The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau Dunshee Ambrotype of Thoreau, 1861 (Courtesy Concord Museum)
What's New About the Project About Thoreau's Writings About Thoreau Resources for Research
"Thoreau's Journals, at home of E. H. Russell, Worcester, February 26, 1901" (Courtesy Concord Free Public Library)
Thoreau's Manuscripts
Thoreau's Handwriting
Online Journal Transcripts
Thoreau's Correspondence
First Publications of Thoreau's Books and Essays
Recommended Editions of Thoreau's Works
Selected Editions of Thoreau's Works
  HDT's correspondence

1849-1856

1834-1848      1857-1862


Date Correspondent Correspondent MS & Repository Location Information
02 08 49 f Ticknor & Co Boston MS MH 02 09 49 t Thatcher, G Concord MS MaLiTIW 02 16 49 t Thatcher, G Concord MS TxU 02 16 49 f Ticknor & Co Boston MS MH 02 19 49 f Hawthorne, N Salem MS NNPM 02 20 49 t Hawthorne, N Concord MS Peabody Essex Museum 02 20 49 f Alcott, AB Boston PR 03 16 49 t Thatcher, G Concord MS Private owner 03 22 49 t Thatcher, G Portland MS MBU 04 05 49 t Peabody, E Concord MS PHi 04 17 49 t Blake, HGO Concord MSc NN 06 30 49 t Agassiz, L Concord MS MH [07 05 49]f Agassiz, L Cambridge MS NNPM 07 31 49 t Emerson, E Concord MS MCo 08 10 49 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 09 03 49 f Froude, JA Manchester MSc MCo 09 17 49 t Sparks, J Concord MS MH [Sum. 49] f Hecker, I London MS DStPC 11 20 49 t Blake, HGO Concord MS MCo 12 03 49 f Colburn, MM Andover MS Private owner 12 18 49 f Cabot,[S] Boston PR 02 06[50] f Emerson, RW Saco MS NN 02 08 50 t Northend, C Concord MS Dealer 03 11 50 f Emerson, RW Concord MS NNPM 04 03 50 t Blake, HGO Concord MS Private owner 05 01 50 f Dunbar, CH Haverhill MS MH 05 28 50 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 07 24 50 t Greeley, H New York MS NN 07 25 50 t Emerson, RW Fire Island MS MH 07 29 50 t Sumner, C Springfield MS MH 07 31 50 f Sumner, C Boston MS VtMiM 08 09 50 t Blake, HGO Concord MS TxU 10 07 50 f Bailey, G Portland MS ScU 10 18 50 f Pierce, J Portland MS NN 11 14 50 f Forbes, F Clinton MS NN 11 15 50 t Forbes, F Concord MS Dealer 11 20 50 f Pierce, J Portland MS NN 12 03 50 f Higginson, TW Newburyport MS NN 12 27 50 t Harris, TW Concord MS MH 12 27 50 f Cabot, S Boston PR 01 13 51 f Cushing, W [Bedford] MSi ICarbS & NN 02 10 51 t Harris, TW Concord MS MH 03 07 51 f Greenough et al Boston MS MH 04 29 51 t Harvard Librarian Concord MS Private owner 07 26[51] f Hecker, I New York MS DStPC 02 15[52] f Watson, BM Plymouth MS MPlPS 02 17 52 t Watson, BM Concord MS Private owner 02 24 52 f Greeley, H New York PR 03 18 52 f Greeley, H New York MS NNPM 03 26 52 f Greeley, H New York MS Private owner 04 02 52 t Higginson, TW Concord MSf ViU 04 03 52 t Higginson, TW Concord MS TxU 04 03 52 f Greeley, H New York MS ViU 04 20 52 f Greeley, H New York MS Dealer 05 26 52 f Greeley, H New York MS NN 06 25 52 f Greeley, H New York MS MCo 07 08 52 f Greeley, H New York MSf Private owner 07 13 52 t Thoreau, S Concord MS CSmH 07 21 52 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 07 21 52 f Sweetser, W Charlestown MS NN 07 26 52 t Sweetser, W Concord MS NN [09 23?52]t Blake, HGO [Concord] MS Ia-HA 11 16 52 t Curtis, GW Concord MS MH 11 23 52 f Greeley, H New York MS CSmH 11 25 52 f Baird, SF Washington MS DSI-AI 12 31 52 t Watson, BM Concord MS VM 01 02 53 f Greeley, H New York MS NN 02 27 53 t Blake, HGO Concord MS NN [03 05 53]t Baird, SF [Concord] MS NNPM [03]09 53 t Greeley, H Concord MS NNPM 03 11 53 t Curtis, GW Concord MS ViU 03 11 53 f Greeley, H New York MS Private owner 04 10 53 t Blake, HGO Concord MS NNPM 04 [53] f Austin, LH Lincoln MSi ViU 06 18 53 t Loomis, E Concord MS CtY 07 29 53 t Spooner, J Concord MS MPlPS Summer 53 f Agassiz, L Cambridge