Back to TopDescriptive Summary
- Repository
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
- Creator
-
Alexander family
Hillhouse family
- Title
- Alexander and Hillhouse Family Papers, 1758-1976
- Call Number
- 11
- Language of Materials
- Materials in
English
- Extent
-
- Items: About 2000
- Linear Feet: 3.5
Abstract
Adam Alexander (1758-1812), a Scottish physician, emigrated to Liberty County, Ga., in 1776, where he acquired land and married
Louisa Frederika Schmidt (1777-1846). The Alexanders' son, Adam Leopold (1803-1882), graduated from Yale and became a successful
planter in Washington (Wilkes County), Ga. David Hillhouse (1756-1804) of Connecticut married Sarah Porter of Massachusetts
and settled in Georgia in 1787. His son, David P. Hillhouse (1790-1851), had property and business interests in New England,
South Carolina, and Georgia. His daughter, Sarah Hillhouse (1782-1808) married Felix H. Gilbert in 1804. Gilbert was a member
of the Georgia legislature, 1807-1808. In 1823 Adam Leopold Alexander married Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert. Together they had ten
children, among them Louisa (Alexander) Gilmer (1824-1895); Edward Porter Alexander (1835-1910); Sarah (Alexander) Lawton
(1826-1897); and Harriet (Alexander) Cumming (b. 1828). Adam's sister, Louisa, married Anthony Porter of Savannah. Adam Leopold
Alexander (1867-1911) married Nellie Holman Baldwin (1869-1954). Their son, Adam Leopold Alexander (1902-1960), married Elizabeth
Baldwin (b. 1913) in 1939.
The papers consist of extensive family and personal correspondence, business correspondence, plantation accounts, physician's
accounts, estate papers, travel journals, and genealogical materials. They document family, political, and religious life
in Washington and Savannah, Ga., and in Connecticut and New York.
Back to TopAdministrative Information
- Restrictions to Access
- No restrictions.
- Alternate Form of Material
- All or part of this collection is available on microfilm from University Publications of America as part of the Records of
ante-bellum southern plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War, Series J.
- Acquisitions Information
- Before 1940 these papers came to the Southern Historical Collection from Mrs. Irvine Alexander, Marion Boggs, Bessie Craig,
Sarah A. Cunningham, Mrs. Stanley Erickson, Mrs. John R. Ficklen, Mrs. A. J. Kilpatrick, Jr., Mrs. J. F. Minis, and Mrs. Isaac
Read. Additions came from Mrs. James P. Houston in 1940, Mrs. J. F. Minis in 1941, Sarah A. Cunningham in 1948, Mr. Alexander
R. Lawton in 1950 and 1952, and Elizabeth A. Ford in August 2002 (Acc. 99301)
- Processing Information
- Processed by: Allie Mae Blake, 1936; B. Allan, November 1963; and Jill Snider, July 1990, with subsequent revisions
- Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], in the Alexander and Hillhouse Family Papers #11, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Copyright Notice
- Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright
law.
Back to TopOnline Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
- Alexander family.
- Alexander, Adam Leopold, 1803-1882.
- Alexander, Adam, 1758-1812.
- Alexander, Edward Porter, 1835-1910.
- Alexander, Louisa Frederika Schmidt, 1777-1846.
- Alexander, Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert, 1805-1855.
- Connecticut -- Social life and customs.
- Cumming, Harriet Virginia Alexander, b. 1828.
- Family -- Georgia -- Social life and customs.
- Genealogy.
- Georgia -- Politics and government -- 19th century.
- Georgia -- Social life and customs.
- Gilbert, Felix H., 1778-1813.
- Gilbert, Sarah Hillhouse, 1782-1808.
- Gilmer, Louisa Fredericka Alexander, 1824-1895.
- Hillhouse family.
- Hillhouse, David Porter, 1791-1851.
- Hillhouse, David, 1756-1804.
- Hillhouse, Sarah Porter, 1763-1831.
- Lawton, Sarah Alexander, 1826-1897.
- Liberty County (Ga.) -- History.
- New York (State) -- Social life and customs.
- North America -- Description and travel.
- Physicians -- Georgia.
- Plantations -- Georgia.
- Plantations -- South Carolina.
- Religion -- Georgia.
- Savannah (Ga.) -- History.
- Washington (Ga.) -- History.
