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West Virginia and Regional History Center
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[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Roy Bird Cook (1886-1961), Collector, Papers, A&M 1528, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Marcellus William Zimmerman (ca. 1853-January 30, 1937), longtime resident of Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, was editor of the Greenbrier Independent for many years. His weekly "Notes" column in the local papers contained large quantities of information on local history, county residents, genealogy, and the Civil War in Greenbrier County. He also served as the County Clerk and County Historian for Greenbrier. Zimmerman married Sallie R. Chockley (ca. 1859-March 16, 1931) on April 8, 1883. They had a son, Frank (b. ca. 1894), and a daughter, Edith (b. February 23, 1901). Edith married James A. Lett on September 11, 1920. She also engaged in historical and genealogical pursuits.
Thomas and Nancy Reynolds were the parents of Alexander W. Reynolds , Sallie (Sally) Reynolds Patton , and possibly Eliza S. Mathews. Sallie married William Patton and had a son, also named William, who died in 1870. Alexander and his wife, Mary, had a daughter named Sally who died of scarlet fever in 1852. They also had a son, Frank, and a grandson called Aleck.
Roy Bird Cook (April 1, 1886 - November 21, 1961) was born in Lewis County, near Roanoke, WV. Cook was a pharmacist and prominent West Virginia historian. Cook wrote several books on the history of Lewis County and biographies of Stonewall Jackson and Alexander Scott Withers, and contributed historical articles to a wide variety of publications. He also collected Civil War and early West Virginia documents and memorabilia.
The 31st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was formed in the early weeks of the Civil War when Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered the recruitment of troops to protect railroad lines running through western Virginia's northern counties. On May 4, Lee appointed Colonel George Porterfield to assume command of these forces, which were being raised primarily in Taylor, Marion, Harrison, Monongalia, and Barbour Counties. In the next few weeks, these new recruits found themselves in the war's first arena, a tactical struggle for control of the Confederacy's northwestern flank--the hills, rails, and rivers of what would soon become the nation's 35th state, West Virginia.
Composed of some of the war's earliest recruits, the 31st Virginia Infantry would see action under General Garnett, William L. "Mudwall" Jackson, Jones and Imboden, Stonewall Jackson, Jubal Early, and many more legendary Confederate commanders, at battles including Corrick's Ford, Cross Keys, Cold Harbor, Gettysburg, New Market, and others. Approximately 57 of the 850 men who joined the regiment in 1861 witnessed Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.
A detailed history of the 31st Virginia by James Dell Cooke is available online. Researchers are also referred to John M. Ashcraft's '31st Virginia Infantry' (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1988).
Includes genealogy and Civil War records collected by Roy Bird Cook of Lewis County, West Virginia.
Series 1 through 5 were compiled by Marcellus W. Zimmerman. They include correspondence, church records, academic records, genealogical records, research manuscripts, and clippings regarding primarily the genealogy and history of Lewisburg and Greenbrier County, and the life and career of Confederate Brigadier General Alexander W. Reynolds.
Series 6 through 8 were collected by Roy Bird Cook. They include military records and clippings regarding West Virginia units, the Confederate 31st Virginia Infantry, and other Confederate units from Virginia; there are also business and miscellaneous records, including ledgers, clippings, research notes, etc.
Series 9 includes oversized material from earlier series.
Specific topics of Series 1 through 5 include: correspondence regarding the genealogy of families in West Virginia and Virginia, with a special focus on Greenbrier County (1881-1943); Confederate Brigadier General Alexander W. Reynolds' life and military career before and during the Civil War, as well as his post-War service in the Army of the Viceroy (Khedive) of Egypt (1835-1875 and undated); correspondence of Thomas H. Dennis, editor of the Greenbrier Independent , regarding county affairs, politics, and local history (1899-1921); the Lewisburg Methodist Episcopal Church (1834-1843 and undated); the Old Lewisburg Academy, the Lewisburg Female Institute, and other area schools (1827-1879 and undated); biographical sketches of area persons and families, such as the Alexander, Anderson, Burnside, Beirne, Caldwell, Crawford, Creigh, Erskine, Feamster, Mathews, McElhenney, McLaughlin, Nickell, Reynolds, Smith, Thompson, Van Bibber, and Welch families (1830-1937); and the history of Greenbrier County (1867-1940 and undated), among others.
