William James Carlton diaries and biography, 1862-1877, ca. 1964.

ArchivalResource

J. Walter Thompson Company. William James Carlton diaries and biography, 1862-1877, ca. 1964.

William James Carlton diaries and biography, 1862-1877, ca. 1964.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/29432145

The diaries of William James Carlton span the years 1862 to 1877; the biography dates to about 1964. There are transcripts of the diaries and a draft manuscript of a biography, "A Portrait of William James Carlton, 1838-1902," by Frankie Mckee Robins. The transcripts are slightly annotated. For the years from 1862 to November 1864, the diaries chronicle William James Carlton's participation in the United States Civil War. From 1864 to 1877, the diaries primarily describe family events and church-related activities. A December 1873 entry indicates that no diaries were kept for the years 1865 to 1872. The bulk of the biography describes the years from 1861 to 1862. Carlton's advertising businesses are mentioned only cursorily in the diaries. He formed Carlton & Smith with Edmund A. Smith, and they began to canvas for advertisements on December 5, 1864. After ending his partnership with Smith, Carlton later sold his own firm, William J. Carlton, to his employee James Walter Thompson in 1878. The firm was renamed J. Walter Thompson Company. There is little information in the collection about the J. Walter Thompson Company or its predecessor firms. William Carlton enlisted in the 48th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry in 1861. Ships carrying troops, supplies and mail are named in the diaries. The regiment was in the areas of Hilton Head and Daufuskie Island, S.C., and Fort Pulaski, Ga. On Daufuskie Island, the Stoddard Plantation on Calibogue Sound was occupied by Carlton's regiment. Entries from 1862 to 1864 include frequent discourse about specific books, magazines, and newspapers he read, with comments on authors and texts, and comparisons of different titles. There are observations about African Americans, some of whom were escaped slaves, while others were servants or in service to the Union. The diaries for 1873 to 1877 primarily discuss family life in Elizabeth, N.J. and nearby areas of N.Y. The Carltons were members of St. Paul's Church, probably a Methodist Episcopal church, in Elizabeth. William Carlton was a trustee of the church. There are notes about church activities and various preachers and sermons.

375 items (0.6 linear ft.)

Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library