Finding Aid to the Blackford Family Collection

Text

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
BLACKFORD FAMILY COLLECTION
The collection includes correspondence between Captain Charles Minor
BLACKFORD and his wife, Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD, written mostly
during the Civil War. The collection also contains other family correspondence,
including typescripts of letters from Captain BLACKFORD and typescripts of letters
from James G. MINOR, a freed slave in Monrovia, Liberia, to his former mistress, Mary
Berkeley (MINOR) BLACKFORD, of Virginia.
Also included are Captain
BLACKFORD's legal notes and account book, the account book of Thomas COLSTON,
and the business docket of the law partnership of KIRKPATRICK and BLACKFORD.
Much genealogical information about the family is included. The BLACKFORDCOLSTON, etc., Family History includes a typed copy of the "Registry of Negroes as of
12 December 1858," with notes about some of the people. Also included are a photo of
the bill of sale of Peggy DEAN to William BLACKFORD and the diary of and poems by
Dr. Charles Minor BLACKFORD.
[Detailed finding guide available with the collection]

MS1793

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
CHARLES MINOR BLACKFORD (1833-1903)
Charles Minor BLACKFORD, son of William Matthews BLACKFORD and Mary
Berkeley MINOR, was born 17 October 1833 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He studied at
private schools in Fredericksburg and in Lynchburg and was graduated from the law
school at the University of Virginia in 1855. He practiced law in Lynchburg.
Charles M. BLACKFORD married Susan Leigh COLSTON, daughter of Thomas
Marshall COLSTON and Eliza Jacqueline Ambler FISHER, on 19 February 1856.
At the beginning of the Civil War, C. M. BLACKFORD was commissioned a
Lieutenant in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry. He was later a Captain of Company B, In 1863,
he was appointed judge advocate of the First Army Corps.
In 1866, BLACKFORD entered into law partnership with T. J. KIRKPATRICK in
Lynchburg. The firm was engaged in corporate law.
Charles M. BLACKFORD also held positions in the City of Lynchburg as city
attorney, member of the city council, and member of the school board. He served as
president of the People's National Bank of Lynchburg and was a charter member of the
Virginia State Bar Association, being elected its president in 1894. He died 10 March
1903 in Lynchburg, Virginia.
BLACKFORD was the author of several books and articles: Memoirs of the Army in
Virginia; Legal History of the Virginia Midland Railway Company; Campaign and Battle
of Lynchburg; Historical Sketch of the Book of Common Prayer; "Trials and Trial of
Jefferson Davis."
[Allen Johnson, ed., Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. II (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1929), pp. 318-319; Lyon Gardiner Tyler, ed., Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. 5 (New York:
Lewis Historical Publ. Co., 1915), pp. 845, 850-859.]

MS1793

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
SUSAN LEIGH (COLSTON) BLACKFORD (1835-1916)
Susan Leigh COLSTON, daughter of Thomas Marshall COLSTON and Eliza
Jacqueline FISHER, was born 9 January 1835, in Richmond, Virginia. Following the
deaths of her parents, she was raised at the home of her guardian, her brother, Raleigh
COLSTON, in Albemarle County. She was educated at Georgetown and was married to
Charles Minor BLACKFORD on 19 February 1856 at Hill and Dale, the family home.
The BLACKFORD family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Charles M.
BLACKFORD practiced law. With her husband and family, Susan L. (COLSTON)
BLACKFORD was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. She worked with many
charitable societies in Lynchburg.
Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD wrote and published Memoirs of the War
Between the States, based on the wartime letters of her husband, Charles M.
BLACKFORD. The book, originally a small private printing, was later edited and
abridged by her grandson, C. M. BLACKFORD III, and released under the title, Letters
from Lee's Army.
Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD died 14 January 1916 in Lynchburg,
Virginia.
[Obituary, Lynchburg News, 15 January 1916, p. 5 col. 4; Blackford Family Collection, MS1793, Jones
Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA.]

MS1793

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
CHARLES MINOR BLACKFORD, JR. (1865-1924)
Charles Minor BLACKFORD, Jr., son of Charles Minor BLACKFORD, Sr., and
Susah Leigh COLSTON, was born 5 September 1865, in Lynchburg, Virginia. A
graduate of the University of Virginia and of the New York College of Physicians and
Surgeons, he also studied medicine in London, Vienna, and Paris. He taught in a medical
school in Atlanta, Georgia. He wrote numerous articles for medical magazines, as well as
historical articles for newspapers. He also published Annals of the Lynchburg Home
Guard, a history of a local military unit. He married Julia Winifred SEARS, daughter of
William Goff SEARS and Stella BIGELOW, on 22 September 1897 in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. He died 6 November 1924 at his home in Staunton, Virginia.
[Obituary, Lynchburg News, 7 November 1924, p. 10 col. 1; Blackford Family Collection, MS1793, Jones
Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA.]

