{"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Blevel%5D%5B%5D=Sub-series\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+State+University\u0026page=10","prev":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Blevel%5D%5B%5D=Sub-series\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+State+University\u0026page=9","next":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Blevel%5D%5B%5D=Sub-series\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+State+University\u0026page=11","last":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Blevel%5D%5B%5D=Sub-series\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+State+University\u0026page=304"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":10,"next_page":11,"prev_page":9,"total_pages":304,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":90,"total_count":3039,"first_page?":false,"last_page?":false}},"data":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34"],"id":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009","_root_":"vipets_vipets00009","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01","parent_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00009","vipets_vipets00009_c07","vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01"],"title_filing_ssi":"\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943","title_ssm":["\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943"],"title_tesim":["\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943"],"normalized_title_ssm":["\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943"],"text":["\"Arousing A voting Consciousness In The\n                     Negro\" \n                     May 5, 1943","Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\".","Box-folder 64:1605"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[3],"sort_isi":1768,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 64:1605"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#6/components#0/components#33","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00009","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009","_root_":"vipets_vipets00009","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00009","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00009.xml","title_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"title_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"text":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","1952-l","There are no restrictions.","SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         The first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         A. \n         Family, 1920-1960The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         B. \n         Business, 1922-1950Office correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         C. \n         Personal, 1918- 1960Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         SERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026 LEGAL \n         Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         Negro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(Box 17) \n         SERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         A. \n         The Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950Letters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         B. \n         The Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         C. \n         Correspondence with Carter G.\n         WoodsonArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         D. \n         The NAACP, 1937- 1950Correspondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         E. \n         The I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950General correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         F. \n         The Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948Correspondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         G. \n         The Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950Correspondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         H. \n         The Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950Correspondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         I. \n         The Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950Letters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         J. \n         The Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946Correspondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         K. \n         The Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950(Box 48) \n         L. \n         The Petersburg Community ChoirA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         M. \n         The Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949Correspondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         N. \n         The Old Dominion Medical SocietyNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         O. \n         The Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948One letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         SERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         Letters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026 50) \n         SERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         A. \n         Blacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948Letters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         B. \n         The Butler Papers, 1813-1888Tax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         C. \n         The Dews Papers, 1802-1880Deeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         D. \n         The Layton Papers, 1861-1898Tax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         E. \n         The Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910Tax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         F. \n         By CountyPapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         G. \n         By CityThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         H. \n         MiscellaneousPapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         I. \n         Printed and DiaryPrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         J. \n         Research Notes(Box 60) \n         K. \n         Ledgers GeneralStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         L. \n         NotebooksHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         SERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         A. \n         News articles: \n         The Journal and\n         Guide(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         Typewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         B. \n         News Articles: Various PapersHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         C. \n         Articles in JournalPublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         D. \n         AddressesTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         E. \n         Papers, Reports, and Lecture NotesVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         F. \n         UnpublishedPapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         G. \n         BooksTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         SERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         Articles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         SERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026 GRADES \n         Family awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         SERIES X. PRINTED \n         Broadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         SERIES XI. VISUAL \n         A. \n         PhotographsFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         B. \n         Printer's BlocksWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         SERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         Cufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         SERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         Baby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         SERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         Loose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         SERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         Newspaper, awards and research data.","Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.","In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.","Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.","After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026 I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.","In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         The Journal and Guide(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.","Jackson authored these books: \n         Free Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860(1942) \n         The History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association(1937) \n         Negro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(1945) \n         A Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia(1941) \n         Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War(1944)","In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.","Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.","Additional Biographical Data:1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         Progress Index, February\n         26,1980, p.4.","The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.","During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.","Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.","In addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.","The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.","Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.","This box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  Virginia Statesmanfor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  Southern Patriot, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  Virginias Journal and\n                  GuideApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index.","There are no restrictions.","The Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"collection_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1952-l"],"unitid_tesim":["1952-l"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Organization"],"arrangement_tesim":["SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         The first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         A. \n         Family, 1920-1960The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         B. \n         Business, 1922-1950Office correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         C. \n         Personal, 1918- 1960Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         SERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026 LEGAL \n         Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         Negro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(Box 17) \n         SERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         A. \n         The Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950Letters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         B. \n         The Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         C. \n         Correspondence with Carter G.