Collections : [College of William and Mary]

The family papers, dating largely 1940-1851, contain family news of the Ritchie family, social news, and mention of many prominent 19th century Virginians. Of particular interst are Robert Ruffin Ritchie's letters from Mexico, 1847-1848; letters of George Ritchie while serving in the U.S. Navy, 1849-1860; Civil War letters reflecting social and economic conditions; and the considerable number of family letters to and from Brandon, home of Ritchie's daughter, Isabella Ritchie Harrison (Mrs. George Harrison). Included are single letters by Benjamin Ewell and John Tyler.

Thomas Ritchies professional papers are chiefly letters to him as editor of the Washington Union, the official organ of the Democratic party (the entire collections contains only a few letters by him).The letters cover all the political topics of the day; extension of slavery, Texas, the Mexican War (militarily and politically), internal improvements, Wilmot Proviso, oregon territory, Whig and Democratic politics, transcontunental railroad, Baltimore convention, Nashville convention, Presidential elections of 1844 and 1848, and contain references to Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott, Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk, Thomas Hart Benton, and Lewis Cass. A few relate to South American affairs, and Ritchie's business papers as a printer are also included. The letters cover a wide geographical range (a number, however, are written from Virginia) and often reflect local political conditions and the opinions of the average citizen. Among the correspondents are: R.M.T. Hunter, Ambrose Dudley Mann, W.D. Wallach, S. Basset French, and Andrew Stevenson.