MS1793

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
CHARLES MINOR BLACKFORD III (1898-1985)
Charles Minor BLACKFORD III, son of Charles Minor BLACKFORD, Jr., and Julia
Winifred SEARS, was born 4 October 1898 in Washington, D.C. He attended schools in
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. During World War I, he served
"in the first division of U.S. Destroyers to go overseas." He became an officer in the
Merchant Marine for twelve years. He married Louise DICKENS of Lake City, Florida.
He joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve in 1941 and was called to active duty
for anti-submarine patrol. He was later commander of a Landing Ship Tank (L.S.T.) in
the Pacific theatre of operations. In 1951, he was recalled to active duty and served as
the commander of the cutter, Ariadne, until he was discharged in 1953. He moved to
Homosassa, Florida, where he continued to write articles for a local newspaper. His
other writings include: Letters from Lee's Army; Deep Treasure; Tom Bowline, Master
Shipbuilder.
Charles M. BLACKFORD III in January 1985 in Florida.
[Blackford Family Collection, MS1793, Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, VA. The last letter in the file
of Charles M. BLACKFORD III is dated 22 March 1977; Social Security Death Index.]

MS1793

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24501
(434) 846-0501
BLACKFORD FAMILY COLLECTION
The collection includes correspondence between Captain Charles Minor
BLACKFORD and his wife, Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD, written mostly
during the Civil War. The collection also contains other family correspondence,
including typescripts of letters from Captain BLACKFORD and typescripts of letters
from James G. MINOR, a freed slave in Monrovia, Liberia, to his former mistress, Mary
Berkeley (MINOR) BLACKFORD, of Virginia.
Also included are Captain
BLACKFORD's legal notes and account book, the account book of Thomas COLSTON,
and the business docket of the law partnership of KIRKPATRICK and BLACKFORD.
Much genealogical information about the family is included. The BLACKFORDCOLSTON, etc., Family History includes a typed copy of the "Registry of Negroes as of
12 December 1858," with notes about some of the people. Also included are a photo of
the bill of sale of Peggy DEAN to William BLACKFORD and the diary of and poems by
Dr. Charles Minor BLACKFORD.
BOX 1

1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
1-6
1-7

BLACKFORD Family Record/Family History
Registry of Negroes, 1858
BLACKFORD Family/Miscellaneous Notes
Memorial Notice/Dr. Benjamin BLACKFORD (1905)
Commission/1st Lt. Va. Militia/C.M.BLACKFORD
Deed/Charles M. & Susan L. BLACKFORD to MOSBY
Letter/John MINOR to Charles M. BLACKFORD on the CARTER
family
1-8 Letter/R.G.H. KEAN to [Charles] BLACKFORD
1-9 Address/Va. State Bar Association (C.M.B.)
1-10 Biographical Notes/C. M. BLACKFORD (1833-1903)
1-11 Legal Notes/C. M. BLACKFORD (1833-1903)
1-12 Personal narrative, events following the
Civil War/C.M. BLACKFORD (1833-1903)
1-13 Diary/C.M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
1-14 Letters/C.M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924) to Maurice MOORE,
Mrs. MOORE, John W. DANIEL
1-15 Poems/C.M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
1-16 "Bacteria and Disease"/C.M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
1-17 Miscellaneous Notes/C.M. BLACKFORD III (1898-)
1-18 Letters/L.M. BLACKFORD to C.M. BLACKFORD
(Continued)

MS1793

BLACKFORD FAMILY COLLECTION
(Continued)
1-19 Letters/Mary M. BLACKFORD to [Charles BLACKFORD]
[Card with U.S. Grant autograph]
1-20 Bond/William M. BLACKFORD as Cashier, Exchange Bank
1-21 Steam Engine/William M. BLACKFORD
1-22 Bill of Sale/Peggy DEAN sold to W.M. BLACKFORD
1-23 BLACKFORD, Launcelot Minor – “Sketch of my life”
BOX 2

Correspondence (Business and Personal) (1855-1861) Charles M.
BLACKFORD (1803-1833) (Originals)

BOX 3

Correspondence (Business and Personal) (1855-1861) Charles M.
BLACKFORD (1803-1833) (Photocopies)

BOX 4

Correspondence (Business and Personal) (1861-1883) Charles M.
BLACKFORD (1803-1833) (Originals)

