HOW AND WHERE TO LOOK IT UP
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. ©2001
William D. Theriault, Ph.D.
17434 Virginia Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
WMTheriault@myactv.net
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8. Personal Papers
The following collections are located at various repositories. See the repository listed in each description for more detailed information. Item level descriptions, when available, are included in the Bibliography.

Aglionby, Charles. Diary, March 6, 1861-January 1, 1866, 1875-1878; Accounts, 1855-1870. A memoir of the Civil War by Charles’ son Frank is in the possession of Francis Aglionby of London, England.

Ambler, Charles H. (1876-1957) Papers, 1834-1957. Twelve feet. Gift of Charles H. Ambler and Mrs. Charles H. Ambler. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 122, 743, 1003, and 1010. Includes letters mentioning John Brown, Alexander R. Boteler, and James Rumsey.

Ayres, Robert (b. 1761). Journal, 1787-1789. One reel of microfilm. Gift of Fred T. Newbraugh, 1955. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 824. Journal of a Methodist circuit rider who rode the Berkeley Circuit.

Bedinger, Henry. Journal, 1775-1776, 1781. Typescript, 42 p. Gift of Henry B. Davenport. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 4. Copy of two journals kept by Henry Bedinger while serving in the American Revolution in New England, New York, and Virginia. Includes a return of troops raised in Frederick County, Virginia.

Bedinger, Henry (1812-1858). Papers, 1781-1848. West Virginia Archives, 27 items.

Berry Family. Papers, 1803-1854, 52 items. Virginia State Library.

Billmyer family. Papers, 1832-1906, 998 items. Duke University Library.

Bills, John Houston. Papers, 1842 - 1878, 27 vols. and 6 papers. Diary, 1843 - 1871, and other papers of Tennessee businessman and railroad director John Houston Bills, including details of visits to the springs of present-day West Virginia. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Boreman, Arthur I. (1823-1896) Papers. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 104, 639. Includes letters to Boreman (1866-1867) concerning the admission of Jefferson and Berkeley Counties to West Virginia, the Virginia debt, and Reconstruction in Virginia. Correspondents include David Hunter Strother and Charles J. Faulkner.

Boteler, Alexander R. (1815-1892). Papers. Duke University Library.

Brown, Coalter, Tucker. Papers, 1769-1919, 4,276 items. Topics: Health resorts, watering places, etc. Family and business correspondence, legal papers, accounts, notes, poems, and other papers, reflecting life in Williamsburg, Staunton, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, and other cities and towns in Virginia, plantation life in Bedford County and Gloucester County, VA, and the social seasons at the medicinal springs of Virginia and West Virginia. A description and listing each item are available in the library. College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

Brown, John (1800-1859). See the extensive listing of John Brown papers and repositories in a separate chapter essay and in the annotated Bibliography.

Brown, John (1800-1859). Papers, 1859-1860. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 335, 336, 1475. Fifty-nine items. Photostatic copies of Court records from Charles Town, Jefferson County, relating to the trial of John Brown and his associates; an account of the raid from the Charles Town Independent Democrat (October 24, 1859); Brown's petition for a writ of error which appeared in the Richmond Daily Enquirer (November 21, 1859); a letter from Luther Humphrey (Brown's cousin) to Brown (November 12, 1859) and a reply (November 19, 1859) defending Brown's
actions.

Brown, John (1821-1895). Papers, 1830-1932, 382 items. Ohio Historical Society.

Bucher, David A. Papers (1789-1888). College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

Bullock, Miles Wayne (1844-1914). Papers, 1799-1911, 294 items and 4 v. Central Michigan University, Clarke Historical Library, Mount Pleasant, MI.

Burton, James H. (1823-1894). Papers. Yale University Archives, New Haven, Connecticut.

Camden, Gideon D. (1801-1891) Papers, 1785-1958. Includes information on public schools in Shepherdstown in 1856. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 1188, 1199, 1221, 1260, 1276, 1495, 1517, and 1523.

Campbell, James Lyle (1808-1875). Papers, 1781-1920, 788 items. Duke University Library.

Chamberlayne, John Hampden (1838-1882). Papers, 1858-1877, 111 items. Virginia Historical Society.

