A., Jim - Aylett Family Papers

A., Jim, Letters, 1864. 2 items. Photocopies. Mss2A1b.
This collection contains photocopies of two letters home from a member of the 30th Virginia Infantry Regiment. The first letter, 11 April 1864, concerns camp life near Kinston, N.C., and an impending advance of a Confederate ironclad on the Neuse River against New Bern, N.C. The second letter, 11 June 1864, includes family news, a description of life in the trenches on Turkey Hill in Henrico County during the battle of Cold Harbor, and speculation on Ulysses S. Grant's strategy. The collection includes typescript copies of both letters.

Aaron, David, Letter, 1864. 1 item. Mss2AA753a1.
A letter, 10 November 1864, from David Aaron to Dr. Thomas H. Williams of the Confederate Medical Department concerning Durant da Ponte, a reporter from the Richmond Whig, and medical supplies received by the CSS Stonewall.

Albright, James W., Diary, 1862–1865. 1 item. Printed copy. Mss5:1AL155:1.
Kept by James W. Albright of the 12th Virginia Artillery Battalion, this diary, 26 June 1862–9 April 1865, contains entries concerning the unit's service in the Seven Days Battles, and the Suffolk, Petersburg, and Appomattox campaigns. The diary was printed in the Asheville Gazette News, 29 August 1908.

Alexander, Thomas R., Account Book, 1848–1887. 1 volume. Mss5:3AL276:1.
Kept by Thomas R. Alexander (d. 1866?), a Prince William County merchant, this account book, 1848–1887, contains a list, 1862, of merchandise confiscated by an unidentified Union cavalry regiment and the 49th New York Infantry Regiment of the Army of the Potomac.

Allen Family Papers, 1850–1910. 106 items. Mss1AL546a. Microfilm reel B1.
The Allen family papers consist primarily of materials relating to the operation of the plantation Oral Oaks, in Lunenburg County, of Robert Henderson Allen (1817–1900). Of particular note is Allen’s diary, 1 January 1864–31 December 1877, which contains entries describing Union raids into Lunenburg County, cannonading heard from Petersburg, visits from his son, Robert A. Allen of the 44th Virginia Infantry Battalion, the effect of the war on slave hirings, and the practice of sending slaves to Richmond to help build fortifications (section 2).

Allen, John C., Diary, 1864–1865. 164 pp. Mss5:1AL536:1. Microfilm reel C581.
Kept by John C. Allen (b. 1833?), this diary outlines his service in Company C of the 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment and as a prisoner of war. Early entries in the diary offer brief glimpses into Allen's daily life in the lower Shenandoah Valley before his capture near Romney, W.Va., in February 1864. The majority of the entries describe, in minimal detail, his imprisonment at Camp Chase, Ohio, Fort Delaware, Del., and Hilton Head Island, S.C. The information recorded concerns meals, weather, religious events, brief reactions to rumors concerning Confederate military fortunes, and a list of other Confederates incarcerated at Camp Chase.

Allen, Orrin Sweet, Letters, 1862–1865. 1 volume. Photocopies. Mss2AL543a1.
Consist of photocopies of the wartime letters of Orrin Sweet Allen (1826–1902), a carpenter of Harmony, N.Y., to his wife, Frances E. (Wade) Allen, regarding his service in Company H of the 112th New York Volunteer Infantry, U.S.A. The letters concern life at Camp Brown, Jamestown, N.Y.; the sieges at Suffolk and Petersburg, Va., and Charleston, S.C.; the occupation of Jacksonville, Fla.; the battles of Cold Harbor and the Crater; and fighting at Fort Gilmer and Chaffin's Bluff. Allen also discusses his wounding in battle and recovery in a hospital at Hampton. Other items include copies of Allen's enlistment and discharge papers (pp. iv and 671). The letters (with typed transcriptions) have been compiled as Dear Frank: The War Years, 1862-1865: The Civil War Letters of Orrin S. Allen to His Wife Francis [sic] E. Wade Allen and Family As Transcribed by William L. Rockwell (2001).

The society also has in its collection a manuscript map, 1863, drawn by Orrin Allen concerning the siege of Suffolk (Map F234 S87 1863:1). Included on the map are the positions of Federal troops and the locations of railroads, roads, a parade ground, breastworks, a hospital, forts, and the Nansemond River with Federal gunboats protecting the town of Suffolk.

