Skip to content
Department of State Homepage State Library & Archives of Florida Services for Citizens Services for State Employees Services for Librarians Services for Archivists Services for Records Managers

Division of Library and Information Services : Research : Search Our Catalogs : Archives Catalog

State Archives of Florida Online Catalog

Magnifying glass over a document.

The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.


SearchAdvanced Search  | Browse Indexes | Browse Collections  | FAQ

Details Page

Click on for detailed listing.

Record Group Number: 000101
Series/Collection Number: .S 32
Creator: Florida. Governor.
Title, Dates: Territorial and State Governors letterbooks, 1836-1909.
Amount: 83.00 v.
Medium Included:
Organization/Arrangement: Chronological.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use: *****The Florida Historical Society must be credited as the custodian of the original records in any use of Volume 6, Governor Milton, 1861-1863, by the State Archives of Florida.
Biographical/Historical:
Summary:     The series contains the official outgoing correspondence, in bound letterpress volumes, of Florida's territorial and state governors from 1836-1909. The records reflect the official, constitutional, and political duties of the Office of Governor. The series includes the correspondence of Governors Richard Keith Call (1835-1840, 1841-1844); Robert Raymond Reid (1840-1841); John Branch (1844-1845); William D. Moseley (1845-1849); Thomas Brown (1849-1853); James E. Broome (1853-1857); John Milton (1861-1865); A. K. Allison (1865); Ossian B. Hart (1873-1874); M. L. Stearns (1874-1877); George F. Drew (1877-1881); William D. Bloxham (1881-1885, 1897-1901); Edward A. Perry (1885-1889); Francis P. Fleming (1889-1893); Henry L. Mitchell (1893-1897); William S. Jennings (1901-1905); Napoleon B. Broward (1905-1909); and Albert W. Gilchrist (1909-1913).

    All the letterbooks are originals except for Volume 6, which is a photocopy of the first of two John Milton letterbooks (1861-1863). This volume, as well as volumes 1-5, 8-9, 11-16, 18-19, and 21-38, have been digitized from the originals.

    The original of Volume 6 (John Milton, 1861-1863) is in the custody of the Florida Historical Society. Both the photocopies and the digital reproduction of this volume include both the letterbook itself and additional correspondence found with the letterbook. Much of the letterbook concerns military affairs and the defenses of Florida, and in addition to the outgoing correspondence, it includes copies of letters received from such prominent Confederate leaders as Judah P. Benjamin, Jefferson Davis, and David Levy Yulee written into the letter book by Milton's secretary. The additional correspondence found with the letterbook includes six letters from Stephen R. Mallory, Secretary of the Confederate Navy; a letter from A.H. Bush advising Governor Milton about the legalities of secession; and a letter from Dr. Thomas Palmer describing various battles. Also included are notices written by Milton found interfiled among the pages of the letterbook.

    In addition to governor's correspondence, Volume 2 (1844) contains the correspondence of Thomas Duval, Secretary to Governor Branch and Volume 83 contains military appointments of the Adjutant General from 1908-1909.

Finding Aids: Volume listing available.
Additional Physical Form: Digital copies available for Volumes 1-6, 8-9, 11-16, 18-19 and 21-38.
John Milton's letterbooks (1861-1863) have been digitized and are available on the Florida Memory web site: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/historical_records/milton/
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates: The original John Milton letterbook (Volume 6, 1861-1863) is part of the collections of the Florida Historical Society (collection M92-1).
Associated Materials:
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History: This collection was organized from a number of accessions of materials transferred from the State Library of Florida.
Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/historical_records/milton/
Subject Access Fields: Florida. Office of the Adjutant General.
Territorial records. aat
Letter books. aat
Added Entries Allison, Abraham Kurkindolle, 1810-1893
Bloxham, William Dunnington, 1835-1911
Branch, John, 1782-1863
Broome, James Emilius, 1808-1883
Broward, Napoleon Bonaparte, 1857-1910
Brown, Thomas, 1785-1867
Call, R.K. 1791-1862 (Richard Keith),
Drew, George Franklin, 1827-1900
Fleming, Francis P. 1841-1908 (Francis Philip),
Duval, Thomas Howard, b. 1813
Gilchrist, Albert Waller, 1858-1926
Hart, Ossian Bingley, 1821-1874
Jennings, William Sherman, 1863-1920
Milton, Abby Crawford.
Mitchell, Henry Laurens, 1831-1903
Moseley, William Dunn, 1795-1863
Perry, Edward Aylsworth, 1831-1889
Reid, Robert Raymond, 1789-1841
Stearns, Marcellus Lovejoy, 1839-1891
Milton, John, 1807-1865
Florida. Governor (1835-1840 : Call)
Florida. Governor (1840-1841 : Reid)
Florida. Governor (1841-1844 : Call)
Florida. Governor (1844-1845 : Branch)
Florida. Governor (1845-1849 : Moseley)
Florida. Governor (1849-1853 : Brown)
Florida. Governor (1853-1857 : Broome)
Florida. Governor (1861-1865 : Milton)
Florida. Governor (1865 : Allison)
Florida. Governor (1873-1874 : Hart)
Florida. Governor (1874-1877 : Stearns)
Florida. Governor (1877-1881 : Drew)
Florida. Governor (1881-1885 : Bloxham)
Florida. Governor (1885-1889 : Perry)
Florida. Governor (1889-1893 : Fleming)
Florida. Governor (1893-1897 : Mitchell)
Florida. Governor (1897-1901 : Bloxham)
Florida. Governor (1901-1905 : Jennings)
Florida. Governor (1905-1909 : Broward)
Florida. Governor (1909-1913 : Gilchrist)