Collections

The Civil War Collection is an artificial collection of material, chiefly 1861-1865, pertaining to the American Civil War including items from both Union and Confederate forces. The collection includes official correspondence, general and special orders, descriptions of campaigns and battles, articles concerning the war, and artifacts. There are pardons, poems, songs, autographs, maps, muster rolls, pen and ink sketches of camp life, engineers' drawings, and a memorandum of signals used by Confederate steamers when approaching batteries.

This collection consists of the papers of Jefferson H. Clark, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania physician, who was a field surgeon in France during World War I, and of the research papers of his daughter Mary Clark Shade (1928-2009), who was working on a book documenting her father's WWI duty.

An artificial collection of papers created from material acquired during the 1930's and 1940's. Mostly letters, financial records, published material and official records of individuals in Virginia and elsewhere. Includes documents and signatures of well known people, such as Benjamin Harrison, John Randolph and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This collection consists of photographs and documents relating to General Randolph Tucker Pendleton's military service in World War I and World War II. The World War I items include:

• A German propaganda flyer titled "The German People Offer Peace" (1918), which was dropped from airplanes over France shortly before the Armistice.
• A circular letter (April 1918) from King George V thanking United States soldiers.
• General Order (GO) 28-A (February 28, 1919) from General John J. Pershing to American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) soldiers thanking them for their service.

Richard G. Joynt's collection of British manuscripts, from the 15th to the 20th century, of 88 letters and documents, 41 cut signatures, and many book engravings. The authors and signatures include kings, queens, prime ministers, nobles, military officers, authors, and other dignitaries. Personal matters, military orders and letters, religion, treaties, politics, intrique, and much more are covered in these letters, often interwoven with current events.

The Robert E. Lee and Lee Family papers consist of the personal papers of Robert E. Lee and Mary Custis Lee, including documents bearing their signatures. The papers also include one one letter (dated February 1926) from Mrs. William A. Anderson to Sydney B. Williamson that relates the history of a quilt made by Mary Custis Lee that was donated to the VMI Museum.

The Toalson Family papers consist primarily of correspondence, papers, and ephemera relating to the lives of Glen Francis Toalson, Sr. and Glen Edward Toalson during the 20th century. Series 1 consists of Glen E. Toalson's correspondence with his aunt, Ora Reynolds, regarding his grandmother's health (1933-1942) and Glen F. Toalson Sr.'s correspondence with, primarily, his parents and Jessie Lewis Dark during his military service in World War II (1941-1945), as well as his correspondence with various people regarding his return to the Philippines (1985-1986). Series 2 consists of subject files containing the history of the Toalson family and transcriptions compiled by Jeff Toalson, newspapers, the military records and ephemera of Glen F. Toalson, Sr., and the ephemera and 1915 photo journal Glen E. Toalson. The materials provide insight into life in Missouri for young men during the first half of the 20th century, United States military service and operations in the Pacific region during World War II, and late 20th century veterans' accounts of living on a US military base in Philippines. Additionally, some materials provide insight into search and rescue efforts following the 1936 tornado in Gainesville, GA.

Artificial collections of papers, mainly 1830-1880 and 1941-1946, concerning the United States military but excluding Civil War materials. Collection includes return, 1782, of J. Pannill's Brigade, Williamsburg, Va.; printed regulations, 1814, for the uniform of U.S. Light Dragoons; pay voucher, 1833, for Philip St. George Cocke; papers, 1836-1848, concerning service of M.M. Payne; general order no. 94, and pencil sketch concerning the Mexican War; printed general orders for 1869, 1871, and 1877-1879; and posters concerning World War II.