Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of the Gilmer Family, Accession #5194, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was deposited in the University of Virginia Library for historical reference and photographing by Mr. M. C. Gilmer, Big Cedar Creek Farm, Lebanon, Virginia, on October 24, 1955.

Scope and Content Information

The papers of the Gilmer family is largely a collection of incoming correspondence received and retained by Cummings Gilmer of Lebanon, Russell County, Virginia, and his daughter, Martha. On examination of the correspondence, it appears that Cummings Gilmer and his wife, Mary, had the following children: Charles Hayes Gilmer, William Rives Gilmer, John Edmonson Gilmer, Martha J. Gilmer, and Sarah W. Gilmer. Cummings' brother, William Gilmer, and his wife, Jane, had a son, James A. Gilmer, who is also represented in the collection.

Of primary interest are the early letters of John E. Gilmer, describing life and events at Emory and Henry College (one of his essays describes a duel) and his letters as a Confederate soldier, some of which were apparently written in collaboration with his brother, William, whose Civil War letters constitute the largest portion of the collection. The news of war and family are also reflected in the letters of Charles H. Gilmer. Death or imprisonment befell James and his cousins towards the end of the war. Unfortunately, only a few items of outgoing correspondence (from Cummings, his daughter, Martha, and his brother, William) are extant in this collection.