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Twenty four volumes of the public papers and letter books of DeWitt Clinton. Volumes 1-15 contain letters written to DeWitt Clinton, 1785-1828. They are mounted with an average of 65 letters to a volume, or approximately 975 in all. Volumes 16-23 are letter books covering the years 1793-1828 and average 300 pages to the volume. Volume 24 contains miscellaneous papers, speeches, poems, and the like in various hands.

The papers relate chiefly to the business, financial, real estate, military, civic and personal activities of Nicholas Fish. There are letters from various military figures concerning army provisions during the Revolution, letters relating to lands given to Fish for his services during the war, twenty letters from various individuals to George Clinton (1739-1812), and ten letters to DeWitt Clinton. The Hamilton Fish letters deal with business matters of his father, Nicholas, after his death. There are a few personal letters from several family members and a diary of Nicholas Fish from 1784. The documents consist of real estate and financial matters of the family as well as various petitions on matters of a civic nature

Five manuscripts, one map, and four books formerly belonging to various members of the Van Cortlandt family: New York (Colony) Laws, Statutes, etc. Lawes Establish'd by the Authority of his Majesties Letters Patents.. By virtue of a Commission from.. James Duke of Yorke.. 1664. This first set of laws for New York, commonly known as the "Duke's Laws" were promulgated by Governor Richard Nicolls, after a meeting with representatives in Hempstead, Long Island, on March 1, 1664. Bound with this code are nine additions most of which are "Orders made at the Generall Court of Assizes held in New York" 1664-1672. The texts are written in several different hands and signed variously by Richard Nicolls (1624-1672), first governor of New York, 1664-1668; Matthias Nicolls (1630?-1687), Richard's brother and secretary to the province during the period covered; and Francis Lovelace (1618?-1675?), brother of the poet Richard Lovelace and governor of New York, 1668-1673. Written copies of this code were prepared for all the towns on Long Island. Of these copies only four are apparently extant, including this one and one in the New York Historical Society.