Administrative files, 1847-1849.

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Administrative files, 1847-1849.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/83043876

The governor is the chief executive of the state whose function is to administer the laws of the state. One of the activities used to accomplish this function is the administering of executive decisions and actions. This series consists of letters, petitions, reports, and circulars that contain information concerning major administrative decisions of Gov. Reuben Chapam as well as routine affairs. The majority of the correspondence deals with financial issues, particularly the negotiations with the U.S. government regarding funds due the state of Alabama from public land sales. Soon after he took office Chapman appointed Montgomery lawyer, Jefferson F. Jackson, as an agent to Washington, D.C., to audit and settle accounts with the federal government regarding the land sale receipts. Robert T. Scott of Jackson County was eventually recruited to assist with the audits. There is considerable correspondence with these two men as well as with Alabama's U.S. Congressmen: Arthur P. Bagby, John Gayle, George S. Houston, and S. W. Inge. F. S. Lyon, State Comptroller Joel Riggs, and Attorney General M. A. Baldwin also corresponded with Chapman regarding state finances. The series also includes petitions and circulars regarding the construction of various roads and railway networks both in the state and nationally; correspondence with Florida officials regarding the boundary between Florida and Alabama; documents signed by Daniel Pratt about moving the state capital to Montgomery; a letter and petition from the U.S. National Medical Association urging all states to adopt a system for recording births, deaths, and marriages; and a petition from some Mobile citizens protesting the passage of a bill requiring that black ship crews be confined in jail while their vessel was docked in the Port of Mobile. Other prominent correspondents include: James Chesney, who was appointed to procure maps of Alabama as required by the state revenue bill; William Garrett, and Chapman's two private secretaries, Elmore J. Fitzpatrick and Thomas Harrison. Fitzpatrick served as Chapman's secretary until he resigned in 1848 November. Harrison then took over for the remainder of Chapman's administration. Chapman apparently spent little of his two-year term in Montgomery. The majority of the correspondence from Fitzpatrick and Harrison consists of their apprising Chapman of the correspondence they were forwarding to him at his home in Huntsville, additional information regarding the correspondents, and descriptions of life, the weather, and politics in Montgomery. Much of the correspondence that was forwarded to Chapman contains notations on the back regarding his response. This series also contains a set of typed transcripts that were transcribed from the original letter book containing Chapman's answers to some of his correspondence. This letter book (SG 5685) is part of another series of governors' records in the ADAH holdings: Alabama Governors, Correspondence.

Originals 0.5 cubic ft., 1 archives box.Copies 1 microfilm reel.

Alabama Department of Archives and History

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8293917

Alabama Department of Archives and History

Related Entities

There are 18 Entities related to this resource.

National Medical Association (U.S.)

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Bagby, A.P. 1794-1858.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60p140r (person)

Pratt, Daniel, 1799-1873

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6s18580 (person)

Pratt was born 1799 July 20 to Edward Pratt and his wife in Temple, N.H. Moving to Ga. in 1819, Pratt married Esther Tickner of Jones Co., Ga., in 1827. They moved to Autauga Co., Ala., in 1833 to manufacture cotton gins. He founded the town of Prattville in 1838, and was among the first industrialists in Ala. He and his wife had three children: Mary, died in infancy; Ellen, m. Henry F. DeBardeleben; and Maria, died in infancy. Pratt died 1873 May...

Chapman, Reuben, ca.1800-1882.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6355zhp (person)

Riggs, Joel, 1812-1865.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c54cts (person)

Fitzpatrick, Elmore J. 1828-1884.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jd55ct (person)

Houston, George S. (George Smith), 1811-1879

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zk5knt (person)

Houston, a lawyer from Athens, Alabama, served in the U.S. Congress, 1841-1849 and 1851-1861. In 1874, he was elected governor of Alabama and served two successive terms. He was sent to the U.S. Senate in 1879, but died later that year. From the description of Papers, 1839-1881. (Auburn University). WorldCat record id: 28627376 U.S. Representative and Senator from Alabama, and Governor of Alabama; from Athens (Limestone Co.), Ala. From the description of Papers, ...

Lyon, Francis Strother, 1800-1882

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66m5bx1 (person)

Inge, S. W. 1817-1868.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w632780d (person)

Baldwin, M. A. 1813-1865.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dv8zv0 (person)

Jackson, Jefferson F. 1821-1862.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dj7m8r (person)

Garrett, William, 1809-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p86hxc (person)

Alabama. Governor (1847-1849 : Chapman).

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Harrison, Thomas J., 1955-....

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tq629n (person)

Carbon County coal miner. From the description of Interview, 16 Apr 1976. (Utah Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 122394151 Epithet: Vice - Provost of Trinity College, Dublin British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000218.0x000064 Thomas Harrison was active as a clockmaker in Liverpool, England, 1772-ca.1800. From the description of Tall case brass dial clock, ca. 1775. (Winterth...

Chesney, James D.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vm7j8n (person)

Port of Mobile (Ala.)

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Scott, Robert T. 1798-1863.

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Gayle, John, 1792-1859

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p56f1v (person)