| | 121 | Author: | Cocke, Chas. H. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Chas. H. Cocke to M. Louise Cocke, Nov. 3, 1895 [a
machine-readable transcription]  | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I am very much obliged for your kind
letter. The University fire was a great shock to me.
It haunted me night & day at first. I felt & feel as though
a temple had been profaned. No loyal alumnus can
fail to feel a personal loss. If the alumni's ability
equaled their inclinations, I feel sure the work
of restoration would be but a matter of time, and
that the shortest necessary. The limitations of poverty in
such crises are most sorely felt. What a pleasure it
would be to be able to give a million straight down
at once to restore and re-equip the buildings,
in such order and style as the authorities might
deem best! As it is, while my heart was full and
my purse empty, I had to force back the words that
rushed forward for expression of my sympathy &
sorrow and content myself with sending Dr. Thornton
a meagre declaration of my willingness to do anything
in the power of an impecunious alumnus! I knew
he would be deluged with telegrams & letters, so I was brief. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 122 | Author: | Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911 | Add | | | Title: | Pay of Colored Troops | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | The following is the petition in respect to the arrears of pay
due a portion of the colored troops, to which reference was lately
made under our telegraphic head. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 125 | Author: | Mann, W. A. and Lusk, John A. M. | Add | | | Title: | Public hiring of free negroes | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | WILL be hired at public auction in front of the
Court
House, on the first day of March Court next, the following
FREE NEGROES to pay their taxes, for the amount an-
nexed to their names: | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 127 | Author: | Mead, William R. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from William R. Mead to Dr. Barringer, Nov. 5, 1895; [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | Your letter of the
29th was received at the
office while I was on the
ocean returning from Europe,
which will account for my
not answering it immediately.
I presume matters have taken
such shape in the meantime
that I can only say how
much we all regret the
calamity which has befallen
the University in the loss of
a building that was one
of the architectural monuments
of the country—and our hope
that its reconstruction has
fallen into reverent hands-
It would indeed be a
misfortune if some one tries
to be original and improve
on what has gone before—ex
cept perhaps as to interior
arrangement— If no final
arrangements have been made
we can only say we should
consider it an honor to be
associated with the work
and apart from our actual
expense should not consider
the money side of the matter.
These expenses from our past
experience would amount
to about 3 per cent on the
expenditure. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 129 | Author: | New, Anthony | Add | | | Title: | Printed Letter, 1794 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | THE resolutions proposed by Mr. Madison,
upon the principle of securing the
advantages to the navigation and commerce of the United States,
which of right
belong to her, and which have been hitherto usurped by
Britain, have been postponed
to the first Monday in March, by which time, the public will
may be tolerably ascer-
tained, and foreign occurrences better known: A state
like ours, whose prosperity
depends upon the regular exportation of bulky commodities, to
distant countries, must
be deeply interested to secure the national means of
doing it, independent of foreign
revolutions and wars. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 130 | Author: | Pleasants, James | Add | | | Title: | Letter from James Pleasants to Frank Smith, Oct. 28, 1895 [a machine-readable
transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | Yesterday was truly a
day of days; of sympathi-
zing sorrow & overwhelming
sadness with us all. Besides
the terrific blow that fell on
dear Robert Stiles in the
death of his daughter Lelia,
who died in the morning at
8 o'clock, there next came
upon us the crushing news that
the dear old University was
in flames and doubtless
doomed to destruction! I
need not attempt to describe
our misery and anxiety.
