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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | About 5,800 items (98.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract | The Gordon family of Savannah, Ga., included W. W. Gordon (William Washington) (1834-1912), lawyer, Confederate Army officer, cotton merchant, state legislator, and brigadier general during the Spanish-American War of 1898; his wife, Eleanor Lytle Kinzie Gordon (Nelly) (1835-1917); her mother, Juliette Magill Kinzie (Mrs. John) of Chicago, author; and the children of W. W. and Nelly, especially G. Arthur Gordon (Arthur) (1872-1941), cotton merchant and civic leader of Savannah; Juliette Gordon Low (Daisy) (1860-1927), founder of the Girl Scouts; and Mabel Gordon Leigh, who lived in England and was honored for her relief work during World War I. The collection includes correspondence, account books, and other materials, 1810-1941, documenting more than a century of personal, business, political, military, and civic activity of the Gordon family. Many items relate to W. W. Gordon's family life, Confederate Army service, cotton trade and activities with various cotton regulatory agencies, and military and diplomatic service during the Spanish American War. Besides extensive and detailed business correspondence relating to the buying and selling of South Carolina cotton, there is a large run of account books documenting transactions of W. W. Gordon & Company and its predecessor cotton factor and commission merchant firms. Family materials include much correspondence between Nelly Gordon and her mother in Chicago. During the Civil War, these letters show the anxiety and fear engendered in family members separated because of the struggle. Also included are several letters documenting the great Chicago fire of 1871 and its aftermath. There are also letters relating to the death of daughter Alice while she and Nelly were alone in New York, and others relating to Nelly's difficult relationship with Daisy, who struggled with deafness as a child. Papers relating to G. Arthur Gordon reflect his cotton merchant activities; interests in local and national politics, including correspondence with brother-in-law, Richard Wayne Parker, lawyer and long-time New Jersey congressman; Gordon's involvement in civic clubs and in the Georgia State Troops; and his position as chief confidant of his parents and sisters in family struggles. While there are some Juliette Gordon Low papers relating to the Girl Scouts, among them correspondence with Robert Baden-Powell, most items relating to Daisy document her life in England, her unhappy marriage to William Mackay Low (Willie), and the economic consequences of his death as the couple tottered on the brink of a divorce spurred by Willie's infidelity. Mabel Gordon Leigh's papers relate chiefly to family affairs and to her World War I relief activities. The letters written by Margaret Gordon Seiler (Peggy), daughter of George Arthur Gordon, and her husband, the Reverend Robert S. Seiler, relate to their five-year posting to Manila, Philippines, with Church World Service, 1963-1968. |
| Creator | Gordon family. |
| Language | English. |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Biographical Information
Ambrose Gordon (1751-1804) came to Georgia from Monmouth County, N.J., sometime after the Revolutionary War and settled in Augusta. There he married Elizabeth Mead(e). The couple later moved to Savannah. Their son, William Washington (William W.) (1796-1842), was named for Lt. Colonel William Washington, under whom Ambrose served during the war. William W. married Sarah Anderson Stites (1806-1882), daughter of Richard Montgomery and Mary Wayne Stites. William W. was the first graduate of the United States Military Academy from Georgia (1815), a member of the Georgia legislature, mayor of Savannah, and founder and first president of the Central Rail Road and Banking Company (now the Central of Georgia Railroad Company). The children of William W. and Mary were George Anderson (George A.) (1830-1872); William Washington (W. W.) (1834-1912); Eliza Clifford, who married William Henry Stiles; and Gulielma C., who married George Evelyn Harrison of Virginia. George A., a lawyer of Huntsville, Ala., first married Caroline Steenbergen, with whom he had one son. After Caroline's death, he married Ellen Beirne. Beirne Gordon, the son of this marriage, became Uncle W. W.'s partner in business.
W. W. Gordon, a graduate of Yale University, was a cotton factor and commission merchant in Savannah. In the 1850s, he was associated with William Hayes Tison, who established Reed & Tison in Savannah with Elias Reed around 1853. When Reed died, Tison and William Mackay formed Tison & Mackay. This partnership was dissolved in July 1856, and W. W. became a partner with Tison in Tison & Gordon. Tison died in November 1877. In 1883, W. W. established his own firm, W. W. Gordon & Company, with Francis D. Bloodworth and Beirne Gordon as partners. Bloodworth resigned in September 1893. W. W.'s son Arthur joined the firm in that year and became a partner in the early 1900s. W. W. died in 1912, and the firm was reincorporated as Gordon & Company in June 1913. In January 1914, Beirne withdrew, and Arthur took over full ownership. From 1930 to 1934, the firm operated as the Gordon Cotton Company.
