TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Collection Overview

Restrictions

Online Catalog Headings

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Guide to the Holden Dwight Diary, 1837 - 1843

Special Collections and Archives
Olin Library
Wesleyan University
252 Church Street
Middletown, CT 06457 USA
(860) 685-3864
(860) 685-2661
Email: sca@wesleyan.edu
URL: http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/schome/

Biographical Note

Reverend Holden Dwight, son of Daniel and Susan Lippiett Dwight was born on August 28, 1810. After graduating from Wesleyan University in 1835, Dwight moved to Georgia where he opened a private school and became a school teacher. After a year of teaching, he was forced to shut down his school in Columbus, Georgia due to improper facilities and as he states, because the city was "entirely destitute of literary character." Dwight then departed Columbus, Georgia, on December 30, 1837, and moved to his new home of New Orleans, Louisiana. With the help of a Mr. Hamilton, a leader of the local Methodist Church, Dwight was able to establish another school. Unfortunately, Dwight was forced to close his school on May 29, 1838, whereupon he was appointed as a missionary in the third municipality of New Orleans. Dwight did successfully open a Sunday school in this area, but then left after two months in order to tutor Judge McGehee's children in Woodville, Mississippi. After two months of working in Woodville, Dwight took his leave from the family and traveled to Jackson, Louisiana, where he was appointed to the Preparatory Department in the College of Louisiana on October 15, 1838.

On June 13th, 1839 Dwight married Almena Marietta Pelton in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the latter half of 1839, he was appointed a deacon of the Methodist Church. Around January 1, 1840, Dwight left the College of Louisiana and took up residence in Clinton, Mississippi where he and his wife opened a private academy. Unfortunately, both Dwight and his wife were struck with serious illnesses leaving no one else to run the school. On December 13, 1840 Dwight's first son, Edward Champion Dwight, was born. Other children were Wilbur Fisk (born February 6, 1843), Susan Eliza (September 13, 1844), and Dwight (July 9, 1847) On January 1, 1841, Dwight was the elected principal of the Preparatory Department of Centenary College in Jackson, Mississippi, but this position eventually fell through. Dwight was then forced to travel north in search of employment. After a month of searching, Dwight was able to find a position in the department of natural science of Norwalk Seminary in Ohio. After three years at Norwalk as a teacher of languages, Dwight was appointed principal of Baldwin Institute at Berea, Ohio. Holden Dwight passed away on November 24, 1846 at the age of 36.

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Collection Overview

The diary of Reverend Holden Dwight was written from August 18, 1837 to November 18, 1843. The diary begins as Dwight professes his excitement about returning home after working in Georgia for nearly two years. From Columbus, Georgia, Dwight traveled to Augusta, Georgia by stagecoach, then by railroad to Charleston, South Carolina, then to New York City by steamer. On his way back to his hometown of Southbridge, Massachusetts, Dwight stopped by his alma mater, Wesleyan University, whereupon he met with Mr. Charles Ser, an old acquaintance. After a brief conversation, Dwight then continued to Hartford, Connecticut where he stayed the night. In the morning, he took a stage to his hometown and arrived in Southbridge during the afternoon. At once he noticed the changes the local temperance movement had made upon his town, for now many of the taverns had been shut down. Once arriving home his family and friends greeted him with joy.

After the excitement of his arrival settled down, his family and friends began to question him on his stance of slavery. Dwight responded to his critics, ". . . the efforts of the abolitionists themselves tended to prejudice the south in favor of slavery and to perpetuate the evil which they willed to be abolished . . ." Though the abolitionists tried to persuade him, Dwight held to his beliefs in slavery, despite their constant criticisms. In the end, Dwight predicted that this question could potentially dissolve the Union.

Dwight spent the next few weeks at home with his family until they decided to travel to the examinations of Wilbraham Academy, his former school. Here Dwight watched his sister's examination, and listened to a few more arguments on the abolitionist movement. After the examinations, Dwight traveled back to Wesleyan University to watch the commencement of that year's class. He found the University to be unchanged from his days as a student, though he remarked that a house was being built for the president of the university. While at Wesleyan, Dwight attended an oration by his Honor George Banonoft sponsored by the Philorhetorian and the Peithologian Societies of Wesleyan, which he found to be exquisite. Dwight also remarked on the great donations Dr. Willbur Fisk was able to obtain while traveling in Europe, including bibles and testaments in many different languages, which he donated to the Missionary Lyceum, a student group. Dwight complimented Reverend Rice's excellent sermon delivered to the Youth's Missionary Society of Middletown. After a long day of excitement, Dwight returned home to Southbridge.