Back to TopRelated Collections
Edward Porter Alexander Papers (#7)
John Rose Ficklen Papers (#275)
Jeremy Francis Gilmer Papers (#276)
Alexander Cheves Haskell Papers (#320)
Jackson and Prince Family Papers (#371)
Alexander Robert Lawton Papers (#415)
Minis Family Papers (#2725)
Back to TopBiographical Note
Dr. Adam Alexander (1758-1812), a Scottish physician, emigrated to Liberty County, Ga., in 1776, where he bought land and
in 1802 married Louisa Frederika Schmidt (1777-1846). Frederika was the daughter of Egydius Heinrich Schmidt, German immigrant
and cotton merchant at Savannah. Adam and Frederika's son, Adam Leopold Alexander (1803-1882), graduated from Yale and became
a successful planter in Washington, Wilkes County, Ga.
David Hillhouse (1756-1804) was born in Connecticut. He married Sarah Porter of Massachusetts and settled in Georgia in 1787.
After Hillhouse's death in 1804, Sarah remained in Washington, Ga., where she raised their three children. Their son, David
P. Hillhouse (1790-1851), acquired property and business interests in New England, South Carolina, and Georgia, and lived
at various times in each of these places. His daughter, Sarah Hillhouse, married Felix H. Gilbert, a planter and member of
the Georgia legislature in 1807 and 1808.
In 1823, Adam Alexander's son, Adam Leopold Alexander, married Sarah Gilbert, the daughter of Felix H. Gilbert and Sarah Hillhouse
Gilbert. Sarah was educated in New Haven, Conn., by her grandmother, Sarah Porter Hillhouse, between 1817 and 1820. Adam L.
and Sarah had ten children, among whom were Edward Porter, Sarah, Harriet, and Louisa Alexander. Edward Porter Alexander became
a cadet at West Point in 1853 and served as a Confederate brigadier general in the Civil War. Sarah married Alexander Robert
Lawton in 1845, and Harriet married Wallace Cumming in 1853. Another daughter, Louisa (later Mrs. Jeremy Francis Gilmer),
was raised by Adam L. Alexander's sister, Louisa, and her husband Anthony Porter. Porter was a Savannah planter and businessman,
who in his youth served as secretary to Georgia governor David Brydie Mitchell. The Porter household also included Mrs. Louisa
Schmidt Alexander until her death in 1846, and Mrs. Dorothea Schmidt VanYeveren.
Other children of Adam Leopold and Sarah Gilbert Alexander were Mary Clifford, who married George G. Hull in 1882; William
Felix; Charles Atwood; James Hillhouse; Marion Brackett, who married William Ellison Boggs in 1870; and Alice VanYeveren,
who married Alexander Cheves Haskell in 1870.
Ten years after his first wife's death, Adam Leopold Alexander married Jane Marian Dunwody Glenn (1821-1885).
Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911) married Nellie Holman Baldwin (1869-1954) on 15 January 1902. Their son, Adam Leopold (Leap)
Alexander married Elizabeth (Boots) Baldwin in 1939.
Back to TopCollection Overview
Comprising mostly personal correspondence, this collection also contains plantation and business papers of Dr. Adam Alexander,
Adam Leopold Alexander (1803-1882), Anthony Porter, David P. Hillhouse, William Gilbert (brother of Felix H. Gilbert), and
Adam Leopold Alexander (b. 1903?). Personal correspondence illuminates the religious, family, and political life of Washington
and Savannah, Georgia, and of various locations in New England.
The Alexander correspondence (Series 1) focuses mostly on family and religion, though some information appears on business
dealings. Sarah Alexander's correspondence illuminates the relationship between Northern and Southern women, documenting the
lives of friends and family in Georgia, Connecticut, and New York. Educated in New Haven, she maintained ties with friends
and relatives who remained there, many of whom participated actively in New Haven's religious life. The correspondence of
Adam Leopold Alexander (1803-1882) gives only limited information on his financial affairs, but provides interesting insights
into his relationship with his slaves and with free blacks. Evidence appears that Alexander gave legal and economic aid to
at least two free black men, and that he maintained closer than usual ties with former slaves.
The financial and legal papers of the Alexander family (Series 2) provide information chiefly concerning the estate of Adam
Alexander, including financial accounts and land acquisitions. Papers for Adam Leopold Alexander's plantations consist primarily
of legal agreements with other planters. A significant amount of material appears for Anthony Porter, but documents mostly
his personal finances.
Other Papers (Series 3) provide interesting information on how late eighteenth century immigrants to America brought with
them their own ways of life, including cooking habits and medicinal remedies. It also provides insights into antebellum family
life and travel.
Hillhouse personal correspondence (Series 4) belongs mostly to David P. Hillhouse, though significant correspondence also
appears for Felix H. Gilbert, Sarah Gilbert Alexander before her marriage, and other Hillhouse family members. The correspondence
is most useful for the study of Georgia politics and family life. Business affairs are discussed, but little detail is available.
The correspondence of Margaret P. Hillhouse provides a large amount of information on the genealogy of the Hillhouse, Porter,
Baldwin, and other New England and Georgia families.