W. W. was a member of the Georgia Hussars, a Savannah cavalry troop, and entered the Civil War as a lieutenant. After the war, he served with the Georgia State Cavalry. W. W. served in the Georgia House of Representatives, 1884-1890. He entered the War of 1898 as brigadier general of the United States Volunteers. At the conclusion of the war, he served on the Commission of the United States for Porto Rico, which oversaw the withdrawal of Spanish troops from the island. Although he never again ran for office, he maintained an interest in Georgia Democratic Party politics throughout his life.
In 1857, W. W. married Eleanor (Nelly) Lytle Kinzie (1835-1917) of Chicago, daughter of John Harris and Juliette Augusta Magill Kinzie. Juliette (1806-1870) was the author of The Chicago Massacre, first published in 1844 and later incorporated into her Wau-Bun (1856), which Nelly edited and published again in 1901 and 1912. Nelly also edited The Chicago Massacre for republication in 1912 as The Fort Dearborn Massacre. Nelly wrote Rosemary and Rue (1907) in memory of her daughter Alice and John Kinzie, the "Father of Chicago" (1910).
W. W. and Nelly's children were Eleanor (Nell) Kinzie (1858-1933); Juliette (Daisy) Magill Kinzie (1860-1927); Sarah Alice (Alice) (1863-1880); William Washington, Jr. (1866-1932); Mabel McLane; and George Arthur (Arthur) (1872-1941).
Eleanor (Nell) Kinzie Gordon (1858-1933), married Richard Wayne Parker, son of Cortlandt Parker, and lived in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., where her husband served in the United States Congress as Republican representative from New Jersey, 1895-1911, 1914-1919, and 1921-1923. Their children were Alice Gordon, Eleanor Wayne, Elizabeth Wolcott, Wayne, and Cortlandt.
Juliette (Daisy) Magill Kinzie Gordon (1860-1927), founder in 1912 of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, was a poet and painter who married William (Willie) Mackay Low of England. The marriage was extremely unhappy and ended, after much financial maneuvering and emotional distress over Willie's extramarital affairs, with Willie's death in 1905. Daisy was apparently charming and witty, but headstrong and irascible, especially when dealing with her mother. She lost the hearing in her left ear around 1885 and heard only poorly with the right ear in later years.
Sarah Alice (Alice) Gordon (1863-1880) died at a young age while she and Nelly were alone in New York. Alice's death apparently marked her mother's mental condition for many years, causing difficulties in her interactions with her other children, especially Daisy. William Washington Gordon, Jr. (1866-1932) was a lawyer of Savannah, graduate of Yale, and major in the Georgia militia. He married Ellen Buchanan Screven. Their children were William Washington ("B") and Margaret Eleanor (Daisy Doots), who married Samuel C. Lawrence. Mabel McLane Gordon married the Honorable Rowland Charles Frederick Leigh and lived in England with their children Rowland Henry Gordon and Margaret Ethel. Mabel was honored for her relief activities during World War I. She was the chief source of information for the rest of the family, especially Arthur, during Daisy's stormy marriage.
George Arthur (Arthur) Gordon, cotton merchant and civic leader of Savannah, married Margaret McGuire of Richmond, Va. Their children were Mary Stuart (1907- ), George Arthur, Jr. (1912- ), Edward McGuire (b. 1916), and Margaret Eleanor (1923- ). George Arthur, Jr., was a writer, and Edward died of an illness aboard ship during World War II. Arthur, a Yale graduate, was associated with his father in the cotton business. He was also active in the warehousing business, serving as president of the Savannah Warehouse and Compress Company, 1924-1941. In addition, Arthur served as captain in the Georgia State Troops; city alderman, specializing in monitoring police activities, 1907-1911; member of the Savannah Board of Education, 1920-1923; and trustee of the Chatham Academy. He belonged to many civic and social clubs and was a strong Savannah booster. He also was interested in Democratic Party politics at the national, state, and local levels. Arthur was Daisy's chief confidant during her struggles, and he and Mabel carried on a long and detailed correspondence throughout their lives.
