The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Henry Kendall Carter Papers 1823-1880
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| Title: | Carter, Henry Kendall. Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1823-1880 |
| Manuscript Number: | Crerar Ms 208 |
| Size: | 4 linear feet (5 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | The Henry Kendall Carter Papers (1823-1880, bulk 1840-1870) are made up of business documents, primarily concerning Carter's time in New Orleans (circa 1842-1874), personal and business correspondence, and personal memo books and diaries (1850-1878). Together, these items shed light on business life in Antebellum New Orleans, and on the realities of personal and business life in a divided country during the Civil War. |
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When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Carter, Henry Kendall. Papers, Crerar MS 208, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Henry Kendall Carter was born circa 1805 (some census data suggests 1812) in Connecticut. Around 1837 he married Henrietta Whitlocke, also of Connecticut. In 1842, he moved to New Orleans and entered the cotton business, first working for D. Pratt & Co. and then under his own name as H. Kendall Carter & Co. As a cotton trader and partial owner of one of New Orleans' leading newspapers (The New Orleans Commercial Bulletin, bought in 1849), Carter enjoyed substantial wealth and influence throughout the city.
In 1850 Carter purchased a home in Hartford, Connecticut and maintained partial residence there, as did his family. By this time he and Henrietta had four daughters: Henrietta, Mary, Ella, and Isabel (Belle). However, his business operations continued to be concentrated in New Orleans, and he travelled extensively back and forth before and even during the Civil War. In 1863 New Orleans was seized by Union troops, and Carter's spacious offices were taken over by General Butler. As a result of the war, he lost nearly all of the $300,000 that he had loaned out to planters, though he continued to do business in New Orleans through the early 1870s.
After the Civil War, Carter purchased a farm on the Fox River in Kendall County, IL, not far from his daughter Henrietta and son-in-law, John H. S. Quick, who lived in Chicago. Henrietta Whitlocke Carter died in 1867 in Illinois, and Carter did not remarry. He lived and focused on the farm in his later years, and died around 1880.
Members of Henrietta Whitlocke Carter's family appear in Series I and II of the collection, as Henry Carter was heavily involved in the family's business affairs. Most notable are Eulalia Whitlocke, her mother, who died in 1862, her brother-in-law, William L. Johnson, with whom Eulalia lived for many years, and Eulalia's sister Elizabeth Bertram. After Eulalia's death, Carter corresponded with Elizabeth and William both about personal matters and about affairs related to Eulalia's estate. There are also a number of early letters addressed to Henrietta in care of her brother-in-law Isaac Seymour, husband of Henrietta's sister Caroline Eulalia Whitlocke.
The collection gives insight not only into Carter's life and business, but also that of his extended family. Letters and journals reveal a family that was surprisingly mobile and far-flung, with members spread among Connecticut, New York, Georgia, New Orleans, and Illinois.
The collection is divided into three series: Personal, Correspondence, and Business Records.
Series I, Personal, contains personal records, diaries, and other ephemera. This includes a school composition by a young Henrietta Carter and records of business dealings with family, particularly with regard to Henrietta Carter's mother's estate and resultant transactions. The series also contains a number of small leather bound memo books that document Carter's personal and household expenses, letters written, laundry sent out, and travel. Sundry ephemera and incidental papers were found inside the books, such as newspaper clippings, recipes, and receipts. There are three later diaries documenting Carter's farm ventures after relocating to Illinois, his daily activities, and some of his private thoughts. Of particular interest to researchers are the incidental papers in Box 1, Folder 2, which include a recipe for alcoholic bitters, a Confederate government bond, and a pass that allowed travel from Louisiana to New York during the Civil War. Folder 7 contains a newspaper clipping with the text of the 1875 Civil Rights Act, and Folder 12 includes a scrap of paper with an idea for a hollow rubber horse shoe. Personal papers will come first in the series, arranged chronologically. The memo books and diaries follow, also arranged chronologically. Each book is housed with any material found in its covers. Material pertaining to Whitlocke family estates and affairs is at the end.
Series 2, Correspondence, contains letters from Carter to his wife Henrietta, as well as letters to Henrietta from her family, mostly dating from before her marriage to Carter. There are also a few letters from Carter to other members of his family, and several to other members of Henrietta's family. Whitlocke family correspondence is first, arranged chronologically, then letters written by H. K. Carter.
