Archives & Library Special Collections
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Call Number: 1974.179
Extent: 0.17 linear feet, in 17 folders in one manuscript box
The Middagh family papers (1654-circa 1840) contain a variety of documents, many linked to the Middagh family by name or by affiliated family, including Couwenhoven and Stryker. Many documents have no obvious relationship to the Middaghs. Most of the collection includes legal documents of various forms including deeds, bonds, agreements, and legal filings. Among the documents not clearly linked to the Middaghs are: the concluding pages of the 1825 correspondence from William Steele to his son concerning Jonathan Dayton’s recollections of Benjamin Franklin’s proposal for prayer at the 1787 Constitutional Convention; the articles of agreement between generals Burgoyne (British) and Gates (American) at Saratoga during the Revolutionary War (1772), signed by Burgoyne; plans for the building of a school in Huntington, Long Island, and the subscriber list (1762); and a circa 1675 transcript of a 1669 Suffolk County Clerk’s document regarding the testimony of several Indian sachems of Montauket relating to a land dispute. Three items referring to African-Americans in Brooklyn are in the collection: an unidentified will (1727), a slave bill of sale (1737), and an arrest warrant concerning the unlicensed sale of liquor, including to African-Americans (1751). Eight documents (1654-1702) are in Dutch.
Names:
- Middagh family
- Cowenhoven family
- Stryker family
- Torrey, Joseph, 1707-1791
- United States. Constitutional Convention (1787)
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.)
- Long Island (N.Y.)
- New York (State) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- Suffolk County (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- African Americans — New York (State) — Kings County
- County courts — New York (State) — Kings County
- Genealogy
- Indians of North America — New York (State) — Long Island
- Real property — New York (State) — Kings County
- Real property — New York (State) — Long Island
- Saratoga Campaign, N.Y., 1777
- Slavery — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Agreements
- Correspondence
- Deeds
- Legal documents
- legal instruments
- Slave bills of sale
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Call Number: ARC.284
Extent: 0.25 Linear feet, in seven folders in one manuscript box
The collection includes documents principally related to members of the Conkling family of Southold, Suffolk County, Long Island (N.Y.). Among these are three day books of merchant David Conkling (1784-1785); a ledger of an unknown person for transactions in farm labor and goods (1791-1798); a journal of Jacob Conkling for a journey through northern New Jersey and into the forests beyond the Delaware Water Gap; correspondence to David from Jacob and from David to Capt. David Landon (both Jacob and Landon at Guilford, Connecticut) concerning health, business matters, and damages incurred during the British occupation of Long Island during the American Revolution (circa 1782-1784); and a Brooklyn to New York ferry pass (1782).
Names:
- Conkling, David, d. 1787?
- Conklin family
- Conkling family
- Conkling, Jacob
Places:
- Connecticut — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- Long Island (N.Y.)
- Southold (N.Y.)
- Suffolk County (N.Y.)
- Suffolk County (N.Y.) — History — American Revolution 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Merchants — New York (State) — Suffolk County
Types of material:
- Correspondence
- Daybooks
- Ledgers (account books)
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Call Number: ARC.283
Extent: 0.33 Linear feet, in three folders in one manuscript box
Nicholas Covenhoven (circa 1744-1793) of New Utrecht was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Kings County (N.Y.) militia in 1776. During the occupation of Brooklyn he worked with the British commissary and assisted American prisoners. After the war, Covenhoven served as the Chief Judge of the Kings County Court of Common Pleas. The collection includes an account book used by both Nicholas Covenhoven and his son, John N. Covenhoven. Nicholas recorded amounts advanced to American prisoners during the American Revolution and other loans and bonds he transacted (circa 1775-circa 1790). John N. kept account of his personal transactions, including fishing income (circa 1790-circa 1805). The collection also includes a small number of other papers, among them a petition to Sir William Howe for payment for horses and wagons seized by the British army (1777); copies of letters to and from Abraham Skinner, the Commissary-General of Prisoners, concerning prisoner compensation (1782); a pardon from Governor George Clinton (1786), and a receipt of payment for an enslaved African-American (1792).
Names:
- Covenhoven, John N.
- Covenhoven, Nicholas
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- New Utrecht (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Account books — New York (State) — Kings County
- Judges — New York (State) — Kings County
- Military occupation damages — New York (State) — Kings County
- Prisoners of war — United States — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Types of material:
- Financial records
- Ledgers (account books)
- Petitions
- Slave bills of sale
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Call Number: 1974.133
Extent: 0.1 Linear feet, in 16 folders in one manuscript box
The John Kissam papers (1778-1823; 1864-1868) principally include correspondence and orders to Major Kissam, a Loyalist, concerning the Queens County Militia during the British occupation of New York and Long Island during the American Revolution. The subjects relate mostly to the taking of property, especially wood-cutting; authorization for movements about Long Island and to New York; and meeting troop musters. There are a small number of post-war items concerning Kissam. The collection also includes election (1865) and discharge (1868) certificates for Corporal Platt Wiggins from the New York State National Guard and the August 1864 muster roll of Company K of the 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment, Confederate States of America.
Names:
- Kissam, John
- Hamilton, Archibald, d. 1795
- Wiggins family
- Confederate States of America. Army. Georgia Infantry Regiment, 12th
- Queens County (N.Y.). Militia
Places:
- Queens County (N.Y.)