Margaret (Peggy) Eleanor Gordon, daughter of George Arthur Gordon and Margaret McGuire, married the Reverend Robert S. Seiler. Between 1963 and 1968, they, along with their three children, lived in Manila, Philippines, while Robert Seiler worked for Church World Service.
(Based on note in the inventory to the Gordon Family Papers, Georgia Historical Society, and other sources.)
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Scope and Content
The collection includes correspondence, account books, and other materials, 1810-1941, documenting more than a century of personal, business, political, military, and civic activity of the Gordon family of Savannah, Ga. Many items relate to W. W. Gordon's family life, Confederate Army service, cotton trade and activities with various cotton regulatory agencies, and military and diplomatic service during the Spanish American War. Besides extensive and detailed business correspondence relating to the buying and selling of South Carolina cotton, there is a large run of account books documenting transactions of W. W. Gordon & Company and its predecessor cotton factor and commission merchant firms. Family materials include much correspondence between Eleanor Lytle Kinzie Gordon (Nelly) and her mother in Chicago, Ill. During the Civil War, these letters show the anxiety and fear engendered in family members separated because of the struggle. Also included are several letters documenting the great Chicago fire of 1871 and its aftermath. There are also letters relating to the death of daughter Alice while she and Nelly were alone in New York, and others relating to Nelly's difficult relationship with Juliette Gordon Low (Daisy), who struggled with deafness as a child. Papers relating to G. Arthur Gordon reflect his cotton merchant activities; interests in local and national politics, including correspondence with brother-in-law, Richard Wayne Parker, lawyer and long-time New Jersey congressman; Gordon's involvement in civic clubs and in the Georgia State Troops; and his position as chief confidant of his parents and sisters in family struggles. While there are some Juliette Gordon Low papers relating to the Girl Scouts, among them correspondence with Robert Baden-Powell, most items relating to Daisy document her life in England, her unhappy marriage to William Mackay Low (Willie), and the economic consequences of his death as the couple tottered on the brink of a divorce spurred by Willie's infidelity. Mabel Gordon Leigh's papers relate chiefly to family affairs and to her World War I relief activities. The letters written by Margaret Gordon Seiler (Peggy), daughter of George Arthur Gordon, and her husband, the Reverend Robert S. Seiler, relate to their five-year posting to Manila, Philippines, with Church World Service, 1963-1968.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Correspondence and Related Materials, 1810-1929.
Arrangement: chronological.
Note that volumes interfiled in this series were once part of a personal volumes series. Note that, unless they are part of a run of related volumes, these volumes are filed by earliest date. There are a few instances of lettercopy or other volumes slightly overlapping subseries date spans. Note that volume numbers from the old personal volumes series have not been retained for interfiled volumes, but that the old volume number may be found in parentheses in the folder list.
See addition of February 2003 for diaries, 1935-1941, of G. Arthur Gordon and addition of October 2003 for letters from Manila, Philippines, 1963-1968, of his daughter, Margaret (Peggy) Gordon Seiler and her husband, Robert S. Seiler.
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Subseries 1.1. 1810-1860.
Arrangement: chronological.
The earliest items relate to William W. Gordon of Augusta, Ga., and include his 4 March 1815 commission to West Point, signed by President James Madison and Secretary of War James Monroe (OP-2235/1). Also included are a few Gordon family legal and financial documents, including slave bills of sale in the late 1820s and 1830s.
Early materials relating to W. W. Gordon include a document, 10 November 1827, appointing him captain in the Georgia Hussars. A typed copy of an article from The Georgian, 15 November 1835, on the passage of the Central Railroad Bill documents W. W.'s early railroad interests.
In the early 1850s, there are many letters to W. W. at Yale from his sister Eliza at school in New York, from his parents in New Jersey, and from his brother George in Savannah, including some about an outbreak of yellow fever in 1854. Letters show that by 1855 W. W. was back in Savannah, working for Tison & Mackay, cotton factors, which became Tison & Gordon upon Mackay's retirement in 1856. Many letters to and from W. W. document business transactions and mid-19th century office procedures.
