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Civil War diaries of Joseph C. Snider (1839-1864) of Harrison County, West Virginia, who served in Company C of the 31st Virginia Infantry Regiment from June 1861 to his death in battle on September 19, 1864. Collection consists of three diaries on microfilm that cover the periods from June 1861 to May 1862; January 1, 1863 to July 1, 1863; and March 26, 1864 to September 19, 1864. There is no explanation for the gaps in Snider's journals. Snider provides detailed descriptions of his major combat experiences (western Virginia in 1861; the Shenandoah Valley in spring 1862; actions in western Virginia in the spring of 1863; the battle of Gettysburg; the 1864 Overland Campaign; Jubal Early's 1864 raid on Washington, D.C.; and the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign); minor skirmishes and engagements; and daily life in the Army of Northern Virginia. Folder contains handwritten account of the transfer of the diary from Joseph Snider after his death to his commanding officer, to his brother, and then passed down through the family until it was loaned to the WVRHC to make a copy.

A rough draft history of the main roads covering segments of highways, such as State Route 39 between Huntersville and Marlinton, in the form of a travel brochure. Mentions frontier and pre-Civil War history of such places as Mill Point and Lewisburg, but its focus is on the Civil War history of Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Randolph counties. Significant people and places mentioned are: The Great Warrior Path, Droop Mountain, Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs, W. W. Averell, Huntersville, Hillsboro, Mill Point, Marlinton, Greenbrier River, Edray, Robert E. Lee, W. W. Loring, Big Springs, Cheat Mountain, Allegheny Mountain, and Knapps Creek.

Papers of the Tavenner family of western Virginia, including correspondence, newspaper clippings, maps, and other material. Much of the material in this collection regards the Civil War. The Tavenner family was sympathetic to the Confederate cause. One member of the family, William Cabell Tavenner, served in the Confederate army; his letters are part of the collection. This collection also contains material related to families allied to the Tavenner family by marriage, particularly the Withers family, including material regarding Alexander Scott Withers and his book Chronicles of Border Warfare . The collection is organized into six series, including: 1. Genealogy (1868-1952); 2. Correspondence (1778-1953); 3. Maps (1863, 1939, undated); 4. Miscellaneous (1822-1950, undated); 5. Newspaper Clippings (1829-1931); and 6. Oversize Materials (1829-1861). Please see "Scope and Content Note" and "Historical Note" for further information.