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Collection Number: 01912

Collection Title: Blackford Family Papers, 1742-2003

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 11.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 6000 items)
Abstract Blackford Family Papers document members of the Blackford and Minor families of Virginia, as well as some of the people who were enslaved and manumitted by them. Correspondence consists chiefly of three generations of personal letters containing news of family and friends, but it is also a rich source for their perspectives on politics, slavery, abolition, race, and other topics; correspondence of Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford (1802-1896) with the American Colonization Society and missionaries in Liberia; diplomatic and personal correspondence of William Matthews Blackford as U.S. charge d'affaires in the Republic of New Granada (Bogota, Colombia); and letters written by members of the Blackford family serving in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and in the armed services in both the First and Second World Wars. There are also a few letters written by enslaved, or formerly enslaved people. Other materials include 2 lists of enslaved people; diaries; photograph albums; the 1852 manuscript "Recipes in the Culinary Art Together with Hints on Housewifery &c."; and family history and genealogical files containing correspondence between family members, clippings, transcriptions and copies of historical documents, family charts, photographs, memoirs, reminiscences, and other narratives. Other items of note are a bill of sale, photograph, and estate papers for Peggy Dean, who was enslaved and later manumitted by the Blackfords; an address in 1837 to Cherokee Indians, Red Clay, E. Tennessee, advising them of the advantages of removal; issues of a newspaper published in Cavalla, West Africa in 1854; and childrens' writings, including a newspaper created by Blackford children. The Ambler, Byrd, Grey, Jacquelin, McClatchey, Mason, Morris, Washington, and Willis families are also represented in the collection, as are several plantations in eastern Virginia and near Tigerville, Louisiana.
Creator Blackford (Family : Blackford, Mary Berkeley Minor, 1802-1896)
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Blackford Family Papers #1912, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from L. M. Blackford, Atlanta, Ga., and Reverend R. F. Blackford, Talladega, Ala., in 1947; James Baylor Blackford, Richmond, Va., in 1967; Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey, Atlanta, Ga., in 1994, 1997, and 2003; William McClatchey in August 2015 (Acc. 102302); and John B. McClatchey and Linda Hull in November 2017 (Acc. 103280). William Blackford Letter (69-z) transferred to this collection in February 2023.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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Processed by: SHC Staff, 1979, 1997

Encoded by: Margaret Dickson, March 2006

Updated by: Jackie Dean, October 2017; Laura Hart, December 2017, January 2018, and May 2018; Davia Webb and Dawne Howard Lucas, March 2023

Conscious Editing Work by Nancy Kaiser, October 2020 and December 2023. Updated abstract, subject headings, biographical note, scope content note, and container list.

Diacritics and other special characters have been omitted from this finding aid to facilitate keyword searching in web browsers.

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The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Mary Berkeley Minor was born 2 December 1802, the oldest daughter and second child of Gen. John Minor (1761-1816), and Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor (1776-1855). The Minors were a Virginia family that was active in politics and in reform movements, such as temperance and antislavery.

Mary had five brothers, all of whom appear in the papers: John Minor (1791-1862), Fredericksburg, Virginia; Lieutenant Charles Landon Carter Minor (1805-1833); Dr. Lewis Willis Minor (1808-1872); Lucius Horatio Minor (1810-1863), Edgewood, Hanover County, Virginia; Rev. Lancelot Byrd Minor (1813-1843); and Dr. James Monroe Minor (1815-1879), Brooklyn, N.Y. Rev. Lancelot Byrd Minor, an Episcopal minister, went to Liberia as a missionary in 1837. In 1840, while visiting the United States, he married Mary Stewart of Baltimore, Md. He returned to Liberia, where he died in 1843. They had no children.

Mary and her husband, William Matthews Blackford, corresponded frequently with her cousins, including John Barbee Minor, law professor at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.; Lucian Minor, temperance crusader, Louisa Court House, Virginia; Ann (Minor) Truehart, Galveston, Tex.; Richard Maury; and his son, Matthew Fontaine Maury. Mary was also close to Elizabeth G. "Cousin Betty" Hill, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va., who was the stepdaughter of Mary's aunt, Eliza (Minor) Hill.

William Matthews Blackford was born 19 August 1801, the third son of Benjamin Blackford (1767-1855) and Isabella (Arthur) Blackford (1765-1837). There is very infrequent correspondence from William's father, Benjamin, and his two brothers, Thomas and John. William's sister, Jane Agnes, married William Leeper and their child, Mary Caroline (b. 1820) remained close to the Blackford family. William Matthews Blackford, a lawyer, newspaper editor, diplomat, and banker, took an active interest in Whig politics, although he never ran for office.

Mary Berkeley Minor married William Matthews Blackford 12 October 1825. Most of the material in the collection dates after their marriage. From 1825 until 1846, the Blackfords lived with Mary's mother and brother John in Fredericksburg, Va., where William edited the Fredericksburg Arena. In the early 1840s William sought an appointment as naval agent in Washington, D.C., but instead was appointed charge d'affaires in Bogota, New Granada. He left Fredericksburg in June 1842, taking his oldest son William Willis with him. They arrived in Bogota in September. Mary and the other children stayed behind. While in New Granada, Blackford contributed to the United States' 1846 treaty with New Granada, known as the Bidlack Treaty. The treaty provided that the United States would protect New Granada's sovereignty over Panama in exchange for "free and open transit" across the isthmus.

Blackford returned to Fredericksburg in February 1845, eventually gaining a position as editor of the Lynchburg Virginian. He moved to Lynchburg in April 1846, and was joined by his family in July. In 1850, he was appointed Lynchburg's postmaster. In 1853, he became cashier of the newly organized Office of Exchange Bank, the position he retained until his death in 1864.

Mary Blackford stayed in Lynchburg until 1870, when she went to live with her son, Launcelot, at the Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va. She died in 1896.

The Blackfords had seven children who lived to adulthood: Lucy Landon, William Willis, Charles Minor, Benjamin Lewis, Launcelot Minor, Eugene, and Mary Isabella.

Lucy Landon was born 6 November 1826. Although she is mentioned frequently, there are only a few of her letters in the collection. Lucy married Dr. John Staige Davis of Charlottesville, Va., on 10 July 1847, and they had three children: William Blackford, born 1848, who married Kentie Howland in 1871; Mary Jane, born 1851, who married James P. Harrison in 1879; and Lucy Landon, who died in infancy. Lucy Landon Blackford Davis died 18 February 1859. Although John Staige Davis later remarried, he remained a close friend of the Blackford family.

William Willis "Willie" Blackford was born 23 March 1831. In 1856, he married Mary Trigg Robertson (1835-1866), daughter of former Governor Wyndham Robertson. From June 1861 to January 1863, he served in the American Civil War with General Jeb Stuart, first as adjutant, later as chief engineer and staff member at headquarters. William and Mary Trigg (Robertson) Blackford had four children: Lizzie Robertson (b. 1856); Wyndham; Pelham; and Gay Robertson (b. 1866?). William Willis Blackford died of apoplexy 1 May 1905.

Charles Minor "Charley" Blackford was born 17 October 1833. As a child he lived for a while with Elizabeth G. "Cousin Betty", who ran a school at Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va. In the early 1850s, he attended the University of Virginia, and after graduation began practicing law in Lynchburg. He married Susan Leigh Colston in 1856, and they had three children: Nannie Colston, Charles Minor, and Raleigh Colston. Like his brothers, he served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; a member of the Second Virginia Cavalry until 1863, when he became Judge Advocate of the Military Court of the Second Corps (Longstreet's) of the Army of Northern Virginia. In the 1890s, Susan Leigh (Colston) Blackford had her memoirs of the war (based largely on Charles's letters) privately printed. This was later published as Letters from Lee's Army (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947). When the war ended Charles resumed his law practice in Lynchburg. He died in 1903.

Benjamin Lewis Blackford was born 5 August 1835, and as a child, was called "Benny." At some point, he began to be called Lewis. Lewis attended school at Mount Airy and at the University of Virginia. Before entering the Civil War as a private in Samuel Garland's regiment, Eleventh Virginia Infantry, he had worked as a civil engineer. Later he was a lieutenant of engineers, stationed in Wilmington, N.C. After the war, Lewis went into the insurance business in Washington, D.C., and in 1869, married Nannie Steenberger (d. 1883). They had four daughters: Elizabeth Padelford "Lily"; Mary Berkeley "Daisy"; Alice Beirne; and Lucy Landon Carter. Lewis died in 1908.

Launcelot Minor "Lanty" Blackford was born 23 February 1837. Named after his uncle, Lancelot Byrd Minor, as an adolescent Launcelot added the "u" to his name. He attended the University of Virginia and became a schoolteacher. During the Civil War, he served as a private in the Rockbridge Artillery, as a clerk of the Military Court of the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, and finally as Adjutant of the Twenty-Fourth Virginia Infantry, William R. Terry's brigade, Pickett's division. After the war, Launcelot resumed teaching and in 1870, he became principal of the Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va., a position he held until his death in 1914. Launcelot married Eliza Chew Ambler (1856-1935), a descendant of George Mason, in 1884. Many of her letters are in the collection, as well as some material relating to George Mason and his descendants. Launcelot and Eliza had six children: John Minor (1887-1945), a doctor in Seattle, Washington; Ambler (b. 1888), an Episcopal minister in Virginia and South Carolina; Randolph Fairfax (b. 1890), an Episcopal minister in North Dakota and Florida (the later papers in the collection are his); Anna Mason (1892-1893); Launcelot Minor (L. Minor, b. 1894), a teacher of medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and Staige Davis (1898-1949), a teacher of medicine at the University of Virginia.

Eugene Blackford was born 11 April 1839. After attending the University of Virginia, he accepted a teaching position in Alabama and when the Civil War started, became a major in the Fifth Alabama Infantry. After the war, Eugene became a dairy farmer at Cleve, Pikesville, Md. He married Rebecca Chapman Gordon and they had three children: Emily Chapman, Eugene (d. 1907), and William Gordon.

The youngest of the Blackford children, Mary Isabella "Mabelle," was born in 1840. During the late 1850s, she attended the Southern Female Institute, Richmond, Va., and in 1865, married James Cooke, a farmer. They lived alternately at Dewberry and Foxleigh, both near Richmond. The Cookes had five children: Lucy Landon, James Churchill, Mary Minor, Eugene Blackford, and Edmonia Churchill. Mary Isabella died in 1928.

For further information see: L. Minor Blackford, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: The Story of a Virginia Lady Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford 1802-1896 Who Taught Her Sons to Hate Slavery and to Love the Union. (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1954); Susan Leigh (Colston) Blackford, Letters from Lee's Army: Memoirs of Life In and Out of the Army in Virginia During the War Between the States: Edited and abridged for publications by Charles Minor Blackford, III. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947); William Willis Blackford, War Years with Jeb Stuart. Edited and with an introduction by Douglas Southall Freeman. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1945).