In 1854, there are courtship letters between W. W. and Eleanor Kinzie (Nelly) of Chicago, who appears to have been Eliza's schoolmate in New York. Many of these letters, especially one dated 30 April 1856, relate to W. W.'s financial prospects. By 21 December 1857, W. W. and Nelly were married and established in Savannah. Beginning in 1858, the Gordons commenced on a pattern of travels continued through most of their lives. These travels had, of course, great impact on letter writing. When W. W. traveled on business, chiefly to New York or England, he wrote frequently to Nelly, chiefly about family matters, but also about business dealings. When Nelly traveled, chiefly on summer visits to relatives in Chicago and New Jersey or to see and be seen in New York and at various resorts in the United States and abroad, she wrote extensively to W. W., also mostly about family matters. When Nelly was in Savannah, she received many letters from her mother, Juliette A. Kinzie, and a few from John Kinzie, her father, and her brother Arthur in Chicago.
Interfiled are five small volumes, chiefly relating to W. W. Gordon's personal finances.
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Subseries 1.2. 1861-May 1865.
Arrangement: chronological.
Early in 1861, there are still general family letters from Mother to Nelly, many of which discuss Nelly's interest in painting and art in general. Around March, however, there are letters about preparations for war, and a few from northern relatives to Nelly refer to "your country and ours." Letters from Arthur Kinzie to his sister are typically decorated with American flags. Around April, Juliette Kinzie began to express her worries about Nelly's safety and about how long they might be able to communicate through the mails, but, while there were delays and difficulties, documented in several 1863 letters, a steady stream of correspondence seems to have flowed between Chicago and Savannah. Often these letters include interesting and sometimes awkward comments on the progress of the war from Juliette Kinzie, whose husband and son were fighting for the Union and whose daughter was married to Georgia Hussar and living in Savannah. On 21 July 1862, Juliette Kinzie wrote to Nelly, "Give our love to Wm. when you write him--and kind remembrances to all who care for a kind message from 'a Yankee'."
The first letter from W. W. with the Confederate Army in the field is dated 25 June 1861. W. W. wrote frequently to Nelly and to his Savannah business partners from various locations, chiefly in Virginia. The letters to Nelly are particularly detailed about camp life and the conduct of the war. There is also a brief diary that W. W. kept, December 1864-May 1865. He also wrote and received letters from his brother George, and there are a few letters from his mother in New Jersey. It is likely that W. W. was back in Savannah by May 1865.
| Folder 17-18 |
1861 #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 17-18Folder 17Folder 18 |
| Folder 19-20 |
1862 #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 19-20Folder 19Folder 20 |
| Folder 21 |
1863 #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 21 |
| Folder 22 |
1864 #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 22 |
| Folder 23a |
December 1864-May 1865, W. W. Gordon's diary (7) #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 23a |
| Folder 23b |
January-May 1865 #02235, Subseries: "1.2. 1861-May 1865." Folder 23b |
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Subseries 1.3. June 1865-1877.
Arrangement: chronological.
In June 1865, W. W. Gordon was back in the full swing of business in Savannah, and Nelly was back into her summer traveling routine. John Kinzie died in June 1865, and there is much correspondence between Nelly and her mother and between Nelly and W. W. when she was in Chicago. These relate especially to the settlement of John Kinzie's estate and to disputes revolving around Kinzie family land holdings in Virginia. In the late 1860s, there is also mention of a suit, not settled until 1878, involving John Kinzie's disbursement of funds as paymaster during the Civil War. Around September 1870, Juliette Kinzie, vacationing with Nelly in Amagasett, N.Y., died under bizarre circumstances when she was given morphine instead of quinine by a local doctor. After Juliette Kinzie's death, news from Chicago came from Nelly's brother, George H. Kinzie, who sent a telegram on 11 October 1871 stating: "All saved, lost everything, not a penny, city in ashes." For the next several months, there are many extremely detailed letters from George about the great Chicago fire and how his family and others were coping in its aftermath.
Gordon family materials include much correspondence between W. W. and his brother George, a lawyer in the Beirne & Gordon partnership in Huntsville, Ala., and letters from Gordon family members in New Jersey. George, left a widower in 1869, died in 1872, but correspondence continues between W. W. and nephew George S. Gordon, also a lawyer in Huntsville. Beginning in the early 1870s, W. W. and Nelly's children, particularly Eleanor (Nell or Nellie) and Alice, began writing to their parents from various schools. The first letter from Juliette Magill Gordon (Daisy) is dated 22 October 1871. On 5 May 1875, Daisy wrote to W. W., "Please tell Mama that I don't want my name put in the [school] catalogue 'Juliette Magill' because if I get a medal I will have to put my name on it in the same way, and I think 'Daisy' would look so much better, don't you?"
