Calvin Jones Papers Inventory (#921)
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
- Contact Information:
- Manuscripts Department
- CB#3926, Wilson Library
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
- Phone: 919/962-1345
- Fax: 919/962-3594
- Email: mss@email.unc.edu
- URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
- Processed by
- Jane Adkins
- Date Completed
- 1958
- Encoded by
- James M. Roth
- Revisions:
- Finding aid updated in June 1991 by Shonra Newman, in September 2000 by James M. Roth, and in February 2001 by John Foster.
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Descriptive Summary Including Abstract
- Title
- Calvin Jones Papers (#921)1783-1929, 2000
- Creator
- Jones, Calvin, 1775-1846.
- Extent
-
- About 2,600 items (4.0 linear feet)
- Repository
- Southern Historical Collection
- Language
- English.
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Administrative Information
- Usage Restrictions
- Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
- Provenance
- Received from Edward Knox Boyd of Bolivar, Tenn., in November 1944; Thomas Kirkman Jones of Bolivar, Tenn., in May 1955; Mrs. James M. Owens of Shreveport, La., in December 1958; Paul T. Jones of Corinth, Miss., in July 1960 and February 1963; Jameson M. Jones of Memphis, Tenn., in April 1993, July 1994 (Acc. 94101), August 1994 (Acc. 94106), January 1995 (Acc. 95023), February 1999 (Acc. 98300), October 1999 (Acc. 98490), December 2000 (Acc. 98796), and January 2001 (Acc. 98829); Jack H. Kahn of Plano, Tex., in July 1997 (Acc. 97092); Mrs. Robert H. Jones of Dallas, Tex., in June 2000 (Acc. 98660).
- Processing Note
- This collection was re-housed under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
- Additions received in June 2000 (Acc. 98660), February 1999 (Acc. 98300), December 2000 (Acc. 98796), and January 2001 (Acc. 98829) have not been integrated with other materials. Researchers should check additions to be sure they have identified all files of interest to them.
Online Catalog Terms
- Adams, John, 1735-1826.
- Agriculture--North Carolina--History--18th century.
- Agriculture--Tennessee--Experimentation--History--19th century.
- Bolivar (Tenn.)--Social life and customs.
- Caldwell, Joseph, 1773-1835.
- Commission merchants--Tennessee.
- Cotton growing--Tennessee--History--19th century.
- Cotton trade--Tennessee--History--19th century.
- Crockett, Davy, 1786-1836.
- Europe--Description and travel.
- Fugitive slaves--Tennessee.
- Jones, Calvin, 1775-1846.
- Jones, James W., 1855-1934.
- Jones, Montezuma, 1822-1914.
- Lawyers--Tennessee--History--19th century.
- Legislators--Tennessee.
- Madison, James, 1751-1836.
- Medicine--Practice----History--19th century.
- Newspaper editors--North Carolina--History--19th century.
- North Carolina--Militia--History--19th century.
- Physicians--North Carolina--History--19th century.
- Plantations--North Carolina--Wake County.
- Plantations--Tennessee--Hardeman County.
- Polk, Edwin.
- Real property--North Carolina.
- Real property--Tennessee--History--19th century.
- Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.
- Slave bills of sale--Tennessee.
- Slavery--Tennessee.
- Smithfield (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
- Teenage girls--Diaries--History--19th century.
- Travelers--Diaries--History--19th century.
- United States--History--War of 1812.
- University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--History--19th century.
- University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Students--Social life and customs--19th century.
- Williams, Benjamin, 1751-1814.
- Women--Diaries--History--19th century.
- Women--Southern States--Social life and customs--19th century.
Related Collection
-
Jones Family Papers, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tenn.
Biographical Note
Calvin Jones (1775-1846) was born in Weymouth, Mass., where he studied medicine and passed his examination before the officers of the United Medical Society at the age of seventeen. He practiced medicine in Massachusetts until 1795, when he moved to Smithfield in Johnston County, N.C. He soon became active in many phases of public life: civic, professional, political, military, social, and educational. Jones had a wide circle of acquaintances among prominent men. In addition to medicine, he seems to have been interested in agriculture. He wanted to use the most modern, scientific methods available and corresponded with several persons about farming techniques. He also kept a journal from 1820 to 1835 about his agricultural experiments in Wake County, N.C., and Hardeman County, Tenn.
In 1798, Jones became an officer in the Johnston Militia Company. He continued his military career, becoming adjutant general in 1808. After the outbreak of the War of 1812, Jones was made major general of the North Carolina militia, 7th Division. In 1819, Jones married Temperance Boddie Williams Jones (1786-1873), daughter of Major William Williams of Franklin County, N.C., and widow of Dr. Thomas C. Jones. With her first husband, Temperance B. Jones had one son, Thomas C. Jones. Calvin and Temperance B. Jones had several children, three of whom survived: Montezuma Jones, born in 1822 at Wake Forest, who married Elizabeth Wood and died near Bolivar, Tenn., in 1914; Octavia Rowena Jones, born in 1826 at Wake Forest, who married Edwin Polk of Bolivar, Tenn., and died in 1917; and Paul Tudor Jones, born in 1828 at Wake Forest, who married first Jane M. Wood and second Mary Kirkman and died in Corinth, Miss., in 1904.
Calvin Jones had a younger brother, Atlas Jones (d. 1841), who was in the class of 1804 at the University of North Carolina, and two other brothers of Calvin Jones: Andes Jones (d. 1822) and Horace Jones (d. 1828). Atlas Jones became a lawyer and practiced at Carthage, N.C., and later at Raleigh. He apparently acted as a land and business agent for his brother Calvin. Andes Jones seems to have settled in the Rocky Mount, N.C., area, and also acted as a business agent for his brother. In 1832, Calvin Jones and his family moved to Bolivar in Hardeman County, Tenn., to his estate of 30,000 acres. There, he retired from the practice of medicine and devoted his energies to planting. Calvin Jones and his daughter Octavia made a tour of Europe in 1844. Jones died in Bolivar in 1846.
