Collections

This collection consiste of Alexander Sterrett Paxton's journals in six volumes (484 p.)during the American Civil War. They cover his service as a member of the 4th Virginia Infantry of the Stonewall Brigade, including his role as a Commissary Sergeant of the regiment. Journal entries explore the war experiences of a Confederate foot soldier and include: his insights into motives for war; observations and descriptions of ranking officers, fellow soldiers, friends and family; detailed accounts of battles and campaigns; and experiences in hospitals and camps, including a few pencil-drawn maps of Stonewall Brigade camps (1861-1862). Volume 6 includes a month-long dream journal that Paxton kept in 1864. The collection also includes correspondence between Paxton's second wife, Mary Frances Tapscott Paxton, and her family; ten pre and post-war photographs of Paxton, his brother, Joseph McClung Paxton and other family members (Tapscott family and Lilley family of Augusta County, Va.); and a ca.1860 fraternity/secret society bylaws document handwritten by Paxton.

Collection contains correspondence and a single photograph of Courtland Way Starr. Correspondence contains accounts from soldier Courtland Way Starr to mother in Long Island N.Y. Corrrespondence includes accounts from Harrisburg PA on June 26, 1863, recounting his experiences in the army and with the 23rd Regiment of Brooklyn. Letter to mother on July 5, 1863, from Laurel Ford in Pennsylvania describes the exhaustive, cold conditions and the harsh realities of army life. Letter to Mother about twenty miles from Harrisburg Pennsylvania on July 2, 1863, discusses his regiments movement, a skirmish, and his concerns regarding the enemy also noted is that the Battle of Gettysburg occurred July 1-3, 1863.

This letter from John H. Shaner details looting by an army, the identity of which is unknown, during the American Civil War. At time of writing, Shaner was posted to Monterey, in Highland County, Virginia.

The collection consists of the autobiographical memoirs of James Anderson Terrell, a Confederate soldier, settler, cowboy, and politician. Written when Terrell was in his late seventies, the bulk of the material centers on his experiences during the American Civil War and his later time spent pioneering in Kansas. Additional topics include his beginnings in Georgia, life during Reconstruction, and his return to Georgia at the end of his life.

The collection contains two Vietnam War journals. The war journals document the life of Lieutenant Frederick R. Klare, who was stationed in South Vietnam. Diaries document the Vietnam War during the 1970s.

This collection consists of documents and printed material dating from World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War. Most items were donated by VMI alumni and they represent the types of items retained by returning soldiers.

Two letters from William James Davidson to his future wife, Margaret "Maggie" May Mericle. One written from Camp Columbia in Havana, the other from Savannah, Georgia. Davidson served as a sergeant in the Iowa Volunteers and his letters cover some of the things he experienced during that time. The Georgia letter contains a description of a violent "blanket-tossing" that resulted in the death of a Black woman at the hands of several Virginia soldiers.

Framed photographs from the World War I era. Includes three framed group portraits and nine framed panoramic (Cirkut) photographs. The panoramic photographs include formal and candid group portraits as well as scenic views.