Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Plumer (1759-1850) span the years 1774-1845, but most of them are concentrated in the period 1802-1825. The papers consist of diaries, correspondence, and nine volumes of writings that include his autobiography, notes on the proceedings of Congress, and transcriptions of essays, poetry, and extracts from various sources. The collection is organized in three series: Diaries, Correspondence, and Writings.
The diaries, called registers, record significant events of Plumer’s life and times as well as opinions on events of local and national interest. For some periods entries are made daily; others are made at varying intervals of days, weeks, or longer. The first two volumes, which cover Plumer’s last two years in Congress, were written as a “means of preserving facts & opinions which with the changes & revolution of time & of parties” were rapidly becoming lost. They have been closely associated with Plumer’s notes on the proceedings of Congress and have been published as part of William Plumer’s Memorandum of Proceedings in the United States Senate, 1803-1807, edited by Everett Somerville Brown (New York, Macmillan, 1923. 673 p.). The diaries contain references to weather conditions, politics in New Hampshire and other New England States, the courts in New Hampshire, the organization of Congress, issues before Congress (such as the debates over the purchase of Florida, trade, and United States relations with France, Spain, Great Britain, and the Barbary powers), accounts of Plumer’s trips, deaths of prominent citizens, and critiques of such contemporaries as Aaron Burr, Henry Clay, Thomas Jefferson, and Jeremiah Smith. Much of the third diary, which was kept less systematically, is devoted to historical projects, historical and statistical facts about New Hampshire, books Plumer had read, and comments on news events and financial matters. The diaries, which are indexed, record very little of Plumer’s private life.
Most of the correspondence in the papers is bound in eleven letterbooks covering the years 1781 to 1833. All are indexed by subject and names of individuals, except volumes 6, 10, and 11. Some are composed entirely of transcribed copies of letters while others contain original letters, copies, and drafts of letters sent. In some instances drafts are written on last pages of incoming letters. Both general and family correspondence are interfiled in the letterbooks; however, more family letters are found in volumes 6, 7, and 8 than in other volumes. Most of the family correspondence consists of Plumer’s letters to his wife, Sarah, his brother, Daniel, and to his children. His exchange of letters with his son, William, is rather voluminous, particularly after the younger Plumer’s election to Congress in 1819. Although the family correspondence is concerned with personal matters, it also contains considerable comments and observations on political and national issues.
All phases of Plumer’s life are represented in the general correspondence. Early letters are introspective, and trace the evolution of his religious beliefs, the formulation of his philosophy of life, and his eventual choice of law as a profession. Later letters contain comments on topics of current interest and New Hampshire politics— the personalities involved, local appointments, bills before the legislature, paper money and the public debt, and the state judicial system and judges’ salaries. Following Plumer’s election to the United States Senate letters focus on issues before the Congress, although his interest in local politics is still evident. Topics in these letters include the impeachment cases of Judges Samuel Chase and John Pickering, international trade, the Louisiana Purchase, the decline of the Federalist party, the purchase of Florida, activities of Aaron Burr, and what Plumer and other Federalists perceived as a threat to the New England states by the Southern states. After Plumer returned to private life in 1807 many of the letters reflect his efforts to remain aware of issues facing the government and to collect congressional documents and biographical information for his proposed history of North America, a project he eventually abandoned. The state militia and its protection of frontier towns and the Dartmouth College controversy are the two major subjects featured in the correspondence during his two terms as governor. Letters written in retirement continue to reflect Plumer’s interest in history and current politics. Correspondents in the collection include John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Charles Cutts, John Farmer, John Taylor Gilman, Salma Hale, John A. Harper, Isaac Hill, John Langdon, Arthur Livermore, Edward St. Loe Livermore, Jeremiah Mason, Jacob B. Moore, Nahum Parker, Daniel Plumer, William Plumer (1789-1850), James Sheafe, Jeremiah Smith, and Levi Woodbury.
Plumer’s autobiography and his memorandum on the proceedings of the United States Senate, 1803-1805, are perhaps the most significant items in the Writings series. The autobiography, written between 1826 and 1845, includes a Charles St. Memin profile engraving of him done in Washington, D.C., January 1804, and significantly augments and clarifies many of the events found in Plumer’s diaries and correspondence. The pages are annotated to show the date of writing. His “Memorandum” brings additional insight into the special session of the Senate called Oct. 17, 1803, to ratify the treaty and convention with France for the purchase of Louisiana, records the long debate over the Breckinridge bill for the organization of the Louisiana territorial government, and sets forth the arguments of the Federalists who were in opposition. While Plumer also objected to the treaty, he based his opposition on constitutional grounds.
The remaining items in the series are two volumes of Plumer’s essays, two volumes of his Repository, chapters 1-8 of his history of North America, and a volume of extracts from the secret journals of Congress. Most of his essays were published as newspaper articles in the New Hampshire Patriot and the Portsmouth Journal. The articles were generally written under pseudonyms and cover such diverse subjects as religion, politics, education, agriculture, and government. Numbers 1-93 of the 186-article “Cincinnatus” series are included in the volumes of essays. Plumer’s “Repository” was chiefly a collection of correspondence, notes, poetry, and extracts from various sources transcribed into volumes for easy reference.