Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Preston Family Correspondence must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Preston Family Correspondence, Ms2010-070, Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Preston Family Correspondence was donated to Special Collections in 2010.

Alternate Form Available

Scans of both letters and the envelope are available online .

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Preston Family Correspondence was completed in October 2010.

Biographical Information

Col. James Francis Preston was born in Virginia and was educated at West Point Military Academy. He volunteered in the Mexican War and both equipped and organized his company completely at his own expense. While serving the Union army during the Civil War, he died of exposure in 1862. His wife, Sarah Caperton Preston, was from Elmwood, Monroe County, West Virginia.

Hugh Caperton Preston was the son of James Francis and Sarah Caperton Preston. He was born on September 5, 1856 in Elmwood, West Virginia. In 1877, he graduated as a senior Captain from Virginia Military Institute. Afterwards, he managed his mother’s estate (White Thorn) in Montgomery County, Virginia until he sold it in 1892. Hugh then moved to East Radford and pursued real-estate and insurance business as well as serving two terms as Mayor. In the Spanish American War, Hugh served in Company M of Virginia’s 4th Volunteer Infantry, stationed in Cuba. He then served in the 31st US Volunteer Company in the Philippines, where he was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. On April 30, 1878, Hugh married Miss Cary Marx Baldwin; they had seven children together. In 1901, Hugh and his wife returned to East Radford, where he then worked in the real-estate business for the rest of his life.

"Hugh Caperton Preston." USGenWeb Archives - Census Wills Deeds Genealogy. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/monroe/bios/preston.tx .

Scope and Content

This collection consists of two letters.

The first letter is dated on July 28, 1861 and is written by James Francis Preston to his wife, Sarah Caperton Preston following the First Battle of Bull Run. He writes about the battle’s events and his own movements, including executing a direct order from General Jackson to charge the advancing enemy. In the beginning of his letter, James calls the battle a "fearful sight."

The second letter dates to May 15, 1872 and is written by Sarah Caperton Preston to Colonel Grabowski, an instructor at the Preston and Olin Institute in Blacksburg. The letter is a response to a previous notice from the Colonel about her son’s (Hugh Caperton Preston) recent failure to follow a senior student's order at the school. Sarah passively defends her son, explaining why he might have disobeyed the order. She also expresses confusion at some of the Colonel's reasoning for her son's behavior. Additionally, Sarah expresses hope that her son will gain maturity with age and learn that, "an officers commision will not always shield him."

Arrangement

This collection was arranged by material type.

Related Material

Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Montgomery County Branch Papers, 1754-1996. Ms1962-001. Finding aid available.

John Preston Deed, 1826. Ms2005-014.

John Preston Papers, 1806-1830, 1844, n.d. Ms1994-034. Finding aid available.

Preston Family (Alice Preston Moore Collection) Papers, 1745-1882. Ms1962-004.

Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers, 1747-1897. Ms1985-020. Finding aid available.

Robert Taylor Preston Papers, 1849-1871 (Bulk 1861-1862). Ms1992-003. Finding aid available.

Smithfield Preston Foundation Papers, 1784-1881. Ms1997-002. Finding aid available.

William Preston Land Grant, 1773. Ms1994-027.

Willard Prestion Genealogy, c.1998. Ms2009-121. Finding aid available.

George Green Shackelford Papers, ca.1955-1986. Ms1983-003.

Index Terms

Persons:

• Preston, Hugh Caperton, 1856-1905
• Preston, James Francis, 1820-1862
• Preston, Sarah Caperton, 1826-

Subjects:

• Blacksburg (Va.)
• Civil War
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Montgomery County (Va.)
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Adjunct Descriptive Data