Administrative Information

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Publication Rights/Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Barker-Cooke Papers, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information

Purchased; 1940.

Scope and Content

Letters and business papers, chiefly 1848-1866, of James E. Cooke of Powhatan, Virginia and the Barker family of Fluvanna County, Virginia including letters relating to the hiring out of slaves, plantation operations and the Civil War (letters of John H. Barker and Henry J. Dobbs of the 18th Virginia Regiment of the Confederate army concerning the Battle of First Bull Run (Manassas).

Organization

The collection has been divided into series with Series 1 covering letters and Series 2 including accounts, receipts and notes. The subseries under letters is grouped by date: Subseries 1 are letters 1848- 1854, Subseries 2 are the Civil War letters and Subseries 3 covers letters written after the Civil War.

Index Terms

Family Names:

• Barker Family

Persons:

• Barker, John H.
• Cooke, James E. fl. 1848-1853
• Dobbs, Henry J.

Subjects:

• Bull Run, 1st Battle of, Va., 1861.
• Plantation life -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century
• Slave labor -- Virginia
• Slavery -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century

Corporate Names:

• Confederate States of America. Army. Virginia Infantry Regiment, 13th.
• Confederate States of America. Army. Virginia Infantry Regiment, 18th.

Geographical Names:

• Fluvanna County (Va.)
• Powhatan County (Va.)