Scope and Content Note
The microfilm of the papers of William Lindsay Scruggs (1836-1912) spans the years 1828-1955, with the bulk of the material from the period 1893-1898. Filmed in three parts from papers in private hands, the collection contains correspondence, memoranda, diaries, articles and other writings, notes, speeches, financial papers, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous papers pertaining primarily to Scruggs's service as United States minister to Colombia and Venezuela and United States consul in China. It includes material concerning Scruggs's work as special agent and general counsel to the Venezuelan government, particularly in relation to the disputed boundary between Venezuela and Guyana (British Guiana). Correspondents include Jose ́ Andrade, John Watson Foster, Francis B. Loomis, and Juan Pablo Rojas Paùl. Collection material is in English and Spanish. The special correspondence in Part I was filmed as received, reflecting the arrangement imposted by Scruggs.
The scrapbooks in Part II are heavily annotated and consist of correspondence as well as newspaper clippings, brochures, and pamphlets.