- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
Contents and Arrangement
Letters to Abel Bingham, 1822-1836
Collection Overview
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
Consists of six letters sent from various correspondents to Baptist missionary Abilone ("Abel") Bingham (1786-1864) during his time among the Seneca people at the Tonawanda Reservation in New York and the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) at Sault Ste. Marie in the Michigan Territory. The earliest letter was dictated by a Seneca (Haudenosaunee) leader referred to here as Captain Billy (also known as Little Billy, Tishkaaga, Gishkaka, Juskakaka, Jishkaaga) to James Long. The letter is addressed to Bingham and the Chief of the Towanda Reservation (John Littlebeau) and discusses his support for Bingham's efforts to establish a school and also references strong opposition from other Seneca leaders. There is also a letter from Leonard Hator recounting his travels from New York to Michigan, describing missionary activities at the Carey Mission, and discussing the implications of recent U.S. treaties with the Potawatomi (Bodéwadmi) and Miami (Myaamia) people. Another letter from Isaac McCoy (1784-1846) from the Carey Mission discusses McCoy's efforts to convince the U.S. Congress to forcibly remove Indigenous Americans westward. There is also a letter from M.R. Johnson, a former student, describing his life among the Odawa (Ottawa) people near Traverse City; and a letter from Bingham's son, Judson, and his guardian, Arthur Lamb, relating Judson's experiences attending the Hamilton Academy. The last letter is from Samuel S. Johnson, wherein he attempts to defend himself against allegations of sexual harrassment and stalking.
- Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by the name of the creator or by the date of acquisition.
Collection History
- Acquisition:
Purchased from William Reese Company in 2022 (AM 2023-013).
- Appraisal
No material was separated during processing.
- Processing Information:
Item processed and described by Kelly Bolding in August 2022, incorporating some description provided by the dealer.
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Letters to Abel Bingham; General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (mss)
- Boxes P-000151
NoteBoxes 59 and 63 are stored in special vault facilities.
Find More
- Existence and Location of Copies
Parts of this collection are available on microfilm, cataloged separately as RCPXM-7497696.
- Separated Materials
Citizens of Coculco & Tempatetetzintla v. Antonio de Padilla, 1624, previoulsy in Box 10, has been removed and transferred to the Princeton Collection of Mesoamerican Manuscripts (C0940).
- Subject Terms:
- Indian Removal, 1813-1903
Missionaries -- North America -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Ojibwa Indians
Seneca Indians - Genre Terms:
- Correspondence -- 19th century