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The collection consists of correspondence and other papers that document three generations of the Blackford family and several people who were enslaved and later manumitted by the Blackfords and their extended family. There are two additional lists of people enslaved by these families. Most of the material in the collection relates to Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford (1802-1896), and her husband, William Matthews Blackford (1801-1864), of Fredericksburg, Va., Lynchburg, Va., and Alexandria, Va. Later correspondence is that of their son, Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914), his wife, Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford (1856-1935), Alexandria, Va., and their son, Randolph Fairfax Blackford (b.1890), Homestead, Fla. Most of the correspondence is personal, containing news of the activities of the Blackfords, and their relatives and friends, but it also is a rich source for their perspectives on politics, slavery, abolition, race, and other topics.

Much of the correspondence of 1824-1841 relates to the activities of the American Colonization Society and its counterpart in Great Britain and documents the Blackford family's antislavery and resettlement sentiments and their attempts to organize a colonization society in Fredericksburg. Most frequent are letters from Ralph Randolph Gurley, Washington, D.C., the Society's corresponding secretary, about American Colonization Society business and the antislavery movement. There are also letters from other American Colonization Society members in various locations, including a few letters from missionaries in Liberia.

While the 1824-1841 correspondence deals primarily with colonization activities, during the latter part of this period, American Colonization Society correspondence decreases and personal correspondence from the Blackfords' relatives and friends in Virginia increases, giving news of themselves, their families, and their neighbors. There is scattered correspondence of Mary Blackford's mother, Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor, of Fredericksburg, Va. Also of note are an 1831 letter voicing fear of a large-scale insurrection by enslaved people; an 1837 address of James Murray Mason, U.S. Congressman from Virginia, to Cherokee Indians, Red Clay, E. Tennessee, advising them of the advantages of removal; and 1839 issues of the "Home Gazette," a newspaper compiled by the Blackford children, including poetry, family news, sketches.

The majority of the 1842-1844 material relates to William Matthews Blackford's service as United States charge d'affaires in Bogota, New Granada (now Colombia). The correspondence is divided into two groups: letters between Blackford and other diplomats in South America relating to his official duties, and his "diary letters," addressed to Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford in Fredericksburg, Va., containing descriptions of his activities, his observations of South American customs and slavery, and comments on politics both in the United States and New Granada. William Blackford returned to Fredericksburg in 1845; however, he maintained his correspondence with diplomats in South America and American officials in Washington about his work in New Granada for a few years afterward. During this period there is also scattered personal correspondence of Mary Blackford with friends and relatives in Virginia and elsewhere. Topics include antislavery views in Richmond, Va., and opposition to the annexation of Texas as a proslavery plot to enable the South to secede (1844). Also of note is an 1844 letter mentioning Abram, who had been enslaved, manumitted, and outfitted with tools by the family.

In 1846, the Blackfords moved to Lynchburg, Va. The 1845-1860 material is predominantly personal correspondence of William and Mary Blackford, especially with their seven children as they left home for school and careers. The five Blackford sons wrote frequently from the school run by their cousin, Elizabeth G. "Betty" Hill, at Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va.; the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.; and elsewhere. These letters deal with family matters and neighborhood news--births, deaths, marriages, illnesses, social activities, with occasional comments on contemporary politics. Of note are letters in 1846-1847 from Maria West, who at the time was an enslaved caretaker and scribe for Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor who was blind. Maria West was manumitted later by Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor.

As the American Civil War approached in the late 1850s, discussions of slavery, abolition, and the national political situation became more frequent. Other related topics include Charles Blackford's opinion of the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1853 and reaction in 1860 to John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry.

During this period Mary Blackford continued to receive occasional correspondence about American Colonization Society activities, including a few letters from missionaries, sometimes mentioning formerly enslaved people who had resettled in Liberia: Abraham, who was enslaved, manumitted, and sent to Liberia by the Blackfords; and Minor, who was enslaved, manumitted, and sent to Liberia by the Minor family. From 1846 to 1848 there are scattered letters to William M. Blackford from United States army officers in Mexico and Texas about the Mexican War.

In early 1861, the Blackfords' correspondence reflected their concern about the worsening national crisis. When the war started, all five Blackford sons enlisted in the Confederate Army. All served throughout the war, mostly in Virginia, but also in North Carolina and Tennessee. The 1861 correspondence includes letters from all five sons to their parents and each other about life in the Confederate Army. Although letters written 1862-1865 have been preserved, many are faded and virtually illegible. Most of the later correspondence that is legible is from Benjamin Lewis Blackford, with the engineering corps in Wilmington, N.C., to his parents about his social activities and romantic entanglements. These letters shed little light on military affairs and war life. Occasional letters to Mr. and Mrs. Blackford from John Minor, Fredericksburg, Va.; John B. Minor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; and Mary Trigg Robertson Blackford, The Meadows plantation, Abingdon, Va., give a few glimpses of life on the home front. The 1865 correspondence deals with the effects, especially economic, of the war on individuals. Other topics include perceptions of problems with freed people, news of Liberia, and the possibility that people who had been emancipated from slavery in the United States would resettle in Africa.

Most of the material from 1866 to 1892 consists of letters to Mary Blackford, Lynchburg, Va., 1866-1870, and Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va., 1870-1892, from her children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends in Virginia, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Texas, and elsewhere. The letters are personal, dealing with daily activities and news of friends and family. Most frequent are letters from Mrs. Blackford's daughter, Mary Isabella (Blackford) Cooke, writing from her husband's plantations, Dewberry and Foxleigh, in Virginia, about her domestic routine and the activities of her husband and children. There is also scattered correspondence of Launcelot M. Blackford, Alexandria, Va., both personal and related to his job as principal of the Episcopal High School in Alexandria. Other Reconstruction era topics include perceptions of crime and problems with freed people in 1866 and an incident of racist violence against Black people in Danville, Va., in 1883.

From 1893 to 1932, the collection consists of the personal correspondence of Launcelot M. Blackford, his wife, Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford, and their son, Randolph Fairfax Blackford about their own activities and those of their relatives and friends. Between 1893 and 1905, Launcelot M. Blackford took several trips to Europe, visiting England, Switzerland and France. His letters to his wife in Alexandria describe his travels. After 1910, there are several letters from Ambler Blackford in Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, and Randolph Blackford in North Dakota, Tennessee, and Florida, about their experiences as Episcopal ministers. In addition, there are a few letters from Randolph Blackford to his mother written while he served as a chaplain with the American Expeditionary Force in France, 1917-1919.

The last chronological grouping, 1936-1953, includes miscellaneous correspondence of Randolph Fairfax Blackford, Florida, principally concerned with Blackford genealogy and family papers.

Non-correspondence includes: four pamphlets (three dealing with the Confederacy and the Lost Cause, and one about the life of Liberian missionary Lancelot Byrd Minor); genealogical information and obituaries of the Blackford, Ambler, Mason, Minor, Carew (Carey), Johnston, Brewster, DeWolfe, Lloyd, Richardson, Robins, Tilghman, and Young families; miscellaneous belles-lettres by William W. Blackford, Randolph R. Blackford, and others; photographs of family members and Peggy Dean, who had been enslaved by the Blackfords; and letters and articles written by Launcelot M. Blackford for the Southern Churchman, 1888-1903.

The volumes include an account book, 1850-1855; the 1852 manuscript "Recipes in the Culinary Art Together with Hints on Housewifery &c.""; a University of Virginia alumni bulletin, 1914; and a "Sample Book" from Saint John's Episcopal Church, Homestead, Fla., 1940.

The additions consist chiefly of family history and genealogical files containing correspondence between family members, clippings, transcriptions and copies of historical documents, family charts, photographs, memoirs, reminiscences, and other narratives. Of note are a transcription of an 1858 list of enslaved people; a bill of sale, photograph, and the estate papers of Peggy Dean, who had been enslaved and manumitted by the Blackford family; and a photocopy and typed transcription of Blackford family records from the 1798 Bible of Benjamin Blackford, which includes places and dates of births or deaths for family members and lists of the names and birth dates of the children of Marea, Cloe, Betty, Eliza, Lucy, and Charlotte, who were enslaved people. There are also transcriptions of letters of Lancelot Minor Blackford and other family members; photographs of family members; and a Civil War scrapbook.

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Contents list

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Original Deposit.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.1. Correspondence.

1743-1829

Most of the material in the collection dates from 1824, when Mary Berkeley Minor and William Matthews Blackford became engaged. The few papers prior to 1824 are scattered legal documents, commissions, accounts, and an 1819 school girl's letter from George Town [D.C.?].

1830-1838

Correspondence of William Matthews Blackford and his wife Mary Berkeley (Minor) Blackford of Fredericksburg, Va., mostly dealing with the activities of the American Colonization Society and its counterpart in Great Britain. Most of the letters are addressed to Mrs. Blackford, who apparently attempted to organize a colonization society in Fredericksburg. Correspondents include Ralph Randolph Gurley, secretary of the American Colonization Society, Washington, D.C.; Beulah Sansom, Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1835-1837; Amelia Davidson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1835-1837; Elliott Cresson, England and Scotland, 1833-1838; and others.

Other materials documenting the Blackfords' and other white people's views on slavery and perspectives on people of color include a letter discussing fears of a large-scale insurrection of enslaved people in the southern states, 1831; a letter discussing the education of Black women to be teachers, 1836; and an address of James Murray Mason, U.S. Congressman from Virginia, to Cherokee Indians, Red Clay, E. Tennessee, advising them of the advantages of removal.

Other correspondence includes letters to William Matthews Blackford from Charles Fenton Mercer, James Barbour, John Mercer Patton, and others, and copies of Blackford's letters to Lucian Minor, discussing current political issues. Scattered correspondence from various relatives of the Blackfords, and a few letters between William and Mary, written on the infrequent occasions when they were apart.

1839-1841

Miscellaneous business and personal correspondence of William Matthews Blackford and Mary Berkeley (Minor) Blackford, Fredericksburg, Va., including copies of Blackford's letters to Lucian Minor, Charlottesville, Va., about political news; scattered personal correspondence of Mary's mother, Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor, Fredericksburg, Va.; letters, 1841, from various national political office-holders, including Vice President John Tyler, to the secretary of the Navy recommending William M. Blackford for the post of naval agent at Washington, D.C.; and correspondence between Mrs. Blackford and Elizabeth G. Hill and Charles Minor Blackford, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va.

Of note are a letter concerning the emancipation of enslaved people to send to Liberia (1841), and issues of the "Home Gazette," a newspaper compiled by the Blackford children, including poetry, family news, and sketches.

1842-1844

Predominantly material relating to William Matthews Blackford's position as U.S. charge d'affaires in the Republic of New Granada (Colombia). Blackford and his oldest son, William Willis, lived in Bogota from September 1842 until December 1844, while Mrs. Blackford and the rest of the children remained in Fredericksburg, Va. Most of the correspondence is between Blackford and other diplomats, primarily Colombian, American, and British, in South America and is related to his official duties. Some of this material is in Spanish and has not been included in this description.

