Benjamin Smith letterbook, 1793

This handwritten letterbook of Benjamin Smith is comprised of personal correspondence primarily addressed to Smith’s father Daniel in Burlington between the dates of August 25th and October 17th, 1793, believed to have been copied by a family member in Burlington, New Jersey. Topics covered in Smith’s correspondence relate primarily to the ongoing yellow fever epidemic of 1793, with particular focus on the health of Smith’s family members. Also included within the collection are copies of letters from Smith’s brother, Joshua Smith, addressed to their father, relating the events of the summer and the eventual death of Benjamin from yellow fever on October 18th of that year.