The financial and legal papers of David P. Hillhouse (and others) contained in Series 5 provide some details of his plantation's
value and income, but shed little light on his other business ventures. These papers offer most information on Sarah (Gilbert)
Alexander's inheritance.
Series 6 provides mostly genealogical information, though David P. Hillhouse's travel journals offer interesting descriptions
of politics, New England industries, towns in New York state, and various educational and social welfare institutions.
Pictures of individuals in both the Alexander and Hillhouse families appear in Series 7. Most of the individuals and scenes
are identified, and photographs, though mostly undated, are in good condition. One museum item, a lead pencil (circa 1835),
ends the collection as Series 8.
The addition of August 2002 contains correspondence, 1938-1952, of Elizabeth (Boots) Baldwin and Adam Leopold (Leap) Alexander
of Savannah, Ga.; a letter, 28 April 1932, from Adam Leopold (Leap) Alexander to his sister, Eleanor Whitaker, describing
the 50th wedding anniversary dinner of Alexander R. Lawton (1858-1936) and Ella (Daisy) Beckwith Lawton (1860-1949); the marriage
license, 1902, of Nellie Holman Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); an invitation, 1902, to the wedding of Nellie
Holman Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); an obituary of Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); and the marriage
license, 1939, of Elizabeth Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander.
Note that correspondence of Louisa Alexander Gilmer, Edward Porter Alexander, and Sarah Alexander Lawton that is dated after
their marriages or after their leaving home appears in other collections in the Southern Historical Collection.
Back to TopArrangement of Collection
Subcollection 1. Alexander Family Papers 1758-1915.
Series 1. Alexander Family: Correspondence 1798-1882.
Subseries 1.1. 1798-1851.
Subseries 1.2. Undated (circa 1798-1851).
Subseries 1.3. 1852-1870.
Subseries 1.4. 1876-1915.
Series 2. Alexander Family: Financial and Legal Papers 1758-1888 and undated.
Series 3. Alexander Family: Other Papers 1763-1910 and undated.
Subseries 3.1. Genealogical Material 1803, 1847, 1869, 1882, 1899, 1910 and undated.
Subseries 3.2. Clippings 1859, 1865?, and undated.
Subseries 3.3. Miscellaneous Items 1763, 1770, 1801, 1833, 1842, 1888, and undated.
Subcollection 2. Hillhouse Family Papers 1759-1976.
Series 4. Hillhouse Family: Correspondence 1775-1849; 1874-1923.
Subseries 4.1. 1775-1849.
Subseries 4.2. Undated (circa 1775-1849).
Subseries 4.3. 1874-1923.
Series 5. Hillhouse Family: Financial and Legal Papers 1759, 1775-1851 and undated.
Series 6. Hillhouse Family: Other Papers 1811-1976.
Subseries 6.1. Travel Journals 1826 and circa 1826-1828.
Subseries 6.2. Genealogical Material 1836-1976.
Subseries 6.3. Miscellaneous Items 1770, 1811, 1812, 1902, and undated.
Series 7. Hillhouse Family: Pictures 1840-1918? and undated.
Series 8. Hillhouse Family: Museum Item circa 1835.
Addition of August 2002.
1.5. Alexander Family: Correspondence, 1932-1952.
1.3. Alexander Family: Genealogical Materials, 1902-1939.
Back to TopItems Separated
OP-11/1-17
P-11/1-32
P-SF-11/28
MU-11/1
Detailed Description of the Collection
Subcollection 1. Alexander Family Papers, 1758-1915.
About 1600 items.
Back to Top
1. Alexander Family: Correspondence, 1798-1882.
About 1400 items.
Mostly personal correspondence, with some business letters, of the Alexander family. Most of the correspondence belongs to
Adam Leopold Alexander and his wife, Sarah Gilbert Alexander. Other significant correspondents are their children, Louisa,
Harriet, Sarah, and Edward P.; Adam L. Alexander's mother, Louisa Schmidt Alexander; his sister, Louisa, and her husband,
Anthony Porter; and the Alexanders' in-laws and several of their grandchildren.
Back to Top
1.1. 1798-1851.
About 600 items.
