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FONTAINE RICHARD EARLE LETTERS

Letters 1861 - 1908
Manuscript Collection MC 192
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FONTAINE RICHARD EARLE

Fontaine Richard Earle (1831-1908) was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister and Confederate Civil War officer. Although he initially enlisted as a private in the Arkansas State Troops in 1861, he was mustered out shortly after the battle of Wilson's Creek that summer. In 1862, Earle raised a company of volunteers from the Cane Hill area, designated Company B, 34th Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army, and attained the rank of Major in the unit by the end of the war. He afterwards served as a member of the Arkansas State Senate and President of Cane Hill College. Earle married Amanda Buchanan, daughter of another Cane Hill minister, John Buchanan, in 1865.

THE COLLECTION

Letters written by or pertaining to Fontaine Richard Earle and his family were photocopied from originals owned by Dr. Robert E. Waterman through the courtesy of Walter L. Brown, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and donated in August, 1973.

The photocopied letters have been arranged chronologically into six folders, with an additional folder containing handwritten transcripts of the first ten letters appearing in the AHQ article. The earliest letters, from 1861 to 1865, deal with the courtship of Earle and Amanda, Earle's Civil War exploits, and living conditions at Cane Hill and Van Buren during the war. Much of the post-war correspondence deals with Earle's experiences as a legislator at Little Rock and his interest in the presidency of the Arkansas Industrial University at Fayetteville. The last letters concern Earle's business interests at Cane Hill, correspondence with his children during their travels, and letters of consolation to Earle during his final illness.

Some of the early letters in the collection were written by or to Amanda or her father, siblings, and cousins. Most of these early letters have been published under the title "The Earle-Buchanan Letters, 1861-1876" in volume 33, (1974), of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly, edited by Robert E. Waterman and Thomas Rothrock. Those letters appearing in the article have been marked "(AHQ)" in the series inventory.

Processed by Kim Allen Scott, February, 1987. Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Significant correspondents:

Related material in Special Collections includes:

CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

Folder 1. Correspondence, 1861-1862.
  1. June 30, 1861. "Dick Buck," [John Richard Buchanan,] (Cane Hill, Arkansas) to "Dear Sister," [Amanda Buchanan.]
  2. February 15, 1862. John Buchanan (Cane Hill, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  3. March 11, 1862. John Buchanan ("At home" i.e. Cane Hill) to David G. Williams.
  4. April 26, 1862. John Buchanan (Cane Hill, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  5. May 31, 1862. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Boonsboro, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  6. June 14, 1862. (AHQ) John Buchanan (Cane Hill, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  7. August 22, 1862. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Cunningham, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  8. September 10, 1862. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Black, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  9. September 20, 1862. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp...at Elm Springs, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  10. October 18, 1862. [October 25, 27, 1862](AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Reagan, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  11. November 18, 1862. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp on Horsehead, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
Folder 2. Correspondence, 1863.
  1. January 26, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  2. April 17, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  3. May 4, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp near Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  4. May 12, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp near Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  5. May 28, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Price, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  6. June 11, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Price near Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  7. June 15, 1863. David C. Williams [Van Buren, Arkansas?] to Amanda Buchanan.
  8. July 23, 1863. Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  9. July 25, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Searcy, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  10. August 4, 1863. (AHQ) Abb [James Albert Buchanan] (Camp Bayou Meto, Arkansas), to "Dear Sister," [Amanda Buchanan].
  11. August 6, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Bayou Meto, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  12. August 18, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Bayou Meto, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  13. October 4, 1863. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  14. December 19, 1863. (AHQ) Katie Johnson (Van Buren, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
Folder 3. Correspondence, 1864-1865.
  1. February 28, 1864. (AHQ) Amanda Buchanan (Van Buren, Arkansas) to "Dear Cousins" [Alfred E. Buchanan?].
  2. May 20, 1864. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camden, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  3. July 23, 1864. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Monticello, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  4. July 26, 1864. Katie P. Johnson (Van Buren, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  5. August 18, 1864. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Monticello, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  6. October 8, 1864. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Camp Bragg, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
  7. March 12, 1865. Laura G. Boxley (Cottage Grove, [Missouri]), to Amanda Buchanan.
  8. April 1, 1865. L.E.B. [Buchanan?] (Cane Hill, Arkansas) to Amanda Buchanan.
Folder 4. Correspondence, 1866-1874.
  1. November 1, 1866. Fontaine Richard Earle (Van Buren, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  2. November 8, 1866. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  3. November 15th, 1866. Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  4. November 22, 1866. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  5. November 30, 1866. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  6. December 10, 1866. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  7. January 11, 1867. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Van Buren, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  8. January 29, 1867. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  9. March 2, 1867. (AHQ) Fontaine Richard Earle (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Amanda B. Earle.
  10. October 14, 1867. Frank Park (Scullyville, Cherokee Nation) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  11. April 2, 1873. John Ingram (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  12. December 12, 1874. (AHQ) James A. Rice (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  13. December 16, 1874. (AHQ) B. F. Walker (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
Folder 5. Correspondence, 1875-1888.
  1. January 7, 1874 [1875]. (AHQ) James A. Rice (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  2. January 19, 1875. (AHQ) Thomas Montague Gunter (Washington, D.C.) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  3. May 10, 1875. (AHQ) Alexander W. Dinsmore (Bentonville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  4. August 7, 1875. D. Foster Williamson (Pine Knob, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  5. August 28, 1876. (AHQ) David Walker (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  6. January 2, 1879. J. B. Hail (Osaka, Japan) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  7. November 5, 1879. Jacob Frolich (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  8. February 21, 1880. William E. Woodruff, Jr. (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  9. February 21, 1880. Jacob Frolich (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  10. February 21, 1880. Presley Crawford (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  11. February 27, 1880. Jacob Frolich (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  12. April 25, 1888. B. R. Davidson (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  13. September 6, 1888. William E. Thompson (Little Rock, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  14. October 16, 1888. Fontaine Richard Earle (Boonsboro, Arkansas) to S.G. Burney.
  15. October 24, 1888. S. G. Burney (Lebanon, Tennessee) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
Folder 6. Correspondence, 1891-1908.
  1. November 28, 1891. Fontaine Richard Earle (Boonsboro, Arkansas) to Ellen Earle.
  2. April 24, 1893. Fontaine Pylant Earle (Boonsboro, Arkansas) to Clara Earle.
  3. September 6, 1899. W. J. Darby (Evansville, Indiana) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  4. June 18, 1901. Clara Earle (Madrid, Spain) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  5. June 24, 1901. Clara Earle (Madrid, Spain) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  6. July 9, 1901. Clara Earle (Madrid, Spain) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  7. February 28, 1905. G. W. Van Horn (Osake, Japan) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  8. March 14, 1905. J. A. Gaither (Batesville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  9. December 21, 1907. Oscar L. McMillan (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  10. April 9, 1908. Letter of recommendation for Lawrence Russell, written by Charles E. Lukins (Albuquerque, New Mexico). Copy.
  11. Illegible.
  12. June 23, 1908. R. Thomsen (Independence, Kansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  13. July 1, 1908. B. P. Fullerton (St. Louis, Missouri) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  14. July 7, 1908. R. Thomsen (Independence, Kansas) to Fontaine Pylant Earle.
  15. July 25, 1908. W. N. Yates (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
  16. July 28, 1908. Allen Kennedy (Decatur, Michigan) to Fontaine Richard Earle.
Folder 7. Transcripts.
  1. Handwritten transcripts of letters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11, folder 1, prepared during the editing of the Earle letters during 1974 for "The Earle-Buchanan Letters," Arkansas Historical Quarterly, vol. 33 (l974) pp. 99-174. Edited by Robert E. Waterman and Thomas Rothrock.
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