Collection Summary
Jeremiah S. Black Papers
1813-1904
1856-1880
1813-1904
1856-1880
MSS12849
Black, Jeremiah S. (Jeremiah Sullivan), 1810-1883
10,070 items
80 containers
34 linear feet
36 microfilm reels
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Lawyer, public official of Pennsylvania,
United States attorney general, and United States secretary of state. Correspondence,
legal files, speeches, writings, scrapbooks, family papers, and other papers relating
primarily to various legal matters in which Black was involved.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC
Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and
by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Bayard, Thomas F. (Thomas Francis), 1828-1898.
Black, Chauncey F. Chauncey F. Black papers.
Black, Jeremiah S. (Jeremiah Sullivan), 1810-1883.
Blair, Montgomery, 1813-1883.
Brown, John, 1800-1859.
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868.
Clay, C. C. (Clement Claiborne), 1816-1882.
Cushing, Caleb, 1800-1879.
Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889.
Frémont, John Charles, 1813-1890.
Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881.
Holt, Joseph, 1807-1894.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875--Impeachment.
Johnson, Reverdy, 1796-1876.
Lamon, Ward Hill, 1828-1893. Life of Abraham Lincoln from his birth to his
inauguration as president. 1872.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Assassination.
Randall, Samuel J. (Samuel Jackson), 1828-1890.
Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869.
Thompson, Jacob, 1810-1885.
Organizations
Credit Mobilier of America.
United States. Attorney-General.
Subjects
American Confederate voluntary exiles.
Antislavery movements.
Impeachments.
Political corruption.
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
Slavery--Kansas.
Slavery--Southern States.
Places
Confederate States of America--Officials and employees.
Harpers Ferry (W. Va.)--History--John Brown's Raid, 1859.
Kansas--History--1854-1861.
Pennsylvania--Politics and government.
United States--History--1849-1877.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--Politics and government--1857-1861.
Occupations
Cabinet officers.
Lawyers.
Statesmen.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Jeremiah S. Black, lawyer, judge, and statesman, were purchased from Mary
Forward Black (Mrs. Jeremiah Black), wife of his grandson, in March 1918. Other small
gifts and purchases were made between 1935 and 1992.
Processing History
The papers of Jeremiah S. Black were arranged and described in 1966 by Richard Bickel.
Additional material received between 1966 and 1992 was incorporated into the collection
in 1996 by Laura J. Kells. The finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part
of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Additional Guides
A description of the Black Papers appears in
Library of Congress Acquisitions: Manuscript Division, 1992
, pp.8-10.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Jeremiah S. Black is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Jeremiah S. Black are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact
the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of the bound portion of the general correspondence in these papers,
1813-1904, is available on thirty-six reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript
Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote
preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition
as available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or reel number, Jeremiah S. Black Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1810, Jan. 10
Born, near
Stony Creek, Pa.
1830
Admitted to the bar in
Pennsylvania
1836
Married
Mary Forward
1842
Appointed judge of
court of common pleas, sixteenth district, Pennsylvania
1851
Appointed justice of
supreme court of Pennsylvania
1857
1860
United States
attorney general
1860
Appointed secretary of state replacing
Lewis Cass
1861
Appointed to
United States Supreme Court
by
James Buchanan
but not confirmed by
Senate
Appointed
United States Supreme Court
reporter
Wrote first volume of annual publication,
Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the
United States
1873
Helped revise
Pennsylvania
constitution
1876
Defended Democratic presidential candidate
Samuel J. Tilden
before electoral commission
1883, Aug. 19
Died,
York, Pa.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of
Jeremiah Sullivan Black (1810-1883)
span the years 1813-1904, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the
period 1856-1880. The collection includes correspondence, legal papers, articles,
scrapbooks, and other papers relating to such subjects as the turmoil over slavery in
Kansas
before the Civil War,
John Brown's
raid on
Harpers Ferry, Virginia,
the impeachment of
President Andrew Johnson
, the
Crédit Mobilier
, the trial of
Jefferson Davis
, Black's efforts on behalf of
Clement Claiborne Clay
, and
Jacob Thompson's
letters from his exile in
Europe
following the Civil War. A large part of the material relates to various
legal matters in which Black was involved.