Only one eighteenth-century item, a 24 September 1798 letter (an apparent handwritten copy) from Benjamin Rush to M. VanYeveren
of Albany, appears, and concerns the death of Henry L. Schmidt. Two letters, 1810 and 1811, appear from Anthony Porter to
Governor David Brydie Mitchell (1776-1837), written while Porter was serving as the governor's secretary. No letters appear
from 1811 to 1818. Between 1819 and 1823 several letters appear addressed to Alexander family members, including Adam Leopold
Alexander. Also included are letters, 24 December 1821 and 12 January 1822, from Adam Leopold Alexander to Sarah Gilbert before
their marriage
From 1823 to 1851 much of the correspondence consists of letters written to Sarah Gilbert Alexander in Washington, Ga., by
friends and family. Frequent correspondents are her cousin Mary L. Hillhouse in New Haven, Conn., and her friends Harriet
Staples Douglass Smith (New Haven and later New York) and Bell Taylor in New Haven. Letters discuss the social and religious
life of the Alexanders and their Northern connections. Of note are a letter, 26 September 1836, from Bell Taylor soliciting
funds for the Durand Society and a letter, 1 April 1834, from Harriet discussing the role of emancipation in splits among
Presbyterians in New Haven.
Adam Leopold Alexander's most frequent correspondent was his wife, Sarah, though he also exchanged letters with a number of
other friends and relatives. Many of the earlier letters between Adam and Sarah, especially circa 1825-1832, discuss family
news, personal feelings, plantation and other financial affairs, and Adam's travels. Their later letters focus on religion
and education. Of note is a letter, 13 August 1835, Adam wrote Sarah about the establishment of a Methodist academy in Washington,
Ga. Topics of interest in Adam Alexander's other correspondence include life at Yale and Dartmouth in the 1820s, free blacks,
Georgia politics, and education. Of interest are several 1843 letters from Robert Toombs discussing Georgia elections; a letter,
30 April 1839, from a former slave requesting that Alexander buy her back; a letter, 13 September 1848, from W. Baud discussing
the establishment of a school for women in Savannah; and a letter, 4 August 1849, from William Bostwick concerning a free
black man Alexander had asked Bostwick to give employment.
Both Adam and Sarah Alexander maintained correspondence with their children and a number of relatives throughout the 1830s
and 1840s. Letters to and from Sarah and Louisa at boarding school in Savannah chiefly discuss school life. Letters from Adam's
sister, Louisa Porter, and to and from other relatives chiefly discuss mostly family matters.
Other correspondence of note is that of Anthony Porter and Dorothea VanYeveren. Most of Porter's correspondence appears after
1827 and is business related. Dorothea VanYeveren received scattered letters from relatives in Germany (letters are in German).
Folder
1
1798, 1810, 1811, 1819-1823
Folder
2
1824-1826
Folder
3
1827-1831
Folder
4
1832-1833
Folder
5
1834-1835
Folder
6
1836
Folder
7
1837-1838
Folder
8
1839-1841
Folder
9
1842-1843
Folder
10
1844-1846
Folder
11
1847-1849
Folder
12
1850-1851
Back to Top
1.2. Undated (circa 1798-1851).
About 100 items.
Mostly letters received by Louisa Alexander before her marriage in 1850. Many letters are from her mother, Sarah Gilbert Alexander
and concern family. Louisa also received several letters from friends. Other correspondence belongs to Adam L. Alexander,
Dorothea VanYeveren, and Louisa Alexander Porter. Of note is a letter from "Sally" offering funds to an abolitionist; a letter from the Alexander's nurse Cynthia (a slave?) to Louisa Alexander; a recommendation
written by Adam L. Alexander for Mary Moseley; and a letter to "Miss B." from the Trustees of Washington Female Seminary listing the resolutions of the Board.
Folder
13-14
Undated (circa 1798-1851)
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1.3. 1852-1870
About 650 items.
Mostly correspondence of the Alexanders with their children and new in laws, together with a significant number of letters
their children exchanged with friends and relatives. A large number of ardent love letters exchanged between Harriet Alexander
and Wallace Cumming appear for 1852. Of note are letters from Edward P. Alexander while he attended West Point, 1859-1860,
discussing school life and plans, and letters from him during the Civil War. The Civil War letters are written from Richmond
in 1861; from the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, Richmond, and near Rapidan Station in 1862; from near Fredricksburg,
Caroline County, near Culpeper, near Bunker's Hills, and near Chattanooga in 1863; and Petersburg in 1864. These letters often
discuss troops and strategies. Letters, circa 1852- 1860, to Anthony Porter and Adam L. Alexander from Jeremy F. Gilmer concern
projects Gilmer was involved with in the Army Corps of Engineers. There are also letters from Gilmer in Richmond during the
Civil War. Letters exchanged among other family members frequently discuss religion and slavery, secession, wartime preparations
and hardships, and family news.
Only one letter appears between 1871 and 1875. This is a letter, 2 November 1874, written by Lula (Lucy Roy) Alexander, age
11, to her first cousin, Nora Lawton.
Folder
15
April-August 1852
Folder
16
September-December 1852
Folder
17
1853-1854
Folder
18
1855-1857
Folder
19
1859-1860
Folder
20
1861
Folder
21
1862
Folder
22
1863-1864
Folder
23
1865-1870, 1874
Back to Top
1.4. 1876-1915.
