Charles Woodberry McLellan was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, on November 25, 1836. After graduating from Boston English High School he moved to Springfield, Illinois, in 1856, where he worked as a clerk for N. H. Ridgely and Company, a banking firm. During this time he met both Abraham Lincoln and his law partner William Herndon. According to a short memoir, McLellan "transacted business with Mr. Lincoln over the counter of the Ridgely Bank where I was a clerk, besides greeting him constantly and attending little social gatherings at his home."
In 1860, McLellan moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he eventually worked in the Quartermaster's Department of the Confederate Army until the end of the Civil War. During this time he corresponded with Abraham Lincoln's son Robert, who had left Springfield for Harvard University. In 1865 McLellan moved back north to New York City after obtaining a pass from his friend John Hay, now secretary to Abraham Lincoln. There he worked for A. M. Kidder and Company before founding the brokerage house Boody, McLellan and Company with David Boody.
Charles McLellan retired in 1906 to his home in Champlain, New York. By this time he had begun to amass one of the largest collections of Lincolniana in the United States, which included correspondence, official documents, broadsides, books, pamphlets, ballots, and engravings. He spent the final years of his life developing this collection, until his death in 1918.
The Charles Woodberry McLellan papers (1780-1953 (Bulk 1901-1927)) contain primarily correspondence relating to the acquisition of the McLellan Lincoln Collection and its eventual sale to Brown University. The papers include correspondence to and from Charles McLellan, as well as his sons Hugh and Malcolm. Also included in the collection are copies of documents by and about Abraham Lincoln, collection inventories, and biographical information about Charles W. McLellan.
The papers are organized into three series.
Charles Woodberry McLellan papers, Ms.CWM, Brown University Library.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Purchased from Stephen A. Resnick in 1982.