Campbell, Arthur Papers, 1752-1811

Held by The Filson Historical Society 

Creator:  Campbell, Arthur 

Title:  Papers, 1752-1811 

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department. 

Size of Collection:  1.33 cubic feet 

Location Number:  Mss. A C187 

Scope and Content Note 

Collection includes correspondence, statements of account, receipts, promissory notes, land papers, military papers, and legal papers of Arthur Campbell, Arthur Lee Campbell, and Matthew Monroe Campbell.

Arthur Campbell Papers (folders 1-28) reflect Campbell’s activities as county lieutenant of Washington County, Va., from its formation in 1777 through the Revolution and the Indian wars that followed, his service as sheriff of Washington County, and as a member of the Virginia Assembly. 

Correspondence, 1774-1811, concerns land, the state militia, frontier defense against the Indians, military aid to Ky., Indian treaties, the Creek War, the Va.-N.C. boundary, the state of Franklin, separation of Ky. from Va., navigation of the Mississippi River, Anglo-American relations, national and state politics, proceedings of Congress in 1790, Anthony Wayne’s campaign against the Northwest Indians, the French Revolution, and Jedidiah Morse’s Geography. 

Includes an account, 1764-1765, against Colonel John Buchanan for “teaching scholars.” 

Land papers, 1752-1806, includes papers concerning lands in Lee, Russell, and Washington counties, Va., including a “short narrative of the discovery of Powell’s Valley”; petition of inhabitants of Washington and Montgomery counties that Dr. Thomas Walker’s grant be buried in oblivion; papers, 1773-1806, concerning lands in Sullivan and Claiborne counties, Tenn.. 

Legal papers include bonds, 1797-1798, to Arthur Campbell as sheriff; writ in the case of Arthur Campbell v. Andrew Vance, 1799; transcript of record in case of Salathiel Martin v. Arthur Campbell and John Jones, 1804-1811. 

Military papers, 1773-1797, include a certificate signed by Daniel Boone, 1774, and a military journal kept by William Dells on an expedition against the Cherokee in 1776. 

Correspondents include Moses Austin, David Campbell, Jr., William Christian, Lord Dunmore, Reverend William Graham, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Hutchings, Aaron Lewis, Joseph Martin, George Mason, Valentine Meriwether, Jedidiah Morse, Francis Preston, William Preston, Edmund Randolph, John Sevier, Isaac Shelby, Daniel Smith, John Steele, John Todd, Jr., and George Washington. 

Arthur Lee Campbell papers (folders 29-64) reflect the life of Campbell, a landowner and merchant, of Mossy Creek, Tennesee and Louisville, Ky. Correspondence, journal and memorandum book (1812-15), statements of account and promissory notes ( 1816-87), land papers concerning lands in Hardin and Jefferson Counties, Ky., and in Tennessee, records of purchase of lots in Portland, Ky., from Gen. William Lytle and others (1818-28), legal papers (1801-37), and miscellaneous papers.

Correspondence relates to Campbell’s mercantile business at Mossy Creek (1805-1812).; his proposal to supply rations for U.S. troops in Kentucky and Tennessee in 1810; the military service of his brother, Capt. James H. Campbell, 24th Regt. Kentucky Infantry, in the War of 1812; arrangements for a duel with Col. G. R. C. Floyd in 1815; Campbell’s removal to Louisville in 1818; the administration of his father’s lands near Louisville; banks and banking in Kentucky and Tennessee; Kentucky politics; education of Campbell’s son Matthew in colleges at Danville, Ky. and Bloomington, Ind.; and other family matters.

The legal papers are records of litigation with Caleb and Thomas Reece, Francis and William Preston, Robert D. Pierce, et al., William Beard and wife, James C. Johnston, James D. Breckinridge, and Caroline H. Preston.

Correspondents include William T. Barry, Arthur Campbell, William Eustis, Judge Joseph Eve, Joseph Ficklin, John T. Gray, James Guthrie, James Haggin, Andrew Jackson, Amos Kendall, James T. Morehead, Samuel Nicholson, William Owsley, Levi Tyler, J. Whiteside, George Work, and members of the Campbell family.

