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Bradford Family Collection
Ms2015-055


Descriptive Summary

Title:Bradford Family Collection
Span Dates: 1852-1960
Bulk Dates: 1852-1891
ID No: Ms2015-055
Creator: Thomas A. Bradford Family
Extent: 1 box (Ms2015-055)
Language: English
Repository: West Virginia State Archives, Charleston, WV
Abstract: Thomas A. Bradford was born on August 30, 1825 in Orange County, Virginia, the son of Alexander and Hannah (Burton) Bradford. He went to California during the Gold Rush but returned to Virginia, where he studied law and lived in Pocahontas County, where he was elected prosecuting attorney. He married Lucy M. Bosworth of Randolph County and had two children, Stella and Alexander (Sandy). Bradford moved to Barbour County in 1858. When war erupted in 1861, Bradford sided with the Confederacy and assisted in organizing Virginia forces in the region. He served as captain of the Barbour Greys, which became Company H of the 31st Virginia Infantry. He was present at the battle of Philippi and many other important battles of the Civil War. Bradford was elected to the West Virginia state legislature in 1872 and 1879, and died in 1888 in Philippi.

The collection consists of more than 150 pieces of correspondence, including thirty pre-Civil War letters, forty letters written by Captain Thomas Bradford during the Civil War, and thirty letters written by Bradford while he was in the West Virginia state legislature.

The collection was generously donated by Robert Kindergan, the great-grandson of Thomas A. Bradford.
Administrative Information

Donor: Robert Kindergan, Ormond Beach, Florida
Transfers: None
Preferred Citation: [item, collection number], Bradford Family Collection, West Virginia State Archives, Charleston, WV.
Contents List:


