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Preferred Citation

Lybrook Family Letters, 1831-1863, Accession #11087-b, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

These items were purchased by the University of Virginia Library from Timothy Bakken, Southern Cross Books, on November 21, 2000.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of eight letters chiefly from members of the Lybrook family, 1831-1863, to Henley C. Lybrook, Cassopolis, Cass County  , Michigan. Correspondents include Philip Lybrook, Giles County  , Virginia; D.W. Sleeth, McWhorter's Mill, Lewis County  , [West] Virginia; [D. Wall, Jr. ?], Princeton, Mercer County  , [West] Virginia; George R. Lybrook, Mechanicsburg, Virginia; and Samuel [Marr?], Chicago, Illinois.

Philip Lybrook writes to his brother about the family and his business, mentioning the recent Virginia Convention held 1829-1830, and the new constitution which resulted (1831 Apr 13). He also mentions several debts that [Josiah?] Lumpkins still owed when he left Giles County   for Michigan, discusses the trial of David Lucas who was acquitted, the lawsuit between William B. Hutchison and William Williams before Judge Snidow over a sow and three shoats, and his sister, Sally, who is still staying at Pleasant Webb's since a hospital would be very expensive (1842 Jan 22).

In a third letter, Philip updates his brother about his scattered family and their whereabouts, with Johnston Lybrook in California for the past twenty months or more, Andrew Murry Lybrook in college and graduating in 1852, Eliza [Vawter?] and Elinor living in Monroe County  , [West] Virginia, George R. Lybrook living at Mechanicsburg and working as a physician, Lavinia still at Blacksburg, John has gone to Salem, North Carolina with Margaret Ann to go to school, and only John, Samuel E., William S. Lybrook, and their mother are still at home with him. They need financial assistance to take care of sister Sally at home since her mental condition has deteriorated and they do not want to put her in a lunatic asylum. Philip discusses the problems in raising a large family, the Virginia Constitutional Convention called last winter, and the new members elected traveling to the capital (1852 Jan 10).

D.W. Sleeth, apparently the husband of Nancy Lybrook, describes in detail his misadventures with the justice system of Greenbrier County   at the hands of G.W. Singleton, prosecuting attorney for the U.S. War Department, over pension claims, and his wife Nancy being upset in not being told of the death of her father, John Lybrook (1839 Feb 24). Later Sleeth writes about the prospects for his own small business interests in Ritchie County   and Gilmer County  , [West] Virginia, and discusses the medical properties of the water at Coopers Well or Buena Vista and Blue Sulphur Springs (1850 Sep 1).

[D. Wall, Jr.?] congratulates his friend upon his marriage and mentions that David Lucas is rumored to have killed a peddler whose body has just been found (1842 Apr 4).

George R. Lybrook explains to his uncle why he has stayed to practice medicine in Mechanicsburg, Virginia, instead of coming to Michigan (1845 Jul 25).

Samuel [Marr?], who lives in Chicago, discusses the Lybrook family's involvement in the Civil War in his letter, relating that one of Brother John's sons had been a prisoner at Camp Douglas, south of Chicago, Illinois, for two months after being taken at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and was leaving for City Point, Virginia, after his release to probably rejoin R.E. Lee's   army. Brother John had five sons in the Rebel army and had been living in exile in Giles County  , probably staying with Philip, ever since [John Buchanan] Floyd's Army retreated from Fayetteville, Fayette County  , [West] Virginia. William Lybrook was exchanged and went to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he was injured by falling off a flight of stairs. Murry Lybrook had been wounded and Aunt Lybrook and Samuel alone remained at home. The whole area was deserted, including the county seat of Fayetteville, and their farm destroyed (1863 Apr 14).