\n         WoodsonArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         D. \n         The NAACP, 1937- 1950Correspondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         E. \n         The I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950General correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         F. \n         The Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948Correspondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         G. \n         The Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950Correspondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         H. \n         The Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950Correspondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         I. \n         The Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950Letters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         J. \n         The Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946Correspondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         K. \n         The Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950(Box 48) \n         L. \n         The Petersburg Community ChoirA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         M. \n         The Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949Correspondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         N. \n         The Old Dominion Medical SocietyNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         O. \n         The Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948One letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         SERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         Letters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026 50) \n         SERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         A. \n         Blacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948Letters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         B. \n         The Butler Papers, 1813-1888Tax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         C. \n         The Dews Papers, 1802-1880Deeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         D. \n         The Layton Papers, 1861-1898Tax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         E. \n         The Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910Tax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         F. \n         By CountyPapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         G. \n         By CityThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         H. \n         MiscellaneousPapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         I. \n         Printed and DiaryPrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         J. \n         Research Notes(Box 60) \n         K. \n         Ledgers GeneralStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         L. \n         NotebooksHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         SERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         A. \n         News articles: \n         The Journal and\n         Guide(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         Typewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         B. \n         News Articles: Various PapersHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         C. \n         Articles in JournalPublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         D. \n         AddressesTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         E. \n         Papers, Reports, and Lecture NotesVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         F. \n         UnpublishedPapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         G. \n         BooksTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         SERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         Articles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         SERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026 GRADES \n         Family awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         SERIES X. PRINTED \n         Broadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         SERIES XI. VISUAL \n         A. \n         PhotographsFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         B. \n         Printer's BlocksWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         SERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         Cufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         SERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         Baby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         SERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         Loose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         SERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         Newspaper, awards and research data."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eLuther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDesiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026amp; I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe Journal and Guide\u003c/title\u003e(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eJackson authored these books: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eFree Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860\u003c/title\u003e(1942) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association\u003c/title\u003e(1937) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eNegro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895\u003c/title\u003e(1945) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eA Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia\u003c/title\u003e(1941) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War\u003c/title\u003e(1944) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eAdditional Biographical Data:\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eProgress Index\u003c/title\u003e, February\n         26,1980, p.4.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.","In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.","Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.","After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026 I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.","In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         The Journal and Guide(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.","Jackson authored these books: \n         Free Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860(1942) \n         The History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association(1937) \n         Negro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(1945) \n         A Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia(1941) \n         Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War(1944)","In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.","Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.","Additional Biographical Data:1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         Progress Index, February\n         26,1980, p.4."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eLuther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession\n            #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston\n            Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg,\n            VA.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession\n            #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston\n            Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg,\n            VA."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eJackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n    ","\u003cp\u003eThis box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginia Statesman\u003c/title\u003efor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eSouthern Patriot\u003c/title\u003e, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginias Journal and\n                  Guide\u003c/title\u003eApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index.\u003c/p\u003e\n          "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.","During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.","Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.","In addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.","The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.","Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.","This box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  Virginia Statesmanfor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  Southern Patriot, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  Virginias Journal and\n                  GuideApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":2288,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eFamily, 1920-1960\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBusiness, 1922-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eOffice correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePersonal, 1918- 1960\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026amp; LEGAL \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eNegro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895\u003c/title\u003e(Box 17) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eCorrespondence with Carter G.\n         Woodson\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe NAACP, 1937- 1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eGeneral correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eThe Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eH. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eI. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eJ. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eK. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950\u003c/emph\u003e(Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eL. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Community Choir\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eM. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eN. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Old Dominion Medical Society\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eO. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eOne letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026amp; 50) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBlacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Butler Papers, 1813-1888\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Dews Papers, 1802-1880\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eDeeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Layton Papers, 1861-1898\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBy County\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBy City\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eH. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eMiscellaneous\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eI. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePrinted and Diary\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eJ. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eResearch Notes\u003c/emph\u003e(Box 60) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eK. