Personal Papers, 1849-1888

This series consists of thirty-nine letters written by members of the Chapman family between 1849 and 1888; the bulk of the material was written in the 1870s and 1880s. Many of the members of the Chapman family are represented by the correspondence in this series, including Marshall Chapman, his brother Robert, and their parents John Grant and Susan Chapman. Letters written to Marshal Chapman's wife Ellen and daughters Ellen S., Ethel, and Nannie Kent Chapman are also included in this series, as well as a letter addressed to Lizzie Chapman.

Correspondence in this series discusses news and health of family members, daily activities, and hunting. Of special note in this series are several letters written by Robert to his brother Marshall Chapman, detailing his daily life in 1874 and 1875 while Robert was working at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Another significant letter written by Robert to his mother while he was studying at the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore enumerated his activities as a medical students, gave information on Baltimore and included a hand-drawn map of the area. Other significant correspondence in this series includes two letters received by John Grant Chapman while he served in the U. S. House of Representatives in 1849.

The correspondence in this series is organized alphabetically by recipient.