Many items in this time period deal with Sea Island cotton sales in the United States and in England. On 12 November 1872, W. W. received notification that he had been elected a director of the Savannah Cotton Exchange; he was apparently president of the Exchange in 1876. In December 1877, the Tison & Gordon partnership ended with the death of William H. Tison. There is also much about W. W.'s activities with the Georgia Hussars and a small number of items relating to his interests in the Central Railroad of Georgia and New York and the Savannah Steamship Lines.
There are also many invitations to W. W. for club memberships, and several letters detailing social life in Savannah. In August 1876, there is a typed essay on incidents of yellow fever in Savannah that Nelly may have written.
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Subseries 1.4. 1878-1884.
Arrangement: chronological.
Many items in this subseries relate to business, whether among family members, who allowed W. W. to handle their funds, or to the Sea Island cotton trade, in which W. W., whose firm was now called W. W. Gordon & Company, was extremely active. Continuing his service to the Savannah Cotton Exchange, W. W. represented Savannah to the National Cotton Exchange Convention in July 1879. Letters show much wheeling and dealing on the W. W.'s part, not only with cotton and cotton seed sales in this country and in England, but also in railroads, fertilizers, and other business ventures. Many business items are in code, but most of them have their decoded messages penciled in. There are also many printed cotton current price quotations from various markets. On 17 September 1882, W. W. wrote to Nelly, warning her explaining the family's financial state, which was good, but, according to him, did not leave much room for frivolous expenditure. Also in 1882, there are a few business dealings with Andrew Low of England, Daisy's future father-in-law.
Letters from George S. Gordon, now a partner in Humes & Gordon, lawyers of Huntsville, Ala., continue, many of them relating to business investments W. W. handled for his nephew. Beginning around 1878, there are letters home from William W. Gordon III at school, and, beginning around 1884, from Mabel Gordon, also at school. Also by 1884, daughter Nell had married Richard Wayne Parker (Wayne), a lawyer of Newark, N.J.
In late 1880, while on the annual trek to New York City, daughter Alice fell ill with scarlet fever. By mid-December, Nelly had sent Daisy and Mabel home and remained alone with her sick child. On 28 December, she wrote to W. W., "If anything worse comes and I have to give Alice up, I think it will kill me." On 31 December, there is a letter of condolence on Alice's death, and event that seems to have sent Nelly into an emotional decline referred to in many family letters over the next several years.
| Folder 61-64 |
1878 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 61-64Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64 |
| Folder 65-68 |
1879 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 65-68Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67Folder 68 |
| Folder 69-71 |
1880 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 69-71Folder 69Folder 70Folder 71 |
| Folder 72-75a |
1881 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 72-75aFolder 72 |
| Folder 75b |
1881-1883, Current cotton price quotations (9) #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 75b |
| Folder 76-85 |
1882 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 76-85Folder 76Folder 77Folder 78Folder 79Folder 80Folder 81Folder 82Folder 83Folder 84Folder 85 |
| Folder 86-89 |
1883 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 86-89Folder 86Folder 87Folder 88Folder 89 |
| Folder 90-99 |
1884 #02235, Subseries: "1.4. 1878-1884." Folder 90-99Folder 90Folder 91Folder 92Folder 93Folder 94Folder 95Folder 96Folder 97Folder 98Folder 99 |
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Subseries 1.5. 1885-1899.
Arrangement: chronological.
While many items still relate to cotton during this period, a great many focus on family affairs, especially those of Daisy. In a letter of 8 January 1885, Nelly, often in a disparaging tone, discussed Daisy's relationships with members of the Low family in England. On 12 January, evidence of Nelly's difficulties with Daisy surfaced in a letter to W. W., which also refers to Daisy's connections with the Lows: "I knew Daisy was a pig-headed fool, but I never dreamed she could carry her folly to such extremes." Friction between mother and daughter is evident throughout this period. Also in this year, attention was focussed on Daisy's health; in February, Nelly took Daisy to Atlanta to have her ears examined (she lost hearing in the left ear at this time, and lost hearing in the right later in life). During this visit, mother and daughter escaped a fire that razed their hotel on 11 February.
