Collections

This collection consists of an original hand drawn and colored topographical map on silk from the head quarters of the Engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia of the Confederacy. The map details the battle lines, topography, waterways, roads, railroads and some private properties and structures in and around Orange Court-House, Virginia. The map is drawn for Lieutenant Colonel William Proctor Smith of the Confederate Engineers likely by map maker and surveyor Captain John Grant also of the Confederate Engineers. Both names are hand written on the map in period script.

This collection contains seven maps used by U.S. Army troops deployed with of the multinational forces stationed in the Sinai in 1985. They were collected by LTCOL Frans R. Kasteel. One map was used specifically by the 508th and includes flight time schedule, profiles of aircraft, uniform insignia and other information. The other sixSix are standard published maps of the area, without annotation.

The Frederick S. Greene papers (20 items) consist of the personal papers of Greene, including:

• Scripts of four plays: (1) "The Law of the Tribe" (1914), (2) "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" (1929), (3) "Christophine" (1930), and (4) "We Want Burke" (1934)
• Correspondence concerning the play "We Want Burke"
• Manuscript of a short story titled "Pick Up"
• Detail study of the face of a New Market cadet by artist Benjamin W. Clinedinst inscribed to Greene
• Three photographs
• Six World War I United States Army Signal Corps issue maps of France

Map, "Iwo Jima Volcano Islands. Special Air and Gunnery Target Map". Dated 1944 November 12. Used by VMI Alumnus and Marine Corps officer John S. Letcher, who played a prominent role in the battle of Iwo Jima in early 1945. This map is a companion piece to a 3D map model which is in the VMI Museum.

The James H. Waddell papers consist of four items, including:

• A letter (dated 1855) from Waddell to his sister that contains a detailed description and pencil drawing of his room (#14) in barracks and of his roomates (Barksdale, Penn, Magruder, Shepherd, and Wilson)
• A drawing of a barracks room and roommates
• Pencil map, 8 inches x 10 inches, labeled "Plan of Battle of Bethel Church, June 10, 1861"
• Letter of recommendation (dated 1879) written by VMI's Superintendent Francis H. Smith and endorsed by Board of Visitors President John Letcher

This collection (six items) consists items related to Mont Hubbard, Jr., including:

• A letter from Cadet Hubbard to his friend Nina Pruett, in which he mentions various events at VMI
• A VMI postcard "line saver for overworked keydets"
• A VMI Easter card
• A map of France and Germany (1943)
• Two copies of a map titled "Operation Highlights of the Third Armored Division, 23 June 1944 - 25 April 1945"

The New Market collection consists primarily of reminiscences of the Battle of New Market, Virginia (May 15, 1864) written by participants and other witnesses between 1894 and 1915. Written in response to specific inquiries and questionnaires, these memoirs were collected by various groups and individuals, including the VMI Alumni Association, author/historian Edward R. Turner, Henry A. Wise (VMI Class of 1862) and Benjamin A. Colonna (VMI Class of 1864). In addition to VMI cadet participants, information was received from veterans of other Confederate units, from Union soldiers, and from a small number number of eyewitnesses who were citizens of the town of New Market at the time of the battle.

This collection consists of documents (1855-1924) related to various members of the Patton Family. Primary subjects are the three individuals named George S. Patton (father, son, and grandson) all of whom attended VMI. The papers include:

• Letters
• Biographical information
• Bank drafts
• Commissions
• Civil War manuscripts
• A map used by General George S. Patton at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II

This collection includes papers (four items) of Richard S. Ewell, including:

• A letter (dated June 17, 1838) written while Ewell was a cadet at West Point to Benjamin S. Ewell of York, Pennsylvania
• Two Civil War dispatches (dated 1862 and 1864)
• A map of the Cedar Mountain, Virignia battlefield drawn by Ewell

This collection consists of 30 original military maps owned by Robert E. Lee. The bulk (28 items; 1846-1848) were used by Lee in Mexico when he was serving as a Captain in the United States Army Engineers Corps. Two of the maps were drawn by Lee and bear his signature. These maps comprise one of the most comprehensive cartographic resources for the study of the Mexican War.