John Eager Howard to William Newton, May 14, 1794

The John Eager Howard Papers is comprised of thirteen smaller collections of various original manuscripts and papers totaling forty-five boxes. The collection spans over three centuries, beginning during the mid-late 17th century with items from the Howard family and letters from John Eager Howard. The collection concludes with miscellaneous materials dated around 1952; this wide chronological diversity only emphasizes the longevity and importance of the Howard family, and their influence throughout Maryland history.

The first nineteen boxes of the John Eager Howard Papers are a combination of the Land Papers of the Howard Family and John Eager Howard, which range from circa 1662-1882, and the Papers of Colonel John Eager Howard from circa 1778-circa 1870. The Land Papers were originally only seven boxes, including leases and deeds transacted by the Howards, and papers concerning Jerdone Castle, Virginia, Hanson’s Improvement, and lands owned by Samuel Chase, etc. (It should be noted that several items in the original seven boxes, including the notes on the Cromwell Case, papers on the Gilmor vs. Dorsey case, and the correspondence concerning the Nicholas Rogers vs. John Eager Howard case, have been placed in later boxes within this collection). The Papers of Colonel Howard only covers one box within MS. 469, but contains business papers, ledgers, letters from Judge William Johnson, and most notably, correspondence from George Washington.

Boxes twenty through twenty-two are the former Francis Scott Key Papers, from circa 1760-1870, and the Roger Brooke Taney Correspondence, from 1817-1872. These were once two boxes and one box, respectively, but have since merged together. Included within the Key Papers are the correspondences between the Key and Ross families, the letters exchanged between Francis Scott Key and his friend, John Randolph of Roanoke, and the estate papers of Mary Taylor Key. The Taney Correspondence features such items as Questions and Answers on Moral Philosophy by Charles Nisbet D.D., and letters from Roger Brooke Taney’s family to Andrew Jackson, Martin van Buren, and James Buchanan.

The Papers of Charles Howard, dated from 1830-1864, are the documents mainly written during Charles' imprisonment at Fort Warren, MA, and Fort Lafayette, NY, during the Civil War. They form box twenty-three, and part of box twenty-seven. A Confederate sympathizer, the letters written by Charles Howard (1802-1869) are mostly to his wife, Elizabeth Phoebe Key, although he also penned a letter to President Abraham Lincoln asking for a release from prison.

Box twenty-four comprise the Captain John Eager Howard Papers, which date from 1847-1859. They were originally contained within one box. Notable materials include the letters between Captain John Eager Howard and Cornelia Howard detailing action during the Mexican-American War, and muster rolls of the U.S. Voltiguers.

The Benjamin Chew Howard Papers form a large bulk of the collection, with an impressive eleven boxes beginning in box twenty-five. This sub-collection dates from 1793-1905. Pieces of interest located in box twenty-five include Benjamin Chew Howard’s correspondence with Robert Gilmore, an 1836 invitation for the “Celebration of the Anniversary of American Independence,” letters from the Cliosophic Society, James Buchanan, Roger Brooke Taney, and an 1837 map of Wisconsin.

Boxes twenty-six and twenty-seven are a combination of three sub-collections, the Papers of Dr. George Howard and his wife, the Howard & Poor Papers, and the previously-mentioned Papers of Charles Howard. Each of these were only one box before they were integrated into MS. 469. The Papers of Dr. George Howard and his wife span a little over two decades, from 1826-1848. Within this sub-collection are business correspondences, deeds and mortgages, and George Howard’s ledger book from 1836-1839. The Howard & Poor Papers are arguably the smallest sub-collection in MS. 469, and only occupy two entries in the entire collection—an 1854 letter book, and receipts for corn and wheat. The Howard & Poor Papers are dated 1853-1856. The remaining letters in the Papers of Charles Howard are located in box twenty-seven.

The Benjamin Chew Howard Papers form boxes twenty-eight through thirty-eight. Notable letters in these boxes include Benjamin Chew Howard’s political papers written during his time on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, and correspondence with Colonel John Eager Howard, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and Samuel Smith. (It should be noted that the Howard vs. Moale materials which were formerly included with these boxes has been moved to box forty-three.)

Boxes thirty-eight through forty-one contain the McHenry Howard Papers, dated from 1857-1919, and the Miscellaneous Howard Family Letters dated 1799-1878. The McHenry Howard Papers have maintained their original three-box frame, and feature the personal accounts of McHenry Howard, who served as a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. McHenry’s accounts of summer campaigns, his account of General Robert E. Lee’s Army’s last fight, and his application for commission in the Confederate Army can be found within these boxes. Other interesting materials may include letters from former Confederate soldiers, McHenry’s “Some Old English Letters” (printed in the Maryland Historical Magazine in 1914), and his letters during his imprisonment at Fort Delaware and Fort Lafayette. The Miscellaneous Howard Family Letters include proposed division of the estate of the deceased John Eager Howard, papers concerning the sales of Cornelia Howard’s furnishings, and various estate papers from John Eager Howard.

The Howard Family Estates and Lands, 1826-1915, were formerly three boxes, and have retained this frame. They make up boxes forty-one through forty-three. Included within this sub-collection are genealogical data, the will of Francis Jerdone, the estate papers of Margaretta S. Ridgely, and the transferred papers in the case of Howard vs. Moale.

The last two boxes in the John Eager Howard Collection are Miscellaneous Items, with sporadic dates ranging from 1753-1952. Correspondence from Dr. Upton Scott, General Charles S. Winder’s reports of campaigns in Virginia can be found in box forty-four. Box forty-five contains Howard family portrait sketches and other information, a copy of a sermon on the Trinity by Dean Swift, dancing instructions, the Howards’ wine cellar inventory, and Peggy Chew’s ledgers.