James Buchanan and Harriet (Lane) Johnston
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Registers ofPapers in the Manuscript Division ofthe Library ofCongress James Buchanan and Harriet (Lane) Johnston MANUSCRIPT DMSION LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON 1979 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data United States. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. James Buchanan and Harriet (Lane) Johnston: a register and index of their papers in the Library of Congress. (Register of papers in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress) 1. Buchanan, James, Pres. U.S., 1791-1868 Manuscripts-Catalogs. 2. Johnston, Harriet Lane, 1830-1903-Manuscripts-Catalogs.3. United States-Politics and government-1849-1861 Sources-Bibliography-Catalogs.4. Pennsylvania Politics and government-1775-1865-Sources Bibliography-Catalogs. 5. United States-Popular culture-Sources-Bibliography -Catalogs. 6. United States. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division-Catalogs. I. Title. II. Series: United States. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. Registers of papers in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress; no. 55. Z6616.B865U55 1979 [E337.8.B9] ISBN 0-8444-0278-8 016.9736'8'0922 78-27313 ISSN 0083-1611 Key Title: Registers of papers in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress Available from the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 ii PREFACE Since about 1950 "registers" have been the basic rmding aids prepared to facilitate use of collections in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. Since 1958 a limited number of registers have been selected for publication and distribution. A list of these, current to the date of this publication, appears on the back cover. A complete list is available in the current issue of Library ofCongress Publications in Print. A register provides the essential information about a manuscript collection: its provenance and conditions of administration; its scope and general content; a biographi cal note about the person or family group whose papers it contains; its organization into series; and a container list. When combined with an index, it enables the user to locate individual manuscripts. Nevertheless, it is an aid to research, not a substitute for it. Some additional information about a collection may be secured by correspondence with the Manuscript Divis~on, but detailed inquiries must be satisfied by a researcher's examination of the collection itself. This register and index have been prepared to assist in such examination. iii LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MANUSCRIPT DIVISION The Papers of JAMES BUCHANAN and HARRIET (LANE) JOHNSTON The Library's collection of the papers of ~ames Buchanan (1791-1868), J.>resident of the United States, and his niece and White House hostess, Harriet (Lane) Johnston (1830-1909), was chiefly the gift of Mrs. Johnston's cousin, Miss May S. Kennedy, in' 1918. The papers have been augmented by additional Buchanan material acquired by the Library through gift, transfer, and purchase, 1903-73. The papers were arranged and described in 1976 by Wilhelmena B. Curry, who prepared this ,register and.index. A microfihll edition of these papers on 4 reels is available from the Library's Photo duplication Service for purchase subject to the Copyright Law ofthe United States (Title 17, U.S.C.). This microfilm edition may also be requested oninterlibrary loan through the Li~rary's Loan Division. Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 1.6 Approximate number of items: 1,200 1 Biographical Note JAMES BUCHANAN 1791, Apr.. 23 Born, Cove Gap (near Mercersburg), Franklin Co., Pa. 1809 Graduated from Dickinson College 1812 Admitted to the bar of Lancaster, Pa. 1819 Death of fiancee, Ann Coleman 1821-31 U.S. Representative from 4th District of Pennsylvania 1832-33 U.S. Minister to Russia 1834-45 'U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania 1845-49 U.S. Secretary of State in the Polk administration 1853-56 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain ]854 Coauthor of Ostend Manifesto 1857, Mar. 4 Inaugurated as President of the United States ]860 South Carolina seceded from the Union 1861, Mar. 4 Lincoln inaugurated; Buchanan retired to Wheatland (near Lancaster, Pa.) 1866 Publication of Mr. Buchanan's Administration (New York, D. Appleton. 296 p.) 1868, June I Died, Wheatland, Pa. HARRIET (LANE) JOHNSTON 1830, May 9 Born, Mercersburg, Franklin Co., Pa. 1840 Attended the Misses Crawford boarding school, Lancaster, Pa. 1841 Became ward of her uncle, James Buchanan 1843 Attended boarding school in Charleston, Va. (now W. Va.) 1846-48 Enrolled in the Academy of the Visitation, Georgetown, D.C. 1857-61 Served as White House hostess 2 1866 Married Henry Elliott Johnston, banker from Baltimore, Md. 1903, July 3 Died, Narragansett Pier, R.I. 1912 Opening of the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children, as part of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md., .established from the Harriet (Lane) Johnston estate funds '.', t .. ,. 