The letters in this collection center around the children and family of Edward Ford Sangster (1802-1883) an Alexandria resident, and his wife Mary Kendall Lee of the Ditchly Lees. Their children; John ( Jack ), Tom, James ( Jim ), Virginia Lee ( sister ) and Mary Edward ( "Puss" ) are all represented in the correspondence. William Wallace Bennett was the fiance, and later, husband of Virginia Lee. Many of Bennett's earlier letters deal with church matters and his impending marriage to Virginia Lee. There are a number of Civil War letters in the collection. A letter dated 1866 to Bennett and several other ministers from Varina Davis on behalf of her imprisoned husband is also included. There are several letters involving Daniel and F.E. Lee, and Sally Ford, all of whom were Sangster cousins. The University Account Book of John Sangster, dated 1856-1859 and listing expenses, weather and classes is placed in a separate series.
The collection is organized into five series. Series I, William Bennett and Virginia Sangster Bennett Correspondence, focuses on the correspondence between William Wallace Bennett and Virginia Lee Sangster from courtship to parenthood and documents William's time as a chaplain during the Civil War. Series II, Sangster Family Letters, holds all correspondence between the immediate Sangster family belonging to Edward and Mary Sangster. Series III, Mary Edward "Puss" Sangster Letters, are a series of letters written to Puss Sangster, as she was known by all. The majority of this series were written by cousins, though there are some correspondence with Maj. S. B. Brewer, approving Puss to be a clerk in the new Confederate Administration. Series IV, Miscellaneous Letters, holds all letters written by or to people outside the Sangster family. Series V, John Hancock Lee Sangster Notebook, holds a single folder with a single notebook belonging to Jack Sangster during his time at the University of Virginia in the late 1850s.
The letters are arranged in chronological order from 1853 to 1891 with undated copies placed at the end. While most of the letters are written to, or by Virginia Sangster Bennett, there is also other correspondence between her brothers John, James and Thomas as well as Mary Edward Sangster, their sister. John and Thomas were killed during the War. The third brother, James, survived and later became a judge in the county court.
William Wallace Bennett (1821-1887) was a noted Methodist Episcopal South minister as well as president of Randolph - Macon College from 1877 until 1886. Bennett served as a chaplain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and was in England purchasing Bibles for the troops at the end of the war. He and Virginia Lee Sangster were married in 1855.
Gift of Elizabeth R. Cannon, 1994-1995
[Item identification], Sangster Papers (MS294), Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria Virginia.
This series consists of 2 folders of letters written between William Wallace Bennett and Virginia Lee Sangster during the courtship and married life. Folder 2 contains many letters written while William was serving as a Methodist chaplain in the Civil War.
Original List of Letters:
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Sister" [Virginia Sangster], January 25, 1855, Warrenton
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Gennie" [Virginia Sangster], July 2, 1855, Alexandria
Virginia Lee Sangster to [William Wallace Bennett], July 4, 1855, Clifton
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", November 27, 1855, Petersburg
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", November 30, 1855, Conference Room
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", December 3, 1855, Petersburg
Virginia Sangster to [William Wallace Bennett], [December 3, 1855], Alexandria
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", December 5, 1855, Petersburg
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", December 6, 1855, Petersburg
Virginia Sangster to "My Dear Friend [William Wallace Bennett], December 9, 1855, Alexandria
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Virginia", December 11, 1855, Conference Room
Virginia Sangster to "My Dearest Friend [William Wallace Bennett], December 13, 1855, Alexandria
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dearest Virginia", December 15, 1855, Conference Room
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia Sangster Bennett, March 3, 1856, Springfield
William Wallace Bennett to "My Dear Gennie", October, 1857, Leesburg
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, May 10, 1858, Nashville
Original List of Contents
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia Sangster Bennett, May 17, 1858, Nashville
