Sheraton-inspired mahogany veneer night table with satinwood inlay accents that outline the apron, drawer and keyhole, as well as the legs. The table top has eight sides and surmounts four saber legs that also support a lower inward-curved shelf.
Named for its principle use, this mahogany table top, with its oblong top and bead molded edge, was typically found at the side of a bedstead. The table's skirt is three to four inches deep and contains a single drawer that is the full width of the skirt. The drawer has two original brass knob pulls and a top centered brass escutcheon keyhole. The table is supported by four round tapering legs with ring and ball turnings at the top and two sets of ring turnings approximately two inches above the tapered feet of the legs.
Provenance
Alexander Speer, maternal first cousin to James Buchanan
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 8 Papers of Others (Not Part of the Family), Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 8 the Papers of Others (Not Part of the Family), Series 1 contains correspondence from various individuals who, although not familiarly related to James Buchanan, may be related through business, extended family relationships, and friends and guests of Wheatland.
Named recipients and authors include Joseph C. Passmore (1843), Virginia Pleasonton (1849), Ann Elizabeth Foster Buchanan (1850), George S. Bryan (1855); H. S. Gara (1855), George Steinman (1857), Morrison Foster (1859), D.G. Eshleman (1860), Hiram B. Swarr (1860), H. M. North (1860), William E. Cooper (1861, 1862, 1864, 1866, 1888), Harry N. Howell (1862), P. S. Dechert (1862, 1864), George W. Birdseye (1863), M. J. Nevin (1877), S. M. L. Barlow (1881), R. J. Brown (1885), William Anderson (1886), Elizabeth C. Hobson (1905), C. H. Robb (1905), Bernard Carter (1905), May S. Kennedy (1905), Mary Speer (1905), and Louisa Anderson Henry.
Subject matter varies greatly from politics to family issues. There is mention of the political figures and climate in Lancaster and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania just prior to and after the start of the Civil War. There are also letters discussing the publication of Stephen Foster's songs, George Ticknor Curtis' biography of James Buchanan, the death of Louisa Anderson Henry, and the status of Harriet Lane Johnston's paintings after her death. The majority of the letters were either from or to Pennsylvania, particularly Lancaster County, with a few from New York and Washington, DC. The letters are arranged in chronological order and range from 1843 through 1905.
Admin/Biographical History
Many of the individuals named throughout this part of the collection are unknown, only their names as they appear on the document and the dates on those documents represent their history. There are a few exceptions.
Simon Cameron was a Pennsylvania senator in 1845 and Lincoln's Secretary of War during the Civil War. Most of his political career was tarnished with corruption scandals and rumors. He was also a staunch opponent of James Buchanan.
George Ticknor Curtis was an attorney and author who wrote a biography of James Buchanan in 1883 entitled "Life of James Buchanan: 15th President of the United States."
Reverend John Grimke Drayton was a highly respected Episcopalian minister from South Carolina, known for advocating on behalf of slaves and creating beautiful gardens on his estate as part of his legacy.
Jonathan Foltz was a Naval doctor and close acquaintance with James Buchanan. Part 7 of this collection contains letters to and from Dr. Foltz.
Virginia Pleasonton was an acquaintance of Harriet Lane Johnston and James Buchanan Henry and there are few letters from her to Mr. Henry in Part 3 of this collection.
Stephen C. Foster was an American songwriter during the 1850's and 1860's, who composed "Camptown Races" and "Oh, Susannah!". His brother was Morrison Foster and his sister, Ann Elizabeth Foster, married Reverend Edward Young Buchanan, James Buchanan's brother, in 1833.
Henry A. Muhlenberg was an attorney who served as both a Congressman and a Senator for Pennsylvania.
1 The Gilder Lehrman Institute. (2015) Mr. Lincoln & Friends: Simon Cameron (1799-1889). Retrieved from http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/inside.asp?pageID=84&
2 Syracuse University Libraries. (2008). George Ticknor Curtis Letters. Special Collections Research Center, Retrieved from http://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/c/curtis_gt.htm#adminlink
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
George Ticknor Curtis Letters. Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University. http://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/c/curtis_gt.htm
Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) Collection; Center for American Music; University of Pittsburgh Library; http://www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/foster.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Charles S. Foltz, Surgeon of the Seas: The Adventurous Life of Surgeon General Jonathan M. Foltz In the Days of Wooden Ships, Told from His Notes of the Moment. Indianapolis, IN: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1931. Call # 923.5 F671f
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 8 Papers of Others (Not Part of the Family), Series 2 Financial and Legal Documents
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 8 Papers of Others (Not Part of the Family), Series 2 contains financial and legal documents. Series 2 includes financial and legal documents within three subseries. Subseries 1 has bills, receipts, ledgers and accounts. Subseries 2 has deeds and land records. Subseries 3 has legal papers.