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eLedgers General\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eL. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eNotebooks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eNews articles\u003c/emph\u003e: \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe Journal and\n         Guide\u003c/title\u003e(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTypewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eNews Articles: Various Papers\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eArticles in Journal\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eAddresses\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePapers, Reports, and Lecture Notes\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eUnpublished\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBooks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eArticles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026amp; GRADES \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES X. PRINTED \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eBroadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XI. VISUAL \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePhotographs\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePrinter's Blocks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eBaby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLoose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eNewspaper, awards and research data.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "]}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c34"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251"],"id":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009","_root_":"vipets_vipets00009","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01","parent_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00009","vipets_vipets00009_c07","vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01"],"title_filing_ssi":"\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947","title_ssm":["\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947"],"title_tesim":["\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947"],"normalized_title_ssm":["\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947"],"text":["\"Arthur Lee: Progressive Negro Artisan\n                     of Salary Days\" \n                     Aug. 14, 1947","Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\".","Box-folder 66:1656"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","SERIES VII. MATERIALS WRITTEN BY LUTHER P.\n               JACKSON, SR.","A. Feature articles written by Luther\n                  Porter Jackson in the (Norfolk, Virginia) \n                  Journal and Guide,\n                  under the general heading, \"Rights and Duties in a\n                  Democracy\"."],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[3],"sort_isi":1985,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 66:1656"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#6/components#0/components#250","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00009","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00009","_root_":"vipets_vipets00009","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00009","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00009.xml","title_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"title_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"text":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960","1952-l","There are no restrictions.","SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         The first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         A. \n         Family, 1920-1960The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         B. \n         Business, 1922-1950Office correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         C. \n         Personal, 1918- 1960Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         SERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026 LEGAL \n         Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         Negro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(Box 17) \n         SERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         A. \n         The Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950Letters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         B. \n         The Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         C. \n         Correspondence with Carter G.\n         WoodsonArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         D. \n         The NAACP, 1937- 1950Correspondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         E. \n         The I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950General correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         F. \n         The Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948Correspondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         G. \n         The Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950Correspondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         H. \n         The Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950Correspondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         I. \n         The Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950Letters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         J. \n         The Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946Correspondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         K. \n         The Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950(Box 48) \n         L. \n         The Petersburg Community ChoirA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         M. \n         The Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949Correspondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         N. \n         The Old Dominion Medical SocietyNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         O. \n         The Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948One letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         SERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         Letters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026 50) \n         SERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         A. \n         Blacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948Letters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         B. \n         The Butler Papers, 1813-1888Tax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         C. \n         The Dews Papers, 1802-1880Deeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         D. \n         The Layton Papers, 1861-1898Tax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         E. \n         The Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910Tax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         F. \n         By CountyPapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         G. \n         By CityThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         H. \n         MiscellaneousPapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         I. \n         Printed and DiaryPrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         J. \n         Research Notes(Box 60) \n         K. \n         Ledgers GeneralStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         L. \n         NotebooksHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         SERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         A. \n         News articles: \n         The Journal and\n         Guide(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         Typewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         B. \n         News Articles: Various PapersHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         C. \n         Articles in JournalPublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         D. \n         AddressesTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         E. \n         Papers, Reports, and Lecture NotesVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         F. \n         UnpublishedPapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         G. \n         BooksTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         SERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         Articles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         SERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026 GRADES \n         Family awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         SERIES X. PRINTED \n         Broadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         SERIES XI. VISUAL \n         A. \n         PhotographsFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         B. \n         Printer's BlocksWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         SERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         Cufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         SERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         Baby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         SERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         Loose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         SERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         Newspaper, awards and research data.","Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.","In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.","Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.","After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026 I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.","In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         The Journal and Guide(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.","Jackson authored these books: \n         Free Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860(1942) \n         The History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association(1937) \n         Negro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(1945) \n         A Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia(1941) \n         Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War(1944)","In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.","Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.","Additional Biographical Data:1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         Progress Index, February\n         26,1980, p.4.","The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.","During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.","Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.","In addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.","The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.","Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.","This box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  Virginia Statesmanfor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  Southern Patriot, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  Virginias Journal and\n                  GuideApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index.","There are no restrictions.","The Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"collection_ssim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, \n         \n         1772-1960"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1952-l"],"unitid_tesim":["1952-l"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Organization"],"arrangement_tesim":["SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         The first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         A. \n         Family, 1920-1960The correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         B. \n         Business, 1922-1950Office correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         C. \n         Personal, 1918- 1960Letters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         SERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026 LEGAL \n         Family bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         Negro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(Box 17) \n         SERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         A. \n         The Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950Letters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         B. \n         The Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         C. \n         Correspondence with Carter G.