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James M. Beard Mercantile Ledger (BBM Coll. 0004), Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va.
This collection consists of a mercantile ledger kept by Brownsburg, Va. merchant James M. Beard. He also operated the local post office as was common during his time. The ledger contains entries that apply to his mercantile business documenting who bought what and for how much as well as entries specific to the post office. The last page has his copy of two letters he wrote in 1835. At some point, someone used the ledger as a scrapbook. Many of the first pages are covered by newspaper clippings.
James M. Beard was born in 1796. He was a merchant and postmaster in Brownsburg, Va. and owned several properties. He died on February 28, 1861.