Democracy's Lawyer: Felix Grundy of the Old Southwest

Selected Bibliography

Selected Bibliography Felix Grundy’s life spanned sixty-five formative years of American history and included more than forty years’ involvement in political and entrepreneurial activities. His service encompassed the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, as well as civic causes and criminal defense advocacy. There is thus no dearth of general source material for a study of Grundy and no lack of data for such peers as John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and James K. Polk. Grundy himself, a cautious man, confided less to writing than many of his contemporaries and left few records of a personal or philosophical nature. John B. Hayes wrote Polk in 1839, “I hope that you are as great a man as G [Grundy] in not leaving anything, in confidence, in writing to appear in judgement against you.” Hayes to Polk, 9 Jan. 1839, in Polk, Correspondence , 5:13. Despite Grundy’s caution, I have been able to locate and compile a larger amount of his correspondence than initially expected. Most collections yielded only one or perhaps two Grundy letters, but I was able to find several significant sources not previously examined. Other Kentucky and Tennessee contemporaries of Grundy’s, including such important figures as William Carroll, left comparatively little correspondence; what exists is widely scattered. In general, I include here only those sources that are cited twice or more in the notes or that I found particularly useful for background study. References cited infrequently (typically once) are included only in the notes. Manuscripts There are two primary locations for original Grundy correspondence and other papers: the Southern Historical Collection, at the University of North Car321 322 � Selected Bibliography olina, Chapel Hill (SHC), and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, in Nashville (TSLA). The Felix Grundy Papers at the Southern Historical Collection include correspondence and other records kept by Grundy that were inherited by members of the Dickinson family. Grundy materials at the SHC also can be found in the McGavock Family Papers. The Tennessee State Library and Archives includes Grundy materials in the Felix Grundy Papers, the Lindsley Family Papers, the Francis McGavock Papers, the Jacob McGavock Dickinson Papers, and the Whitefoord R. Cole Papers, as well as in the Dyas Collection of the John Coffee Papers, the John Overton Papers, the David Hubbard Papers , the William Trousdale Papers, and other collections. Two other institutions have significant Grundy holdings. The Henry Smith Munroe Papers, at the Connecticut Historical Society, in Hartford, contain correspondence relating to Grundy’s large-scale land speculation in south-central Tennessee from 1835 until his death. The Library of Congress has many collections containing one or two Grundy letters, although the Felix Grundy Papers there contain fewer than ten items. Fortunately for anyone studying Grundy, he was closely associated with most of the major political figures of the first half of the nineteenth century. Accordingly, some of his correspondence can be found in compilations of letters and other papers of such political leaders. Few of the deed, will, order, or minute books mentioned in the text have inclusive dates. Most have never been published and can be seen only by visiting the county courthouses at the locations given in the notes. Banks, Henry, Papers, 1781–1817. Virginia Historical Society, Richmond. Barry, William Taylor, Papers, 1785–1835. Filson Club Historical Society, Louisville , KY. Biddle, Nicholas, Papers, 1681–1933. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Blair and Lee Papers, 1764–1946. Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library. Breckinridge Family Papers, 1752–1904. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Breckinridge Family Papers, 1740–1902. Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Breckinridge, John, Papers, 1760–1806. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Brown-Ewell Family Papers, 1781–1984. Filson Club Historical Society, Louisville , KY. Campbell Family Papers, 1731–1969. Rare Book, Manuscripts, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Durham, NC. Selected Bibliography � 323 Clay, Sidney P., Collection, 1783–1846. Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library. Clay and Overton Papers, 1747–1894. Claybrooke Collection. Tennessee State Library and Archives. Clifford Family Papers, 1727–1832. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Coffee, John, Papers, 1770–1917. Dyas Collection. Tennessee State Library and Archives , Nashville. Cole, Whitefoord R., Papers, 1818–1951. Tennessee State Library and Archives,­Nashville. Dickinson, Jacob McGavock, Papers, 1851–1928. Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. Donelson, Andrew Jackson, Papers, 1779–1943. Library of Congress, Washington , DC. Draper, Lyman Copeland, Manuscripts. Wisconsin State Historical Society, ­Madison. Durrett, Reuben...