Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Letters of Zachariah Shirley and Samuel Shirley, 1846-1866, Accession #11178, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The University of Virginia Library purchased these letters from Jerry N. Showalter, Bookseller, Ivy, Virginia, on May 4, 1995.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of ca. thirty items, 1846, 1851-1861, and 1866, chiefly correspondence with Zachariah Shirley and [his son?] Samuel Shirley of New Market, Virginia. Also present are some bills and accounts of the Shirley family. Many of the letters to Zachariah Shirley pertain to his involvement in one or more lawsuits in the courts and discuss securing a lawyer, the taking of depositions, and the settlement of the suit (Daniel Stickley, 1846 Jan 28; Thomas Welch, 1851 Mar 17, 1857 Sep 23, & 1859 Apr 21; Messrs. Tucker & Patton, 1859 Apr 30; H.J. Harrison, 1859 Aug 14; J.Y. Menefee, 1860 Jun 21).

Other letters deal with business matters, accounts, and notes that have come due (1859 Dec 10 & 31; 1860 Mar 2, Jul 29; 1861 Jan 19 & 30, Feb 4 & 20; 1866 Apr 28). James Paxton, Clifton Forge, Botetourt County, Virginia, writing to J.D. Williamson, gives a detailed description of his land, buildings, crops, etc. which are all in close proximity to the railroad and the James and Kanawha River Canal, and urges Mr. Shirley to come and examine Paxton's land for himself (1860 Apr 10).

Letters discussing politics include a letter from Daniel Stickley, Richmond, Virginia, discussing the candidacy of J.H. Samuels for Congress due to the death of William Taylor, 1788-1846, (1846 Jan 28); and a letter, January 30, 1861, from A.R. Blakey, an unopposed candidate for the [Virginia State ?] Convention, who writes that he expects Shenandoah County to elect secession candidates and hopes they will carry the state "but there are very strong combinations among the politicians to get the border free states and the slave states to agree upon a compromise which they know the cotton states will reject & thus form a union with the North. This will be the utter ruin of Virginia though it may make the fortunes of a few politicians."

Other topics include the disadvantages of marriage to an ambitious youth (R.S. Newman, 1852 Nov 28); the purchase of two farms, including the old Pope farm, of 520 acres and 320 acres, corn planting, and a description of some adventures during the trip to Missouri by Samuel Glick, Oregon, Holt County, Missouri (1855 May 23; 1857 Nov 4); George [Ancus?], Astoria, Fulton County, Illinois, (1856 May 4 and Dec 16) to Samuel P. Shirley, who is studying surveying, urging him to come out to Illinois where they need fellows like Shirley; John Ragey to his cousin Thomas (1859 Mar 24) mentioning the exodus of local residents from Mifflin, Ashland County, Ohio, to Kansas, his work with a millwright for six months, the poor wheat market and the surplus of flour; and H.J. Harrison, Red Hill, Hardin County, Kentucky, discusses the poor condition of crops in Kentucky due to the drought (1859 Aug 14).