Also included, although filed separately from the diplomatic correspondence (see folder list), are Blackford's detailed "diary letters" to his wife, June 1842-December 1843, containing descriptions of his activities in Bogota, his observations of South American customs, and comments on politics, both in the United States and New Granada. The letters from June to August 1842, describe his journey to Bogota, first aboard the USS Falmouth, and in July and August, by land. Blackford was especially interested in observing slavery in South America, and included his observations in his letters to his wife, with some comparisons between slavery in South America and the United States.

There is also some personal correspondence to Mary B. Blackford and Lucy Landon Carter Minor from friends and relatives in Virginia and elsewhere. Of note are letters, 1844, expressing antislavery views and opposition to annexation of Texas as a proslavery plot to enable the South to secede, and mentioning Abram, a person who had been enslaved, manumitted, and outfitted with tools by the Blackfords.

1845-1847

Personal and business correspondence of William Matthews Blackford, Mary Berkeley (Minor) Blackford, and their children, Fredericksburg, Va., and, after 1846, Lynchburg, Va. Much of the material is from diplomats in South America, relating to Blackford's assignment in New Granada. There are also letters from James Buchanan, John Young Mason, and William A. Hunter regarding Blackford's request for back pay. Occasional letters to Mary B. Blackford about the American Colonization Society from E. M. Lyle, New York, N.Y.; G. Wilson McPhail, Fredericksburg, Va.; and W. McLain, Washington, D.C., as well as one from John Payne, Cavalla, Liberia.

Most of the correspondence is between William, Mary, and their children, especially Charles Minor Blackford, Benjamin Lewis Blackford, and Launcelot Minor Blackford, all of whom spent some time at the home of their cousin, Elizabeth G. "Betty" Hill, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va., and deals with family matters and neighborhood news. In April 1846, William M. Blackford moved to Lynchburg, Va. The rest of the family remained in Fredericksburg until July, so there are some letters from Mary B. Blackford and the children to William M. Blackford. After July 1846, the group contains letters from Mrs. Blackford and the children to her mother, Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor, Fredericksburg, Va., and a few letters to the Blackfords from Minor. The letters from Minor, who was blind, were written by Maria West, her enslaved caretaker. West occasionally included personal notes of her own.

Also of note are a letter, 1845, about Abraham, who was formerly enslaved by the Blackfords, and a typescript copy of the bill of sale for Peggy [Dean], an enslaved girl who had been purchased by William Blackford in 1846.

Other correspondents include:

  • Benjamin Blackford, Lynchburg, Va.
  • Thomas T. Blackford, Lynchburg, Va.
  • Lucy Byars, Woodlands, Tennessee
  • Julius P. Garesche [Gausche?], with the army in Mexico
  • P. S. Herron, Washington, D.C.
  • E. G. Hill, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va.
  • L. M. Kean, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
  • Mary Caroline Leeper, Mount Airy
  • C. L. C. Minor, Edgewood, Hanover County, Va.
  • John Barbee Minor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
  • Thomas C. Nelson, Mount Airy
  • J. P. Phelps, Mexico
  • W. G. Rives, Castle Hill, Va.
There are also copies of William M. Blackford's letters to Lucian Minor, Louisa Court House, Va., that include discussions of contemporary politics and personal news.

1848-1860

Personal correspondence consists chiefly of the Blackford family as the children grew up and moved away from home.

Lucy Landon Blackford married Dr. John Staige Davis in 1847 and moved to Charlottesville, Va., but there are no letters from her in the collection.

William Willis Blackford began working as a civil engineer in 1848. His frequent letters to his family from various places in Virginia describe his work, social life, and living conditions. He also wrote often while he was a student at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, fall 1849-June 1851.

Charles Minor Blackford attended school at Minor's Folly, Louisa Court House, Va., in the spring of 1850, then attended the University of Virginia from the fall of 1850 through 1854. His letters deal with his health, studies, and extracurricular activities, especially his work with the Sons of Temperance. Charles' correspondence becomes more infrequent after he begins practicing law in Lynchburg.

Launcelot Minor Blackford remained in Lynchburg until 1854, when he accepted a teaching job at Powhatan Court House, Va. He entered the University of Virginia in 1856, and remained there until June 1860.

Letters to and from Benjamin Lewis Blackford and Eugene Blackford are infrequent. Lewis was in Jonesborough, Tennessee in 1854 and at the University of Virginia in 1856-June 1857. He returned to Lynchburg when he left the University. Eugene attended school at Edgehill, in Albemarle County, Va., in 1854-1855, and the University of Virginia in 1857-1859.

Mary Isabella Blackford spent time at Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va.; Edgewood, Hanover County; she attended Southern Female Institute, Richmond, Va., in 1857-1858.

Mary B. Blackford made annual visits to friends and relatives in Charlottesville, Edgewood, Mount Airy, and Fredericksburg. In addition, she made longer trips to Philadelphia (October 1853-August 1854) and Florence Water Cure, Northampton, Massachusetts (December 1859-August 1860) for her health.

There are also letters to and from the Blackfords and other relatives and friends. Most of the correspondence deals with family news and neighborhood events--births, deaths, marriages, illnesses, social activities--with some discussion of contemporary politics. As the Civil War approached in the late 1850s, comments on slavery, abolition, and the national political situation became more frequent. Also of note is a letter, 1851, about Minor, who was previously enslaved, manumitted, and sent to Liberia by the Minor family; several other letters that represent white people's views on enslaved people in the United States, on Africans, and on the impact of the institution of slavery (1851, 1852, 1858, 1859, 1860); and a letter, 1851, with a description of riots in Lynchburg by Irishmen working on the railroad and canal.

Correspondents include:

  • Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor, Fredericksburg, Va., until her death in December 1855
  • Julian P. Garesche, Camargo, Mexico, 1848, and Port Isabel, Texas, 1851; L. M. Kean, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
  • Lucian Minor, Louisa Court House, Va., on temperance activities
  • John B. Minor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., on university life, contemporary politics
  • E. G. Hill, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va.
  • Mary Caroline Leeper, Woodstock, Va.
  • Helen Guinnan, Fredericksburg, Va.
  • Thomas C. Nelson, Frederick, Md.
  • V. M. Randolph, USS Albany, Pensacola, Fla., 1849, and Folkland, Alabama, 1858-1859
  • John Minor, Fredericksburg, Va.
  • Benjamin Blackford, Lynchburg, Va.
  • James Cephas Minor, Monrovia, Liberia
  • Lucy Byars, Brenham, Texas, Columbus, Texas, and Hopkinsville, Kentucky
  • H. R. Scott, Cavalla West Africa
  • Charles Fenton Mercer, Paris, France
  • John Knott, Eastwood, Va.
  • James Minor, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Mary Trigg (Robertson) Blackford, The Meadows plantation, Abingdon, Va. and Richmond, Va.
  • C. L. C. Minor, Edgewood, Hanover County, Va.
  • W. C. Rives, Castle Hill, Va.

1861-1865

The papers for early 1861 are letters among John Minor, Fredericksburg, Va.; Launcelot M. Blackford, Staunton, Va.; William M. Blackford, Lynchburg, Va.; John B. Minor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.; and V. M. Randolph, Montgomery, Alabama, about secession crisis and preparations for war. Subsequent correspondence for that year consists for the most part of letters from the Blackford sons to their parents and each other about life in the Confederate Army. After 1861, most of the letters are from Benjamin Lewis Blackford to his parents, and shed little light on military affairs and war life. William and Lewis were in the engineering corps; William served from 1861-1863 on the staff of General Jeb. Stuart. Charles served as judge advocate with Longstreet's Corps. Launcelot served first with the Rockbridge Artillery then, after 1863, as clerk of the military court, Longstreet's Corps. Eugene was in the Fifth Alabama Regiment. All five spent most of the war in Virginia. Also occasional correspondence from John Minor, Fredericksburg; John B. Minor, University of Virginia; Mary Trigg (Robertson) Blackford, The Meadows plantation, Abingdon, Va.

Many of the letters from 1862 are faded and virtually illegible.

Also of note is a letter, 1865, from Maria West Campbell, a woman who had been enslaved and manumitted by Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor.

1866-1892

Letters to Mary B. Blackford, Lynchburg, 1866-1870, and Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va., 1871-1892, from her children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends. The correspondence is personal, dealing with daily activities, news of friends and family. Most frequent are letters from Mary Isabella (Blackford) Cooke, writing from Dewberry and Foxleigh plantations of her domestic routine and news of her husband and children.

Reconstruction era letters provide a few examples of white people's views of Black people and Indigenous people of North America. A letter, 1866, written by William W. Blackford, relates his problems with obtaining employees, presumably freed people, to work in the house, and his perceptions of thievery among Black people and white people. The letter also expresses racist assessments of freedmen. In letters, 1879, M. Payne described her experiences teaching Black children and William Davis wrote about the Sioux Indians. Lastly, a letter, 1883, describes an incident of racist violence against Black people in Danville, Va.

Also of note is a copy of a letter taken from the body of Dr. Ambler, the last survivor of the ill-fated U.S.S. Jeanette. The letter includes his last messages to his family and a description of the hardships he was suffering. Dr. Ambler was part of the U.S. Arctic Expedition that sought to reach the North Pole by setting a route from the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait. The ship became trapped by ice and drifted for two years before survivors reached land and were rescued in Siberia.

Other correspondents include:

  • William Blackford, writing chiefly from Somerset, Va., and the Meadows plantation, Abingdon, Va., 1866-1870, and Powhatan plantation, near Tigerville, Louisiana, 1871-1874. These letters contain descriptions of his work operating a plantation and of agriculture in Louisiana.
  • Charles M. Blackford, Lynchburg
  • Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Alexandria, Va., and Lynchburg, 1866, and after 1872, Washington, D.C.
  • Launcelot M. Blackford, Norwood School, Nelson County, Va., 1866
  • Eugene Blackford, Alexandria, Va., 1866, and subsequently at Cleve, Pikesville, Md.
  • Mary Jane (Davis) Harrison, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1866-1878, and Danville, Va., after 1878
  • R. R. Gurley, Hartville, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
  • E. G. Hill, University of Virginia
  • Lucy Byars, Columbus, Texas
  • John B. Minor, University of Virginia
  • Nannie C. Blackford, Lynchburg
  • E. E. Cooke, Dewberry, Va.
  • E. H. Craighill, Lynchburg
  • Gay Robertson Blackford, Abingdon, Va.
  • Ann Trueheart, Galveston, Texas
  • James Byars, Covington, Tennessee
  • Wyndham Blackford, Blacksburg, Va.
  • Rebecca C. Blackford, Cleve, Pikesville, Md.
  • C. L. C. Minor, Winchester, Va.
  • Kentie Howland Davis, Baltimore, Md.
  • Ellen J. Minor, New York
  • James P. Harrison, Danville, Va.
  • Lancelot Minor, Briery Knoll, Amherst County, Va.
  • John Staige Davis Jr., Fort Totten, Dakota Territory
  • Berkeley Minor, Staunton, Va.