Ambler, Philip Barbour, Scrapbook, 1860–1911. 1 volume. Mss5:7AM165:1.
This scrapbook, kept by Philip Barbour Ambler (1834–1902), contains newspaper clippings and coats of arms of the Ambler family. Civil War-related materials include lines of verse about camp life and Turner Ashby; published general orders, 1864–1865, issued to the Army of Northern Virginia concerning reduced rations and the promise of a pardon to first-time deserters upon their return to the army; published biblical passages offering inspiration for soldiers; an undated article from the London Fortnightly Review by Francis Lawley concerning the Army of Northern Virginia during the Appomattox campaign; and a hand-drawn diagram of the initial positions of Confederate brigades before Pickett's Charge at the battle of Gettysburg.

Anderson, Charles Jefferies, Letter, 1864. 1 item. Mss2AN234a1.
The letter, 17 May 1864, of a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, Charles Jefferies Anderson (1848–1925), describes the cadets' role in the battle of New Market.

Anderson, Sarah Travers Lewis (Scott), War Record of Doctor James McClure Scott, ca. 1910. 1 item. Photocopy of typescript. Mss7:1SCO845:1.
This collection consists of a photocopy of the fifteen-page typescript recollections of James McClure Scott (1841–1913), compiled by Sarah Travers Lewis (Scott) Anderson (1847–1926). The recollections concern Scott's wartime service as a member of the Fredericksburg Artillery Battery and of the 5th and 10th Virginia Cavalry regiments. Scott describes in varying detail his service in western Virginia in 1861, his participation in the battles of Fredericksburg, Brandy Station, and Gettysburg, the Peninsula and Appomattox campaigns, and his capture and imprisonment at Old Capitol Prison, Washington, D.C., and at Point Lookout, Md.

Archer, Edward Richard, Diary, 1864–1865. 1 volume. Mss5:1AR234:1. Microfilm reel C514.
Kept by Edward Richard Archer (1834–1918) while in Europe, on board various vessels, and in Florida and North Carolina, this diary, 8 September 1864–7 September 1865, primarily contains entries describing his travels in England and France and the sea voyage to America. Of particular note are entries concerning his arrival at Joseph E. Johnston's camp in Greensboro, N.C., in April 1865 and the subsequent surrender of the Confederate Army of Tennessee to Union forces under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman (19–28 April 1865).

Archer Family Papers, 1771–1918. 265 items. Mss1AR247a.
This collection contains the papers of the Archer family of Amelia County. The correspondence of Richard Thomas Archer (1797–1867) of Claiborne County, Miss., includes letters, 1862, from John Brockenbrough Harvie (1810–1885), Samuel S. Weisiger (b. 1811?), and Benjamin Grubb Humphrey (1808–1882) concerning the Seven Days Battles and the death of Archer's nephew, Edward S. Archer of the 21st Mississippi Infantry Regiment; an undated formal request from Richard Archer to President Andrew Johnson for a pardon; and a letter, 12 October 1862, to James Alexander Seddon asking to have Richard Archer's son, Abram B. Archer of the 4th Mississippi Cavalry, detailed to duty on Archer's plantation in Holmes County, Miss. (section 13). The Benjamin Humphrey letter includes a hand-drawn map of the Seven Days battlefields.

Armistead and Blanton Family Papers, 1856–1900. 155 items. Mss1AR554d.
This collection contains the papers of members of the Armistead and Blanton family of Cumberland County. Civil War items include letters, 1862–1863, to Jesse Scott Armistead (1797–1869) from Archibald Bolling (1827–1897) of the Virginia Otey Artillery Battery describing camp life and the battle of Chancellorsville and from John Bolling of the 3d Virginia Cavalry Regiment concerning the condition of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia following the 1862 Maryland campaign and camp life near Hanover Court House in January 1863 (section 1).

Armistead-Blanton-Wallace Family Papers, 1790–1911. 180 items. Mss1AR554a.
Contains the papers of members of the Armistead, Blanton, and Wallace families of Virginia. The collection includes a letter, 17 July 1864, from Alexander Wellington Wallace (1843–1927) of the 30th Virginia Infantry Regiment offering a description of his participation in the battles of Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor (section 16).

