William Dunbar was born in 1749, the youngest son of Sir Archibald Dunbar of Moray Shire, Scotland. He was educated at Glasgow, also studied mathematics and astronomy at London, and came to America in 1771, arriving at Philadelphia with a trading outfit of goods, which he transported over the mountains to Pittsburgh. He engaged alone for two years in the Indian trade and then formed a partnership with John Ross, a Scottish merchant of Philadelphia, which continued until the latter's death in 1800. He came down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in 1773 and selected a tract of land near Baton Rouge. After 1790, he removed to a plantation nine miles south of Natchez and four miles east of the Mississippi River, where he built his home known as "The Forest." He was a cultivator of cotton and indigo, and one of the first to see the possibilities of cotton. Under the Spanish government he held for some years the office of surveyor. He was a loyal supporter of such government as was maintained, whether Spanish or American, and was one of the trusted advisors of Commissioner Ellicott. In 1798, he was appointed by Gayoso to act as astronomer on behalf of Spain in running the line of demarcation. He pursued his scientific efforts and, through friendship with Thomas Jefferson, was made a member of the American Philosophical Society. He died in 1810.

This collection consists of three series. The most important one is a series of correspondence consisting of letters between Dunbar and his wife Diana. The occasions for these letters were Dunbar's annual visit to New Orleans to handle the sale of his crops and other business and his survey of the line of demarcation. The letters were sent by boat (a slow journey) or by someone traveling overland (a faster trip). Often, a letter sent overland repeats information contained in an earlier letter sent by boat, for it would arrive first. He writes of his business in New Orleans, occasionally commenting on contemporary events. Most of the content matter deals with handling of plantation affairs at Baton Rouge and Natchez and the use of slaves for various tasks. Contemporaries mentioned include Manuel Gayoso, Anthony (?) Hutchins, Andrew Ellicott, Alexander Ross, and Stephen (?) Minor. There are three letters written to Diana while he was working on the demarcation survey. There is one letter written to Anthony (?) Hutchins asking him to vouch for Dunbar's good conduct. A calendar of this series appears in Appendix One. Series two consists of two letters written to Dunbar's son, William, regarding the Dunbar family in Scotland. Series three is an unfinished memoir of Dunbar, written, according to family descendants, by his son-in-law, Samuel Postlethwaite.

Series:

1. Correspondence. 1789–1794; 1796–1798. 30 items. Letters between Dunbar and his wife, Diana; one letter from Dunbar to Anthony (?) Hutchins. See Appendix One for a calendar of this series
2. Correspondence. 1842. 2 items. Letter from James Ford, Natchez, to Dunbar's son, William, regarding inquiries into the Dunbar family in Scotland; copy of Ford's letter to a lawyer in Edinburgh, Scotland.
3. Memoir. ca. 1825. 1 item. Uncompleted memoir entitled \"Notices of the life and character of W. D. late of the Forest near Natchez\"; note at end of manuscript indicated the memoir \"was interrupted by the death of the writer.\" Authorship is ascribed to Samuel Postlethwaite, Dunbar's son-in-law, who died in 1825.

APPENDIX ONE: Series One Calendar

1789 (Folder 1):

• August 11: Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge, to Dunbar, William, Natchez (?). Reports of her handling of plantation affairs in his absence; mentions hiring a mulatto for eight dollars to help the servants.
• October 25: Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge, to Dunbar, William, Natchez. Reports on plantation affairs; appreciates that he is much better; asks him when he is coming home.