The [ General Correspondence ](gen)
comprises the bulk of the collection and includes an important group of
James Buchanan's
letters relating to the closing days of his administration. Among these is
Buchanan's
draft of the defense of his actions with regard to
Forts Sumter
and
Moultrie.
There is also a group of letters written by
Edwin M. Stanton
during the years 1857-1858. Correspondence of Black's son,
Chauncey
, concerns
Ward Hill Lamon's
Recollections of Abraham Lincoln
(1895), apparently written by Black and claimed by him to have been published
with unauthorized changes. There is a large number of letters from Speaker of the House
of Representatives,
Samuel J. Randall
, to
Chauncey Black
on important phases of
Pennsylvania
politics. Prominent among Jeremiah S. Black's correspondents are
Thomas Francis Bayard
,
Montgomery Blair
,
Caleb Cushing
,
John C. Frémont
,
James Abram Garfield
,
Joseph Holt
, and
Reverdy Johnson.
Among the correspondents of
Chauncey Black
are
Charles A. Dana
,
William H. Herndon
,
Ward H. Lamon
,
James R. Osgood and Company
,
Samuel J. Randall
,
Don Piatt
,
J. M. Cooper
,
Wayne MacVeagh
, and
Daniel Sickles.
A partial card index of correspondents is available in the Manuscript
Reading Room.
Included in the [ Writings ](wri)
series is Jeremiah S. Black's notes containing information on the last four months of
Buchanan's
administration, an account of his own resignation, and the cabinet meeting
on
Major Richard Anderson's
removal to
Fort Sumter
.
Chauncey Black's
unpublished draft of the last chapter of
Ward Hill Lamon's
book on
Lincoln
is also filed in this series.
An [ addition ](add) to the
collection contains family correspondence consisting primarily of letters from Black to
his wife,
Mary Forward Black
, and to his children. Other family members represented in the addition
include
Henry Clayton
and
Jeremiah S. Black Clayton.
Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in five series:
-
[ General Correspondence,
1813-1904 ](gen)
-
[ Legal File, 1853-1880 ](leg)
-
[ Writings, undated ](wri)
-
[ Miscellany, 1859-1903 ](mis)
-
[ Addition, 1837-1888 ](add)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm79012849]
Container List
Container
Contents
1-74
1-36
General Correspondence, 1813-1904
1813-1904
1-73
1-36
Bound, 1813-1904
1813-1904
Letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, and legal and financial
papers.
Arranged chronologically.
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 13,207.
1
1
16 Jan. 1813-2 Oct. 1856
16 Jan. 1813-2 Oct.
1856
2
1
21 Oct. 1856-12 Mar. 1857
21 Oct. 1856-12 Mar.
1857
3
2
13-23 Mar. 1857
13-23 Mar.
1857
4
2
24 Mar.-3 Apr. 1857
24 Mar.-3 Apr.
1857
5
3
4-20 Apr. 1857
4-20 Apr.