Calvin Jones's son, Montezuma Jones, continued to operate the plantation near Bolivar after Calvin Jones's death. Montezuma Jones's son, James W. Jones (1855-1934), became an attorney and member of the Tennessee legislature. (For further information on the Jones family, see Series 5 for the inventory of Jones Family Papers in the Tennessee State Library and Archives.)
(Parts of this biographical note were adapted from a sketch of Calvin Jones by Edward Preble in the Dictionary of American Biography, pp. 163-164.)
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection includes correspondence, financial and legal papers, writings, volumes, miscellaneous items, pictures, and newspaper clippings of Calvin Jones of Smithfield, N.C., and later Bolivar, Tenn., and other members of the Jones family. Much of the correspondence relates to Calvin Jones and includes letters from other physicians on cases they were treating and letters from members of the militia on military business before, during, and after the War of 1812. Some letters from 1801 comment on the establishment of the University of North Carolina. Prominent correspondents include North Carolina governor Benjamin Williams (fl. 1799-1805); Joseph Caldwell (1773-1835), president of the University of North Carolina; Davy Crockett (1786-1836); Benjamin Rush (1745-1813); and James Madison (1750-1836). There is also a one-page address, 1798, by John Adams. Also included are several travel diaries Calvin Jones kept on journeys to Washington, D.C., in 1815; the old southwest in 1818; and to Europe in 1844. There is also a farm journal in which he described some of his agricultural experiments. Papers between 1847 and 1879 chiefly relate to Montezuma Jones and are, for the most part, financial papers that document the Tennessee cotton trade. Included are promissory notes, bills and receipts, indentures for the sale of land, statements from cotton factors, and account books. There are also letters, 1841-1843, from Montezuma Jones, then a student at the University of North Carolina, and a diary, 1869-1871, of teenager Frances Irene Jones. Also in the collection are letters and political papers of Edwin Polk, who married Octavia Rowena Jones, and correspondence of Calvin Jones's wife, Temperance B. Jones, and daughter, Octavia Jones. After 1880, there are scattered family letters and some business and professional letters to James W. Jones, grandson of Calvin Jones. There are several items documenting slavery in Tennessee, including several relating to runaway slaves. There are very few papers relating to the Civil War.
The additions of June 2000 and February 1999 contain originals and transcriptions of additional correspondence, 1783-1849, of Jones family members, including Calvin Jones, Montezuma Jones, Temperance B. Jones, and Octavia Jones Polk. The bulk of the material relates to Calvin Jones and his correspondence with his wife, other family members, and friends. There is also some correspondence relating to business and military concerns. The remainder is correspondence of Montezuma Jones, Temperance B. Jones, and Octavia Jones Polk, mostly from family members about family matters. Also included are a few articles, speeches, orations, poems, and a picture of Montezuma Jones as a young man. Note that, while these additions have not been integrated into the original deposit, they have been arranged according to the organization scheme of the previously deposited materials.
The addition of December 2000 is a typescript biography of Calvin Jones by Jameson Jones (2000) that discusses aspects of Calvin Jones's life and personality. The addition of January 2001 includes letters relating to Calvin Jones and other members of his family, chiefly Calvin Jones's brother Atlas, his wife Temperance, and her sister Ruina. Some of the letter relate to Atlas's collegiate and professional career; others to Calvin Jones's medical practice and to political matters including the French Revolution and Calvin Jones's involvement with the Whig party; and others to the day-to-day lives of Temperance and Ruina.
Back to TopOrganization of Collection
-
1. Correspondence, Writings, and Financial and Legal Items
1.1. Calvin Jones
1.2. Jones family
1.3. Montezuma Jones
1.4. Edwin Polk
1.5. James W. Jones
1.6. Undated
2. Journals, Memo Books, and Other Volumes
2.1. Calvin Jones
2.1.1. Travel Journals
2.1.2. Farm Journal
2.1.3. Memo Books
2.1.4. Other Volumes
2.2. Montezuma Jones
2.3. Frances Irene Jones
2.4. William Jones
3. Newspaper Clippings
4. Pictures
5. Microfilm
Additions
Addition of June 2000
1. Correspondence, Writings, and Financial and Legal Items
1.1. Calvin Jones
1.3. Montezuma Jones
1.6. Writings
1.7. Temperance B. Jones
1.8. Octavia Jones Polk
4. Pictures
Addition of February 1999
Addition of December 2000
Addition of January 2001
Items Separated
Items separated include a one-page address by President John Adams (A-921/1); an oversized volume (V-921/S-1); oversized papers (OP-921/1-24); pictures (P-921/1-9); and microfilm (M-921/1-9).
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Series Descriptions
1. Correspondence, Writings, and Financial and Legal Items, 1783-1929 and undated.
About 1900 items.
Arrangement: dated materials are arranged by individual; undated materials are filed at the end of the series regardless of
individuals involved.
Note that the arrangement of this series has been retained from previous processing projects. Researchers should be sure to
check all of the series descriptions, especially the undated materials filed at the end of the series, for materials of interest
to them.
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1.1. Calvin Jones, 1783-1838.
About 700 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly letters to Calvin Jones from various acquaintances and business associates. Among those whose letters or writings
appear in this series are President John Adams, who wrote an address in 1798 to the officers of the Johnston Regiment of Militia in North Carolina, of which Jones was a member; Benjamin Williams, governor of North Carolina and Jones's friend; Joseph Caldwell, president of the University of North Carolina, who wrote to Jones about troubles at the University; Davy Crockett, who wanted to lease land Jones owned in Tennessee; President James Madison, who agreed to subscribe to a magazine Jones was planning to publish; and John P. Ervin, Felix Grundy, and John R. Eaton, who, representing the citizens of Nashville, Tenn., sent an invitation to Jones to dine. Also included are a number of receipts, promissory notes, and bills and accounts for items Jones purchased.
