A Guide to the Leroy S. Edwards Papers 1853-1899
A Collection in the
Archives and Special Collections Department of
the McGraw-Page Library
Accession Number R-MC Shelves 6B2
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Archives and Special Collections, McGraw-Page Library, Randolph-Macon College
McGraw-Page LibraryBox 5005
Randolph-Macon College
Ashland, Virginia 23005-5505
USA
Phone: (804) 752-3203
Fax: (804) 752-7345
Email: archives@rmc.edu
URL: http://www.rmc.edu/directory/offices/library/specialcollections/special.asp
© 2005 By Randolph-Macon College. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Special Collections Staff - Judee Showalter
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
[The Leroy S. Edwards Papers, Accession ,R-MC Shelves 6B2 ,Archives and Special Collections, McGraw-Page Library, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.
Acquisition Information
The collection belongs to Randolph-Macon College. Much of the collection was donated to the college by Mrs. Frederick N. Thompson, grandaughter of Leroy Edwards.
Biographical/Historical Information
Leroy Summerfield Edwards was born November 27th, 1839 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was the oldest of three sons born to Rev. John Ellis Edwards, D.D. and Elizabeth A. Clark Edwards (daughter of Col. John Clark). His father was a prominent Methodist pastor, serving in the North Carolina Conference and then in the Virginia Conference, and as a Trustee of Randolph Macon College. Leroy attended Randolph-Macon College, then in Boydton, VA, from 1857-1859, receiving an A. B. He then attended the University of Virginia from 1859-1860. He was teaching at Farmville Female College in 1861 when he enlisted in the 12th Virginia Infantry, Company E. He was injured in 1862, and captured in May, 1864. He was sent to Point Lookout Prison Camp in Maryland and transferred to Elmira, New York around August, 1864. He returned to Richmond around March, 1865. Apparently he returned to R-MC, where he received an A. M. degree in 1866. On August 8, 1866 he married Elizabeth Ferguson, and their son, Ellis, was born May 14, 1867. By 1868 he and fellow R-MC alumnus E.E. Parham had founded the Female Collegiate Institute at Richmond. Another son, Leroy Jr., was born October 3, 1881. Leroy, Jr.'s Randolph-Macon diary is included in the collection as well. It is assumed there were other children. Leroy Edwards died in 1901 and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery.
Scope and Content
The collection contains letters and other personal materials, primarily diaries. Diaries included in the collection were written by Leroy Edwards, his wife, and his son, Leroy Jr., and span 1853-1899. Some additional material onthe Edwards Family is available in the R-MC Alumni files.
Arrangement
The material didvided into letters and other materials. Its arranged chronologically when possible, although several notebooks skip years.
Contents List
Manuscript copy of Letters of Leroy S. Edwards Written During the War Between the States . Compiled by Terry A. Walton.(E467.1 E48 1985)
Material is by multiple authors, although primarily Leroy S. Edwards.
Arrangement is chronological when possible, although several journals contain non-consecutive material.
- Notebook 1853
The President's Book of "The Lynchburg Youth Debating Society"
- Notebook 1857-1858
Diary - Sophomore and Junior years at Randolph Macon College
- Notebook 1859
Diary - Senior year at Randolph Macon College
- Notebook 1859-1863
Contains "jottings" from University of Virginia, 1859-1860, Civil war diary entries from 1862 (Lynchburg) and 1863 (Richmond)
- Notebook 1861-1868
Rollbook from Farmville Female College, March 25, 1861/also contains diary entries 1865-1868, some written by his wife, Elizabeth
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Inserts: Notebook 18573 items in notebook
Roll of the members of the H. Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity, ab initio, in the order of initiation. Sessions 1854-55, 55-56, 56-57 (UVA),
Thank you note from "the Senior Class"
Resolution of the Jefferson Society of UVA, June 16, 1860, to give $50 to Mrs. Cle(?), mother-in-law to Edgar A. Poe
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- Notebook 1868-1869
Class notes and lectures 1868-1869
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Notebook inserts7 items
Class notes
Clippings: ("Man's Life" (poem), "The Dear Dead Woman Up Stairs" (poem), "The Voiceless" (poem))
Notes on Exodus XX: 4-6 / Biblical/Personal notes/ Civil War/ political
Programme of the Commencement Exercises of the Farmville Female College on the 28th of June, 1866.
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- Notebook 1875leather wallet and notebook
- Notebook 1893-1899
Leroy Edwards Jr. diary - begins at RMC 1989
chronological
- ClippingsClippingsScrapes of Randolph-Macon College History; and Personals of old Students, Professors and Trustees: a series in the Richmond Christian Advocate 1878-79 (incomplete)R-MCMisc.Local Governmanet - City Councilman representing Clay Ward 1878-1884 (?)FamilyVirginia Division of the Army of Northern Virginia - Confederate Veterans
- Handbill
For Senate - W.C. Knight, P.H. Starke
- Richmond Daily Whig no. 273, Nov. 16, 1880
- Richmond Christian Advocate July 20, 1846, Feb. 5, 1846
- Richmond Enquirer October 30, 1874, March 25, 1876, Aug. 10, 1877
- The Daily Express July 3, 1861, April 5, 1861,
- The Daily News May 11, 1875
- Daily Dispatch October 26, 1875, May 1, 1876