- Queens County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Military occupation damages — New York (State) — Queens County
Types of material:
- Certificates
- Correspondence
- Muster rolls
- Orders (military records)
- Receipts (financial records)
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Call Number: 1977.639
Extent: 0.08 Linear feet, in one folder
This collection contains an original and typed copy of a sworn affidavit, signed by Major O. Tavles and dated September 14, 1779, stating that as a prisoner of war in the home of Adrian Voorhees of Flatbush, he was treated well. Also included is a sworn statement from Voorhees, dated August 4, 1780, stating that two horses and a wagon had been taken from him by Hessians, for which he was never compensated.
Names:
- Tavles, O.
- Voorhees, Adrian
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Flatbush (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- United States — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
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Call Number: V1974.026
Extent: 1.0 Linear feet, in two lantern slide boxes.
The Adams lantern slide collection on the Battle of Long Island dates from circa 1900 to 1910 and measures 1 linear foot with 91 lantern slides. The collection contains hand-colored slides depicting the site of the battle, surrounding locations in Brooklyn, and relevant individuals. The slides are a mix of original photographs and illustrations.
The collection’s arrangement follows the thematic outline of Adams’ lecture:
shore of Bath Beach
Fort Hamilton
maps of skirmish lines
portraits
illustrations of battle and battle location
Collection also includes a written lecture to accompany the slides
Some of the original glass plate negatives used by Rev. Adams to make his lantern slides are also included in this collection.
The Battle of Long Island occurred on August 27, 1776 in what is now the borough of Brooklyn, N.Y. The battle was the largest of the American Revolutionary War. It resulted in a victory for the British army and the retreat of the Continental Army through Manhattan and New Jersey into Pennsylvania.
Rev. William Ten Eyck Adams was pastor of the Edgewood Reformed Church in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The lantern slides in this collection originate from a 1901 lecture he delivered on the Battle of Long Island at churches and assemblies in Brooklyn.
Names:
- Adams, William Ten Eyck
- United States. Continental Army
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Kings County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Long Island, Battle of, New York, N.Y., 1776
- Street photography — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
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Call Number: 2007.036
Extent: 0.04 Linear feet, in one manuscript box.
Official report of an archaeological dig conducted in 2003 at the Martyrs’ Monument/Monument Lot, a triangular lot on Hudson Avenue in Brooklyn, N.Y. The dig was conducted to “determine if there was any remaining evidence of an 1808 burial crypt that once held the bones of possibly thousands of Revolutionary War prisoners who died aboard British prison ships anchored in nearby Wallabout Bay.” The bones in the original crypt had been transferred to a tomb in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park in 1873. A permanent monument, known as the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, was constructed at the site of the Fort Greene crypt in 1908.
Names:
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Crypts — New York (State) — Kings County
- Excavations (Archaeology) — New York (State) — Kings County
- Prisoners of war — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
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Call Number: 2001.044
Extent: 1.0 Linear feet, in one oversize box.
One printed black-and-white illustration showing a scene from the Battle of Long Island. The print dates from circa 1976.
The Battle of Long Island (also known as the Battle of Brooklyn) occurred on August 27, 1776 in what is now the borough of Brooklyn, N.Y. The battle was the largest of the American Revolutionary War. It resulted in a victory for the British army and the retreat of the Continental Army through Manhattan and New Jersey into Pennsylvania.
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Long Island, Battle of, New York, N.Y., 1776
Types of material:
- Black-and-white prints (prints on paper)
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Call Number: 1974.049
Extent: 0.06 Linear feet, in one folder.
One bound volume containing orders given by British loyalists Archibald Hamilton, commander of the Queens County Militia, and Oliver De Lancy, commander of De Lancey’s Brigade on Long Island, during the American Revolutionary War. Orders date from 1779 and 1780 and are mostly from Hamilton.
Archibald Hamilton and Oliver De Lancey were New York loyalists who served on the side of the British during the American Revolutionary War. Hamilton was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Queens County Militia in 1778. De Lancey commanded three battalions, collectively known as De Lancey’s Brigade, beginning in September of 1776. The Brigade served in various parts of Long Island.
Names:
- De Lancey, Oliver, 1718-1785
- Hamilton, Archibald
Places:
- Long Island (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- Queens County (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Types of material:
- Orders (military records)
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Call Number: 1974.064
Extent: 0.3 Linear feet, in 95 folders
The John Sands papers span the period 1728 to 1776 and measure 0.3 linear feet. The papers primarily document Sands’ tenure as a Colonel in General George Washington’s army during the American Revolution. Included in the papers are correspondence between Sands and other military officers; lists of soldiers recruited by Sands; lists of orders and rules issued by Sands to his troops; payroll lists for Sands’ troops; and copies of two newspapers from New York and Boston, MA, respectively.
John Sands (1737-1811) was a farmer living on the Cow Neck Peninsula of Long Island at the outbreak of the American Revolution, in which he took an active role. Sands was appointed a Colonel in George Washington’s army and was charged with enlisting recruits to guard the north and south shores of Long Island and watch for the approach of British naval vessels. In August 1776, Colonel Sands lead his company to the American camp in Brooklyn where they took part in the Battle of Long Island and the subsequent American retreat.
Names:
- Onderdonk, Henry, 1804-1886
- Sands, John, 1737-1811
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Long Island (N.Y.) — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
- United States — History — Revolution, 1775-1783
Subjects:
- Long Island, Battle of, New York, N.Y., 1776
- Soldiers — New York (State)
Types of material:
- Correspondence
- Muster rolls
- Payroll records
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