There are also occasional letters to Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford, from relatives and scattered correspondence of Launcelot M. Blackford, Alexandria, Va., both personal and related to his job as principal of Episcopal High School, including letters from Col. L. Hoxton, Baltimore, Md., 1871; Richard L. Maury, Lexington, Va.; James C. Stansbury, Baltimore, Md., 1872-1873.

1893-1905

Correspondence of Launcelot M. Blackford and his wife, Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford. During this period Blackford went to Europe several times, visiting London; Mainx; Chavenna, Switzerland; Paris; Leamington Spa, England; Melrose, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Durham, England; and York, England. He wrote descriptions of his travels to his wife, who remained in Virginia, at the Episcopal High School, Alexandria, and occasionally, Orkney Springs, and Parkersburg, West Virginia. Her infrequent letters to him describe events at home.

1906-1932

Correspondence of Launcelot Minor Blackford, Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford, and their son, Randolph Fairfax Blackford, containing personal news of family and friends. Between 1909 and 1914, letters are primarily from Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford, Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va., to Randolph Fiarfax Blackford, Rockville, Md.; Ivy Depot, [Va.?]; and University of Virginia, Charlottesville, containing family news and news of life at the high school.

From 1915 to 1916, significant correspondents include Eliza C. A. Blackford, Charlottesville, Va.; Randolph F. Blackford, Fargo, North Dakota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Minnewauken, North Dakota; Ambler Blackford, Columbia, Va.; Virginia Mason, Charlottesville, Va.; and John Minor Blackford, Seattle, Washington. Both Randolph F. Blackford and Ambler Blackford were Episcopal ministers. A few of their letters to their mother, Eliza C. A. Blackford, and to each other, discuss their ministries, especially Ambler's work with a newly-formed Boy Scout troop.

From 1917 to 1919, the chief correspondent is Eliza C. A. Blackford, Charlottesville, Va. Her correspondence includes Randolph F. Blackford's letters to her from France, where he served with the American Expeditionary Force.

From 1920 to 1932, chief correspondents are Eliza C. A. Blackford, Charlottesville, Va., and Randolph F. Blackford, Hartsville, S.C. (1920); Sewannee, Tenn. (1922); Panama City, Fla. (1926-1930); Leesburg, Fla., (1931-1932). Correspondence in late 1932 is chiefly among Randolph F. Blackford and his brothers, Dr. Staige D. Blackford, University of Virginia, Charlottesville; Ambler M. Blackford, Tallahassee, Fla.; and L. Minor Blackford. The brothers discussed future living arrangements for their mother, Eliza C. A. Blackford.

1936-1953

Miscellaneous correspondence of Randolph F. Blackford, Leesburg, Fla.; Homestead, Fla.; and Thomasville, Georgia. Primarily concerning Blackford genealogy and family papers.

Folder 1

Correspondence, 1742-1829

11 June 1743: Statement of debt owed by Thomas Barber to Benjamin Rush.

11 February 1790: Mary Lane to Robert Carter, asking permission to remove dead trees from his forest.

16 August 1797: "Copy of a Letter of Attorney from Jn. Swanwick [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] to Phillip Janne [Leghorn, Pennsylvania]."

30 October 1798: Statement of account from December 1794-30 October 1798.

1814: "Leigh's Recd Code . pa. 164c51 sec 32" extract from a state constitution about rights to freedom of speech for assemblymen and state legislators.

14 April 1819: Nannie Martin, George Towen [D.C.?] to "Dear Cousin Ben," a school girl's letter describing her activities.

1820: Copy of a prayer of dedication.

11 October 1825: William Matthews Blackford to Major John Graham, Rose Hill (near Frederick, Md.), announcing his forthcoming marriage to Mary Berkeley Minor, and describing his fledgling law practice in Fredericksburg.

1828: Charles Fenton Mercer, Washington, D.C. to William M. Blackford, describing his role in sponsoring public education in the Virginia legislature (1810-1817).

Separated Folder SEP-1912/1

Commission of John Mason, Jr. as secretary of U.S. Legation in Mexico, signed by President James Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, 27 January 1823

Restriction to Access: The original item is not available for immediate or same day access. Please contact staff at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu to discuss options.

Folder 2

Correspondence, 1830-1831

9 November 1831: Lieutenant Charles Landon Carter Minor, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, to John Minor, Fredericksburg, Va., discussing fears of a large-scale insurrection of enslaved people in the southern states.

Folder 3

Correspondence, 1832-1833

Folder 4

Correspondence, 1834-1836

13 December 1836: S. Teague [?] Monrovia, Liberia, to Mary B. Blackford, discussing the education of Black women to be teachers and the life of missionaries in Liberia.

Folder 5

Correspondence, 1837-1838

7 August 1837: Address of James Murray Mason, U.S. Congressman from Virginia, to Cherokee Indians, Red Clay, E. Tennessee, advising them of the advantages of removal.

Folder 5a

William Blackford letter, 1837

Contains a transcript of a letter to William Blackford in Virginia, from a United States Army officer in Florida concerning developments in the Seminole War. Another version of the transcript is available in Folder 5.

Note: This letter was previously the entirety of Collection #69-z.

Folder 6

Correspondence, 1839-1840

30 November 1839: "Home Gazette," a newspaper compiled by the Blackford children, including poetry, family news, sketches.

5 December 1839: "Home Gazette"

Folder 7

Correspondence, 1841

7 January 1841: Mary B. Blackford to Lancelot Byrd Minor, Cape Palmas, West Africa [Liberia] about family news, emancipation of enslaved people to send to Liberia, the low state of the religion.

Separated Folder SEP-1912/2

Letter, Vice President John Tyler to the Secretary of the Navy recommending William M. Blackford for the post of naval agent at Washington, D.C., 12 March 1841

Restriction to Access: The original item is not available for immediate or same day access. Please contact staff at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu to discuss options.

Folder 8-9

Folder 8

Folder 9

Correspondence, 1842

Folder 10

Correspondence, 1842

Diary letters.

Folder 11-13

Folder 11

Folder 12

Folder 13

Correspondence, 1843

28 February 1843: Mary Stewart Minor, Tabbo River, Liberia, to Lucy Landon Carter Minor, Fredericksburg, Va., discussing the Reverend Lancelot Byrd Minor's work with a school in Liberia, his students, and a recent illness. Reverend Minor, Mary Blackford's brother, and his wife Mary were missionaries.

12 June 1843: Diary letter. William M. Blackford, Bogota, New Granada, to Mary B. Blackford, comments on U.S. Whig party politics; election of new Episcopal bishop in Rhode Island; description of celebration of festival of Corpus Christi; discussion of his opposition to the Catholic Church and his detestation of persecution of Catholics in the United States.

Folder 14-22

Folder 14

Folder 15

Folder 16

Folder 17

Folder 18

Folder 19

Folder 20

Folder 21

Folder 22

Correspondence, 1843

Diary letters.

Folder 23-31

Folder 23

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

Folder 27

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Folder 31

Correspondence, 1844

31 March 1844: E. Atkinson, Richmond, Va., to Lucy (Landon) Carter Minor, Fredericksburg, Va. News of neighborhood interlaced with her antislavery views; opposition to annexation of Texas as a proslavery plot to enable the South to secede.

30 April 1844: Allen A. Hall, Caracas, Venezuela, to William M. Blackford. Summary of U.S. political news and highlights of international news. Hall, another American diplomat, wrote Blackford frequently and his letters are usually filled with news items of this sort, as well as his opinions on current issues.

1 June 1844: Lucius H. Minor, Edge Wood, Hanover County, Va., to "My Dear Sister" [Mary B. Blackford?] about outfitting Abram, a person who had been enslaved and manumitted by the Blackfords, with tools of his trade, including an itemized list of what he would need and the cost.

1 July 1844: John B. Minor, Charlottesville, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Comments on decline of temperance organization in Fredericksburg.

20 July 1844: William M. Blackford to Lucian Minor. Comments on U.S. politics; comparison of English and American literacy and scientific achievement.

Folder 32-35

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 34

Folder 35

Correspondence, 1845

4 January 1845: W. McLain, American Colonization Society, Washington D.C., to Mary B. Blackford. News of Abraham, who was formerly enslaved by the Blackfords, and the colony in Liberia.

30 April 1845: E. M. Lyle, New York, N.Y., to Mary B. Blackford, news of missionary work in Liberia.

28 May 1845: John B. Minor, Charlottesville, Va., to William M. Blackford. Possibility of a job at University of Virginia; writing of a biographical sketch of the Reverend Lancelot Byrd Minor.

11 July 1845: John B. Minor, to William M. Blackford. Objections raised to his appointment as professor of law at the University of Virginia.

29 July 1845: John B. Minor to William M. Blackford, announcing his appointment to chair of law at University of Virginia.

20 November 1845: John Payne, Cavalla Station, Near Cape Palmas, West Africa, to Mary B. Blackford. Reply to her request for a memoir of Lancelot Byrd Minor; description of Minor's work; his dying words.

Folder 36-37

Folder 36

Folder 37

Correspondence, 1846

11 March 1846: Typescript. Bill of sale for Peggy [Dean?] an enslaved girl who was purchased by William M. Blackford from Henry U. Miatt.

Folder 38-39

Folder 38

Folder 39

Correspondence, 1847

4 January 1847: Julius P. Garesche [Gausche?], Camargo, Mexico, to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg, Va. Army operations in Mexico.

14 January 1847: Julius P. Garesche [Gausche?], Camargo, Mexico, to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg, Va. Army operations in Mexico.

20 January 1847: J. C. Phelps, Camargo, Mexico, to William M. Blackford. Report on Mexican War: the weather, army life, the scenery, the Mexican people. Army life away from the fighting. Phelps and Garesche were in the army, and also served as correspondents for Blackford's paper, the Lynchburg Virginian.

Folder 40-43

Folder 40

Folder 41

Folder 42

Folder 43

Correspondence, 1848

29 February 1848: Julius P. Garesche, Camargo, Mexico, to Mary S. Blackford. Critical comments on people of Mexico and of morality of Americans in Mexico; description of trips through countryside; climate; rumors of peace.

Folder 44-46

Folder 44

Folder 45

Folder 46

Correspondence, 1849

4 January 1849: E. G. Hill, Mount Airy, Caroline County, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Personal, family, and neighborhood news; critique of people who converted to Christianity and took the temperance pledge in the local Methodist chapel.

24 February 1849: Charles D. Drake, Washington, D.C., to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg, Va. Speculations on Zachary Taylor's choices for his cabinet. Drake was an employee of Indiana Congressman Caleb W. Smith.

12 March 1849: Helen Guinan, Fredericksburg, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. News of work for colonization in Fredericksburg and nationally; opposition to abolitionists.

18 July 1849: William Cabell Rives, Cobham, Va., to William M. Blackford. His appointment as junior minister to France; problems of negotiating a treaty with the French; portions of this letter are missing.

Folder 47-50

Folder 47

Folder 48

Folder 49

Folder 50

Correspondence, 1850

1850: John B. Minor, University of Virginia, to William M. Blackford. His views on slavery and colonization.

1 February 1850: Ramon Leon Sanches, Cartagena, to William M. Blackford. Descriptions of new charge d'affaires, Thomas M. Foote; domestic politics in New Granada; cholera epidemic; apprehension over slavery extension as a divisive issue in the United States.

7 February 1850: Mary B. Blackford to William M. Blackford, Washington, D.C. News of herself and the children; her support of Blackford's proposed move to Cincinnati.

11 May 1850: Jeremiah Martin, Washington, D.C., to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg. Announcement of Blackford's appointment as Lynchburg postmaster.

23 August 1850: John B. Minor, University of Virginia to William M. Blackford. University news; comments on sectionalism and his fears of civil strife.

1 December 1850: Lucian Minor, Lochaven, Va., to William M. Blackford. Organization of the Sons of Temperance; opinion on slavery and the Compromise of 1850.

Folder 51-54

Folder 51

Folder 52

Folder 53

Folder 54

Correspondence, 1851

7 January 1851: Mary B. Blackford to Matthew Maury. Rough draft of her response to his plan to send enslaved people who were emancipated to the Amazon Valley.

3 October 1851: Benjamin Blackford, Lynchburg, to John A. Blackford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Description of riots in Lynchburg by Irish people working on the railroad and canal.

17 October 1851: James Cephas Minor, Monrovia, Liberia, to Mary B. Blackford. Personal and family news of Minor, who was enslaved by the Minor family and then freed and sent to Liberia.

Folder 55-58

Folder 55

Folder 56

Folder 57

Folder 58

Correspondence, 1852

1852: John Payne, Port Conway, Va., to Launcelot M. Blackford, Lynchburg. His work as missionary in Liberia.

May, June 1852: "Several Compositions" by Launcelot M. Blackford on varied topics, including health, mathematics, and poetry. Also letters from William M. Blackford at Washington D.C.; Baltimore, Md.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Batavia, N.Y.; and Niagara Falls, N.Y.; describing places he visited and people he met while traveling.

1852: James Cephas Minor, Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Description of a shipwreck; comments on Liberian relations with Great Britain and Brazil; and on African people.

Folder 59-62

Folder 59

Folder 60

Folder 61

Folder 62

Correspondence, 1853

15 January 1853: James C. Minor, Monrovia, Liberia, to John Minor, Fredericksburg, Va. Formation of Masonic Lodge; political news.

18 January 1853: Charles M. Blackford, University of Virginia, to Mary B. Blackford. Possibility of his moving to a free state.

4 May 1853: Charles M. Blackford to Mary B. Blackford. His opinion of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

11 October 1853: James C. Minor, Monrovia, Liberia, to Mary B. Blackford. Political and personal news.

Folder 63-65

Folder 63

Folder 64

Folder 65

Correspondence, 1854

1854: The Reverend H. R. Scott, Cavalla, West Africa, to Mary B. Blackford. News of welfare and work of mission.

25 January 1854: John Minor, Fredericksburg, to Launcelot M. Blackford, Powhatan Court House, Va. Growth of Know-Nothingism in Fredericksburg.

December 1854: Letters concerning the death of Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor.

Folder 66-68

Folder 66

Folder 67

Folder 68

Correspondence, 1855

5 November 1855: John B. Minor, University of Virginia, to Willaim M. Blackford. Comments on Democrats, Fillmore, Freemont; fear of dissolution of Union accompanied by civil war and anarchy.

Folder 69

Correspondence, 1856

Folder 70-71

Folder 70

Folder 71

Correspondence, 1857

Folder 72-73

Folder 72

Folder 73

Correspondence, 1858

8 July 1858: Copy of Charles Minor's letter to his brother John, containing an account of his brother Lucian's death in Williamsburg made by Mary B. Blackford for John Minor, Fredericksburg.

21 October 1858: V. M. Randolph, Forkland, Alabama, to Richard Randolph, Zenia, Ohio. Proslavery argument and description of his treatment of the people he enslaved.

Folder 74-75

Folder 74

Folder 75

Correspondence, 1859

1859: Launcelot M. Blackford, University of Virginia, to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg. Death of Lucy Landon (Blackford) Davis.

March-April 1859: Scattered correspondence from Whitelaw Reid, Zenia, Ohio; John Minor, Fredericksburg; and V. M. Randolph, Forkland, Alabama, to William M. Blackford, about the life, death, and philosophy of Richard Randolph, a Virginian who manumitted the people he enslaved and then moved to Ohio.

20 November 1859: W. C. Rives, Castle Hill, Va., to William M. Blackford. Comments on his recently published historical work (probably History of the Life and Times of James Madison, v. 1); response to criticism of historian Hugh Blair Grigsby.

25 November 1859: [William M. Blackford] to Launcelot M. Blackford, University of Virginia. "Military spirit" in Lynchburg; drills of Home Guard.

16 December 1859: Mary B. Blackford, Florence Water Cure, near Northampton, Massachusetts, to William M. Blackford, Lynchburg. Description of her journey from Virginia.

Folder 76-78

Folder 76

Folder 77

Folder 78

Correspondence, 1860

15 February 1860: Alex. Hugh Holmes Stuart, Richmond, Va., to William M. Blackford. Reply to Blackford's praise of Stuart's stand on John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry.

Folder 79-82

Folder 79

Folder 80

Folder 81

Folder 82

Correspondence, 1861

16 April 1861: John B. Minor, University of Virginia, to Mary B. Blackford. On secession crisis; his aversion to both the cotton states and Lincoln; the role of women as moral exemplars in social crises.

April-June 1861: Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Richmond; Manassas Junction; Norfolk; to William M. Blackford, and Mary B. Blackford, on army life, rumor of military plans.

4 May 1861: H. Allen Johnson, New York, to William M. Blackford. Trip from Maryland to New York; problem of getting out of the South; troops and military preparations in New York; favorable description of Lincoln by a man from Illinois; mood and views of Northerners regarding secession.

15 May 1861: George W. Bethune, New York, to Mary B. Blackford. Northern response to Fort Sumter; why the North must fight to save the Union.

27 July 1861: William W. Blackford, Fairfax Courthouse, to John M. Minor, Fredericksburg, about the Battle of Manassas.

6, 9 December 1861: Launcelot M. Blackford, Martinsburg, Va., to William M. Blackford and Mary B. Blackford. Detailed description of troop movement and activities.

Folder 83

Correspondence, 1862

12 July 1862: Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Camp in Chesterfield [Va.?], to Mary B. Blackford. Describes Northern working class view of the war and slavery, based on a number of letters, apparently from Northern workers he came across while doing a survey. He was following immediately behind scenes of battle.

11 August 1862: Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Camp at Port Walthall Junction [Va.?], to William M. Blackford. Description of Jefferson Davis, who he had seen at church recently; army life (diet).

Folder 84-85

Folder 84

Folder 85

Correspondence, 1863

12 January 1863: Charles M. Blackford, Headquarters, First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, to Mary B. Blackford. Excerpts from his diary, December 1862; description of Battle of Fredericksburg.

23 January 1863: William W. Blackford, near Orange Court House, Va., to William M. Blackford. His regrets at leaving Jeb Stuart's staff.

27 March 1863: John B. Minor, University of Virginia, to William M. Blackford. Life on the home front: price of tobacco, kerosene, bees' wax for candles; investments.

10 July 1863: John B. Minor, University of Virginia, to William M. Blackford. War news; conditions at the University.

5 October 1863: Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Wrightsville, N.C., to Mary B. Blackford. Comments on his work; North Carolina and its people; prices and scarcity.

17 December 1863: Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Camp on Topsail Sound, to Mary B. Blackford. His disgust with Wilmington residents, who have been demoralized by blockade running; description of Kidder family in Wilmington. Much of his subsequent wartime correspondence deals with his ill-fated courtship of Miss Kidder.

Folder 86-87

Folder 86

Folder 87

Correspondence, 1864

Mostly personal letters from Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Wilmington, Fredericksburg, Richmond. A few letters from Charles M. Blackford, Greenville, Tennessee, and Richmond. Rare letters from Launcelot M. Blackford and William W. Blackford in Virginia. Undated poem, "The Battle of the Cows: A True Story of the War," about Hunter's raid into Virginia during the summer of 1864; probably written by Mary Isabella Blackford.

Folder 88

Correspondence, 1865

1865: Mary Isabella Blackford married Churchill Cooke on 15 March 1865, and subsequently there are frequent letters from her at her husband's plantations, Dewberry and Foxleigh, to her mother in Lynchburg.

11 June 1865: Charles M. Blackford, Lynchburg, to Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Richmond. His financial losses because of the war.

15 June 1865: William W. Blackford, Abingdon, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Description of his daily routine; problems with robbers and freed people.

27 August 1865: Launcelot M. Blackford, Lynchburg, to Benjamin Lewis Blackford, Richmond, persuading him to emigrate to Brazil or Mexico.

1 November 1865: Maria West Campbell, Staunton, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Personal; inquiry about Mrs. Blackford's sons. Maria West Campbell was previously enslaved by Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor, but had been freed long before the war.

14 November 1865: R. R. Gurley, York, Pennsylvania, to Mary B. Blackford. News of Liberia; hopes that people emancipated from slavery in the United States would settle there.

Folder 89-90

Folder 89

Folder 90

Correspondence, 1866

14 January 1866: William W. Blackford, Somerset, Va., to Mary B. Blackford, Lynchburg. Problems with obtaining employees to work in the house; perceptions of idleness of freed people and thievery among Black people and white people; personal and family news.

14 June 1866: W. McLain, Washington, D.C., to Mary B. Blackford. Death of a Liberian leader.

Folder 91

Correspondence, 1867-1870

Folder 92

Correspondence, 1871

Folder 93-94

Folder 93

Folder 94

Correspondence, 1872

Folder 95-97

Folder 95

Folder 96

Folder 97

Correspondence, 1873

14 April 1873: William W. Blackford, Powhatan Plantation, near Tigerville, Louisiana, to Sue Colston Blackford, Lynchburg. His experiments with white, French-speaking tenant farmers on his plantation.

Folder 98-99

Folder 98

Folder 99

Correspondence, 1874

19, 29 April 1874: William W. Blackford, Powhatan Plantation, near Tigerville, Louisiana, to [?] and Mary B. Blackford. About the flood that ruined his plantation and sugar crop.

Folder 100-101

Folder 100

Folder 101

Correspondence, 1875

Folder 102-103

Folder 102

Folder 103

Correspondence, 1876

Folder 104-105

Folder 104

Folder 105

Correspondence, 1877

Folder 106

Correspondence, 1878

Folder 107-110

Folder 107

Folder 108

Folder 109

Folder 110

Correspondence, 1879

1879: William Davis, Fort Totten, Dakota Territory to Mary B. Blackford, Alexandria, Va. His experiences with Sioux Indians in the West.

6 May 1879: M. Payne, Petersburg, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Her experiences with teaching Black children.