A letter of 25 December from W. W. to Andrew Low, Daisy's future father-in-law, discusses the prospects of Willie Low, who had asked for Daisy's hand. On 8 January 1886, there is a letter from Amy Grenfell, Daisy's future sister-in-law, explaining that Andrew Low had agreed to the marriage, but wished to delay the event for a year. Over the next year, there are many letters relating to Willie and Daisy, including one on 6 September in which Daisy explained away a report on Willie's involvement in a betting scandal. Willie and Daisy married in 1887. Over the next few years, there are a few letters from Daisy to various family members describing her activities and periodic references in the letters of others to how the couple fared.
The volume of business letters decreases early in this period, but W. W.'s entry into Democratic politics is reasonably well documented, especially in the late 1880s and early 1890s when he served in the Georgia legislature. By 1893, however, it is back to business as usual with items referring to deals involving cotton, land deals, phosphates, railroads, oyster cultivation, and many other ventures, some of which were undertaken with various family members. There is also a considerable amount of material relating to horse breeding, particularly W. W.'s interest farms run by W. W.'s Stiles relatives in Texas and Georgia. In 1894, there is some material about W. W.'s involvement with the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia. (See also scrapbooks relating to Georgia business and politics in Subseries 3.3.)
Letters from G. Arthur Gordon (Arthur) begin around July 1885 when he was away at school. Letters show that by 1893 Arthur was back in Savannah and on his way to becoming an expert on Sea Island cotton as a partner in W. W. Gordon & Company. Arthur's involvement in Savannah politics and boosterism is evident, from his Masonic and other club activities to his drilling as a captain in the Georgia Hussars. Arthur also received frequent letters on political issues from his brother-in-law Wayne Parker, who served as Republican congressman from New Jersey in 1895-1911, 1914-1919, and 1921-1923. Arthur was also the chief confidant of his sisters Daisy and Mabel, especially when they wished to discuss internal family difficulties. (See also volume X in Subseries 3.3., a scrapbook documenting some of Arthur's activities during this period.)
In 1898, there are many letters relating to W. W.'s role in the Spanish-American War. Commissioned as a brigadier general of volunteers, W. W. was first stationed at Mobile, Ala., and Miami, Fla. A document dated 19 August 1898 shows that W. W. was relieved of his command to serve on the Commission of the United States of America for Puerto Rico, which was charged with arranging the evacuation of Spanish troops from Puerto Rico. Many items in late 1898 and into 1899 contain descriptions of conditions in Puerto Rico. Early in W. W.'s absence from Savannah, Arthur assumed control of W. W. Gordon & Company, but soon both Arthur and his brother William joined their father in war work. W. W. Gordon & Company was then in the hands of Beirne Gordon, a relative and long-time partner in the firm, who wrote frequent business letters to both W. W. and Arthur. Nelly and Daisy also contributed to the war effort, nursing the wounded in Miami.
Also included in this subseries are letters relating to sister Nell in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. W. W.'s involvement as a Yale alumnus is evident in letters throughout this period about his participation in efforts to build a monument to Yale men killed in the Civil War. There are also a few references to his Episcopal Church activities. Around 1895, there is mention of Nelly's work with the Colonial Dames. In 1898, there are a few items relating to Mabel's marriage to Rowland Leigh and her settling in England from which she wrote many letters about family affairs, particularly confidential letters to Arthur about Nelly and Daisy. There are also a great many letters about family matters from Nelly to her uncle Julian Magill in Chicago.
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Subseries 1.6. 1900-1912.
Arrangement: chronological.
Cotton business materials continue during this period. In particular, when either W. W. or Arthur was traveling there is extensive, detailed correspondence on pending business matters. In 1901, there is material relating to the establishment of a cotton gin, and, perhaps in reaction to this, a letter dated 6 October 1901 in which Nelly scolded W. W. for being too timid in business. Most subsequent business materials relate to Sea Island cotton and cotton seed sales. In 1907, Arthur and W. W. were active in national cotton exchange business, with W. W. serving on the Revision Committee of the New York Cotton Exchange, which was attempting to set new standards for grading and pricing cotton and cotton seed.