Many of the letters between 1785 and 1810 are addressed to Doctor Calvin Jones, first at Smithfield, N.C., and later at Raleigh, N.C. These include letters Jones received letters from other physicians about specific cases and from patients wanting advice on or treatment of illnesses. There are also bills for drugs from New York supply houses. Jones was apparently interested in new methods of medical treatment, as is indicated by a letter he received from Benjamin Williams, former governor of North Carolina, who was in Fayetteville, N.C., undergoing shock treatment from an electrifying machine to benefit his nervous system and restore his sight. Among other diseases, doctors wrote him about treatments for hydrocele and gonorrhea.
Most of the letters from 1811 to 1813 address routine military business, such as the appointment of officers and arrangements for a military muster, and some letters from 1811 are addressed to General Jones. There are a few letters
from William Hamilton about the defense of Mobile Bay and other matters in 1812. Also included is a letter, 15 July 1813, from Governor J. S. Barbour of Virginia to Jones accepting his offer of a corps of volunteers to help guard the Virginia coast. Atlas Jones, brother of Calvin Jones, wrote in 1813 praising him for keeping the coast free of the enemy.
In addition to being in the militia, Jones was involved in other business interests at this time, including part-ownership of the Star, a Raleigh newspaper, with Thomas Henderson, Jr., between 1810 and 1815. Scattered in the papers during these years are bills and receipts for the newspaper and some correspondence,
chiefly from friends, about obtaining subscriptions. In the spring of 1819, a few of letters refer to Jones's efforts to start
an agricultural magazine called the Farmer's Magazine. John Taylor, former president of the Agricultural Society of Virginia, wrote to him on the subject, as did James Madison.
Jones remained in the militia until his resignation around 1821. In 1823, he was apparently appointed postmaster at Wake Forest, N.C. He also went back into medical practice in partnership with Hamilton Taylor, as is indicated by a circular advertising their business. He remained at Wake Forest until 1831, when he moved with his family to Bolivar, Tenn. Calvin Jones, accompanied by his son Montezuma, apparently went panning for gold in Burke County, N.C. Both father and son wrote to Temperance B. Jones describing their experiences. A few other financial items and letters indicate that Calvin Jones owned a gold mine in North Carolina.
After the move to Tennessee, many of the items relate to his farming activities. He received letters from his cotton factors in New Orleans about his cotton sales and the cotton market in England. Also included is a letter, 11 November 1835, from Thomas J. Shelton, requesting to be re-employed as Jones's overseer for 1836, expressing his desire to do a better job in the future by being tougher on the hands, and explaining past failures.
In 1836, there is a letter from Farrington & Son about making a cotton gin for Calvin Jones, and a letter from B. F. Richards about breeding Calvin Jones's horses. Jones had earlier shown interest in different farming techniques. Included in 1822 is a copy of a letter written by Calvin Jones to the American Farmer about techniques for fertilizing fields with lime. He also received a letter from Pomroy Jones about farming techniques for corn and wheat in 1829.
Many items relate to Calvin Jones's land transactions in North Carolina and Tennessee. He bought and sold numerous parcels of land in both states. Included are letters, receipts, indentures, and records of entries
of land. His brother Atlas Jones acted as his agent in many of his business deals and paid taxes on some of the parcels of land. In 1820 and 1821, most of
the letters are about Calvin Jones's efforts to purchase land. Another large portion of the items relate to the repayment
of loans owed to Jones. Included is correspondence from debtors and individuals employed by Jones to collect his debts.
There are also a few items that relate to slavery and slaves. In 1805, there is a letter from Governor Benjamin Williams about two runaway slaves belonging to Jones who had been caught and jailed. Also included is a typed transcription of a letter written by Calvin Jones
on 28 December 1830 to Governor Montfort Stokes about a rumored slave insurrection. Other letters, particularly in 1801, relate to the University of North Carolina.
