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Preferred Citation

McCue Family Papers, Accession #4406, Special Collections, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The papers were loaned to the University of Virginia Library on August 4, 1953 by Elizabeth Perry, of Staunton, Va.

The papers were made a gift to the University of Virginia Library on May 28, 2009 by Margaret Custis Archer Clark of Princeton, N.J., John Martin Perry Archer of Houston, Tex., and F. Mather Archer of Portsmouth, Va.

Biographical/Historical Information

Most of the following notes come from the book The McCues of the Old Dominion (1912) by John N. McCue. There is a copy in the collection in box 17 and another copy in the Rare Books Division (CS 71 .M 132 1912) of Special Collections. The Reverend John McCue (1753-1818), of Augusta County, Virginia, married Elizabeth Allen (1761-1831), the daughter of James Allen and Margaret Anderson. John N. McCue graduated from Liberty Hall Academy (later became Washington and Lee University) in 1785, after studying theology with Dr. James Waddell. He had received his ministerial license at a meeting of the Hanover Presbytery in May 1782 at Timber Ridge, Rockbridge County.

Their children were: 1) James Andrew McCue (1783-1853) m. Margaret Trimble; 2) Mary McCue (1785-1853) m. Andrew Barry; 3) Dr. William McCue (1787-1818) m. Ann Isabella Barry; 4) Cyrus McCue (1789-1813); 5) John McCue of "Long Meadows"(1793-1862) m. (1st) Hannah Winters Moffett and (2nd) Eleanor Douglass; 6) Colonel Franklin McCue (1795-1874) m. (1st) Jane Crawford and (2nd) Nancy Crawford; 7) Washington McCue (1797-1798); 8) Eliza (Betsy) McCue (1798-1819) m. John Porterfield; 9) Margaret McCue (1802-1880) m. George Miller; 10) Nancy McCue (1804-1856) m. Jacob Matthews; and 11) Sallie McCue (1805-1885) m. General Joseph Jefferson McDowell.

Their son, John McCue of "Long Meadows"(1793-1862) who married Hannah Winters Moffett (d. 1845), and served in the Virginia General Assembly, had the following children by Hannah Winters Moffett: 1) Elizabeth McCue m. Colonel Davis S. Bell; 2) Judge John Howard McCue (1824-1890), who married in 1845, Signora C.E. Willis (d. 1907) of Nelson County; 3) Sarah McCue m. Dr. Cyrus Alexander; 4) Margaret Catharine McCue (d.1853) m. William B. Dorman; 5) James Moffett McCue (1827-1894) m. Elizabeth Josephine Gooch; 6) Evolina (Lina) McCue; 7) Captain William Andrew McCue (1836-1884) m. Mary Frances Miller; 8) Hannah Winters McCue (d. 1904); and 9) Martha Rachel McCue (1841-1911) m. Decator Hedges.

Judge John Howard McCue was a graduate of Washington College (1842) and the University of Virginia and practiced law in Nelson County, where he married Signora C.E. Willis, the niece of William E. Peters, of the University of Virginia. McCue became a judge in 1870 and also served as counsel for the Western Lunatic Asylum. Their children were: 1) John Willis McCue (1846-1911) m. (1st) Elizabeth I. Collins and (2nd) Lavinia Smith; 2) Don Howard McCue (1848-1893); 3) Betty Winters McCue (1851- 1852); 4) Signora Otelia McCue (1853-1884) m. Gabriel Santini; 5) Lina Linn McCue (1855-1886) m. Walter Sampson Sublett; 6) William Turner McCue (1857-?), unmarried, an attorney of Staunton, member of City Council, chairman of the county and City Democratic Central Committe, banker, and postmaster of Staunton (1893-1897); 7) James McDowell McCue (1861-?); 8) Eliabeth Winter McCue (1864-?) m. John Martin Perry; 9) Aurelia Peters McCue (1867-?) m. Colonel Benjamin Rush Norvell; and 10) Anna Janet (Birdie) McCue (1870--?) m. Percy Herring Wiess.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of the papers of the McCue family, ca. 1767-1944, ca.10,000 items including correspondence, legal and business papers, legal case notes, genealogical material, school notebooks and bound volumes, and Confederate Army commissary records. The collection pertains chiefly to the Reverend John McCue (1758-1818), of Augusta County, Virginia, and his descendants, including: his son, John McCue, his grandson, Judge John Howard McCue (1824-1890), lawyer of Lovingston, Nelson County, and of Staunton, Virginia, and Confederate officer of the "Floyd Brigade," Fifty-first Regiment, Virginia troops; and William T. McCue, lawyer and prominent Democrat, of Staunton, Virginia, son of John Howard McCue. The bulk of the collection concerns the family and career of Judge John Howard McCue. The Civil War records are the fairly complete files of quartermaster activity in the 51st Regiment, Virginia Volunteers, kept by John Howard McCue, including sales to officers, boards of survey, issues to the troops, invoices, abstracts, and the routes of campaign in Southwest Virginia. The 51st organized at Wytheville two months following the first battle of Bull Run, with men from Wythe, Wise, Grayson, Tazewell, Nelson, Amherst, Bland, and Patrick counties. While McCue was associated with the Regiment, it was involved chiefly in the Kanawha Valley and Fort Donelson region. The correspondence is largely concerned with the legal practice and the personal and business affairs of Judge John Howard McCue, but also includes other subjects of interest, which are listed on pages four through nine of this guide with the name of the correspondent and the date of the letter in which they occur.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series: Series I: McCue Family Papers (Boxes 1-18), including: Civil War Records (Box 1); Correspondence, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent and names included in the folder listing (Boxes 2-9); Financial and Legal Papers, arranged chronologically (Boxes 9-17); Genealogy (Box 17); Legal Case Notes, Marriage Licenses, Miscellaneous, Photographs, and Political Papers (Box 18)

