Personal papers, 1840-1949

Scope and content:

Series is arranged chronologically and consists primarily of correspondence, legal and financial documents, and clippings that document Oaksmith's personal life, business ventures, naval voyages, and political and diplomatic careers. To a lesser extent this material also documents the lives and businesses of the larger Oaksmith and Mason families. Scattered throughout this series is Oaksmith's poetry and other writings such as prose and song lyrics. The bulk of material in this series dates from the mid- to late-1850s and the mid- to late-1870s.

Early correspondence (1840s) in the series is from friends and family to Oaksmith's parents, Seba and Elizabeth Oakes Smith, and from Samuel Mason to his daughter Ellen (Oaksmith's future sister-in-law). Beginning in 1851, personal papers pertain directly to Appleton Oaksmith and his entry into the shipping and mercantile business. Correspondence, financial papers, and ship charter parties, manifests, and diagrams from the mid- to late-1850s document Oaksmith's activity in this business, as well as his involvement in filibustering expeditions. Many of the papers from 1854 and 1855 deal with Oaksmith and Domingo de Goicouria's steamer Massachusetts and their legal dispute over its seizure and losses. To a lesser extent, the seizure of and cases related to the Amelia and Magnolia are also covered.

Correspondence and other personal papers from 1856 document Oaksmith's involvement in the Nicaragua filibuster led by William Walker and Oaksmith's appointment and activities as Minister Plenipotentiary of Nicaragua to the United States. These papers show Oaksmith establishing an emigration office (located in New York) for Nicaragua, soliciting Americans willing to emigrate, seeking investors and loans for the Nicaraguan government under Walker, and supplying arms and munitions for the regime. Some of the correspondence also reveals the difficulties that Oaksmith experienced in getting his credentials as Minister recognized by the U.S. government.

Correspondence, printed invitations, and other personal papers from early 1861 document Oaksmith's involvement in the Union League of New York and his unsuccessful efforts to preserve the union and avert civil war. This material shows Oaksmith coordinating meetings, drafting resolutions, and preparing to meet with Southern representatives in Charleston to preserve the Union. While Oaksmith states his dedication to preserving the Union, materials from this period contain little discussion of slavery.

There is very little material in this series dating from the Civil War years after 1861. Correspondence and legal documents from the mid- to late-1860s show Oaksmith living in England and detail family affairs. In particular, correspondence shows the custodial struggle between Appleton and Isotta Oaksmith, who divorced in 1864, and Oaksmith's new wife, Augusta, over their children.

Correspondence from the early 1870s documents Oaksmith's activities supplying arms and munitions (especially to the French government) as a member of Frear & Co. in England. Additionally, other correspondence, legal documents, and clippings from the early 1870s demonstrate Oaksmith's attempts to settle the accounts of his mother-in-law, Eleanor Preston Mason, and his interest in two U.S. railroads: the Springfield, Mt. Vernon, & Pittsburgh Railroad Company, and the Midland North Carolina Railroad Company.

Materials from the mid- to late-1870s, after Oaksmith's return to the United States and settlement in Hollywood, N.C., represent a large portion of the series and document the political, business, and personal lives of Oaksmith and his family. Correspondence show Oaksmith's involvement in North Carolina politics and his concern about the development and debt of Carteret County. Some clippings and correspondence also relate to the Midland North Carolina Railroad Company and Oaksmith's involvement with the company. Other correspondence and legal documents show Oaksmith's attempts to settle his claims against the Nicaraguan government for losses incurred after William Walker's defeat. Additionally, correspondence also relates to family and personal matters, such as Eleanor Preston Mason's accounts, rental of the family's piano, and development of land in Carteret County owned by the Oaksmith and Mason families. Clippings from 1879 detail the drowning and loss of Oaksmith's four daughters on July 4, while correspondence from family and friends expresses condolences for the family.

Materials from the 1880s, primarily correspondence and clippings, document Oaksmith's continued interest in Democratic politics and the Midland North Carolina Railroad Company. A few pieces of correspondence and a funeral program date from after Oaksmith's death in 1887. These materials relate to Vincent and Augusta Oaksmith (Appleton's son and second wife, respectively) and pertain primarily to family and personal matters.

Some correspondents represented in this series include, but are not limited to: James A. Bryan, Jonathan T. Davis, J.B. Devoe, William Dunbar, Domingo de Goicouria, Eleanor Mason, John L. Morehead, Alvin Oaksmith, Augusta Oaksmith, John W. Pelletier, Benjamin F. Sawyer, Elizabeth Oakes Smith, Alex Sprunt, William Walker.

Contents

Using These Materials