Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Papers of the Minor and Venable Families, Accession #5660-e, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was given to the Library by Julius Barclay of Charlottesville, Virginia, in memory of his mother, Polly Venable Dulaney, on November 19, 1997.

Scope and Content Information

There are 11 items, 1846-1918, pertaining to the Minor and Venable families of Charlottesville, Virginia. There is a diary, August - November 1918, of medical service in France during World War I, kept by Charles Scott Venable (1877-1961). Other items include correspondence and an obituary of Emily C. Stras, letters to Florence C. Southall and Charles Scott Venable (1827-1900), and photographs of Sir Robert Montgomery and Lady Lucy Montgomery Denison.

In his diary, Venable makes references to the care and treatment of the wounded at the hospitals and the conditions of those hospitals in France where he is serving. During August 15-18, he writes about hospital conditions, the arrival of a convoy of patients, and the care of patients. On September 17, he writes that the hospital is filling rapidly with wounded soldiers and about his success with the Dakin treatment and closures and other medical procedures. On September 26, he writes that the hospital is reaching capacity and comments on the memorandum about consulting with the chief of orthopaedic service. On September 29, he mentions that the hospital received 117 patients, all African-Americans. That same date, he also writes that the inefficiency of the commanding officer has contributed to the withdrawal of all help and support by the Red Cross and that they must now rely on the Army for supplies. On October 15, he mentions that there are numerous fractures on hand and that he has started an outpatient clinic with [Kyle Bear ?] Steele in charge. On November 14, many of the patients have been evacuated; and, on November 19, the hospital is down to about 2,000 patients.

In the diary, Venable also refers to University of Virginia alumni and friends on several occasions: Stuart McGuire (1867-1948) and Green Baughman on August 9; Lewis Dabney Crenshaw (1884-1947) on August 11; Davis B. Wills, Daniel Warwick Harmon, "Dutch" [Leartus Jerauld] Owen, Hugh Hampton Young (1870-1945), Henry M. Sackett, Seale Harris (1870-1957), Beverley Randolph Tucker (1874-1945), Charles Patton Echols (1867-1940), E. Algernon Coleman (1876-1939), and Charles J. Kinsolving at a "Virginia soirée" on August 11; [Leartus Jerauld] Owen, Daniel Warwick Harmon, and General [Jefferson Randolph] Kean (1860-1950) in Toul on September 2; Lomax Gwathmey ordered to Charmois on September 10; the suicide of Paul Lee Cocke, the fourth of his friends to take that route, on September 26; Richard Lloyd Cook and Walter Francis Scott at a meeting of the Allied Medical Council at the Continental October 4-5; Daniel Warwick Harmon, James Douglas Fife, Davis B. Wills, Hugh Hampton Young, Walter Francis Scott, and Richard Lloyd Cook at a Virginia alumni soirée" on October 5; Lomax Gwathmey brought in with a leg wound obtained while he was with Evacuation Hospital 4 at Fromerville near Verdun and his being Gwathmey's replacement at the hospital on November 6 and 8.

Other entries in the diary concern personal matters and news of the war. On August 11, he travels to Montdidier from Paris, and describes travel across the advance trenches, the Oise River, road conditions, troops of Algerians, Moroccans, and French, evidence of fighting at Gournay, the desolation at Tricot, and the desolation in Montdidier. On September 20, he writes that he was selected as inspector of the district and had been confided in by Col. [ ] Cabell that he had been ordered to select and train an officer as C. O. and that he wanted Venable to do it. He also mentions that he went to the Embassy and to the Crillon to call on Thomas Nelson Page (1853-1922). On October 29, he mentions that he was recommended for a promotion and transfer. He writes news of the allied countries being in conference in Versailles on October 31, a brief description of the celebration in Paris the previous week on November 1, news from Paris that "the Kaiser has abdicated" on November 9, and "the Armistice is signed and while peace is not yet the war is over" on November 11. On that day, he also describes the scene when the bells began to ring and the joyous scene in Paris with citizens and soldiers celebrating. On November 17, he writes that he attended the Parade of Alsace with its good flying but rotten parade.

There is also correspondence contained in the collection. There are three letters, 1946-1947, to Florence C. Southall from "Rose Hill," Richmond, and "Frescati," Gordonsville, Virginia, chiefly concerning family and local news. Topics discussed are William [Southall], the wedding of Douglass Meriwether of Albemarle to Miss Gardner of Richmond, a party at James Heath given to Virginia Macon, Charlottesville and Staunton friends, and the temperance lectures of [John Bartholomew] Gough (1817-1886). There is a letter, February 11, 1877, from J. (Justus) Scheibert (1831-1903) in Prussia, to Charles Scott Venable (1827-1900), discussing work on his book on the Franco-Prussian War and a future translation into English and the wife of W[alter] H[usted] Stevens (1827-1867) wanting to translate from the French version. On November 26, 1882, Scheibert writes from Hirschberg, Silesia, Prussia, concerning U. S. politics, mentioning Southern sympathizers for the new party, Virginia elections, Republicans, Democrats, anti-temperance men, and temperance. He comments that "revolution of any time has struggled for the differences of Southern and Northern political views..." and poses several questions concerning the political atmosphere in the United States and the Republican and Democratic parties. There is a transcript of a letter, June 7, 1879, from James Longstreet (1821-1904) to Venable along with Venable's recollections concerning the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5-6, 1864.