BOX 5

Correspondence (Business and Personal) (1861-1883) Charles M.
BLACKFORD (1803-1833) (Photocopies)

BOX 6

Correspondence (1861-1864) Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD
(1835-1916) (Originals)

BOX 7

Correspondence (1861-1864) Susan Leigh (COLSTON) BLACKFORD
(1835-1916) (Photocopies)

BOX 8

8-1
8-2
8-3
8-4

BOX 9

9-1 Scrapbook/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1833-1903)
[Includes commission from Queen VICTORIA, with William E.
GLADSTONE, witness, to try "certain passengers upon the
R.M.S. Catalonia" (1881)]
9-2 Scrapbook (1894-1908)/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
9-3 Scrapbook (1908-1913)/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
9-4 Scrapbook (1913-1917)/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
9-5 Scrapbook (1917-1918)/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
9-6 Scrapbook (1923-1924)/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
(Continued)

Scrapbook/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
Miscellaneous Writings/Charles M. BLACKFORD (1865-1924)
Account Book (1829-1855)/Thomas M. COLSTON
"Growing Up in Mid-Century"/Charles M. BLACKFORD (18331903); Includes: "Letters From a Freed Slave (1852)"

MS1793

BLACKFORD FAMILY COLLECTION
(Continued)
BOX 9

9-7 Prayerbook (1892), includes notes from Charles M. BLACKFORD,
Jr., to son, Charles M. BLACKFORD, III
9-8 Scrapbook, England and Scotland

[BOX] 10

Account Book (1865-1885)/Capt. Charles M. BLACKFORD (1833-1903)

[BOX] 11

Business Docket/KIRKPATRICK and BLACKFORD

BOX 12

12-1 Lucy Landon Carter Minor Photo Album with Descriptive Index,
1865-1870
12-2 Transcription – L. M. Blackford’s Recipes in the Culinary Art
12-3 Bible of Benjamin Blackford (1798), Obituary of Charles Minor
Blackford IV (1969)

BOX 13

Notes for Bible Study, “Bible Lessons” – Mrs. Charles M. Blackford
(16 booklets) (1891-1900)

BOX 14

14-1 Abstracts on Virginia Railroad Cases (1891)
14-2 Court Documents – Jobbers Overall bankruptcy (1921)
14-3 Court Documents – Jobbers Overall bankruptcy (1921-24)
Loose papers
14-4 Case Ledger
14-5 Adams Bros.-Paynes Co. vs. General Construction Co.
(R. C. Blackford, attorney)
14-6 Barksdale vs. Virginia Midland Railway

BOX 15

15-1
15-2
15-3
15-4
15-5
15-6
15-7
15-8
15-9

Plates – Charles M. Blackford
Blackford Newspaper Clippings
Coroner’s license – Charles M. Blackford
Religious Material
Correspondence (court matters) – Colston Blackford (-1910)
Memoirs – Charles M. Blackford (preface – p. 32)
Memoirs – notes
Journal (1852-1856) – Charles Blackford
Memoirs of Life in and out of the Army – Susan Leigh Blackford
(start page 334)
15-10 Memoirs of Life in and out of the Army – Susan Leigh Blackford
(start page 395)
15-11 Memoirs of Life in and out of the Army – Susan Leigh Blackford
(start page 439)
15-12 Memoirs of Life in and out of the Army – Susan Leigh Blackford
(start page 494)
MS1793

(Continued)
BLACKFORD FAMILY COLLECTION
(Continued)
BOX 15

15-13 Financial ledger (Susan Leigh Blackford, Charles Blackford)
15-14 Miscellaneous invitations, menus, advertising broadsides, programs

BOX 16

Miscellaneous correspondence (1890-1901)

BOX 17

Miscellaneous photographs – Blackford Family

NOTE: PDF’s of the Blackford Diaries can be found in JServer2 – Company – Access
– Family History Books – Blackford – Blackford Diaries

MS1793

Dublin Core

Title

Finding Aid to the Blackford Family Collection

Subject

Finding aids
Blackford, Charles Minor, 1833-1903

Description

Finding aid to the Blackford Family Collection held at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia. The collection includes correspondence, lists of enslaved persons, a letter from James G. Minor in Monrovia, Liberia, and other papers related to the Blackford family.

Creator

George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)

Publisher

George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)

Date

2024

Rights

George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)

Format

pdf

Language

English

Identifier

JMLMS1793FA

Citation

George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.), “Finding Aid to the Blackford Family Collection,” Digital Collections, accessed October 5, 2024, https://digitaljones.omeka.net/items/show/646.