Thomas David Perry Collection
Scope and Content
This collection contains materials gathered by Virginia Tech graduate (class of 1984) and historian Thomas David Perry during more than 20 years of research and writing on the history of Patrick County, Virginia. Much of the material is devoted to the life, family, and birthplace of James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart, a Confederate General during the American Civil War. The collection contains such materials as manuscript drafts, printed materials, correspondence, scrapbooks and photographs. Much of the material relates to the research and writing of three of Perry's books, Ascent to Glory: the Genealogy of Jeb Stuart; Stuart's Birthplace: a History of Laurel Hill Farm; and The Free State of Patrick: Patrick County, Virginia in the Civil War. The collection also contains press and promotional material relating to the effort to preserve Stuart's birthplace.
Dates
- ca.1979-2007
Creator
- Perry, Thomas David (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
Born in 1960, Thomas David Perry graduated from Virginia Tech in 1984. He founded the J. E. B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust in 1990, serving as its president from 1990 to 1992; he has also served at various times on the trust's board of directors and has served on the boards of directors of the Jubal Early Homeplace and the Patrick County Historical Society. In North Carolina, Perry has been a founding member of both the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and the Surry County Civil War Round Table. Perry has presented numerous speeches on Patrick County, "Jeb" Stuart, and the Civil War; he has also conducted several symposia and tours and published several works on these topics.
Extent
19 Cubic Feet (19 boxes)
Abstract
The Thomas David Perry Collection includes the papers relating to the history of Patrick County, Virginia, and native son James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart, a Confederate General during the American Civil War, particularly Stuart's genealogy and birthplace, Laurel Hill.
Arrangement
The collection is unprocessed and remains largely in the order in which it was received. Generally, the collection is arranged within the following categories: Patrick County in the American Civil War; genealogy of J. E. B. Stuart; history of Laurel Hill Farm, Stuart's birthplace; records of the J. E. B. Stuart Birthplace; general American Civil War and Patrick County history files; and Perry's personal papers.
Source of Acquisition
The Thomas David Perry Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2002. Additional materials were donated in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Separated Materials
The following books were transferred to the Rare Book Collection:
Perry, Thomas David, Stuart's birthplace: the history of the Laurel Hill farm ([S.l.: The Author], 2007). Call number: E467.1.S9 P45 2007 Spec Civil War.
Perry, Thomas David, Ascent to glory: the genealogy of J. E. B. Stuart ([S.l.: The Author], 2007). Call number: CS71.S93 P47 2008 Spec Civil War.
Brown, Dean W., Boyhood adventures of General JEB Stuart, Civil War Hero (Bloomington, Ind.: Authorhouse, 2005). Call number: E467.1.S9 B67 2005 Spec Civil War.
Wood, Karenne and Diane Shields, The Monacan Indians: our story ([Madison Heights, Va.: Monacan Indian Nation, 1999?]). Call number: E99.M85 W66 1999 Spec Large.
Garren, Terrell T., The Secret of war: a dramatic history of Civil War crime in western North Carolina (Spartanburg, S.C.: The Reprint Company, 2004). Call number: PS3607.A768 S43 2004 Spec Civil War.
Krick, Robert K., The Smoothbore volley that doomed the Confederacy: the death of Stonewall Jackson and other chapters on the Army of Northern Virginia (Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 2002). Call number: E470.2 .K75 2002 copy 2 Spec Civil War.
Allison, Roger A., A Brief history of Saltville ([Saltville, Va.: Saltville Centennial Committee, 1996?]). Call number: F234.S17 A55 1996 Spec Civil War.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Thomas David Perry Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The collection is unprocessed. This inventory is adapted from a guide created by the donor. A digital version of the donor's guide, which provides a more detailed description of its contents, may be found online.
- Title
- Thomas David Perry Collection, ca.1979-2007
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- John M. Jackson, Archivist
- Date
- 2008 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2020-10-14: Finding aid notes updated to new department standards. juliags
- 2023-03-07: LM Rozema made minor corrections, updated links in processing and other FAs notes, added classification, updated inventory (mainly moved box contents under series rather than boxes equaling series), added call numbers in separated note, and added some subjects and agents..
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu