Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Smyth County (Va.) Salt Delivery Account, 1864. Local government records collection, Smyth County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia under the accession number 35569.

Historical Information

Smyth County was named for Alexander Smyth, a former congressman from Virginia who died in 1830 while efforts were underway to create the county. The county was formed in 1832 from Washington and Wythe Counties The county seat is Marion.

During the Civil War in Virginia, large demands for salt from the military, the government, and the citizenry meant that salt had to be rationed. The General Assembly passed several laws beginning on 9 March 1862 to facilitate this rationing to the people of Virginia. The ration was based on an allowance of twenty pounds of salt per person per year (see Acts of the Assembly, 1 October 1862). A commissioner of the salt controlled the distribution at the county level once a county was delivered its allotment. The commissioner was appointed by the county court.

Scope and Content

Smyth County (Va.) Salt Delivery Account, 1864, records the amount of salt delivered by Stuart Buchanan and Company and Charles Scott and Company.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Smyth County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Rationing--Virginia--Smyth County.
• Salt--Virginia--Smyth County.
• Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Economic aspects.

Geographical Names:

• Smyth County (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts--Virginia--Smyth County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Smyth County.