William Law papers, 1761-1890

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Summary

Creator:
Law, William
Abstract:
Collection has personal and business correspondence of William Law, the Dubose family, and of Cyrus Bacot, with whom Law was connected by marriage. As captain of the Black Creek Militia, 1813-1820, Law's papers include muster rolls, accounts of courts-martial, lists of absentees with their excuses, and numerous orders. Law's plantation records are confined to frequent lists of slaves, accounts of cotton planted and produced, and weights of hogs killed. The bulk of the papers is concerned with Law's activities as a merchant in partnership with Daniel Dubose, include records of large amounts of cotton sold to Charleston commission merchants, of turpentine and bricks sold, and papers, bills, receipts, account books, daybooks, cashbooks, and ledgers. Included also are an account book of lumber sold by Law and Bacot, and letters and papers showing Law's activities in the temperance movement and the Presbyterian Church. Personal letters, mostly post 1839, include letters of sympathy at the death of Law's wife in 1839, frequent letters from member of the Cooper and Dubose families, and letters from Law's brother, James Robert Law, who was often in financial difficulties. J. R. Law was a planter in the Sumter District of South Carolina and in Madison County, Fla., after 1848. Miscellaneous materials include a description of the Alabama River and environs, 1815, accounts of trips to Red Sulphur Springs and other springs in Virginia, 1835, and Civil War letters from William Law's son discussing camp life.
Extent:
2.4 Linear Feet (4 boxes, 1,863 items (including 20 vols.))
Language:
Materials in English
Collection ID:
RL.10126

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains personal and business correspondence and papers of William Law (1792-1868), planter, merchant, and leader of the local militia, the DuBose family, and of Cyrus Bacot, with whom Law was connected by marriage.

As captain of the Black Creek Militia, 1813-1820, Law's papers include muster rolls, accounts of courts-martial, lists of absentees with their excuses, and numerous orders. Law's plantation records are confined to frequent lists of slaves, accounts of cotton planted and produced, and weights of hogs killed. The bulk of the papers is concerned with Law's activities as a merchant in partnership with Daniel DuBose, including records of large amounts of cotton sold to Charleston commission merchants, of turpentine and bricks sold, and papers, bills, receipts, account books, daybooks, cashbooks, and ledgers.

Also included in the collection are an account book of lumber sold by Law and Cyrus Bacot, and letters and papers showing Law's activities in the temperance movement and the Presbyterian Church. Personal letters, largely confined to the period after 1839, fall into three categories; letters of sympathy at the death of Law's wife in 1839; frequent letters from members of the Cooper and DuBose families; and letters from Law's brother, James Robert Law, who was often involved in financial difficulties. Letters from James Robert Law are concerned with planting operations in Sumter District, South Carolina, and, beginning with 1848, in Madison County, Florida.

There are also a description of the Alabama River and its fertile lowlands by William I. DuBose written from Fort Claiborne, Monroe County, Mississippi, in 1815; accounts of a trip to Red Sulphur Springs as well as other springs in Virginia in 1835; a long account by James R. Law relative to a marl bed on his Sumter plantation, and Civil War letters from William Law's son revealing numerous incidents of camp life.

Biographical / historical:

William Law (1792-1868), was a planter, merchant, and captain of the Black Creek Militia, 1813-1820. Most of his merchant activities were in partnership with Daniel DuBose. Cyrus Bacot was a merchant with whom Law was connected by marriage.

Processing information:

Processed by Rubenstein Library staff.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48-hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], the William Law papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.