Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Duplication of certain copyrighted photographs is restricted.

Preferred Citation

Virginia. National Guard. Virginia Guardsman records, 1847-1949. Accession 26194. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Adjutant General, Richmond, Va., on 3 October 1964.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Virginia Guardsman Magazine began in 1921 as the official organ of the Virginia National Guard published by the authority of the Military Board of Virginia under the office of the Adjutant General. Its first editor was Major Edwin P. Conquest, the State Inspector. During it's early years of publication, the magazine was a four-page semi-monthly publication. The magazine was distributed to officers and units of the Virginia National Guard, as well as the adjutant generals and state librarians of the United States. In June 1925, Major Bernard H. Baylor became Assistant to the Adjutant General following the death of Lt. Col. Joseph LeMasurier. At this time, Baylor also took over the duties as editor of the Virginia Guardsman. Baylor had enlisted in the Virginia National Guard on September 26, 1911, and served with the Richmond Howitzers on the Mexican Border in 1916. Baylor was also a commissioned officer in the Field Artillery during the first World War. The Virginia Guardsman was suspended in June 1929 then resumed in Apr. 1931 with an expanded format and monthly distribution. It was suspended again in Nov. 1933 and resumed semi-monthly in July 1934 due to a lack of funds. Finally, the Virginia Guardsman was suspended indefinitely in May 1939. The Virginia Guardpost is the current organ of the Virginia National Guard published quarterly since 1973.

Scope and Content Information

The records of the Virginia Guardsman are organized into three series with series designated for General Files, Publications, and Photographs. These records represent the work of Bernard H. Baylor, Editor of the Virginia Guardsman between 1925 and 1939. Baylor also served as Assistant to the Adjutant General beginning in 1925. The collection contains correspondence, memos, forms, photographs, publications, magazines, regulations, notes, and receipts.

Series I represents the General Files kept by the editor of the Virginia Guardsman, Bernard H. Baylor. It contains a substantial amount of correspondence to and from Baylor regarding a variety of issues affecting the publication. The correspondence is organized in two groups: one group is arranged chronologically and the other alphabetical by subject. The correspondence arranged chronologically consists of a wide variety of topics including submissions of articles, advertising in the magazine, and copyright. Most of the correspondence arranged by subject relates to acquiring photographs for Virginia Guardsman articles. There is also abundant correspondence with libraries throughout the country interested in receiving copies of the magazine. In addition to correspondence, this series contains a variety of other material kept by Baylor including newsclippings, memos, research notes, and other material used for research. A few items do not reflect Baylor's work on the Virginia Guardsman, but rather, his work as Assistant to the Adjutant General. Baylor organized the National Guard Field Meet in 1923-1924 and also served as U.S. Property & Disbursing Officer between 1927 and 1930.

Series II represents the Publications kept by Baylor for research purposes and general use. There are multiple copies of the Virginia Guardsman, but a complete run of the magazine is not present. Please note that bound copies of the publication between 1931 and 1939 can be found in the library stacks (UA500 V6). Early copies of the publication, however, are lacking. The magazine contains many informative articles on Virginia history, especially military history. It particularly documents the history of the Virginia National Guard in the 1930s. Other noteworthy publications in this series include out-of-state copies of National Guardsman publications, uniform and equipment catalogues, and both army and national guard regulation handbooks.

Series III is arranged alphabetically by folder title and represents Photographs many of which were used for publication in the Virginia Guardsman. The largest groups of photographs in this series are Civil War photos purchased from the Army Pictorial Service and images from the Virginia Guardsman. The Civil War photographs are arranged by locality when it was apparent. The Civil War photos were taken under the supervision of Matthew Brady and primarily document the destruction of Richmond. There are both general views of the city and specific localities such as Mayo's Bridge and the Tredegar Iron Works. Noteworthy images include: Benjamin F. Butler's Headquarters in Aitkens Landing, Va.; Christ Church in Alexandria, Va.; the McLean House in Appomattox, Va.; the Confederate Ram "Atlanta" (captured by Union troops); Forts Beauregard and Harrison; the fortifications at Petersburg, Va.; Castle Thunder and Libby prisons in Richmond, Va.; and the Moore House in Yorktown, Va.

The images from the Virginia Guardsman are arranged chronologically according to the issue they illustrate. In addition, the photographs are separated into two categories: used and unused images. Note that there is a separate finding aid which serves as an item level inventory of these photographs titled the "Guide to the Photographs of the Virginia Guardsman"). Those images used in the Virginia Guardsman include the page number of the issue on the Guide to these photographs. The images in the Virginia Guardsman illustrate articles and document events of the Virginia National Guard between 1931 and 1939. As a result, numerous historical images are included in this group of photographs. Additional Civil War photographs, engravings of Napoleon at Grenoble and Waterloo, portraits of past adjutant generals Samuel Cooper and William H. Richardson, the marriage bond of Edgar Allen Poe and Virginia Clemm, and lithographs from Ed. Beyer's "Album of Virginia" are just a few examples of the historic images used in the magazine. The majority of images, however, document contemporary events such as the celebration of George Washington's Birthday at Alexandria, a Confederate Reunion, re-enactment of the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the dedication ceremony at Stratford Hall. Images of Virginia Governors John Garland Pollard, George C. Peery, and James H. Price are well represented in this group. The remainder of the images from the magazine illustrate officers and soldiers in the Virginia National Guard.

Miscellaneous photographs interfiled alphabetically in this series include armories, camps, officers' portraits, soldiers training in the field, and images from World War I purchased from the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Noteworthy images here include the Richmond Howitzers Armory, a photo album showing Camp Stuart, a painting of Col. John H. Hamtramck of the 1st Regiment of Virginia Volunteers from 1847, and images of General John Pershing decorating troops in France during the First World War.

Arrangement

Each series is arranged alphabetically.

Organized into three series: Series I. General Files, 1914-1949; Series II. Publications, 1906-1924; Series III. Photographs, 1847-1939.