Necros  | 21 Aug 2014 8:28 a.m. PST |
Looking for some good examples of old timey letters or documents to fluff up a campaign I'm working on. Anyone know of good places on the web to find stuff like that? It doesn't have to be an image, just text would be fine I think. I'm looking for letters written in that old fashioned long-winded way of saying things along the lines of "I hereby proclaim so and so to be the sheriff of wherever" or "this guy has been appointed the governor of this territory. signed, the president" … but a little more official sounding than that :) |
| coryfromMissoula | 21 Aug 2014 8:41 a.m. PST |
Having to decipher plat maps and deeds periodically, most old west documents appear to have consisted of indecipherable long hand squiggles with important words made clearer. If you want though, try browsing here
link |
Frederick  | 21 Aug 2014 9:03 a.m. PST |
If you have any ancestors who were in the US Army, their service records are worth a read – I have mine from my great-grandfather, who was a private in the 4th Minnesota; the US Army has archived all their service records and for a small fee they will send them to relatives |
| 79thPA | 21 Aug 2014 9:11 a.m. PST |
Asking for sheriff to be appointed: link Appointment to sheriff: link |
 ColCampbell | 21 Aug 2014 10:55 a.m. PST |
Necros, The Pennsylvania State Archives should have just the things for you. link Jim |
| Rebelyell2006 | 21 Aug 2014 2:27 p.m. PST |
There are some digitized archival collections out there. Stephen F. Austin University's archives has some Texas stuff out there, like letters to and from the Honorable Charles Stanfield Taylor (so they would be full of people trying to sound official while writing to a judge). Poke around their website and check out others. The Texas Rangers Hall of Fame archives is not digitized but I am sure they would be willing to help you since they have reproductions of official orders and similar documents in their subject files. |
| Militia Pete | 21 Aug 2014 3:27 p.m. PST |
Looking at Civil War era pension documents. I got over 70 about my great great grand-pappy. He was "tough as an old pine knot" according to his captain. |
| Lion in the Stars | 21 Aug 2014 4:13 p.m. PST |
I was amused to see that the US military still uses the "To all who shall see these presents, greetings" format on enlistment, discharge, and promotion paperwork. I have what I think is my great-great-grandfather's enlistment paperwork for the 4th Maine Infantry, and it reads exactly like one I would have printed off when I was in the Navy 10 years ago! |
| Necros | 22 Aug 2014 5:09 a.m. PST |
Thanks folks, lots of good stuff there. But wow.. some of that handwriting is way too fancy for my modern eyes to decipher. I can stick to the typed stuff though :) |
| Militia Pete | 22 Aug 2014 1:17 p.m. PST |
Remember, penmanship use to matter! |
| TKindred | 23 Aug 2014 5:19 p.m. PST |
I have been a satisfied customer of Mr. Sullivan for many years now. His reproduction papers are not only extremely well-done, but quite affordable as well You might find some useful items on his website. sullivanpress.com |
completes a Confederate river ironclad.
