Barton Griffith papers, 1821-1834

Resource Information

The work Barton Griffith papers, 1821-1834 represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Indiana State Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, http://bibfra.me/vocab/marc/Collection, Multimedia, Mixed Materials.

Label

Barton Griffith papers, 1821-1834

Inclusive dates

1821-1834

Creator

• Griffith, Barton

Creator

• Griffith, Barton

Subject

• Politicians -- United States -- 19th century
• Covington (Ind.)
• trueJackson, Andrew, 1767-1845
• Crawfordsville (Ind.)
• trueAdams, John Quincy, 1767-1848
• trueIndians of North America -- Treaties
• trueClay, Henry, 1777-1852
• Correspondence
• Griffith, Thornton, 1799-1869
• Pioneers -- Indiana -- Correspondence
• trueIndians of North America -- Indiana
• trueFrontier and pioneer life -- Indiana
• Griffith, William T
• Griffith, Townsend
• Stats
• Griffith, Abraham

Genre

• Stats
• trueCorrespondence
• trueTreaties

Language

• eng
• eng

Summary

This collection includes photostats of original letters written between 1821 and 1832, along with their typed transcripts, from members of the Griffith Family in Indiana to each other and to relatives in Pennsylvania, concerning family matters, daily life and settling in Indiana, unrest between Native Americans and white pioneers, trade, national politics including discussion of John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson. All of the correspondents were probably Quakers, based on their usage of "thee" and "thou." The letters were written by three brothers, Barton, Townsend, and Thornton Griffith, plus one letter by a cousin, William T. Johns. There is also a eulogic poem dated January 16, 1834. In Barton's letter to Thornton, on January 25, 1827, he wrote: "Father and me are on the banks of Wabash about 80 miles from Indianapolis. Amos and Townsend live thirty miles east of us and Joseph lives 10 miles from Indianapolis." On May 3, 1828, Townsend wrote to his father Abraham Griffith in Covington: "I view thy sickness of a serious nature and one at this period of thy age which will sooner or later terminate thy existence in this house of clay." He signed that letter with his name and also Mahala Griffith, probably his wife. On May 31, 1830, Barton wrote to Thornton in West Chester, Pa., telling about his daily routine working in a merchantile house.Townsend's letter to Thornton in January 1831 mentions "our departed Father and Mother." In his P.S. to this letter, Townsend wrote: "our Country is populating the fastest that I have ever witnessed. It will, in a short time, be very thick settled." Thornton wrote to Barton on October 5, 1831: "What has become of all you Jackson me? Have they all turned to Clay me? If they are not, they soon will." Barton's October 26, 1831 letter refers to Uncle Joseph Griffith. William T. Johns has one letter in this collection, written October 17, 1832, to his cousin Thornton Griffith in Crawfordsville, Indiana. This letter mentions Morris Watson, John L. Haines, and Lewis Walton

Biographical or historical data

Barton Griffith lived in Covington, Fountain County, Indiana during the early 1800s. Originally from Pennsylvania, Griffith, his father Abraham and his brother Townsend later moved to Indiana during the 1820s, while another brother, Thornton, remained in Philadelphia and later West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Cataloging source

ISL

http://bibfra.me/vocab/relation/correspondentcrp

• iyUr2Lm7bGA
• R-c6DiQmWiE
• QaW_zUfEKfc

http://bibfra.me/vocab/relation/recipientrcp

WRfDVKMUrxs