My family seems to have been dedicated writers all the way back.
Capt Martin Cregier’s Journal of the Esopus Wars - 1663
https://encyclopedia.nahc-mapping.org/document/journal-esopus-war-captain-martin-cregier
Rev John Livingstone - 1666
https://www.henrylivingston.com/bios/jl/jl-lifeofjohnlivingstone-p127-129.htm
Major Henry Livingston Jr’s War Journal - 1775
https://www.henrylivingston.com/writing/prose/revdiary.htm
Colonel Henry Bicker’s Valley Forge Order Book - 1778
https://iment.com/maida/familytree/gibson/orderbook2ndpa-1.htm
Even the book of my father’s poetry that I got into genealogy to find turned out to be in the Harvard special collection. His mother’s book was in the Brown University special collection. His father’s writing is scattered everywhere but I’ve been collecting it to eventually put out together.
Thanks for the links. I’ll be checking them out. My 9th Great-Grandfather came over as an indentured servant on the Mayflower. He was a tutor to Edward Winslow’s children. He signed the Mayflower Compact. As far as I know, he left no documents or manuscripts.