Main content
Princeton University Library Collection of Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy Correspondence
Notifications
Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy (1754-1817), was a Germano-French diplomat. He accompanied Anne-César, Chevalier de la Luzerne (1741–1791) to the United States in 1779 and was employed as minister plenipotentiary before succeeding de la Luzerne as Chargé d'affaires ad interim in May 1785. Living in Philadelphia and New York, Otto remained in the U.S. until 1792.
In March 1787, Otto married Elizabeth Livingston, daughter of Peter Van Brugh Livingston. After Elizabeth's death in December of that year, he married America Francès ("Fannie") de Crèvecoeur, daughter of J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, in 1790.
Otto was the author of Considérations sur la conduite du gouvernement américain envers la France, depuis le commencement de la Révolution jusqu'en 1797, edited by Professor Gilbert Chinard (Princeton, Princeton University Press for Institut français de Washington, 1945).
Consists of an open collection of correspondence of Germano-French diplomat Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy (1754-1817), who served as Chargé d'affaires ad interim in Philadelphia and New York from 1787 to 1792.
There are 19 letters, dating from October 19, 1789 to October 10, 1791, from Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy, to fellow French diplomat Eléonore-François-Elie, marquis de Moustier (1751-1817), along with a 10-page letter with the title "Bulletin," dated January 18, 1790, which was likely intended for publication. Letters are written from New York and Philadelphia and describe contemporary American affairs and political leaders.
There are also two letters to Louis-Guillaume Otto from his father-in-law, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, from February 23, 1799 (Paris) and August 27, 1799 (Lesches, Seine-et-Marne), recounting St. John de Crèvecoeur's journeys through upper Pennsylvania and the state of New York.
Arranged by accession.
Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy Letters to Eléonore-François-Elie, marquis de Moustier: Purchase, 2015 (AM 2015-88).
J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur Letters to Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy: Purchase, 2016 (AM 2017-67).
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This collection was processed by Faith Charlton in June 2015. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in June 2015.
The 2016 addition was processed by Kelly Bolding in December 2016. Finding aid updated by Kelly Bolding in December 2016.
No materials were separated during 2015 or 2016 processing.
People
- Moustier, Eléonore-François-Elie, marquis de, 1751-1817
- Otto, Louis-Guillaume, comte de Mosloy, 1754-1817
- St. John de Crèvecoeur, J. Hector, 1735-1813
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Faith Charlton; Kelly Bolding
- Finding Aid Date
- 2015
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
Consists of 19 letters, dating from October 19, 1789 to October 10, 1791, from Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy, to fellow French diplomat Eléonore-François-Elie, marquis de Moustier (1751-1817). Moustier was French ambassador to the United States from 1787 to 1789 and then moved on to Berlin as the French Minister Plenipotentiary in 1790.
The 15 letters written between October 29, 1789 and October 13, 1790 were from New York; 4 letters written between March 8 and October 10, 1791 were from Philadelphia. Some of the letters are numbered. Also included is a 10-page letter with the title "Bulletin," dated January 18, 1790, which was likely intended for publication.
Otto's letters report on contemporary American affairs and include many references to American political leaders with whom Otto had established close ties, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Gouverneur Morris, and Colonel William Duer.
Kept with the letters is the 19th-century calf gilt slip-case in which they were formerly housed, with the spine title, "L. G. OTTO / LETTR. / AUTOGR."
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
"No. 5"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 6"
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
"No. 7"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 8"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 9"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 10"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 11"
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
"No. 15"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 18"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 19"
Physical Description1 folder
"No. 20"
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Likely dates from the 19th century.
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of two signed autograph letters from J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur (1735-1813), also known as Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur, to Louis-Guillaume Otto, comte de Mosloy (1754-1817), his son-in-law by way of marriage to de Crèvecoeur's daughter America Francès de Crèvecoeur. The letters are addressed from Paris (1799 February 23) and Lesches, Seine-et-Marne (1799 August 27) and recount St. John de Crèvecoeur's journeys through upper Pennsylvania and the state of New York. He mentions how he made his journeys without the assistance of a map, the American revolution, and concerns over taxation.
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Description1 box
Addressed from Paris, France.
Physical Description1 folder
Addressed from Lesches, Seine-et-Marne.
Physical Description1 folder