Items of interest include the following:
| 1791 | 17 August, Starling Marshall in Petersburg, to his brother John, about social news and having seen an orangutan. |
| 1792 | John Kinchen of Franklin, to John Marshall of Halifax, Va. |
| 1795 | 21 April, Dr. Morse in Charlestown [signature cut off] to Dr. Calvin Jones in Smithfield, N.C., asking for certain information and corrections about the geography of North Carolina for his book. |
| 1798 | Ebenezer Jones to his son Calvin, giving advice about his future. Text (one page) of an address, dated 5 July, from President John Adams to the officers of the Johnston Regiment of Militia in the State of North Carolina. |
| 1800 | Surveyors reports for Edmond Stevens in Cumberland and Johnston counties. Land grant to Ezekiel Polk on Sugar Creek in Mecklenburg County, N.C. |
| 1801 | 17 January, from Goshen requesting a medical visit from Dr. Jones. John C. Osborn of New Bern, to Dr. Calvin Jones of Smithfield, about medical matters. Indenture, Ephraim Reese and Noah Woodard, for Tennessee land. |
| 5 August, Colonel William Polk at the Supervisor's Office in Raleigh, to Dr. Jones at Smithfield, about land titles. | |
| 5 October from R. Henderson to Archibald Murphey about opposition to the University of North Carolina. | |
| 1802 | William R. Davie to Calvin Jones, introducing Eli Whitney. Passport and character reference of Calvin Jones. |
| 1803 | Alexander Tate to Calvin Jones about jury duty. Atlas Jones of Chapel Hill to his brother Calvin about his studies and expenses at the University of North Carolina. |
| 1804 | 12 September, Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia to Calvin Jones, discussing in detail the treatments of a patient. |
| 7 December, Dr. Robert Fenner(?) at Coal Arbor to Dr. Jones at Raleigh, sending a lump of tin and mentioning a forthcoming North Carolina Medical Society meeting and court. | |
| 1805 | A board bill from October 1804 to February 1805 for Dr. Jones in Philadelphia. |
| 11 May, letter from John S. Fall in Alamance, Guilford County, who was studying medicine at home, about hoping to come up for examinations in December and mentioning possible arrangements to spend time learning under Dr. Calvin Jones or Dr. Cox. | |
| 5 July, Moses Hopkins in Great Barrington, Mass., to Jones, about a sum being collected as judgment following the last federal court, and commenting on Barnabas Bidwell's oration at Sheffield, and the Democrats and national politics. | |
| 1806 | 9 January, Samuel Latham Mitchell in Washington to Jones about a medical case and some current medical literature. Mitchell (1764-1831) was a United States Senator from New York, physician, naturalist, and professor. |
| 8 March, Dr. James Webb of Hillsboro to Dr. Jones in Raleigh, asking for information about hydrocele. | |
| 1807 | 9 June, John C. Osborn, a North Carolinian settling in New York to practice medicine, to Dr. Jones as secretary of the North Carolina Medical Society, about his prospects in New York and the schism between the Medical Society and the professors of the College. He requested a certificate of his membership in the Medical Society of North Carolina and discussed establishing the "Medical Institution in North Carolina." |
| 21 November, Colonel R. Sutherland of Wakefields to Calvin Jones in regard to certain lands and commenting on legislation about court arrangements and the organization of banking. | |
| 1808 | 14 May, letter of General Hardy Bryan of Smithfield, offering to be a candidate for a Monroe elector in Johnston, Wake, and Granville counties, N.C. |
| 16 October, Gerd Banks of Mount Pleasant, paying twenty dollars on account to General Jones. | |
| 1809 | 29 February, John W. Guion to General Calvin Jones in Raleigh about social and personal activities. |
| 1810 | Two letters from George Swain of Asheville, N.C., one describing how he became the local medical practitioner, and one describing one of his cases. |
| 25 March, Josiah Crudup of Louisburg to Dr. Jones about a medical condition. | |
| May, Patsy Brickell to Jones about a legal matter. | |
| 13 July, Dr. James Bogle of Louisburg to Jones about the money he owed him, the tediousness of his present employment, his eagerness to get into active medical practice, his use of an electrical machine to cure diseases, and his pupil (Newton). | |
| 1810-1815 | Scattered letters to the editors of the Star, a Raleigh newspaper. Calvin Jones, in partnership with Thomas Henderson, Jr., was editor and publisher of this newspaper between 1808 and 1815. |
| 1811 | Affidavit of A. R. Ruffin, taken before a committee of inquiry into the official conduct of Samuel Lowry. |
| 4 September, a copy of a letter from Calvin Jones at the attorney general's office in Raleigh to Lieutenant Colonel John Williams, Johnston Regiment, about a case in court involving Williams. | |
| 5 September, Reverend Joseph Caldwell in Chapel Hill, to Calvin Jones about recent disturbances among the students at the University of North Carolina and the measures taken to correct the situation. | |
| 29 September, Calvin Jones in Raleigh to Colonel McDonald, about laws governing the election of officers in the state militia in North Carolina. | |
| 13 October, William Arrington in Warrenton to General Calvin Jones about a legal matter in connection with the militia; also about a medical complaint. | |
| Letter to Samuel Norsworthy, member of the House of Commons from Johnston County, from "Peter Quiz." | |
| 1812 | 28 January, Captain William W. Hamilton to General Calvin Jones of Raleigh about the defense of Mobile Bay and other matters. |
| 27 April, Governor William Hawkins of North Carolina to Jones (fragment). | |
| 29 May, William S. Hamilton at Bayou Sarah near St. Francisville, La., to General Calvin Jones of Raleigh, evidently answering a request for information about a man named Wise, a gambler. | |
| 21 June, Calvin Jones to General Croom about military matters. | |
| June, petition to the governor of North Carolina from Wake County citizens urging his action in connection with recent legislation concerning the method of choosing electors. | |
| 29 July, Governor William Hawkins to Jones, inquiring whether returns were in so he could make a choice of officers. | |
| 12 November, draft of an unfinished letter by Calvin Jones at the Adjunct General's office in Raleigh. | |
| 24 November, bill for medical supplies from a New York supply house. | |
| 1813 | 8 February and 8 March letters relating to medical supplies. |
| James Roosevelt of New York to Calvin Jones and Thomas Henderson. | |
| William Gilmour of Petersburg to Jones about financial matters. | |
| 10 June, Daniel Bowen of Boston to Jones at Raleigh in response to a request to purchase a watch face for Jones. | |
| 15 July, Governor Barbour of Virginia to Jones, accepting his offer of a corps of volunteers to aid in the defense of Virginia. | |
