The LaMotte-Coppinger Papers include letters, land deeds, photographs, receipts, inventories, journals, and other miscellaneous material concerning LaMotte’s time in war and his descendant’s family matters. The Joseph LaMotte Series is a compilation arranged chronologically of all letters and postcards received and written by the LaMotte family ranging from 1804-1934. The earliest letters concerned the Chambers family and their Irish heritage with thoughts about poverty and other aspects of Ireland and Irish culture. Other letters described the influx of country wagons coming and bringing products to the area. These early correspondences gave additional information about the army, disease, and relations with Native Americans. Mr. Chambers also discussed building his new estate Taille de Noyer in Florissant, Missouri. One letter described allegations of Lieutenant Coxe embezzling company funds. It was decided that some charges were merely prejudice against him, and he was not guilty. Trade, business, stocks, taxes, slavery, and other financial matters were prominent themes in the letters. Joseph LaMotte’s brother, Francis, was a maritime tradesman who relayed information about his travels to places in the Caribbean, Brazil, and Africa. In his letters, he discussed the financial aspects of his job, how much his cargo was worth, and for how much it was sold. Joseph LaMotte’s parents wrote to him giving family gossip and discussed Francis’s illness at sea. They referred to many deaths within the crew of his ship and the hardships of life at sea. Louisa, Joseph’s sister, experienced illness as well as many other family members and friends. After a flood hit, people became more worried about various diseases and worms. Many letters went into detail about family life, gossip, marriages, social events, and sickness. These correspondences gave a vivid description of life in the mid-1800s, which would be useful to those researching the time period with an emphasis on daily life or the army. When LaMotte went to Mexico for the war, he wrote many letters to his wife Ellen. The majority of the collection during this time period is those letters, although it also includes letters received by LaMotte from various army officers, Colonel Abercrombie, family, and friends. In the letters to Ellen, LaMotte went into detail about his whereabouts, the natives, and his views of the war. He described the many diseases that ravaged the area, giving special notice to cholera and yellow fever. He went into great detail describing Mexico, the Mexican people, and their views. He described their march through the villages and the enthusiasm of the Mexicans. He felt that the Mexicans had a great respect for Americans and he also had a great admiration for Mexican history and their rich heritage. The Mexicans told him about their “ill-fated country,” and he wrote about how “they spoke of their government as a system of piracy.” As the war progressed, he continued to give detailed accounts of various battles and the army’s plans for future attacks. He described the strongholds and the progress of the American army along with the number of deaths and causalities. As he traveled throughout Mexico, he noticed more hostility towards Americans. LaMotte wrote about how the war was waged solely for the acquisition of more land. He wished the war were being fought for more humanitarian and better reasons yet did truly believe that the Americans were greatly benefiting Mexico and its people. He wrote on August 22, 1846, about how the Americans paid market value for products to boost the economy and would also contribute “to the improvement of their arts and their rude system of agriculture…Their government is feeble and tottering and many ambitions aspirants around the throngs are anxiously looking for its overthrow.” In a later letter, LaMotte wrote about the invincibility of the Anglo-Saxon race. He discussed what Vera Cruz was like including a description of the Mexican people, land, weather, houses, the markets, animals, and life in general. He described the people of Vera Cruz as “the most miserable, squalid, [and] degraded” in his letter of March 25, 1848. In his letter of April 6, 1848, he wrote of his unique experience of being able to meet Santa Ana and his wife. He vividly described their clothing as well as their demeanor. In his next letter, LaMotte told his wife of the great gift of liberty the Americans have imparted upon the Mexicans. He wrote how he felt the Mexicans would no longer stand for an oppressive government now that they have experienced life under the Americans. He explained how the public sentiment in Mexico was to change the rulers but somehow some feared that would cause anarchy. He also explained the class differences and how the upper classes subjugated the lower classes. When LaMotte was in Mexico, he placed great emphasis on his family and life in St. Louis. He often wrote of how he wished for peace because he was lonely and terribly missed his family. He wrote about his children and their progress in school and health. He made sure that the boys played an instrument as well as studied hard for school. Additionally, he received letters about occurrences in St. Louis, politics, and the upcoming election. LaMotte received letters from Mr. Mullanphy concerning his views on General Taylor, John Tyler, and General Harrison. After the election he was told how St. Louis was doing under Whig domination. LaMotte obtained information concerning the great fire of 1849 and how the people were rebuilding St. Louis. He also obtained a substantial number of letters about cholera, including a remedy along with news on who was ill. Joseph always recommended trips to the countryside as a means to recover from sickness and reported on the army generals and colonels who were also sick. The collection shows the significant part illness played in the everyday lives of people during this era. LaMotte wrote about his time at Fort Riley as well as his travels through the north and northeast. He described the nature and beauty of the landscape in the places that he went. He continued to tell of problems with Native Americans. He wrote about rumors that they had cut off Captain Marcy and his men. LaMotte described them as troublesome. In the letter dated June 15, 1854, he wrote the “robbery won’t stop until extermination of Indians, which is tedious but inevitable.” In his letters, he also wrote about various generals and other men in the army. He complained about how General Harney’s battles against Native Americans were portrayed as murders against peaceful people. The letters from LaMotte give a great insight into what an ordinary American citizen thought of indigenous people, Mexicans, and the war. Joseph LaMotte wrote from primarily Texas