• April 4: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge (?). Writes that he has not yet succeeded in having his tobacco inspected but hopes it will happen soon "by the help of Gov. Gayoso, who stands always my firm friend"; suggests that she send Gayoso some cured beef; sends her instructions to conduct an experiment for turning red vinegar into white.
• April 6: Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge, to Dunbar, William, New Orleans (fragment). Reminds him of his promise to speak to Mr. Dow about her abdominal pains which have been severe for three days; asks him to be "constant and faithful in such a vile place as Orleans, where there is so many temptations"; portion of post script is missing.
• April 9: Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge, to Dunbar, William, New Orleans. Acknowledges receipt of cloth, but asks for thread to sew it with; urges him to come home as soon as possible.
• April 17: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge. Reports difficulties in settling his business; sends thread for cloth and Dr. Dow's letter of direction; writes that the bearer of the letter will be "the man who undertakes to build our house"; states that his purpose is to go to Natchez as soon as he can "to set the surveying business agoing before the hot weather sets in"; asks her to send a gallon of indigo seed to the plantation at Natchez.
• April 22: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge (?). Thanks her for the pot of butter; says he has given the last pot to Gov. Gayoso; writes of having gotten good many commissions; notes that Mr. Williams has sold his land at Baton Rouge to Mr. Poydras and bought Mr. Stephens', where he intends to make a plantation.
• May 3: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge. Writes that his business is almost arranged "upon a tolerable good footing"; he still owes eight hundred dollars to Lartique, who owes it to other people; though he has not money, his credit is good and will buy what she needs; the inspector has rejected his and Nash's tobacco carrots; despite the problems he predicts prosperity soon.

• October 6: Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge, to Dunbar, William, Natchez (?). Writes of two men by the name of "Ebere or hebere" interested in buying a tract of land owned by Mrs. Trist; he should write her what he would take; trouble with the servants is reported.
• October 16: Dunbar, William, Natchez, to Dunbar, Diana, Baton Rouge (?) Sends instructions for various agricultural tasks.

• June 4 Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez. Reports that he has heard bad news of the Natchez indigo crop and asks her of news about their own crop; tells her of arrangements made with Mr. Williams and Mr. Monsanto to send horses from Natchez to Baton Rouge; suggests sassafras tea to purify the children's blood; offers gardening suggestions; closes with "I am not likely to recover much money from survey fees."
• June 9: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Reports trouble with the tobacco inspection and comments on the unfairness of the law; writes that they were "extremely lucky" to have also a crop of indigo seed; repeats his instructions for sending horses to Baton Rouge; promises to return home soon.
• June 18: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?) Writes that he, Mr. Williams and Mr. Monsanto should set out in about a fortnight, though he still finds "great difficulty in collecting money"; lists several articles he has purchased for her; instructions are given for harvesting new potatoes and asks her to send a bag to "the Gov. if they happen to be very fine."
• June 23: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?) Reports that he has finished his "principal and most difficult business" and has only Mr. Farrar's dower left; Mr. Williams and Mr. Monsanto were leaving the next day by boat; a friend has lent him some money to buy her some things; tells her if Mr. Smith was out of work to have him set some hands to squaring twelve feet and a half long poplar in order to saw boards.
• July 10: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Second Creek, Natchez. Reports that only some formalities with the judge and governor remain regarding Mr. Farrar's dower, and he should not be detained more than three to four days; asks her to send Adam with a horse as the river is low enough for him to travel by land all the way.

• March 12: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Writes that he is sending this letter by Mr. Banks and his sister and that she should ask them to stay overnight as "it is good to be civil to people that are neither handsome, nor rich, and at same time strangers"; Capt. Nicholson's boat will soon set out with her commissions and the Negroes; says there is talk of England and Spain going to war with France; asks her to write him; reports on the Dow family.
• March 19: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Asks her to send him some papers; reports that Capt. Nicholson's boat would leave the next day with twenty-four or twenty-five barrels for her and Mr. Smith; says that Colonel Barbour is sending presents for the children.
• April 12: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Makes arrangements to send a horse, Diamond, to Baton Rouge and says he hopes to be there soon; still has indigo seed money to collect and he has had "a long account to arrange with Alex. Ross, who is my oldest and best friend upon this Continent"; sends account of the trial and condemnation of the King of France, which he translated from Spanish; sends keys to the "little painted trunk" and the gin case and tells her to share the barrel of mackerel with Mr. Lintot; asks her to send a parcel of pink root down to Madame Laveau.
• April 17: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Writes that his business is finished and he will leave in two or three days, though high water will slow his journey; reports war between England and Spain and France and writes, "The Governor will not allow any more vessels to sail for French ports—but they have permission to go to England, Holland or North America."