Daisy's marriage was in grave danger by 1900. In a 23 October 1900 letter to Arthur, she wrote, "[Margaret, who was looking for a husband] pointed out I had made a 'good match' myself, but after all Willie Low has other charms besides money. And I told her frankly he was a very bad husband." By June 1902, Daisy was writing of separating from Willie and supporting herself. On 19 June, she wrote to Arthur, "[Willie] did not think we would ever be happy together again, and he asked me to consent to live apart. He did not mention money ... Papa and Willie can settle that." Subsequent letters show her very sensitive to her new position. On 15 September, she wrote to Nelly, "I mean to divorce him. [I]f my affairs are to be made public, I shall prove him in the wrong and at least have the advantage of being free and quit of him," and, on 21 November, she wrote to Arthur, "I get pity and Willie gets blame, but I prefer dignified silence to either."
By the end of 1902, Arthur was conferring with Wayne Parker about the legality of divorce involving English and American citizens, with questions of money and responsibility coming to the fore. Willie tried to provoke Daisy into divorcing him by being seen with various women while protecting Mrs. Bateman, with whom he was really having an affair. Daisy refused to comply. Willie's revised will of 21 November 1902 became significant when he died in June 1905. Daisy's claim that Willie had been unduly influenced by Mrs. Bateman when he wrote the 1902 will, a point that was settled in Daisy's favor after Mrs. Bateman became seriously ill in 1906. After the settlement, Daisy spent much time traveling. Included is a short diary of Daisy's 1907-1908 trip to India.
Letters between Daisy and Robert Baden-Powell begin with one dated 29 May 1911 inviting Daisy to lunch. Letters reveal that Daisy and Baden-Powell spent much time sketching together in the countryside and attending lunches and dinners. Few letters contain substantive material about the Girl Guides or Daisy's Girl Scout program, notable exceptions being a letter of 11 February 1912 in which Baden-Powell referred Daisy to other women interested in the Girl Guides and a letter of 6 May 1912 in which W. W. complained to Mabel about Daisy's taking her frustrations with the Girl Scouts out on her mother. Some letters have a philosophical tone. On 4 July 1911, Baden-Powell wrote to Daisy, "I think that the policy for this world [should be] be glad of what you have got, and not miserable about what you would like to have had nor over anxious as to what the future will bring."
Also of interest are a letter of 2 March 1907 discussing one of the first long-distance telephone transmissions; letters around 21 December 1907 relating to W. W. and Nelly's 50th wedding anniversary; letters on national politics, especially tariffs, from Wayne and from Yale friend Vance McCormick of Harrisburg, Pa., to Arthur; letters about local Savannah politics to and from Arthur, who was active on many boards and commissions; materials, beginning in 1909, from the Committee on the Memorial to Yale Men Who Fell in the War Between the States; a few letters around April 1911 in which Daisy described meeting Rudyard Kipling; letters, beginning around February 1912 about President Taft's visit to Savannah in May. There are also many items relating to Arthur's activities as captain in the 1st Regiment, Georgia State Troops. (See also the series of W. W.'s engagement calendars, 1900-1912, in Subseries 3.1.)
W. W. died on 11 September 1912 after a brief illness.
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Subseries 1.7. 1913-1929.
Arrangement: chronological.
After W. W.'s death, business letters no longer report the details of daily transactions, but, on a reduced scale, Arthur's cotton interests are well documented. The last items, dated 1928, relate to his involvement in Congressional investigations of cotton market manipulations. Arthur's civic work is also shown, including, beginning in 1915, his participation in the always financially strapped Negro Industrial Employment Exchange, an employment agency for cotton pickers, maids, cooks, and delivery boys. Letters, beginning in 1926, document Arthur's involvement with the Town Theatre in Savannah, including his part in a major tiff between a director and an actor.
Letters scattered, 1913-1924, including several from Robert Baden-Powell, show that, although she still spent most of her time in England, Daisy had succeeded in getting her Girl Scouts up and running. Beginning in 1914, however, most of her letters relate to war efforts, as do those of Mabel, chiefly addressed to Arthur. The sinking of the Lusitania, upon which the Gordons had frequently traveled, occasioned a sorrowful letter from Mabel on 9 May 1915. Mabel was extremely active in home support of the war in England, serving on several boards, including the Lady Lugard Hospitality Committee and the Fund for the Special Relief of Better Class Belgian Refugees, and for which she was awarded a medal in July 1918. Throughout the war years, a chief concern of the globe-hopping Gordons was travel restriction, especially when the family attempted to gather as when Nelly died on 22 February 1917.
In 1927, there are a few letters about the Juliette Low Memorial Fund and about the disbursement of Daisy's estate.
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Subseries 1.8. Undated.
