Scope and Content
This collection consist of ca. 16,000 items, 1787-1936, and
contains the papers of the
Bondurant familyof
Buckingham County, Virginia, and the
Morrison familyof
Rockbridge County, Virginiawho were
related through the marriage of
Alexander Joseph Bondurantand
Emily MacFarland Morrisonin 1859.
Alexander J. Bondurantand
Emily (Morrison) Bondurantwere the chief
correspondents in this collection.
Alexander J. Bondurant(1836-1910) was a
Confederatesoldier, farmer, politician,
superintendent of
Buckingham County, Va.schools, professor
of agriculture at
Auburn University, and tobacco consultant
to the government of
Australia. His father,
Thomas Moseley Bondurant(1797-1862), was
a landowner, member of the board of trustees of
Hampden-Sydney College, a soldier in the
War of 1812, a member of the
Virginia Senate, and one of the founders
of the
Richmond Whig. His oldest son,
Alexander Lee Bondurant(1865-1937) was
professor of Latin and head of the graduate school of the
University of Mississippi.
Emily MacFarland Morrison(b. 1837) was
the daughter of Rev.
James Morrisonand
Frances (Brown) Morrisonof
Rockbridge County, Va.A copy of her
reminiscences can be found in the Rare Books collection (F 231
.B65 1944 1962ed). The
Morrison familymaterial consists chiefly of
the papers of Rev.
James Morrison(1797-1870), including
correspondence concerning his family, his congregation, and
the
Presbyterian Church; also included are
his seminary and sermon notes from 1815-1874, and diaries and
account books for his home,
Bellevue.
Subjects included in this collection are farms in
Buckingham Co., Va., family affairs, the
Civil War, school administration in
Buckingham Co.,
Auburn University, the
University of Virginia, mining and
mineral rights in
Virginia, immigrant land schemes in
Virginia, including the
James River Valley Immigrant Societyand
the
Virginia Land and Immigrant Company,
Virginiaand national politics, tobacco
culture in
Australiaand the southern
United States, Rev.
James Morrison's education at the
University of North Carolina, his
pastorates in
North Carolinaand
Virginia, the
Presbyterian Churchin the South, and the
Bellevue Schoolin
Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Most of the personal correspondence in the collection is
concerned with family matters. A great deal of the letters
discussed agriculture with regard to the family farms,
especially
Variety Shade, and
Alexander J. Bondurant's various
agricultural positions and interests. AJB's letters from
Australiato various family members
spanned the period from 1896 to 1901. These contain some
information on agriculture and the culture of
Australia. Some of the letters from
Charles W. Dabneyto
A.J. Bondurant(1881-1898) discuss iron
ore and mineral rights in
Virginiaas well as agriculture.
The Civil War and its affects is another subject to be
found in the correspondence. Letters from
Emily (Morrison) Bondurantto
Alexander J. Bondurantmention her
brothers' war activities and posts (29 Jul, 8 Aug, and 11 Aug
1862; 6 [Apr] and 22 Apr 1863; 1 Mar, 28 Mar, 5 Apr 1865). A
13 May 1863 letter from
Thomas Lee Bondurantto
A.J.Bondurantmentions the reaction to the
death of General
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Letters to
E.M. Bondurantfrom
A.J. Bondurantmention the war and his
desire to support the army (12 Apr, 27 Apr, 26 May 1863). Rev.
James Morrisonalso wrote to his daughter
E.M. Bondurantabout the war and her
brother,
Samuel Morrison's appointment as a
surgeon in the army (5 Nov 1861, 23 May 1865). Letters to Rev.
James Morrisonmention the early rumblings
of the Civil War and rumors of secession (25 Jul, 20 Oct, 9
Nov, 4 Dec 1860), as well as letters from his sons telling of
their posts (20 Feb, 4 Dec 1863; 14 Jan, 21 May 1863).
Politics is also a prominent subject in some of the
correspondence. The
Bondurantswere active in the publishing
of the
Richmond Whig(est. 1824) and it is
mentioned in a few letters.
E.M. Bondurantto
A.J. Bondurantmentions that
George [P. Bondurant](1838-1886) wanted
to leave the management of the paper to
A.J. Bondurant.
Thomas M. Bondurantmentions the paper in
a letter (19 Nov 1857) to his son
A.J. Bondurant. A letter from
George P. Bondurantto his father
A.J. Bondurantmentions the
Whigagain and the
Bondurantinterests in the paper (22 Mar
1896). Local and national politics is found in several letters
from
E.M. Bondurantto
A.J. Bondurant(26 Jul, 27 Sep, 8, 11, 31
Oct 1896). Letters from
Alexander Lee Bondurantto his father
A.J. Bondurantmention local politics and
the race for the legislature (25 Oct 1887, 7 May 1889).
Thomas M. Bondurantwas also concerned
with local politics; a letter from
J.T. Bocockmentions Sen.
Floodand local tax collecting practices
and the justice system and how they could be changed (8 Jan
1834).
Religion and the
Presbyterian Churchis also a prominent
subject in the correspondence of Rev.
James Morrison, pastor of
New Providence Presbyterian Church,
Rockbridge County, Virginia. The letters
from Rev.
Elam J. Morrisonfrom Rev.
James Morrison(1820-1826) are concerned
with family matters, friends in the ministry, questions and
and advice about the ministry, the Presbytery and synods.
Letters to Rev.
James Morrison(1813-1863, n.d.) contain
many similar topics and include family letters and letters
from friends and relatives in the ministry.