1:1 Rufus C. Davison (Hanging Rock) to Thomas A. Bradford, January 2, 1852
1:2 R. C. Davison (check last name) (Hanging Rock) to Thomas A. Bradford, February 17, 1852
1:3 Rufus C. Davison (Hanging Rock) to Thomas A. Bradford, March 18, 1852
1:4 Rufus C. Davison (Hanging Rock) to Thomas A. Bradford, April 8, 1852
1:5 William R. Stuart to Thomas A. Bradford, July 3, 1852
1:6 G. Y. Slaven (Travelers Repose) to Thomas A. Bradford, September 13, 1852
1:7 R. C. Davison (Hanging Rock) to Thomas A. Bradford, September 23, 1852
1:8 M. B. Craig to Thomas A. Bradford, September 25, 1852
1:9 Mary M. Thomas (Poplar Dale) to Thomas A. Bradford, October 19, 1852
1:10 M. B. Craig to Thomas A. Bradford, October 22, 1852
1:11 Jos. B. Webb (Chapultepec) to Thomas A. Bradford, January 31, 1853
1:12 St. Clair Hartman (Scottsville) to Thomas A. Bradford, February 28, 1853
1:13 John B. Wade (New Baltimore, VA) to Thomas A. Bradford, March 1, 1853
1:14 John B. Marquess (Madison County, Virginia) to , March 15, 1853
1:15 Alex O. Bradford to Thomas A. Bradford, March 25, 1853
1:16 J. Woodell (Green Bank) to Thomas A. Bradford, April 11, 1853
1:17 St. Clair Hartman (Scottsville) to Thomas A. Bradford, July 26, 1853
1:18 George Nixon (Green Bank) to Rebecca, April 18, 1855
1:19 A. R. Blakey (Madison Courthouse, Virginia) to Thomas A. Bradford, June 30, 1855
1:20 (Mazatlan, Virginia) to Thomas A. Bradford, February 25, 1856
1:21 Cushings Bailey (Baltimore) to Thomas A. Bradford, July 7, 1856
1:22 John Letcher (Washington) to Thomas A. Bradford, July 24, 1856
1:23 William Skeen (Pocahontas Courthouse) to Thomas A. Bradford, February 7, 1857
1:24 Cushings Bailey (Philippi) to Thomas A. Bradford, March 8, 1857
1:25 Alex O. Bradford to Thomas A. Bradford, April 18, 1857
1:26 Jos. B. Webb (University of Virginia) to Thomas A. Bradford, May 17, 1857
1:27 A. C. Campbell (Huntersville) to Thomas A. Bradford, June 1, 1857
1:28 Thomas A. Bradford (Philippi) to Lucy Bradford, June 12, 1859
1:29 (Pontiac, Illinois) to Lucy Bradford, February 23, 1860
1:30 Thomas A. Bradford (Philippi) to Lucy Bradford, March 6, 1860
1:31 Thomas A. Bradford Civil War papers (photocopies)
1:32 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Laurel Hill) to Lucy Bradford, June 23, 1861
1:33 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Laurel Hill) to Lucy Bradford, June 30, 1861
1:34 Mary M. Thomas to Sister, September 18, 1861
1:35 Thomas A. Bradford (Fishersville, Virginia) to Lucy Bradford, October 14, 1861
1:36 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Bartow) to Lucy Bradford, October 31, 1861
1:37 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Bartow) to Lucy Bradford, November 3, 1861
1:38 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Bartow) to Lucy Bradford, November 10, 1861
1:39 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, November 27, 1861
1:40 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, December 27, 1861
1:41 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, January 25, 1862
1:42 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, January 30, 1862
1:43 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, February 5, 1862
1:44 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, February 9, 1862
1:45 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, February 13, 1862
1:46 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Allegheny) to Lucy Bradford, March 13, 1862
1:47 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Shenandoah) to Lucy Bradford, April 16, 1862
1:48 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Shenandoah) to Lucy Bradford, April 19, 1862
1:49 Ro. Johnston (Collinstown) to G. W. Randolph, August 8, 1862 (photocopies)
1:50 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, January 11, 1863
1:51 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, January 31, 1863
1:52 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, February 8, 1863
1:53 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, March 4, 1863
1:54 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, March 8, 1863
1:55 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, March 14, 1863
1:56 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, March 22, 1863
1:57 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, April 14, 1863
1:58 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, April 19, 1863
1:59 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Virdon) to Lucy Bradford, April 23, 1863
1:60 Thomas A. Bradford (Camp Rapid Ann Station) to Lucy Bradford, June 12, 1863
1:61 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Winchester) to Lucy Bradford, July 14, 1863
1:62 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Gordonsville) to Lucy Bradford, July 28, 1863
1:63 Thomas A. Bradford to Lucy Bradford, August 5, 1863
1:64 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Cobham) to Lucy Bradford, August 14, 1863
1:65 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Cobham) to Lucy Bradford, August 31, 1863
1:66 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Gordonsville) to Lucy Bradford, October 1, 1863
1:67 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Gordonsville) to Lucy Bradford, October 7, 1863
1:68 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Culpeper Courthouse) to Lucy Bradford, October 21, 1863
1:69 Thomas A. Bradford (Mechanicsville, Virginia) to Lucy Bradford, June 4, 1864
1:70 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Petersburg, Virginia) to Lucy Bradford, August 9, 1864
1:71 Thomas A. Bradford (camp near Petersburg, Virginia) to Lucy Bradford, August 16, 1864
1:72 Kate (Beverly) to Lucy Bradford, February 5, 1865
1:73 Kate (Beverly) to Lucy Bradford, September 9, 1867
1:74 Jennie (McVeytown, Pennsylvania to , March 7, 1868
1:75 (Illinois), October 30, 1868
1:76 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, November 3, 1872
1:77 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, December 5, 1872
1:78 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, December 16, 1872
1:79 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, January 12, 1873
1:80 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, January 22, 1873