Armistead-Blanton-Wallace Family Papers, 1827–1919. 96 items. Mss1AR554b.
Contains the papers of members of the Armistead family of Cumberland County and the Blanton and Wallace families of Richmond. Civil War materials in the collection include a letter, 27 August 1864, to Nancy Miller (Armistead) Blanton (1829–1902) concerning inflation in wartime Richmond and the use of government clerks as reserve troops in the city's fortifications (section 5), and letters, 1861, from John Bolling (d. 1905) of Company G of the 3d Virginia Cavalry Regiment describing scouting duty on the Peninsula, cavalry ambush tactics, and a skirmish with Union troops (section 7).

Armstrong, Sally, Diary, 1863. 1 item. Copy. Mss5:1AR585:1.
Kept by Sally Armstrong of Rose Hill, Culpeper County, this diary, 17 March–1 September 1863, contains entries concerning social life in the county, local military operations, and rumors of military events occurring in other parts of the Confederacy. Armstrong's entries offer brief descriptions of Union troop movements in the county, of the battles of Kelly's Ford, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and of the local reaction to the presence of Union soldiers. This diary is a later transcription of the original.

Arter, A. R., Letter, 1864. 1 item. Photocopy. Mss2AR755a1.
A letter, 23 June 1864, from A. R. Arter of Company C of the 143d Ohio Infantry Regiment describing his unit's occupation of Wilson's Landing on the James River, the confiscation of slaves from farms in the area and their subsequent shipment to Fort Monroe, and a raid by Union troops on former president John Tyler's nearby home, Sherwood Forest.

Ashby Family Papers, 1845–1934. 246 items. Mss1AS346a.
Contains the papers of the Ashby family of Virginia. The largest portion consists of materials relating to the Civil War service of Turner Ashby (1828–1862). Items include Ashby's wartime correspondence, 1861–1862, concerning troops under his command in 1861 and 1862 and his role in the 1862 Valley campaign (section 3); materials relating to the 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment (including muster rolls and orders) (sections 4, 6–7); and orders, 1861–1862, issued to Ashby by Thomas J. Jackson concerning logistics and military operations in the Shenandoah Valley (section 5). Other items in the collection include a broadside and several wartime and postwar newspaper and magazine articles on Turner Ashby (section 8) and a pass, 1861, issued to Richard Ashby (1831–1861) granting him permission to travel to Harpers Ferry (now W.Va.) (section 10).

Ashton, Charles H., Papers, 1861–1862. 7 items. Mss2As383b.
This collection contains letters, 1861–1862, written by Charles H. Ashton (1841?–1867) to his mother, Emeline S. Ashton (of Christiana, New Castle County, Del.), while he was serving in Company I of the 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment at Camp Hamilton and Norfolk. The letters discuss family and friends, food supplies, troop movements, capture of rebel soldiers, expected movements of the USS Merrimac (i.e., CSS Virginia), daily assignments (drilling, picket duty, roll call, dress parade), camp life, and concerns over Ashton's health. The collection also includes a cover from a package of "Soldier's Camp Stationary" featuring images of United States troop encampments around Washington D.C., as well as Newport News, Fortress Monroe, and Camp Hamilton; and a cut image of a Federal soldier holding up a U.S. flag and tramping on a Confederate battle flag. Typed transcripts of the letters are filed with the collection.

Atkinson, John Wilder, Notes, ca. 1900. 1 item. Mss7:1W9703:1.
This collection consists of notes by John Wilder Atkinson (1830–1910) concerning the secession of North Carolina and Virginia and the death of Henry Lawson Wyatt (d. 1861) of the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment at the battle of Big Bethel.

