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

The 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.

Preferred Citation

Elizabeth Schooley Dutton signed autograph book collection, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased with the assistance of the Forsyth Special Collections Fund.

Processing Information

The collection received container level processing. This finding aid may be updated to reflect new descriptions and acquisitions to the collection.

Biographical / Historical

Elizabeth Schooley Dutton (1839-1927) and her sister, Mary F. Dutton established a literacy society in Waterford, VA before the start of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Empowered by parents who believed in the education of girls, encouraged free-thinking, and Quaker precepts, they started a political newspaper to express their views on the Civila War. While in their early twenties, they were forced to smuggle their writings over the Potomac River to Baltimore, where a friend of their father's printed The Waterford News. They published eight issues of the paper between May 28, 1864 and April 1865. In the issues they expressed their opinions of the Civil War including their dismay of General Ulysses S. Grant's (1822-1885) attack of Waterford, Virginia.

Content Description

This collection contains two autograph books documenting short verses and signatures from various individuals. The autograph books have different owners including one identified only as Thamison and another as Mary. The books have different cover styles and contain autographs from Elizabeth Schooley Dutton (1839-1927) and her family.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Loudoun County (Va.)
• Quaker women
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Participation, Female
• Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.