Letter from Belton O'Neall Townsend, Society Hill, S[outh] C[arolina], to William Dean Howells, 1877 Nov[ember] 5

Item Information

Title:
Letter from Belton O'Neall Townsend, Society Hill, S[outh] C[arolina], to William Dean Howells, 1877 Nov[ember] 5
Description:
Belton O. Townsend writes to William Dean Howells explaining the "trial of the first of the great 'political cases' as they are called," taking place in Columbia, South Carolina. Townsend describes the judge as a former Confederate officer who "is not and never has been a Republican." He then discusses the system of jury selection in the state and county, stating that the county jury commissioners "no doubt would have liked in Columbia to select only white names from the jury box as has been done in nearly all the other counties" but were prevented by the sole Republican commissioner. He relates the goal of a whites only jury to the political trials in the state and closes the letter by stating, "the prosecutions in Columbia may be postponed till a future term of court at which the selection of a white jury is possible or dropped as impolitic."
Author:
Townsend, Belton O'Neall, 1855-1891
Addressee:
Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920
Date:
November 5, 1877
Format:
Letters/Correspondence
Manuscripts
Location:
Boston Public Library
Rare Books Department
Collection (local):
Anti-Slavery Collection
Subjects:
Social reformers--United States--History--19th century
Southern States--Race relations--History--1865-1877
African Americans--Civil rights--History--19th century
Social reformers--United States
Southern States--Race relations--History--19th century
Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920
Townsend, Belton O'Neall, 1855-1891
Places:
Southern United States (area)
Extent:
1 leaf (2 p.) ; 21 x 13 cm.
Permalink:
https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2v23x115w
Terms of Use:
No known copyright restrictions.
No known restrictions on use.
Place of origin:
Society Hill, S[outh] C[arolina]
Language:
English
Notes:
Holograph, signed.
Title devised by cataloger.
Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) manuscript composed in black ink on white lined stationery belonging to the "Cheraw and Darlington Railroad." The letterhead reads, "B.D. Townsend, President. President's Office. Cheraw and Darlington Railroad. Society Hill, S.C." Towards the spine edge of the letterhead, the words "To W.D. Howells" is written in another handwriting and underlined. Just above the salutation, the number "283" is written in pencil, while along the tail edge of the first page the phrase "MS.A.1.2 V.39 P.151(b)" is also written in pencil.
Identifier:
4732988
Call #:
MS A.1.2 v.39, p.151B
Barcode:
39999085503801