Dwight's next entry was dedicated to his resentment of corporations and the government's stronghold on the economy. He seemed to dislike any form of government involvement with the economy and even went as far as to write a letter to the legislative councils of the nation. After a month of staying with his family, Dwight decided to return once more to Georgia. While traveling toward Georgia, Dwight remarked on how railroads were changing the nation into a better a place and how their might would benefit the New England area. Dwight also stopped off in Philadelphia to visit a school for the deaf and dumb, but they were out of session. On his train ride from Philadelphia to Washington D.C., Dwight was fortunate to see some of the most prominent men of his time including John Quincy Adams, whose personal appearance "disappointed" Dwight. After arriving in Washington, Dwight attended the extra sessions of Congress where he got to see many prominent senators such as Daniel Webster (Massachusetts), Henry Clay (Kentucky), William Campbell Preston (South Carolina), Thomas Hart Benton (Missouri), John Caldwell Calhoun (South Carolina), and Silas Wright, Jr. (New York).

After two weeks of travel, Dwight arrived back in Georgia where he opened a school in Columbus. The next few entries detail some interesting conversations Dwight had including one with a certain Dr. Gibson on the recent phenomenon of animal magnetism. Unfortunately on December 22nd, Dwight was forced to close his school in Columbus because, according to Dwight, there was no literacy in that city. On January 8, 1838 Dwight traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana where he was frightened to find people working on the Sabbath. Despite his initial fears, Dwight decided to open another school, on January 11, 1838, with the help of Mr. Hamilton of the local Methodist Church. During this time, Dwight decided to learn French from Professor Laurent because he hoped this will help him spread the word of God. On May 29, 1838, Dwight was again forced to close his school, but the local Methodist elder appointed him as a missionary for New Orleans' third municipality. During this time, Dwight was able to open a Sunday school and spread the word of the Methodist Church among the many Catholics in the area.

On July 29, 1838 Dwight accepted an invitation from Judge McGehee to tutor his children in Woodville, Mississippi. After two months, however, Dwight left the judge's home in order to teach at the Preparatory Department in the College of Louisiana. The following entries feature interesting conversations or sermons Dwight has heard and his comments on them. Dwight most notably discusses Professor's Woolbridge's sermons about the afterlife, and contemplates his own soul because of the sermons. On November 16, 1840 Dwight notes that the reason he hasn't written in so long is because he was ". . . reduced near the grave" with sickness. However, Dwight assures the reader that this has only deepened his faith in God and his commitment to his word. On November 13, 1840, Dwight writes that he has been blessed with a son despite the fact that Dwight had yet to mention his wife in the diary What follows next in the diary is Dwight's comments on a series of essays in the Methodist Quarterly Review, such as, "The Rich Against the Poor,""Intelligence of Angels," and "The Oxford Tract."

It is at this point that Dwight does not write in his journal for almost a full year. His next entry apologizes for his lack of punctuality in keeping the journal and continues with a full synopsis of his past few years. Dwight finally mentions his marriage to Almena Marietta Pelton on June 13, 1839. The two met at Wilbraham Academy, and then later fell in love while Dwight was working at the College of Louisiana. When Dwight decided to leave the college, he then opened up his own academy in Clinton, Mississippi. However, Dwight and his wife's attempts to run the school was in vain for a few months after opening the academy, both were stricken with illness. With no one left to run the school, the academy inevitably failed leaving Dwight unemployed yet again.

On May 12, 1841, Dwight and his family left Clinton in search of new employment in the north. After traveling around the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania region, Dwight eventually found a position in the Department of Natural Science in the Norwalk Seminary in Ohio. On January 16, 1842 Dwight again became seriously ill with an ear infection and a severe headache to the point where they fetched a doctor. Dr. Baker then treated his symptoms by bleeding him profusely, putting a roasted onion on his ear, and then giving him 0.5 grams of morphine. After a few months Dwight recovered once more and was also reassigned to the Latin and Greek Department of Norwalk Seminary. During the seminary's summer break, Dwight convinced his sister to come work at in the female department of the seminary, but also debated whether his salary was sufficient to provide for his family. Dwight ends his diary with doubt in his faith because compared to his idol, Dr. Fisk, Dwight's committment seems weak. He also touchingly describes the death of his infant son, Wilbur Fisk.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

No restrictions. However, the physical condition of this dairy is poor: the covers and spine are missing and the binding is loose. Many pages have become loose, and some pages have tears in them which were repaired with now-decaying tape. However, the writing on almost all of the pages is still legible and the tears do not interfere too greatly with the writing. It does appear that some sections of the diary are missing because Dwight numbered the major sections of the diary, and a few of these numbers are not found in this grouping.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Holden Dwight Diary, Collection #1000-154, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Acquired some time prior to 1980.

Processing Information

Processed by Steven St. Onge, August 2008

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, August 2008

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Detailed Description of the Collection