WILLIAM HEATLY WILDER PAPERS 1807-1903 LSM RG #67 / 9?(p,;;._. l-,/2.Jf *:l<BOX 1 of 2 ** FOLDER 1 Norking Notebook of N. H. Nil~er --Outlines progression of various Gaines cases, especially one involving Antoine Cavalier and his property claim to the Manchac plantation in Iberville parish, La. ca. 1860-1877. ~.I) --Includes copy of James Fletcher's 1802 will and details of Fletcher's long-time relationshfp with his concubine, Katherine Hipp. FOLDER 2 Correspondence to M. H. Hilder 1844-1888 --Wilder's letter of introduction to H. Johnson, U.S. Senator, from G. Dorsey, in which Dorsey attests that Wilder is a "Gentleman of family, of character and a Lawyer possessing talents, any statements made by him you can confide in, and ••hatever attention shown him will be duly reciprocated [by Dorsey]." New Orleans, March 21, 1844-(,.l) --"'Instructions to Mr. Wilder'' re a petition to be presented to the U.S. Senate on behalf of the Ende Co. ••hich claims damages for losses sustained by the schooner, Fraternite, owned by the -fit-m dur-ing the "last war vJith Mexico. 11 The loss was caused by the 11 utter neglect of the U.S. Chief ·officer in Ve,-a Cruz." Gives details of the event. [The Fraternite, a merchant vessel, i.....Jasto have sailed do\.~n a river in Me>:ico protected by the US Man-0-l<Jar, Germanto>m. The merchant ship ~,as apparently abandoned by the Germantown and ••as subsequently robbed and burned by the Me,dcan militia. ca. 1847.(,J) . --Letter to l\lilder, as a member of the La. House of Representatives, signed by P. F. Nogues [Recorder's Clerk and Secretary of Council, New Orleans Third Municipality], transmitting to Wilder a copy of the preamble, and resolutions re the e>:tension of the port of Ne,., Orleans ~o the upper~ limits of the City of Laffayette. New Orleans, February ...,, 1848. (, "rJ --To l>Jilder from J. l<. Elgee, e,-:ecutor of "Mr. B's [Thomas Barrett, a commission merchant and collector of the port of Net-"rJOt-1 eansJ t.~-1i11, 11 informing Wilder that h~~ for a fee of $1,000, is to 11 procure the discharge complete and· entire of Mr. l~elch" [from l-Jelch's liability as a surety in the bond given by Barrett to US government for Barrett's faithful perfm-mance as collector of the pm-tJ. t•Jilder is informed that he is to receive the po;,er of attorney the foll ovJi ng ~,eek, and that it •~ill be le-ft with Mr. Abat. Nev, Orleans, Hewlett's Hotel, JulyC?J 22, 1848. ,(S) . ----.._ I W.H.Wilder Papers/pg.2 --To Wilder from Lucius Lyon re Lewis Cass [Democratic candidate for the U.S. president in 1848] and Cass' campaign for the presidency. Lyon notes that the Democrats "will be a bitter pill for .the Van Buren men, for they hate Cass, and '"ould greatly prefer the election of Taylm-." Detroit, August 2, 1848.ft) --To Wilder from Indigent Orphan Asylum, thanking Wilder for his philanthro{py. In French. Signed by G. Fortier, New Orleans, August 29, 1848. ~ 7) --To l•Jilder from J[oseph] F. W. Claiborne requesting that Wilder support a bill in the La. House which ••muld g,-ant Dr. Samuel Gilbert a license to practice medicine in Louisiana so that Gilbert would be granted the 11 privilege of treating cancers, ulcers, etc. 11 Claiborne maintains that Gilbert had 11 performed many e~{traordinary cures. 11 Lafayette [Ci tyJ, January 30, 1850.('.' g) --To Wilder from [signatory illegible] requesting that Wilder support a bill in the La. House which is to be introduced by Mr. Sigur for the Relief of Orphans. Ne," Orleans, March 9, 1850.(, 9') --To Wilder from A. D. Crossman, Mayor of New Orleans, informing Wi 1 der that t,Ji 1 der has been elected 1 i qui dator, and requesting l<Jilder's presence at an organizational meeting of the Board of Liquidators in the Mayor's office on May 6, [1850]. Ne•·• Orleans, April 27, 1850-(. lo) --To Wilder from John Wilson, attorney in Washinton D.C, re the Gaines cases, particularly a suit involving John Lynd. Post script by Wilson informs Wider that no one who has any regard for Wider ~muld apl;'lY the term "shyster" to t,Jilder. l•Jashington [D.C. J, June 28, 1871.(,.// J --To Wider from Myra Clark Gaines re the John Lynd su11:. Requests !,Jider to for~•ard to John Wilson certain unspecified documents to 11 enable the Supreme Court to do me 3ustice. 11 Washington City, November 3, 1871.