27 items.
Mostly letters received by the Alexander children and Mrs. Anthony Porter of Savannah. Included are a few letters to the family
of Mary Clifford Alexander Hull. Topics of interest are estate matters, family news, and World War I medical care. Two letters,
3 January and 16 January 1915, from Elizabeth Nourse, an American nurse serving in France, to her friend Lucy Baldwin, provide
information on hospital conditions and wartime refugees.
Folder
24
1876-1915
Back to Top
2. Alexander Family: Financial and Legal Papers, 1758-1888 and undated.
About 160 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Mostly plantation papers of Dr. Adam Alexander and his heirs, with scattered plantation and business papers of Anthony Porter.
Papers between 1758 and 1818 consist mostly of deeds and other papers relating to lands at Sunbury (Liberty Co.), Ga., acquired
by Dr. Adam Alexander and inherited by his widow, Louisa Schmidt Alexander. Persons involved in the various property transfers
were John and William Peacock, Thomas Chalmers, Joseph Jones, Jesse McCall, John Lawson, and others. Other items include receipts,
indentures, wills, and various legal documents relating to the division of the estate. Dr. Alexander's physician's accounts
for 1804 to 1806, contained in an 89-page daybook, are also included.
Material from 1820 to 1882 pertains to Adam Alexander's estate and to the plantation and business interests of Adam Leopold
Alexander and Anthony Porter. One 168-page volume, 1824 1858, lists accounts for Adam Alexander's estate, divided among his
widow Louisa, his son, Adam Leopold, his son-in-law, Anthony Porter, and his daughter, Dorothea VanYeveren. A number of agreements
entered into by Adam Leopold Alexander appear concerning the hiring of slaves and use of lands. A memorandum book for 1851
to 1864 lists clothing and cloth given out to slaves on one plantation at Washington, Ga. Lists of winter clothes and shoes
given out to slaves on Adam L. Alexander's Hopewell Plantation in 1860 also appear.
Of particular interest are two items related to Alexander Brown, a free black man. A document, 2 October 1843, appears appointing
Adam Leopold Alexander as Brown's guardian for legal purposes. A 24 August 1843 receipt appears for Brown's corporation tax
in Washington, Ga.
Anthony Porter's plantation and business papers are scattered across the years 1820 to 1868. They include bonds, bank notes,
indentures, tax receipts, deeds, and slave bills of sale.
Miscellaneous papers after 1868 include Adam Leopold Alexander's and Louisa Alexander Porter's wills and an 1879 affidavit
for a land grant given David Hillhouse in 1778. Undated material includes an article of agreement between Adam L. Alexander
and Dr. Robertson; a schedule of lands belonging to the estate of John Hardy; a plat of land bought by Thomas Peacock from
William Peacock; and a receipt belonging to John Lawson.
Folder
25
1758-1806
Folder
26
1804-1806
Physician's Accounts of Adam Alexander
Folder
27
1807-1811
Folder
28
1812-1818
Folder
29
1820-1827
Folder
30
1828-1849
Folder
31
1824-1858
Memorandum Book for Estate of Adam Alexander
Folder
32
1850-1858
Folder
33
1851-1864
Plantation Book
Folder
34
1859-1864
Folder
35
1865-1888
Folder
36
Undated
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3. Alexander Family: Other Papers, 1763-1910 and undated.
32 items.
Genealogical material and miscellaneous items related to family and politics.
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3.1. Genealogical Material, 1803, 1847, 1869, 1882, 1899, 1910, and undated.
17 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Clippings, notes, and other material related to the Alexander family. Of note is a memorandum of the baptism of Adam Leopold
Alexander, dated 30 July 1803 (actual baptism 29 July), made by his father.
Folder
37
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3.2. Clippings, 1859, 1865?, and undated.
5 items.
Arrangement: Chronological.
Clippings concerning politics and Confederate currency. Three clippings are 1859 letters to the editor of the
New York Evening Express by "A.B.C." (probably Jeremy F. Gilmer) defending the United States Army Corps of Engineers from attacks levied by the paper and others.
One clipping (probably 1865) lists the value of Confederate money. A final clipping appears only as a fragment and contains
several advertisements.
Folder
38
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3.3. Miscellaneous Items, 1763, 1770, 1801, 1833, 1842, 1888, and undated.
11 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Personal writings, recipes, and other miscellaneous items collected by members of the Alexander family. Included are childhood
and later compositions and poems by Sarah R. Alexander and Sarah (Gilbert) Alexander. Of interest is a brief dramatic sketch
(undated, author unknown) describing a scene around the Adam Leopold Alexander dinner table.