Series 3, Business Records, contains documents relating to Henry Kendall Carter's business activities. It primarily reflects Carter's time in New Orleans, before he moved to Kendall County, IL. The material in this series consists of account ledgers, balance sheets, promissory notes, employment contracts, statements of accounts, business correspondence, legal documents such as mortgages and records of land sales, and other documents related to Carter's involvement in the cotton industry in New Orleans, as well as his involvement in The New Orleans Commercial Bulletin. It also contains bills and receipts for business expenses, rent, etc. Of particular interest is a bill of sale for two slaves, Nancy and Cordelia (a mother and child), in Box 4, Folder 6.
Series 4, Oversize, contains a fragile letter housed in Mylar, and a bound volume of business letters from Carter with many loose pages. The letters provide valuable information about the growth of Carter's cotton business in New Orleans.
Series I: Personal |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | School Composition – Henrietta Whitlocke, 1823 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Pocket Diary, Financial Records, Clippings, Recipes, Ephemera, 1848-1869 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Transcription of Eulogy, 1864 |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Memorandum Book – Hartford Household Expenses, 1850-1864 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Memorandum Book – Hartford Household Expenses, 1853-1864 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Pocket Diary, Clippings, 1857-1861, undated |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Memorandum Book – Laundry Lists, Personal Notes, Clippings, 1859-1875 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Bills, Gun Correspondence (Personal), 1868-1871 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Correspondence, Accounts – Illinois Farm, 1869-1874 |
| Box 1 Folder 10 | Memorandum Book – Kendall County Farm, 1871-1874 |
| Box 1 Folder 11 | Letter to the Editor of Turf, Field, and Farm, 1872 |
| Box 1 Folder 12 | Memorandum Book – Accounts, Personal Notes, 1872-1876, undated |
| Box 1 Folder 13 | Memorandum Book – Personal Expenses, 1875-1881 |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Diary, 1876-1877 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | Diary, 1877-1879 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Diary, 1878 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Pamphlet, Clipping, undated |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Blank Pocket Diary, Lock of Hair, undated |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Bond – Eulalia Whitlocke to W. L. Johnson, 1840 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Power of Attorney – Eulalia Whitlocke to Isaac Seymour, 1847 |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | Assignment of Mortgage – W. L. Johnson, 1847 |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | Deed Transfer – W. L. Johnson to Eulalia Whitlocke, 1850 |
| Box 2 Folder 10 | Eulalia Whitlocke Estate – Records and , 1854-1870 |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Eulalia Whitlocke – Last Will and Testament, 1859 |
| Box 2 Folder 12 | Correspondence and Account Statements – Whitlocke Family Business, 1862-1866 |
| Box 2 Folder 13 | Documents Executing Will of Eulalia Whitlocke, 1863 |
| Box 2 Folder 14 | Correspondence – Whitlocke/Bertram Estates, 1863-1872 |
| Box 2 Folder 15 | Expenses, Summons, Receipt – W. L. Johnson Foreclosure, 1866 |
| Box 2 Folder 16 | W. L. Johnson Mortgage – Assignments and Foreclosure, Memoranda, 1866-1871 |
| Box 2 Folder 17 | Correspondence – Morris & Cogswell (Whitlocke/Johnson Business), 1867-1870 |
| Box 2 Folder 18 | Records – Henrietta Whitlocke Estate, 1870 |
| Box 2 Folder 19 | Eulalia Whitlocke – List of Descendants, undated |
Series II: Correspondence |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, 1827 |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family,1831-1833 |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | Correspondence – John H. To Henrietta Whitlocke, 1832-1833 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Correspondence – John H. To Henrietta Whitlocke, 1834-1835 |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, 1834-1836 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Correspondence – W. C. Cagswell to Henrietta Whitlocke, 1835-1836 |
| Box 3 Folder 7 | Correspondence – John H. To Henrietta Whitlocke, 1836-1837 |
| Box 3 Folder 8 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, 1837 |
| Box 3 Folder 9 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, 1844 |