The financial and legal documents are arranged chronologically, spanning almost 100 years, from 1770 through 1866. The bulk of the items, dated between 1784 and 1790, are promissory notes, receipts of payment and rental slips. There is a large gap between 1790 and 1849. The items from the 1800s include bills of sale, accounts and receipts. The deeds and land records include one hand-drawn survey for an unknown location (1858) and a title report for property in Warren County, New York (1865). The legal papers include documents filed with the courts, transcriptions of a legislative act from Maryland, notes, purchase contract, as well as two foreign documents, possibly a German enlistment record and a Swedish passport, both for Eugene Francois Theodore de la Croix.
Admin/Biographical History
The origination of many of the items contained in this part of the collection are unknown. It is also unclear of the relationship they have with James Buchanan. In the first subseries, there are two names that reappear often from 1770 to 1790, Daniel McCausland and James Crawford. All of these items are either promissory notes, receipts of payment of loans or letters from Daniel to James requesting that he pay a certain sum to the bearer of the note and the reverse would show the receipt of payment of that loan. There is some mention of a Revolutionary War Colonel James Crawford from Lancaster and Daniel addresses one of the notes to "Col. Crawford" so this may be the same individual. (See 8.2.1.001) There is a gap in the receipts and promissory notes from 1790 to 1849. This is also where we see the money on the documents change from pounds and shillings to dollars and cents. There is a bill of sale of the Lancaster Intelligencer newspaper from Edwin W. Hutter by a S. Boyd Hamilton in July 1849, as well as some follow up correspondence regarding that sale. However, in an article published in the Intelligencer on August 7, 1849, Mr. Hutter states that his successor is Captain George Sanderson of Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Lancaster Intelligencer, August 7, 1849, p. 2), which is confirmed in the December 4, 1849 edition which names the editor as "Geo. Sanderson (Lancaster Intelligencer, December 4, 1849, p. 1). The name McCausland reappears in the next subseries for legal papers, however, it is not a William McCausland, Jr. This is in reference to a law suit he filed against James Crawford and William McCausland for money due to him in outstanding rents and profits. There is a deposition notice addressed to "Col. Crawford" so it is likely to be the same James Crawford who had business dealings with Daniel McCausland.
An interesting piece in this subseries is a large transcript of the Court Papers filed in the action by the stockholders of the Marietta & Susquehanna Trading Company against five of their Trustees. The Trustees were entrusted to resolve the company and collect all outstanding debts. However due to a robbery at the bank wherein all of the notes were stolen, they were unable to collect any of the debts. The background of this case is illustrated in Francis Lyman's A Mysterious Bank Robbery (LCHSR 905.748 HSP v. 94, p. 384-385), where it is alleged that one of the Trustees/Defendants, Jacob Grosh, committed the crime. The remaining items are random and vague in the origination and contextual relationship.
1 Ellis, F & Evans, S. (1883). History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Everetts & Peck. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=WsQxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA52&dq=%22James+Crawford%22+Lancaster,+PA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBWoVChMIhPb155rHyAIVAV0eCh2FDgt6#v=onepage&q=%22James%20Crawford%22%20Lancaster%2C%20PA&f=false
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 8 Series 2 Financial and Legal Documents
Charles S. Foltz, Surgeon of the Seas: The Adventurous Life of Surgeon General Jonathan M. Foltz In the Days of Wooden Ships, Told from His Notes of the Moment. Indianapolis, IN: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1931. Call # 923.5 F671f
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Framed rectangular needlework, top crest slightly scalloped with hand grip. Inner frame edge scalloped. Needlework picture: Parrot in red, gold, blues, cream, small silver bead for eye, sitting among flowers including red, white, pink, roses, blue mornin
Provenance
Alexander Speer (James Buchanan's maternal first cousin)
An oil on canvas portrait of Dr. Alexander Speer (1790-1854) by artist, Antoine Gibert. Dr. Speer was a first cousin to James Buchanan on his mother's side of the family. Dr. Speer is turned facing one-quarter turn to his right and is wearing a black suit coat and vest with a white shirt, turned down collar and a black cravat. The portrait is framed in a French reverse cove gilded frame with a raised foliate motif
Bowfront mahogany veneer chest of drawers in the Hepplewhite style. Four drawers have progressing depths from the top to the bottom, each with overpressed drawer pulls two per drawer. At the top center of each drawer is a brass escutcheon keyhole. The top of the chest and each drawer are decorated with satin wood inlay. Chest is supported at its base by four french feet which feature a slightly outswept bracket foot combined with a valence skirt.
Provenance
Dr. Alexander Speer (James Buchanan maternal cousin)
Shaving stand is comprised of a mahogany veneer; the mirror attached to the top has a veneered bull-nose frame supported by ring and vase-turned stiles set into the top with tenons at a backward cant. The skirt has two half-drawers; however, the brass knob drawer-pulls are missing. The stand is supported by four ring and ball turned feet
