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Papers of Archibald W. Campbell (1839-1899), editor of the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. A strong unionist and Republican Party member, he worked hard through his editorials and behind the scenes in order to support the formation of the new state of West Virginia. The collection includes correspondence, clippings, ephemera, and scrapbooks dealing with the Civil War and political affairs in West Virginia's early statehood period. Some of the correspondence asks Campbell to publish specific accounts of events or rebuttals of others, showing the importance of the newspapers in shaping public perception. Correspondents include family members, Jacob B. Blair, Cassius M. Clay, Sherrard Clemens, B.F. Kelley, Francis H. Pierpont, John C. Underwood, and others. See Scope and Content Note for more information.

The Aten Family Civil War letters chronicle the Union Army service of James, John, and Henry Aten. James Aten returned to his native Hancock County from Illinois in February 1861 and enlisted in the First WV Volunteer Infantry for a three-month tour in May 1861. He reenlisted in the Twelfth WV Volunteer Infantry and saw service along the B & O Railroad, the Shenandoah Valley, along the James River and at one point he was a prisoner of war. John and Henry Aten served in the 85th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and served in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. John was hospitalized at one point. The letters give good military and political perspectives.

Telegram written on U.S. Military Telegraph paper, from Colonel Jacob M. Campbell to General B. F. Kelley, regarding a captured prisoner who had a pass from Stuart and Lee "to procure horses."

Photostat negatives of correspondence to Francis H. Pierpont concerning statehood and secession. Also includes a petition of Harrison County, (West) Virginia citizens to Brigadier General Kelly protesting the return and admittance to the county of former members of the Confederate Army (undated); a petition of Gilmer County, (West) Virginia citizens denouncing secession and pledging action to suppress rebellion (1861); and the act by which the Restored Government of Virginia gave permission for the new state of West Virginia to be formed from Virginia (May 12, 1863). Also includes a photostat negative of a typescript checklist of Pierpont manuscript material held at the Virginia State Library (now Library of Virginia) (1916). Correspondents include: Arthur I. Boreman, John I. Brown, William G. Brown, A.W. Campbell, John S. Carlile, Spencer Dayton, James Evans, Thomas. M. Harris, J.H. Jordan, Daniel Lamb, J.A.J. Lightburn, A.F. Ritchie, Lewis Ruffner, Henry I. Samuels, J.C. Paxton, P.G. Van Winkle, and John O. Watson.

This collection comprises the personal and business correspondence, as well as financial and legal papers of the Goshorn family of Wheeling, West Virginia, including papers from members of several allied families. Highlights include letters from William S. Goshorn during his Civil War imprisonment and letters from a Virginia legislator in the House of Delegates (1833). An addendum (2012/09) contains three ledgers of John Goshorn (1827-1874). See the Scope and Content Note for more details.

A sketch of the life of John Daily, a merchant and dentist of Westernport, Maryland, and Piedmont, West Virginia, who was born at Springfield, Hampshire County. Mainly an account of Daily's Civil War service with the Eleventh Virginia Cavalry, C.S.A., and his participation in the capture of General George Crook and General Benjamin F. Kelley at Cumberland, Maryland, in February, 1865.