- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1824 May 8, Philad[elphia to] Gen[era]l D[avid] B. Mitchell, Mount Nebo, near Milledgeville, Georgia / Cha[rle]s D. Meigs
- Creator:
- Meigs, Charles D. (Charles Delucena), 1792-1869
- Date of Original:
- 1824-05-08
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Craniology
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Dr. Charles D. Meigs of Philadelphia writes to David B. Mitchell (Governor of Georgia, 1809-1813, 1815-1817 and U.S. Agent to the Creeks, 1817-1821) on May 8, 1824 to thank him for sending an Indian cranium. Meigs acknowledges receipt of the skull and asks that Mitchell send more skulls for Dr. William E. Horner at the University of Pennsylvania. He refers to the "New Science of Craniology" and its contribution to the study of human racial differences which will be further aided by the acquisition of more specimens. Meigs also refers to famed German anatomist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. It is unclear how or in what capacity Mitchell acquired the Indian skull(s).
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- krc122
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc122
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc122#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc122/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Keith Read, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 18, folder 36, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Philad. [Philadelphia]
May 8th. 1824
Sir
I had the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your most acceptable present / an indian cranium/ but Mr. Forsyth informed me that you had not heard from me. I beg leave again to assure you of my thankfulness for the trouble you were kind enough to take on my account -- Dr Horner the adjunct professor of anatomy in the University of Pensylvania in conversation with me to day [today] expressed his anxiety to have some specimens of the same kind both for himself and for Dr Monroe of Edinburgh who has written to him an earnest request that he would procure him a Specimen
Page: [2]
of the crania of our Aborigines.
These objects possess great interest in Europe as well as in this country on account of the light they throw on the different races of human beings, in addition to their use in illustrating the principles of the New Science of Craniology.
Dr Blumenbach the celebrated German physiologist has accumulated a very large museum of these articles, and his
Decades Craniorum
, published from his materials thus collected, has increased the anxiety of the Philosophical public to examine all the varieties of our race and to collate them.
The Museum of our University possesses only one specimen of the aboriginal Skull, & Professor Horner will be very
Page: [3]
happy to acknowledge the obligation if you can send a few specimens for the use of the institution: I offered to take the liberty of again soliciting you on this subject knowing the disposition you have to do every thing [everything] for the promotion [document damaged] science
If you should not find it too troublesome, and can forward them to me to the care of Mr Jas. [James] Cumming of Savannah, I shall be humbly obliged to you
with great respect
Your Obliged Servt. [Servant]
[Signed] Ch. [Charles] D. Meigs.
Gov. Mitchell
Page: [4]
[ Note: A postmark stamp appears on the left of this page.; WASHN [Washington] CITY
MAY 12 ]
20
Genl. D. [General David] B. Mitchell Mount Nebo Near Milledgeville Georgia
Chas. [Charles] D. Meigs
8th May 1824