The Papers of Hamilton Fish (1808-1893), U.S
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MANUSCRIPT DIVISION The Papers of HAMILTON FISH The papers of Hamilton Fish (1808-1893), U.S. Representative and Senator for New York, Governor of New York, and U.S. Secretary of State, were peposited in the Library of Congress by Hamilton Fish, Jr., in 1938. In 1943 Mr. Fish converted the deposit to a gift. Additions to the papers were contributed by members of the Fish family and purchased, 1963-74. .. Microjilm editions of Fish's diary, 1869-77, on 6 reels, and his Governor's papers, l836~50J on 18 reels, are available from the Library's Photopuplication Service for purchase subject to the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.). These microfilm editions may also be requested on interlibrary loan through the Library's Loan Division. Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 109.2 Approximate number of items: 61,000 PlEASE rIlTE . fa.;t,·a.lly THIS COu.ECTIOO HAS BEENj1ICROFU.MED: Am lM)ER TIiE RULES OF TIiE LIBRARY, WHEN MICROFIlJ1 COPIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR TIiE USE OF READERS IN TIiE READING ROOM, TIiE ORIGINAL ~USCRIPTS WILL NOT BE f'lADE AVAILABLE FOR REFERENCE USE. READERS MAY WISH TO NOTE TIiAT MICROFIlJ1 IS AVAILABLE ON INTERLIBRARY lOAN. loAN REOOESTS f1JST BE ORIGINATED BY A LIBRARY WITIi AN INTERLIBRARY LOAN AGREEM:NT WITIi TIiE LIBRARY OF CooGRESS: Am REQUESTS SH:U.D BE SENT TO TIiE CHIEF, loAN DIVISION, LIBRARY OF CoNGRESS, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20540. i ~ ~ 3 ~ >1 PLEASE NOTE ~ ~ --:1 , Item indexes to some papers-principally correspondence- 15 H U'l in some collections in the Hanuscript Division are available. ~. Q In the case of S01!le collections, available indexes are incom tl: • plete, covering only son::e ];Brts or series "dthin the collections• ~ ~ ~ Sor::e indexes have been p:-ep9.red by the starf of the Hanu ~ script Division; others have been received from the donors of ~ the collections j and in a few cases indexes have been prepared {f} t$ by' others and given to the Library. As a consequence, format, H accuracy, and completeness vary from index to index. ~U For this collection, such an index is available. Please ~ ask a Reading Room staff member for assistance in locating or ~ 'I using the index. I~ j §\ .~ I .( :,,"'~ .; ~ .. ! . I I I, 2 Biographical Ilote ') 1808, Aug. 3 Born, ric...., York City ...J ,..J 1827 Graduat.ed, Columbia College j 1830 Admitted to the oar, Uew York City :> ... 1836 Harried Julia Kea.:l ~ 1843-45 U.S. Representative ~ ~ ~ 1846 Unsuccessful Whig candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Ne',.j York -i5 fl -i > 1847-49. Lieutenant Goven:::.c= of r:TeT,.j York -i ::::) '-< 1849-5'1 Governor of New Yo!"S:. ~ ~ 1851-57 U.S. Senator ~ 1854-93 President-general 0:': the Society of the ~ Cincinnati ~ ~ 1859-93 Served on Board of' Trustees of Colu:::ibia College f:5 U) 1861-65 Served on Union re:':en~e Co~ttee ti H 1869-77 U.S. Secretarj of State 1893, Sept. 6 Died, Garrison-on-R'..l.dson~ rT.Y. iu ~ ~ ~ ~ § ~ . i Ii .. J 3 Scope 'IDd Content irote 'l'he ap!)roxima.tely 61,000 items in the Ramiltcn Fi5~1 papers span th.e year3 from 1732 to 1914, llUt ":~h.e buli: of t~1-:; ~;;llect.j ('n falls in the period bet;f,=en 1840 an·l J0:)0. The papers are organi zed aroll.:.'1d t'.;o long correspondence series, The first, consisting of bO'.l!ld vol1J.!!j,-:s of incoming letters, extends from 1804 to 189)+ 8..."ld includes a partial index. Tne second, letter press copybooks, covers the years fro~ 1~31 to 1893; each v01uree in ~his S.:::'ries in individ'..~ally indeze:L Depa~t:rr:e:J.:':; c7: State files, scrapbo.::lks, Governor's papers, jourc.als and.dia.ries, a. subject file, mfscellany, and tra."lscripts of corres.;?:mdence prepared by John Bassett Moore (1860-1947) complete t!:e:!ollection: Much of the collection is rele.:;;-:;':;' -:'0 ?i~~;:!.' s car",,:)j:' as Secretar.T of State in the two adoinistrations :.i.~ t.."1.ysses S. G""_~a.?1:'. The Depart ment of State" :f'i'les include bound V'Cl~J:::!es Ofdi'plor::a.:.::c and domestic drafts and are complemented by draf'::-s, transcripts, acc:ounts it< me~or anda, a..."ld report.. , all related. to t:::'e conduct of tg..