MSp MH [10 09 53]f Channing, WE [Concord] MS MCo 10 12 53 t Various [Concord] MSd MCo 10 12 53 t Various Concord MS ViU 10 25 53 f Munroe, J & Co Concord MSq CSmH 11 22 53 t [Underwood, F] Concord MS NN 12 02 53 t Underwood, F Concord MS MB 12 05 53 f Underwood, F Boston MS NN 12 19 53 t Baird, S Concord MS NNPM 12 19 53 t Blake, HGO Concord MS NjP 01 01 54 f Emerson, RW Concord MS NNPM 01 18 54 f Marrett, L Concord MS CSmH 01 21 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MS Private owner 02 23 54 f Smith, T New York MS NN 02 25 54 t Thatcher, G Concord MS ViU 02 26[54] t Wood, E Concord MS CSmH 03 01 54 t Harris, TW Concord MS MH 03 05 54 f Emerson, RW Concord MS ViU 03 06 54 f Greeley & McElrath New York MS NNPM 03 06 54 f Greeley, H New York MS ViU 03 23 54 f Greeley, H New York MS NjP 03 30 54 t Emerson, RW [Concord] MS MH 04 02 54 f Greeley, H New York PR 04 18 54 t Harris, TW Concord MS MH 05 03 54 t Hosmer,[E] Concord MSd NNPM 05 54 f Scribner, C New York MS CSmH 06 10 54 f Ticknor & Co Boston MS MH 06 22 54 f Harris, TW Cambridge MSx MH-Ar 06 27 54 f Harris, TW Cambridge MS NNPM 08 08 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 08 11 54 t Fields, JT [Concord] MS Am. Mus. of Hist. Docs. 08 12 54 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS CSmH 08 13 54 f Higginson, TW Newburyport PR 08 31 54 f Fuller, R Boston MS Private owner 09 11 54 f [Devens,] C Millbury MS Private owner 09 15 54 t Webb, SE Concord MS NN 09 17[54] f Watson, BM Plymouth MS MaLiTIW 09 19 54 t Watson, BM Concord MS CSmH 09 21 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MSi MPlPS & VtMiM 09 24[54] f Watson, BM Plymouth MS MaLiTIW 10 01 54 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 10 03 54 f Watson, BM Plymouth MS MaLiTIW 10 04 54 t Watson, BM Concord MS Unknown owner 10 05 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MS MH-G 10 06 54 f Thomas, W Phila MS Private owner 10 12 54 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 10 14 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MS Private owner 10 14 54 f Fairbanks, A Providence MS CSmH 10 23 54 t Harris, TW Concord MS NN 10 26 54 f Bernard, CB Akron MS NN 10 30 54 t Sumner, C Concord MS InU 10 31 54 f Sumner, C Boston MS TxU [10 54] t Foster, D [Concord] MSd MH [10 54] f Emerson, MM [Concord] MS ViU 11 01 54 f Rouquette, A New Orleans MS Private owner 11 06 54 f Fairbanks, A Providence MS CSmH 11 06 54 f Foster, D E Princeton MS Private owner 11 13 54 t Rouquette, A Concord MSd MH 11 15 54 t Alcott, AB Concord MSi MH 11 15 54 t Harris, TW Concord MS MH 11 17 54 t Sheldon, W Concord MSd MH 11 20 54 t Bernard, CB Concord MSd MH 11 20 54 t Bernard, CB Concord MSd CU-SB 11 20 54 t Milne, JD Concord MSd CU-SB 11 27 54 f Whitney, A Nantucket MS CSmH [10/11 54]t Blake, HGO [Concord] MSd MH [11 54] f Channing, WE [--?] MS MH 12 05 54 t Sumner, C Concord MS MH 12 19 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MSi ViU & Private owner 12 19 54 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 12 20 54 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 12 22 54 t Blake, HGO Concord MS Private owner 12 22 54 f Tuttle, WD [?] MS CSmH 01 04 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 01 06 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 01 09 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 01 25 55 f Brown, AE Brattleboro MS Private owner 01 26 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford PR 01 30 55 f Sanborn, FB Hampton Fls PR [01 30]55 f Cholmondeley, T England MS MCo 02 01 55 t Brown, AE Concord MS VtU 02 01 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS IU 02 02 55 t Sanborn, FB Concord MS Private owner 02 07 55 t Cholmondeley, T Concord MS Private owner 02 14 55 f