| Cadwallader Jones to Calvin Jones accepting an appointment as aide-de-camp. | |
| 17 August, Governor David Stone to Jones about becoming a colonel in the United States Army. | |
| 1814 | 20 July, order from Robert Williams, Adjutant General of the Militia of North Carolina, to Calvin Jones, Major General of the 7th Division, about mobilizing 7000 men for immediate service if needed. |
| 1816 | Robert Bolling of Petersburg about the erection of public buildings in Petersburg. |
| Dr. Jesse F. Jones about collecting from Jones's debtors. | |
| Printed dinner invitation to Jones from James Madison. | |
| 1817 | Colonel James J. Hill to Major General Calvin Jones about his problems in raising a regiment from the Louisburg, N.C., area. |
| 17 March, military order from Major General Calvin Jones for a regimental muster at Halifax. | |
| 20 May, Halifax County, Robert Fenner's oath as aide-de-camp to Major General Jones. | |
| 2 June, Halifax County, Cad Jones's oath as Inspector of the 7th Division. | |
| 23 September, Atlas Jones at Pittsboro to his brother Calvin, mentioning a recent trip to the big bend of the Tennessee and other matters. | |
| 6 November, Colonel Thomas G. Polk to Jones about clemency in the case of Andrew Walker. | |
| 1817-1832 | A number of letters to Calvin Jones about his Tennessee land dealings. Some of the correspondents are: John C. McLemore, Atlas Jones, David Jarrett, Thomas C. Jones, and Colonel Robert H. Dyer. |
| 1818 | May, Martha Jones to Temperance B. Jones. |
| 26 May, invitation from the citizens of Nashville to Calvin Jones, signed by John P. Ervin, Felix Grundy, and John R. Eaton. | |
| 1819 | John Taylor of Caroline, Port Royal, Va., to Jones about his advancing age and curtailing his agricultural activities. |
| 15 January, James D. Massenburg of Southampton County, Va., to Jones. | |
| 24 January, Moses Mordecai to Jones regarding arrangements for collecting from the firm of the late John M. Johnson. | |
| 28 June, James Madison to Calvin Jones about purchasing a subscription to the Farmers Magazine. | |
| 6 August, letter from George Swain of Asheville to Jones, requesting his assistance for the Reverend Nathan Harrison and his blind son Thomas. | |
| 24 August, Thomas Watson of New Bern concerning a rolling press and a printing order for Jones. | |
| 8 December, John Beckwith of Salisbury about a medical case, his desire for digitalis seed for planting, and geological specimens. | |
| 1820 | 15 January, from Dr. White requesting help with a very ill patient. |
| 8 June, from Samuel Kramesh about an eye operation. | |
| 22 September, note on the health of Mrs. Jones. | |
| Calvin Jones to Temperance B. Jones, about buying land. | |
| John C. McLemore of Nashville, Tenn., about collecting from Jones's debtors and the results of his inquiries about land for Jones in Tennessee. | |
| 20 November, agreement about lands between Calvin Jones of North Carolina and Samuel Polk and Joseph Porter of Tennessee. | |
| Calvin Jones to George Outlaw of Windsor, Bertie County, N.C., about paying his debts. | |
| 1821 | Sworn deposition about Simon Alderson of Beaufort County and his heirs. |
| Andes Jones of Rocky Mount, N.C. to his brother Calvin, about collecting the latter's claims. | |
| DeWitt Clinton of Albany, N.Y., thanking Calvin Jones for a pamphlet. | |
| 8 November, Stephen Outterbridge of Louisburg to Jones, acknowledging receipt of money for Lucy Cargill Massenburg. | |
| 15 November, John Beckwith of Salisbury discussing prospects for his making a living practicing medicine in one of several places under consideration. | |
| 1822 | Copy of Calvin Jones's letter to John Grey Blount about fertilizers and farming methods. |
| 3 January, John D. Hawkins to Jones at Wake Forest, returning a harness. | |
| 6 February, Moses Hopkins at Great Barrington about ordering a cart from New England, training oxen, using plaster of Paris for soil building, and other items evidently in answer to questions about agriculture from Jones. | |
| 20 July, Calvin Jones at Wake Forest to Elizabeth Freeman at New Bern, about settling her father's estate. | |
| 21 August, Joel King at Louisburg to C. Jones, requesting that he remit boarding fees for Marriam Massenburg to Jordan Thomas. | |
| 6 December, John S. Skinner in Baltimore, Md., asking for the J. Cooper article on saving seed corn, which had been published by Jones. | |
| 1823 | Calvin Jones's appointment as postmaster at Wake Forest, N.C. |
| 1824 | Fifth Annual Report of the Raleigh Peace Society, of which Jones was president. |
| 1826 | Horace Jones of Troy, N.Y., to his brother Calvin about purchases Horace had made for Calvin. |
| 1827 | 25 February, Belus Jones, nephew, about a debt he owed his uncle Calvin. |
| 1828 | Mary Collins, to her nephew Calvin Jones, about her youth and staying with Jones's mother when he was a baby. |
| 17 January, Nancy McGibbon in Baltimore to Temperance B. Jones, thanking her for past hospitality and inquiring about her friends and relatives. | |
| 22 September, A. G. Glynn of Washington, D.C., about Masonic business and political issues. | |
| 1829 | Pomroy Jones of Westmorland, N.Y., to Calvin Jones about agricultural methods. |
| 4 October, Temperance B. Jones at Wake Forest to her husband while he was in Lexington, N.C., giving him news from home and discussing his search for a gold mine. | |
| 1830 | Calvin Jones to his wife, written from James Town, about the progress of his business. |
| 28 December, Jones to Governor Montfort Stokes about a rumored slave insurrection (typed transcription). | |
| 1830-1835 | Scattered personal letters to Calvin Jones from friends left behind in Wake Forest and Smithfield, N.C., giving information about friends and conditions in North Carolina. Several of these letters were from David Thomson of Smithfield. |
| 1831 | Colonel Davy Crockett to Calvin Jones about selling his lands to pay his debts and his desire to lease some of Jones's Tennessee lands. |
| 1832 | 19 December, Henry A. Donaldson at Wake Forest to Calvin Jones at Bolivar, Tenn., giving him news of home and family and commenting on state and national political affairs. |
| 1834 | 21 April, William Donaldson at Wake Forest to Jones in Tennessee, about Jones's business interests and affairs in North Carolina, including his gold mines and debts due him. |
| 1835 | Calvin Jones, Bolivar, Tenn., to William D. Lindeman, a Raleigh bookseller, who wanted information about business conditions in western Tennessee. |
| 25 May, H. A. Donaldson in Wake Forest to Calvin Jones about business arrangements; the Constitutional Convention in Raleigh; William Donaldson's plans to go to Texas; and H. A. Donaldson's plans to move his family to Mobile, Ala. | |
| 11 June, 24 July, Calvin Henderson of Somerville, Tenn., to Jones, in regards to Jones's suit against John Cole. | |
| Willis Reeves of Fayette County, Tenn., about a judgement in a lawsuit and crops. | |
| 6 August, letter from Dr. Benjamin Winslow Dudley of Lexington about his medical principles. | |
| 4 September, 20 December, John Houston Bills to Jones. | |
| 22 October, Edmund D. Jarvis of Nashville about business conducted in the House of Representatives. Also included are similar letters dated 23 November 1835 and 23 January and 17 September 1836. | |
| 11 November, to Jones from his overseer, Thomas G. Shelton. | |
| 13 November, Atlas Jones to his brother Calvin, concerning litigation over land, collecting debts, and the departure of Colonel Davy Crockett with a band of thirty armed men. | |
| 2 December, Calvin Jones to Edmund D. Jarvis, a rough draft of a letter about land claims, criticism of the administration and local law enforcement, and remarks on Colonel Davy Crockett. | |
| 8 December, Judge John Sibley of Natchitoches, La., about the Texas Revolution and a fight involving Major Haskell and a man named Sears. | |
| 1836 | 23 February, Hon. W. C. Dunlap of Washington, D.C., to Calvin Jones. |
| 5 April, John M. Felder of Orangeburg, S.C., concerning Jones's claim against Needham Davis. | |
| 2 September, Joab Wilson to Calvin Jones with directions for building a cotton gin wheel. | |
| 1837 | 26 December, W. H. Wood to General Edwin Polk, about the death of Polk's mother. Edwin Polk was Calvin Jones's son-in-law. |
| Item concerning the examinations of students attending Lafayette Academy in Hardeman County, Tenn. Calvin Jones served on the board of examiners. |
1785-1801
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2
1802-1804
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Digital version: Letter from Atlas Jones to Calvin Jones, [April 1803] |
1805-1809
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4
1810-1811
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Digital version: Letter from Joseph Caldwell to Calvin Jones, 5 September 1811 |
1812
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6
1813
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7
1814
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8
1815-1819
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9
1820-1821
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10
1822-1824
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11
1825-1829
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12
1830-1833
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13
1834
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14-15
1835
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16
1836
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17
1837-1838
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1.2. Jones family, 1839-1846.
About 100 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly letters between members of the Jones family. Several of the children were away at school during these years and wrote home to their parents. Letters from Montezuma Jones at the University of North Carolina from 1841 through 1843 are included. He wrote about events, such as helping a neighbor put out a fire in his room and seeing
a patriot's corpse pass through town. He also wrote about his health, his studies, and his finances. Also included is a letter
from Elisha Mitchell, professor at the University of North Carolina, to Calvin Jones, containing information on Montezuma Jones's account balance. Montezuma periodically mentioned "Gov. Swain" in his letters, referring to the president of the University of North Carolina, David Lowry Swain, who apparently was the son of Calvin Jones's old friend, George Swain of Asheville, N.C.
Octavia Jones was apparently attending school in Columbia, Tenn., in 1841 (possibly at Columbia Female Institute) and received a few letters. Paul Jones attended school in La Grange, Ala., in 1845 and received letters from his brother Montezuma and sister Octavia.
In 1844, Calvin Jones and his daughter Octavia took a trip to Europe. Included in the papers are his passport, bills and receipts from the voyage, a letter of introduction, and several letters
to them from friends and relatives. Calvin wrote from Paris to his son Paul describing his trip, especially visits to Versailles and the Louvre. See Series 2, folders 58-59, for additional information about this trip.
Also included are scattered letters to and from other family members, letters from friends, a few business letters to Calvin
Jones, and a letter to James Wood (relationship to Jones unknown) from a man whose overseer had caught one of Wood's slaves.
The series ends in 1846 with the death of Calvin Jones on 20 September 1846. An epitaph for Jones is included in the papers.
1839-1842
Folder
19
1843-1844
Folder
20
1845-1846
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1.3. Montezuma Jones, 1847-1879.
About 600 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly the business papers of Montezuma Jones, son of Calvin Jones. Most of the papers are bills, receipts, promissory notes, indentures for land, loan agreements, tax
receipts, and other financial and legal documents. There is very little correspondence, and the letters that are included
chiefly relate to business matters.
Most items document Montezuma Jones's efforts to grow and sell cotton and his land transactions. Included are statements from cotton factors, receipts for shipping, and other items relating to the cotton trade. Montezuma Jones chiefly used cotton factors in Memphis, Tenn. Papers representing his land transactions include indentures and correspondence about land sales. Many papers are bills and accounts for supplies. There are also bills of sale for slaves and an 1850 letter from a man who caught several of Montezuma Jones's runaway slaves.
Montezuma Jones was also involved in business interests outside the cotton trade. Papers show that he contracted to do work
on the Mississippi Central and Tennessee Railroad in 1855. There are also letters describing a business started by his cousins for which he lent money in 1858.
There are only a few items relating to the Civil War. They include a letter from William R. Johnston in 1862 about acquaintances serving in the army and news of the war. Johnston occasionally wrote to Montezuma Jones about
the progress of Jones's crops and was probably an overseer for Jones. Also included is a letter from F. T. Wood about a party of Union soldiers who took his stock and threatened to burn his house down. There are also a permit, 1864, issued by the United States government,
allowing Montezuma Jones to transport and sell cotton in Memphis, and a certificate permitting him to vote in 1865. Some items show that he hired freedmen to work for him, and there is an 1867 document showing that Montezuma Jones transported forty freedmen from Georgia to Bolivar, Tenn., under the auspices of the federal government.
