Patrick Henry Collection

The collection consists of selected manuscript material by and about PatrickHenry. Included are ten signed autograph letters, two signed documents, oneother document, one autograph note, and one steel engraved portrait of Henry.One letter, dated 25 May 1779, is addressed to Virginia delegate BenjaminHarrison, about two persons jailed for suspected "wicked intentions"; anotherletter, dated 19 June 1788, concerns the will of Israel Christian; one about alegal matter, dated 24 July 1789, is addressed to Robert Carter; another, dated28 September 1789 and addressed to Thomas Madison, regards a bond of Henry'sbrother. In a third letter, sent to his daughter, Betsey (Mrs. Elizabeth Aylett)and dated 3 May 1794, Henry writes: "I hope your children will give to you thesame pleasure which mine give me." In a letter dated 14 February 1795, addressedto "Dear Sir" (presumably Henry Lee), Henry declines to take a law caseinvolving an influential Fairfax family. In another letter, dated 30 July 1794,Henry orders supplies for his slaves. There is also a brief letter by Henry tohis son-in-law, Spencer Roane, dated 14 November 1786. In addition, there are asigned receipt for two hundred and fourteen pounds for October 1764 and May1765, another dated 8 June 1765, a promissory note in the hand of Henry, signedby Jacob Puckett and dated 22 February 1793, and a 1795 receipt signed bycobbler Ephraim Potts for money paid by Henry for shoes and saddle cloth for hisnephew John H. Christian, with an accompanying explanatory letter (1889). Abrief, undated [1831?] manuscript ("opinion") concerns a land survey.