Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Custodial History:

This collection was previously part of the University Archives Faculty-Alumni File Collection.

Preferred Citation:

Thomas Russell Bowden Letter, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Processing Information:

Accessioned and minimally processed by Mindy Gipson, SCRC staff, in July 2010

Biographical / Historical

Administrative History:

Biographical Information:

Thomas Russell Bowden was a student at the College of William and Mary in 1858-1861.

Administrative History:

Thomas Russell Bowden graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1861.  He was president of the Phoenix Literary Society in 1860 and in 1861, he was awarded the medal for oratory by the Society.  He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Scope and Contents

Letter written by Thomas Russell Bowden to the editor of New England Magazine on May 16, 1892 in response to an article published in December 1891 as to "Why the South was defeated in the Civil War."  Bowden requests the opportunity to submit a written response to the article and includes his thoughts regarding the South and specifically Virginia as well as his longstanding familial ties to both the state, Williamsburg, and the College of William and Mary.

Related Material

Faculty-Alumni File Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• College of William and Mary--Alumni and alumnae
• College of William and Mary--History--19th century
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives