Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Fannie Lorentz Letter, 1862, Ms2024-002, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Fannie Lorentz Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in October 2016.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Fannie Lorentz Letter was completed in January 2024.

Biographical Note

Fannie or Frances W. White (1829-1864) married Mifflin Lorentz (1823-1891) in 1848 in Lewis County, Virginia (now West Virginia), and they had several children including Mary, Joe, Bettie, and Isaetta. According to the censuses, Fannie was likely working in the home, while Mifflin was working as a merchant and clerk of the county court.

External Sources:

U.S. Federal Census, 1850-1860.

"Fannie Warren White Lorentz", FindAGrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112039317/fannie-warren-lorentz , accessed Jan. 23, 2024.

"Mifflin Lorentz" in the West Virginia, U.S., Marriages Index, 1785-1971, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/896010:2538 , accessed Jan. 23, 2024.

"Mifflin Lorentz", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144878449/mifflin-lorentz , accessed Jan. 23, 2024.

Scope and Content

The Fannie Lorentz Letter is by Lorentz to her husband Mifflin, dated April 12, 1862, from "Cabin Home" (now Shawsville), Virginia. Lorentz describes recent events in her and her children's lives, such as problems with getting wood, issues with hens, and being ill. She also discusses a letter she read to her neighbor from Jimmie Langhorne about being wounded by "Yankees" in Delaware during the American Civil War.

Related Material

See the Lorentz Family Correspondence, A&M 4103, at the West Virginia and Regional History Center of West Virginia University at Morgantown.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Lorentz, Mifflin, 1823-1891
• Montgomery County (Va.)
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Fannie Lorentz Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).