{. }2) --To Wilder from Myra Clark Gaines re land scrip, the Lynd heirs, and Louis Janin. New Brunswick, Ne,,, Jersey, November 18, 1871{,13) - --To Wilder from W. ttJ. Farmer'.' attorney in Monroe, La.. Farmer agrees to file suit on behalf of Myra Clark Gaines for disputed lands in the area. Farmer makes a proposal for payment of his fee. Monroe, La., November 25, 1881.f l'f) W.H.Wilder Papers/pg.3 --To l•Jilder from E. P. Gaines, son of General E. P. Gaines, one of Myra Clark Gaines' heirs. Gaines is concerned about the fact that vJhitney Christmas [Myra's grandson] has retained Mr. Timms. Gaines asks Wilder to discover what Timms is up to and warns Wilder to be on his "guard as to his [Timms] operations." Of interest is Gaines' question, "Is there anything in his language or actions so far as you are informed which indicates a wish or intention to try to give everything to the Christmas heirs by treating William Whitney's children as illegitimate on pretended ground of the invalidity of his divorce from his first wife. 11 Letter includes reference to Evans claim as heir to Myra Clark Gaines. Washington, D.C., July 27, 1888.(. /5) --Letter adressed to "Dear Uncle, Cousins and Nieces", signed by J. T. Beukeleere [?J in reply to a p,-evious 1 etter in t•,hi ch a request for financial aid was made. The writer refuses the aid because the family does not have any money to spare at the moment. In Flemish. n.d.(,lb) FOLDER 3 Fragment of letter to Myra Davis at "Delamere Place, near Wilmington Delaware," from t,Jilliam l~allace Wpitney. Signed by [Gunther John ?]. Montrose, Pa., July 25, 1832.(,/7) FOLDER 4 Corresondence To and From Myra Clark Gaines --Letter to Myra from her mother, Zulime Gardette, in which Zulime complains that she has sent si>< letters to Myra vJhich remain unans,~ered. Zulime tells Myra that she is causing her pain, but that the most pain has been caused by the agent Myra has retained. The letter is filled with recriminations by Zulime to her daughter for Myra's neglect and silence since she [Myra] has left New Orleans. Zul ime complains that she not only has to contend v,i th her m·m worries, but also those of Madame Neville, who always comes to Zulyne in order to complain. In French. New Orleans, December 21, 1845. (, /,!) --Letter of condolence by My,-a Clark Gaines 1•1ritten to Mrs. Colonel Cooper. Poor condition. Washington, D.C. December 28, 1858.( /?) --Letter to Myra, at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, from John Wilson. l>Jilson advised Myra that the "lav, requires all the cases decided by the District and [General?] Land Offices, to be submitted to Congress for final action, before Scrip is issued, and hence all your cases, e}:cept, probably, that of John Lynd, will have to take that direction." Letter mentions the forthcoming "struggle" beti,,een t,Jilson and Janin saying, "I hope and e>:pect success, nay I mast and will have it." Wilson asks for disposition of John Lynd case. [see folder #3, this collection, for November 3, 1871, letter of Myra Clark Gaines to Wilder re Wilson; also, see Wilson to Wilder, June 28, 1871.J Washington, [D.C.J, July.31, 1871.{,Zo) W.H.Wilder Papers/pg.4 --J.Q.A. Fellows to Myra Clark Gaines labelled "Strictly Confidential" in which Fellows informs Myra that ''on a final distibution of the judgement against the city [N.O.J •.• there will be coming to you, by an outside way. $3.500 - and probably much more." New Orleans, August 7, 1874.(, 'll) . --Letter to Myra Clark Gaines from J. A. Williamson[?], Commisioner, Department of the Interior, General Land Office re: a list of land that had been patented to Daniel Clark in the state of Missouri. Washington, D.C., February 6, 1878.(,7'2-/ --Letter of condolence to Myra Clark Gaines from J.W. Harmon re death of Myra's "only son, Whitney, and that too, by the hand of Mr. Christmas [Myra's son-in-law]." Harmon offers to send his daughter Clara as a companion to assist Myra. Delhi, La., June 28, 1881.(,23) FOLDER 5 Miscellaneous Letters 1809-1865 --Thomas Cornelius to Peter Barron stating that the governor CW. C. C. Claiborne] granted permission for cutting cyprus, but that "the Negroes are not to return to the Houmas till the levy is made likewise the road to the satisfaction of Mr. Devinport one of the syndycks of the county.• Although the letter writer does not wish the negroes to bui 1 d the road and the 1 evy as ~,ell as cut cyprus, the Governor has refused to permit the negroes to return after cutting the cyprus because, the Governor said, "Mr. Clark said in his letter that these negroes was going to make the levy and the road."' Houmas, July 18, 1809.