Alice E. Nutt letter, 1853

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
170 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Special Collections Public Services & Reference Staff
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred citation:

MSS 16667, Alice E. Nutt letter, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Summary

Extent:
.03 Cubic Feet One letter size folder
Creator:
James Arsenault and Co.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

MSS 16667, Alice E. Nutt letter, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains a letter from Alice E. Nutt to her cousin, Kate, that discusses various personal matters before querying Kate on her impressions of Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852). Nutt, whose father was an ardent Virginia secessionist, articulates an unfavorable reaction to the recently published work and also addresses her disdain for the abolitionist efforts of English noblewomen. The letter measures 7.75" X 6.25" and is four pages in length. Some parts of the fourth page are written upside down in between lines. While there are small separations along old folds, there are no losses to the text.

Biographical / historical:

Alice E. Nutt-Wise (1831-1905) married Peter Wise (1830-1893), an Alexandria banker. She was the daughter of Major William D. Nutt who was an ardent secessionist who enslaved 105 people on his farm. He worked as a clerk for the United States Department of the Treasury until resigning in 1861. He fled his property as Union troops arrived in September 1861. His home was burned to the ground by General Louis Blenker's troops. He took a position in Richmond, Virginia as a clerk with the Confederate Treasury Department. In 1863 the Union army converted Nutt's property into a contraband farm named Camp Rucker, the camp constituing one of five that were established across Northern Virginia.

Acquisition information:
This collection was purchased from James Arsenault by the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on January 21, 2022.
Physical description:
Very good
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Abolitionists
Names:
James Arsenault and Co.