Specific topics of Series 6 through 8 include: the 31st Virginia Infantry and other Confederate and Union units (1855-1938 and undated [bulk 1861-1865]); financial accounts of general merchandise, subscriptions, hotel maintenance and repair, etc. (ca. 1853-1899); ephemera related to West Virginia (1848-1922); and clippings and handwritten notes regarding the history, appearance, and growing of various flowers (1899-1936 and undated), among others.
Specific topics of Series 9 include: students of the Old Lewisburg Academy, the Lewisburg Female Institute, etc. (1853-1927); Greenbrier death records (undated); the 31st Virginia Infantry and other Confederate units (1861-1864); and genealogical sketches on various families (ca. 1886, undated).
More information on the content of each series in this collection is available in the series-level records.
81, 858, 895, 1309, 1379, 1528, 1561
This series contains six subseries.
Includes correspondence regarding genealogy of families in Greenbrier County, including letters to Marcellus W. Zimmerman and his daughter Edith Lett (regarding Zimmerman's genealogy and history notes).
This subseries includes letters to and from Sallie Patton of Lewisburg, Nancy Reynolds, Granville Alderson, Frank Reynolds, S. B. Hern, I. W. Branham, and Thomas Reeves Ash. Subjects include family matters and the Civil War. Highlights include letters describing military action near Lewisburg (1862), Confederate military camps and officers (1862), and "Yankee" depredations in Lewisburg (1864). 14 items.
This subseries includes mainly letters written by Alexander W. Reynolds to his sister Sallie Patton. Topics include family matters, Reynolds' military work before the Civil War, Civil War related correspondence while Reynolds was an officer in the Confederate States Army, and Reynolds' experiences serving in the army of the Viceroy of Egypt.
This subseries includes military orders, vouchers, and correspondence related to Reynolds' time in the Confederate States Army.
This subseries includes letters to Dennis, who was a Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Superintendent of Greenbrier County Schools, Colonel in the Confederate Army, and editor of the Greenbrier Independent . Correspondents include W.A. Truslow, Lucile Humphreys, John McNeel, J. Coleman Alderson, J.G. Stevens, and others. Subjects include county affairs, politics, and local history. Other items include invitations to the Louisiana Purchase Centennial and to the commencement of Morgantown (W.Va.) High School Class of 1914. Includes 8 items. Additional T.H. Dennis materials can be found in Series 8, Miscellany.
This subseries includes letters relating to genealogy, the history of Lewisburg and Greenbrier County, etc.
Includes station reports, stewards' accounts, receipts, financial statements, member pledges, etc.
Includes notebooks of principals, which contain pupil lists, years attended, and name of parent or guardian (1827-1879 and undated). Also includes newspaper clippings on the history of Old Lewisburg Academy and other area schools. See also Series 9, Oversized, box 13 for additional alumni lists for the Old Lewisburg Academy, Lewisburg Female Institute, Greenbrier College for Women, etc.
This series includes personal and genealogical information about many individuals and families of Virginia and West Virginia. Please see the folder-level records for the complete list of names. Also included are images of prominent individuals (ca. 1916); images of unidentified Confederate veterans (undated); newspaper clippings of articles about Henry G. Davis, Stephen B. Elkins, and John H. Holt (1900-1915); and various materials relating to the history of Lewisburg and Greenbrier County. Additional genealogical and historical information can also be found in: Series 5, Zimmerman Collection -- History; Series 9, Oversized, box 15, folder 4; and Series 9, Oversized, box 14, folder 2.
This series includes manuscripts, correspondence, and newspaper clippings regarding the history of Greenbrier County and some of its families. Topics include, among others: the formation of Greenbrier County (WV), Augusta County (VA), and Frederick County (VA); Washington landing on the Kanawha River; Jarrett's Fort; the Battle of Cedar Creek; old houses of Lewisburg; history of the Henning and Plumer families; West Virginia archaeology; and Alexander Welch's account of life as a colonial soldier at Valley Forge.
This series contains four subseries, which include:
West Virginia; 1859-1938; box 3, folder 14-18;
31st Virginia Infantry; 1855-1936 and undated (bulk 1861-1865); box 4, folder 1 through box 7, folder 28;
Other Virginia CSA Units; 1910-1932 and undated; box 7, folder 29 through box 8, folder 2; and
Clippings; 1927; box 8, folder 3-5.
