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Preferred Citation:

Gustavus W. T. Wright Letter, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Administrative History:

Gustavus W. T. Wright attended the College of William and Mary in 1804.

Scope and Contents

February 22, 1904 letter written by Wright to Henry Dearborn "Student at Law" in Washington. He describes not taking the time to write his parents as he's been engaged in amusements such as dancing parties. He describes the local girls as "very free, easy and interesting in their manners but few of them are even tolerably handsome."  Wright names several local women, including Jane Russell, Sally Carter, and a Miss Cary.  He states he is boarding with a Mrs. Maupin and that he has gotten acquainted with several other students.  He continues, "There is not much mischief as yet taken place here, but I believe they are about getting in the notion of it." He mentions the church [likely Bruton Parish] windows and tombstones being shattered.  Wright also joined Bishop James Madison's senior class on Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nation because the law course was "nearly exhausted."

Related Material

University Archives Faculty-Alumni File Collection

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• College of William and Mary--Alumni and alumnae
• College of William and Mary--History--19th century
• College of William and Mary--Students
• College of William and Mary--Students--Social life and customs