All day long was spent in
eagerness, & melancholy, about
the University's fate. I hardly
have ever known more excite-
ment in our Community, and
as the day wore on & the news
became sadder & sadder, we
felt as if the loss of the
beloved old Rotunda and
Public Hall, with its priceless
contents, would be felt as the
most irreparable of disasters,
and saddest of blows. I
thought of you very often
& those invaluable treasures;
and especially of your lecture-
room & its apparatus. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 131 | Author: | Randolph, W.C.N. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from W. C. N. Randolph to A. Gordon, Jan. 13, 1896 [a machine-readable
transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I enclose you some papers
that will be rather a shock to you but that
will speak for themselves. It makes me
more and more convinced that we can't
safely undertake this task which is upon
us without having a thoroughly trained
inspector and not only that but a supervising
architect. Men who will be entirely in
our interests and who will be paid by
ourselves and who will be making us
frequent reports. Neither Thornton or Echols
are fit for this sort of thing; they haven't
the practical experience nor are either of
them very practical men. We ought to
take the whole affair out of the hands of
the buildings and grounds, except as
to the transference of money. As you are
probably aware I have been very much
dissatisfied with the character of the work
that has been done in the reconstruction
of the two terraces, but being very distrustful
of my own knowledge of such things I
could never shape it in such a way as to
prove to myself that I was not making a
mountain of a mole-hill. The whole thing
has made me right sick. If we are to
undertake this work with an architect who
makes all sorts of errors in his strain sheets;
with a superintendent like Echols, who has
not verified any calculations; and another
superintendent like Thornton who accepts
the architects loose ideas of weights and
strains and deems safe what, when brought
to the tables of experienced facts, proves to be
unsafe and another superintendent like
the venerable Rector who has neither the
time nor the tables nor probably the
capacity to make reliable calculations the
result will be that you and McCabe
will be damned and properly damned for
the balance of your lives and the
venerable Rector will probably be hung &
properly hung. As you may remember as
I said before may Heaven bless all
mixed Committees and save me the
trouble of having so far to force my
conscience as to bless them. Do pray
burn this letter; it is written in such
bad temper. I started in good humor
enough but as the thing has worked
upon me my gall has risen. I shall
expect you on Friday and you and I and
McCabe must talk these things over where
we can do it without any feeling that we
are treading upon other peoples toes and possibly
finding fault where fault is not due.
Send the papers back to me at once please.
Mr. McDonald has not turned up here
yet but we are expecting him every day. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 132 | Author: | Randolph, W.C.N. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from W.C.N. Randolph to Mr. Gordon, Jan. 24, 1896 [a machine-readable
transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I enclose you a letter
from McCabe to myself and a copy of my
reply thereto. I hope that you will give it
a good deal of thought. To my mind it
is exceedingly important. I received yours
this morning. I am glad to hear the good
account that Colonel Cutshaw and Colonel
Douglas give of Mr. Whitely; and still with
the impression that Thornton and Echols
have, it might be dangerous to appoint him.
This question of an Inspector is filled with
many difficulties. General Craighill advises
that we should leave the whole matter
to the architect; Green Peyton who you & I
trust very much thinks an Inspector would
be a mistake; and yet I am perfectly certain
that we ought to have somebody in charge of
this work on behalf of the University. In fact
in any building at the University there
should be someone, an officer of the Institution,
who would be responsible for it. Suppose
Green Peyton were Superintendent of Buildings
and Grounds, how much trouble would you
and I give ourselves about this matter? Not a
bit! So I come to the point. Our Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds who is one of the
finest fellows in the world, and a man of
splendid intellect, is from habit, character of
mind, and training, unfit for his position.
He takes no interest in it; never can be
found and is not doing his duty. Now I am
not writing this with any harshness at all.
I am just stating to you what I know to be
facts. In addition, the Superintendent of
Buildings and Grounds is the proper
Inspector of the work that goes ont at the
University and if he was the best one in the world,
he ought not to hold the dual position of
member and servant of the Building Committee.
I think, if you all two agree with me, that the
solution of this matter is an easy one. I
am satisfied that Echols is more than
willing to give up the place as Superintendent;
that he intends to do so at the end of the
session and that he would be glad to do it
now. Then it seems to me, that the wisest thing
we can do is to select with great care an
Inspector and when the Board meets let us then
accept Mr. Echols' resignation and I think I can
arrange that it will be offered, and let us
select an appointee as Inspector Superintendent
of Buildings and Grounds. This seems to me to do
away with all the objections to the appointment of
a special Inspector. Now I myself, would be
perfectly willing to take blindly and I don't I
often say that, any man that H.D.
Whitcomb, Colonel Cutshaw and Colonel Douglas,
from a professional stand-point, knowing
these facts, would recommend to us. Think
this matter over; we cant take Thornton
into our confidence about it. In the first
place, no man can ever tell when he has an axe
to grind for himself and then every thing filters
through him to the Faculty and leads to lack
of harmony between us. Mr. Davis came to
me about the Ott matter today. I want to
have a talk to you and McCabe about it
when you come over. Please give this matter
of Inspector a great deal of thought. I am
perfectly satisfied that the master-wheel
of this reconstruction machinery is sound;
but there is a grating cog in a wheel
that will be always worrying us and may
bring us to a disgraceful break-down. Mary
tells me to say to you, that if you come
over on Saturday morning you must bring
Margaret with you and let her spend the
day with the baby. However, you must come
on Friday evening as we must have a long
talk. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 133 | Author: | Randolph, W.C.N. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from W.C.N. Randolph to Mr. McCabe, June 22, 1896
[a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | A knowledge of your
intention to visit Great Britain
this summer has induced me to
request that you will undertake
a matter for the University of Va.
