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This collection contains primary and secondary resources pertaining to Robert E. Lee and the Lee family. Included are correspondences from, to, and about Lee and various family members; memorabilia, pamphlets, photographs, reminiscences, miscellaneous personal papers, family history and genealogy. The collection includes materials acquired from the Lee family and items donated to and purchased and compiled by W&L University since Lee's tenure as president of Washington College from 1865 - 1870. Adminstrative papers, such as President's Reports, etc..., from Robert E. Lee's presidency of the school may be found within the W&L University Archives. Please contact W&L Special Collections for information regarding the University Archives.

Letter, 1794, of Robert Stephen, Berkeley County, Va. [now W. Va.] to Robert Lawson near Lexington, Ky., inquiring about land owned by Adam Stephen in Kentucky; correspondence, 1840, of Joel R. Poinsett with William Gordon and William Key Bond concerning military bounty land; and letter, 1835, of Peter Hagner to Richard Mentor Johnson concerning Revolutionary War records of Charles Bradford, Henry Heth, Benjamin Lawson, Claiborne Lawson, and Robert Lawson.

Papers of Robert Preston, surveyor of Washington County, Virginia, dated 1780-1864. Includes on site notes of land surveyed, without plats. Mostly unprocessed and the vast majority of items has not been described yet.

Letters and papers; 1730-1950, of the Robertson family. Also includes genealogical material concerning the family of William B. Robertson, Lynchburg, Va. with references to Archibald Robertson, Mary Robertson, Robert S. Robertson, and Wyndham Robertson. Also includes genealogical information on the Waller, Macon, Garland, and Meredith families.

Collection includes the Henley-Horrocks Inventory of books received by the College December 8, 1772, a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Henley (June 9, 1778) concerning Henley's books left in storage at the College of William and Mary (also includes notes by James Madison), a letter dated December 14, 1774 from Henley to the Reverend Dr. Percy, Northumberland House, London, in which Henley laments the actions of the patriots, and a letter dated October 1804 Henley to T.J. Mathias, Esq. of Scotland Yard regarding changes to the title page of a project that Henley and Mathias were working on.

Papers, 1793-1913, of the Scott family of Powhatan County, Va. Includes correspondence and papers, 1793-1832, concerning the estates of John Scott and Edward Scott of Manakin Ferry and papers of Edward Scott, Jr., Mrs. Margaret Scott, E. B. Scott, John D. Scott and Daniel Selden. Letters, 1873-1874, include those from R. J. Hackley aboard a freighter sailing in the waters near Japan.

The collection contains, business papers, correspondence, accounts and the farm notes of Sir Peyton Skipwith of Mecklenburg Co., Va., son Humberstone Skipwith and Humberstone Skipwith's wives and children, especially Fulwar Skipwith. Papers are primarily business in nature and reflect the management of "Prestwould."

This collection of 3,098 pieces, dated about 1764-1916, consists of papers of a family of Smiths who lived at Smith's Cross Roads, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and the Walker family who lived at Brunswick County, Virginia. Most of the papers are dated about 1860-1900. Some of the more interesting works include the following:

Contains letters, bills, receipts, business accounts, and miscellaneous personal writings of the Laine and Travis families of Southampton County, Va. The bulk of the collection concerns the business and general financial affairs of the Laine family, particularly Jeremy and Miles Laine. It also contains several short personal writings of the Travis family, who were the final owners of Nat Turner prior to his rebellion. This includes the names and birthdays of many members of the family shortly before 1831. Also featured is a letter discussing an enslaved girl asking to be resold to her previous owner as well as the business agreements of several "Free Negroes," including the apprenticeship indenture of a boy who was involved in Virginia's placement program for illegitimate children. This collection also contains correspondence with the United States Pension Agency and various nineteenth century advertisements.

This collection consists of papers from South Carolina, including: two letters, January 11 and January 14, 1865, from Major General Joseph Wheeler to General Braxton Bragg; printed 1833 broadside of a restrictive bill concerning slavery in South Carolina; other Civil War documents.