Smith, EO Brooklyn MS MCo 02 19 55 t Smith, EO Concord MS MaLiTIW 02 27 55 t Harris, TW Concord MS ViU 03 01 55 t Brown, [Ann] Concord MS ViBlbV 03 12 55 t Sumner, C Concord MS MH 04 13 55 t Curtis, GW Concord MS ICarbS 04 20 55 t Curtis, GW Concord MS ViU 04 30 55 t [Ticknor & Fields] Concord MS NN 06 27 55 t Blake, HGO Concord MS Private owner 07 08 55 t Blake, HGO N. Truro PR 07 14 55 t Blake, HGO N. Truro PR 08 03 55 t Dix & Edwards Concord MS ViU 08 08 55 t Curtis, GW Concord MS ICarbS 08 17 55 f Greeley, H New York MS NNPM 08 55 t Curtis, GW [Concord] MSd TxU 09 07 55 t Greeley, H Concord MS NNPM 09 23 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 09 26 55 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 09 27 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 09 29 55 f Ticknor & Co Boston MS MH 10 03 55 f Allen, W Bridgewater MS Private owner & CtW 10 03[55] f Cholmondeley, T [London] MS NN 10 12 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 10 13 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 10 13 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 10 16 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS VtMiM 10 17 55 t Sumner, C Concord MS MHi 10 18 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 10 25 55 t Colder, J Concord MSx Private owner 10 26 55 f Chapman, J England MS VtMiM & NN 10 30 55 f Furlong, K New York MS Private owner 11 02 55 f Chapman & Ferguson London MS NN 11 08+55 t Cholmondeley, T Concord MSc NN 11 09 55 f Crosby & Nichols [--?] MSi MH 11 10 55 f Gardiner, EW Nantucket MS Private owner [11 24 55]f Bellew, F Concord MS MCo 12 04 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 12 09 55 t Blake, HGO Concord PR/MSi Private owner 12 22 55 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 12 25 55 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 12 26 55 f Emerson, RW Boston MS Private owner 01 14 56 f Greene, C Rochester MI MS Private owner 01 18 56 t Greene, C Concord MS NjP 01 26 56 f Greene, C Rochester MI MS Private owner 02 10 56 t Greene, C Concord MS NjP 02 26 56 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS & PR MaLiTIW 02 27 56 f Smith, G, et al New York MSp MH 03 03 56 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 03 04 56 f Greeley, H Wash DC MS NHi 03 05 56 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 03 07 56 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MCo 03 12 56 f Greeley, H Wash DC MS NNPM 03 13 56 t Blake, HGO Concord MS ViU 04 30 56 f Greeley, H New York MS VtMiM 05 07 56 f Greeley, H New York MS Private owner 05 10 56 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW 05 14 56 f Greene, C Rochester MI MS Private owner 05 21 56 t Blake, HGO Concord MS MHi 05 27 56 t Sibley, JL Concord MS MH 05 31 56 t Greene, C Concord MS NjP 05 31 56 t Russell, J Concord MS Private owner 06 21 56 t Greene, C Concord MS NjP 06 29 56 f Greene, C Rochester MI MS Private owner [07 12 56]f Emerson, MM Concord MS ViU 07 17 56 f Emerson, MM Concord MS ViU 09 01 56 t Alcott, AB Concord MS MH 09 02 56 t Ricketson, D Concord MS CSmH 09 04 56 f Alcott, AB [Walpole NH] MSc MH 09 04 56 f Wiley, BB Providence MS NN 09 22 56 t Wiley, BB Concord MS InU 09 23 56 t Ricketson, D Concord MS MCo 09 24 56 f Ricketson, D New Bedford MS MaLiTIW [09 56]f Ripley, S [Concord] MS NN 10 20 56 t Cholmondeley, T Concord MSc NN 10 31 56 f Wiley, BB Providence MS NN 10 56 t Spring, M [Concord] MSd MCo 11 01 56 t Thoreau, S Perth Amboy MS CSmH 11 19 56 t Blake, HGO Perth Amboy MSd MCo & VtMiM 12 06 56 t Blake, HGO Concord MS NN 12 07 56 f Greene, C Rochester MI MS Private owner 12 12 56 t Wiley, BB Concord MS NN 12 16 56 f Cholmondeley, T Rome PR 12 21 56 f Wiley, BB Chicago MS NN 12 31 56 t Blake, HGO Concord MS VtMiM