after the war was officially over. He would briefly discuss the steamships and mail carriers to explain slow mail to Ellen. He would also inform her of when a steamship went down. He told Ellen he felt the southerners were greedy with their goal to take over Cuba. Throughout this time LaMotte also mentioned the problems with Mexico and the revolutions, which still occurred. He claimed the world was still unstable. LaMotte always included his love for his children in his correspondence to Ellen while in the army. There were also many letters from Ellen to Joseph explaining what life was like in St. Louis. She gave a great deal of family gossip as well as news of friends. LaMotte’s son Frank asked for a gun and he responded that they are very dangerous and not to play with. He also told Ellen to inform Frank he would not be allowed to get the gun unless he stopped playing with the Black boy who lived down the street from them. There was also mention of a Black child being kicked in the head by a horse. LaMotte often wrote asking about schooling and illness. He received many letters about who had recently died. Religion and the Church were also themes running throughout some of the correspondence. Around the time of the election in 1854, LaMotte heard of the election riots, which swept across St. Louis. He wrote that the “mobocracy is getting altogether too fashionable in St. Louis” in his letter of September 16, 1854. He told Ellen that in some ways Texas was more orderly. While still in Texas, LaMotte wrote to Ellen about wanting to sell land in Wisconsin. LaMotte returned from the war in 1857. Joseph and Ellen received many letters from their friends and relatives, including his old friends from the army and West Point. His friend John McNutt wrote him various letters describing his experiences in the ordnance department in New York City when the first Trans-Atlantic Cable was sent. He gave a detailed account of the celebration in New York during that time. Throughout the collection there was little discussion of the treatment of enslaved people. There was one mention of Ellen’s mother Jane Chambers being feared due to her poor treatment of the people enslaved to her. However, most of the correspondence pertained to family matters. Ellen and Joseph’s daughter, Maggie, sent them many letters from her school, the Seminary of Sacred Heart. This collection does not include a substantial amount of information concerning the Civil War. However, there are a few letters written by family members living in North Carolina describing the war, and Joseph described the aftermath to Ellen when he traveled through the south after the war was over. A friend of LaMotte’s, Charles Montague, wrote about his experience in Texas on July 26, 1862. He wrote that the south wanted both Missouri and Kansas. He also described the massive blazes and fires, which covered vast regions in the south. He described his view on the future of the Border States. Jane Chambers wrote of George who went to meet up with Davis but was taken prisoner for three months. It was also stated that enslaved people were being treated like contraband. LaMotte’s mother wrote him and explained some of the southern hardships. It was mentioned that the south was without mail for a year, and everyone was getting robbed. Another letter included information about sick troops and the prospect of putting in a Black regiment, stories of people getting shot in their homes, and the devaluation of money. A friend of LaMotte’s from South Carolina relayed his personal story from the war. LaMotte went to the south and described the devastation of the war, especially in Atlanta and Charleston. He received a letter saying how in Georgetown all but the business district was under Black control. After the war, the collection concerns mostly family matters and gossip. LaMotte’s sister, Louisa Morgan, had a son named Tommy who moved to St. Louis to study. Maggie LaMotte often wrote to her family from her convent in Kentucky. Nellie and Anne had a great deal of letters between them. Jane Chambers often asked for money to be taken from her account for various reasons. Nearing the end of the century in 1888, Joseph LaMotte died. After the death of his wife Ellen in 1911, the correspondence pertained to inheritance and land. The undated materials up until 1934 are placed after the dated letters. The Coppinger Family Series starts in 1948. The early letters are arranged chronologically and are all addressed to Miss Vincentia Coppinger, Nellie’s daughter. When Vincentia lived in Italy, she corresponded almost daily with her cousin Miss Julia Boland. They were both fairly elderly and in poor health. Their letters pertained to finances and health. Mrs. Bessie Boland, Julia’s sister-in-law, also wrote to Vincentia asking both of them to return to America. There were various letters in this collection which were written in Italian. When Vincentia returned to America after the death of Julia, she still received letters mostly from Bessie. The final time period that this collection covers is from the late 1970s to 1991. The main emphasis of these letters was to understand the genealogy of a few families all tracing back to the LaMotte family. Other letters concerning family matters and gossip are included as well. The main recipient of the letters was Francis (Dot) Hardaway from her second cousin, May LaMotte Hoerter. These letters would be useful when trying to understand some of the connections between various descendants of Joseph LaMotte. The undated materials from this time period are filed after the dated letters. The Miscellaneous Series is arranged chronologically and by content. There are two folders of non-correspondence. These materials consist of land deeds, indentures, receipts, invoices, special orders, muster rolls, a public testimony of LaMotte’s courage in war, a Senate act, report cards and tuition bills, a petition, a speech given by Hon. D.W. Voorhees of Indiana in the House of Representatives, wills, and other similar documents. The third folder contains miscellaneous documents such as marriage announcements, invitations, and business cards, and a map of LaMotte’s land. The fourth folder has various newspaper clippings that were saved and sent with letters. The fifth and sixth folders contain journals and a Christmas book. LaMotte had a few journals that he wrote in during his time in the army and when he was traveling. One pertained to his time in the Seminole Wars. He gave vivid descriptions of battles and locations of different army regiments. One journal was the history of the Mullanphy family, and another was the history of Charles Chambers. There is also a small folder containing information of the family’s genealogy, and a small folder of photographs taken in the 1980s.