{"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026page=10\u0026view=compact","prev":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026page=9\u0026view=compact","next":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026page=11\u0026view=compact","last":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026page=227\u0026view=compact"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":10,"next_page":11,"prev_page":9,"total_pages":227,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":90,"total_count":2270,"first_page?":false,"last_page?":false}},"data":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e1 p. Re: his dismay at her not writing to him. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c07","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c07","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c07"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c07"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n October 1864"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n October 1864"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n October 1864","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864.","box-folder 1:7","1 p. Re: his dismay at her not writing to him.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 29 October 1864."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":52,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:7"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e1 p. Re: his dismay at her not writing to him.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["1 p. Re: his dismay at her not writing to him.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#6/components#3","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c07_c04"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: plans for wedding on 15 March 1865, and location of Rev. Leftwich. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865.","box-folder 1:9","2 p. Re: plans for wedding on 15 March 1865, and location of Rev. Leftwich.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 3 March 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":64,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:9"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: plans for wedding on 15 March 1865, and location of Rev. Leftwich.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["2 p. Re: plans for wedding on 15 March 1865, and location of Rev. Leftwich.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#8/components#3","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c04"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e4 p. Re: his missing her, his continued dismay over postponement of wedding, and his admonishment for her not to show \"partiality to other young gentlemen after I gave you such a good lecturing about it.\" \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c08","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c08","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c08"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c08"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n November - December 1864"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n November - December 1864"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n November - December 1864","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864.","box-folder 1:8","4 p. Re: his missing her, his continued dismay over postponement of wedding, and his admonishment for her not to show \"partiality to other young gentlemen after I gave you such a good lecturing about it.\"\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion Magnetic Furnace, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 7 December 1864."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":59,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:8"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e4 p. Re: his missing her, his continued dismay over postponement of wedding, and his admonishment for her not to show \"partiality to other young gentlemen after I gave you such a good lecturing about it.\"\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["4 p. Re: his missing her, his continued dismay over postponement of wedding, and his admonishment for her not to show \"partiality to other young gentlemen after I gave you such a good lecturing about it.\"\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#7/components#3","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c08_c04"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: illness of Priscilla Scott Thomas, death and funeral of \"Uncle Edward\" [possibly Edward A. Scott], furniture for their house, property in Alexandria [probably the Mount Vernon Cotton Factory] -- \"I have no confidence whatever with the success of the enterprise,\" and his father [Abijah Thomas] giving him \"a start at the tannery \u0026amp; then turn the entire management of it over to me.\" \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865.","box-folder 1:10","2 p. Re: illness of Priscilla Scott Thomas, death and funeral of \"Uncle Edward\" [possibly Edward A. Scott], furniture for their house, property in Alexandria [probably the Mount Vernon Cotton Factory] -- \"I\nhave no confidence whatever with the success of the enterprise,\" and his father [Abijah Thomas] giving him \"a start at the tannery \u0026 then turn the entire management of it over to me.\"\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 December 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":77,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:10"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: illness of Priscilla Scott Thomas, death and funeral of \"Uncle Edward\" [possibly Edward A. Scott], furniture for their house, property in Alexandria [probably the Mount Vernon Cotton Factory] -- \"I\nhave no confidence whatever with the success of the enterprise,\" and his father [Abijah Thomas] giving him \"a start at the tannery \u0026amp; then turn the entire management of it over to me.