Series III. Speeches and writings (1861-1883)
Scope and Contents note
The materials up to 1862 document Fox's interests and activities including his plans for the reinforcement of Fort Sumter, and the value of steam battleships culminating in his support of Ericsson's design and construction of Monitor, as well as its battle with Virginia (originally Merrimack) at Hampton Roads in 1862. These papers appear to have been collected after the fact and include correspondence from John Ericsson and the draft of an unnamed publication on the subject. They are annotated by Virginia Woodbury Fox and document requests she received for information on the subject.
Papers dating after the Civil War document Fox's 1866 mission to the court of Tsar Alexander II, his attempt to purchase the Southwest Pacific Railroad, his 1883 publication "The first landfall of Columbus: Is there extant evidence enough to prove the first landing place of Columbus in the new world?", and his interest in the history and topology of New Hampshire. The draft of his Columbus article is in a secretary's hand and edited in pencil, probably by Fox, and also shows Virginia Woodbury Fox's annotations. Some of the notes are numbered in pencil in order from 1 to 204, with no explanation provided for these notations.