Scope and Contents The collection consists of the miscellaneous papers of three members of the Barton family who attended VMI during the mid-19th century. Papers relating to Cadet Charles M. Barton (VMI Class of 1856) include a letter dated September 28, 1855 from Charles to his cousin Joseph M. Barton, in which he complains about VMI life and about his instructor Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (Jackson is described as a "hell of a fool"). Other Charles Barton material is found in a notebook (ca. 250 pages)...

Scope and Contents This collection consists of five letters (dated 1848 to 1854) written by Giles Gunn while he was a schoolteacher in Lexington, Virginia. The letters, addressed primarily to his sister Mary (living at the Gunn home in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut), include discussions of interesting local events as well as references to family. Topics include: VMI commencement A detailed description of his school and his methods of instruction A description of the...

Scope and Contents This collection consists of one letter from Richard C. Taylor to his father, dated January 15, 1854. Taylor describes in detail the circumstances surrounding the murder of his classmate Cadet Thomas Blackburn by Charles B. Christian, a Washington College law student.

Scope and Contents This collection consists of two items. The first is a letter dated January 25, 1855 from a Prussian official, denying Thomas F. Barksdale and his roommates permission to enter the Prussian Army. The second item is a notebook that contains: Class notes, including notes taken in Stonewall Jackson's class section in Natural Philsophy (a course that would today be most similar to Physics) and notes taken in Analytical Geometry class taught by Francis H. SmithA resolution issued by...