The collection is open for research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], William "Billy" McDuffie Collection, 1861, n. d., Ms2023-015, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The William "Billy" McDuffie Collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in February 2018.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the William "Billy" McDuffie Collection was completed in May 2023.
William "Billy" Mcduffie was an enslaved person during and prior to the American Civil War. During the war, McDuffie most likely served as a cook or a body servant. Biographical materials that accompanied the collection included an excerpt from his obituary, which ran in the
"He went as a drummer to the Seminole war in 1836, to the Mexican war, and to the civil war. He volunteered to go to Cuba .. . . He was a courier on the staff of Governor Mcsweeney and an honorary sergeant in a local white military company. He brought back General Pierce Butler's body from Mexico and General Bragg's back from Fredricksburg. . . . [He] beat the muffled drum at [John C.] Calhoun's funeral. He was buried ... with military honors."
This collection contains a Carte de Visite photograph, a letter from Arthur Elmore to Grace Elmore, the envelope that the letter was sent in, and a transcript of the letter. The photograph depicts William "Billy" McDuffie, an enslaved individual that was taken to war by the Elmore family. The letter was written to update Grace Elmore on Arthur, William, and "Cousin Ben's" current locations, and to update her on "Cousin Ben" and William's recovery. Arthur also mentions the snowy weather in the letter and that he had not yet received blankets that his mother had sent him. The envelope that the letter was sent in indicates that the letter was sent from the Tudor Hall post office in Manassas, Virginia, and was received on December 8, 1861. The envelope also includes a "DUE 10" stamp which indicates that the postage was to be paid by the recipient of the letter.
The guide to the William "Billy" McDuffie Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (