George Gordon papers

The George A. Gordon papers contain letters written to and by Gordon prior to, and during, the Civil War. Civil War letters were written to Gordon by his brother Albert and to Mrs. Gordon by a Mr. Amory Dexter, a friend and colleague of Gordon’s. There is also a soldier’s pass, a letter detailing the correct way to send mail in wartime, and a few odds and ends. Another group of letters were written by Gordon to his sisters after his graduation from Dartmouth College, while he was traveling around New Hampshire and Maine. The murder of a tax collector named Parker is mentioned in the letters, and the names of the suspects, Asa and Henry T. Wentworth are given. (Note: the Grand Jury declined to indict the Wentworths.) Gordon’s interest in family genealogy is documented in his letters to his sisters. Other family correspondence includes several letters to Gordon from his mother, Sophronia Anderson Gordon. A member of Psi Upsilon, Gordon also received s a number of letters from his “brothers” in the fraternity. Correspondents include Edward W. Clark, Class of 1844, Alonzo Hall Quint, Class of 1846, who was on the Dartmouth Board of Trustees from 1870-1896, Charles A. Aiken, Class of 1846, President of Union College from 1867-1871, and S. (probably Samuel B.) Chase, Class of 1844.