A Guide to the Mahone Family Papers, 1866-1900 Mahone Family Papers, 1866-1900 22178

A Guide to the Mahone Family Papers, 1866-1900

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 22178


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© 2006 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Trenton Hizer

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
22178
Title
Mahone Family Papers, 1866-1900
Physical Description
313 pages
Creator
Mahone Family
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Mahone Family Papers, 1866-1900. Accession 22178. Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Lydia B. Palmer, Fairfax, Virginia, 7 October and 2 December 1942.

Biographical Information

William Mahone was born 1 December 1826 in Southampton County, Virginia, to Fielding Jordan Mahone (1802-1855) and Martha Drew Mahone (1804-1868). He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1847 and then taught at the Rappahannock Military Academy. He studied engineering and became engineer of several Virginia railroads. Mahone was serving as president of the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad in 1861 when the Civil War began. As colonel of the 6th Virginia infantry, Mahone took part in the capture of the Norfolk Navy Yard, and commanded the Norfolk district until its evacuation. He served in the Army of Northern Virginia from the battle of Seven Pines until Appomattox, except when recovering from a wound received at the second battle of Manassas. Mahone was commissioned a brigadier-general 16 November 1861 and a major-general 30 July 1864. After the Civil War, Mahone created the railroad system which became the Norfolk & Western. Mahone built Virginia's Readjuster party, which was aligned with the national Republican party, and served as United States senator from 1881 to 1887. He died 8 October 1895 in Petersburg, Virginia and is buried at Blandford Cemetery.

William Mahone married Otelia Butler (1836-1911) of Southampton County, Virginia, daughter of Robert Butler (1784-1853) and Otelia Voinard Butler (1803-1855) 8 February 1855. They had 13 children, but only 3 survived to adulthood. One of the three was Robert Butler Mahone, who was born 18 October 1858. Mahone was appointed United States Consul at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, by President William McKinley (1843-1901) 22 January 1898. Mahone later served as a book keeper in the customs service in Petersburg. Never married, he died 18 August 1914 and was buried in his parents' vault in Blandford cemetery.

Scope and Content

Papers, 1866-1900, of the Mahone family of Petersburg, Virginia, consisting mainly of correspondence to and from William Mahone (1826-1895) concerning military events from the last year of the Civil War, including the Siege of Petersburg and the surrender of the Confederate army at Appomattox, Virginia. Also contains articles, pamphlets, and magazines concerning the same issues, including articles from the Historical Magazine , June 1870 and July 1871. Papers also contain the appointment of Robert Butler Mahone as Consul of the United States at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and correspondence from Mexican officials to Mahone.