By the recent fire, as you are
aware, our library was almost a
total loss; to replace our buildings
lost at the same time has strained
our finances to the utmost. We
will have a sum left totally
inadequate to supply our need of
books — Our sister institutions
in this country aided us from
their own libraries to the extent
of their power. It has occurred
to me that Oxford and Cam-
bridge actuated by the same
motives of kinship and interest
might aid us in getting the
syndicates that control the Claren-
don and Pitt presses to turn over
to us some of their publications
as a donation. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 134 | Author: | Smith, Mary Stuart | Add | | | Title: | Letter from Mary Stuart Smith to Rosalie Thornton, May 3, 1896 [a
machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I have been
wanting to write to you ever so long, but
will not take up limited time and space
with uninteresting excuses. I have simply
overburdened myself, and have to cry
"Mea Culpa!" in regard to many,
many omissions of duty. I know you
will be glad to hear that I got old
Mr Cummings again at work upon
our sections in the cemetery & it
looks so neat and clean, walks
all around it, included, that I
only wish you could see it before
the summer drought spoils everything.
Of course I had to resow grass seed,
for it just seems as if grass will not
retain its hold there, on account of
too much shade and the inevitable
summer droughts. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 136 | Author: | Thornton, W. M. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from W. M. Thornton to Carter Thornton, April 14, 1896; [a
machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I sent off a long
letter to mamma on yesterday. Tonight
I hear that her second draft has come
and so I shall scratch this note off
for you and begin to think that you
are really coming home again, when
the money for your steamer tickets has
to be sent on. I shall surely be glad
to see you. The two troubled, sorrow-
ful years seem very long and very lone-
ly and I wonder now that I could
brave a second and a worse one after
the unhappy first. Today real dig-
ging began for our new buildings.
The other contracts are not yet let out
and will not be until May. But it
makes us all feel more cheerful to have
any actual work going on. Jack had
a card from Mrs. Stapleton this even-
ing announcing her safe arrival at
Hamburg. She is with you long since,
of course, and you have extracted all
her news. I trust she is more cheerful
under the German skies and that
the climate and life will be good
for her. She is fond of music and
will enjoy that, I know; and I think
she will be glad to be with your
mamma and Janet once more. Is
it not queer how your mamma's
little canary has perked up since
he got home? He never sang a note
from the day he left the UVa on his
journey to Montana. A few days
after I got him back I heard him
apparently trying his throat, and
now he wakes me almost every
morning, warbling away as soon as the skies brighten—
not so sweetly as of old, but still real singing again. He
would be a little buzzard, however, if he did not sing now.
The Spring is fairly opening, the air is soft and mild, and
the mocking birds are fluting away for dear life. This little
fellow is ashamed to be left out of the concert. I shall
send your mamma two announcements which will inter-
est and amuse her — one of Becnel's graduation as Doc-
tor of Medicine at the Tulane (I told her of meeting him
there) — the other of Mayberry's marriage to Miss Rhett
of Charleston. I think that is doing pretty well for both
of our old friends. The Dramatic Club had to postpone
their Easter entertainment because of Jennie Randolph's
illness. They telegraphed for Lizzie Harrison to take her place
and Lizzie is to come; but she will need some time to learn
the part and rehearse thoroughly and so the play was put
off for two or three weeks. Mary Stuart went off yesterday
to Roanoke on a visit and to be for a time under her Uncle
Willie's professional care. The poor little child looks badly
and I am afraid no doctor can do a great deal for her.
Her cheerfulness and high spirit are undaunted however;
she is always bright and gay and full of interest in life.
Dearest love to all of you from the Doc up to mamma. Write me
a line when you can. We are all well, and the various invalids of
our community are all doing nicely. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 137 | Author: | Thornton, John T. | Add | | | Title: | Letter from John T. Thornton to Mrs. E. Rosalie Thornton, Oct. 27, 1895 [a
machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I write to let you know of a most
fearful calamity which has befallen the dear old
University. This morning I heard cries of fire and
found that the Annex was in flames. Everyone
was running to the Rotunda and soon a large
crowd was assembled. No water could be gotten as
high as the flames, only a miserable little stream
of water about six feet in length came from the
hose when at the level of the ground. In response
to telegrams, Lynchburg and Richmond sent
their engines by special trains, but the Lynchburg
engine was delayed in the road and did not
arrive within an hour of the expected time.