1879: Charles S. Minor, Paris, France, to Mary B. Blackford. His impressions of France and the French, including sketches of French clothing.

Folder 111-113

Folder 111

Folder 112

Folder 113

Correspondence, 1880

Folder 114-117

Folder 114

Folder 115

Folder 116

Folder 117

Correspondence, 1881

20 October 1881: J. M. Ambler to Edward Ambler. Copy of letter of Dr. Ambler, the last survivor of the ill-fated U.S.S. Jeanette, with his last messages to his family and description of the hardships he was suffering. Dr. Ambler was part of the U.S. Arctic Expedition that sought to reach the North Pole by setting a route from the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait. The ship became trapped by ice and drifted for two years before survivors reached land and were rescued in Siberia.

20 November 1881: Charles M. Blackford, Lynchburg, to his son, Charles. Explanation of the state debt.

Folder 118-120

Folder 118

Folder 119

Folder 120

Correspondence, 1882

Folder 121-123

Folder 121

Folder 122

Folder 123

Correspondence, 1883

1883: James P. Harrison, Danville, Va., to Mary B. Blackford. Description of racist violence against Black people in Danville.

Folder 124-127

Folder 124

Folder 125

Folder 126

Folder 127

Correspondence, 1884

Folder 128-129

Folder 128

Folder 129

Correspondence, 1885

Folder 130

Correspondence, 1886-1892

Folder 131

Correspondence, 1893-1899

23 March 1896: Circular to descendants of George Mason asking for contributions to erect a monument on Mason's grave.

Folder 132

Correspondence, 1901-1902

Folder 133

Correspondence, 1903-1905

Folder 134

Correspondence, 1906-1907

Folder 135

Correspondence, 1908-1909

August, September 1908: Letters from Launcelot M. Blackford and Eliza Chew (Ambler) Blackford on a trip to England, to their children, Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va.

18 November 1908: Walter A. Montgomery, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Announcement of Blackford's election to Phi Beta Kappa.

28 December 1908: Invitation to a dance at the White House, addressed to Randolph Fairfax Blackford.

Folder 136-137

Folder 136

Folder 137

Correspondence, 1910

November, December 1910: Material relating to Randolph Fairfax Blackford's application for a Rhodes Scholarship.

Folder 138

Correspondence, 1911-1914

Folder 139-141

Folder 139

Folder 140

Folder 141

Correspondence, 1915

7 February 1915: Harrold S. Shipps, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, to Eliza C. A. Blackford, praising evangelist Billy Sunday.

Folder 142-143

Folder 142

Folder 143

Correspondence, 1916

Folder 144

Correspondence, 1917-1919

8 March 1918: (illegible), Wuchang, China, to Eliza C. A. Blackford. Writer, a former Episcopal High School student, describing unsettled conditions in China.

Folder 145

Correspondence, 1920-1926

Folder 146

Correspondence, 1927-1931

Folder 147

Correspondence, 1932

Folder 148

Correspondence, 1936-1953

November 1939: Several items relating to Randolph F. Blackford's taking an army extension course on Practical Duties of Chaplains.

Folder 149-153

Folder 149

Folder 150

Folder 151

Folder 152

Folder 153

Correspondence, Undated

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.2. Pamphlets.

5 items.
Folder 154

Pamphlets

7 November 1864: "Message of the President to the Senate and House of Representatives of the Confederate States of America."

30 May 1893: "'He Comes Again' Lines by a daughter of Virginia, Upon the Arrival of the Remains of Jefferson Davis at Richmond, May 30, 1893," by Lucy Ambler Mason.

Undated: "A New Sir Lancelot," by Julia C. Emery. Biographical sketch of the Reverend Lancelot Byrd Minor, missionary to Liberia.

Undated: "The Honor Roll. Names of Students Who Were Killed, Died, or Lost in Actual Military Service of the Confederacy."

1850(?)-1855: Small account book, listing amounts of money Lucy Landon (Carter) Minor paid her grandchildren for memorizing Bible verses.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.3. Genealogy.

10 items.

Genealogical information on the Blackford, Ambler, Carew (Carey), and Johnston families. Notes on genealogy of several original Massachusetts Bay families, including Brewster, DeWolfe, Lloyd, Richardson, Robins, Tilghman and Young. Handwritten obituary of Mrs. James Murray Mason, died 14 February 1874. Scrapbook is microfilm only (M-1912/1-2).

Folder 155

Genealogy

Reel M-1912/1-2

M-1912/1

M-1912/2

Scrapbook

Microfilm.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.4. Belles-Lettres.

10 items.

Miscellaneous essays, short stories, and poems, most undated, by William W. Blackford, Randolph F. Blackford, and others. Several of the items are unsigned. Typescripts of short works by Jefferson Davis, Col. Shippen, and Clara Minor Lynn. An undated, handwritten booklet of advice to a newly-married woman.

Folder 156-157

Folder 156

Folder 157

Belles-Lettres

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.5. Miscellaneous and Pictures.

About 25 items.

Photographs; crochet patterns; bookmarks.

Folder 158

Miscelleaneous

Image Folder PF-1912/1

Randolph Fairfax Blackford, Mrs. J. Ambler Blackford, and John Minor Blackford, 1915, 1921, and undated

6 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/2

Portraits, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Rolled Item R-1912/1

Rolled item

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.6. Newspaper Clippings.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.7. Southern Churchman Letters.

Letters and articles written by Launcelot M. Blackford for the Southern Churchman, 1888-1903. Most are letters written from England and Europe describing his travels.

Folder 160-161

Folder 160

Folder 161

Southern Churchman Letters

13 August 1888: London

16 August 1888: London

20 August 1888: Dorchester, Oxon

25 August 1888: New Quay, Cornwall

31 August 1888: London

14 August 1889: London

19 August 1889: London

26 August 1889: London

30 August 1889: London

6 August 1891: London

7 August 1891: London

11 August 1891: London

21 August 1891: London

15 August 1892: London

20 August 1892: The Hague

25 August 1892: Brussels

7 August 1899: London

8 August 1899: London

16 August 1899: London (3 letters)

1 August 1900: Antwerp

3 August 1900: Munich

6 August 1900: Munich

25 March 1901: (article)

5 August 1901: London

12 August 1901: Bellonzono, Switzerland

19 August 1901: Bale

28 September 1901: (article)

23 March 1903: Obituary for Charles M. Blackford

5 August 1903: Paris

2 August 1903: Paris

20 August 1903: London

21 August 1903: London

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.8. Volumes.

5 items.
Folder 162

Volume 1: Recipes in the Culinary Art, Together with Hints on Housewifery & c. Lynchburg: Blackford and Bro., First American Edition, 1852. Copyright by Launcelot Minor Blackford.

Handwritten. Illustrated. Described in the introduction as an "intellectual pantry," the book contains recipes for cakes, breads, meats, vegetables, and wines, interspersed with poems and sayings. Includes typescript transcription.

Folder 163

Volume 2: "Oblation," 1 September 1882-31 August 1886

Launcelot M. Blackford's account book, listing debits and credits with notes about how money was spent, financial matters.

Folder 164

Volume 3: "Alumni Bulletin of the University of Virginia," Third Series, volume VII:2, October 1914

Contains biographical sketch of Launcelot Minor Blackford.

Folder 165

Volume 4: "Sample Book of Saint John's Episcopal Church. Homestead, Fla. to assist he(sic) salesman in selling the Church to its members," 22 November 1940

Includes letter from Randolph F. Blackford, Rector; picture of the church; history of the church; information on marriages, confirmations, transfers, within the past year; picture of choir; future plans; 1941 budget. Typescript.

Folder 166

Volume 5: "Blackford Family History," 1661-1899, 1900

Family record compiled by William Willis Blackford (1831-1905). Contains genealogical data, along with biographical and personal data about members of the Blackford family. Typescript copy.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.9. Photocopies.

4 items.
Folder 167

Photocopies (miscellaneous items)

Undated: "Old Bar" by George Kennedy: 22 typed pages: concerning Launcelot M. Blackford and other members of the family.

13 February 1948: Letter from Dr. L. M. Blackford to George Kennedy, c/o The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., concerning the above named article.

21 June 1966: Brief record of Thomas T. Blackford (1794-1863) from Dickinson College, Pennsylvania.

Undated: Clipping from Scientific American: communication from William W. Blackford on aerial navigation, undated.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2A. Additions.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.1A. Papers and Photographs, 1844-1883 (Additions of 1994).

7 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 94030 and 94163

Folder 168

Volume 6: Letters of Lancelot Minor Blackford

Typed transcription of letters of Lancelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914), chiefly to family members. Letters dated 1855-1860 are from Blackford while he was a student at the University of Virginia. The transcriptions were made by Blackford's son L. Minor Blackford Jr., and bound into a volume called "Father's Letters, 1844-1859."

Folder 169-170

Folder 169

Folder 170

Volumes 7-8: Travel letters of Lancelot Minor Blackford

Printed copies of travel letters of Lancelot Minor Blackford on trips to Great Britain, Europe, and Russia, 1880-1883. Some (perhaps all) of the clippings are from Southern Churchman of Richmond, Va.

Folder 171

"The True Gentleman," 1890s

Partial typed copy of essay on Episcopal High School of Virginia letterhead, L. M. Blackford, principal.

Folder 172-176

Folder 172

Folder 173

Folder 174

Folder 175

Folder 176

Miscellaneous Blackford documents

Photocopies of family documents, including writings by L. M. Blackford, letters to and from family members, pictures, clippings, and other items, compiled by the donor.

Image Folder PF-1912/3

Peggy Dean, Launcelot Blackford Minor and family, circa 1896-1939

6 images.

Black-and-white copy prints.

Peggy Dean was a woman formerly enslaved by the Blackford family.

Image Folder PF-1912/4

Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford and family, Charles Minor Blackford, and Peggy Dean

4 images.

Black-and-white copy prints.

Peggy Dean was a woman formerly enslaved by the Blackford family.

Image Folder PF-1912/5

Portraits, undated

15 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.2A. Photographs, circa 1850 (Addition of 1997).

5 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 96193

Special Format Image SF-P-1912/1

Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford (1802-1896)

1 image.

Daguerreotype.

Special Format Image SF-P-1912/2

Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford (1802-1896)

1 image.

Daguerreotype.

Special Format Image SF-P-1912/3

Unidentified man

1 image.

Ambrotype.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.3A. Genealogical Papers, 1798-1836 (Addition of April 2003).

6 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 99500

Folder 177

Photocopies and transcriptions of Blackford family papers, 1798-1836

Photocopies and typed transcription of Blackford family records from the 1798 Bible of Benjamin Blackford. Includes places and dates of births or deaths for family members and lists of the names and birth dates of the children of Marea, Cloe, Betty, Eliza, Lucy, and Charlotte, who were enslaved people. The children were born 1815-1836.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.4A. Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey Family History and Genealogy Papers (Addition of August 2015).