Chambers, Jennie (1850 - ____). Papers, 1838-1936. Duke University Library.

Clairborne Family. Papers. 1,060 items, 1803-1954. Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia.

Clark, Jonathan (1750-1811). Clark-Hite papers, 1734-1812, 6 ft. Filson Club Collections.

Coalman, Daniel (1825? - ____). Papers. 12 pp. Part of the Thornton T. Perry Collection. Shepherd College Library.

Conklyn Family. Papers. 69 pp. Part of the Thornton T. Perry Collection. Shepherd College Library.

Conrad, Holmes. Papers. 800 items, 1794-1959. Virginia Historical Society Library.

Dandridge, Danske (1858-1914). Letters, 1869-1913. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 978. Letters to Danske Dandridge, mainly from family members. Letters from magazine editors: G.P. Putnam's Sons, William Hayes Ward, H.C. Hopkins, and Washington Gladden. Some correspondence relates to the Bedinger and Lawrence-Townley families.
Dandridge, Danske, Bedinger (1854 - 1914). Papers, 1887-1901. 20 items. West Virginia Archives. Also at Duke University.
Daniel, John M. Papers, 1891-1898. Twenty-three items. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 353. Letters, receipts, advertising circulars, and other items of a clerk of the Jefferson County Court, Charles Town, WV.

Davis, John J. (1835-1916). Papers, 1800-1954. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 1366, 1385, 1946. Includes correspondence with Daniel B. Lucas.

Davis, Julia McDonald (1900-1992). Papers, 1866-1963. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1856. Correspondence, manuscripts, class notes and other papers of this author and daughter of John W. Davis. Includes a biographical sketch of E.H. McDonald (her grandfather); reminiscences of the Civil War; memoirs of Col. A. W. McDonald; notes on trips of John W. Davis, particularly in 1924. Correspondents include John W. Davis, William L. Wilson, and Julia McDonald.

Dickson, James, and William Dickson. Dickson Brothers. Journals, 1822-1854. One reel of microfilm. Originals in possession of John A. Gibson. Commercial journals include entries for the account of John Brown for the years 1826-1833.

Dimmit, John. Dimmit Family Papers, 1807, 1885-1890. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1569. Includes 1807 will of John Dimmitt of Jefferson County.

Douglass, Frederick (1817?-1895). Papers, 1790-1943, 6 ft. Howard University, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Library.

Engle Family. Papers. Searchable, electronic version available in Explorer Database.

Faulkner, Charles James (1806-1884). Papers, 1786-1892. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 912, 934, 993, 1681. Includes materials relating to the disposal of the Harpers Ferry Armory.

Faulkner, Charles James (1806-1884) Papers, 1815-1883, 370 items and 1 v. Duke University Library.

Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874). Collection of papers, 1839-1925, 35 items. Library of Congress. Includes index to Fillmore Papers in the Buffalo and Erie County Historical (New York) Society.

Frame, Ann (____ - 1818). Charles Town merchant. Papers. 9 pp. Microfilm available at Shepherd College.

Gallaher family. Papers, 1800-1924, 2,037 items and 7 v. Duke University Library.

Gardiner, Ann Henshaw (1890- ). Papers, 1753-1944, 3,398 items and 68 v. Duke University Library.

Gates, Horatio (1727-1806). Papers, 1726-1828. Microfilm available at West Virginia Archives, the New York Historical Society (New York City), and the New York Public Library.

Grantham, John William (1820 - 1887). Papers, 1822-1924, 1,946 items and 10 v. Duke University Library.

Green, H. H. Charles Town merchant. Cider press salesman. Lettercopy Book, 1892, 1 vol. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Hall, Willard Preble (1820-1882). Papers, 1841-1869, ca. 40 items. Missouri Historical Society Collections.

Hamilton, Joseph D. Papers, 1775 - 1929, 373 items. Includes papers of Hamilton’s father-in-law, Abraham Morgan. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Hoof, James Lawrence. Diary, 1 item, 1855-1860, microfilm. Virginia State Historical Society Library. A major in the 55th Virginia Militia.

Hopkins, George Washington (1845-1862). Papers, 1861-1864, 44 items. Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Hotchkiss, Jedediah (1828-1899). Papers, 1835-1908, ca. 20,000 items. Library of Congress.