| Box 3 Folder 10 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 11 | Correspondence – H. K. Carter to Henrietta Whitlocke, 1837 |
| Box 3 Folder 12 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter, 1839 |
| Box 3 Folder 13 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter, 1840-1843 |
| Box 3 Folder 14 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter, Cross-Stitched Ribbons, Lock of Hair, 1846 |
| Box 3 Folder 15 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter [1 of 3], 1847 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 3 Folder 16 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter [2 of 3], 1847 |
| Box 3 Folder 17 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter [3 of 3], 1847 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 3 Folder 18 | Correspondence – H. K. to Henrietta Carter, Calling Card, 1848 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 3 Folder 19 | Correspondence – H. K. Carter to Daughter, 1875 |
Series III: Business Records |
| Box 3 Folder 20 | Correspondence, Receipts, 1836-1839 |
| Box 3 Folder 21 | "Papers Left for Collection," 1840-1845 |
| Box 3 Folder 22 | Bills and Receipts, 1841-1843 |
| Box 3 Folder 23 | Bills, Statements, Correspondence, 1841-1847 |
| Box 3 Folder 24 | Contracts, Correspondence, Account Records – Pratt & Carter, 1842-1859 |
| Box 3 Folder 25 | Accounts and Correspondence – Berstow & Pope, 1846-1850 |
| Box 3 Folder 26 | Contract of Sale – New Orleans Commercial Bulletin, 1848 |
| Box 3 Folder 27 | Balance Sheets – H. Kendall Carter & Co., 1848-1850, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 28 | Mortgages (Land and Slaves), 1848-1852 |
| Box 3 Folder 29 | Liabilities/Accounts Due/Bills, 1849, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 30 | Land Sale Documents (Connecticut and New York), 1850-1854 |
| Box 3 Folder 31 | Receipts, 1850-1855 |
| Box 3 Folder 32 | Promissory Notes – "Charged in Account and Cancelled," 1852-1859 |
| Box 3 Folder 33 | "Miscellaneous Papers," 1852-1866 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Account Book – H. K. Carter & Co., 1852-1872 |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | "Drafts Bought in 1854," 1854 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Account Book – Carter & Pratt, 1855-1859 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | Mortgages (Land and Slaves), 1856-1866 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Stock Certificate – Mississippi Sound Company, 1857 |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Bill [of] Sale – Nancy and Cordelia, 1858 |
| Box 4 Folder 7 | Bond Certificate – Louisiana Tehuantipec Company, 1858 |
| Box 4 Folder 8 | Estimate for Office Painting, 1858 |
| Box 4 Folder 9 | Protests (Draft Collections), 1858-1859 |
| Box 4 Folder 10 | Rent Lists, 1858-1859 |
| Box 4 Folder 11 | "Attorney Receipts for Claims," 1859 |
| Box 4 Folder 12 | Accounts Current with H. Kendall Carter, 1859-1862 View digitized documents, part 1. |
| Box 4 Folder 13 | Statements of Accounts (Book), 1859-1866 |
| Box 4 Folder 14 | Account Documents and Settlement, 1861-1867 |
| Box 4 Folder 15 | Miscellaneous Accounts and Contracts, 1861-1868 |
| Box 4 Folder 16 | Financial and Legal Correspondence, 1861-1871 |
| Box 4 Folder 17 | Bills Payable, 1862 |
| Box 4 Folder 18 | Bills and Accounts – Holstein and Holden, 1862-1865 |
| Box 4 Folder 19 | Procurations (Appointment of Attorney John A. Mackender), 1862-1867 |
| Box 4 Folder 20 | Accounts, Claims, and Mortgages Due/In Collection, 1862-1870 |
| Box 4 Folder 21 | Liquor Inventories, 1866-1867 |
| Box 4 Folder 22 | H. K. Carter Account with Taylor & Knapp, 1867 |
| Box 4 Folder 23 | Trial Balance Sheet, Letter, 1867 |
| Box 4 Folder 24 | Description of Property, 1868 |
| Box 4 Folder 25 | Correspondence and Court Filing – Sale of Bartlett Land, 1868-1869 |
| Box 4 Folder 26 | Accounts from the Ledger, 1868-1870 |
| Box 4 Folder 27 | Account Records – D. S. Bryan, 1869-1873 |
| Box 4 Folder 28 | Account Statements – H. K. Carter with Taylor McElroy & Co., 1870-1871 |
| Box 4 Folder 29 | Board Bills, St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans, 1871-1873 |
| Box 4 Folder 30 | Settled Bills and Memoranda, 1871-1873 |
| Box 4 Folder 31 | Account Book and Statement – F. J. Baldwin, undated |
| Box 4 Folder 32 | Blank Forms (Shipping and Acts of Sale), undated |
| Box 4 Folder 33 | Debts and Expenses "Since the War," undated |
Series IV: Oversize |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Correspondence – Whitlocke Family, 1827-1836 |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | Business Correspondence (bound) – H. Kendall Carter & Co., 1842-1874 |