Charles Carroll (of Bellevue) papers

Charles Carroll of Bellevue was a prominent figure in early 19th century politics. Cousin to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Carroll was a wealthy landowner and a personal friend to James Monroe and James Madison. His title is drawn from the name of his estate, Bellevue, located in Hagerstown, Maryland. In 1814, he was responsible for evacuating Dolly Madison from the White House prior to the British invasion and subsequent burning of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, taking refuge at his Bellevue estate. Throughout the course of the war, Carroll’s eldest son, Henry, served as personal secretary to Henry Clay, and was the first messenger to deliver news of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, the peace agreement between the United States and Great Britain, to Washington. After the war, Carroll set his sights on New York State, founding the city of Rochester in conjunction with William Fitzhugh and Nathaniel Rochester before buying further lands in the Genesee valley region. Though his role in Rochester’s history is somewhat obscure, Carroll took an active role in helping develop the commercial center. He corresponded frequently with his co-founders on how to best develop the land, and travelled personally to research new milling methods which he brought back and implemented in Rochester. In 1811, he moved to Washington, D.C. with his family in tow, marking the start of their migration to north and, sure enough, by 1815 Carroll had sold Bellevue in Hagerstown and had established a new estate in Groveland, New York. After three years, James Monroe offered Carroll the position of Federal Registrar of Lands for Howard County in the Missouri Territory, which he accepted. While Charles was occupied with the Groveland estate and other affairs in the east, such as the development of Rochester as an important milling center, Henry Carroll went in his father’s stead to the new territory to tend to his duties as federal Registrar of Lands. As was foreshadowed by the lack of direct Presidential appointment to a previously requested position, Henry proved unequal to this role, inciting the anger of locals who viewed him as corrupt. By this point, Charles had also arrived in Franklin, Missouri with most of his family, notably Charles Holker (his second son) had remained behind in New York to tend to his fathers estate in his absence. However, it would seem that Charles arrival had little effect on the enmity of his son Henry’s enemies, for on February 29, 1820 Henry was shot and killed by Major Richard Gentry. Though his father sought legal action for the murder, Gentry was able to avoid prosecution through the legal efforts of his lawyer Thomas Hart Benton. The death of his eldest son had a lasting effect on Carroll. By 1821, Charles had returned to New York and resigned from his position in Missouri, though his plan originally seemed to have been permanently moving west. In his resignation he urged President Monroe to appointment a replacement quickly, giving firm evidence that he held no further interest in the title. He died in 1823, having never achieved justice for the murder of his son Henry. Upon the death of his father, the management of family affairs was handed to Carroll’s second eldest son, Charles H. Carroll, who continued to operate and reside at the family’s Groveland estate in Livingston County. Charles H. Carroll went on to become an important Whig politician, serving as a judge (1823-1829), a state senator (1827-1828), and a member of the House of Representatives (1843-1847), going on to become New York state’s candidate to the Electoral College (on the American Party’s ticket) for the 1856 presidential election. Much of the correspondence in this collection pertains to Charles H. Carroll’s career and family life. Both Charles and Charles H. Carroll are buried in Williamsburg Cemetery in Groveland, New York.