Series

Correspondence

• 1854-1867 (Creation)

29 folders

George Walker Crawford

1/1
George Walker Crawford giving advice to his brother on the business prospects of his nephew Charles P. Crawford, in an autograph letter, signed from Bel-Air (his plantation near Augusta) to Joel Crawford (4 pages, approximately 600 words). "But in respect to these professional partnerships I know that parents greatly desire that their sons should be appointed with men of professional experience and reputation, and it always seemed to me like the method of breaking a young ox to the yoke".
May 8, 1854

Joel Crawford

(1/2 to 1/15)
A series of twelve autographed letters to his son Charles P. Crawford, giving advice on entering the legal profession and conducting his business, signed from Blakely, Macon, or Sparta, Georgia. Four of the letters are accompanied by envelopes addressed by Joel Crawford to his son. Total of 33 pages and approximately 5500 words.

"I advise you to buy no books nor anything else but clothing & food, until you get known, and then buy only what you want. Everything needed can be had in Georgia & about on as good terms as it can be imported. Book stores are now to be found in a dozen towns of this State, some of them large." The letters concern possible locations for establishing an office, people to associate with, the importance of frugality, the status of the economy, and other issues of importance to a man in his 20s, just beginning his career.

1/2
Joel Crawford to son Charles P. Crawford, written in Blakely, GA, with envelope
May 16, 1854

1/3
Joel Crawford to son in reply to a letter of June 26, written in Sparta, GA, with envelope
July 8, 1854

1/4
Joel Crawford to son, written in Sparta, GA
July 8, 1854

1/5
Joel Crawford to son, written in Blakely, GA
January 12, 1855

1/6
Joel Crawford to son, written near Blakely, GA
January 21, 1855

1/7
Joel Crawford to son, written in Blakely, GA
February 5, 1855

1/8
Joel Crawford to son, written in Blakely, GA
February 20, 1855

1/9
Joel Crawford to son, written near Blakely, GA
August 28, 1855

1/10
Joel Crawford to son, written near Blakely, GA
September 5, 1855

1/11
Joel Crawford to son, with envelope
April 26, 1857

1/12
Joel Crawford to son
September 17, 1857

1/13
Joel Crawford to son, written in Macon, GA, with envelope
February 25, 1858

1/14
Joel Crawford making a gift of sixteen slaves to his son Charles P. Crawford, in an autograph and signed document, mentioning the slaves by name (1 page, docketed on verso). Crawford's autograph appraisal for the slaves included two families, a husband, a wife, and their four children, and another husband and wife and their two children.
February 22, 1855

1/15
Another autograph document by Joel Crawford authorizing his son to purchase seven or eight thousand dollars worth of land in Texas.
October 2, 1857

Eli A. Benton

1/16
Eli A. Benton to Joel Crawford expansively describing methods and routes of traveling from Georgia to Texas, in an autograph letter, signed from Mount Zion, Georgia (6 pages, approximately 1500 words). Benton offers advice on traveling as Crawford's son Charles plans to move west, being especially concerned about traveling with slaves; the final two pages of the letter offer advice on evaluating the land and suggest Eastern Texas in the vicinity of the Red River as the place to choose.
September 25, 1857.

Charles P. Crawford

(1/17 to 1/25)
Nine letters informing his wife of daily activities, in a series of eight autograph letters, signed from Blakely, Americus, and Bainbridge, Georgia, Orange Mills, Florida, and Richmond, Virginia, to his wife Mattie in Milledgeville or Flat Pond, Lee County, Georgia (8vo, 4to, and folio. 29 pages, approximately 7500 words; accompanied by six mailing envelopes).

In the first four antebellum letters, Crawford describes his activities traveling on the court circuit, mostly in southern Georgia, and describes at length in one, the wonderful possibilities for a move to Florida; the three Civil War letters recount an illness in Richmond, news of fellow soldiers, plans for planting at home, and, in the latest one, a wish to return to duty; the last letter, written in 1867, expresses a longing for former times, and bitterness toward the North.

1/17
Charles P. Crawford to wife Mattie, written in Blakely, with envelope
April 21, 1855

1/18
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Bainbridge, GA
April 25, 1855

1/19
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Americus, GA
August 11, 1857

1/20
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Orange Mills, FL, with envelope
June 2, 1858

1/21
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Richmond, VA, with envelope
May 12, 1862

1/22
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Richmond, VA, with envelope
July 10, 1862

1/23
Charles P. Crawford to wife, written in Americus, GA, with envelope
July 25, 1864

1/24
Charles P. Crawford to wife, with envelope
November 21, 1867

1/25
Charles P. Crawford to his daughter. This unfinished letter is not signed or dated by Crawford nor is it addressed to any daughter in particular. The letter expresses regrets regarding his delay in writing and talks of his weak health. He talks of missing her and wishes she could come. He also talks about her noble qualities and great capabilities.

Mattie Crawford

(1/26 to 1/28)
Three letters informing her husband, Charles P. Crawford about the state of her health and the activities of their baby boy, in three autograph letters, signed from Milledgeville (8vo. 14 pages, approximately 1600 words).

In the final letter, Mrs. Crawford mentions a July 4 visit to the statehouse, "I don't think I ever saw so many persons at one time before... 17 respectable size military companies on parade at one time, & uniforms perfectly beautiful … we went to see & hear Governor Johnson deliver an address, better than two hours long."

1/26
Mattie Crawford to her husband Charles P. Crawford
August 19, 1856

1/27
Mattie Crawford to her husband
August 21, 1856

1/28
Mattie Crawford to her husband
July 4, 1856

Sara Crawford

1/29
Sara Crawford to her brother, Charles P. Crawford. Sending news from the home front, in an autograph letter, signed from Americus, Georgia (4vo. 4 pages, approximately 700 words).
"The war news today is good compared with what we have had for several weeks... it is generally believed that Sherman will invade Carolina & let Ga. rest for a while."
January 1, 1865.