Volumes include two undated recipe books. The first contains recipes in German (pp. 1-79) and in English (pp. 80-100 and unnumbered)
for cooking and curing diseases. The second is a 90-page, pocket-sized volume containing recipes for cooking and medicines.
An 1801 travel journal of Dr. Adam Alexander appears, and describes a trip he took with William Peacock to the North, including
various stops in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington City, Virginia, and
North and South Carolina.
Several loose pages also appear from a German sketch and notebook (1759-1763), belonging to Egydius Heinrich Schmidt, which
includes verses in German and several watercolors. Translations of three items from the volume are filed with it.
Folder
39
Pages from German sketch/notebook of Egydius Schmidt, 1759-1763
Folder
40
Travel journal of Adam Alexander, 1801
Folder
41
Other papers, 1833, 1842
Folder
42
Other papers, 1888 and undated
Folder
43
Recipe book (in German and English), undated
Folder
44
Recipe book, undated
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Subcollection 2. Hillhouse Family Papers, 1759-1976
About 450 items.
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4. Hillhouse Family: Correspondence, 1775-1849; 1874-1923.
About 300 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Family and business correspondence of the Hillhouse family of New England and Georgia.
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4.1. 1775-1849.
About 160 items.
Mostly correspondence of David P. Hillhouse, with significant correspondence also for his brother-in-law Felix H. Gilbert;
his parents, David Hillhouse and Sarah Porter Hillhouse; his two sisters, Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert and Mary Hillhouse Shepherd;
and his niece Sarah Gilbert Alexander. Also included are scattered letters received by three generations of the Porter family
of Hadley, Mass.
The letters to the Porter family were received 1775-1848 and are chiefly from their connections in Washington, Ga. There are
two letters to Colonel Elisha Porter "in the American Camp Before Boston" in June 1775, one from Samuel Hopkins at Hadley, poignantly reporting the death of Porter's son, and one from D. Jewett at
New London; four letters to Elisha Porter from his daughter Sarah after her marriage; and about a dozen letters scattered
between 1804 and 1848 to Samuel, Abigail, and Elisha Porter from relatives in Georgia
Letters addressed to David P. Hillhouse begin with 1808. His most frequent correspondents were David Buel, Jr. (Troy, N. Y.),
Oliver H. Prince (d. 1837), and Adam Leopold Alexander. Their correspondence (mostly 1820s-1840s) discusses politics and current
events, including conflicts between whites and Cherokee Indians in 1836, the Nullification crisis, abolitionism, and the rise
of the Whig party in Georgia. Letters to Hillhouse also deal with business and family affairs.
Between 1802 and 1813 personal correspondence of Felix H. Gilbert includes a number of letters to and from his wife and mother-in-law
while he was traveling and attending the legislature at Milledgeville, 1807-1808. These letters discuss family and politics.
Gilbert also frequently wrote David P. Hillhouse and other relatives concerning political affairs. Of interest are letters
discussing the proceedings of the Georgia legislature (1808-1809) and the outbreak of the War of 1812 (including the invasion
of Canada, 1812-1813).
Sarah Gilbert Alexander's correspondence appears primarily between 1813 and 1823. (Correspondence after her marriage in 1823
is filed in the Alexander subcollection.) Of note are two letters, probably written in 1822, from educator and antisuffragist
Catharine Beecher, which comment on social news and Sarah's engagement to Adam L. Alexander. Several letters from Mary L.
Hillhouse in 1823 discuss Catharine Beecher's emotional state after the sudden death of her fiancé, Professor Alexander Metcalf
Fisher of Yale College. One letter, 12 July 1822, quotes Beecher on her feelings about Fisher's death.
Folder
45
1775-1792
Folder
46
1802-1805
Folder
47
1806
Folder
48
1807-1808
Folder
49
1809-1811
Folder
50
1812
Folder
51
1813-1814
Folder
52
1815-1816
Folder
53
1817-1818
Folder
54
1819
Folder
55
1820-1821
Folder
56
1822-1823; 1825-1827
Folder
57
1828-1833
Folder
58
1834-1837
Folder
59
1838-1842
Folder
60
1843-1845
Folder
61
1846-1849
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4.2. Undated (circa 1775-1849).
13 items.
Mostly letters of Felix H. Gilbert to his wife while Gilbert was traveling away from home. Letters discuss his travels through
the Southeast and New England, family and financial matters, and news of friends. Miscellaneous family letters to Felix H.
Gilbert and Sarah Gilbert Alexander also appear and focus mostly on family news.
Folder
62
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4.3. 1874-1923.
About 130 items.