\n         WoodsonArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         D. \n         The NAACP, 1937- 1950Correspondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         E. \n         The I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950General correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         F. \n         The Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948Correspondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         G. \n         The Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950Correspondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         H. \n         The Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950Correspondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         I. \n         The Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950Letters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         J. \n         The Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946Correspondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         K. \n         The Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950(Box 48) \n         L. \n         The Petersburg Community ChoirA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         M. \n         The Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949Correspondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         N. \n         The Old Dominion Medical SocietyNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         O. \n         The Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948One letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         SERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         Letters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026 50) \n         SERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         A. \n         Blacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948Letters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         B. \n         The Butler Papers, 1813-1888Tax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         C. \n         The Dews Papers, 1802-1880Deeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         D. \n         The Layton Papers, 1861-1898Tax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         E. \n         The Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910Tax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         F. \n         By CountyPapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         G. \n         By CityThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         H. \n         MiscellaneousPapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         I. \n         Printed and DiaryPrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         J. \n         Research Notes(Box 60) \n         K. \n         Ledgers GeneralStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         L. \n         NotebooksHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         SERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         A. \n         News articles: \n         The Journal and\n         Guide(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         Typewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         B. \n         News Articles: Various PapersHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         C. \n         Articles in JournalPublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         D. \n         AddressesTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         E. \n         Papers, Reports, and Lecture NotesVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         F. \n         UnpublishedPapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         G. \n         BooksTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         SERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         Articles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         SERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026 GRADES \n         Family awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         SERIES X. PRINTED \n         Broadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         SERIES XI. VISUAL \n         A. \n         PhotographsFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         B. \n         Printer's BlocksWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         SERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         Cufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         SERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         Baby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         SERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         Loose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         SERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         Newspaper, awards and research data."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eLuther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDesiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026amp; I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe Journal and Guide\u003c/title\u003e(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eJackson authored these books: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eFree Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860\u003c/title\u003e(1942) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association\u003c/title\u003e(1937) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eNegro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895\u003c/title\u003e(1945) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eA Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia\u003c/title\u003e(1941) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War\u003c/title\u003e(1944) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eAdditional Biographical Data:\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eProgress Index\u003c/title\u003e, February\n         26,1980, p.4.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Sr. was born July 11, 1892 in\n         Lexington, Kentucky. He was the ninth child of Delilah\n         (Culvrson) Jackson and Edward Jackson. He early schooling was\n         at Chandler Normal School in Lexington, where he completed his\n         studies in 1910. Upon completion of his secondary education he\n         entered Fisk University where he received the A.B. degree in\n         1914. He remained at Fisk for another semester and in 1916 was\n         awarded the A.M. degree.","In 1915, at the ripe old age of twenty-three, he began his\n         teaching career at Vorhees Industrial School, Denmark, South\n         Carolina, where he was also Director of the Academic\n         Department. Jackson left South Carolina in 1918 and joined the\n         staff of the Topeka Industrial Institute, Topeka, Kansas, as\n         Instructor of history and music.","Desiring more education, he returned to the east and sought\n         graduate training at Columbia University in 1920. Here he was\n         to receive one of his many setbacks, which took in stride and\n         proceeded to correct. Writing to a former instructor at Fisk,\n         Jackson stated that Columbia did not consider his A.B. and\n         A.M. from Fisk up to their standards. He, therefore, enrolled\n         for one year at New York City College. Finally, in 1921, he\n         began his studies at Columbia, where he was graduated from\n         their Teachers College in 1922.","After completing his second masters degree, Luther Jackson\n         joined the faculty of what was then the Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute, now Virginia State University. While on\n         staff of the university, Luther Jackson continued his studies,\n         first at Columbia University and then at the University of\n         Chicago, where he received the Ph.D. in history in 1937. Soon\n         after arrival at V.N. \u0026 I.I., Jackson took over the\n         College High School and directed its activities from\n         1923-1928. He headed the history department from 1930-1950,\n         formed the \" League of Negro Voters\" in 1934, and in 1937\n         organized the \" Petersburg Business League\", which became the\n         Virginia Trade Association in 1941.","In 1935, Carter G. Woodson asked Luther Jackson to head all\n         fund-raising activities for the Association for the Study of\n         Negro Life and History. As chairman of the Virginia chapter,\n         Jackson went on to establish that chapter as one of the most\n         productive of all state chapters. Somehow he still found time\n         to conduct the Petersburg Community Choir of 100 voices, have\n         his doctoral dissertation, write a column for \n         The Journal and Guide(Norfolk,\n         Virginia) under the general heading of \"Rights and Duties in a\n         Democracy\" between 1942 until 1948. Although he was now\n         holding down enough work for two people, Jackson was appointed\n         to the Virginia World War II History Commission in 1944 and\n         worked with the N.A.A.C.P, which led to his receiving a plague\n         for service in 1948.","Jackson authored these books: \n         Free Negro Labor and Property Holding\n         in Virginia, 1830-1860(1942) \n         The History of the Virginia Stated\n         Teachers Association(1937) \n         Negro Office-Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895(1945) \n         A Short History of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia(1941) \n         Virginia Negro Soldiers and Seaman in\n         the Revolutionary War(1944)","In addition to joining the faculty, Luther Jackson married\n         a young lady whom he had met while they were both students at\n         Fisk University. The young lady was Johnella M. Frazer\n         (1897-), a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, the daughter of\n         Laura and Patterson Tilford Frazer; her father was President\n         of Hopkinsville College in Kentucky. Mrs. Jackson completed\n         the conservatory course at Fisk at the age of seventeen(17)\n         and toured with the Fisk \"Jubilee Singers\" for two years under\n         John Work. She joined the staff of Virginia Normal and\n         Industrial Institute in 1916, a full nine years before there\n         was a music department, as the University's first full time\n         instructor of piano.","Mrs. Jackson, like Luther, also recognized the need for\n         additional training. During the summer vacation she studied at\n         Temple University at the Chicago Music College and at Columbia\n         University. She remained at Virginia State University for\n         forty-nine years, retiring in 1965.","Additional Biographical Data:1. Lucious Edwards, Jr.