About 2000 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 102302

The family history files of Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey (1922-2015) contain biographical and historical information about Blackford family members and other relatives including members of the Ambler, Chew, Mason, Minor, and Mann families. Correspondence between family members, clippings, transcriptions and copies of historical documents, family charts, photographs, memoirs, reminiscences, and other narratives comprise the bulk of the files. Also included are some original eighteenth and nineteenth-century documents, most of which are found in an autograph scrapbook kept by Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914). A small photograph of Peggy Dean, a woman who had been enslaved by the Blackfords, is accompanied by a contemporary copy of the bill of sale when the Blackfords purchased her.

Blackford, Launcelot Minor (1894-1964)

Folder 208

Letters (First World War) 1917

Folder 209-214

Folder 209

Folder 210

Folder 211

Folder 212

Folder 213

Folder 214

Letters (First World War) 1918

Folder 215

Letters (First World War) 1919

Folder 216

Letters (First World War), undated

Folder 217

Miscellaneous

Includes Blackford's 1956 will and drawings.

Folder 218-220

Folder 218

Folder 219

Folder 220

"Fan Mail" for Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, 1954-1956 and 1962

Image Folder PF-1912/37

Launcelot Blackford Minor, circa 1910s

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Blackford is dressed in an armed services uniform.

Image Folder PF-1912/38

Launcelot Blackford Minor, circa 1920s-1950s

6 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/39

Launcelot Blackford Minor with unidentified man, 1953

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/40

Launcelot Blackford Minor with an infant, circa 1940s

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/41

Launcelot Blackford Minor

2 images.

Color prints.

Also includes an image of a gravestone.

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Blackford, Mary B. Minor

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Blackford, Raldolph Fairfax

Folder 222-223

Folder 222

Folder 223

"The Spanish Continent of Florida"

Folder 224

"Blackford Roots and Branches, a Genealogy of the Blackford Family," 1964

Also contains correspondence.

Folder 225-226

Folder 225

Folder 226

"The Son of God or A Life of Christ by a Country Parson"

Folder 227

"The First Seventy-Five Years of the Kingdom of Heaven or the Apostolic Age"

Folder 228

"The Biblical Conquest of Canaan," 1935

"A Military Lecture given to Reserve Officers Association Orlando Chapter."

Folder 229

"The Bible Through Period Lenses"

Folder 230-240

Folder 230

Folder 231

Folder 232

Folder 233

Folder 234

Folder 235

Folder 236

Folder 237

Folder 238

Folder 239

Folder 240

Letters exchanged between Randolph Fairfax Minor and Launcelot Minor Blackford, 1945-1964

Image Folder PF-1912/42

Randolph Blackford, circa 1930s and 1940s and undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Includes images of Blackford in an armed services uniform.

Image Folder PF-1912/43

Randolph Blackford with a clerical collar, circa 1930s-1940s

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/44

[Nellie Blackford], circa 1910s-1920s

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/45

Nellie Blackford and Randolph Blackford, circa 1930s-1950s

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/46

[Nellie Blackford] with others, circa 1960s-1970s

1 image.

Color print.

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Blackford, Staige Davis (1931-2003)

Folder 241

Death of Staige D. Blackford, 2003

Includes clippings and correspondence.

Folder 242-243

Folder 242

Folder 243

"Letter to Staige D. Blackford, Jr., June 1943"

"Note to the Censor: In order to save you the time and trouble and boredom of reading through all this long letter to my son, may I explain that it is simply my autobiography for his benefit and that it intentionally stops at the time that I left America so that there would be nothing in the slightest censorable in it..."

Folder 244-247

Folder 244

Folder 245

Folder 246

Folder 247

Letters exchanged between Staige Davis Blackford and Charles Minor Blackford, 1980-1985

Folder 248

Miscellaneous

Includes a 1995 lecture delivered at Emory Law School and titled "One Man's South."

Image Folder PF-1912/47

Staige Davis Blackford, circa 1910s-1940s

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/48

Staige Davis Blackford with spouse, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/49

Staige Davis Blackford with children, circa 1930

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/50

Linda Blackford, 1946-1948 and undated

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/51

Staige Blackford Jr. 1947 and undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/52

Children, circa 1940s

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/53

Staige Blackford Jr. and family, circa 1970s

4 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/54

Staige Blackford Jr. and Bettina, 1963

3 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/55

Staige Davis Blackford with Sheila and Bettina, circa 1970s

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/56

Gravestones, undated

2 images.

Color prints.

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Blackford, William Mann

Folder 249

Miscellaneous

Folder 250

Family charts and transcriptions of letters pertaining to American Colonization Society and Liberia

Includes a 2001 talk titled "The Other South" about "white dissenters from the racial orthodoxy that reigned in the South from about 1832 until the 1960s."

Folder 251

Clippings and copies and transcriptions of letters

Includes "William Blackford Letters, 1928-44 Collected by Mansel G. Blackford, October 23, 1991."

Image Folder PF-1912/57

William Blackford with groups, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/58

Miscellaneous, undated

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Dog, baby, child, and house.

Image Folder PF-1912/59

Jane Blackford and Manse Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/60

Elizabeth Blackford, 1955-1963 and undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/61

Jane Griffiths Blackford wedding, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/62

Peter Lawrence and Elizabeth Lawrence, 1974

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/63

Miscellaneous, 1976-1978 and undated

4 images.

Color prints.

Randall Blackford, Mansel Blackford, Vicki Blackford, and Kimberly Blackford; Jane Blackford and wedding party; baby; and a portrait of William Blackford.

Image Folder PF-1912/64

Young men in class pictures, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/65

Mansel Blackford, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/66

Confederate officers, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white copy prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/67

Plaques at Episcopal High School and grave stone, undated

3 images.

Color prints.

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Blackford, William Willis

Folder 252

"Uncle William's Account of The Blackford Family

Folder 253

Miscellaneous

Includes a copy of a certificate of membership to the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.

Image Folder PF-1912/68

William Willis Blackford and Frank Robertson, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white copy prints.

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Chew family

Folder 254

Miscellaneous

Includes family charts and a narrative titled "'Cliveden' Ancestral Home of Benjamin Chew."

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Dean, Peggy

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King, Wilma

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Mann, Charles, Rev.

Folder 258

Copy of "Recollections of the Civil War 1861 to '65 by Lizzie Jackson Mann"

Folder 259

Family charts, clippings, and correspondence

Folder 260

Charles Harrison Mann

Image Folder PF-1912/70

Church and church rectory, undated

3 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/71

Gravestones and house, 1996

5 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/72

Portraits of Charles Mann and Mary Mann and building, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/73

Family, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/74

Gamble Mann and Harrison Mann, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Mann family

Photograph album: "Manns-Blackfords, 1900s"

Photograph Album PA-1912/4

Original Album

Digital Folder DF-1912/4

Digitized Album

PDF of entire album.

Tiffs of individual album pages.

Folder 261

Clippings

Image Folder PF-1912/75

Lizzie Jackson Mann, William Mann, and others, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/76

Gravestone and portraits of William Jackson Mann, Rev. Armistead Smith, and Martha Smith, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/77

Portraits

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/78

Gravestones, 1996

7 images.

Color prints.

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Mann and Fontaine families

Folder 262

Family charts and clippin

Folder 263

"Genealogy of the Fontaine and Minor Families," 1940

Compiled by Louise Niemeyer Fontaine.

Image Folder PF-1912/79

Gravestones, 1996

8 images.

Color prints.

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Mann, George

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Mann, Thomas Armistead

Folder 265

Correspondence and clippings

Image Folder PF-1912/81

Glen Roy, Md., 1923

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/82

Betsy Supplee and Sally Bruce Supplee, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/83

Miscellaneous, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/84

Groups, 1970-1976

4 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/85

Bruce Mann, Bill Mann, Richard Mann, and other school children.

6 images.

Color prints.

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Mann, William Jackson

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Mann, William Jackson Jr.

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Mason, George

Folder 269-270

Folder 269

Folder 270

Correspondence, clippings, and copy of "A Declaration of Rights"

Image Folder PF-1912/88

Exhibition George Mason, undated

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/89

Portrait of George Mason, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

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Mason, John

Folder 271

"The Recollections of John Mason"

Folder 272

Family records and material related to the Colonial Dames of America

Folder 273

Clippings and miscellaneous

Includes a narrative about the Murray family.

Image Folder PF-1912/90

John Mason and unidentified woman, circa 1910

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Mason, Landon, Rev. and Lucy R. Mason

Folder 274

Clippings and correspondence

Image Folder PF-1912/91

Anna Mason and Randolph Mason, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/92

Lucy Mason with others, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/93

Landon Mason on horseback, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/94

Landon Mason with others, circa 1910 and undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/95

Landon Mason and Randolph Mason, circa 1918 and undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/96

Lucy Mason and Ida Mason, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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McClatchey, Sally Bruce Blackford

Photograph album : "Stathcona"

"Sally Bruce Blackford's prep school Vancouver Island, Canada 1930s."

Photograph Album PA-1912/5

Original Album

Digital Folder DF-1912/5

Digitized Album

PDF of entire album.

Tiffs of individual album pages.

Folder 275-277

Folder 275

Folder 276

Folder 277

Personal papers

Includes school transcripts, resume, will, clippings, correspondence, and financial documents.

Folder 278

Colonial Dames of America

Image Folder PF-1912/97

Children, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white contact sheets.

Image Folder PF-1912/98

House, 1997

3 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/99

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/100

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey and children, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/101

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey, circa 1924

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/102

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey, circa 1942

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Wedding portrait.

Image Folder PF-1912/103

Miscellaneous, circa 1938-1940

8 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/104

Boat named "Sally Bruce," circa 1940s

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/105

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey, 1970, 1987

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/106

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey and children, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/107

Sally Bruce Blackford McClatchey with groups, 1976, 1994-1995, and undated

4 images.

Color prints.

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Minor family

Folder 279-280

Folder 279

Folder 280

Publications and genealogical information

Publications include "Launcelot Minor: Pioneer Missionary in Liberia," by Maria Minor (1960) and "The Great John B. Minor and His Cousin Mary Face the War: Correspondence between the Professor of Law and the Lynchburg Blackfords, 1860-1864," by L. Minor Blackford (1953).

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Minor, Lancelot Byrd

Folder 281

"Lancelot"

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Minor, Lucy Landon Carter

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Minor, Robert Berkely

Folder 283

Obituary, 1935

Image Folder PF-1912/108

Robert Berkeley Minor, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

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Morris, Virginia Mason Blackford

Folder 284-286

Folder 284

Folder 285

Folder 286

"Memoirs" circa 2002

Different versions.

Folder 287-288

Folder 287

Folder 288

Miscellaneous

Correspondence, clippings, family charts, and other papers.

Folder 289

"Reflections on the Life of Virginia Mason Blackford Morris," 2002

Includes an obituary and program for a memorial service.

Image Folder PF-1912/109

House, undated

8 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/110

House, undated

2 images.

