Skip to main content

Correspondence

Here we present our growing digital edition of the correspondence of Charles W. Chesnutt. Chesnutt’s letters illuminate the expansive social and literary network of this prominent African American writer, lawyer, and voting rights activist, and shed light on his times. The letters, dating from 1883 to 1932, range widely, relating to personal, political, business, civic, and literary matters. Our edition includes transcriptions of incoming as well as outgoing letters, and Chesnutt’s drafts, along with images of the original documents whenever possible. Our editorial policies can be found here.

The edition includes a catalog of all of Chesnutt’s known correspondence, incoming and outgoing.


Full Correspondence Catalog


Correspondence

634 items

Charles W. Chesnutt to Glenn Frank, 27 October 1922

  • Date: October 27, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harcourt, Brace and Company, 12 November 1921

  • Date: November 12, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harold M. Kingsley, 3 October 1922

  • Date: October 3, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry C. Gahn, 1 November 1921

  • Date: November 1, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry C. Smith, 17 May 1922

  • Date: May 17, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry E. Davis, 5 October 1922

  • Date: October 5, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry J. Warwick, 24 October 1932

  • Date: October 24, 1932
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry J. Warwick, 6 September 1932

  • Date: September 6, 1932
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry L. Davis, 14 December 1921

  • Date: December 14, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harry S. Day, 8 September 1924

  • Date: September 8, 1924
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 4

Charles W. Chesnutt to Harvey M. Williamson, 25 April 1932

  • Date: April 25, 1932
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Henry Clay Tyson, 20 December 1921

  • Date: Decemberer 20, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Henry Clay Tyson, 22 November 1922

  • Date: November 22, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Herbert Small, 26 October 1899

  • Date: October 26, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: African American History collection (1729–1970, bulk 1800–1865), William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, M-454 et al., box 5, folder 20a

Charles W. Chesnutt to Herbert Small, 6 November 1899

  • Date: November 6, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt letters, 1899-1900, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, 1969-0092R VF Lit

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace C. Bailey, 17 May 1922

  • Date: May 17, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 1 February 1908

  • Date: February 1, 1908
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 16 August 1902

  • Date: August 16, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 16 September 1905

  • Date: September 16, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 19 December 1902

  • Date: December 19, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 2 June 1905

  • Date: June 2, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 24 October 1907

  • Date: October 24, 1907
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 25 March 1902

  • Date: March 25, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 29 December 1915

  • Date: December 29, 1915
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 3 July 1903

  • Date: July 3, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 6 November 1905

  • Date: November 6, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Houghton Mifflin Company, 13 September 1921

  • Date: September 13, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, 1889-1932, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 September 1922

  • Date: September 2, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Houghton Mifflin Company, 4 August 1924

  • Date: August 4, 1924
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 4

Charles W. Chesnutt to Houghton Mifflin Company, 8 October 1921

  • Date: October 8, 1921
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, 1889-1932, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Houghton Mifflin Company, 9 March 1922

  • Date: March 9, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Hugh M. Browne, 21 November 1907

  • Date: November 21, 1907
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington correspondence, 1903-1916, 1933 and undated, Rubenstein Library, Duke University, RL.01347, box 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Hugh M. Browne, 26 February 1909

  • Date: February 26, 1909
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington correspondence, 1903-1916, 1933 and undated, Duke University Libraries; David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, RL.01347, box 1

Charles W. Chesnutt to Ida and Fannie Henderson, 13 October 1931

  • Date: October 13, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Jerome B. Howard, 15 December 1899

  • Date: December 15, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: African American History collection (1729–1970, bulk 1800–1865), William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, M-454 et al., box 5, folder 21a

Charles W. Chesnutt to Jesse B. Hutchins, 12 June 1922

  • Date: June 12, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Jessie B. Parks, 17 November 1931

  • Date: November 17, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Jimmie Hicks, 9 March 1922

  • Date: March 9, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joel E. Spingarn, 5 January 1931

  • Date: January 15, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to John J. Wolf, 15 May 1922

  • Date: May 15, 1922
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 2

Charles W. Chesnutt to John P. Green, 10 February 1899

  • Date: February 10, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: John Patterson Green Papers,, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3379, box 5, folder unknown

Charles W. Chesnutt to John Patterson Green, 16 October 1931

  • Date: October 16, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to John Patterson Green, 30 August 1882

  • Date: August 30, 1882
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: John Patterson Green Papers, 1889-1932, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3379, box 1, folder 1-5

Charles W. Chesnutt to John Patterson Green, 7 December 1897

  • Date: December 7, 1897
  • Creator(s): Charles W. Chesnutt | Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: John Patterson Green Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3380, box 4, folder 1-4

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joyce H. Caldwell, 16 January 1931

  • Date: January 16, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joyce H. Caldwell, 26 March 1931

  • Date: March 26, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joyce H. Caldwell, 27 January 1931

  • Date: January 27, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joyce H. Caldwell, 5 February 1931

  • Date: February 5, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Joyce H. Caldwell, 5 January 1931

  • Date: January 5, 1931
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 6

Charles W. Chesnutt to Judson D. Wetmore, 25 July 1924

  • Date: 07-05-1924
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Waddell)
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370, box 1, folder 4
↑