S. Wellford Corbin Letter, 1865, Ms.1989.063

Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

John M. Jackson

Abstract

Letter from S. W. Corbin of Virginia, a lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy and prisoner-of-war during the American Civil War, written from Fort Delaware on January 29, 1865, to an unidentified woman (said to have been Emily S. Brune of Baltimore, Maryland), thanking her for Christmas gifts and mentioning several mutual friends in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia.

Administrative Information

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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.

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], S. Wellford Corbin Letter, Ms1989-063, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The S. Wellford Corbin Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1989.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the S. Wellford Corbin Letter commenced and was completed in February 2022.

Biographical Note

Spotswood Wellford Corbin, son of James P. and Jane Catherine Wellford Corbin, was born in King and Queen County, Virginia, on January 22, 1835. He married Diana Fontaine Maury, the daughter of Matthew F. Maury on April 29, 1858; the couple would have three children. The 1860 federal census shows the Corbins living and farming in King George County, Virginia. During the American Civil War, Corbin entered the Confederate Navy as a master's mate and was promoted to second lieutenant on March 18, 1862. On January 6, 1864, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy. He was taken prisoner at Petersburg, Virginia on June 15, 1864; he was paroled in February 1865 at Fort Delaware, Delaware and exchanged on February 27 at City Point, Virginia. Following the war, Corbin continued to farm; he was a member of the Virginia State Board of Agriculture and served as its president. He also taught at the Virginia Military Institute and was a Virginia state senator. S. Wellford Corbin died in Virginia on June 11, 1897, and was buried in Fredericksburg Cemetery, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a letter written by S. Wellford Corbin Letter, a lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy being held as a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware during the American Civil War. Writing to an unidentified woman (said to have been Mrs. Emily S. Brune of Baltimore, Maryland) on January 29, 1865, Corbin thanks her for the gifts of books, paper, and envelopes, then mentions several mutual friends in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia, including Ellen Mercer, Betty Maury, Kate Corbin Brook, "Mrs. Lee," Mack Maury, and Jim Carmichael.