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A topical and chronological file of pamplets containing the text of speeches and addresses delivered at VMI.

This collection consists of two letters from Washington College (now Washington and Lee) student Alexander S. Brown to his sister, dated September 20, 1846 and September 7, 1848. The 1846 letter mentions the Cincinnati military class, in which Washington College students participated in military training conducted by VMI staff. The 1848 letter expresses Brown's dissatisfaction with Washington College and a desire to transfer to another school.

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.

These files constitute the major record series generated by the office of Francis H. Smith, VMI's first Superintendent. He served from 1839-1889. The records, (ca. 30 linear feet) consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, order books, speeches and publications, annual reports, personal file, and subject files.

This collection consists of two letters. The first letter (dated July 15, 1844) is from Henry T. Lee (VMI Class of 1845 and Daniel L. Powell's uncle) to Cadets Fitzhugh and Keeling, requesting that they treat Powell with kindness. The second letter (dated August 22, 1846) is from Cadet Powell to his mother, and the letter describes guard duty at "Camp Crozet," the purchase of clothing, and family news.

This collection consists of five letters (dated 1848 to 1854) written by Giles Gunn while he was a schoolteacher in Lexington, Virginia. The letters, addressed primarily to his sister Mary (living at the Gunn home in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut), include discussions of interesting local events as well as references to family. Topics include:

• VMI commencement
• A detailed description of his school and his methods of instruction
• A description of the communion service at a local church, including references to black communicants
• References to the townspeople's reaction to a rumored slave insurrection
• A discussion of the murder of VMI cadet Thomas Blackburn.

This collection consists of one letter (dated November 24, 1842) from Cadet James D. Saunders to his cousin John Mitchell. Saunders describes the hardships of cadet life, the dullness of Lexington, Virginia, VMI's 3rd anniversary (Founders Day) celebration, a storm damaging the North wall of barracks, and mentions Edward C. Carrington, Jr. (VMI Class of 1844). This is one of the earliest extant cadet personal letters.

This collection consists of one letter (dated May 14, 1846) from James E. Tyler (VMI Class of 1845) to President James K. Polk. The letter requests a commission in the United States Army or Marine Corps. Tyler mentions recommendations from Francis H. Smith and John T.L. Preston, and states that he was an "inmate" of VMI for two years.

Strange's letter to his sister Anne M. Strange was written just a few months after the Institute's opening day, and is one of the oldest personal cadet letters still in existence. Strange mentions several aspects of cadet life that were common during the pre-Civil War era, including that:

• Final examinations were given orally rather than as written tests, presided over by faculty and the VMI Board of Visitors, and open to the public
• Summer furlough was not automatic, and many cadets stayed at the Institute throughout the year, going into a summer encampment on the Parade Ground from late June until the beginning of the next academic session
• Obtaining extra clothing and other goods from home was a serious matter to most cadets

The John F. Early papers consist of the letters and diary of cadet John F. Early (1830-1894), who attended VMI from 1848 to 1850. The one volume diary-notebook contains short and sporadic entries regarding daily routines and special events. The diary contains one of the earliest references to Superintendent Francis H. Smith as "Spex" (April 30, 1850). The diary also contains lists of cadets, room occupants, and the poetry of Sara Henderson Smith ("The Old Gray Coat") and others. The five letters were written to family members and include details of cadet life and family and personal news.