\" The Luther Porter Jackson,\n         Sr.(1892-1950) Papers\" (paper presented at the 63rd meeting of\n         the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and\n         History, Los Angeles, CA, October 13, 1978) \n         2. Marva D. Curtis, \"The Virginia Voters League\"\n         (unpublished masters thesis, Virginia State University, 1979) \n         3. Lucious Edwards, Jr., \"Luther Jackson Leaves a Legacy\n         of History in Papers to Virginia State University,\" \n         Progress Index, February\n         26,1980, p.4."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eLuther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession\n            #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston\n            Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg,\n            VA.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Luther Porter Jackson Papers, 1772-1960, Accession\n            #1952-l, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston\n            Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg,\n            VA."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eJackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n    ","\u003cp\u003eThis box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginia Statesman\u003c/title\u003efor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eSouthern Patriot\u003c/title\u003e, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eVirginias Journal and\n                  Guide\u003c/title\u003eApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index.\u003c/p\u003e\n          "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Luther Porter Jackson are one of the most valuable\n         manuscript groups from a historical point of view in the\n         nation, for this former professor of history at Virginia State\n         University lived and worked during an era when the concept of\n         black inferiority was the accepted rule. In addition, this was\n         the time of \"Jim Crowism.\" Segregation was not \"de facto,\" it\n         was legal and challenged by few people, black and white.","During the major time span of these papers, 1920-1950, a\n         number of political and civil rights organizations developed\n         into potent forces and others were born: the NAACP, the Negro\n         Organizational Society, the Southern Regional Council, and the\n         Southern School for Workers. This manuscript group is rich in\n         correspondence with most of the leaders of these movements.\n         Some of the correspondence includes Walter White, Lorenzo C.\n         White, P. Bernard Young, Gordon Hancock and others.","Correspondence with Virginia based political and civil\n         rights groups is strong and gives a good picture of the tempo\n         of the era in the State: the Virginia Voters League, the\n         Committee for Virginia, the Petersburg Negro Business\n         League.","In addition to correspondence with major political and\n         civil rights organizations, Jackson maintained as interesting\n         relationship with others across the U.S. The business or\n         office correspondence of Luther P. Jackson from 1920-1950\n         include correspondence with John Hope Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois,\n         Hugh Smythe, Helen Edmonds, P. Bernard Young, E. Franklin\n         Frazier, Charles S. Johnson, Rayford Logan, Alrutheus Ambush\n         Taylor, Lorenzo J. Green and others.","The collection also consists of ledgers, pamphlets,\n         financial and legal documents, photographs, speeches,\n         newspaper articles, cards, telegrams, notebooks, artifacts and\n         Jackson's research materials.","Jackson collected personal papers of ante-bellum and\n         post-bellum black families in Virginia: The Butler Papers, the\n         Layton Papers, and the Stephen Wooldrige Papers. In his\n         research of free black property owners in Virginia, he\n         acquired a substantial amount of materials from various\n         counties and cities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.","This box contains articles about Negroes in the\n                  United States, race vote in Tampa, colored men's\n                  progressive club, Negro principal to stay as school\n                  integrates, a sample form of application for\n                  registration to vote in the state of Louisiana. A \n                  Virginia Statesmanfor\n                  April 21, 1950, the \n                  Southern Patriot, New\n                  Orleans, Louisiana, December 1948. \"The Boswell\n                  Amendment: Reaction in Alabama,\" \n                  Virginias Journal and\n                  GuideApril 22, 1950, the Progress Index."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The Luther Porter Jackson papers\n         include documents collected by Jackson to support his research\n         as well as the correspondence produced by Dr. and Mrs. Jackson\n         in connection with their work, interest, and friends. They\n         reflect Luther Jackson's life as a professor and researcher of\n         history and his connections with various political and\n         educational organizations; the official records of the\n         Virginia Voters League and the official records of all fund\n         raising for the Virginia Branch of the Association for the\n         Study of Negro Life and History Inc."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":2288,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe first five folders contain writings about Jackson.\n         Some material is not a part of the original manuscript group.\n         (Box 1) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eFamily, 1920-1960\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe correspondence between Luther and Johnella Jackson\n         are arranged chronologically from 1920-1950. Additionally,\n         letters, postcards and telegrams are arranged alphabetically\n         by the other members of the family. (Boxes 1-5) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBusiness, 1922-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eOffice correspondence, extensive, arranged\n         chronologically. (Boxes 5-12) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePersonal, 1918- 1960\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged alphabetically by writer. (Boxes 13-16)\n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES III. FINANCIAL \u0026amp; LEGAL \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily bills, tax statements, school bills and stocks.\n         Arranged by type. Copyright for Jackson's \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eNegro Office Holders in Virginia,\n         1865-1895\u003c/title\u003e(Box 17) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES IV. ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Voters League,\n         1934-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards, and telegrams arranged by county,\n         and city. Records include minutes and reports. (Boxes 18-27) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Teachers Association Office\n         of the \"Civic Education Secretaries Office,\" 1941- 1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe Association for the Study of Negro Life and History,\n         Inc., 1923-1950 (Boxes 28-34) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eCorrespondence with Carter G.\n         Woodson\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eArranged chronologically. Other correspondence arranged\n         by county, City, and organization. (Boxes 35-41) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe NAACP, 1937- 1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence with officials of the NAACP (state and\n         local), arranged chronologically. (Box 42) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe I.B.P.O.E. of W.(the Elks),\n         1943-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eGeneral correspondence arranged chronologically and the\n         Lodge's alphabetically by lodge. (Box 43) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eThe Virginia World War II History\n         Commission, 1944-1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence, minutes and reports of the commission\n         arranged chronologically. Some personal war service records\n         arranged alphabetically. Photographs in container 109. Numbers\n         on folders correspond with folder numbers in the original\n         series. (Box 44) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Southern Regional Council, 1942-\n         1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence arranged chronologically; minutes for\n         some meetings. (Box 45) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eH. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Negro Organizational Society, 1941-\n         1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence with the president and field secretaries,\n         minutes (1944-1949) arranged chronologically. (Box 46) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eI. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Committee for Virginia,\n         1944-1950\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged chronologically, a few minutes,\n         reports. (Box 47) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eJ. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Negro Business League,\n         1935-1946\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence between Jackson, national and local\n         leaders. Chronologically arranged; one article, one report and\n         one skit. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eK. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Virginia Society for Research,\n         1942-1950\u003c/emph\u003e(Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eL. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Community Choir\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA history, a financial report and membership rosters.\n         Photographs in container 109. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eM. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Southern School for Workers,\n         1944-1949\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCorrespondence arranged chronologically. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eN. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Old Dominion Medical Society\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eNames of some of the members. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eO. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Petersburg Interracial Committee,\n         1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eOne letter and a proposed constitution. (Box 48) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES V. MATERIAL RELATING TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER\n         JACKSON \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, telegrams and postcards, arranged\n         chronologically. One box of sympathy cards and one of floral\n         cards. (Boxes 49 \u0026amp; 50) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VI. RESEARCH DATA: COLLECTED \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBlacks voting in the South,\n         1947-1948\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters arranged alphabetically by state and then\n         chronologically within the state. (Box 50) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Butler Papers, 1813-1888\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts, identification papers, general receipts\n         and a marriage license. Chronologically arranged. (Box 51) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Dews Papers, 1802-1880\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eDeeds for properties, tax receipts and general receipts,\n         arranged chronologically. (Box 52) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Layton Papers, 1861-1898\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts, deeds for properties, teaching\n         certificates. Arranged chronologically. (Box 53) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThe Woolridge Papers, 1883-1910\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTax receipts and general receipts. Few items about the\n         \"Jordan Baptist Church.\" Chronologically arranged. (Box 54) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBy County\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers concerning ante and postpellum blacks in some\n         Virginia Counties. Identification papers, receipts. Arranged\n         chronologically within each county and then arranged\n         alphabetically by county also. (Boxes 55-56) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBy City\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eThe same as above. Arranged alphabetically by city and\n         then chronologically within each city. (Box 57) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eH. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eMiscellaneous\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers of antebellum free blacks and slaves. Receipts,\n         identification papers, arranged chronologically. (Box 58) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eI. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePrinted and Diary\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePrinted pamphlets; handwritten diary belonging to Samuel\n         T. Miller, a missionary in South Africa, 1881-1882. (Box 59) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eJ. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eResearch Notes\u003c/emph\u003e(Box 60) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eK. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eLedgers General\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eStockholders ledges, one ledger used as a news clipping\n         scrapbook. (Box 61) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eL. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eNotebooks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHandwritten and typed data, no arrangement, subject\n         varies. (Boxes 62- 63) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY LUTHER P. JACKSON \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eNews articles\u003c/emph\u003e: \n         \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eThe Journal and\n         Guide\u003c/title\u003e(Norfolk,VA), 1942-1947 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTypewritten news column. Arranged chronologically. Box\n         list available. (Boxes 64- 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eNews Articles: Various Papers\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHandwritten and typed sheets, chronological order, some\n         without titles. Box list available. (Box 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eC. \n         \u003cemph render=\"underline\"\u003eArticles in Journal\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePublished items, handwritten and typed, copy of printed\n         articles. (Box 66) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eD. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eAddresses\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTyped and handwritten speeches, arranged\n         chronologically. (Box 67) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eE. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePapers, Reports, and Lecture Notes\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eVarious papers and reports, few lecture notes, skits,\n         radio broadcast, handwritten and typed;separated by type, but\n         otherwise there is no arrangement. (Box 67) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eF. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eUnpublished\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003ePapers and term papers, essay, handwritten and typed; no\n         arrangement. (Box 68) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eG. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eBooks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTypewritten manuscripts. (Boxes 69- 70) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES VIII. MATERIAL WRITTEN BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE\n         FAMILY \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eArticles written by Luther P. Jackson Jr. (Box 71) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES IX. AWARDS \u0026amp; GRADES \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily awards and a few grades of some family members.\n         (Box 72) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES X. PRINTED \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eBroadsides, leaflets, programs relating to Jackson. (Box\n         73) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XI. VISUAL \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eA. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePhotographs\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFamily, friends and Va. World War II History Commision,\n         organizations; some unidentifiable. (Box 74-76) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eB. \n         \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003ePrinter's Blocks\u003c/emph\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eWood cuts used for publication. (Boxes 77- 80) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XII. ARTIFACTS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eCufflinks, tie clamp, neck scarf, doctoral gown, hood\n         and mortarboard. (Box 81) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XII. MEMORABILIA \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eBaby books, collected programs, Christmas, general\n         greeting and get-well cards, etc. Arranged by type. (Boxes\n         82-84) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XIV. NEWSCLIPPINGS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLoose newsclippings from various newspapers on a variety\n         of subjects, no arrangement (Boxes 85) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSERIES XV. OVERSIZED ITEMS \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eNewspaper, awards and research data.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "]}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00009_c07_c01_c251"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t.","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t.","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t."],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t."],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t."],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n. d. n. t.","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:75"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":80,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:75"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#37","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c38"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:76"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":81,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:76"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#38","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c39"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:76"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":82,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:76"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#39","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c40"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:77"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":83,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:77"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#40","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c41"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:78"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":84,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:78"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#41","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c42"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:79"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":85,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:79"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#42","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c43"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:80"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":86,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:80"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#43","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c44"}},{"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45","type":"Sub-Series","attributes":{"title":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45","ref_ssm":["vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45"],"id":"vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001_c03","parent_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_ids_ssim":["vipets_vipets00001","vipets_vipets00001_c03"],"title_filing_ssi":"At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"title_tesim":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"normalized_title_ssm":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t"],"text":["At Gillfield \n                  