The few personal items include a letter in 1853 to Octavia Jones Polk from her cousin, who mentioned, among other things, that she and her family had managed to get out of Vicksburg before yellow fever appeared. There are two letters written during the Civil War by R. H. Wood, who was serving in the Confederate Army, to his parents. His relationship to the Jones family is unclear. He wrote about the army's movements and gave his opinion
of General Polk. Wood was stationed at Camp Columbus and Camp Beauregard. In 1866, Tempri(?) Jones, believed to be the daughter of Montezuma Jones, wrote from school in Florence, Ala. In 1872, Paul Tudor Jones, Jr., received a letter from Chapman Maupin about prestigious medical schools in Germany; Paul was apparently planning to study medicine. There is also a group of personal letters to William Jones, son of Paul Tudor Jones, Jr., in 1876 and 1877, containing family news.
1847-1949
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22
1850-1851
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23
1852
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24
1853
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25
1854
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26
1855
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27
1856-1857
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28
1858-1859
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29
1860
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30
1861-1862
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31
1863-1865
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32
1866
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33
1867
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34
1868
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35
1869
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36
1870-1871
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37
1872
Folder
38
1873-1879
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1.4. Edwin Polk, 1830-1907.
About 200 items.
Arrangement: by subject.
Correspondence of Edwin Polk, Calvin Jones's son-in-law. The bulk of the items are personal correspondence between Polk and his wife, Octavia Jones Polk. Almost all the letters from Polk to his wife were written from Nashville, Tenn., where he was a member of the state legislature from 1847 to 1854. His letters are chiefly expressions of his love, but also contain comments on his life in Nashville; mutual
friends; Sarah Polk, widow of James K. Polk; and on matters pending before the Judiciary Committee, bills for internal improvements, and for establishing common schools in Tennessee. Additionally, the political papers reflect on politics and legislative matters, including correspondence with other members of the legislature, drafts and notes of bills, lists of voters by parties, invitations
to attend political clubs, and receipts from hotels in Nashville. Also included are letters and a pamphlet defending the late Colonel Ezekiel Polk, against charges that he was a loyalist during the Revolutionary War. The business papers primarily reflect Polk's interest in the Bolivar-LaGrange Railroad Company, and include correspondence, minutes of a meeting, a draft of a speech on the importance of railroads, and a bill to authorize subscriptions for stock.
Personal correspondence and writings, 1830-1907
Folder
40
Edwin and Octavia Polk correspondence, transcription
Folder
41
Political papers, 1844-1854
Folder
42
Business papers, 1849-1854
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1.5. James W. Jones, 1880-1929.
About 100 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly correspondence, some business and some personal, of James W. Jones, an attorney, member of the Tennessee legislature, and son of Montezuma Jones. Scattered letters of other members of the Jones family are also included. Among the letters to James W. Jones is one from Senator John Sharp Williams in which he gave his views on an eight-hour work day for railroad workers.
The letters from 1919 are chiefly thank-you notes to Marshall DeLancey Haywood, who wrote a book on Calvin Jones and sent it to libraries and to prominent associations and individuals.
1880-1899
Folder
44
1900-1915
Folder
45
1916-1919
Folder
46
1920-1929
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1.6. Undated.
About 150 items.
Undated items have been arranged by type: correspondence, writings, financial items, and miscellaneous items. Undated correspondence
is about half family letters and half letters from acquaintances and business associates. Included are several letters to
Calvin Jones and a letter to Montezuma Jones about treating a boy (slave?) for a disease of the jawbone. Also included is a letter written by Edwin Polk, husband of Octavia Jones Polk, about Indian mounds in his fields in Tennessee. Writings appear to relate chiefly to Calvin Jones, although few of them are signed. Included is a speech to the Masons, military writings, letters to the editors of the Star and the American Farmer, writings on religion, resolutions made by a railroad company, instructions relating to agriculture and medical treatment, and an item signed "Clinton" on the importance of railroads. Financial items consist chiefly of bills and receipts. Among the miscellaneous items are surveyor reports and legal documents.
Correspondence
Folder
48-49Writings
Folder
50Financial materials
Folder
51Miscellaneous
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2. Journals, Memo Books, and Other Volumes, 1811-1872 and undated.
36 items.
Volumes have been arranged by owner, except for two school notebooks and a 1994 volume of transcribed letters that appear
in Subseries 2.4. The majority of the volumes belonged to Calvin Jones; the others belonged to Montezuma Jones, Frances Irene
Jones, or William Jones.
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2.1. Calvin Jones, 1811-1844 and undated.
25 items.
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2.1.1. Travel Journals, 1813-1844.
12 items.
Folder
52
1813-1817, 100 p. Journal of Jones's trips in North Carolina and a trip to Columbia, S.C., in 1815, describing Chatham, Moore, and Richmond counties, and a stop at Camden before reaching Columbia. On his return, Jones visited Catawba Indian settlements, Charlotte, and Salisbury. He listed distances, expenses, and the names of persons he met in Columbia and the Indian settlements. A typed transcription
is included.
Folder
53-54
1815, 138 p. Description of a trip made to Washington, D.C., in February-March, just after the War of 1812 had ended. Jones traveled by stage from Raleigh, N.C., to Washington, spent several weeks there, and then returned on horseback through Harpers Ferry, down the Shenandoah Valley and across the Blue Ridge. While in Washington, he attended meetings of the House and the Senate, dined with politicians, and wrote extensive descriptions of his experiences and the people he met. He discussed soldiers' rations, state militias, medical treatments, the peace settlement ending the War of 1812, newspaper publishing, Congressional debates, pleadings before the Supreme Court, political prejudices, and natural marvels. A typed transcription is included.
