These reels consist of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln family affairs during the last years of Lincoln's grandfather; the life of his father, Colonel Benjamin Lincoln; and the years of Lincoln's youth. The documents that deal with Lincoln's early years cover his service as Hingham's town clerk and as justice for the county and provincial courts; his position in the three provincial councils of Massachusetts and in the Revolutionary General Court; and his commands in the militia of the Massachusetts Bay Province, the militia of the Revolutionary Commonwealth, and the Massachusetts units that joined General Washington in New York.

Following the initial document dated 1635--a copy of an epitaph--the documents of the Lincoln family begin in 1694. Almost all of the papers between 1694 and 1774 consist of deeds, wills, acquittances, obligations, receipts, bills of sale, and other contractual agreements among the members of the Lincoln family and their relatives. A number of letters and documents (1746-1762) concern the settlement of the estate of Lincoln's maternal grandparents, Samuel and Hanna Thaxter. Others deal with the estate of his father-in-law, John Cushing, and the estate of his brother, Bela, who died in 1773.

Also included in this section is a shorthand book composed by Richard Bartlet (1705), a list of assessments committed to Colonel Benjamin Lincoln for collection in 1754, and a notebook of property measurements and settlements belonging to Colonel Benjamin Lincoln (1752-1770).

The earliest documents relating to General Benjamin Lincoln are two almanac-diaries dated 1750 and 1763 respectively. There follows a summary of court records kept by Lincoln from 1763 to 1773. The papers for 1775 include seven letters from Lincoln--six to officials in Hingham and the other to the Massachusetts Council--five resolutions passed by the Third Provincial Council and the Revolutionary General Court, and one letter from Joseph Otis to Joseph Warren, dated November 26, 1775.

Most of the documents for 1776 consist of letters from Lincoln to his commanding officers in the Massachusetts militia and to General Washington, as well as Lincoln's general and divisional orders and periodic returns from the several military units under his command. The volume entitled "General Washington's Letters" no longer contains any Washington letters, but consists of a series of official commissions for commands and public offices held by Lincoln and his father.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's commands under Washington in New Jersey and under Schuyler and Gates during the Saratoga campaign, his year of inaction as a war casualty, and his initial months as commander of the Southern Army. Most of the documents on this reel are military reports, orders, and requests about logistics, intelligence, discipline, tactics, prisoners, the mustering of troops, and the treatment of civilians. The correspondence includes frequent official weekly and monthly returns from the various unit commanders serving under Lincoln.

Approximately one-fourth of the documents on this reel cover the period when Lincoln served with Washington, including numerous exchanges between the two men. The reel also contains some correspondence between Lincoln and Generals Nathanael Greene, Israel Putnam, and Lord Stirling. A bound volume of general and division orders issued from Lincoln's several headquarters in New Jersey covers the period between April 1 and July 4, 1777.

Lincoln's duties during the Saratoga campaign are reflected in a large number of documents that comprise about one-third of this reel. This correspondence reveals Lincoln's support of General Stark's victory at Bennington, with the subsequent problem of captured prisoners; his proposal to cut Burgoyne's supply lines to Canada, which was effected under Lincoln's direction; his constant pleas for the mustering of troops and supplies by the Massachusetts Bay Council; and finally his support of General Gates at Stillwater and Bemis Heights.

The reel contains only a few letters from family and friends during the year Lincoln was recuperating from his leg wound, but the papers are more substantial beginning with his appointment as commander of the Southern Army in September 1778. The last section of the reel covers Lincoln's trip to Charleston, his projected campaign against St. Augustine, his taking over of command from General Robert Howe, and finally his problems in raising troops and supplying his new army. All of these documents are communications received by Lincoln from individuals such as President Lowndes of South Carolina, General Robert Howe, Henry Laurens and the Continental Congress, and Lincoln's unit and administrative commanders. This reel contains no letters or orders from Lincoln himself during this period.

Scattered throughout the reel are numerous letters detailing the family responsibilities Lincoln entrusted to his son, Benjamin Lincoln, Jr. This correspondence describes the many hardships and problems faced by the family. Included are several letters from Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., to family friend and confidant Dr. Joshua Barker. Finally, a few documents deal with the estate of Lincoln's deceased brother, Bela.

