Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Bondurant-Morrison Family Papers, Accession 3918, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

This collection was deposited to the Library by William G. Harrison , of the University of Virginia , on May 14, 1952.

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Scope and Content

This collection consist of ca. 16,000 items, 1787-1936, and contains the papers of the Bondurant family of Buckingham County, Virginia , and the Morrison family of Rockbridge County, Virginia who were related through the marriage of Alexander Joseph Bondurant and Emily MacFarland Morrison in 1859. Alexander J. Bondurant and Emily (Morrison) Bondurant were the chief correspondents in this collection. Alexander J. Bondurant (1836-1910) was a Confederate soldier, farmer, politician, superintendent of Buckingham County, Va. schools, professor of agriculture at Auburn University , and tobacco consultant to the government of Australia . His father, Thomas Moseley Bondurant (1797-1862), was a landowner, member of the board of trustees of Hampden-Sydney College , a soldier in the War of 1812, a member of the Virginia Senate , and one of the founders of the Richmond Whig . His oldest son, Alexander Lee Bondurant (1865-1937) was professor of Latin and head of the graduate school of the University of Mississippi .

Emily MacFarland Morrison (b. 1837) was the daughter of Rev. James Morrison and Frances (Brown) Morrison of Rockbridge County, Va. A copy of her reminiscences can be found in the Rare Books collection (F 231 .B65 1944 1962ed). The Morrison family material consists chiefly of the papers of Rev. James Morrison (1797-1870), including correspondence concerning his family, his congregation, and the Presbyterian Church ; also included are his seminary and sermon notes from 1815-1874, and diaries and account books for his home, Bellevue .

Subjects included in this collection are farms in Buckingham Co., Va. , family affairs, the Civil War, school administration in Buckingham Co. , Auburn University , the University of Virginia , mining and mineral rights in Virginia , immigrant land schemes in Virginia , including the James River Valley Immigrant Society and the Virginia Land and Immigrant Company , Virginia and national politics, tobacco culture in Australia and the southern United States , Rev. James Morrison 's education at the University of North Carolina , his pastorates in North Carolina and Virginia , the Presbyterian Church in the South, and the Bellevue School in Rockbridge County, Virginia .

Most of the personal correspondence in the collection is concerned with family matters. A great deal of the letters discussed agriculture with regard to the family farms, especially Variety Shade , and Alexander J. Bondurant 's various agricultural positions and interests. AJB's letters from Australia to various family members spanned the period from 1896 to 1901. These contain some information on agriculture and the culture of Australia . Some of the letters from Charles W. Dabney to A.J. Bondurant (1881-1898) discuss iron ore and mineral rights in Virginia as well as agriculture.

The Civil War and its affects is another subject to be found in the correspondence. Letters from Emily (Morrison) Bondurant to Alexander J. Bondurant mention her brothers' war activities and posts (29 Jul, 8 Aug, and 11 Aug 1862; 6 [Apr] and 22 Apr 1863; 1 Mar, 28 Mar, 5 Apr 1865). A 13 May 1863 letter from Thomas Lee Bondurant to A.J.Bondurant mentions the reaction to the death of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson . Letters to E.M. Bondurant from A.J. Bondurant mention the war and his desire to support the army (12 Apr, 27 Apr, 26 May 1863). Rev. James Morrison also wrote to his daughter E.M. Bondurant about the war and her brother, Samuel Morrison 's appointment as a surgeon in the army (5 Nov 1861, 23 May 1865). Letters to Rev. James Morrison mention the early rumblings of the Civil War and rumors of secession (25 Jul, 20 Oct, 9 Nov, 4 Dec 1860), as well as letters from his sons telling of their posts (20 Feb, 4 Dec 1863; 14 Jan, 21 May 1863).

Politics is also a prominent subject in some of the correspondence. The Bondurants were active in the publishing of the Richmond Whig (est. 1824) and it is mentioned in a few letters. E.M. Bondurant to A.J. Bondurant mentions that George [P. Bondurant] (1838-1886) wanted to leave the management of the paper to A.J. Bondurant . Thomas M. Bondurant mentions the paper in a letter (19 Nov 1857) to his son A.J. Bondurant . A letter from George P. Bondurant to his father A.J. Bondurant mentions the Whig again and the Bondurant interests in the paper (22 Mar 1896). Local and national politics is found in several letters from E.M. Bondurant to A.J. Bondurant (26 Jul, 27 Sep, 8, 11, 31 Oct 1896). Letters from Alexander Lee Bondurant to his father A.J. Bondurant mention local politics and the race for the legislature (25 Oct 1887, 7 May 1889). Thomas M. Bondurant was also concerned with local politics; a letter from J.T. Bocock mentions Sen. Flood and local tax collecting practices and the justice system and how they could be changed (8 Jan 1834).

Religion and the Presbyterian Church is also a prominent subject in the correspondence of Rev. James Morrison , pastor of New Providence Presbyterian Church , Rockbridge County, Virginia . The letters from Rev. Elam J. Morrison from Rev. James Morrison (1820-1826) are concerned with family matters, friends in the ministry, questions and and advice about the ministry, the Presbytery and synods. Letters to Rev. James Morrison (1813-1863, n.d.) contain many similar topics and include family letters and letters from friends and relatives in the ministry.