Series II: McCue Family Notebooks and Bound Volumes (Boxes 19-28), including: School Notebooks, etc. of C. Purcell McCue, Jr. (Boxes 19-24); Bound Volumes and Notebooks (Boxes 24-28)

Subjects Found in the McCue Corrrespondence

A-B
Adultery case (Ackerly [1871]); abolition speech in Congress by Joshua Reed Giddings accusing slaveholders of improper sexual relations with their female slaves (1852 June 23); Afton Mountain tunnel in Virginia (Imboden, J.D., 1850 January 30, 1853 March 17-18); Baldwin, John B. - his chances in the election (Baldwin, 1859 January 25, April 30; John D. Imboden 1859 March 3); Barry family, genealogy of (Thomas Barry, 1885 March 5 and June 3; John Marshall McCue, 1888 February 26); Blue Ridge Railroad and Tunnel (Browning, 1852 January 19; Crozet 1853; John D. Imboden, 1852 December 20, 1853 March 17).

CIVIL WAR
Camp Jefferson, near Charlottesville, description of camp and weapons (W.C. Carrington, 1861 May 14); description of the grandeur of the New River in the area of Raleigh County, [West] Virginia, where the troops have no coffee and sugar and he has difficulties in getting supplies (John Howard McCue, 1862 October 16); difficulty in buying wheat in Greenbrier County, [West] Virginia, to make bread for the brigade (John Howard McCue, 1861 September 29); domestic aspect, urges her husband to come as soon as possible as he is needed at home (Signora McCue, 1861 November 9, 14, 22, 28; her anxiety about their affairs and his safety, 1862 September 12, October 2, 6, 21, 29, 31); Early's Valley Campaign, reference to (John D. Imboden, 1864 November 14); engagement at Cotton Hill (John Howard McCue, 1861 November 5); Ft. Donelson affair and General Floyd (James A. Forbes, 1868 November 28); Headquarters Valley District, assigned to the command of John D. Imboden (1864 April 22); loss of McCue's records as commissary on the retreat from battle at Carnifex Ferry, Gauley River, [West] Virginia (Stephen Miles Dickey 1865 February 20; James L. Wills, 1864 November 25; Tate 1864); mention of General Henry Alexander Wise, General John Buchanan Floyd, and General Robert E. Lee in command of all the forces, all soldiers eager to enter the conflict (John Howard McCue, 1861 August 14); offer to sell breech-loading carbines by [Gilbert?] Smith (J.W. Stribling, 1860 January 23, February 10); and John D. Imboden's desire to arm his company of artillery with the weapon (1860 January 7); organization of the 51st Virginia Regiment (A.F. Wherther 1861); question of ability of Virginia to pay troops (A.F. Robertson, 1861 May 28); recommendation of a Confederate Army commission for John H. McCue, from Hugh Sheffey to Robert E. Lee, with an attached note from Lee forwarding the request on to Colonel Thomas J. Jackson (Sheffey 1861 April 27); regiment stationed at Bowling Green, Kentucky (John Howard McCue, 1862 January 9); request for leave of absence to handle financial affairs of father and mother-in-law (John Howard McCue, 1862 July 15); reunion of Confederate soldiers in West Virginia (John D. Imboden, 1887 September 9).