Virginia S. Bennett to William Wallace Bennett, June 7, 1858, Alexandria
Virginia SAngster Bennett to W. W. Bennett, August 24, 1858, Alexandria
Virginia S. Bennett to W. W. Bennett, October 8, 1858, Alexandria
Virginia S. Bennett to W. W. Bennett, December 22, 1860, Alexandria
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, Jun 2, 1862, Richmond, VA
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 5, 1862, Richmond, VA
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 9, 1862, Richmond, VA
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 16, 1862, Richmond, VA
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 20, 1862, Richmond
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 25, 1862, Richmond, VA
War Letter, June 6, 1864 (No Names) [signed "to Virginia" and from "WWB"]
War Letter, June 12, 1864, to "My Dear Wife" No signature
Virginia S. Bennett to William Wallace Bennett, April 10, 1866, Nottoway Parsonage
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, April 26, 1866, New Orleans
W. W. Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, April 9 (no year), Leesburg
W. W. Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, June 22 (no year), Richmond
Virginia S. Bennett to W. W. Bennett, August 1 (no year), Alexandria
W. W. Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, August 5 (no year), Leesburg
Virginia S. Bennett to W. W. Bennett, August 7 (no year), Spring Hill
William Wallace Bennett to Virginia S. Bennett, August 13 (no year), Berry's Ferry
William Wallace Bennett to "My Own Beloved", November 16 (no year), near Baltimore
June 18 (no year) - illegible [Begins with "My Dear Wife"]
This series holds the correspondence between the immediate family of Edward Ford Sangster and Mary Kendall Lee Sangster.
Original list of letters:
Ginnie [Virginia Sangster] to Tom [Thomas R. Sangster], June 6, 1853, Alexandria, VA.
Sister [Virginia] to Tom, Monday night, [Summer 1853]
Sister [Virginia] to "My very dear brother" [Tom], October 3, 1853, Alexandria
Edward Sangster to "Dear sis" [Virginia], August 16, 1855, Red Sulpher Springs [Now West Virginia]
Brother Jack [John H. Sangster] to Puss [Mary Edward Sangster], October 12, 1856, Charlottesville
J. Sangster [John] to "My dear sister" [Virginia Sangster Bennett], October 27, 1856, Charlottesville, VA
Tom Sangster to "Dear bro" [John], November 1, 1857, Paris, Kentucky
Jack Sangster to "Dear Puss" [Mary] November 8, 1857, Charlottesville
Jack [John] to "Ma" [Mary Kendall Lee Sangster], November 16, 1857, Charlottesville, VA
Tom to "My dear sister" [Virginia], January 23, 1859
Jack to "My dear sister" [Virginia], March 14, 1859, Alexandria
"Sister" [Virginia] to "My dear sister" [Mary], October 18, 1849, Richmond
Jack to Mary, May 5, 1861, Alexandria, VA
Tom to "Dear sis" [Unknown which sister, likely Mary], May 13, 1861, Alexandria, VA
Tom to Mary, Jun 1, 1861, Manassas Station, VA
Tom to sister [Unknown which sister], June 16, 1861
Originial list of Letters:
Jack Sangster to sister, October 22, 1861, Centerville, VA
James Sangster to sis [Mary Edward Sangster], November 10, 1861, Union Mills
Bettie to Puss [Mary], December 11, 1861, Danville, VA
Jack [John Sangster] to "My dear sister" [Virginia Sangster Bennett], January 14, 1862, Centerville, VA
Jack to sister, April 10, 1862, Louisa Court House, VA
Jack to sister, May 8, 1862
Viriginia to Mary Kendal Lee Sanster [mother], May 9, 1863, Richmond, VA
A. J. Sangster [Alexander John] to "Dear Bro" [Edward Ford Sangster], January 18, 1866, Moorefield
Sister [Virginia] to sister [Mary], September 24, 1866
Sister [Virginia] to sister [Mary], October 20, 1866
James Sangster to "Pa" [Edward Ford Sangster], January 9, 1867, Fairfax County, VA
J. Sangster [James] to "Pa" [Edward], December 15, 1867, Fairfax County, VA
E.S. [Edward Sangster, father] to Puss [Mary], September 20, 1868, Fairfax, VA
Mary Lee Bennett [Daughter of Virginia and W. W. Bennett] to William Wallace Bennett with note from Virginia S. Bennett, May 17, 1870, Ashland
"Mother" [Virginia S. Bennett] to "My darling little boys", July 31, 1881, Baveno (Italy)
To "My darling precious child", January 25, 1891, Ashland
Puss [Mary] to mother [Mary Kendall Lee Sangster], Buckingham, March (no year)
Thomas R. Sangster to "Ma" [Mary K. L. Sangster], (no date)
Virginia to parents [Edward and Mary Sangster], October 5, (no year), Richmond
This series consists of letters written to Mary Edward "Puss" Sangster. Included are letters written by her cousin Sallie Ford, cousin Daniel M. Lee, a Maj. S. B. Brewer, a Thomas H. Lace, among others. Any correspondence with her siblings can be found in the Sangster Family Letters series.
