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This collection of material from the Brooke Family, and related Berkeley Familyand Carter Family, consists of 102 letters, 1792-1927, chiefly the correspondence between Robert S. Brooke, and his wife Margaret Lyle (Smith) Brookeof Staunton, Virginia, married ca. 1836, written chiefly while Brooke served as a delegate in the Virginia General Assemblyrepresenting Augusta County, Virginia, 1831-1832, 1834-1836, and 1841-1843.

Carl Stape Worboys, MD (1911-1992), Captain, US Army WWII. 27 letters and VMails from Dr. Worboys to his family, written from Europe between 1943-1945 while he served in the US Army aboard the USS Seminole and USS Acadia, both hospital ships. Dr. Worboys writes about his travel across the Atlantic, weather and conditions in Europe and the Mediterranean, books he has read, church services, and the lack of alcohol to the troops. He states in one letter that some of the men are torn of where they will go first once they are back in the United States, home or to the nearest saloon.

Two diaries kept by an officer while serving on board the USS Vulcan, the Navy's first repair ship as it supported the gun boats off the coast of Cuba during the Spanish American War. Littlefield recounts his daily activities, work on board the ship, weather, and events as they happened almost daily. He also recounts illnesses of fellow soldiers, those who died, and of soldier's who were taken to mast for carious violations. It is clear that Littlefield is skilled in the work of iron forging while on board the ship as he records various valves and items he makes for ship repairs and takes to creating quite a few souvenirs once Spain sues for peace and the war ends.

Journal written while Commodore Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell was in command of the Naval Forces on the Pacific and South Atlantic Stations of the United States Navy. Entries detail the ship's journey throughout the year 1876- 1877 and document encounters with other vessels, dignitaries, and countries as well as the day to day operations of the ship and handling of situations as they arose. The staff journal was kept on behalf of the Commodore by H.N. Caldwell, Secretary in the United States Navy. Included with the journal is a small framed picture of Commodore Caldwell and a silver cup with his name inscribed upon it.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Cumming Familypapers consist of ca. 53,100 items (23 Hollinger boxes, ca. 8 linear shelf feet), 1777-1778, 1806 (1820-1977) 1984, including correspondence, financial and legal papers, newspaper clippings, photographs, bound volumes, writings, printed material, and miscellaneous related items pertaining to the life and activities of Dr. Hugh Smithand Lucy Booth Cumming, Sr., and their son, Ambassador Hugh S. Cumming, Jr., (1900-1986), and his wife, Winifred Burney West, as well as other family members. Also present are papers relating to the Booth Family.

Dr. Cumming (1869-1948) was Surgeon General of the U. S. Public Health Servicefrom 1920 to 1936; Ambassador Cumming (1900-) was a career diplomat and served primarily in Europeand Indonesiafrom 1933 until his retirement in 1963.

The majority of the collection is chiefly correspondence dealing with family, professional, and diplomatic matters. In addition, Ambassador Cumming maintained extensive files containing additional correspondence, photographs, reports, memoranda, notes, and other related materials regarding his public and personal activities.

The collection has been divided into three subgroups: I. Booth FamilyPapers, II. Papers of Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Smith Cumming, Sr., and III. Papers of Ambassador Hugh Smith Cumming, Jr.There are various series and subseries within each subgroup. A more detailed description of the papers, especially biographical and organizational information, can be found later in this guide, under each subgroup. The descriptions were compiled by Robin D. Wear (Subgroup I), T. Sharon Defibaugh (Subgroup II), and Ervin L. Jordan, Jr. (Subgroup III). This collection contains 6922-b, 6922-d, 6922-e, 6922-f, 6922-h, 6922-h, 6922-i, 6922-k, 6922-l, 6922-m, 6922-n, 6922-p, 6922-r, 6922-s, 6922-u, 6922-w, 6922-ab, 6922-ac and 6922-ad.

SUBGROUP I BOOTH FAMILY PAPERS

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This subgroup of the Cumming Papers pertains chiefly to the Booth family, and consists of ca. 270 items, (Boxes 1 and 2), encompassing the years 1814-1978. Included are correspondence, legal papers, and photographs of the Booth family; and biographical and genealogical information in the form of correspondence, notes, copies of family documents, and printed material concerning the Boothand allied families such as Armistead, Thomson, Throckmorton, Gilliam, Rootes, Bernard, and Terry.

Correspondents include Rebecca Hicks Booth, Robert Henry Booth, Edwin Gilliam Booth, and the latter's children, Edwin Gilliam Booth, Archer Jones Booth, Francis Rebecca Booth, and Sarah Tanner Booth, as well as Clara Haxall Thomson Booth, Lucy Almira Booth, Hugh Smith Cumming, Charles J. Cabaniss, and William Cabell Rives.

Edwin Gilliam Booth's two older sons fought in the Civil War on the Confederate side in Virginia. Archer Jones Boothwrote to his father from Clark County, and to his grandmother from a camp near Fredericksburgmentioning long marches and various campsites. Edwin Gilliam Booth, Jr., wrote to his father from a camp near Yorktown(June 5, 1861), discussing camp life, the hardships of warfare, and their hopes that President [Jefferson] Daviswould send an additional 25,000 men; and, later writes from the C. S. Steamer Selma off Mobile, Alabama(April 13, 1864) mentioning the occupation of Vicksburgby Yankees, the defense of Richmond, and news of Archer's regiment and an anticipated battle.

Other letters of interest include those from E. C. Cabellto Edwin Gilliam Booth(November 22, 1846 and November 14, 1847) concerning a controversy between Booth and his brother, Archer, and the Bank of Florida; two letters from William Cabell Rivesto Edwin Gilliam Booth(July 5, 1858 and November 24, 1862); and a lengthy letter from Edwin Gilliam Booth, Jr.to his sister, Frances Rebecca Booth, from Paris, France(February 5, 1866).

Letters, 1951, of Lieutenant James F. Griffin of the United States Navy sent to his wife. He seems to be a Navy airman who is stationed in England and he complains about the way is squadron is being run.

Ledger, 1865-1869, of the Master Machinist's Office of the United States Navy in Norfolk, Va. Includes information about ship repairs, purchase of supplies, and other maintainence activities taken at around the Portsmouth and future Norfolk Naval Base.

Series of letters from Nancy Kessler to her husband, Louis, while he served in the United States Navy as a quartermaster and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia from 1944-1945.

Series of letters addressed to Patrick Arnold from family and friends while stationed on the USS Bronson (DD-668) out of Charleston, South Carolina, the USS Howorth (DD-592), and at the Naval Recruiting Station in Washington, D.C. from 1944-1949.