1857
6
3
21 Apr.-7 May 1857
21 Apr.-7 May
1857
7
4
8-26 May 1857
8-26 May
1857
8
4
27 May-24 June 1857
27 May-24 June
1857
9
5
25 June-22 July 1857
25 June-22 July
1857
10
5
23 July-19 Aug. 1857
23 July-19 Aug.
1857
11
6
20 Aug.-14 Sept. 1857
20 Aug.-14 Sept.
1857
12
6
15 Sept.-23 Oct. 1857
15 Sept.-23 Oct.
1857
13
7
24 Oct.-23 Nov. 1857
24 Oct.-23 Nov.
1857
14
7
24 Nov.-27 Dec. 1857
24 Nov.-27 Dec.
1857
15
8
28 Dec. 1857-7 Feb. 1858
28 Dec. 1857-7 Feb.
1858
16
8
8 Feb.-4 Apr. 1858
8 Feb.-4 Apr.
1858
17
9
5 Apr.-20 June 1858
5 Apr.-20 June
1858
18
9
21 June-7 Nov. 1858
21 June-7 Nov.
1858
19
10
8 Nov.-13 Dec. 1858
8 Nov.-13 Dec.
1858
20
10
14 Dec. 1858-18 Mar. 1859
14 Dec. 1858-18 Mar.
1859
21
11
19 Mar.-4 May 1859
19 Mar.-4 May
1859
22
11
5 May-14 June 1859
5 May-14 June
1859
23
12
15 June-23 Sept. 1859
15 June-23 Sept.
1859
24
12
24 Sept.-28 Oct. 1859
24 Sept.-28 Oct.
1859
25
13
29 Oct.-1 Dec. 1859
29 Oct.-1 Dec.
1859
26
13
2 Dec. 1859-7 Jan. 1860
2 Dec. 1859-7 Jan.
1860
27
14
8 Jan.-1 Feb. 1860
8 Jan.-1 Feb.
1860
28
14
2 Feb.-13 Mar. 1860
2 Feb.-13 Mar.
1860
29
15
14 Mar.-5 May 1860
14 Mar.-5 May
1860
30
15
6 May-17 June 1860
6 May-17 June
1860
31
16
18 June-25 July 1860
18 June-25 July
1860
32
16
26 July-22 Sept. 1860
26 July-22 Sept.
1860
33
17
23 Sept.-4 Dec. 1860
23 Sept.-4 Dec.
1860
34
17
5 Dec. 1860-13 Jan. 1861
5 Dec. 1860-13 Jan.
1861
35
18
14 Jan.-14 Mar. 1861
14 Jan.-14 Mar.
1861
36
18
15 Mar. 1861-10 Jan. 1862
15 Mar. 1861-10 Jan.
1862
37
19
11 Jan.-6 May 1862
11 Jan.-6 May
1862
38
19
7 May-7 Dec. 1862
7 May-7 Dec.
1862
39
20
8 Dec. 1862-3 June 1863
8 Dec. 1862-3 June
1863
40
20
4 June-30 Dec. 1863
4 June-30 Dec.
1863
41
21
31 Dec. 1863-28 Feb. 1864
31 Dec. 1863-28 Feb.
1864
42
21
27 Feb.-20 Oct. 1864
27 Feb.-20 Oct.
1864
43
22
23 Oct. 1864-30 May 1865
23 Oct. 1864-30 May
1865
44
22
31 May 1865-19 Apr. 1866
31 May 1865-19 Apr.
1866
45
23
20 Apr. 1866-22 May 1867
20 Apr. 1866-22 May
1867
46
23
23 May-24 Sept. 1867
23 May-24 Sept.
1867
47
24
25 Sept. 1867-5 Feb. 1868
25 Sept. 1867-5 Feb.
1868
48
24
6 Feb.-4 Sept. 1868
6 Feb.-4 Sept.
1868
49
25
6 Sept. 1868-15 Jan. 1869
6 Sept. 1868-15 Jan.
1869
50
25
16 Jan.-27 Aug. 1869
16 Jan.-27 Aug.
1869
51
26
28 Aug. 1869-9 June 1870
28 Aug. 1869-9 June
1870
52
26
11 June-26 Dec. 1870
11 June-26 Dec.
1870
53
27
27 Dec. 1870-26 Apr. 1871
27 Dec. 1870-26 Apr.
1871
54
27
27 Apr. 1871-22 Jan. 1872
27 Apr. 1871-22 Jan.
1872
55
28
24 Jan.-24 May 1872
24 Jan.-24 May
1872
56
28
25 May-28 Aug. 1872
25 May-28 Aug.
1872
57
29
29 Aug. 1872-1 Jan. 1873
29 Aug. 1872-1 Jan.
1873
58
29
4 Jan.-24 Sept. 1873
4 Jan.-24 Sept.
1873
59
30
25 Sept. 1873-4 Jan. 1874
25 Sept. 1873-4 Jan.
1874
60
30
5 Jan.-21 Mar. 1874
5 Jan.-21 Mar.
1874
61
31
22 Mar.-11 July 1874
22 Mar.-11 July
1874
62
31
13 July-27 Nov. 1874
13 July-27 Nov.
1874
63
32
28 Nov. 1874-27 Apr. 1875
28 Nov. 1874-27 Apr.
1875
64
32
28 Apr.-20 Aug. 1875
28 Apr.-20 Aug.
1875
65
33
27 Aug. 1875-22 Jan. 1876
27 Aug. 1875-22 Jan.
1876
66
33
24 Jan.-21 Sept. 1876
24 Jan.-21 Sept.
1876
67
34
22 Sept. 1876-10 Nov. 1877
22 Sept. 1876-10 Nov.
1877
68
34
13 Nov. 1877-9 Jan. 1880
13 Nov. 1877-9 Jan.
1880
69
35
10 Jan. 1880-9 Jan. 1881
10 Jan. 1880-9 Jan.
1881
70
35
12 Jan. 1881-7 Oct. 1904
12 Jan. 1881-7 Oct.
1904
71
36
Undated
Undated
72
36
Undated
Undated
73
36
Undated
Undated
74
Unbound, 1857-1880
1857-1880
Letters received and draft correspondence by Black.
Arranged chronologically.
13 Mar. 1857-8 May 1871, 20 Dec. 1880, undated
13 Mar. 1857-8 May
1871, 20 Dec. 1880, undated
(2 folders)
74-76
Legal File, 1853-1880
1853-1880
Cases, notes, writings, and printed matter.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
74
Cases
Bennett pension, opinion,
undated
undated
Biles appeal, opinion,
undated
undated
Book of cases, 1853
1853
Bryant v. Stillwell, opinion
Clay, Clement, C., defense,
undated
undated
Cucullu v. Mexico, opinions of commissioners
Wadsworth and Palacio, undated
undated
Dyer v. Parkhurst, opinion,
undated
undated
Harris v. Lyson,
undated
undated
Hendrickson, Joseph G., appeal,
undated
undated
Koon and Bray v. O'Neill, opinion,
undated
undated
Land dispute, Somerset County, Pa.,
undated
undated
McArole case,
undated
undated
(2 folders)
McComb v. Crédit Mobilier,
undated
undated
McGarrham, William, Judiciary Committee,
Washington, D.C., 1870
1870
75
McKenny v. Republic of Mexico, 1872,
undated
1872,
undated
National Bank of Clarion v. James, Assignee of
Burns, undated
undated
Remington v. Morris, opinion,
undated
undated
Schooner Peggy v. United States,
undated
undated
Sheenan v. Twigg,
undated
undated
Stokely, Thomas, estate, opinion,
undated
undated
Tilden, Samuel J., defense before electoral
commission, undated
undated
Westfall v. Mapes, opinion,
undated
undated
Wheatly v. Chusman, opinion,
undated
undated
Notes and writings, undated
undated
(13 folders)
76
Printed matter, 1859-1860, 1866-1880,
undated
1859-1860, 1866-1880,
undated
(7 folders)
77-78
Writings, undated
undated
Holograph writings by Jeremiah S. Black and his son Chauncey Forward Black.
Arranged alphabetically by author and by topic or type of writing therein.
77
Black, Chauncey Forward
"Adam Holt," unpublished novel,
undated
undated
(10 folders)
Lamon, Ward Hill,
Recollections of Abraham Lincoln
(1895), suppressed chapter by Black,
undated
undated
(3 folders)
Black, Jeremiah S.
On James Buchanan administration,
undated
undated
(4 folders)
78
Various, undated
undated
(15 folders)
78-80
Miscellany, 1859-1903
1859-1903
Scrapbooks, clippings, notes, and portraits.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
78
Clippings, 1868-1880, 1888-1891, 1903,
undated
1868-1880, 1888-1891,
1903, undated
Scrapbooks, 1859-1900,
undated
1859-1900,
undated
(1 vol.)
79
(2 vols.)
80
(1 vol.)
Various items, 1891, 1897, 1903,
undated
1891, 1897, 1903,
undated
80
Addition, 1837-1888
1837-1888
Family correspondence, general correspondence, and academic records.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and chronologically therein.
80
Family correspondence, 1837, 1848-1872,
1880, undated
1837, 1848-1872, 1880,
undated
(2 folders)
General correspondence, 1861,
1871-1887
1861,
1871-1887
Miscellany, 1887-1888
1887-1888