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Published and unpublished manuscripts on episodes in West Virginia history; Civil War history; hunting; and police protection in industrial plants. Facsimile and typescript copies of 19th century materials as follows: Letter of Gen. T.M. Harris concerning organizing and outfitting of troops, 1861; copies of newspaper articles by Gen. Harris concerning "the Sabbath question", 1876; Letters (typescript copies) of Pvt. James Z. McCausland's Brigade, 1863-1864 (7 items), on the Battle of Droop Mountain: fight at Dublin, picket duty around Warm Springs, Virginia; the Battle of Monocacy, and Early's raid on Washington, 1864; McChesney's handwritten request for medical discharge, 1865; letter (typescript copy) from William E. Kimble to Mortimer Johnson, Feb.20, 1862, Camp Allegheny on running mail through Union lines: and an article, West Virginia's rare Civil War Books, by H.E. Matheny. Confederate Soldiers' letters: (1) to his mother from James Z. McChesney, Nov. 16, 1863, relating to the Battle of Droop Mt. (2) two letters from W. I. Kunkle to James Z. McChesney relating some Civil War experiences.

Family papers compiled by Katherine Williams of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Most of the papers are of the James H. Taylor family of Clarksburg, West Virginia dating from the 19th century. There are also records of the Irwin family including a genealogy, and the Civil War letters of private George Irwin, a soldier in Company F, 95th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Other families documented include the Redman and Summers families. The collection includes letters, autograph books, family business records, genealogies, photographs, and other material.

Reverend C. Shirley Donnelly, a Baptist minister and local historian, collected these materials for his own research and interest in West Virginia history. The collection contains various materials pertaining to coal mining and West Virginia history, especially in the New River area and Fayette County. It includes correspondence, land grant and deed records, pamphlets, journals, local histories, records, photographs, and art relating to mining and life in the New River area. One set of correspondence includes recollections, a yearbook, and newspaper clippings by a World War II sailor from the USS West Virginia. Another series of correspondence includes the antebellum, wartime, and postwar letters and personal receipts of Charles Dequasie, a Confederate soldier from Fayette County, West Virginia, and Robert Edward Dequasie's personal and business correspondence. Other ephemera includes West Virginia and mining journals and certificates belonging to Donnelly and others. A scrapbook and notebook of newspaper clippings pertain to early court hangings and executions in West Virginia. Political posters include those for West Virginia Governor William C. Marland and West Virginia Senators Harley Kilgore and Robert Byrd.