Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joseph Sewall (1795-1851) span the years 1832-1907, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1832-1842. The collection consists of business correspondence, including correspondence with the Treasury Department, account books, printed documents, receipts, abstracts, and other files relating exclusively to Sewall's position as collector of customs in Bath, Maine, for the port of Bath, 1832-1842. Correspondents include John Campbell, treasurer of the United States, and Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury.
A small portion of the papers, 1862-1907, relates to Joseph Sewall's son, Frederick Dummer Sewall, an army officer and internal revenue agent. Included are correspondence, military papers, and certificates.
A miscellany file contains two items of unrelated correspondence. One is a letter addressed to Henry Sewall from Elbridge G. Savage. The other is addressed to Samuel A. Morse from Mary Spinney and is apparently written in another hand.