n.d.n.t","Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928","Box-folder 5:81"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","Speeches and Writings \n               \n               1884-1928"],"level_ssm":["Sub-Series"],"level_ssim":["Sub-series"],"component_level_isim":[2],"sort_isi":87,"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"containers_ssim":["Box-folder 5:81"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"_nest_path_":"/components#2/components#44","timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_ssi":"vipets_vipets00001","_root_":"vipets_vipets00001","_nest_parent_":"vipets_vipets00001","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/vsu/vipets00001.xml","title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"text":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935","1957-3","There are no restrictions.","Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos","In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.","The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.","There are no restrictions.","The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"collection_ssim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers \n         \n         1884-1935"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["1957-3"],"unitid_tesim":["1957-3"],"repository_ssm":["Virginia State University"],"repository_ssim":["Virginia State University"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n            Virginia State University around 1957."],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries I:\u003c/emph\u003eCorrespondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 1 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 2 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eLetters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries II:\u003c/emph\u003eFinancial and legal \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 3 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eTeaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries III:\u003c/emph\u003eSpeeches and Writings \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 4-7 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eFour boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries IV:\u003c/emph\u003ePhotographs \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 8-14 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSeven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries V:\u003c/emph\u003ePrinted (Memorabilia) \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: 15 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eAnnouncements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VI:\u003c/emph\u003eScrapbooks \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 16-19 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eSome of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VII:\u003c/emph\u003eArtifacts \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainers: 20-25 \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eHousehold articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003e\u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eSeries VIII:\u003c/emph\u003eOversize \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eContainer: \n         \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003eMaps and Photos\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Series Description"],"arrangement_tesim":["Series I:Correspondence: Family,\n         Personal, Business, and Military \n         Container: 1 \n         Container: 2 \n         Letters, postcards and telegrams arranged\n         chronologically. 1884-1935","Series II:Financial and legal \n         Container: 3 \n         Teaching contracts, receipts, agreements, certificates,\n         and military discharge. Arranged by type","Series III:Speeches and Writings \n         Containers: 4-7 \n         Four boxes of handwritten and several printed speeches\n         and articles. Included is an autobiography. A list of\n         Publications.","Series IV:Photographs \n         Containers: 8-14 \n         Seven boxes, family, friends work and church scenes. In\n         box 12 are the photos of the 6th Virginia United States\n         Colored Volunteers.","Series V:Printed (Memorabilia) \n         Container: 15 \n         Announcements, Commencement programs, Broadsides,\n         Programs, Invitations, Pamphlets. Two very interesting items:\n         A Restaurant Menu from his father-in-law's business on Bank\n         Street, and the first invitation to the \"Ugly Club\" 1886.","Series VI:Scrapbooks \n         Containers: 16-19 \n         Some of everything. Programs, cards, photographs and\n         some correspondence.","Series VII:Artifacts \n         Containers: 20-25 \n         Household articles, toys and games. Two boxes of\n         military items. There are also two military footlockers and\n         the sheath for a dress saber.","Series VIII:Oversize \n         Container: \n         Maps and Photos"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eIn 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHis story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHenry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThen, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eHe worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eIn 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eNannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eDuring the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eWhen war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAll black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eAlthough William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eLast but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["In 1935 the highest-ranking black officer in the disbanded\n         6th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War, died.\n         Few Virginians have ever heard of the 6th Virginia, let alone\n         their commander, Major William Henry Johnson.","His story is unique, also, because he was one of the most\n         successful post-bellum blacks in Petersburg who was not a\n         descendant of the antebellum free black population. (There\n         were around 3,200 free blacks in 1860). Major Johnson was from\n         the slave population (which numbered around 5,000 in 1860).\n         Free blacks had a slight advantage over the larger slave\n         population, although they themselves were not truly free. They\n         did have a bit more freedom of movement than their slave\n         brethren did. In addition, some had some property that could\n         be sold or borrowed upon to finance to own or accumulate\n         property; therefore at emancipation they were truly\n         penniless.","Major Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, was born a slave\n         around 1835 in Ettrick on Fleets Farm, what is now Virginia\n         State University, and he grew up in the old plantation house.\n         He remained a slave until the Union Army moved through Ettrick\n         following Robert E. Lee in April of 1865.","William Henry Johnson's mother, Malinda, was also a slave;\n         she resided in Petersburg. October 1, 1858, her only child was\n         born on Old Street (which is now Grove Avenue). In fact, in\n         1865 when Ulysses S. Grant entered Petersburg, her owner,\n         Major P. Branch, fled to Danville taking Malinda and her\n         six-year old son with him. William Henry's early years were\n         spent in several places in Petersburg. At one time he lived on\n         Old Street near Market, opposite Dunlop's Tobacco Factory.\n         Another home was on the site of the old Titus Foundry. He also\n         lived for some time on High Street and South Sycamore\n         Street.","After General Lee's surrender, his mother and father were\n         reunited. Later in the year his father brought a piece of\n         property in the old field area in the vicinity of what is now\n         Rome Street. Here his father built a small house, which is\n         still standing, at what is now 1151 Rome Street. The family\n         moved in at Christmas 1865.","Henry Johnson for 45 years was a teamster, driving his own\n         horse and wagon. For a brief time he was a partner in an\n         oyster house near the corner of Union and Oak Streets.","Then, as today, many blacks connected upward mobility with\n         one's level of education. William Henry Johnson's parents were\n         of that opinion and began his schooling at home. His first\n         teacher, other than his mother, was a Mrs. Addie Berry who\n         taught school at her home on Perry Street. Next, was Mr.\n         Collier Tabb who taught school at \"East Hill\" on Lombard\n         Street. His next mover was to the basement of the Gillfield\n         Baptist Church under a Mr. Bates. After spending some time\n         there he was enrolled in another private school. A former\n         Confederate Army officer, Major Giles B. Cooke, taught this\n         one. This school was located in the same building as the old\n         First Baptist church near Garrison and Filmore Streets. He was\n         graduated in 1874 (the first graduating class).","During the summer and early fall months when school was not\n         in session, William Henry prepared for a trade. He chose to\n         become a cooper (one who makes barrels). He secured summer\n         employment at a barrel company in Richmond where he remained\n         for two summers. Here he learned the early stages of barrel\n         construction, called \"slack work\". Upon mastering \"slack work\"\n         he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Wilson Goodwyn who had a shop\n         on Union Street, to learn \"tight work\". During the next two\n         years (1874-1886) he became a master cooper, making barrels\n         for Myers Whiskey Distillery in Blandford, flour and hogshead\n         and tierces for Ropers Tobacco Factory on Halifax Street.","After he completed his apprenticeship, his mother and\n         father decided that he should go to college. The three of them\n         met with Rev. Mr. Henry Williams, their pastor, and together\n         agreed upon Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute. Despite\n         the necessity of constant employment, after two years of study\n         he was graduated from Hampton with a normal degree in 1878. In\n         addition to his degree he also attended several summer\n         teaching institutes at what is now Virginia State\n         University.","After graduating from Hampton, Johnson returned home to\n         Petersburg and began trying to locate a teaching position.