Aylett Family Papers, 1776–1945. 2,848 items. Mss1AY445a.
This collection contains papers of the Aylett family of King William County. The largest portion of the collection consists of the correspondence of William Roane Aylett (1833–1900). Letters to his wife, Alice Roane (Brockenbrough) Aylett (d. 1895), primarily concern Aylett's service as colonel of the 53d Virginia Infantry Regiment and include descriptions of a skirmish near West Point, the battle of Chester Station, Union raids in King William County, the use of King William County slaves as laborers on fortifications on the Warwick River line, camp life near Richmond, and his capture at the battle of Sailor's Creek and subsequent imprisonment at Johnson's Island, Ohio (section 24). Other Civil War-related correspondents in section 24 include L. S. Armistead, Briscoe Gerard Baldwin (1828–1898), J. Newton Browne, Andrew G. Dickinson, Camm S. Garrett (regarding the presentation of a flag to Aylett's unit), E. C. Hill (concerning the 53d Virginia's conduct at the battle of Seven Pines), Robert Garlick Hill (b. 1833), Robert E. Lee (concerning Aylett's desire to exchange faulty muskets for new rifles), John B. Magruder, John Barbee Minor (1813–1895), N. W. Nelson, George Edward Pickett (concerning the use of the 53d Virginia in an engagement during the siege of Suffolk), George Wythe Randolph (1818–1867), Charles Hill Ryland (1836–1914) (regarding statements made by Ryland concerning the conduct of Aylett's men at the battle of Seven Pines), Harrison B. Tomlin (1815–1897) (concerning the presentation of a flag to Aylett's Company, the "Taylor Grays," by the Ladies Aid Society), and William H. Turner. Other items in the collection include a letter, 2 September 1861, from Patrick Henry Aylett (1825–1870) to Stephen Russell Mallory (1813–1873) regarding the valuation and possible purchase of the steamer St. Nicholas (section 18); miscellaneous orders, accounts, passes, and rolls, 1861–1865, of Company D of the 53d Virginia (section 26); a postwar undated speech by William Aylett on Pickett's Division (section 27); and a handwritten copy of the official report of the 53d Virginia at the battle of Oak Grove (section 33). The report is printed in the Official Records, ser. 1, 2: pt. ii, 829-30.

Aylett Family Papers, 1780–1942. 1,077 items. Mss1AY445b.
Contains the papers of members of the Aylett family of King William County. The correspondence of Patrick Henry Aylett (1825–1870) while serving as district attorney for the Confederate Eastern District of Virginia includes letters, 1863–1864, to Aylett from individuals concerning pending cases and letters, 1863–1864, to Jefferson Davis, James Alexander Seddon (1815–1880), and John Henry Winder from individuals regarding cases against their family members and friends (sections 13 and 16). Other materials relating to P. H. Aylett's service as district attorney include affidavits, bonds, and petitions (section 17) and items, 1862, concerning preparations of Aylett's case regarding espionage accusations against James T. Kirby (section 18). The correspondence of William Roane Aylett (1833–1900) of the 53d Virginia Infantry Regiment contains letters, 1863–1865, to his wife, Alice Roane (Brockenbrough) Aylett (d. 1895), offering brief descriptions of skirmishes with Union troops in June 1863, experiences on the march into Pennsylvania before the battle of Gettysburg, camp life in Virginia in December 1863, the impending execution of two members of the 53d Virginia for attempted desertion, camp life on the Bermuda Hundred line in 1864, and life as a prisoner of war at Johnson's Island, Ohio; a letter, 1861, to Aylett from J. B. Ferguson regarding the rising price of Confederate-supplied overcoats; a letter, 1861, from Achilles G. Garnett of the 53d Virginia concerning his inability to perform his duties because of physical disability; letters, 1861–1865, from John Minor Maury (1825–1868) discussing his command of a naval battery at Yorktown and Aylett's imprisonment at Johnson's Island; and a letter, 1862, from Harrison Ball Tomlin (1815–1896) concerning the conduct of the 53d Virginia at the battle of Seven Pines (section 19). Other Civil War-related items in the collection include a requisition and receipts, 1861, for clothing, arms, and camp equipment of Company D of the 53d Virginia (section 24); correspondence, 1865, of Norman Douglas Sampson concerning William Aylett's imprisonment at Johnson's Island (section 29); an agreement, 1862, of J. M. Fauntleroy and Mary F. Noel regarding the service of James F. Noel as a substitute in the Confederate army (section 38); and essays, ca. 1861–1865, by unidentified authors concerning free trade for the Confederacy and sequestration of alien property by the Confederacy (section 40).

Aylett Family Papers, 1807–1894. 24 items. Mss2AY444b.
This small collection of Aylett family papers includes indictments, 1862–1863, issued by the Confederate District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia (Patrick Henry Aylett [1825–1870], district attorney) against George E. Elam of Richmond for counterfeiting treasury notes and against William H. Buttrick of Charlottesville for attempting to pass a counterfeit warrant (section 9), and a letter, 6 June 1865, from William Roane Aylett (1833–1900) to his wife, Alica Roane (Brockenbrough) Aylett (d. 1895), concerning his imprisonment at Johnson's Island, Ohio (section 10).

Updated October 12, 2003