~~-:Prel:gri a.ff8.l.rs of the nation. There is consid.ers.:;:,l::: r:a.teriel relei:.!hg to the Alabama claims and the Treaty of l"as:2.ir::gton. Other subjects include Canadian recipro':!ity, fisheries, Cubs., Spa.:i.n~ Santo Domingo, and Haiti, 'l'he renark:3.bly detailed dia....:r k=~:t by Fish du.:::--i':lg bis tenure as Secretary of State is represented b7 a typec cO~J~ p~pared by John Bassett Moore) as T.rell as the seven. voll~Qs of the original manuscript. Tile diary has also been reproduced on. mic:::-ofilm. Tne correspondence series reflect the wide range of Fish's interests ar-d career. There is much political correspondence, both State and national; letters written in his capacities as Governor . of New York and Secretary of State are included, as well as many business and family letters and correspondence relating to the Society of the Cinciunati. Papers relating to Fish's te~ a.s C~ve~or contain his annual Eessages and a few of his veto messages~ but the b~ of the series consists of applications for office and pardons. Correspondents represented in the papers include Cha.rles Francis Adams, Amos T. Akerman, Henry B. ,Anthony, c.."lester A. Arthu:r ~ J, Hubley Ashton, OX'ville E. Babcock, Ada.m. Badeau, George Bancroft, James l4. \ '" Barrien, VI. T,f. Belknap, John A. Bingham, James G. Blaine, George W. 4 B=!-unt, George S. Boutwell, Benj~:! H. Brister..r, Benjard~!' F. Butler, J0hn L. CadTvraladel', Si,L;1or! :~'am~r()n, 7,3.c·~_a:d a...~ C"!:a:.dler, S'l::!.!Jon P. Chase, Robert S. Chew, George W. C'1ildE. Roscoe Cor~ling, John A. J. Creswell, HilHam H. Crosby, P.ndr~m G. Curtin, C:aleb Cushing, ,J. C. () B2J1Croft D'3.vis, Co2.u:!lbus Delano, JO':ln A. Dix, George F. Ed:nlL"His. vTillian:. t-i. Evarts, rIillnrd rill1!l'~E'e) Fr;::c:erick 1.'. Fre.ling;::'_'ys2n, ~ Asa Bird Gardiner, James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Gr~~t) Horace Greeley, 3 Mos es H. Grinnell, Alexander Ha~j It:J:~, Jr., Rutherfo'!"cl .a. Haye3, Ebenezer R. Hoar, \.Jashington H1.Ll'lt, ':02.1 Jay, :t{e,rshall Jewell, Frands J Lieber, t;filliam. L. ~Jfa:ccy, H. F. r·!a:c.lJ:.""'J, Benjamin l'!oran, E. D. Morg::l.n, >I Robert H. Morris, OliYer P. Morto::l, Zo:~n 1. Mo:'1ey, Ed-wards Pierrepont, ~ John ll.eredith Read, ;Ul1ie.m A. Ric~:?~,!,,(l.son, George U. P.obeson, Rotert ~ C. Schenck, John SC:lu,yler, \'Tinfi:l:l S::!'Jtt, iE2.::ia.= E. Sew-ard, Jo-nu ...::j Sherman, Daniel E. Sickles, Charles S'x-J1er, Zacharj ?av-lor, B1ihu B. Washburne, Thurlow I-Teed, George E. ~';i2..lia,.'nS, end F,o"::lert C. Winthrop. ~ -i There is a: card index to the co:::'res,;o:rG.ence aYailable in the Ha.'1uscript J) -i ...- Diyi3ion Reading Roem • .t'!o: ~ ~..• Cl .An addition to the Hamilton Fis'i :;::::..pe!'s ,,;,-as appe:1ded in f._pril ~ 1978. It consists of those Fish ::;:=-;e!"";;; receive·i by tce Library in ~ - 1963-14. This series is co~osed ~cs~~y of co=stitvent correspondence ~ . to: pongressma."l. Fish, chiefly 1844-1:.5, and inclu:::'es ~qu.ests for favors and gove~eutal publicatiD=s a3 rlel1 as re~ecting concern for ~ nation91 isSues such as the annexatio::l of Texas. Z1ere is also ~ some personal correspondence bet7een :i5h an~ ~nO~~3 B. Dibb1ee, J. R. E:i Van 'f\ensselear, and others. The re~"i rrder of "?.e 9i:'Cition is com:posed largely of bills a:c.d receipts held '0::- :'iichola..s .Fish. ~ til 3H U~ ~ :x..~ g i j I ~ I , i! ~ J I ,J Description of Series Container Reel Nos. Nos. Series 1 J 1-182 Correspondence, 1804-94 and undated. 182 containers. 3 Letters received, chronologically arranged,_with partial index. 3 183-231 Letter Copybooks, 1831-93. 49 containers. Letterpress copies of letters sent, chronologically arranged. Volumes individually indexed., ----.-.~--~..~-----.~ 232-289 Department of State Files, 1776-1893. 58 containers. Drafts, instructions, notes, reports, memoranda, correspondence, and printed matter, relating to Fish's career as Secretary of State. Chronologically arranged in part. 290-309 1-18* Governor's Papers 1836-50. 20 containers. Correspondence, messages, petitions, and reports, relating to Fish I s•. term as Governor of New York • • Largely petitions for pardon and application for offices. Arranged by subject. 310-321 1-6** Journals and Diaries, 1849-77. 12 containers. ~....t 3"-321 Daily journal, 1849, 1850; diary, 1851; and a 1861-'7 diary in 7 volumes, 1869-77, with typed copies. 322-326 Subject File, 1845-88 and undated. 5 containers. Largely printed matter and legal papers arranged by subject. 327-336 Scrapbooks, ca. 1845-91. 19 containers. Newspaper clippings on a variety of subjects. 337-355 Moore Copies, 1732-1914. 19 containers. Typed copies of correspondence selected and prepared by John Bassett Moore, principally from the first two series (containers 1-231), with his notes, memoranda, and correspondence relating to Fish. *Shelf number 18,746 **Shelf number 17,634 6 Container Nos.