Key to Abbreviations and Symbols

[ ] = information supplied from context
f   = from
MS  = manuscript
MSc = copy in another hand
MSd = draft
MSf = fragment
MSi = incomplete MS
MSp = printed form letter
MSq = quoted
MSs = written by Sophia Thoreau for her brother, Henry Thoreau
PR  = printed
RF  = reference only
t   = to

Key to MS Repository Codes
(Library of Congress USMARC codes for organizations)
CCC     = Honnold/Mudd Library of the Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA
CSmH    = The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
CtGre   = Greenwich Library, Greenwich, CT
CtWgGML = Gunn Memorial Library, Washington, CT
CtY     = Yale University, New Haven, CT
CU-I    = University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
CU-SB   = University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
DFo     = Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC
DLC     = Library of Congress, Washington, DC
DSI-AI  = Smithsonian Institution, Archives, Washington, DC
DStPC   = The Paulist Archives, Washington, DC
FU      = University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Ia-HA   = State Historical Society of Iowa Library and Archives, Des Moines, IA
ICarbS  = Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
InNd    = University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
InU     = Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
IU      = University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
MB      = Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
MBN     = Museum of Science, Boston, MA
MBU     = Boston University, Boston, MA
MCo     = Concord Free Public Library, Concord, MA
MCR-S   = Radcliffe College, Schlesinger Library, Cambridge, MA
MeHi    = Maine Historical Society, Portland, ME
MH      = Harvard University, The Houghton Library, Cambridge, MA
MH-Ar   = Harvard University Archives, Cambridge, MA
MH-G    = Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
MHi     = Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA
MHvFM   = Fruitlands Museum, Harvard, MA
MnM     = Minneapolis Public Library, Minneapolis, MN
MPlPS   = Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, MA
MSaE    = Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
MWA     = American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA
MWatp   = Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
MWiW-C  = Williams College, Williamstown, MA
NBuBE   = Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Buffalo, NY
NHi     = The New-York Historical Society, New York, NY
NjP     = Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
NN      = The New York Public Library, The Berg Collection, New York, NY
NNC     = Columbia University, New York, NY
NNPM    = The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, NY
NRU     = University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
OKentU  = Kent State University, Kent, OH
PHC     = Haverford College, Haverford, PA
PHi     = Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
PSt     = Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
RPB     = Brown University, Providence, RI
ScU     = University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
TxU     = University of Texas, Austin, Austin, TX
ViBlbV  = Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
ViU     = University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
VtMiM   = Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
VtU     = The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
MS Repositories with no Library of Congress USMARC Code
Concord Museum, Concord, MA 
Middlesex School, Concord, MA

For manuscript information contact Elizabeth Witherell.