D-H
Daniel, John W. - campaign for Congress (John W. Daniel 1872); Democratic Party in Augusta County, Virginia (William T. McCue, 1897-1909); divorce - Indiana laws governing (Garvin, 1859 March 8, Livingston, 1859 March 4); divorce case (H.C. Thurmond, 1887); elderly, care of an old man believed to be insane (S.T. Peters, 1859-1860); elections in Virginia (Loving, 1851 December 19; John Marshall McCue, 1851 November 9); election returns concerning John D. Imboden (John D. Imboden, 1850); "free Negro," attempts to hire during the Civil War (F.G. Peters, 1861 September 3); grief over a deceased spouse (Santini, 1884 September 8); Harpers Ferry raid of John Brown and abolition (Pruden, 1859 October 27, December 15, 1860 January 9)Homestead Bill debate in Virginia (D.S.G. Cabell, 1867 February 25); Honduras, business in (John D. Imboden, 1889 March 23); Hot Springs, Arkansas - description of (Thomas Barry, 1877 October 31).

JOHN D. IMBODEN
Favorable response to his speech in the Virginia Legislature (1851 January 31); his bill for construction of a branch plank road from Greenville to Waynesboro and other legislation (1851); marriage to Mary Wilson McPhail (1858 November 11, 1859 March 3, July 22); timber business (1860 December 3); marriage to Edna Porter (1866 October 11); marriage to Anna Lockett (John Marshall McCue, 1873 December 23; 1874 January 2).

I-L
Insane asylums (F.T. Stribling, 1872 January 7); insanity of William Knott, abolitionist leanings, and his fleeing to Cananda (John Marshall McCue, 1853 September 14); insanity and murder in Montgomery County, Virginia (A.C. Gleaves 1887); Irish immigrants in St. Louis, Missouri, mob violence, and national elections (M.R. Cullen, 1854 July 11); James River and Kanawha Company investigation in the Virginia Legislature (John D. Imboden, 1851); Letcher, John (John Marshall McCue, 1858 January 16); [Liburian?] Springs, Waukesha, Wisconsin - travel to (Thomas Barry, 1883 July 9); Loch Willow School, Augusta County, Virginia (Hotchkiss, 1859 February-1860).

McCUE
McCue family news (John Marshall McCue, 1874 January 22); McCue, Bettie - death of (Alexander 1852 September 9); McCue, Evaline - death of (John Marshall McCue, 1854 January 12); McCue, John Howard -for judge of Nelson County, Virginia (J.L. Kemper 1870; John W. Daniel 1870; John D. Imboden, 1870 March 9, April 7); McCue, John Howard - interest in Congressional office (John D. Imboden, 1872 May 7, July 4; undated); McCue, John Howard financial difficulties during Reconstruction, and decision to practice law at Staunton, Virginia (1874); McCue, John Marshall - House of Delegates activities (1850-1852); McCue, John Willis (John D. Imboden, 1864 April 22, November 14, 1867 February 2; and his capture in Baltimore, (Signora McCue, 1865 October 5, 10, 12, 16; McCue family, 1865 September 27).

M-P
Mahone, William and Virginia politics (Thomas Barry, 1885 January 9); Mexican War mentioned (John D. Imboden, 1847 January 1); mineral rich lands on Sleepy Hollow Farm, description of for northern investors (F.G. Peters, 1870 September 7, 1872 September 11, November 5, especially presence of iron ore (1870-1874; John D. Imboden, 1867 February 2, 1872 November 2, 18; John Howard McCue, 1872 October 29); mineral lands in Virginia, speculation (John D. Imboden, 1868-1889; John Marshall McCue, 1874 February 9); Moffett Law in the Louisiana state legislature re new taxes on sell of liquor (Santini 1878); Mozart Institute Company (Santini 1874-1876); newspaper, The Enterprise, intended for Lovingston, Virginia (Pruden, 1859-1860); description of Ashe County, North Carolina, during visit to search for mineral deposits on behalf of Imboden (John Marshall McCue, 1887 June 1); pensions, attempts to secure for constituents based on military service (William Cabell Rives, 1828); pensions, search for surviving Revolutionary War soldiers (W.C. Roberts, 1853 March 15, 1854 October 20); prostitution in California (unidentified, 1853 March 30).