1:81 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, January 27, 1873
1:82 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 4, 1873
1:83 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 6, 1873
1:84 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 9, 1873
1:85 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Daughter, February 9, 1873
1:86 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 22, 1873
1:87 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Stella Bradford, February 23, 1873
1:88 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 23, 1873
1:89 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, February 26, 1873
1:90 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, March 9, 1873
1:91 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Alexander Bradford, March 9, 1873
1:92 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Stella Bradford, March 9, 1873
1:93 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, March 12, 1873
1:94 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, March 19, 1873(?)
1:95 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, March 23, 1873
1:96 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, March 29, 1873
1:97 Kate to Lucy Bradford, May 1873
1:98 (Green Bank) to Lucy Bradford, July 5, 1873
1:99 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, October 20, 1873
1:100 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, October 24, 1873
1:101 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, November 16, 1873
1:102 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, November 23, 1873
1:103 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, November 27, 1873
1:104 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, December 1, 1873
1:105 Thomas A. Bradford (Charleston) to Lucy Bradford, December 5, 1873
1:106 C. J. P. Cresap (Beverly) to Thomas A. Bradford, February 2, 1875
1:107 C. J. P. Cresap (Beverly) to Thomas A. Bradford, March 9, 1875
1:108 Flora (Grafton) to Stella Bradford, August 18, 1876
1:109 Flora to Stella Bradford, January 2, 1877
1:110 (Madison Courthouse) to Thomas A. Bradford, April 17, 1877
1:111 L. D. Strader (Beverly) to Thomas A. Bradford, December 18, 1877
1:112 G. W. Bowman (Spencer) to Thomas A. Bradford, December 27, 1877
1:113 Thomas A. Bradford (Wheeling) to Lucy Bradford, January 20, 1879
1:114 Thomas A. Bradford (Wheeling) to Lucy Bradford, February 6, 1879
1:115 J. H. Stuart (Tazewell Courthouse) to Stella Bradford, June 28, 1879
1:116 A. A. Steele to Thomas A. Bradford, January 29, 1880
1:117 J. H. Lambert to Thomas A. Bradford, June 8, 1880
1:118 Charles Armentrout (Petersburg, West Virginia) to Thomas A. Bradford, June 24, 1880
1:119 to , 23, 1880
1:120 (Broaddus College) to Stella Bradford, September 19, 1881
1:121 Alice V. Bradford (Sunny Dale) to Thomas A. Bradford(?), January 1880
1:122 Belle to Stella Bradford, August 19, 1880
1:123 Alexander S. "Sandy" Bradford (Poughkeepsie, New York) to Thomas A. Bradford, November 26, 1882
1:124 (Milford, Texas) to Maria, February 27, 1886
1:125 Sandy Bradford (Chicago) to Stella Bradford, March 27, 1887
1:126 Sandy Bradford (Chicago) to Stella Bradford, June 5, 1887
1:127 (Milford, Texas) to Sisters, April 13, 1889
1:128 Sandy Bradford (Chattanooga) to Lucy Bradford, April 23, 1889
1:129 Sandy Bradford (Chattanooga) to Lucy Bradford, October 24, 1889
1:130 D. M. McGuffin (Circleville) to Lucy Bradford, November 10, 1889
1:131 A. B. Parsons (St. George) to Lucy Bradford, February 3, 1890
1:132 Sandy Bradford (Chattanooga) to Stella Bradford, February 6, 1890
1:133 Sandy Bradford (Chattanooga) to Lucy Bradford, May 28, 1890
1:134 Sandy Bradford (Chattanooga) to Lucy Bradford, November 30, 1890
1:135 A. B. Parsons (St. George) to Lucy Bradford, February 6, 1891
1:136 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella, February 7, 1891
1:137 Sandy Bradford (Norfolk) to Lucy Bradford, May 10, 1891
1:138 Sandy Bradford (Norfolk) to Stella Bradford, May 17, 1891
1:139 (Point Pleasant) to Sandy, May 19, 1891
1:140 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, May 26, 1891
1:141 T. P. R. Brown (Beverly) to A. S. Bradford, June 29, 1891
1:142 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, August 8, 1891
1:143 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, September 27, 1891
1:144 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, October 4, 1891
1:145 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, November 1, 1891
1:146 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, November 8, 1891
1:147 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, November 30, 1891
1:148 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, December 6, 1891
1:149 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, December 13, 1891
1:150 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, December 20, 1891
1:151 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, January 10, 1892
1:152 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, January 17, 1892
1:153 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, January 22, 1892
1:154 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, February 1892
1:155 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, February 9, 1892
1:156 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, February 28, 1892
1:157 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, March 27, 1892
1:158 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Lucy Bradford, April 3, 1892
1:159 Sandy Bradford (Newport News) to Stella Bradford, April 10, 1892
1:160 Correspondence, Undated (10)
1:161 Correspondence, Damaged
1:162 Correspondence, Allene Kindergan, regarding oil and gas leases, 1916-1960 (7)
1:163 Receipt, Philip Digman to John Gibson, 1853
1:164 Miscellaneous Writings (3)
1:165 Cancelled Checks, Farmers Bank of Philippi, 1876-1881 (18)
1:166 Bank Notes, Farmers Bank of Philippi, 1875-1880 (27)
1:167 Tax Receipts/Financial Documents, 1908-1960 (18)
1:168 Envelopes (41)
1:169 Invitations (2)
1:170 Family History
1:171 Clippings (2)
1:172 Transcriptions


Manuscript Collections

West Virginia Archives and History