This subseries includes military records related to military companies or organizations of West Virginia. Items include a roster of Morris Post #50 Grand Army of the Republic members, record books of the Greenbrier Light Infantry Grays, information on companies formed before and after John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry, etc. The Greenbrier Light Infantry Grays were Company A, 2nd West Virginia Regiment, organized July 21, 1877, Lewisburg, WV. For additional West Virginia military records, see also Series 9, Oversized, box 14, folder 3-4.
This subseries includes Confederate army forms, correspondence, and manuscript notes pertaining to the 31st Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment. These records include official discharge papers for causes such as injury or age; pay vouchers; requisitions; conscript material; orders and circulars; Quartermaster's Stores invoices; receipts; court martial papers; lists of men absent without leave; etc. Requisitions were made through use of handwritten missives, Special Requisition forms, Requisition for Forage forms, etc. Items mentioned in requisition and receipt documents include stationary, food, clothing, horses, haversacks, tents, etc. Orders (both special and general orders, unless otherwise noted) and circulars cover a variety of topics, including troop movements, disabilities, furloughs, courts martial, etc. This subseries also includes an official document dated October 24, 1861, written by the commissioners of Camp Bartow, declaring that William P. Cooper was voted into the vacancy left in the Virginia state convention by the expulsion of John S. Carlile. Cooper was part of the 31st Virginia Infantry. See also Series 9, Oversized, box 15, folder 1 and map cabinet 1, drawer 20.
For digitized documents of the 31st Virginia Infantry from another collection, visit "Records of the 31st Virginia Infantry Regiment, C.S.A." (see link in Instances/Digital Objects).
For digitized documents of the 31st Virginia Infantry from another collection, click here: Civil War - Documents of the 31st Regiment (CSA).
This subseries includes: typescript rosters of a variety of companies and batteries of Virginia Light Artillery, Infantry, and Cavalry; correspondence regarding Confederate military units formed in West Virginia; and typescript records listing Confederate soldiers by county and regiment. See also Series 9, Oversized, box 15, folder 2 and map cabinet 1, drawer 20.
This subseries includes photocopies and original clippings of a series of articles on recollections of life during the Civil War by Dr. Thomas Bland Camden, transcribed from original notes by Roy Bird Cook, which were printed in the Weston Democrat from January 7 to June 3, 1927.
This series includes day books, ledgers, pocket diaries, and scrapbooks. Accounting entries cover general merchandise, subscriptions, hotel maintenance and repair, etc. Some items also include newspaper clippings about poultry, horticulture, fictional stories, etc. For additional account books, see also Series 9, Oversized, box 14, folder 1 and box 15, folder 5.
This series includes printed and manuscript items such as: a scrapbook of newspaper clippings regarding the Civil War (ca. 1861-1865); ephemera related to West Virginia (1848-1922); handwritten lecture notes by T.H. Dennis on legal topics (1872-1873); and clippings and handwritten notes regarding the history, appearance, and growing of various flowers (1899-1936 and undated). Many of the handwritten notes and some of the clippings bear handwritten page numbers and the words "used" or "not used." For additional Civil War-related newspaper clippings, see Series 9, Oversized, box 14, folder 5. For additional materials related to T.H. Dennis, see Series 1, Zimmerman Collection -- Correspondence -- Letters to Thomas H. Dennis.
This series includes lists of students of the Old Lewisburg Academy, the Lewisburg Female Institute, etc. (1853-1927); account ledgers (1825-1891, undated); Greenbrier death records (undated); military records (ca. 1830s-1903); newspaper clippings (1861-1884, undated); and genealogical sketches on various families (ca. 1886, undated). Many of the lists of students are written on the back sides of older ledger pages. This series also includes receipts, financial statements, and muster rolls for the 31st Virginia Infantry, as well as muster rolls from other Confederate units (1861-1864).
For additional military records, see Series 6, Military Records. For additional genealogical sketches, see Series 4, Zimmerman Collection -- Biographical and Genealogical Sketches. For additional account books and ledgers, see Series 7, Business Records. For additional materials related to the Old Lewisburg Academy and its offshoots, see Series 3, Zimmerman Collection -- Old Lewisburg Academy.