These reels consist of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's initial attempts as commander of the Southern Army to stop British advances from their base in Savannah, Ga. The first item is a letterbook containing copies of 380 letters written by Lincoln between November 7, 1778, and August 2, 1779. These letters reveal the multiple problems, setbacks, and occasional successes experienced by Lincoln in trying to build and equip an army in the face of British offensive movements. Letters addressed to Washington and to Henry Laurens and John Jay, Presidents of the Continental Congress, contain Lincoln's assessments of military needs and requests for aid. Among the other correspondents are: Robert Lowndes and John Rutledge of South Carolina, Governor Caswell of Georgia, Lincoln's quartermasters, and General Prevost. Subjects discussed in the correspondence include: the procurement of militia units and supplies, transport, depreciating currencies, loyalist sentiment and readiness to surrender Charleston, efforts by loyalists to enlist Indian and back-country support, prisoners of war, officer parole, and civilian displacement.

Except for a few personal letters written by Lincoln, the rest of the documents on these reels consist of correspondence received by him. Almost all of the letters deal with military matters--reports and returns from unit commanders and court-martial proceedings. Lincoln's most frequent correspondent was Governor Rutledge, whose genuine support of the Revolution and generous cooperation with Lincoln are well documented in his letters. The correspondence also reveals General Moultrie's constant complaints, General Ashe's excuses and justifications, Francis Marion's bluntness, and Colonel C.C. Pinckney's enthusiasm for the cause. This incoming correspondence to Lincoln's headquarters is supplemented by a few letters from officials in Philadelphia, communications from British officers, and reports on family matters from Benjamin Lincoln, Jr.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's command of the Southern Army during the withdrawal of the British from South Carolina and the allied movement against British-held Savannah. The bulk of the papers concern military matters and almost all of the correspondents are the same as those on Reel 3. Very few letters written by Benjamin Lincoln appear on this reel. Copies of his military correspondence between June and August can be found in the letterbook at the beginning of Reel 3.

Subjects documented in these papers include: the inability of the American forces to rout the British after the failed attack on Charleston, Lincoln's proposed resignation of his command, the return of the British to Savannah in the late summer, the arrival of the French fleet under Count d'Estaing, and the delayed attack on Savannah by the French and American forces.

This reel contains only two family letters, both written by Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., one to his father and the other to his sister.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing the final months of Lincoln's command of the Southern Army; his surrender to the British on May 12, 1780; the period of his parole and return to Massachusetts; his work for a general exchange of prisoners during the fall of 1780; and finally his commission from Washington to supervise Massachusetts enlistments and military training during the winter months.

The papers on this reel primarily deal with the military affairs of the Southern Army and include significant correspondence from Lincoln to Samuel Huntington, President of the Continental Congress; to the Governor of Havana; and to the French Consul at Charleston. The papers document Lincoln's defense of Charleston during the spring of 1780 against the advance of General Clinton, as well as the mounting pressure placed on Lincoln by citizens, government officials, and militia units of South Carolina to surrender.

The reel closes with a few documents from the post-surrender period, including a photostatic copy of the 35-page report from Lincoln to Washington reviewing the reasons for the fall of Charleston.

These reels consist of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's work in organizing Massachusetts volunteer units, his command under Washington through the surrender of Cornwallis, and most of his tenure as the first Secretary of War under the Confederation government.

Lincoln's correspondence during the winter months of 1781 describes the many difficulties he faced as supervisor of new enlistments, including the lack of fitness for military duty of many of the volunteers and the thorny problem of assigning these units to out-of-state duty. Correspondents include his two superintendents, Colonels Shepard and Crane; the Massachusetts Assembly; and Governor Hancock. Other correspondence documents Lincoln's movements with his troops south to Yorktown and includes requests for transport and supplies and reports to Washington.

The official correspondence during most of Lincoln's term as Secretary of War deals with petitions of individual officers like Henry Knox, then in command at West Point; efforts to keep the armed forces from disintegrating; and the question of officers' pay. Several letters in this section are addressed to Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance, and to George Washington. Also represented in this correspondence is Lincoln's assistant, William Jackson.

These reels contain many documents devoted to family matters, including correspondence between Lincoln and his eldest son, Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., and two of the very few letters in the collection written by Lincoln to his wife Mary. Many of these letters attest to the family's strained financial condition and Lincoln's dependence on his son to take care of business transactions at home. Other documents forecast Henry Knox's later financial difficulties.

