Scope and Content Note
The papers of Samuel Hodges, Jr., (1792-1827) span the years 1822-1827 and consist of a journal with an undated typed transcript and a letter. In 1818 Hodges became the first United States consul general in Cape Verde. His journal, written between 1825 and 1827, records his official and social interactions with the Portuguese governors of Cape Verde, João de Mata Chapuzet and Caetano Procopio Godinho de Vasconcellos who succeeded Chapuzet in 1826. Many of the journal’s entries document the strained relations between Hodges and Joseph P. Clarke, the British consul general, who at one point challenged Hodges to a duel. Other subjects include the arrival and departure of ships, mercantile transactions, and slavery. The letter, dated November 18, 1822, from Hodges to his brother Leonard concerns family matters.