Irons, J.C. Letter, June 28, 1898. Letter from J.C. Irons to William Campbell (Charles Town) regarding arrangements for the next Democratic convention.

Jackson, Thomas Jonathan (1824-1863). Papers, 1855-1906, 2,593 items. Duke University Library.

Jones, Thomas. Papers, 1849, 1857, 2 items. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Kennedy, John Pendleton (1795-1870). Papers. Microfilm of John Pendleton Kennedy's papers, including a checklist of the Kennedy collection in the Peabody Institute Library, an alphabetical checklist of Kennedy's incoming correspondence, and selected materials on the Berkeley Springs - Martinsburg - Winchester area.

Kilby, John Richardson Kilby (1819-1878). Papers, 1755-1919, 34,414 items and 4 v. Duke University Library.

Knott-Reinhart Family Papers. Available in searchable electronic format in Explorer Database.

Koonce Family. Papers, 1844-1871, 7 items and 11 vols. Duke University Library, Durham, NC.

Lackland, Samuel W. (1776-1857). Papers, 1790-1886, 1,641 items. Duke University Library, Durham, NC. Leavell, William Thomas (1812-1899). Duke University Library.

Lee, Charles. (1731-1782). Papers. In Publications of the New York Historical Society, vols. 4-7, New York, 1871 to 1874.

Lee, Edmund Jennings (1797-1877). Papers, 1799-1912, 6,202 items and 10 v. Duke University Library.Available on microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Lewis, Thomas Narven. Papers, ca. 1898-1934, 80 items. Includes Storer College materials. Howard University, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Library.

Lock, William S. (1803? - ____). Papers (1839-1852). 69 pp. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Lucas Family. Papers, ca.1780-1900. 1 ft. West Virginia Archives, Charleston, WV.

Lucas, Daniel Bedinger (1836-1909). Papers (1812-1924). 1.8 cu. ft. Virginia Polytechnic Institute Library, Special Collections. Ms95-012. Papers consist of scrapbooks, correspondence, poems, essays, newspapers, and other materials collected and created by Lucas and several items created by his daughter, poet Virginia Lucas. Topics include Lucas's defense of John Yates Beall, the exploits of adventurer William Walker, the origin of General Robert E. Lee's horse Traveler; and West Virginia
politics. Includes examples of Lucas's poetry and an 1860 scrapbook with several pressed flower designs.

Lynch, Emma B. (1889 - ____). Papers (1907-1946). 26 pp. President of the Harpers Ferry Women’s Club. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Lynch, George N. Papers, 1835-1898. Deeds and legal papers of a Jefferson County farmer. Includes legal documents relating to Dr. Nicholas Marmion of Harpers Ferry. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1340.

MacOughtry, William O. Diaries, 1798 - 1878, 3 vols. Physician. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Marmion, Nicholas (d. 1883). Family Papers, 1798-1951. Personal, medical, and business papers, account books and journals of Nicholas Marmion, a Harpers Ferry doctor. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1071.

Mauzy Letters. Harpers Ferry National Historic Park.

Mitchell, Nina Cornelia (1872-1970). Papers, 1854-1958, 4,021 items and 46 v. Duke University Library.

Nash, Bradley DeLamater (1900-1997 ). Papers, 1925-1968, 22 ft. Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.

Osburn, Franklin (1821 - ____). Papers. 17 pp. Merchant. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Osburn Family Document Collection. 198 items. Jefferson County Museum, Charles Town, WV.

Parker, William (1845-1886). Papers. Includes discussion of 1851 election in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 156.

Price, Elias Winans (1829-1897). Papers, 1823-1868, 115 items. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ruggles, Charles H. Letter to Benson J. Lossing. Discusses location of two Union Army majors captured between Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry by Mosby’s guerillas on October 13, 1864. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1480.

Sanborn, Franklin Benjamin. Papers, 1876-1906. West Virginia Archives, Charleston, WV, Boyd Stutler Collection.

Seely, Simeon Franklin. Letter, 1859. Letter written October 17, 1859, by a merchant from Beverly, Ohio, who arrived at Harpers Ferry on the night of October 16, 1859, when John Brown and his men were seizing the Armory. Describes the capture of a train by Brown’s men. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1457.