Contents List

Folder 1
Letter, 2 August 1866, from Nathaniel H. Harris, Vicksburg, Mississippi, to William Mahone, Petersburg, Virginia, relating the movements and engagements of troops under Harris's command in 1864-1865.
Folder 1
Article, June 1870, titled "Memoir of Maj.-Gen. William Mahone of the Confederate Service" published in the June 1870 issue of Historical Magazine . Includes an incomplete proof copy with probably Mahone's corrections, and a complete and incomplete copy of the article as published.
Folder 1
Letter, 30 May 1871, from Jubal A. Early, Lynchburg, Virginia, to William Mahone commenting on the differences between him and Mahone which arose as a result of Mahone's memoir published in the Historical Magazine .
Folder 1
Issue, July 1871, of the Historical Magazine containing a revised version of "A Military Memoir of William Mahone, a Major-General," pp. 12-33, and includes correspondence to and from Mahone concerning the first publication of the article in June 1870.
Folder 2
Article, 1 January 1872, titled "Military Operations Around Petersburg, the Mine, etc." by Cadmus M. Wilcox, written for the New Orleans Times in response to Mahone's article in the Historical Magazine .
Folder 2
Pamphlet, 1872, titled Reply to a Communication Published by Gen. S. M. Wilcox in the "New Orleans Times," of January 1st, 1872 concerning Mahone's and Wilcox's military actions during the siege of Petersburg.
Folder 2
Pamphlet, 1877, titled National Order of Union and Confederate Veterans. Sicut Ante. Constitution of the Order. Published by G. H. Ramey and Son, Printers, Alexandria, Virginia.
Folder 2
Letter, 17 May 1879, from Edward B. Robins, Secretary of the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, to William Mahone acknowledging receipt of Mahone's letter and commenting on the Civil War and his feelings about those who served in the Confederate Army.
Folder 2
Letter, 23 September 1883, from S. Bassett French, Manchester, Virginia, to William Mahone, Petersburg, asking Mahone to assist a friend who wishes to obtain employment with the United States Department of Interior. French includes a clipping from the Georgia Enterprise titled "Gen. Mahone and the Third Georgia Re-union."
Folder 2
Letter, 16 September 1889, from William Mahone, Petersburg, to Nathaniel H. Harris, Vicksburg, asking for an account of the action which occurred at Burgess's Mill on 27 October 1864.
Folder 2
Letter, 16 September 1889, from William Mahone, Petersburg, to J. H. Blakemore, New York, New York, asking for an account of the action which occurred at Burgess's Mill on 27 October 1864.
Folder 2
Letter, 26 September 1889, from E. N. Thurston, Charleston, South Carolina, to William Mahone, Petersburg, discussing the action at Burgess's Mill and including a map.
Folder 2
Poem, 19 June 1890, titled "Roses of Memory" delivered by A. C. Gordon before the Pickett-Buchanan Camp of Confederate Veterans, at Norfolk, Virginia, on Memorial Day, 19 June 1890.
Folder 2
Letter, 22 September 1891, from James Longstreet, Gainesville, Georgia, to William Mahone, reviewing Longstreet's converstations with Robert E. Lee, 7-9 April 1865.
Folder 2
Letter, 3 November 1891, from James Longstreet, Gainesville, to William Mahone, commenting on military actions during the last few days of the Civil War in April 1865. Includes notes by Mahone.
Folder 2
Letter, 27 November 1891, from Walter Herron Taylor, Norfolk, Virginia, to William Mahone stating that he does not have a copy of an order that Mahone received from Robert E. Lee 8 April 1865, but that Mahone's recollection of its contents is correct. Includes notes by Mahone.
Folder 2
Letter, 5 December 1891, from James Longstreet to William Mahone commenting on Lee's attitude during the last days of the Civil War.
Folder 2
Letter, 12 February 1894, from James Longstreet, Gainesville, to William Mahone returning sketches of Mahone's life, and commenting on the battle of Sailor's [Sayler's] Creek in April 1865. Enclosed are manuscript and typescript notes on Mahone.
Folder 2
Letter, 21 February 1894, from James Longstreet to William Mahone commenting on the march by Confederate forces from Petersburg to Appomattox and the generals council advising Robert E. Lee to surrender.
Folder 2
Letter, 1 March 1894, from James Longstreet to William Mahone reviewing military actions during the closing days of the Civil War.
Folder 2
Letter, 6 March 1894, from James Longstreet to William Mahone concerning events of the last days of the Civil War, including Robert E. Lee's meeting with Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan's demand.
Folder 3
Letter, 12 March 1894, from James Longstreet to William Mahone regarding military action on 9 April 1865.
Folder 3
Letter, 16 July 1894, from James Longstreet to William Mahone commenting on the battle of Gettysburg, the battle of Five Forks, the "Stedman Affair," and the Sailor's [Sayler's] Creek engagement.
Folder 3
Letter, 27 March 1895, from Zeph T. Hill, Denver, Colorado, to William Mahone, Washington D.C., asking Mahone for reminiscences about Hill's uncle, General A. P. Hill. Hill intends to write a biography.
Folder 3
Letter, 6 May 1895, from William Mahone, Washington, to St. Clair Augustin Mulholland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, relating mlitary action in June 1864 near Johnson's Farm. Mulholland was a colonel with the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers at that time.
Folder 3
Letter, 10 August 1895, from James Longstreet, Gainesville, to William Mahone commenting on material he hopes to have published and addressing his difficulties with Fitzhugh Lee.
Folder 3
Letter, 9 September 1895, from Benjamin La Bree, Louisville, Kentucky, to William Mahone, Petersburg, asking Mahone to contribute humorous anecdotes that La Bree will include in a book. La Bree published The Camp Fires of the Confederacy in 1899.
Folder 3
Letter, no date, from James Longstreet, Gainesville, to William Mahone reviewing the military action of the last days of the Civil War. Letter incomplete.
Folder 3
Pamphlet, no date, by William Mahone titled The Battle of the Crater .
Folder 3
Booklet, no date, Mahone and Virginia: an Open Letter to Hon. John Paul, from Col. W. C. Elam .
Folder 3
Notes, no date, concerning military action in June 1864 near Johnson's farm. See Mahone's letter to St. Clair Augustin Mulholland, 6 May 1895. There are two copies.
Folder 3
Military service record, no date, of William Mahone with the Confederate army.
Folder 4
Scrapbook, 1872-1887 and no date, from various newspapers concerning the actions of Mahone's Brigade during the Civil War.
Folder 5
Appointment, 22 January 1898, of Robert Butler Mahone as Consul of the United States at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, by William McKinley, President of the United States, countersigned by Secretary of State John Sherman.
Folder 5
Exequator, 12 March 1898, issued to Robert Butler Mahone, Consul of the United States, by Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico.
Folder
Letter, 15 December 1900, from the newly appointed Secretary of [Imrovement?] to Robert Butler Mahone.