Richard Rush writes to lawyer A. Dickens asking for an overview of the "West India trade question," regarding the amount and price of American and British tonnage over the preceding year. Rush then mentions his failed attempts to visit Dickens' sons.

United States Treasury Secretary Roger Brooke Taney (Class of 1795) writes to John M. Willard about providing "sufficient evidence of the insolvency and death of [Willard's] co-obligors."

William Wilkins writes to his wife, Matilda Wilkins, during a trip from Transmundi to St. Petersburg.  He discusses sightseeing in Lubeck and an eight-mile ride in "His Lordship's" carriage.

Diplomat and politician William Wilkins (Class of 1802) writes his son, Charles, and explains the Russian calendar. Wilkins also urges his son to resist temptation.

William Wilkins, United States Minister to Russia, writes to his daughter Maria from abroad. Wilkins tells her about a dinner with the British Minister and wishes that Maria's brother Charles could go to school in St. Petersburg so he could learn French, German, and Russian.

William Wilkins, Minister to Russia, writes to all six of his children from St. Petersburg, with a paragraph to each. Transcript included.

Chief Justice of the United States Roger Brooke Taney writes to an unknown correspondent and introduces his friend, Mr. Mackall, who is in Washington DC "in consequence of some difficulty concerning his son at West Point."

George Chambers, trustee of Dickinson College, informs Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury about Representative Thomas McCullough's request that his son, Alexander McCullough, receive an appointment in the United States Navy. Transcript included.

Dickinson College President John P. Durbin writes C. A. Walborn regarding the case of a Mr. Dodge. "If I can extract any information" from Mr. Dodge, Durbin explains that "I shall have to tell him that we do not consider the case closed at all." Durbin also notes that he is recovering from an...

John Zug (Class of 1837) writes to his girlfriend, Margaret Hood, and describes his first days of work as a lawyer. Zug explains that his colleagues are "ungodly men, not only irreligious, but most of them profane." Zug is happy, however, to have recovered from a recent fever. Transcript...

Senator James Buchanan writes four letters on a number of different topics, including Congressional legislation on bankruptcy, banks, the Tariff bill, the 1844 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore, and political conditions in Pennsylvania. Buchanan, as the United States Minister to the...

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney writes J. Mason Campbell to defend a decision he made as Acting Secretary of War (June - August 1831) during President Andrew Jackson's administration. "When I acted as Secretary of War, I was [also] in office as Attorney General," and as Taney...