Original listing of letters:
"S. F." [Sallie Ford] to "Puss" [Mary Edward Sangster], January 21, 1860, Providence
Sallie P. to Mollie [Mary], January 20, 1861, Aberdeen, MS
Sallie Ford to Puss Sangster, March 19, 1861, Leesburg, VA
Sallie Ford to Puss Sangster, May 3, 1861, Fairfax court house, VA
D. M. Lee [Daniel McCarty Lee] to Puss Sangster, May 18, 1861, Alexanria, VA
B. H. Partlow to Mary Edward Sangster, Jun 3, 1861, Rappahannock Co.
Sallie to Puss, Jun 16, 1861, Clover Hill
Daniel to Puss Sangster, June 30, 1861, Camp Pickens, VA
Daniel M. Lee to Puss, July 18, 1861, Tudor Hall, VA
Sallie to PUss, August 1, 1861, Warrentown, VA
Original list of letters:
Sallie [Ford] to "Puss" [Mary Edward Sangster] August 10, 1861, Warrenton, VA
Daniel [Daniel McCarty Lee] to "My dear cousin" [Mary], March 25, 1862, Orange, C. H.
Alice E. Meisinger to Puss, March 2, 1863
Major S. B. Brewer to M. E. Sangster, November 91, 1863, Richmond, VA
Major S. B. Brewer to M. E. Sangster, January 1, 1864, Richmond, VA
Thomas H. Lace to Mary E. Sangster, May 1, 1864, Camp Sullivans Island, Charleston, SC
Ella to Puss, August 26, 1864, Farmington
Sallie [Ford] to cousin [Mary], January 8, 1865
C. S. to Puss, August 3, 1866, Fairfax County, VA
This series contains all letters that were not within the scope of Series I-III.
Original list of letters:
John L. Young and Issac Kell to Sam Hughes, January 1, 1861
J. H. McVagh to E. Sangster, Esq. [Edward Ford Sangster], August 11, 1863, Lynchburg, VA
Varina Davis to Gentlemen (W. W. Bennett, J. A. Duncan, J. S. R. Clarke, W. W. Duncan, J. S. Lindsay), November 26, 1866, Fortress Monroe [This is a photocopy]
(illegible) May 6, 1868 [Also contains a handwritten note from 1994 attempting to translate the writing in this faded letter]
Signatories (names follow) to the General Assembly of Virginia, January 27, 1870, Alexandria
"Flea" to "My Dearest Old Big" February 3, 1881, Petersburg
From N. L. A. to "Dear friend" September 8, 1882, G. Y. College
Cousin Bettie (Camden?) to Virginia S. Bennett, July 25, 1888, Parkersburg, West Virginia
Jane Sangster to Virginia L. Bennett, Saturday evening - Civil War - (no date), Lynchburg, VA
This folder contains one small notebook used by John Hancock Lee "Jack" Sangster during his time at the University of Virginia in the late 1850s. In it, Jack writes about his courses, expenses, and day to day excursions.