Included among these personal papers are lengthy writings by Lincoln on subjects such as "Friendship," "Innocence," "Reason and Passion," "Happiness and Pain," "The Relationship of the States and the Central Authority," "The Importance of Commerce to a Nation," and "The Virtue of Labor," as well as several pieces that reflect Lincoln's interest in descriptive geography.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's resignation as Secretary of War, his business activities, some special assignments, and his command of the Massachusetts militia during Shays' Rebellion.

Letters relating to Lincoln's business interests include correspondence with his agents, Samuel Hodgdon in Philadelphia and Thomas Porter in Alexandria; Timothy Pickering in Philadelphia; Thomas Peters and Company in Baltimore; and William Lyles and Company in Alexandria. Lincoln's acquisition and development of land around Passamaquoddy Bay are detailed in correspondence with his son Theodore and Colonel John Allan, a resident of Dudley Island.

Letters between 1784 to 1786 deal with Lincoln's service on special commissions, including his efforts to settle the St. Croix boundary and make treaties with the Penobscot Indians, as well as his appointment to the commission to determine Virginia's land claims in the Northwest Territory. Correspondents include Governor Bowdoin, the Massachusetts Assembly and Council, Henry Knox, and General Samuel Parsons.

The last third of this reel deals with Lincoln's command of the Massachusetts militia and its efforts against the rebel movements in central and western Massachusetts. His struggle to muster militia units and to procure the necessary supplies, difficulties due to divided loyalties among the troops and jealousies among the officers, and the movement of his army from Worcester to Springfield in mid-winter--all are revealed in the correspondence with his commanding officers, such as Generals Shepard, Warner, and Paterson, and in his daily reports to Governor Bowdoin.

There are several letters throughout the reel that indicate the many personal favors that Lincoln performed for others, such as securing Tobias Lear the appointment as Washington's private secretary, writing recommendations for his former assistant William Jackson, and accepting the guardianship of the sons of Thomas Ferguson of Charleston.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's command of the Massachusetts militia during the final months of Shays' Rebellion and his membership on a special commission created by the General Court to deal with the late insurgents. The first document is a letterbook containing Lincoln's official letters as commander of the militia. The 148 letters, dating from January 5 to March 25, 1787, consist of daily instructions to his commanders, daily reports to Governor Bowdoin, and a few requests addressed to Governor Clinton of New York.

Most of the papers in this section deal with the final military measures that brought the rebellion to a close in March. Also included on this reel are a considerable number of letters between Benjamin Lincoln, Jr., and two of his friends, Tobias Lear at Mt. Vernon and Thomas Porter at Alexandria; a renewal of the correspondence between the Lincoln and his eldest son; and a 22-page essay by Lincoln on the value of the Eastern Provinces and their use to Massachusetts, dated December 3, 1787.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's service in the Massachusetts ratifying convention, as lieutenant governor, as one of the United States Commissioners to the Southern Indians, and as customs collector for the port of Boston during the first years of his term of office.

Lincoln's federalist views in the struggle over the ratification of the Constitution are revealed in his correspondence with Washington, John Adams, Henry Knox, Samuel Otis, Theodore Sedgwick, Dr. David Ramsay of South Carolina, and others. While only a few letters in this collection indicate the strained relations between Lincoln and Governor Hancock, Lincoln's continued loyalty to Washington is revealed not only in the direct correspondence between the two men, but also in the many letters between Lincoln and Washington's private secretary, Tobias Lear.

Documents on this reel provide evidence of Lincoln's multiple and varied interests, as well as his personal responsibilities. These interests include: the Penobscot Indians and the development of the "eastern counties," fish migration, the New England cotton industry, and the affairs of the Massachusetts militia. Among the many correspondents are John Lee, Daniel Little, and George Cabot. Personal correspondence with friends and relatives describes the death of Lincoln's eldest son, Benjamin, Jr.; the failure of Lincoln's milling venture and the resulting financial difficulties that led him to ask Washington for a federal position; and the gradual development of his interests in present-day Maine. Family correspondents include Lincoln's sons Theodore and Martin.