Shepherd, David (1734-1795). Papers, 5 vols. State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The Draper Collection. Shepherd Family. Papers. 9 pp. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Shirley Family. Papers. 26 pp. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Slaughter, Smith (____ - 1824). Document, 1 item, April 25, 1791. Bill of sale for a slave sold by this Berkeley County resident to James Graham. Virginia State Library.

Smith, Elzar H. Smith Papers. Lewis Leigh Collection, Archives, Manuscript Division, United States Army Military History Institute, Carlisle, PA.

Spears, Anita Buchanan. Papers, ca. 1916-1957. Includes information on Jefferson county history, David Hunter Strother, and James Rumsey. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1338.

Stephen, Adam (1718 - 1791). Papers, 1749-1849, 125 items. Library of Congress.

Strother, David Hunter. Papers, 1868-1888. 5 in. West Virginia Archives. The majority of his papers, journals, and illustrations are located in the Regional History Collection of the West Virginia University Library, Morgantown, WV.

Strother, David Hunter. Letter, 1882. Letter to Joseph S. Duckwall relating to Strother’s father’s estate and the estate of Philip C. Pendleton. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1595.

Stuart, Alexander H. (1807 - 1891). Papers, ca. 500 items, 1791-1895. Secretary of the Interior under Fillmore. Chairman of the State Senate Committee investigating the John Brown raid. Alderman Library, Charlottesville, VA. University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA 22901.

Stutler, Boyd Blynn (1889 - _____). Stutler Collection of Personal Papers and Papers of John Brown and the Civil War, 1836-1970. West Virginia Archives.

Taliaferro, William Booth. Taliaferro-Sanders Papers. 7,552 items, 1775-1954. General present at John Brown’s execution. Swen Library, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

Thurman, Allen Granberry (1813-1895). Papers, 1830-1890, ft. Ohio Historical Society.

Travers, William Hicks. Papers. 43 pp. Charles Town lawyer. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Tucker, Nathaniel Beverly. Papers. ca. 100 items, 1857-61. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Van Meter Family. Papers, 1785-1910. 5 leaves. West Virginia Archives, Charleston, WV.

Van Vleck, Arthur L. Diary, 1862 - 1863, 1 vol. Union soldier. The Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Ward, John Jr. Papers. Union soldier. Library of Congress, Manuscript Division.

Washington, George (1732-1799). Papers, 1750, 1773, and 1774. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. Nos. 442, 443, and 1164. Includes a photocopy of a survey of 400 acres made by George Washington in Frederick County in 1750. A large number of the Washington's materials has been edited and reprinted. See the Bibliography for additional information.

Weirick, Charles. Union soldier. Weirick Papers. Ronald D. Boyer Collection. Archives, Manuscript Division, United States Army Military History Institute, Carlisle, PA.

Welshans, Harriet. Sentiment Book, 1845-1868. A sentiment book from Harriet Welshans, a girl living in Shepherdstown. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1699.

Wilson, William L. (1843-1900). Papers, 1852-1901, 550 items. Washington and Lee University.

Wilson, William L. (1843-1900). Papers, 1883, 1888. Two letters from William L. Wilson regarding the political campaign of 1888 and reprints of articles on WV University that appeared in the Wheeling Register about 1883. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 456.

Wilson, William L. (1843-1900) Papers, 1862-1900. Correspondence, writings, diaries, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous papers of William L Wilson, who was a private in the 12th Virginia Cavalry, President of West Virginia University (1882-1883), member of Congress (1883-1895), Postmaster General (1895- 1897), author of the Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894), and president of Washington and Lee University (1897-1900). Includes materials collected by Festus P. Summers, Wilson’s biographer. West Virginia Regional History Collection, Morgantown, WV. No. 1694.

Wysong family. Papers. 1350 pp. Microfilm available at Shepherd College Library.

Yantis, Solomon Vance (1826-1899). Correspondence, 1863-1896, 56 items. Duke University Library.

Yoder, Jonah. Union soldier. Papers. Ronald B. Boyer Collection, Archives, Manuscript Division, United States Military History Institute, Carlisle, PA.

NEXT: 9. Cemetary Records