POLITICS
Politics at Lexington, Virginia (James B. Dorman, 1850 June 4); politics at Staunton, Virginia, especially John Baldwin for judge (G.W. Imboden 1859 January 18 and April 16); politics in Virginia (R.T.W. Duke, 1870, 1872; John D. Imboden, 1887 December 17 and 20); Presidential election of 1852 (John D. Imboden, 1852 February 9, June 23); Presidential election of 1860 (Lucas Thompson, 1860 November 1; John McCue 1860 October 13); Presidential election of 1872 and Horace Greeley (John D. Imboden, 1872 May 7, June 12, August 4, September 13, October 11).

R-S
Railroad coupling invention by the Waddells promoted by (John D. Imboden, 1860 July 9); railroad engine and a railroad car "lifting machine" invented by (John D. Imboden, 1874 October 21, November 27, 1875 January 25); Randolph-Macon College student life (Robert E. Cutler, 1833-1834); Reconstruction life in Bastrop, Texas (James A. Forbes, 1868 November 24); secession and the Civil War (J. Montgomery Peters, 1861 April 22, June 1; John D. Imboden with a full discussion, 1860 December 3, 1861 February 24; John Howard McCue, 1861 May 23); separation of husband and wife, legal (Berger 1867 November 24); Speaker of the House, vote for (George S. Stevens, 1860); Stuart, Baldwin - his injury in a steamboat explosion near Memphis (John B. Baldwin, 1859 April 30); Stuart, Alexander H.H. and his efforts to avoid secession (John D. Imboden, 1861 February 24).

SLAVERY
Attempts to purchase the husband, George, of the cook, Judy from William A. Staples (James A. Forbes, 1861 January 26, March 1); conveyance by trust of two slaves, Winny and Nelson (G. Thomas 1843) disagreement over hire of a slave woman, Becky (Reese, 1850); emancipation (Alex Fitzpatrick 1853 August 31); emancipation papers of Griffen Harris and subsequent length of stay in the South (P. Schmucker, 1852 December 28); hiring (W.C. Carrington, 1853 December 24); hiring of William a blacksmith (John Marshall McCue, 1853 December 31); hiring of Henry (Tittosan Janney, 1856 March 11); inquiry re the hiring of blacksmith Jim (W.J.D. Bell, 1860 April 2, 1861 February 18); insurance premiums for slaves, cost table from Lynchburg Hose and Fire Insurance Company [ante 1865]; lawsuit over the hiring of a slave for a canal boat (A.S. Lee, 1866 April 21, 25, July 12); request of Tom to be with his wife (George H. Crawford, 1850 December 31); runaway boy, "Squire" (F.A. McChesney, 185[5] January 26; John Howard McCue, 1855 January 31) sale of Eveline (William B. Dorman, 1856 August 10); slave in jail (Thomas W. Gilmer, 1837 January 19).

UNION ISSUES
The Union (W.C. Carrington, date missing [ca. 1860]); the Union (Leverett Saltonstall, 1860); the Union in danger (James A. Forbes, 1861 January 26, March 1; John Marshall McCue, 1850 January 16; James McDonald, 1860 December 27); the Union, sectionalism, Compromise of 1850, Wilmot Proviso (L. Brooks, 1860 January 14) the Union and actions of South Carolina (John McCue, 1860 November 29; John Howard McCue, 1860 December 1; John Marshall McCue, 1861 February 2); the Union and national politics (Baldwin, 1859 December 6); the Union and sectionalism (Judge John Robertson, 1860 December 10, 28); the Union and secession (G.W. Imboden, 1861 February 12).

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Ancient languages appointment (S.T. Peters, 1856 March 21; William E. Peters, 1856 June 18); chapel donation, request for (Gordon 1889 February 23); linguistics position (Baldwin, 1859 December 6; S.T. Peters, 1859 June 23-24; William E. Peters, 1859 June 24); University of Virginia student (William Elisha Peters, 1850 November 2, 18).

V-W
Venereal disease case (John Marshall McCue, 1849 May 23); Virginia Constitutional Convention, politics and running for office (Letcher, 1850 August 24, 1851 August 29); Virginia, new map of the state (Matthew Fontaine Maury, 1870 June 8, July 5, and 19); Virginia, bill for redistricting of the counties (Hugh W. Sheffey, 1852 March 27); Western Lunatic Asylum and McCue (McDonald and Moore, 1886 December 23); Whig Party, Augusta County, Virginia (Botts, 1852 July 28; John D. Imboden, 1852 March 13); Whig Party and Loco-foco Party in Virginia (1850 December 10, 1852 August 10; 1853 May 31).