The bulk of the documents in this reel consist of Lincoln's official correspondence as customs collector for the port of Boston. This correspondence reveals the many problems and responsibilities related to the position, such as paying invalid pensions, supervising lighthouses, funding Continental certificates, and privateering. The reel includes a significant amount of correspondence with Alexander Hamilton and his assistants, as well as with Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and ends with a letterbook of Lincoln's official correspondence containing some 230 letters dated from April 27, 1791, to June 29, 1798. The letters in the volume disclose the meticulous procedures devised by Hamilton for handling and accounting for public funds.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's service as a United States Peace Commissioner to deal with the Indians north of the Ohio, his continued service as Boston customs collector, and his family and business affairs during these years.

Lincoln's peace mission to Sandusky in the summer of 1793 is carefully described in a journal he kept during these months, as well as in the many letters that were written following his return. Many of the documents on this reel deal with family property settlements in which Lincoln acted as executor, and his interests in the Passamaquoddy Bay area are detailed in his correspondence with his son Theodore, who managed the property. Of particular significance are the more than 30 documents dated 1798 and 1799 dealing with Lincoln's financial obligations as a result of his endorsement of some notes for Henry Knox.

The rest of the documents on this reel are a miscellany of papers related to problems of the customs service, Lincoln's responsibility for the education of sons of friends, and advice and counsel given to relatives and acquaintances.

This reel consists of letters and other documents detailing Lincoln's last years as customs collector, his resignation, and the remaining years of his life. Among the papers dealing with Lincoln's services as customs collector are: multiple copies of quarterly accounts sent to the Treasury Department; correspondence with Benjamin Weld, his assistant; a few letters to Albert Gallatin and General Henry Dearborn; Lincoln's resignation, submitted to Thomas Jefferson; and an audit of his accounts, with the resulting struggle to gain commissions due his estate.

The personal letters on this reel document the problem of Henry Knox's financial affairs up until 1806, the date of Knox's death. Lincoln's correspondence with Tobias Lear includes an account of a quarrel between Lear and John Marshall over the loss of one of Washington's diaries and ends with a Lincoln letter written in 1804.

The many receipts for money signed by Lincoln's daughter-in-law Mary attest to Lincoln's financial responsibilities for his grandsons, and his growing dependence on his two sons, Martin and Theodore, is clearly shown in the extensive correspondence among the three, as well as the property settlements they made together. Letters from Lincoln's grandson and namesake appear for the first time on this reel. Also included is the Lincoln's last essay, entitled "Forest Products and the Necessity for Conservation" (1800).

This reel consists of letters and other documents related to the last years of Lincoln's wife, Mary Cushing Lincoln, and the lives of his children and their families. Practically all of the documents are Lincoln family letters and papers relating to the estates of Benjamin and Mary Lincoln, which were executed by the youngest son, Martin. Consequently, the bulk of the correspondence centers on Martin Lincoln until his death in 1837. Of these letters, most were written by Theodore, Martin's brother, but the reel also contains letters from Martin's nephews, Benjamin and James O. Lincoln (sons of the deceased Benjamin Lincoln, Jr.), as well as letters from Hanna, a sister; H. Baylies, a brother-in-law; and other members of the family. After 1837, most of the papers consist of the correspondence of Lincoln's granddaughters, Sarah E. and Ann S., and their relatives.

Other documents of interest include a volume entitled "Dr. Gray's Records of Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths," which records the vital statistics of Hingham residents from 1718 to 1830; a series of ten unidentified sermons; several accounts and deeds of Derby Academy, of which both Lincoln and his son Martin were trustees; and a volume published in 1812 entitled The Institutions and Proceedings of the Society of Cincinnati.

This reel consists of letters and other documents related to the lives of Lincoln's grandson, Benjamin Lincoln, and other descendants, and includes a miscellany of undated material and fragments. Papers before 1900 (November 1, 1860-October 20, 1894) include the personal bank accounts of Benjamin Lincoln (the grandson) and a few pieces of correspondence which concern his grandfather. The reel also contains a deed related to the Crosby family, and three letters dated after 1900 refer to Revolutionary War sources, two of which concern Lincoln. At the end of the reel are undated documents and fragments, including three bound volumes, on geometry, navigation, and farming, respectively; three maps; some letters of Lincoln's granddaughters; a large number of old family accounts; and fragmentary copies of Lincoln's essays and other papers.