Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Barck, Oscar Theodore, Jr., 1902-1993.
Title:	O. T. Barck Collection
Inclusive Dates:	1670-1949
Quantity:	5 linear ft.
Abstract:	Collection of printed engravings, bank drafts, receipts, correspondence, newspapers, and road commissions from the Revolutionary War period (1775-1783) and beyond focusing on New York State.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

O. T. Barck (1902-1993) was a professor of history at Syracuse University from 1928 until his retirement in 1968.

Barck graduated from Hamilton College in 1923, then attended Cornell University and Columbia University where he gained his PhD in 1931. Barck's area of interest was American history. Notable publications include New York City During the American Revolution, published in 1931; Since 1900, co-authored with fellow SU history professor Nelson M. Black, in 1947; The United States: A Survey of National Development, co-authored with Walter L. Wakefield and Hugh T. Lefler, in 1950; Colonial America, co-authored again with Lefler; and a section in Alexander Flick's History of the State of New York. While a professor at Syracuse University, Barck donated a considerable amount of material on the colonial and revolutionary period of American history to SU's library. His most noteworthy contribution was the Moses DeWitt Collection.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The O. T. Barck Collection consists of artwork; correspondence; financial, legal, and military documents; printed material; and a small amount of memorabilia. Material in the collection dates from the Revolutionary War era and later.

Artwork consists of engravings which Barck divided into two categories: action engravings and portraits. Action engravings contains scenes depicting the end of Major John Andre's life. Portraits include artists, groups, literary figures, politicians, Revolutionary War era scenes, and miscellaneous. Among these are Rembrandt Peale, DeWitt Clinton, Benedict Arnold, Gen. James Clinton, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and group portraits of various American presidents. The last item is a souvenir from the Centennial International Exposition of 1878. It is a large book containing reproductions of pen and ink drawings by Eliza Greatorex. The images depict various locations such as Independence Square in Philadelphia, Mount Vernon, Arlington Heights, the house of Davie Burns, and more. The cover of the souvenir book is illustrated with a vignettes of Mount Vernon and Martha Washington within Mount Vernon.

Correspondence-subject files consists of notable individuals as well as one organization, the Neversink/First Great South Western Turnpike. Some notable pieces within this series are Robert Burnet's account book from 1800-1807, the beginning of the Neversink/First Great South Western Turnpike with hand-drawn maps, a humorous tale of Charles Clinton's life told by DeWitt Clinton, and a family newsletter entitled "The Family Circle" which details the Hill family's life from 1869-1873 as the adult brother and two sisters live and work on their farm.

The bulk of the Financial material dates from the Revolutionary War era. It includes bank drafts for British and American officers, various currency, and receipts from the account book of George Washington's Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering and Quartermaster Deputy David Wolfe. Barck researched many of the British and American soldiers and officers mentioned, and his original index cards are filed the items. Also included here are account ledgers and various documents connected with the Bank of Newburgh, NY.

Legal documents contains a variety of items including a 1673 land deed of sale in Woodbridge, NJ, arrest warrants, John Reed's will of 1771, and a letter detailing the crime and punishment of a dog who had killed sheep and lambs in the town of New Windsor, N.Y.

Military documents contains commissions and miscellaneous items. The Commissions, of various individuals of New York State, span from 1791 to 1893. The miscellaneous military documents include a fictitious military order with a forged George Washington signature, honorable discharge of Joseph Hallock in 1779, and a letter from the American army's surgeon stating the Private Michel Lyons was wounded and, thus, disabled from "earning his Bread by Labour."

Memorabilia includes various items such as awards of merit to schools and an invitation to the Washington Social Club.

Printed material contains various pamphlets, books, and British and American newspapers dating from 1773 to 1782.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent, and within each folder chronologically The other series are arranged alphabetically by title, type, or topic.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Two books were removed from the collection and transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. Please refer to Libraries Search to locate these items.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

O. T. Barck Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of O. T. Barck, 1969, 1971.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 8 Nov 2010
Revision history: 9 Dec 2016 - inventory added (MRC/PRB); 9 Jun 2021 - additions processed, finding aid updated (RMH)

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Inventory

	Artwork
		Action engravings
Box 1			Life of Major John Andre
Box 1			Other scenes from the Revolutionary War
		Portraits
Box 1			Artists
Box 1			Groups
Oversize 1			Groups
Box 1			Literary figures
Box 1			Politicians
Box 1			Revolutionary War era
Oversize 1			Revolutionary War era
Box 1			Miscellaneous
		Souvenirs
Oversize 1			Centennial International Exposition of 1878

	Correspondence-subject files
Oversize 1		Clinton, DeWitt 1787
Box 1		Burnet, Robert 1800-1807, 1830, 1835, 1846, 1853, 1856
Box 1		Clinton, Gen. James 1775-1776, 1778, 1782, 1787, 1790-1791
Oversize 2		Clinton, Gen. James 1775
Box 1		Gardener, C.V., Col. 1846
Box 1		Hill family 1826, 1869-1873
Box 1		Loudon, Samuel 1779, 1783, 1785, 1922
Oversize 1		Loudon, Samuel 1782
Box 1		Moore, Daniel 1832 1855-1860, 1870-1873,
Oversize 1		Moore, Daniel 1845-1850, 1855-1860, 1873-1876
		Neversink/First Great South Western Turnpike
Box 1			Correspondence 1800, 1807,
Box 1			Road and land survey notes 1795, 1797, 1800-1804, 1848, 1850, 1861, 1863
Oversize 2			Road and land survey notes 1801
Box 1			Meeting notes 1805-1808
Box 1			Legal documents 1817-1819, 1849
Oversize 2			Hand-drawn maps 1801
		de Nottbeck, Peter
Box 1			Ledger of Birds, History 1879, 1949 - de Nottbeck's observation on the birds in Fishkill Landing
Box 2		Sounders, William 1875

	Financial material
		Bank of Newburgh, N.Y.
Oversize 1			Account ledger 1820, 1822
Box 2			Account ledgers 1821, 1826-1829 (3 folders)
Oversize 3			Account ledgers 1827
Box 2			Miscellaneous 1822, 1824-1829, 1844, 1945
		Bank drafts
Box 2			American 1776-1779, 1782-1784, 1787-1788, 1794
Box 2			British 1777-1783
Box 2		Currency 1776, 1821, 1832, 1868-1869, 1874
Box 2		Receipts of Quartermasters Pickering and Wolfe 1782, 1783 Jan 20-Mar 21 ( 5 folders)

	Legal documents
Box 2		Miscellaneous 1670, 1673, 1740, 1771, 1776, 1796, 1832, 1836, 1866 - land deeds, arrest warrants, will, license to practice law
Oversize 1		Miscellaneous 1825 - attorney license

	Military documents
Box 2		Commissions 1791
Oversize 2		Commissions 1795, 1797-1798, 1807, 1817, 1841, 1844, 1863-1866, 1878, 1888, 1892-1893
Box 2		Miscellaneous 1775-1777 1781-1783 1786, 1814 - milage roll, honorable dischage, fictitious military order with Washington's signature, and morning report for Captain James Butterworth's militia

	Memorabilia
Box 2		Miscellaneous 1828, 1858, 1861, 1944 - awards of merit for schools, invitation to the Washington Scocial Club in 1858, temperance certificate, and certificate of good behavior

	Printed material
Box 2		Bailey's Washington Almanac 1824
Box 2		Fleury in the American Revolution 1935
Box 2		Lake George 1827
Oversize 2		Newspapers 1773, 1779-1780, 1782

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