Henry William Harrington (1748-1809) wasa brigadier general in the American Revolution, a legislator in both North Carolinaand South Carolina, and a planter. His son, Henry William Harrington Jr.(1793-1868) was a successful planter, businessman, and landowner of Richmond County,N.C., who served in the United States Navy during the War of 1812 and as arepresentative in the North Carolina House of Commons and to ConstitutionalConvention. The collection is chiefly political, military, and familycorrespondence of Revolutionary General Henry William Harrington and Henry WilliamHarrington Jr. Early papers concern military actions of the Revolution in theCarolinas and political and legal affairs in its aftermath. Correspondents includeJohn Auld, Horatio Gates, Charles W. Goldsborough, William Barry Grove, PaulHamilton, John Henry, A. M. Hopper, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Benjamin W.Williams, among others. Later items include correspondence and other papers of HenryWilliam Harrington Jr. and his mother, Rosanna Auld Harrington. The collection alsoincludes a nine volume diary (portions transcribed), 1826, 1833-1834, and 1849-1864,of Henry William Harrington Jr., and an 1855 inventory of taxable property in theWolf Pit District, Richmond County, N.C. Diary entries focus on daily business andfinancial transactions, plantation and social activities, travel, huntingexpeditions, and other leisure pursuits. Transcribed excerpts include some entriesnot appearing in the original diary, including a description of a trip through theSouth, 1833-1834. The Addition of April 2010 consists of a diary by Rosanna Auld Harrington with entries dated 1794 to 1812. Entries in the diary include a letter addressed to her daughter, Harriet Harrington Strong, before Harriet's departure for school in November 1806; religious writings; and a 1794 reflection on the deaths of her children that includes a list of her children with their dates of birth and death. The diary also contains writings, including a speech dated 4 July 1812 and poetry from 1807 by Bela William Strong, Harriet Harrington Strong's husband. The Addition of June 2011 consists of three account books, 1833-1834, 1844-1847, and 1847-1851, kept by Henry William Harrington Jr., listing his expenses. The account book dated 1833-1834 also contains diary entries describing Harrington's travels across the South with companion Claudius Pegues. There is also an 1890 account book kept by James Auld Harrington of Richmond County, N.C., that lists accounts paid and received and contains diary entries describing his travels through western North Carolina during the summer of 1890.