I received a telegram from Richmond when the
fire had been almost put out & wired back not
to send the engine. Their was nothing to do but
to try to keep the fire from Buckmaster's and
Tuttle's houses and to save all that was within
the Rotunda and annex. They tried to blow
up the portico between the Annex and the
rotunda in the hope that, if the engine should
arrive in time, the lib Rotunda might be saved
But all to no purpose. Soon the flames had gained
possession of the Rotunda and nothing is now
left standing but the bare and ruined walls.
The boys worked like fiends to save all that was
possible. Kent estimates that only 1/10 of the books
was saved but he is wrong—In my opinion at
least 1/3 or over were saved. The Austin Collection was
lost entirely. The statue of Jefferson, Minor's bust,
the pictures were saved in fairly good condition.
The School of Athens was lost. Uncle Frank's valuable
physical apparatus was carried out but the greater
part so broken as to be practically useless.
Only 25000 insurance wh. no where near covers
the loss. Is estimated that 75000 will scarcely
rebuild the rotunda and annex to say nothing
of loss in books and instruments. No change in
lectures which will continue as usual, the classes
meeting in Wash Hall, Temperance Hall, Museum
and Professor's offices. Papa is back in his old
room — 5 W.L. where the chairman's office will be.
Papa is so busy that he cannot write to you to
night and told me to let you know of the loss.
Am so exhausted myself that I cannot write much.
The Professors are taking it bravely — not lamenting
the past but making plans for the future.
You can imagine how distressed everyone is.
I myself, now that the excitement has worn
off, am getting more and more miserable
every minute and I can't expressed to you
my sorrow. I love this old University with all
my heart and if I who am comparatively young
am so grieved what must be the distress of those
old professor's who have worked for the University
so long and lectured so often within those
now ruined walls! What a number of blows have
struck this University within the year you have been
away! Misfortune after misfortune has crippled
its usefulness and now that this crowning glory of
the University, this building planned and built by
Jefferson, this splendid library, our so famous copy
of the School of Athens, the dear old clock that
never kept time, should be destroyed seems the
seems to be the crowning evil and the worst that
this Nemesis who pursues us could let fall on
our heads. Horrible! horrible! horrible! The things
gets worse the more I think about it. However
lamentations do no good. We can only depend
on state aid and the generosity of our alumni.
Have just opened a telegram from Geo. Anderson of
Richmond saying that he wanted to start a
subscription immediately. Telegrams of sympathy
come from all sides. O'Ferral seems especially
interested. That is a good sign that the state will help
us. Some taking a cheerful view of the situation
say that in the end it will benefit the U Va. by
bringing her more before the people. Cannot offer
any opinion on that subject. Thank you very much
for the beautiful pair of gloves and more especially for
thinking of me and of my 20th anniversary. Had
intended to write you a special letter of thanks to-day
but am too tired and miserable. Love to the children
and yourself. Excuse hasty scribble, & believe me | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 138 | Author: | Wallace, G. B. | Add | | | Title: | Slave Purchases and Breeding: Unruly Slave [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | I write for the purpose
of letting you know that I have a
very unruly negro girl of whom I am
anxious to dispose of as soon as
possible and supply her place.
Will you be so good as look out for
me a breeding negro woman under
twenty years of age? Also a young acting
negro man. If you cannot meet with
the slaves aforesaid I will be willing
to purchase a young or middle aged
negro man with his wife and chil
dren. I shall be glad to hear from
you immediately as
the negro of
whom I wish to dispose is a ver
dangerous character | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 140 | Author: | Williams, Jane E | Add | | | Title: | Slave bill of sale from Jane E Williams | | | | Published: | 1995 | | | | Description: | For & in consideration of the sum of one Dollar to me in hand
paid by Jared Williams Junr. the Rect. whereof I do hereby
acknowledge I have contracted & sold and by these presents do
contract & sell and deliver to the said Jared Williams Junr.
one Negro Woman named Nancy and the increase of her
body which said negro woman nancy I do hereby warrant and
forever defend by these presents to the said Jared Williams
Junr. and his hiers executors administrators and assigns
against
myself my hiers executors and
administrators and all and every
other person or persons whatsoever, In Witness whereof I
have hereunto set my hand & seal this 27th Day of June
in the year of our Lord 1816 | | | Similar Items: | Find |
|