• March 13: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Reports delivery of indigo seed is almost complete; says if he cannot find a proper boat to send Negroes home he will "hire them to Jimmy Hutchins" and send his freight by him; gives her instructions for mailing letters to him; says Alexander Ross is in Pensacola on his way to "this River" where he wants to settle a plantation near them; wonders if Smith would like to serve as overseer for Ross, even though his "indigo proves very indifferent."
• March 18: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez. Reports that Alexander Ross has arrived from Providence with a "parcel of Negroes" and is anxious to settle near the Dunbars; says he and Ross will probably send their Negroes up by Davis's boat from the Homochito (sic); says he tried to buy a boat but "the hurricane destroyed so many boats here, that they are now scarce"; is sending two and three-quarter pounds of tea with letter carrier; says indigo seed sells at eight dollars and slow at that.
• April 1: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez. Writes of his uneasiness at not hearing from her and at having to keep the Negroes too long; repeats news of Ross's arrival and that he must make Ross's Negroes "work on our place, hire out some, perhaps sell some and fix the rest on a piece of land"; has shipped to her some salt, lime, and wine; hopes to soon finish his and Farrar's affairs; adds a post script, Adam Cook "brought himself into disgrace" by stealing rum and coffee from Mr. Ross; and has sent Negroes off by boat to Baton Rouge "and home thence by land."
• April 27: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?) Sends agricultural instructions; writes of his new military coat "made like that the Governor wore the day he dined with us"; the business of Farrar's estate detains him, but it is worthwhile as it gets him five or six hundred dollars or more every year; Ross's Negroes are about to be dispatched by boat; expresses regret that she cannot get shoes made in Natchez—in New Orleans "they are so scarce since the French war, that there is hardly any to be met with."
• May 5: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez. Hopes to settle business in a day or two; Mr. Ross's Negroes will be loaded on boat the next day and he will send most of his purchases by that boat; has written Mr. Minor to buy her several barrels of Natchez flour; inquires after the status of the crops; asks her to send Adam with two horses to meet him at Baton Rouge; makes suggestions for the education of their children.
• May 19: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?) (fragment) Reports his business is finished and he will start for home by land, sending his goods by Col. Hutchins boat; asks her, if the opportunity presents itself, to send horses down to him by way of the Bayou Sara Road, as he will be traveling that route making contracts of indigo seed; tells her how to arrange the transportation of the goods shipped by boat and lists some of the goods.

• February 19: Dunbar, William, New Orleans, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?) Writes to let her know of his arrival the night before; asks her to hold up sending more indigo seed for the time being; says cotton is selling better than indigo; promises to send garden seed; urges daughters to write letters to him and speaks of Mr. Williams's daughter, Polly, "a most excellent schollar; plays the fortepiano—works the rule of three and reads and writes to a charm."

• June 25: Dunbar, William, The Forest, to Anthony Hutchins (?), Natchez (?). Encloses a copy of a proclamation from the governor which he is circulating "upwards along the Creek, leaving the lower part to be informed by you"; reports discovering "during the late commotion" a popular report that he "was employed to raise an armed force for some bad purpose"; asks him to sign certificate on his behalf refuting such charges.

• June 6: Dunbar, William, Camp, to Dunbar, Diana (?), Natchez (?). Reports a return of his "complaints," but lime water has made him well; the governor recently visited but left before signing his commission, which signifies Major Minor as his successor to be Double Commissioner; asks for six to ten Negroes to be sent down, if they can be spared, to "get thro' the cane land of the settlement"; reports the line is cut more than half way to Bayou Sara; asks her to send certain papers by a "safe hand"; he has sold "the instrument for the use of the King" to buy a finer one; Mr. Rapalje [Rapalji] is getting two dollars less for his cotton than he had offered him; gives permission for John Wheelwright to settle on his land; says if offered job of surveyor for "the new government," he will quit immediately the service of Spain.
• June 23: Dunbar, William, Camp, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Writes that the time goes quickly since the arrival of the Negroes and calls the white people a "mutinous set, but not easily managed"; complains that York is an embarrassment to their Negroes and he is sending him home with the letter; inquires of the state of crops in the absence of the Negroes; tells her his time away "will be but a very short time compared, with what we once imagined."
• August 21: Dunbar, William, Camp, to Dunbar, Diana, Natchez (?). Reports that his last letter was when he sent the Negroes home; at Camp at Bayou Sara they are busy "writing journals and making plans"; he soon expects the new governor to see the line; Mr. Ellicott and Col. Bruin are coming to see her, and he says Ellicott "has an acquaintance and great interest with the Governor"; asks her to give some pickled red cabbage to Ellicott and Major Minor.