Purchased, 25 and 30 July 2018.
The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1. Letters, and Series 2. Government documents and letters.
Jonathan "Al" Bishop, 1866-1914, was Quartermaster Sergeant in the 3rd Regiment of the Virginia Volunteers and a member of Company D of the Monticello Guard during the Spanish-American War. He wrote letters to his wife, Florence Collier Bishop from 1898-1899 when his regiment was mustered into service at Richmond, Va. between May 13 and 26. After the war he returned home to his wife and residence, 1303 West Main Street, Charlottesville, Va. where he served as a policeman for the University of Virginia. He died on May 18, 1914 at age 48 from blood poisoning after a medical procedure. He was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. Bishop was the son of Robert Bishop and a nephew of Jonathan Bishop who also died circa 1914.
Source based on obituary found in the Daily Progress digitized microfilm: http://fedoraproxy.lib.virginia.edu/fedora/objects/uva-lib:2104104/methods/djatoka:StaticSDef/getStaticImage
The Jonathan A. Bishop papers (1897-1924; 0.25 cubic feet) consist of his letters to his wife, Florence Collier Bishop, during his service as a Quartermaster Sergeant in the Spanish-American War (1898-1899) and government documents regarding a pension for his wife (1897-1924), totaling over 80 items. There is also one letter from his wife describing a lynching of an African American man named John Henry James on July 12, 1898 at Wood's Crossing, Charlottesville, Va. Also included is a letter dated August 19, [1898] in which Sergeant Bishop describes the reactions of the soldiers to African American officers in the camp.
MSS 16392, Jonathan A. Bishop papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
Sergeant Bishop mostly describes routine soldier life, his confidence in defeating Spain, and his desire to return home. His unit had 46 officers, 955 enlisted men and did not go overseas. Sergeant Bishop served first at Camp Lee in Richmond, Virginia, and then at Camp Russell A. Alger, just west of Fairfax, Virginia. In one letter dated August 19, he writes about the soldiers not wanting to salute Black officers in the camp.
Florence Bishop describes the July 12, 1898 lynching of an African-American man, named John Henry James, at Wood's Crossing, (part of Farmington Country Club today) Charlottesville, Va.
Goverment documents and letters related to claiming a pension for Florence Bishop.
Includes certificates and requests for passes for Jonathan Bishop.