription: Buffalo, August 15, 1815 This day settled all accounts between… respecting the purchase and sailing of the Schooner Ranger until she was laid up in the fare of 1811. For the value of the…of the said Schooner destroyed by the enemy in January 1813 and the rigging & c taken by the U.S. Navy Officers for the use of the Government a [Joint][appreciation] is to be made... Government for our mutual benefit. Porter & Barton for [the firm] of Porter Barton & Co. George Kibbe

Conscription Letter Envelope

An envelope from the Army and Navy Department "The International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations (in the Field) General Office". The handwritten note on the front reads: "Capsule that decided someone's fate for conscription".

Letter - E.C. Schmon to Arthur A. Schmon, 23 February 1917

Eleanore Celeste is in Washington and has visited Mt. Vernon, Arlington, Fort Meyer, Georgetown Navy Yard, the Congressional Library. She will be at The Willard the next day with friends for tea and then entertainment.

Tin box "Waldmeister zur Bowle, Woodruff"

Tin box with the title “Waldmeister zur Bowle, Woodruff” on it, 10 cm x 16 cm. The box is from Julius Schade and Co., German Army and Navy Contractors, Leipzig-Lindenau, Germany. This box contains dried woodruff leaves. Accompanying this box of woodruff is a handwritten recipe for woodruff brew, n.d.