Letcher, John Papers Guide to the John Letcher Papers SC 01066

Guide to the John Letcher Papers SC 01066


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Special Collections Research Center

William & Mary Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
400 Landrum Dr
Williamsburg, Virginia
Business Number: 757-221-3090
spcoll@wm.edu
URL: https://libraries.wm.edu/libraries-spaces/special-collections

Special Collections Staff.

Repository
Special Collections Research Center
Identification
SC 01066
Title
John Letcher Papers 1860-1875
Quantity
0.2 Linear Foot
Creator
Letcher, John, 1813-1884
Language
English

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

John Letcher Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Gift (D. I. Bushnell) and purchase (1981) at the Charles Hamilton Auction.


Biographical Information:

John Letcher (March 29, 1813-January 26, 1884) was a lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served as a Representative in the United States Congress, was Governor of Virginia during the American Civil War, and later served in the Virginia General Assembly. He was also active on the Board of Visitors of Virginia Military Institute.

Scope and Contents

Papers; 1860-1875; of John Letcher, governor of Virginia, 1860-1864. Includes appointment, 1860, of justices of the peace for Augusta County, Virginia signed by Letcher; and letters, November 3, 1864-September 3, 1865, of Letcher, Lexington Virginia to Joseph A. Hierholzer, Richmond, Virginia. Three of the letters are negative photocopies.

Three Democratic tickets for the Virginia gubernatorial election held on Thursday, May 26, 1959. The tickets list John Letcher for Governor, R.L. Montague for Lieutenant Governor, J.R. Tucker for Attorney General, and James H. Skinner for the House of Delegates.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Agendas (administrative records)
  • Augusta County (Va.)--History--19th century
  • Correspondence
  • Early, Jubal Anderson, 1816-1894
  • Hierholzer, Joseph A
  • Lee, Robert Edward, 1807-1870
  • Lexington (Va.)--History--19th century
  • Photostats
  • Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Virginia
  • Richmond (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.)--History
  • United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Washington and Lee University--History--19th century

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Early, Jubal Anderson, 1816-1894
  • Hierholzer, Joseph A
  • Lee, Robert Edward, 1807-1870
  • Letcher, John, 1813-1884

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • Augusta County (Va.)--History--19th century
  • Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Container List

Mixed Materials Small Collections Box 73 folder: 1 id4391
Letters
1860-1875
Scope and Contents

The collection contains the following documents and letters:

1860 June 24. Appointments of John A. Harman, William G. Sterrett, J. Wayt Bell; and S.B. Brown as Justices of the Peace for the 1st District of Augusta County, Virginia. Signed by John Letcher, Governor, and George W. Munford, Secretary.

1864 November 3. John Letcher, Lexington, Virginia, to J. Hierholzer, Richmond, Virginia. Expresses concern about his Richmond friends and the city from vandals, but has learned that Richmond is safe, and "while Richmond is safe, the State is safe, and with the State safe, the Confederacy is safe"; comments that "Virginia is the backbone of the Confederacy, and when she falls, all is gone"; reports that Congress is to meet soon and expresses confidence in the new Confederate Secretary of the Treasury (G.A. Trenholm); tells of difficulty in buying supplies with Confederate money since the people have no confidence in the paper currency; no fighting in the valley since the 19th at Cedar Creek.

1864 December 3. John Letcher, Lexington, Virginia, to J. Hierholzer, Richmond, Virginia. Was involved in several habeas corpus cases tried by Judge Brockenbrough; reports news that the Confederate Army will retreat soon to a safer, more secure position near Mount Crawford, and that conditions have greatly improved since the "Cedar Creek disaster"; considers General Early a good officer; comments on the "puzzling" state of things in Georgia and Tennessee brought about by Hood and Sherman; praises General Lee and his leadership qualities.

1865 May 15. John Letcher, Lexington, Virginia, to J. Hierholzer, Richmond, Virginia. Has had no mail since the evacuation of Richmond, but hopes since the war has ended matters will resume to normal; feels anxiety because he does not know whether or not Virginia will fall under the authority of the new state of West Virginia; wheat crops are being ravaged by "the fly"; rye, oats, and grass crops are promising, as well as corn; predicts years of hard labor to restore the country and business.

1865 September 3. John Letcher, Lexington, Virginia, to J. Hierholzer, Richmond, Virginia. Comments on events of the past year, including the destruction of Richmond, the abolition of slavery, the passing of the Confederacy, and his imprisonment by military order; feels that they should accept what has happened and make the best of it; expresses confidence in President Andrew Johnson, stating that "his feelings toward the South are kind, and he wishes to bring about a re-organization as soon as practicable"; the wheat crop throughout the state has been, for the most part, a failure, but the rye, oats, and grass crops were good; business is slowly reviving; reports General Robert E. Lee has accepted the Presidency of Washington and Lee, and will arrive soon.

1875 June 11. John Letcher, Lexington, Virginia, to "cousin". Apologizes for his lack of correspondence, but has been very busy with his law practice; received the family sketches, including that of the Houston family; family is all in good health, though there have been several cases of scarlet fever reported in town; comments on the dry weather since April, and the planting of their tobacco crop; the wheat crop will be fair, the oats and grass crops failed, and the corn looks poor; expresses desire to visit the "Great West," but lack of money and age will not allow it; mentions the beginning of exams at "the University and the Institute" (Washington and Lee and Virginia Military Institute).

Mixed Materials Small Collections Box 73 Folder: 2
Democratic tickets
0.1 Linear Feet One legal sized folder.
circa 1859
Scope and Contents

Three Democratic tickets for the Virginia gubernatorial election held on Thursday, May 26, 1959. The tickets list John Letcher for Governor, R.L. Montague for Lieutenant Governor, J.R. Tucker for Attorney General, and James H. Skinner for the House of Delegates.