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The bulk of the Charles A. Derby papers consists of Derby family correspondence. Approximately twenty-eight letters were written by Charles A. Derby (dated 1844-1862) and cover the period from late boyhood up to his death in battle in 1862. Included are letters (dated 1846-1847) written while he was a cadet at VMI, as well as correspondence dating from his careers as a teacher and Episcopal clergyman. Two items were written during his brief service in the Confederate Army.

This collection consists of related to three members of the Fulkerson family: Samuel Vance Fulkerson (1822-1862), his brother Abram Fulkerson, Jr. (1834-1902), and Abram's son, Samuel Vance Fulkerson (1863-1926). Significant items include:

• Civil War correspondence (dated March-May 1862) written by Samuel V. Fulkerson (1822-1862)
• Samuel V. Fulkerson's (1822-1862) reports of the Battle of McDowell and the Battle of Winchester (dated May and June 1862)
• Wartime correspondence (dated 1863 and 1865) written by Abram Fulkerson, Jr. Two letters were written while he was a prisoner of war.
• A letter of appreciation (dated September 1862) written by General Stonewall Jackson following Samuel V. Fulkerson's (1822-1862) death in battle

• Battles of Port Republic and Kernstown
• Death of Turner Ashby
• Refugee and civilian life
• Camp life
• References to Stonewall Jackson, including Samuel V. Fulkerson's (1822-1862 assessment of his character and Abram Fulkerson, Jr.'s reflections following the Jackson's death

The James W. Massie papers consist of the personal papers (40 items) of Massie, including:

• Incoming correspondence (1855-1857)
• Civil War papers, primarily incoming letters, orders, and commissions (1861-1863)
• Post-War papers, including letters written by Massie's wife, Sophonisba Breckinridge McDowell (Massie), and documents related to their son, James McDowell Massie
• Confederate bonds
• Envelopes

This collection (seven items) consists of:

• A manuscript notebook compiled by Joseph H. Carpenter during his cadetship (1852-1856). The notebook contains poetry, class notes, autographs of classmates, and a detailed account of a Corps trip to Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia in October 1855.
• Two letters written by Carpenter to his father in 1862, including a letter dated June 16, 1862 that describes fighting near Port Republic, Virginia
• Letter of recommendation written on Carpenter's behalf by Brigadier General John Echols and submitted to Confederate President Jefferson Davis
• Two commission documents (1861)
• One letter (dated July 17, 1864) where Carpenter's Battery member Sergeant Benjamin Karnes describes circumstances surrounding the wounding of a fellow soldier. This letter was found among Carpenter's own papers.

The Stonewall Jackson papers consist primarily of the personal papers of Civil War General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863). The bulk of the letters date from the pre-Civil War period and concern professional, personal, and domestic matters, including many in which Jackson writes about his religious faith, his concerns about health and diet, and his family.

The Thomas H. Williamson papers include:

• Civil War memoirs, in which Williamson discusses the events that took place during his temporary assignment to the command of Major General Stonewall Jackson beginning in April 1862
• Lecture notes (1850s) used in teaching engineering and architecture courses at VMI
• Two copies of the textbook written by Williamson for use at VMI titled "An Elementary Course of Architecture and Civil Engineering"
• Williamson family genealogical material
• Correspondence

The bulk of the William D. Stuart papers consists of the Civil War papers (60 items; 1861-1863) of Stuart. The papers contain:

• Correspondence to and from various Confederate Army officers
• Morning and guard reports
• Military orders
• Invoices and receipts documenting Stuart's brief service with the 15th Virginia Infantry Regiment and his command of the 56th Virginia Infantry Regiment

The William G. Williamson papers consist of the personal papers of Williamson. Included is an original manuscript Civil War notebook that contains:

• Reports (September 1862-May 1863) submitted to the Chief Engineer's Office, Army of Northern Virginia, in which Williamson discusses destroying bridges at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and reconnaissance and mapping trips in the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont
• Poetry
• Notes about architecture, engineering, and Williamson family genealogy

The William T. Hardy papers consist of drawing exercises (bound notebook and unbound drawings) completed while Hardy was a VMI cadet, and one Civil War letter (dated May 12, 1864) to his wife, in which he briefly discusses battle at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia.