David Daggett papers

Series I, CORRESPONDENCE, consists primarily of letters received by Daggett, 1781-1848, many of which are of great interest because of the information they contain on politics and the practice of law.

There are substantial numbers of letters written to Daggett by his clients and other citizens consulting him on legal matters.

Daggett's political correspondence is extremely rich and revealing. He was a very active and powerful figure in the Connecticut Federalist Party and in Connecticut politics in general; and also, to the extent that his party and activities affected national affairs, a man of some prominence on the national political scene (cf. John Wood, Suppressed History of the Administration of John Adams, (1802), pp. 259-261 in J.H. Sherburne's 1968 edition).

Many letters of prominent Connecticut and national political figures are to be found throughout the correspondence. These letters are concerned with many of the important public issues of the time. Daggett's correspondents included Simeon Baldwin, Abraham Bishop, Isaac Bronson, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, Charles Denison, Elizur Goodrich, Gideon Granger, Roger Griswold, Rufus King, William Leffingwell, Josiah Meigs, Samuel F.B. Morse, Timothy Pickering, Benjamin Rush, Joseph Story, John Trumbull, Daniel Webster, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, William Wirt, and Oliver Wolcott. For a complete list of correspondence, see the container list.

Special mention should be made of the approximately 150 letters that Daggett received from his old classmate and close friend at Yale, John Cotton Smith, a powerful politician and prominent public figure in his own right. Smith's letters, which span the years 1785-1844, are rich in trenchant comment and opinion on the political and social activities of early nineteenth-century United States.

Another important segment of the Daggett's correspondence is the approximately 120 letters that he wrote to his two daughters, Wealthy Ann (Daggett) Jenkins and Susan Edwards (Daggett) Dwight, and to his son, Leonard Augustus Daggett. This is the only substantial group of letters written by Daggett that the collection contains. These letters afford the best insights into Daggett's personality contained in the collection. They also contain additional information on political affairs and on his own career. There is also a substantial correspondence between Daggett and his personal attorney, William Bristol.

The correspondence has been arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. Within the files under each name, letters have been arranged chronologically.

Series II, WRITINGS, consists of holograph drafts of essays, articles, pamphlets, lectures, and notes of these lectures taken by others. The items within the series have been arranged by type and a title listing will be found in the register.

Series III, SPECIAL FILES, consists of legal documents, business papers and account and day books, and a few clippings.