Collections

Diary of Ann Lettice Murdoch (1785-1865) of Frederick County, Maryland. She was the wife of Richard Potts, Jr. (1786-1865), a lawyer and Maryland State senator (1838-1844). The diary contains a lot of entries of religious nature as well as aphorisms. In addition, Ann L. Murdoch frequently recorded deaths of family, friends and community members, including the deaths of Black employees.

Journal of John S. Barret, plantation owner in Alabama. Barret writes extensively about his farm, weather conditions, crop harvests and livestock. Some entries record his hunting activites. One page lists all of the children born to an enslaved woman on his plantation since 1802. Another entry records the sadness of the untimely death of his friend, William Aylett.

Collection of papers about the "Free Black" Madden Family of Page County, Virginia. One letter written by Samuel Linberger stating that George Madden was born free. Two letters, Register No. 180 and 184, by Clerk of Court Watson certifying that George W. Madden and Sarah Ann Madden are registered. Gives descriptions of them. List of Madden family members and dates of birth. Includes Redman Strother and John Arthur Redman.

Photographs, letters, newsapers articles, and eulogies relating to the family of Miriam Carter. Miriam Carter was the first African American woman to be admitted to attend the College of William and Mary though she was not able to live on campus. The photos show her as well as many ancestors and includes laminated letters of admittance to both the sons of the Confederate Veterans as well as Sons of Union Veterans from the Civil War. A letter from the Civil War Division denoting an increase in Harriet A. Carter's pension allowance is included in this collection.

Note to researchers: Due to the fragile condition of the originals, this collection has to be used in microfilm format;[ CS71 .l718, available in the open stacks and by ILL]. Papers of Philip Lightfoot of Culpeper County, Virginia including his commissions as lieutenant in the Second Battalion, 5th Regiment, Virginia militia and as captain in the 8th U. S. Infantry Regiment and papers relating to his service in the U. S. Army including records of a recruiting party, enlistment pledges, muster rolls, records of rewards offered for deserters and descriptions of U. S. Army uniforms.