\"\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["2 p. Re: illness of Priscilla Scott Thomas, death and funeral of \"Uncle Edward\" [possibly Edward A. Scott], furniture for their house, property in Alexandria [probably the Mount Vernon Cotton Factory] -- \"I\nhave no confidence whatever with the success of the enterprise,\" and his father [Abijah Thomas] giving him \"a start at the tannery \u0026 then turn the entire management of it over to me.\"\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#9/components#7","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c08"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e4 p. Re: health of infant nephew Thomas Martin Carter [son of Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and John Davis Carter], visit of Colonel Carter, construction work on their house, his desire to enter business partnership with James Ward Stuart, his wish that she join the church, possibility of Lucy [unknown] to work for them, hiring of former slave Sam [unknown] for work at tannery \"I could give him the same wages I am giving the common white laborer in my employment,\" and good conditions for employees in shoe factory of Galahan [Gollehon]. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865.","box-folder 1:10","4 p. Re: health of infant nephew Thomas Martin Carter [son of Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and John Davis Carter], visit of Colonel Carter, construction work on their house, his desire to enter business\npartnership with James Ward Stuart, his wish that she join the church, possibility of Lucy [unknown] to work for them, hiring of former slave Sam [unknown] for work at tannery \"I could give him the same wages I am\ngiving the common white laborer in my employment,\" and good conditions for employees in shoe factory of Galahan [Gollehon].\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas [Wytheville, Virginia.]\n 18 December 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":78,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:10"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e4 p. Re: health of infant nephew Thomas Martin Carter [son of Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and John Davis Carter], visit of Colonel Carter, construction work on their house, his desire to enter business\npartnership with James Ward Stuart, his wish that she join the church, possibility of Lucy [unknown] to work for them, hiring of former slave Sam [unknown] for work at tannery \"I could give him the same wages I am\ngiving the common white laborer in my employment,\" and good conditions for employees in shoe factory of Galahan [Gollehon].\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["4 p. Re: health of infant nephew Thomas Martin Carter [son of Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and John Davis Carter], visit of Colonel Carter, construction work on their house, his desire to enter business\npartnership with James Ward Stuart, his wish that she join the church, possibility of Lucy [unknown] to work for them, hiring of former slave Sam [unknown] for work at tannery \"I could give him the same wages I am\ngiving the common white laborer in my employment,\" and good conditions for employees in shoe factory of Galahan [Gollehon].\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#9/components#8","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c09"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: completion of construction of their house, and work at tannery. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865.","box-folder 1:10","2 p. Re: completion of construction of their house, and work at tannery.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 20 December 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":79,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:10"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: completion of construction of their house, and work at tannery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["2 p. Re: completion of construction of their house, and work at tannery.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#9/components#9","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c10"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e2 p. [fragment] Re: sawing shingles for house, work on portico, butchering of hogs, inquiry about her plans to move into new house, and inquiry about hiring of former slaves Lucy, Fount, and Sam, and Mose White a former servant of Oral Sprinkle. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865.","box-folder 1:10","2 p. [fragment] Re: sawing shingles for house, work on portico, butchering of hogs, inquiry about her plans to move into new house, and inquiry about hiring of former slaves Lucy, Fount, and Sam, and Mose White\na former servant of Oral Sprinkle.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Marion, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, [Wytheville, Virginia.\n 23 December 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":80,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:10"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e2 p. [fragment] Re: sawing shingles for house, work on portico, butchering of hogs, inquiry about her plans to move into new house, and inquiry about hiring of former slaves Lucy, Fount, and Sam, and Mose White\na former servant of Oral Sprinkle.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["2 p. [fragment] Re: sawing shingles for house, work on portico, butchering of hogs, inquiry about her plans to move into new house, and inquiry about hiring of former slaves Lucy, Fount, and Sam, and Mose White\na former servant of Oral Sprinkle.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#9/components#10","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c11"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: working on mill, her more \"judicious\" love for him, mentions Mr. Benham, Jim Byars, and Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and Dr. John Davis Carter. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c10","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c10"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n June - December 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865.","box-folder 1:10","2 p. Re: working on mill, her more \"judicious\" love for him, mentions Mr. Benham, Jim Byars, and Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and Dr. John Davis Carter.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart Thomas, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 11 June 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":70,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:10"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e2 p. Re: working on mill, her more \"judicious\" love for him, mentions Mr. Benham, Jim Byars, and Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and Dr. John Davis Carter.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["2 p. Re: working on mill, her more \"judicious\" love for him, mentions Mr. Benham, Jim Byars, and Virginia Ann Thomas Carter and Dr. John Davis Carter.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#9/components#0","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c10_c01"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e3 p. Re: her role as his guardian angel, and visit to cousin Vic [Victoria Apperson Hull] and Pauline Hull and their knowledge of the engagement. \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865.","box-folder 1:9","3 p. Re: her role as his guardian angel, and visit to cousin Vic [Victoria Apperson Hull] and Pauline Hull and their knowledge of the engagement.\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 15 January 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":61,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:9"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e3 p. Re: her role as his guardian angel, and visit to cousin Vic [Victoria Apperson Hull] and Pauline Hull and their knowledge of the engagement.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["3 p. Re: her role as his guardian angel, and visit to cousin Vic [Victoria Apperson Hull] and Pauline Hull and their knowledge of the engagement.\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#8/components#0","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c01"}},{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865.","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003e3 p. Re: assurance that she will come to love him \"I don't think I have ever yet failed to gain the affectionate regard of any worthy person with whom I have long associated.\" \u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02","ref_ssm":["viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02"],"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003_c09","parent_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_ids_ssim":["viwyc_viwyc00003","viwyc_viwyc00003_c09"],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865"],"text":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","Correspondence\n January - April 1865","Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865.","box-folder 1:9","3 p. Re: assurance that she will come to love him \"I don't think I have ever yet failed to gain the affectionate regard of any worthy person with whom I have long associated.\"\n"],"title_filing_ssi":"Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865.\n","title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865.\n"],"title_tesim":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865.\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Charles Benton Thomas, Mountain View, Smyth County, Virginia to Laura Stuart, Wytheville, Virginia.\n 22 January 1865."],"component_level_isim":[2],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":0,"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"sort_isi":62,"containers_ssim":["box-folder 1:9"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e3 p. Re: assurance that she will come to love him \"I don't think I have ever yet failed to gain the affectionate regard of any worthy person with whom I have long associated.\"\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_tesim":["3 p. Re: assurance that she will come to love him \"I don't think I have ever yet failed to gain the affectionate regard of any worthy person with whom I have long associated.\"\n"],"_nest_path_":"/components#8/components#1","timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_ssi":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_root_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","_nest_parent_":"viwyc_viwyc00003","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/wcc/viwyc00003.xml","title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865\n"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["2001.3\n"],"text":["2001.3\n","Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865","This collection consists of eight folders.","This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n","A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n","English\n"],"unitid_tesim":["2001.3\n"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_title_tesim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"collection_ssim":["Stuart Family Papers\n 1831-1865"],"repository_ssm":["Wytheville Community College"],"repository_ssim":["Wytheville Community College"],"acqinfo_ssim":["The original provenance of the letters is unknown. Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood procured the letters through purchase or donation. In 2001 his widow Ruth Anne Chitwood donated the Stuart Family Papers, as part of\nthe W. Randolph Chitwood Collection, to Wytheville Community College.\n"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"physdesc_tesim":["This collection consists of eight folders."