Scope and Content Note
The papers of Matthew Simpson (1811-1884) span the years 1829-1927, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1833-1884. They document Simpson's private life and his professional activities as circuit preacher, educator, journalist, Methodist bishop, and public speaker. The collection is organized into seven series: Diaries, Journals, and Letterbook ; Family Correspondence ; General Correspondence ; Special Correspondence ; Writings File ; Miscellany ; and Oversize . The Family Correspondence and General Correspondence extend throughout the period of Simpson's adult life.
The Family Correspondence includes letters exchanged between Simpson and his uncle, also named Matthew Simpson, in the early years of his career. Later letters from Simpson to his wife and children offer glimpses into his private life, reflect the physical hardships of the ministry, and briefly report on some of his many trips. The General Correspondence , largely letters received from a wide variety of persons, provides information about Simpson's work. Prominent among his correspondence were Edward Raymond Ames, Montgomery Blair, James Harlan, Edmund Storer Janes, and Thomas A. Morris. Brief biographical accounts of Simpson are included in the Miscellany series.
The Writings File of sermons, lectures, poems, stories, other writings, and notebooks and notes indicates the methods of preparation of a man whose reputation rested to a great extent on oratorical skills. The Miscellany series contains printed reports and full texts of many sermons, lectures, and speeches. The General Correspondence reveals Simpson's popularity as a speaker.
Some of the material, especially the correspondence and notes, also contains information about the division of American Methodism over the slavery question and the attempts to reorganize the Methodist Church in the South after the Civil War. The collection also reflects the struggles of the church to expand during the mid-nineteenth century, its involvement in international religious activities, and the attempts of some members to adjust to modern scientific thought.
Except for a few of the diary and journal entries, which are generally brief, there is little evidence of Simpson's relationship with Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, or other major leaders in the government during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The pencil notes found on many of the items are probably those of George R. Crooks, one of Simpson's biographers.