\n         That October he was offered a position in Surry County, about\n         three miles from the courthouse. His new job involved teaching\n         night school and paid $20 per month plus room and board and\n         lodging. His students were both young and old, eager to learn,\n         and he was an enthusiastic teacher.","He worked in Surry for five months. Later the following\n         fall, quite by chance, on a walk through lower Chesterfield\n         County he encountered a Captain Blankenship who was the County\n         School Superintendent. A conference was held and the\n         superintendent then offered a position at a new school that\n         was under construction near what is now Virginia State\n         University. He accepted the position and taught at that\n         school, which was later called the \"Old Brickyard School\" on\n         Dupuy Road in Ettrick.","Major Johnson taught at this school for seven years, seven\n         months a year at $30 per month. In 1886 he was offered the\n         principalship of Lombard Street School in Petersburg , with a\n         nine-month school year and a record-breaking wage of $40 per\n         month. He accepted right away. This was not just a raise of\n         $150 per year, this also made it possible for him to give up\n         making barrels in the evenings from March through August. This\n         job as a cooper paid $3 - $4 per day and was used to\n         supplement his teaching salary. He remained at Lombard Street\n         School for two years until a new position at the Jones Street\n         School was offered and accepted. Here he remained as principal\n         for 31 years until the building was razed and the new\n         Peabody-Williams Building was erected as a combination\n         elementary and high school in 1919. He opposed this combined\n         school because he felt the two levels should be in separate\n         buildings. Nevertheless, he became principal of the elementary\n         division until he retired in 1929. After 43 years of teaching\n         in the city of Petersburg and more than 50 years in the state\n         of Virginia.","In 1887 William Henry Johnson married Miss Nannie Brewer.\n         The new Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John\n         Brewer, who were very highly respected citizens of Petersburg.\n         Mr. John Brewer's father was born a slave and belonged to\n         James Nicholas. As a slave, Mr. Brewer was allowed to \"hire\n         out,\" that is, he was allowed to engage in some type of extra\n         work where a part of the money went to the owner and the rest\n         was pocketed by the slave. By late 1864, Brewer had managed to\n         pay his owner a $1000 and was allowed to purchase himself from\n         his owner. His self-purchase was within four months of the end\n         of the Confederacy when all slaves were automatically free. In\n         the early years, he was a painter. Later he owned and operated\n         on of the most popular restaurants in Petersburg. His place\n         was located at 10 Bank Street.","Nannie Brewer Johnson was educated in Petersburg and\n         attended the 1888 Normal for Teachers, an institute held at\n         what is now Virginia State University. Mrs. Johnson was active\n         in community and church work. She was a faithful member of\n         Gillfield Baptist Church. Major and Mrs. Johnson were married\n         for 48 years.","During the era of black slavery, one of the greater fears\n         of the white community was that of an armed rebellion of\n         blacks. When the Civil War began, many free blacks in the\n         south volunteered to take up arms for the Confederacy. This\n         was true even in Petersburg. However, the state of Virginia\n         was not prepared to accept armed black men, even volunteers.\n         This policy remained until 1871 when Virginia reorganized the\n         state Militia and allowed the formation of volunteer companies\n         black and white.","The first black volunteer company in Petersburg came into\n         existence in June of 1873. They were the Petersburg Guards,\n         organized and captained by John H. Hill. For five years the\n         Guards were the only black volunteer company in Petersburg. In\n         1878, however, Lieutenant Peyton L. Farley of the Guards\n         resigned and organized the Petersburg Blues, which he also\n         captained. William Henry Johnson joined the Blues in 1878 as a\n         private. The Blues began complying a notable record in\n         competition with other companies throughout the state. In 1881\n         they were invited to participate in the inaugural parade of\n         President James A. Garfield. In 1888 Johnson, now a captain,\n         led the Blues on a very successful trip to Providence, Long\n         Island, and Boston, Massachusetts. Between the years\n         1888-1897, Captain Johnson became Major Johnson and assumed\n         command of the 2nd Battalion, Virginia Volunteer Infantry. In\n         1897 the Ulysses S. Grant Monument Parade was held in New York\n         City and both the first and second Battalions made a fine\n         showing for themselves and the state.","When war with Spain was declared in 1898, the two black\n         battalions were federalized and became the 6th Virginia U.S.\n         Volunteer Army of the Spanish American War. The men met and\n         voted to serve anywhere they were sent and elected to serve\n         under their own officers. When this reached the press, an\n         uproar evolved over the latter statement. Some whites opposed\n         the idea of black officers. The unit, nevertheless, moved to a\n         training camp at Camp Poland near Knoxville, Tennessee. There,\n         a rumor concerning the ouster of all black officers were\n         proven to be true.","All black officers were ordered to take an exam to\n         determine whether they would be allowed to keep their ranks.\n         The black officers declared that they had all taken exams\n         before training their ranks, and what if those exams were good\n         enough then, they should be good enough now. When the second\n         order was given, nine black officers resigned. White officers\n         were immediately selected to fill the vacancies. The men of\n         the 6th Virginia were very upset. Their former black officers\n         asked them to go on without them. The war, however, ended so\n         quickly that the men from Virginia never saw service in Cuba\n         or the Philippines. The unit was discharged in Georgia in\n         1899. Virginia disbanded the black Volunteer companies and\n         would not accept black again in the State National Guard for\n         many years. Major Johnson continued to try and convince the\n         governors of the state to allow the reformation of the black\n         militia companies, but with no success.","Aside from a purely military function the black companies\n         also served as social organs for the black community. Socials\n         and picnics were held and enjoyed by all. The wives and\n         sweethearts of the men formed various auxiliaries and took it\n         upon themselves to help raise funds and to purchase such items\n         as ceremonial swords and flags.","Major William Henry Johnson and his wife were members of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church , which has been located on Perry\n         Street since 1815. He had been associated with the church\n         since birth and was baptized in the year 1886. When the Rev.\n         Mr. Henry Williams died in 1900 he became superintendent of\n         the Gillfield Baptist Church Sunday School. He also served as\n         church clerk and financial secretary, was a vice-president of\n         the home mission and president of the Gillfield Baptist Church\n         Temperance Society. He served the Bethany Baptist Sunday\n         School Convention as president for twenty-five years and\n         recording secretary for five years.","Although William Henry spent a considerable amount of time\n         in other activities, he still found time to become involved\n         with different groups around the city and state. He was\n         vice-president of the Negro Organizational Society, which was\n         founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute. This was and\n         organization dedicated to the improvement of health, education\n         and agriculture amongst black people. Johnson was one of the\n         founders of a black Chamber of Commerce in Petersburg and\n         served as their president in 1924. In 1925 he was elected\n         vice-president of the Old Dominion Investment Company, a black\n         local bank, and he was connected with the Ideal Investment\n         Company and Realty Corporation of Virginia, also a local black\n         banking concern.","Last but not least, he was one of the first black feature\n         writers for a white southern newspaper. In 1919 the Petersburg\n         Progress-Index engaged him to write a serious column about\n         black life in the city. The column appeared first as \"Rome\n         Street\" and was then renamed \"Subjects of Interest to Colored\n         Readers.\" It lasted for 16 years, until 1935."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMajor William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"prefercite_tesim":["Major William Henry Johnson Papers, Accession #1957-3,\n            Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.\u003c/p\u003e\n      ","\u003cp\u003eThe Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks.\u003c/p\u003e\n    "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content Information"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The papers of Major William Henry Johnson were given to\n         Virginia State University around 1957. They reflect the\n         accomplishments of a person born a slave of slave parents in\n         an uncertain time. There is personal and business\n         correspondence dating from 1884. Hundreds of photographs show\n         the black population in and around Petersburg frozen in time,\n         leaving us a vivid picture of what they considered important\n         in their lives. Perhaps the most outstanding series of papers\n         is that which concern most of his speeches and writings. These\n         cover a variety of topics and gives us an idea of what the\n         black elite thought about their own lives an how they viewed\n         the issues of their day.","The Johnson papers are one of the most interesting bodies\n         of papers left by a post-bellum black of this time period.\n         They are a true reflection of a time now gone. These, and\n         other items such as these, will help us to understand more\n         about this time and the often-neglected role by blacks."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n      "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["There are no restrictions."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The William Henry Johnson papers\n         include correspondence, speeches, photographs and other\n         documents. They reflect William Henry Johnson's life as an\n         educator, soldier and community leader."],"language_ssim":["English"],"total_component_count_is":381,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-06-23T07:05:55.361Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/vipets_vipets00001_c03_c45"}}],"included":[{"type":"facet","id":"repository_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Repository","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Virginia State University","value":"Virginia State 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