Matthew Monroe Campbell papers (folders 65-74) include Campbell’s correspondence with his family in Louisville while he was employed at Lexington in the post office, later as a college student at Bloomington, Ind., and Danville, Ky., and as a collector of claims in Mississippi. The letters record life in Louisville, Campbell’s graduation from Indiana College in 1836, religion and politics in Kentucky, John Campbell’s service in the Sabine Expedition in 1836, cholera in Louisiana in 1882 and 1835, the financial panic of 1837, the character of James D. Breckinridge, differences in value of currencies of the several States, Arthur Lee Campbell’s death and the value of his estate.

Folder List 

Box 1 

1 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1774-1779.

2 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1780-1782.

3 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1783-1785.

4 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1786-1789.

4aToRichard Henry Lee, 1784 Dec. 20. Negative photostat of A.L.S. enclosing letter from Arthur Campbell. 

5 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1790-1791.

6 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1792-1793.

7 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1794.

8 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1795-1798.

9 Arthur Campbell correspondence, 1799-1811.

10 Arthur Campbell correspondence, n.d. 

11 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1764-1769.

12 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1770-1773.

13 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1774-1777.

14 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1779.

15 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1780-1786.

16 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1788-1801.

17 Arthur Campbell accounts, 1807-1811.

18 Arthur Campbell Kentucky land papers, 1773-1806.

19 Arthur Campbell Tennessee land papers, 1780-1809.

20 Arthur Campbell Sullivan County, Tennessee land papers, 1787.

21 Arthur Campbell Virginia land papers, 1752-1806.

22 Arthur Campbell Virginia land papers, n.d.

23 Arthur Campbell legal papers, 1777-1809.

24 Arthur Campbell military papers, 1773-1797.

25 Arthur Campbell military papers, 1774-1779.

26 William Dells military journal kept on an expedition against the Cherokee, 1776 Aug.-Sept. [CLICK TO ACCESS TRANSCRIPTION IN PDF]

27 Arthur Campbell miscellaneous papers.

28 John Buchanan’s will, 1769 June 25.

 

Box 2 

29 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1801-1810.

30 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1812.

31 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1813.

32 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1814.

33 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1815.

34 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1816.

35 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1817.

36 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1818-1819.

37 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1820-1824.

38 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1825-1832.

39 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1833-1834.

40 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1835.

41 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1836.

42 Arthur Lee Campbell correspondence, 1837.

43 Arthur Lee Campbell journal and memo book, 1812-1815. 

 

Box 3 

44 Arthur Lee Campbell accounts, 1816-1822.

45 Arthur Lee Campbell accounts, 1833-1837.

46 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Hardin County, Ky., 1834.

47 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Jefferson County, Ky., 1773-1813.

48 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Jefferson County, Ky., 1814-1836. 

49 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Louisville, Ky., 1833-1837.

50 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Portland (Louisville, Ky.), 1818-1823.

51 Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Tenn., 1803-1827.

51a Arthur Lee Campbell land papers for Lee County, Va., 1836.

52 Arthur Lee Campbell miscellaneous papers.

53 Biography of Isaac Shelby by Alfred Shelby.

 

Box 4 

54 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: Commonwealth v. George Rose, 1801.

55 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: Campbell, Martin & Co. v. Caleb & Thomas Reece, 1809. [click to access PDF]

56 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: Francis and William Preston v. Arthur Lee Campbell, 1819.

57 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: Arthur L. Campbell, executor v. Robert D. Pierce, Stephen Cordon, et al., 1816.

58 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: William Beard and wife v. Arthur Lee Campbell, et al. 1817.

59 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: William Beard and wife v. Arthur L. Campbell et al.

60 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: James C. Johnston v. Arthur L. Campbell,1834-1837.

61 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: James D. Breckinridge v. Arthur L. Campbell, et al., 1837.

62 Arthur Lee Campbell legal papers: Caroline H. Preston, guardian v. Arthur L. Campbell, 1837.

63 Arthur Lee Campbell miscellaneous papers, 1811-1816.

64 Arthur Lee Campbell miscellaneous papers, 1817-1837.

 

Box 5 

65 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1829-1831.

66 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1832.

67 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1833.

68 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1834.

69 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1835.

70 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1836.

71 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1837.

72 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1838.

73 Matthew Monroe Campbell correspondence, 1839.

74 James Madison Campbell papers, 1833-1835