The correspondence of Margaret P. Hillhouse of Yonkers, N.Y., who was gathering family data from members of the Hillhouse
and Alexander families. The bulk of this correspondence appears in 1921 and consists of letters from the children and later
descendants of Adam Leopold Alexander and Sarah Gilbert Alexander. Letters and their enclosures provide biographical, historical,
and genealogical information on members of both families. Additional correspondence of Margaret P. Hillhouse, mostly relating
to genealogy, may be found in the Jackson and Prince Family Papers in the Southern Historical Collection.
Folder
63
1874-1895
Folder
64
1896-1920
Folder
65
January-May 1921
Folder
66
June-July 1921
Folder
67
August-December 1921
Folder
68
1922-1923
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5. Hillhouse Family: Financial and Legal Papers, 1759, 1775-1851, and undated.
69 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
The earliest item in the series is a 1759 record of the expenditures of Sarah Taylor, a Hillhouse relative. Other early items
include the commission of Elisha Porter as sheriff of Hampshire County, Massachusetts Bay, 1775, and Captain Josiah Lyman's
account with Elisha Porter, including such items as "Billetting Roll" and "Recruiting," March-July 1776.
Most other items are legal papers of David P. Hillhouse. From 1798 to 1823 almost all legal and financial items pertain to
the inheritance of Sarah Gilbert Alexander, which was managed by her uncles David P. Hillhouse and William G. Gilbert. These
papers include wills, deeds, receipts, accounts, and affidavits. Of note are two pages from David P. Hillhouse's journal as
her guardian written between 1823 and 1828.
From 1823 to 1851, almost all items relate to Hillhouse's plantation and business affairs. Included are a copy of his will;
his passport (1845), his bank book with the Augusta Branch of the Bank of Georgia (1846-1851); lists of bond and notes owned
by him (1847-1848); and a 52-page memorandum book for 1835-1849, which includes an inventory of his plantation, household,
and personal property. This volume lists notes paid off, letters received, and other memoranda. A typed transcript of six
pages, listing household and other property, is filed with the volume.
Folder
69
1759, 1775-1813
Folder
70
1814-1828
Folder
71
1833-1845
Folder
72
1835-1849,
Memorandum book of David P. Hillhouse
Folder
73
1846-1851,
Bank book of David P. Hillhouse
Folder
74
1847-1851 and undated
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6. Hillhouse Family: Other Papers, 1811-1976.
55 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Travel journals of David P. Hillhouse, genealogical material pertaining to the Hillhouse and other families, and miscellaneous
items.
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6.1. Travel Journals, 1826 and circa 1826-1828.
3 items.
Two travel journals of David P. Hillhouse. The first journal (168 pages in two volumes) is dated 29 April 1826 to 16 January
1827, but appears to be an account written at a later time, probably from detailed notes. The journal describes, in significant
detail, a trip Hillhouse took to visit relatives and tour in New York State, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Among places
described are a Jewish synagogue in Charleston, S.C.; the Connecticut legislature; a deaf and dumb asylum in Hartford, Conn.;
a penitentiary in Auburn, N.Y.; Round Hill School; New York City High School; the Erie Canal; and the University of Virginia.
The second volume ends with a summary of the contents of the two volumes, keyed to page numbers. A loose sketch of "the country around the Falls of Niagra" is included.
The second journal, written sometime between 1826 and 1828, documents a trip Hillhouse took to Washington and then to New
England. Jotted down hurriedly, the journal gives little detail, but offers general information on his travels through South
and North Carolina and Virginia; proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court; and several industries
(including clock and button factories) he saw in Connecticut.
Folder
75-76
Travel journal of David P. Hillhouse, 1826
Folder
77
Travel journal of David P. Hillhouse, circa 1826-1828
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6.2. Genealogical Material, 1836-1976.
48 items.
Clippings, notes, printed publications, biographical sketches, and miscellaneous items relating to the genealogy of the Alexander,
Porter, Baldwin, and Hillhouse families. Of note are an index to the New England ancestors of Lucie Harvie Hull Baldwin (undated)
and handwritten genealogical extracts from a memorandum book kept by William Hillhouse in 1789 while on a trip to Ireland.
Folder
78
Clippings
Folder
79
Notes
Folder
80
Sketches and miscellaneous items
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6.3. Miscellaneous Items, 1770, 1811, 1812, 1902, and undated.
6 items.
The earliest item is an astronomical almanack by Nathaniel Ames, printed in Boston in 1770. Interleaved pages include manuscript
entries, presumably by a member of the Porter family of (North) Hadley, Mass. (perhaps by Sarah Porter Hillhouse's father
or grandfather, Elisha Porter). Three entries include references to Bible verses, sermons, and family comings and goings,
and a list of births and deaths, presumably of citizens of the town for the year. Other miscellaneous items are verses copied
by Felix Gilbert in 1811; a prayer copied by Gilbert in 1812; a printed address entitled "The Confederate Veteran" made by General Edward Porter Alexander on Alumni Day (9 June 1902) at West Point's Centennial; a handwritten transcription
of the lines Catharine Beecher had inscribed on the gravestone of Professor Fisher of Yale College, her fiance; and an undated
handwritten poem (author unknown).