3 Scope and Content Note This collection of papers is divided into three series: the James Buchanan Papers, the Harriet (Lane) Johnston Papers, and a Special Documents File of photocopies and tran scripts. TIle papers of James Buchanan span the years 1825-68 and bulk largest in the years prior to the election of 1856. They consist chiefly of correspondence but include notes, drafts of remarks made in the House of Representatives, Department of State com missions and transmittals to foreign service officers, land patents, petitions, a Presidential message to Congress, and clippings. Among the topics discussed in the papers are Demo cratic politics in Pennsylvania and the Nation, Joel R. Poinsett's negotiations with Mexico, the Cumberland Road, the Delaware Canal, the Oregon question, relaxation of the blockade of Mexico, British attempts to obtain a marine postal monopoly, trade treaties, Democratic Presidential possibilities and the convention of 1852, and anti Buchanan attacks in the New York Herald. Harriet (Lane) Johnston's papers span the years 1846-87 but are concentrated in the period 1855-66. TIley consist chiefly of letters received and are concerned with such topics as ladies' fashions, social affairs, and romantic ventures. Also included are some letters of her husband, Henry E. Johnston, and others concerning the selection of a biographer of James Buchanan and efforts to provide financial support for such a work. TIle Special Documents File consists of photocopies of selected Buchanan material, the originals of which are in other repositories, and typed transcripts of Buchanan letters from various collections in the Library of Congress and elsewhere. This series has not been filmed. Other Buchanan material In addition to the papers described above, other Buchanan correspondence in the Library is contained in many of the collections of his contemporaries. The principal Buchanan collection, however, which constitutes approximately 90 percent of his extant papers, is in the custody of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. This collection has been reproduced on 60 reels of microfIlm, and a positive copy is available in the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. 4 Description of Series Container Nos. Series 1-2 Series 1: James Buchanan Papers, 1825-68 and undated. General correspondence and other material of James Buchanan, including notes and drafts of remarks made while he selVed in the House of Representatives and as President of the United States, arranged chronologically and indexed by item. 3-4 Series 2: Harriet (Lane) Johnston Papers, 1846-87 and undated. Correspondence, chiefly letters received, chronologically arranged and indexed by item. 4 Series 3: Special Documents File, 1826-61 and undated. Photocopies, 1838-59. Copies of documents from collections in other repositories, arranged chronologically. Indexed by item but not fIlmed. Typewritten transcripts, 1826-61 and undated. Chronologically arranged. Not fIlmed nor indexed. 5 Container List Series 1: JAMES BUCHANAN PAPERS, 1825-68 AND UNDATED Container Nos. Reel Nos. Contents 1* Jan. 8, 1825-~c.26, 1840 Jan. 20, 1841-Dec. 26, 1843 Feb. 6-Dec. 24, 1844 Jan.20-Dec.29,1845 Jan. 12-June 17, 1846 June 22-Sept. 26, 1846 Oct. 7, 1846-Mar. 17, 1847 Mar. 19-July 15, 1847 July 19-Nov. 23, 1847 Dec. 2, 1847-Jan. 2, 1848 Jan.3-May 16, 1848 2 ]-2 May ]8, 1848-Feb. 12, 1849 Feb. 16, 1849-July 1, 1851 Aug. 10, 1851-Mar. 20, 1852 Mar. 29, 1852-Feb. 3, 1853 Feb.6-May 10, 1853 May 24, 1853-Jan. 9, 1855 Jan.20-Nov.30, 1855 Dec. 4 1855-Mar. 27, 1856 Apr. 3, 1856-June 10, 1859 May 3, 1860-June 26, 1863 Aug. 3, 1863-Jan. 2, 1868 and undated Series 2: HARRIET (LANE) JOHNSTON PAPERS, 1846-87 AND UNDATED 3 3 Feb. 14, 1846-Jan. 18, 1856 Feb. 5, 1856-June 28, 1858 July 13, 1858-Sept. 7, 1859 Sept. 19, 1858-Feb. 25, 1860 May 5-Sept. 25, 1860 Oct. 7-Dec. 28, 1860 Jan.5-July 12, 1861 * Includes register. 6 Series 2: HARRIET (LANE) JOHNSTON PAPERS, 1846-87 AND UNDATED (Continued) Container Nos. Reel Nos. Contents 3 (cont.) 3 July 16, 1861-Aug. 30, 1862 Sept. 8, 1862-Sept. 1, 1863 Sept. 5, 1863-May 31, 1864 June 7, 1864-Dec. 1865 4 4 Jan. 7, 1866-Feb. 12, 1874 Apr. 21, 1874-Feb. 2, 1887 Undated Series 3: SPECIAL DOCUMENTS FILE, 1826-61 AND UNDATED not Photocopies fllmed July 23, 1823-0ct. 1859 Transcripts (typewritten) Mar. 8, 1826-Apr. 9, 1849 Aug. 23, 1850-61 and undated 7 Guide to the Use of the Index The index to the James Buchanan and Harriet (Lane) Johnston papers is designed as a guide to the correspondence and other documents in these papers and indicates in which series the material, which is chronologically arranged within each series, may be found. It should be noted that although the microfilm edition of the papers covers only series 1 and 2, the index covers these two series as well as the photocopies in series 3.