Color digital prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/111

Groups, 1950, 1962

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/112

Wedding, 1969

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/113

Groups, 1962, 1992, and undated

3 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/114

Charles Harrison Wick, Randolph Fairfax Morris, and others, 1974, 1993, and undated

4 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/115

Charles Harrison Wick and Randolph Fairfax Morris, 1966, 1971, and undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/116

Children, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/117

Virginia Morris, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/118

Randolph Fairfax Morris, 1951, 1963

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/119

Children, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/120

Ginger Morris, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Seddon family

Folder 290

Clippings, publications, and narratives

Includes "Unwritten history after the Civil War concerning the arrest and imprisonment of the Honorable James A. Seddon, Secretary of War of the Confederate States."

Image Folder PF-1912/121

Gravestones and portraits of Thomas Seddon and Susan Pearson Alexander Seddon, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Smith, Armistead

Folder 291-292

Folder 291

Folder 292

Publications, clippings, and genealogical information

Includes information about families' coats of arms.

Image Folder PF-1912/122

Portraits of Thomas Armistead Smith and gravestones, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Smith, Lloyd

Folder 293-295

Folder 293

Folder 294

Folder 295

Correspondence and genealogical information

Image Folder PF-1912/123

Portrait of John Murray, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

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Smith, William Patterson

Folder 296-297

Folder 296

Folder 297

Correspondence and genealogical information

Folder 298

"Airville: A Gloucester County, Virginia, Plantation," 1992-1993

Written by Nancy Carter Crump.

Image Folder PF-1912/124

Glen Roy, 1975 and undated

7 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/125

Portrait of William Patterson Smith, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/126

Gravestones, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

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Family history

Folder 299-311

Folder 299

Folder 300

Folder 301

Folder 302

Folder 303

Folder 304

Folder 305

Folder 306

Folder 307

Folder 308

Folder 309

Folder 310

Folder 311

Correspondence, family charts, and genealogical information

Folder 312

Essays by Harrison Wick

"Virginians: Radical and Conservative" and "Strife in America Brought Civil War."

Folder 313-318

Folder 313

Folder 314

Folder 315

Folder 316

Folder 317

Folder 318

Disposition of family papers, 1942-1959 and 1976

Chiefly correspondence.

Folder 319-320

Folder 319

Folder 320

Episcopal High School

Image Folder PF-1912/127

Children and sailboat, 1964 and 1977

2 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/128

Gravestones, undated

9 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/129

Portraits, undated

8 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/130

Gravestones, 1976

14 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/131

Portraits, undated

11 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/132

Lynchburg, Va., 1976

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/133

Portraits and silver, 1976

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/134

Portraits, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/135

Major Bowles Armistead, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/136

Individuals, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/137

Portraits, 1977

8 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/138

Portraits, 1977

8 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Includes an image of an Black woman with a white infant.

Image Folder PF-1912/139

John Minor Blackford and family, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/140

"Mrs. Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford and her family," 1885

1 image.

Black-and-white copy print.

Image Folder PF-1912/141

Exterior of a house, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/142

Exterior of a house, circa 2000s

7 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/143

Gravestones, circa 2000s

3 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/144

Gravestones, undated

6 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/145

Marion Robins McFarland, 1913 and undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/146

Peyton family members, 1890 and undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/147

Peyton family members, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/148

Episcopal High School, circa 1960s

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/149

William Blackford, circa 1910s

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Folder 182

Ambler family: Transcriptions of letters and memoirs

Folder 183

John Ambler: Clippings

Special Format Image SF-P-1912/4

James Ambler

1 image.

Ambrotype.

Folder 184

"Beppy": Correspondence, clippings, and census information

Image Folder PF-1912/6

"Beppy": Wedding, 1992

3 images.

Color prints.

Folder 185

Ambler Mason Blackford: Correspondence and clippings

Image Folder PF-1912/7

Elizabeth Randolph Bland Blackford, circa 1940-1942

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/8

Elizabeth Randolph Bland Blackford, 1944-1946

5 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/9

Elizabeth Randolph Bland Blackford, circa 1950-1957

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/10

Ambler Blackford, Sarah Blackford, and others, circa 1930s-1940s

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/11

Ambler Blackford, Sarah Blackford, and Elizabeth Randolph Bland Blackford, circa 1950s

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/12

Elizabeth Randolph Bland Blackford, circa 1963-1973

4 images.

Color prints.

Folder 186

Charles Minor Blackford (1833-1903): Correspondence, clippings, and cemetery plot information

Folder 187

Charles Minor Blackford (1833-1903): Copy of "Narrative of Personal Events following the Civil War"

Folder 188

Transcription of a list of 21 enslaved people, 12 December 1858

Includes names and ages of enslaved people, and in some cases parent, marriage, and death information, and information about when they were trafficked through sale. The photocopy is stamped "Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Va."

Also includes a copy of "Six Eighteen Diamond Hill" by Charles Minor Blackford III and a historic preservation survey for a home in Lynchburg, Va.

Image Folder PF-1912/13

Charles Minor Blackford, Charles Minor Blackford, Jr., and Charles Minor Blackford, III, 1899 and undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/14

Nanny Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/15

Susan Leigh Colston Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/16

Charles Minor Blackford and courthouse at Lynchburg, Va., undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/17

Portrait of Susan Leigh Colston Blackford and house, undated

3 images.

Color prints.

Folder 189

Charles Minor Blackford III: Letters exchanged between Charles Minor Blackford, III., and Launcelot Minor Blackford, 1947-1948

Folder 190

Charles Minor Blackford III: Letters exchanged between Charles Minor Blackford, III., and Launcelot Minor Blackford, 1952-1955

Also includes a 1985 letter from Louise Blackford to Staige Blackford.

Image Folder PF-1912/18

Charles Minor Blackford House

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Folder 191

Elizabeth Mann Blackford: Family charts and clippings

Folder 192

Elizabeth Mann Blackford: "Crumbs of Memory, From Life in the Eighties," by Anonymous

Image Folder PF-1912/19

Elizabeth Mann Blackford and family, undated

3 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/20

Elizabeth Mann Blackford: Family, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/21

Elizabeth Mann Blackford: House and snow, undated

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Folder 193

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: Transcriptions of letters and diaries

Folder 194

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: "Aunt Harriet"

Folder 195

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: "Mother's Remembrance of President Jefferson Davis"

Folder 196

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: Letter to Launcelot Minor Blackford from Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford, 1931

Folder 197

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: Scrapbook, circa 1914-1918

Image Folder PF-1912/22

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford: Gravestone, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/23

Eliza Chew Ambler Blackford, circa 1920s-1930s

4 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Folder 198

John Minor Blackford: Biographies, clippings, and catalog of personal library

Image Folder PF-1912/24

John Minor Blackford, 1940

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/25

John Minor Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Oversize Image OP-P-1912/1

John Minor Blackford, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/26

John Minor Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/27

James Tate Mason, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Co-founder of Virginia Mason Hospital.

Image Folder PF-1912/28

John Minor Blackford: Miscellaneous, undated

3 images.

Color prints.

Images of the interior of a house, a group photograph of physicians, and John Minor Blackford's gravestone.

Image Folder PF-1912/29

John Minor Blackford, 1942

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/30

John Minor Blackford, Elizabeth Chew Ambler Blackford, Randolph Blackford, Staige Blackford, and Ambler Blackford, undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Photograph Album PA-1912/1

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album : "JMB Trip," 1919

Washington state.

Digital Folder DF-1912/1

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album : "JMB Trip," 1919

PDF of entire album.

Tiffs of individual album pages.

Photograph Album PA-1912/2

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album: "Seattle 1930s-1940s"

Digital Folder DF-1912/2

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album: "Seattle 1930s-1940s"

PDF of entire album.

Tiffs of individual album pages.

Photograph Album PA-1912/3

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album: "Seattle 1937-'42"

Digital Folder DF-1912/3

John Minor Blackford: Photograph album: "Seattle 1937-'42"

PDF of entire album.

Tiffs of individual album pages.

Folder 199

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): "Old Bar"

Folder 200

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Biographies, correspondence, and information on Episcopal High School

Folder 201

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Publications concerning "Recipes in the Culinary Art"

Folder 202

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Transcription by Nancy Carter Crump of "Recipes in the Culinary Art," 2000

Folder 203

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Letters received and sent, 1853-1857

Folder 204

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): "Old Bar" by George Kennedy

Folder 205

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): "The Making of Old Bar: The Life of Dr. Launcelot Minor Blackford, M.A., L.L.D.," 1999

Written by Charles Harrison S. Wick.

Folder 206

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): "Sketch of My Life"

Folder 207

"Launcelot Minor Blackford," 1914

Image Folder PF-1912/31

Launcelot Blackford Minor (1837-1914), circa 1910s and undated

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Also includes an image of plaque in memory of Blackford at the Episcopal School.

Image Folder PF-1912/32

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Gravestones, undated

6 images.

Color prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/33

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914), circa 1905

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/34

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Family, undated

1 image.

Black-and-white print.

Image Folder PF-1912/35

John Minor Blackford, Ambler Blackford, Randolph Blackford, Minor Blackford, and Staige Blackford, 1939, 1943

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Image Folder PF-1912/36

Launcelot Blackford Minor and family, circa 1905

2 images.

Black-and-white prints.

Oversize Volume SV-1912/1

Launcelot Minor Blackford (1837-1914): Autograph scrapbook, circa 1770s-1900s

Chiefly contains letters and other documents written and signed by political officeholders, including James Madison, Martin Van Buren, and Grover Cleveland.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 2.5A. Papers, 1775-1937 (Addition of November 2017).

About 50 items.

Acquisitions Information: Accession 103280

Folder 178

"Lee Campaigns In and Around Fredericksburg," 1937

"Lecture prepared to be delivered before Reserve Officers Association in Orlando, Fla. October 1937, by Lt. R.F. Blackford, Chap., 325th Inf." Also includes handwritten notes, a 1965 clipping from Virginia Cavalcade, and a printed map of eastern Virginia.

Folder 179

Photographic copy of bill of sale for and image of Peggy Dean, a woman enslaved by the Blackfords; photographic prints of letters and documents dated 1775-1846

Peggy Dean worked for the Blackford family in Lynchburg and Alexandria. She died in 1910.

"Copies of LMB I's Autog[raph] Collection. Some sold by LMB II, some at U.V.A."

Includes photographic copies of letters written by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

Folder 180

Transcriptions of selected Blackford family letters dated 1775-1864

Folder 181

Scrapbook on the Civil War, circa 1862-1914

Scrapbook contains scattered, contemporaneous documents from the Civil War era, clippings, letters, photographs, and a typescript reminiscence titled "Personal Recollections of Lee's Surrender at Appomattox" by J.M. Brown. The typescript has a swatch of red cloth attached with a note "Portion of Battle Flag of Rockbridge Artillery, CSA 1861-5." Also included is a 9 April 1913 letter (on stationary for the John B. Hood Camp 103 of the United Confederate Veterans) that Brown wrote to L. M. Blackford. "I am sending with this just a little piece of our old Flag."

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