Folder
81
"Astronomical Almanack" with manuscript entries, 1770
Folder
82
Other miscellaneous items
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7. Hillhouse Family: Pictures, 1840-1918? and undated.
31 items.
Mostly photographs of Alexander and Hillhouse family members, with a few photographs of homes and landscapes.
Image
P-11/1
Mary Clifford Alexander, at age 10, photograph of painting, 1840.
Image
P-11/2
Felix Alexander, circa 1870.
Image
P-11/3
Lucy Grattan Alexander, circa 1870-1880.
Image
P-11/4
Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert, photograph of painting, no date.
Image
P-11/5
Sarah Porter Hillhouse, photograph of painting, no date.
Image
P-11/6
Sarah Hillhouse Gilbert, photograph of painting, no date.
Image
P-11/7
Asbury Hull, photograph of painting, no date.
Image
P-11/8
Lucy Harvie, photograph of painting, no date.
Image
P-11/9
Ella Alexander (?) as an infant, no date.
Image
P-11/10
Samuel D. Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/11
Pamela Porter Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/12
Margaret Porter Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/13
Abby Phillips Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/14
Daniel H. Dickinson, no date.
Image
P-11/15
Clarissa Alexander Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/16
Henry F. B. Cooley, no date.
Image
P-11/17
Hattie S. Thayer, no date.
Image
P-11/18
Lucy C. Smith, no date.
Image
P-11/19
Abigail Porter, no date.
Image
P-11/20
Dorothea Kinselbach Schmidt, no date.
Image
P-11/21
Unidentified young man, in uniform of Union private (?), circa 1860.
Image
P-11/22
Unidentified man, circa 1860-1870.
Image
P-11/23
Unidentified man (probably same as P-11/22), in Confederate general's uniform, circa 1865-1875.
Image
P-11/24
Unidentified man, no date.
Image
P-11/25
Unidentified woman, no date.
Image
P-11/26
Unidentified man, no date.
Image
P-11/27
Gravesite of Edward Porter Alexander III, St. Nazare, France, 1918?
Special Format Image
SF-P-11/28
House built in 1714 in which Colonel Elisha Porter was born in 1743, circa 1860 1870, stereoview.
Image
P-11/29
Alexander family home, Washington, Georgia, mounted albumen print, no date.
Image
P-11/30
View of trees at edge of dirt road, no date.
Image
P-11/31
Small cemetery, surrounded by trees, no date.
Image
P-11/32
Schmidt family seal, no date.
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8. Hillhouse Family: Museum Item, circa 1835.
1 item.
One lead pencil, manufactured circa 1835, taken from a volume with a built-in holder (see David P. Hillhouse Memorandum Book
in Series 5, dated 1835-1849).
Museum Item
MU-11/1
Pencil
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Addition of August 2002 (Acc. 99301).
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1.1.5. Alexander Family: Correspondence, 1932-1952.
20 items.
Correspondence, 1938-1952, of Elizabeth (Boots) Baldwin (1913-1998) and Adam Leopold (Leap) Alexander (1902-1960) of Savannah,
Ga., and a letter, 28 April 1932, from Adam Leopold (Leap) Alexander to his sister, Eleanor Whitaker, describing the 50th
wedding anniversary dinner of Alexander R. Lawton (1858-1936) and Ella (Daisy) Beckwith Lawton (1860-1949). The first few
letters from Leap Alexander to Boots Baldwin were written in 1938, before they were married. Most later letters were written
when Boots Alexander was visiting her parents or other family members. The letters chiefly contain expressions of affection,
and also give news of family and friends and some description of travel. Beginning in the 1940s, letters often contain news
of the couple's daughter, Elizabeth Baldwin Alexander (born 29 December 1941), who was called Betty or Punkie. Another daughter,
Eloise Porter Alexander, was born on 10 November 1944.
Folder
84
1932-1939
Folder
85
1940-1943
Folder
86
1944-1952
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1.3.1. Alexander Family: Genealogical Materials, 1902, 1911, 1939.
4 items.
Marriage license, 1902, of Nellie Holman Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); invitation, 1902, to the wedding
of Nellie Holman Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); obituary of Adam Leopold Alexander (1867-1911); and marriage
license, 1939, of Elizabeth Baldwin and Adam Leopold Alexander.
Folder
87
Genealogical Materials
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