Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

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], Francis Bell Letter, 1860, Ms2024-088, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Francis Bell Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in March 2017.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Francis Bell Letter was completed in September 2024.

Biographical Note

Francis Bell (1820-1893) was an international cattle dealer from Augusta County, Virginia. He frequented Pulaski County and Montgomery County, Virginia, for business. He became well acquainted with Major James R. Kent, an enslaver and plantation owner in Montgomery County, through his work as a cattle dealer. Bell later married Kent's daughter, Sarah, in 1855. They settled in Pulaski County, where Bell would go on to become one of the largest land owners in the post-American Civil War era.

External Sources:

National Register Of Historic Places Registration Form. National Register of Historic Places. [Washington, D. C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, 2003] Web. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/077-0045_Rockwood_2005_Final_Nomination.pdf , accessed on September 4, 2024.

"Francis Bell" entry, Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37956086/francis-bell , accessed on September 4, 2024.

Scope and Content

This collection contains a letter from Francis Bell, a cattle dealer from Augusta County, Virginia, to Major James R. Kent, an enslaver and plantation owner in Montgomery County, Virginia. In the letter dated October 18, 1860, Bell asks Kent to sell him his stock of cattle directly rather than going through the firm of Crouse and [Sons?].

Related Material

See the following materials related to the Bell and Kent families, which are also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives:

Black, Kent, and Apperson Family Papers, Ms1974-003

James Randal Kent Papers, Ms1987-031

Elizabeth Kent Adams Papers, Ms1990-045

Bell, Kent, Cloyd, Withrow Family Collection, Ms2008-040

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Bell family
• Kent, James Randal, 1792-1867
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Virginia, Southwest

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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