Folder
55-56
1818, 131 p. Journal of trips to view possible land purchases in Tennessee and what is now northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, containing observation on lands traveled through, appearances of towns and villages, Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians, individuals met, and medical treatments for patients with diseases of the eye. A typed transcription is included.
Folder
57
1820, 66 p. A pocket journal with notes describing the exploration of Western District lands along the Forked Deer River for a government land lottery, which contains lists of distances and expenses. Dated entries begin on 22 September and end the middle of October. A typed
transcription is included.
Folder
58-59
1844, 132 p. and 45 p. Two pocket journals of trip to Europe, May-September, written by Calvin Jones and Octavia Jones contain descriptions of towns in France, Germany, Belgium, England, and Ireland; people they met on the journey; and food they ate. Also included are copies of letters written by Calvin Jones to Montezuma Jones and his wife Temperance. A typed transcription is included.
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2.1.2. Farm Journal, 1820-1835.
1 item.
Folder
601820-1835 (V-921/S-1). Index of topics followed by several pages of daily entries of work done on Calvin Jones's plantations between 1820 and 1834. There are only a few entries for each year. Initially, he wrote about his plantations in Wake Forest, N.C., and later about his plantations in Tennessee. The rest of the volume is devoted to daily entries or miscellaneous jottings on various topics. Headings include Plows,
Plowing, Farming Enquiries, Miscellaneous Enquiries (sic) to be made in the American Farmer, and Hogs. Jones wrote on various farming techniques as well as his own research and observations. Under Spinning and Weaving, he noted the total production of his slaves for the year and wrote that he would pay a woman $60 a year to supervise them. There is also a section on overseers in that describes in detail the faults of several of his overseers and also their good qualities. He wrote about agricultural experiments with corn, tips on growing cotton, and cotton machines and equipment. Towards the end of the volume, there is a list, in another handwriting, of slaves on E. Polk's farm. E. Polk was probably Edwin Polk, husband of Octavia Jones.
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2.1.3. Memo Books, 1822-1845 and undated.
8 items.
Folder
61
1822-1823, 61 p. Pocket memo book with lists of purchases and work to be done, and notes on farming techniques, including horizontal plowing and planting potatoes.
Folder
62
1828, 27 p. Pocket memo book with lists of letters to write, work to be done, and carpentry work, with directions and drawings
to build a corn shelter.
Folder
63
1840-1841, 49 p. Pocket memo book with lists of goods purchased and crops of 1840, and short journal entries including notes planning
for trip to Paris.
Folder
64
1841, 31 p. Pocket memo book containing notes, lists of names and things to do, and entries concerning business with constables.
Folder
65
1844, 29 p. Pocket memo book containing several journal entries pertaining to a trip from Bolivar, Tenn., to New York, the first leg of a journey abroad. Various lists reflect preparations for the trip, accommodations, itemized expenses, the
journey up the Ohio River, and notes on events and people in Washington, D.C., and New York. A typed transcription is included.
Folder
66
1844-1845, 63 p. Pocket memo book containing lists of items wanted from New Orleans; books; crops of 1834, 1840, and 1845; sketches of plots of land; and a few journal entries, including a note chronicling
return from the European tour.
Folder
67No date, 75 p. Pocket memo book with missing cover containing lists of books, work to be done at home, letters to write, a
plantation to sell, and notes on law business.
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2.1.4. Other Volumes, 1799-1824.
5 items.
Folder
68
1799-1803, 124 p. Bound military pamphlets, including Instructions to be Observed for the Formations and Movements of the Calvary, William Richardson Davie, 180 p., with pullouts; Instructions to the Officers of the Second Brigade of North Carolina Militia, Calvin Jones, 16 p. (1799); A Plan of a Military Academy, Joseph Graham, 16 p (1803); and An Act to Revise and Amend the Militia Laws, 28p. (n.d.).
Folder
69
1811, 31 p. Pocket notebook with a list of balances due Calvin Jones for S. Fuller to collect.
Folder
70
1816-1817, 18 p. State Bank checkbook containing balances, notes on the account, and a list of things to do.
Folder
71
1820, 20 p. Materials compiled by the North Carolina General Assembly, including North Carolina Statistical Tables, detailing population, commerce, agriculture, finances, and military force.
Folder
72
1824, 12 p. Orders and Instructions for Conducting the Review of a Regiment, Calvin Jones.
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2.2. Montezuma Jones, 1851-1872.
4 items.
Folder
73
1851-1866, 143 p. Ledger with "Negro accounts and payments," including what are probably slave accounts, accounts of various Jones and Polk family members, and a table for lost time.
Folder
74
1862-1863, 13 p. Pocket account book with accounts of various Jones family members.
Folder
75
1869-1871, 70 p. Ledger with accounts for various Jones family members and others.
Folder
76
1870-1872, 60 p. Pocket account book with accounts of various Jones and Polk family members.
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2.3. Frances Irene Jones, 1869-1871.
2 items.
Diary and scrapbook of Frances Irene Jones (Fannie), daughter of Montezuma Jones, written when she was in her early teens, presumably in Bolivar, Tenn. Fannie Jones wrote about subjects of interest to a teenaged girl--events during Christmas in 1869, her return to school, her school friends, studying, and other activities at school. She also mentioned two families of gypsies camping near town and seeing an organ grinder and his monkey perform one day. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings
on many topics, including several biographical sketches of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and other leaders of
the woman's suffrage movement.
1869-1871, 33 p. Diary with a few entries for each year.
Folder
78
1870, 127 p. Scrapbook of newspaper clippings pasted in an old ledger, wi