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eFolder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLetters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement\n"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged into ten folders comprising correspondence (1831-1865, undated). Folder 1 (Correspondence, 1831-1854) contains letters written in the early 1850s from George Stuart to his second\nwife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding his business transactions in Nashville, Tennessee and his service with the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Also included in Folder 1 is an 1831 letter from Mary\nHarrison Crockett to Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart regarding childbirth complications. An 1854 letter from James Ward Stuart at the University of Virginia to his parents is also contained in this folder.\n","Folder 2 (1855-1860) contains letters written by George Stuart to his wife Margaret Stuart regarding the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, letters to Laura Stuart from her parents, a letter from James Ward\nStuart at the University of Virginia to his parents, and a letter from Alex S. Mathews to George Stuart regarding the turnpike. Also included is a letter from Mary [unknown] to Margaret Stuart and a letter from J.\nL. Hay, a student at Emory and Henry, to Jane Stuart.\n","Folder 3 (1863), Folder 4 (January - March 1864), and Folder 5 (April - July 1864) are comprised of letters from James Ward Stuart, W. A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, Waldo W. Walton, and William A. Hurt to\nLaura Stuart regarding camp life and campaigns of Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, as well as instructions from James Stuart regarding family business, slaves, and agriculture.\n","Folder 6 (August - September 1864), Folder 7 (October 1864), and Folder 8 (November - December 1864) contain letters of Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their engagement, his work at Marion\nMagnetic Furnace, and the Battle of Saltville. Letters from James Ward Stuart in these folders continue a chronicle of his Confederate service including the siege of Petersburg. Letters from William Stuart\ndescribe the battles of Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek and the participation of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment. James Ward Stuart also advises his sister regarding management of slaves, crops, and business interests\nin Wythe County.\n","Letters from Charles Benton Thomas to Laura Stuart regarding their marriage and his work at the Onondaga Tannery and Marion Magnetic Furnace, and business transactions of his father Abijah Thomas are found in\nFolder 9 (January - April 1865) and Folder 10 (June - December 1865). Also contained in these folders are letters from James Ward Stuart, Waldo W. Walton, and William Stuart to Laura Stuart and Jane Stuart that\nprovide insight into the Petersburg campaign. Post-war letters from William Stuart provide a glimpse into his life in Mount Airy, Virginia. Finally, letters from Jane Stuart to Laura Stuart Thomas give information\non her illness and treatment by Mrs. Spiller, and household matters.\n"],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eJames Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWilliam Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLaura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eCrockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSlaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eStuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e* [Mack Sturgill in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eAbijah Thomas and His Octagonal House\u003c/title\u003e gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in \u003ctitle type=\"simple\" render=\"italic\" href=\"\"\u003eTombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery\u003c/title\u003e gives\n4 November 1837.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eWalton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical/Historical Information\n"],"bioghist_tesim":["A resident of Cook County, Tennessee, George Stuart (1789-1862) had several children by his first wife including James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr. On 14\nFebruary 1832 he married Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward (1796-1864), the wealthy widow of James Ward (1781-1823) and daughter of prosperous Evansham merchant William Hay (1763-1839). Margaret Stuart inherited\nvaluable estates in land, slaves, and money from her father and her first husband; her second husband George Stuart purchased interest in the estates both of James Ward and William Hay. George traveled frequently\nto Nashville, Tennessee in order to collect debts and conduct legal transactions pertaining to these estates. In 1853, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company appointed him to their Board of Directors;\nSubsequently, he journeyed to Lynchburg, Virginia frequently on railroad business.\n","The Stuarts raised five children including Jane Stuart (1832-1868), James Ward Stuart (1835-1920), Margaret Stuart (1837-1856), William Stuart (1839-1888), and Laura Stuart Thomas (1841-1870). Stuart enjoyed\nprosperity until his death in 1862. The 1850 census shows him with an estate worth $15,000 and the 1860 census show his assets worth $25,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property.\n","James Ward Stuart attended law school at the University of Virginia but did not graduate. He worked instead a merchant and farmer, accumulating modest wealth. The 1860 census shows him living with his father\nand worth $800 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property. Stuart joined Co. A. of the 13th Va. Battalion of Light Artillery, participating in campaigns in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Petersburg.\nReturning to Wythe County after the war, he married Minerva Margaret Buchanan with whom he had four children. After Minerva's death, he married her sister Martha Caroline Buchanan in 1879; they had four children.\nStuart was a general store merchant in the Black Lick district. In 1870, W. C. Aumann and W. A. Stuart sold him their store on the Black Lick Turnpike. He died in 1920 at Wilmore, Kentucky and is buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky.\n","William Stuart worked as a clerk before and after the Civil War. He joined Co. A of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment in April 1861 as a private and advanced to ordnance sergeant in November 1863. Serving with the\nfamed Stonewall Brigade, he participated in major battles of the Civil War including the Valley Campaign, Seven Days Campaign, 2nd Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and\nSpotsylvania. Unfortunately his letters during these battles are not extant. However, he does describe actions of the 4th Va. Infantry Regiment at Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg Campaign in letters\nin this collection. After the war, Stuart married Nannie Hancock and lived in the Black Lick district of Wythe County with his father-in-law L. D. Hancock. The 1870 census lists him with $5,000 in real estate and\n$2,000 in personal property. The 1880 census lists him as working as an engineer. No information has been found regarding children born to Nannie and William Stuart. He died in 1888 and is buried in East End\ncemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.\n","Laura Stuart lived with her father, mother, and sister Jane in Wytheville during the Civil War. She married Charles Benton Thomas on 15 March 1870 in Wytheville, Virginia in a Presbyterian ceremony conducted by\nRev. James T. Leftwich. Thomas, son of wealthy Smyth County entrepreneur Abijah Thomas, graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1861. Throughout the Civil War he managed his father's tannery and iron works (known\nas Sparkling Mountain Tannery and Onondaga Tannery and the Marion Magnetic Furnace). Until January 1866, she remained at the family home in Wytheville while her husband supervised the construction on their house\nnear Onondaga Tannery near Marion, Virginia. The couple lived in Marion until November 1867 when Charles Benton Thomas assumed management of his father's Mount Vernon Cotton Factory.\n","Unfortunately, the cotton factory proved a liability and the Thomas family moved to Norfolk, Virginia in April 1869. The family returned to Wytheville two months later but Charles Benton Thomas continued\nworking for the George J. Rogers Cotton Broker Purchasing Agency in Norfolk. As a cotton agent, he traveled excessively and left Laura and his son Edward in Wytheville.\n","Laura Stuart Thomas and Charles Benton Thomas had two children, George Stuart (1866-1869) and Edward A. (1868-1921). Both sons are buried in St. John's Lutheran Church cemetery beside their mother who died in\nOctober 1870 of consumption.\n","After the death of Laura, Thomas studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, graduating with his degree in 1872. He practiced both in Wytheville and Rural Retreat. On 24 July 1878,\nThomas married Elizabeth Pierce Crockett and settled near his brother-in-law Willliam Stuart in the northern Black Lick district (known as District III in the 1880 census). Elizabeth (known as Lizzie) and Charles\nBenton Thomas raised seven children including Elizabeth Thomas Hanson, William Crockett Thomas, Laura Thomas Hickok, Charles Benton Thomas Jr., Robert P. Thomas, Charles Mitchell Thomas, and David Graham Thomas.\n","Thomas remained a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church throughout his life, serving as an elder and clerk of the Session. He attended Royal Oak Presbyterian Church as a youth and then joined Wytheville\nPresbyterian Church where he worshipped until his death on 15 February 1923.\n","Crockett, Mary Harrison Bowyer. Born [7 May]1801. Married 1) Henry Bowyer [unknown]. Married 2) Charles Lewis Crockett [1822]. Died 17 February 1875. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Mother of\nRobert Henry Crockett, James Lucian Corckett, Madison Crockett, Maria Crockett Gleaves, Josephine A. Crockett, Mary Crockett, and Edward L. Crockett.\n","Hart, William A. Died 2 May 1912. Buried Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Slaymaker, Henry C. Born 5 December 1843 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Married Anna L. [unknown]. Died 27 February 1880 in Alexandria, Virginia.\n","Slaymaker, William A. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, George. Born 5 November 1789 in Tennessee. Married 1) [unknown]. Married 2) Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward 14 February 1832. Died 8 March 1862. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Father of (1st marriage) James H. Stuart, Mary Stuart Benham, David Stuart, John H. Stuart, and George Stuart Jr.; (2nd marriage) Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and\nLaura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, James Ward. Born 23 February 1835. Married 1) Minerva Margaret Buchanan 27 November 1867. Married 2) Martha Caroline Buchanan 28 November 1879. Died 12 October 1920 in Wilmore, Kentucky. Buried in\nNicholasville, Kentucky. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Father of (1st marriage) George S. Stuart, Robert Crockett Stuart, John Buchanan Stuart, Minerva Stuart; (2nd marriage) Mary\nElizabeth Stuart, Martha Hay Stuart, James Ward Stuart Jr., and Blanche Buchanan Stuart. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n","Stuart, Jane. Born 25 November 1832. Died 13 April 1868. Buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\n","Stuart, Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward. Born 5 January 1796. Married 1) James Ward 18 March 1817. Married 2) George Stuart 14 February 1832. Died 30 July 1864. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery,\nWytheville, Virginia. Daughter of William Hay and Martha Buchanan Hay. Mother of Jane Stuart, James Ward Stuart, Margaret Stuart, William Stuart, and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Stuart, William. Born 24 January 1839. Married Nannie D. Hancock [unknown]. Died 2 September 1888. Buried East End Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of George Stuart and Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart.\nMember of Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment.\n","Thomas, Charles Benton. Born 11 November 1837 *. Married 1) Laura Stuart Thomas 15 March 1865. Married 2) Elizabeth Pierce Crockett 24 July 1878. Died 15 February 1923. Buried in East End Cemetery, Wytheville,\nVirginia. Son of Abijah Thomas and Priscilla Cavinette Scott. Father of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","* [Mack Sturgill in  Abijah Thomas and His Octagonal House  gives this date but Dr. W. R. Chitwood in  Tombstone Inscriptions: East End Cemetery  gives\n4 November 1837.\n","Thomas, Edward A. Born 15 April 1868. Married [unknown]. Died 26 April 1921. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas. Father of\nLawrence Thomas and Virginia Thomas.\n","Thomas, George Stuart. Born 6 April 1866. Died 11 August 1869. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Son of Charles Benton Thomas and Laura Stuart Thomas.\n","Thomas, Laura Stuart. Born 21 December 1841. Married Charles Benton Thomas 15 March 1865. Died 10 October 1870. Buried St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Wytheville, Virginia. Daughter of George Stuart Sr.\nand Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart. Mother of George Stuart Thomas and Edward A. Thomas.\n","Walton, Waldo W. Member Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Regiment of Light Artillery.\n"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content\n"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Stuart Family Papers chronicle the life of wealthy Wythe County farmer George Stuart, his wife Margaret McCutcheon Hay Ward Stuart, and their children James Ward Stuart, William Stuart, Laura Stuart, and\nJane Stuart. The collection consists of antebellum and Civil War correspondence between family members and friends. Also included are several letters to Laura Stuart from her fiancé and husband Charles\nBenton Thomas of Smyth County, Virginia. Wartime letters from William Stuart (Co. A, 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment) and James Ward Stuart (Co. A, Otey Battery, 13th Virginia Battalion of Light Artillery) to Laura\nand Jane Stuart provide researchers information on the life of Confederate soldiers during the East Tennessee campaign, battle of Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and the Petersburg siege. Fellow soldiers of her\nbrother James Ward Stuart including William A. Slaymaker, Henry C. Slaymaker, and Waldo W. Walton also wrote Laura Stuart.\n"],"language_ssim":["English\n"],"total_component_count_is":81,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-01T01:10:03.953Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/viwyc_viwyc00003_c09_c02"}}],"included":[{"type":"facet","id":"repository_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Repository","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Wytheville Community College","value":"Wytheville Community College","hits":2270},"links":{"remove":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/repository_ssim.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"type":"facet","id":"collection_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Collection","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Agnes Graham Sanders Riley Papers\n 1918-2002, Undated.","value":"Agnes Graham Sanders Riley Papers\n 1918-2002, Undated.","hits":35},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Agnes+Graham+Sanders+Riley+Papers%0A+1918-2002%2C+Undated.\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Allen Family Papers\n 1912","value":"Allen Family Papers\n 1912","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Allen+Family+Papers%0A+1912\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Andrew Kincannon Letter\n 1824","value":"Andrew Kincannon Letter\n 1824","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Andrew+Kincannon+Letter%0A+1824\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Anonymous Daybook (Wythe County)\n 1903-1922","value":"Anonymous Daybook (Wythe County)\n 1903-1922","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Anonymous+Daybook+%28Wythe+County%29%0A+1903-1922\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Armbrister Family Papers\n 1811-1883","value":"Armbrister Family Papers\n 1811-1883","hits":9},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Armbrister+Family+Papers%0A+1811-1883\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Arthur Meaux Kent Photograph Collection\n 1925-1929, 1971-1972","value":"Arthur Meaux Kent Photograph Collection\n 1925-1929, 1971-1972","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Arthur+Meaux+Kent+Photograph+Collection%0A+1925-1929%2C+1971-1972\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Audrey Spence Notebooks\n Undated","value":"Audrey Spence Notebooks\n Undated","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Audrey+Spence+Notebooks%0A+Undated\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Augustus Repass Tax Tickets\n 1884","value":"Augustus Repass Tax Tickets\n 1884","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Augustus+Repass+Tax+Tickets%0A+1884\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Bailey Family Papers\n 1866, 1874, 1880","value":"Bailey Family Papers\n 1866, 1874, 1880","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Bailey+Family+Papers%0A+1866%2C+1874%2C+1880\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Ballad of Caty Sage Sheet Music\n 1964","value":"Ballad of Caty Sage Sheet Music\n 1964","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Ballad+of+Caty+Sage+Sheet+Music%0A+1964\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Barnett Funeral Home Records\n 1950-1957","value":"Barnett Funeral Home Records\n 1950-1957","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Barnett+Funeral+Home+Records%0A+1950-1957\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/collection_ssim.json?f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"type":"facet","id":"creator_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Creator","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"","value":"","hits":8},"links":{"self":"https://search.arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=Wytheville+Community+College\u0026view=compact"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Andrew Kincannon\n         Sr.","value":"Andrew Kincannon\n         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