Arrangement: by type.
Undated letters and letter fragments of members of the Gordon and related families. Efforts have been made to group together the letters of Eleanor Kinzie Gordon (Nelly), G. Arthur Gordon, W. W. Gordon, Mabel Gordon Leigh, and Juliette Gordon Low (Daisy). Some secondary sorts have also been attempted, but there is necessarily a good deal of overlap among the categories.
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Series 2. Other Materials, 1900s.
Arrangement: by type.
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Series 3. W. W. Gordon Engagement Calendars, 1900-1912.
Arrangement: chronological.
Pocket-sized engagement calendars in which W. W. Gordon sporadically recorded brief entries relating to personal and social events--parties, visitors, illnesses, etc.--and, sometimes, the expenses associated with them. Volumes in this series have been given alphabetical designations as a result of reprocessing in order to differentiate them from the business volumes in Series 4; old volume numbers may be found in parentheses in the folder list.
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Series 4. Farm Memoranda Books, 1904-1912.
Arrangement: chronological.
Memoranda books with entries relating to the operation of Belmont and other farm property owned by the Gordons. Included are copies of communications between W. W. Gordon and Robert Lee Allen about work at Belmont and the condition of the property. Volumes in this series have been given alphabetical designations as a result of reprocessing in order to differentiate them from the business volumes in Series 4; old volume numbers may be found in parentheses in the folder list.
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Series 5. Scrapbooks, 1863-1901.
Arrangement: chronological.
Scrapbooks containing clippings and miscellaneous items. Compilers of some of the scrapbooks are known and indicated below; when most of the material in a scrapbook relates to particular subjects, that also has been noted below. Volumes in this series have been given alphabetical designations as a result of reprocessing in order to differentiate them from the business volumes in Series 4; old volume numbers may be found in parentheses in the folder list.
Note that all of these volumes, especially Volume X, are extremely fragile and should be handled with extra care.
Note that folder numbers 364-406 are not in use.
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Series 6. W. W. Gordon & Company and Other Business Volumes, 1844-1916.
Arrangement: chronological.
Volumes documenting business activities of W. W. Gordon & Company, cotton brokers of Savannah, Ga. Included are account books, records of sales, shipping records, and other records relating to the cotton trade. Also included are a few volumes of Tison & Gordon, W. W. Gordon & Company's predecessor, and related firms. The connection between the Florida volumes (volume 1 and volume 630) and the others is unclear.
Note that volumes relate to W. W. Gordon & Company except where noted. The volumes labeled missing are know to have existed at some time, but were not received when these volumes were transferred from the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School in 1975.
Note that folder numbers 364-406 are not in use. Note also that many of the volumes are extremely fragile.
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Additions.
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Addition of February 2003 (Acc. 99429).
Processing note: Addition arranged in the same way as, but not incorporated into, the original deposit of materials.
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Subseries 1. Correspondence and Other Materials, 1935-1941.
Arrangement: chronological.
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Subseries 1.9. 1935-1941.
Arrangement: chronological.
Personal diaries of G. Arthur Gordon. The diaries consist of very brief listings of Gordon's daily activities and social contacts.
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Addition of October 2003 (Acc. 99648).
Processing note: The Addition of February 2003 is arranged in the same way as, but not incorporated into, the original deposit of materials.
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Subseries 1. Correspondence and Other Materials, 1963-1968.
Arrangement: chronological.
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Subseries 1.10. 1963-1968.
Arrangement: chronological.
Family letters written by Margaret Gordon Seiler (Peggy), daughter of George Arthur Gordon, and her husband, the Reverend Robert S. Seiler, during their five-year posting to Manila, Philippines, with Church World Service. The letters primarily concern the Seiler family's daily life within the foreign community in Manila and contain details about their children's educational and recreational activities as well as the family's active social life. There are also scattered discussions of Reverend Seiler's work with the Church World Service and the couple's views on the conflict in Vietnam. There are also travel descriptions of Egypt, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
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Items Separated
Photographs: P-2235/1-7
Volumes: S-CC, S-FF, S-GG, S-HH, S-II, S-1-28, S-29-43, S-45- 57, S-68-163, S-170, S-172-175, S-216-217, S-222, S-224-260, S-262-282, S-499-511, S-631-635
Back to TopThis collection was processed with support, in part, from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Preservation and Access, Washington, D.C., 1993-1994.
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