Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the William F. Graves Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: William F. Graves Collection, Ms2010-040 - Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Acquisition Information

The William F. Graves Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2000.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement and description of the William F. Graves Collection commenced and was completed in June 2010.

Biographical Information

William F. Graves, the son of Peyton Graves, was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia on September 29, 1832. A few years after the death of his father, Graves moved with his family to Bedford County, Virginia, where he became a farmer. In 1858, he married Mary J. Johnson; the couple would have 11 children. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Graves enlisted as a sergeant in Company F of the Second Virginia Cavalry. In August 1861, he was promoted to lieutenant, and soon thereafter elected company captain. Later, he was promoted to major; and just before war's end, to lieutenant colonel. Following the war, Graves returned to Bedford County and resumed farming and milling. In 1871, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and continued to serve through five consecutive terms. In later years he would serve as mayor of Vinton, Virginia. He died on July 3, 1923.

Scope and Content

This collection contains materials relating to William F. Graves, a native of Pittsylvania County, Virginia and a major in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War. The collection contains biographical sketches of Graves and the typescript text of a speech made by Graves at the unveiling of the Bedford Confederate monument. The typescript text of another Confederate memorial speech is also included as is the handwritten text of a third, similar speech attributed to Graves. Also within the collection is a typescript roster for Company F of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry (also known as the Bedford Southside Dragoons), including notes on wounds, deaths, captures, and desertions. The collection also contains a single sheet of genealogical information on the family of Docie Johnson Garrett Wells.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by document type.

Index Terms

Subjects:

• Civil War
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865