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Includes letters, postcards, and other correspondence retained from Sutherland's daily activities as U.S. Senator. This includes constituent mail and correspondence with other politicians. Much of the correspondence deals with appointments and patronage. Other subjects mentioned are federal and West Virginia legislation, state Republican Party affairs, the West Virginia coal miners' march on Logan County, prohibition, disarmament, bonus claims, immigration, West Virginia primary election law, the Armenian Genocide, the prosecution of World War I deserters from West Virginia, the potential sale of Monticello to the federal government, and more. The letters are organized alphabetically by the name of correspondents.

A 1980 addendum to the collection includes correspondence from individuals and organizations regarding women's suffrage. There is a mix of pro- and anti-suffrage sentiment. Primary topics of discussion include the Bristow-Mondell House Resolution, considered in Jan. 1915, and the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, voted upon 5 June 1919. This material is located in box 10.

A more thorough inventory of the collection is available upon request.

Correspondence of Johnson and allied families concerning local church matters and family news, a majority which concerns the descendants of Joseph and William Johnson, the most prominent members of the family. Joseph was the first governor of Virginia from the western part of the state. His brother, William, was the first postmaster at Bridgeport. Noteworthy is a letter to William Johnson dated November 29, 1864, from Mason Hesser a Confederate prisoner at Elmira, New York, during the Civil War. There are genealogical data and articles on the Johnsons, dating from 1801 when they first settled in Bridgeport. In addition, there are programs concerning the Johnson Day Luncheon and Bridgeport Cemetery Dedication sponsored by the City of Bridgeport.

West Virginia mountain tales by Richard Orr Curry; papers of Jacob W. Mathews, a merchant from Alvon; papers of Charles R. Mathews, judicial officer at New Helena, Nebraska; correspondence of Catherine White Hoke of Alvon pertaining to family affairs; papers of Jacob W. Mathews including correspondence pertaining to the Confederate "Immortal Six Hundred"; Confederate veteran affairs; business papers of the firm of Hoylman and Matthews; Charles Matthews papers consisting of essays, business receipts, and letters pertaining to farming in Missouri, 1867, emigration from West Virginia, the Farmer's Alliance, and the New Helena Literary Society; and a brochure of the Pence Spring Oil and Gas Company (Hinton, 1903).