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A 300-page volume containing typescript letters from Laura H. Wirt, daughter of William Wirt, Attorney General of the United States, to Louisa Cabell Carrington, Laura Wirt's mother, Elizabeth Wirt, was the sister of Louisa Cabell Carrington's step-mother, Agnes S. B. Gamble Cabell. Louisa married Henry Carrington in 1820, bore eight children and died January 8, 1865. Laura Wirt married Thomas Randall in 1827, bore four daughters and died in Florida in 1834. They shared confidences and gossip. Laura's letters are sparkling and witty and touch upon all the current events, music, literature, health, romance, and family. Her letters are extremely frank in nature. For example in writing to Louisa after her marriage and after her move to Florida, she writes "it requires some time, however, for a nouvelle mariee to learn to be happy under the change of circumstances...I never was less happy in my life than the two first two months of my marriage...I love him [Thomas Randall, her husband] very much, Louisa. Even more than when he was my lover...a lover is more charming than a husband, but not so dear. No doubt it is the same case with us women, and perhaps we gain as much as we lose by the exchange" (March 6, 1828). A strong collection which reflects relationships which women had with each other. #2546

Letters to William Withrow, Jr. and his wife, Mary Anne Jones Withrow of Waynesboro, Virginia, from their children, relatives, and acquaintance. His daughter Evelyn married Matthew Hale Houston, a Presbyterian missionary to China, in 1871. Letters concerning the Houstons' stay at the Presbyterian Mission Church in Hangchow include the following: January 4, August 11, and September 6, 1881; March 22, August 5 & 12, September 13, October 3 & 16, and November 18, 1882. Louisa and her brother Charles, a graduate of the University of Virginia, were both educators, and their correspondence at times discusses their work. #38-148

Programs from annual state conventions. #1763

W.C.T.U. was a woman's organization whose purpose was to prevent the sale and consumption of alcohol in Virginia. The collection contains correspondence, convention programs and proceedings, publications, photographs, scrapbook, minutes and printed material. #1750, 2119-e-f.

Two loose-leaf binders, containing bibliographical and biographical notes on women authors in Virginia. #2766

The papers of the Virginia Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration concerning Virginia folklore. Papers include hundreds of life histories, reports, radio scripts, ethnic reports, ex-slave accounts, folksongs, and ghost stories. #1547

A newspaper clipping of Dr. W. S. Plummer's address "On the Education of Youth". Dr. Plummer believed: "Nothing has retarded the civilization of the race so much as limited and deficient female education," but he also believed "young ladies learn early that a woman's strength is, first, her spotless chasity." Dr. Plummer advocated that women should be taught to spell before anything else and not to read too many novels as young ladies begin to identify with the heroine. #155

papers of the Ellis and Munford families of Richmond, Virginia, and of the Young family of Fredericksburg, Virginia. There are documents relating to Rosetta Hunter, a slave, who was bought by Charles Ellis in February, 1839. She commanded the price of $850 and was held in high esteem by the family and eventually became the beloved "Mammy." Documents include her bill of sale and matters relating to her estate as well as her obituary. There is a document, January 27, 1840, releasing fourteen year old Lucy Ann Hunter, a "bright mulatto" from slavery. Other items of interest are Margaret Ellis' letters to her son Powhatan Ellis during the Civil War, a touching letter from Charles Ellis to his sister Jane Eubank (August 16, 1851) congratulating her on her recent marriage, a letter from Sallie Munford to her Uncle Powhie describing her activities as young woman (January 12, 1860), and the letters from Charles Ellis Munford while a student at the University of Virginia to his sister Sallie Munford (1860) are particularly enjoyable. Unfortunately, Charles was killed in 1862 during the Battle of Malvern Hill. #2516