This collection contains American Civil War materials, which had been inherited by Edward G. and Dorothea Little Vanderslice Fenwick. The collection is divided into two series: the Charles Gulager sketchbook and the John Newton Smith correspondence.

The Charles Gulager sketchbook (measuring approximately 5 x 7 inches) contains more than 30 sketches drawn by Gulager while he served in Company A of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Many of the sketches depict war-related scenes, such as camps, soldiers and ships. Also among the sketches are illustrations of such historic structures as Mount Vernon and the Chain Bridge at Washington, D. C. (Selections from the sketchbook were published by Mr. Fenwick in 1987 under the title The Civil War Sketches of Charles Gulager [call number: NC139.G85 A4 1987 Civil War Spec]). The sketches may also be viewed by searching "Gulager" on Special Collections' ImageBase (http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/). While many of the sketches are titled, some are either untitled or have titles which are illegible.

The John Newton Smith correspondence contains letters written by Smith while serving with Company I, 13th Virginia Cavalry. The letters span the first half of 1863 and are written mostly from Essex County, as well as other points in northeastern Virginia. Smith's letters are devoted largely to personal matters (especially his need for a hat, the illness and death of his horse, war-time prices and family affairs), but he also writes of military matters (especially the Chancellorsville campaign). The correspondence concludes with letters from Smith's cousin, Charles Croft, regarding Smith's severe illness and subsequent death, as well as documents related to the military pay due Smith's estate. The series also contains a set of transcriptions made-probably in the early twentieth century-from the original letters.