CORRESPONDENCE
Scope and Content of Series
Series 1) CORRESPONDENCE
This series is primarily comprised of letters exchanged by John Gadsby Chapman and his son, Conrad. The letters, dating from
the years 1861 to 1865, provide details on the Civil War and Conrad's experiences in the Confederate army. These include a
set of undated drafts which form an extended diary in letter form. In his letters, Conrad writes of forced marches, sleeping
on wet straw, and the daily routine of camp life. Sometimes he describes the beauty of the landscape, or the picturesque groupings
of officers and men around the camp fires. These written descriptions are augmented by Chapman's Civil War drawings, some
of which (in the form of engravings) are included in the collection.
The collection also includes a number of letters dating from the 1890s written by Conrad to his brother John; a letter from
the U.S. Congress regarding John Gadsby Chapman's commission for the Capitol rotunda; and letters documenting everyday 19th
century life, including the sale of slaves and a description of the Washington homestead in Fredericksburg, VA.
Oversize FB-363, Folder 1
General correspondence to John Gadsby Chapman
1820 - 1833
General correspondence to John Gadsby Chapman: 1820 - 1833
General note
Assorted letters from peers and associates. Items of interest include: an 1833 letter describing the ruins of General George
Washington's childhood home in Fredericksburg, VA, including a sketch of the dwelling (presumably Ferry Farm); an 1833 letter
discussing the sale of a slave family (the slave Syphax, accused of an unidentified transgression, and his wife and son) from
the Washington family at Claymont to the Chapmans; and a letter from the joint committee of Congress tasked to appoint artists
to decorate the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Oversize FB-363, Folder 2
General correspondence to John Gadsby Chapman
1844-1857
General correspondence to John Gadsby Chapman: 1844-1857
Oversize FB-363, Folder 10
Letter from Thomas Sully to John Gadsby Chapman
1830 February 14
Letter from Thomas Sully to John Gadsby Chapman: 1830 February 14
General
Sully comments on Chapman's work, suggesting ways in which the younger artist can pursue his career, and provides details
on activities in the contemporary American art community.
Oversize FB-363, Folder 3
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family
1860-1862
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family: 1860-1862
Oversize FB-363, Folder 4
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family
1862
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family: 1862
Oversize FB-363, Folder 5
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family
1863
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family: 1863
Oversize FB-363, Folder 6
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family
1865
Correspondence between Conrad Wise Chapman and his family: 1865
Oversize FB-363, Folder 7
Conrad Wise Chapman's undated drafts of letters
circa 1865
Conrad Wise Chapman's undated drafts of letters: circa 1865
Oversize FB-363, Folder 8
Letters from Conrad Wise Chapman to John Linton Chapman
1896-1898
Correspondence from Conrad Wise Chapman to John Linton Chapman: 1896-1898
Oversize FB-363, Folder 9
Inventory of the Estate of Thomas Chapman and other papers
between 1791 and 1879
Inventory of the estate of Thomas Chapman and other documents: between 1791 and 1879
General
Includes a document in Italian, a partial transcription from John Smith's
The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles
The fovrth Booke
, and an inventory of the estate of Thomas Chapman.
ENGRAVINGS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 2) ENGRAVINGS
Works by both John Gadsby and Conrad Wise Chapman, presumably copied by engravers from original paintings or illustrations.
Oversize MC-038-06
Assorted engravings
General
12 after paintings by John Gadsby Chapman, 3 after paintings by Conrad Chapman; page from the
Daily South Carolinian, 1863 June 16.
