James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison DriveMSC 1704
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Telephone: (540) 568-3612
library-special@jmu.edu
URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Chelsea Tholen
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk. (library-special@jmu.edu).
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Provenance
MaryMay Angelil is the great-granddaughter of Bettie Hiter Willis. The letters have been in the family's possession since the Civil War.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Bettie Hiter Willis Papers, 1864-1942, SC 0224, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The items loaned to Special Collections by MaryMay Angelil in September 2012 for scanning, after which, the originals were returned to the donor.
Processing Information
The pages were flattened and then scanned on an Epson 10000 XL scanner at 600 dpi. The scans have been separated into the original journal segments and letters. The collection was kept in the original order for scanning. The scans were created as TIF files and assigned sequential unique identifiers. These files were subsequently converted to pdfs for access, and the files were renamed by form of content and the date of creation. The collection was formerly assigned collection number SC 5053.
Biographical / Historical
This collection contains digital images of the correspondence and diaries of Bettie Hiter Willis, including journals from 1864-1865 and 1878-1879. She writes about her experiences with the Civil War as well as personal relations. She lived in the Culpepper, VA, and for a short period in the Shenandoah Valley, and wrote about local deaths in the War as well as her own personal take on Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The collection begins at age 13, in 1864, and continues with her children's correspondence until 1942.
Scope and Contents
The Bettie Hiter Willis Papers, 1864-1942 consist of 41 digital files that were created by Special Collections from thirty-eight letters, three journal segments, and one poem. The bulk of the letters were written to family members in Virginia. Several letters and diary entries written by Bettie Hiter Willis as a young girl describe local events from the Civil War.
Arrangement
The material is arranged into two series:
Journals, 1864-1874, undated, is comprised of scanned excerpts of journals written by Bettie Hiter Willis, and further arranged by date. The scanned documents are accessible as 3 pdfs. Correspondence, 1867-1942, undated, is comprised of scanned letters, a postcard and a poem, and further arranged by date. The scanned documents are accessible as 39 pdfs.Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Angelil, MaryMay
- Diaries
- Hiter family
- Letters (correspondence)
- North American women's letters and diaries
- Poetry
- Postcards
- Postcards -- United States -- 20th century
- Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
- Virginia -- History, Local -- Sources
- Willis family
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Angelil, MaryMay
- Willis, Bettie Hiter, 1850-1923
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- Virginia -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
- Virginia -- History, Local -- Sources
Container List
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-001
Journal1864 May 15-1865 October 2
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-001
Journal1873 December 28-1874 August 30
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-001
Journalundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1867 February 19
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1869 September 22
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1869 November 27
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1876 September 24
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1880 February 27
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1899 March 26
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1917 March 1
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1917 October 28
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1920 August 18
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1921 December 15
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1921 January 9
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1921 January 11
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1922 January 1
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1923 March 8-14
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1923 June 29
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1923 December 18
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1923 March 1
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1923 Feburary 24
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1924 January 3
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1934 December 9
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1939 January 9
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letters1942 September 11
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letters1942 September 16
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter1942 September 17
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Envelope, R.A. Freemanundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter (partial)undated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter from Sallie (partial)undated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter from Sue (partial)undated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to BessDecember 8
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to BessJune 28
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Bess, Sunday nightundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Bess, Wednesday morningundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Bob, Saturday nightundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Bob, Saturday nightundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to DaughterMay 30
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Mick, Sunday nightundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Letter to Mick, Thursday afternoonundated
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Postcard1911
- Mixed Materials Digital-Materials: SC0224-SET-002
Poem, A. O. Bodyundated