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In August 1862, Henry B. Whitney a 24-year-old carriage maker in Pulaski, New York enlisted in the infantry as a private. He was married to Martha Smith Whitney and they had one child, Charley. On August 13, Henry mustered into Co. B, 110th New York Voluntary Infantry (The 110th New York Infantry Regiment), recruited primarily in Oswego County. Whitney served with the 110th New York Volunteers and his letters detail his service from 1862 to 1865, and include his experiences in Louisiana, the siege of Port Hudson, a crucial battle in securing Union control of the Mississippi River, and Fort Jefferson, Florida. Many letters are from Martha to Henry about the home front–including the death of their son.

This collection contains a holograph letter from Henry Simpson to George Bancroft, dated December 21, 1849, and is accompanied by a typed transcription. Also in the collection is a handwritten note from Winston Churchill of the University Club, to W. H. Lowdenmilk and Company, dated May 1, 1919. Another handwritten note is from J. Sparks to "Dear P." concerning the return of "Mr. Cooledge" from Europe. As well, there is a handwritten statement in Latin.

Herman "Pat" Herst (1909 – 1999) is most widely recognized for his exceptional contributions to philately. He was a prolific writer of philatelic literature and won every important award in the field, including the American Philatelic Society's Luff award. A third generation Mason, Herst was born and educated in Portland, Oregon, but spent most his life in New York and a member of the Masonic Stamp Club. Herst first championed the popular trend of topical collecting, specializing in specific stamp themes. After his death, his wife Ida donated his collections of Masonic, Philatelic, and Holocaust related material. This unique collection includes rare stamped and cancelled letters from inmates in Concentration Camps and ghetto currency. Also included in the collection are historical documents related to Freemasonry and photocopies of rare materials from and about the Ruhleben German Prisoner of War Camp from 1914 – 1918.

The collection's two major groupings of papers are Antebellum and Civil War newspapers in OS Box 1 and Gilded Age, Progressive, and 20th century newspapers in OS Box 2. The majority of the papers are from the southern states in the United States. OS Box 3 is photostat copies of its contents.

The Historical Newspaper Collection was donated by the History Department to FAU Libraries. The newspapers cover important historical events such as: World War II; Space; and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy