Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Samuel J.C. Moore papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Samuel J.C. Moore papers
- Date
- 1833-1936, 1955-1968, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Moore, Samuel Johnston Cramer, 1826-1908
- Extent
- 0.69 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Legal documents.
- Genealogical correspondence.
- Religious ethics
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0271: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Samuel J.C. Moore papers, 1833-1936, 1955-1968, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Samuel Johnston Cramer Moore (1826-1908) was born in Charlestown, West Virginia to Thomas Moore (1803-1889) and Jane S. Cramer (1808-1833). His father was the Clerk of the County Court of Jefferson County, West Virginia and had Moore educated at Charlestown Academy. At sixteen he became a deputy clerk of the court, under his father, and worked there until 1849. While working at the court Moore studied the law and was able to pass the bar entrance exam in 1847. In 1850, Moore married Ellen G. Scollay (1821-1855), and together the couple had one surviving son, Reverend S. Scollay Moore (1853-1935). Two years after the passing of his wife, in 1857, Moore and his son moved to Berryville, Virginia. In 1858, Moore married a second time to Ellen Kownslar (1838-1888), with whom they had six surviving children: Lawson B. (1862-1923), Jane C. (1866-1937), twins Anna L. (1871-1944) and Lydia K (1871-1913), Mary K. (1874-1937), and Nora B. (1878-1952). Upon moving to Berryville, Moore became the commissioner in chancery for Clarke county until the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1861, Moore enlisted in the Confederate army, serving as a first lieutenant in the 2nd Virginia regiment of the infantry that was part of the "Stonewall Brigade". Moore quickly moved up in the ranks to captain, and participated in the first and second battles of Manassas (Bull Run) and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. After recovering from an injury received in the second battle of Manassas, Moore was appointed Assistant Adjutant General of Jackson's division. As Assistant Adjutant General he participated in the Battle of the Wilderness where he was severely injured. After his recovery, he was assigned to the staff of General Jubal A. Early and quickly promoted to Adjutant General of the Valley army and Chief of Staff, which he served as until the surrender of the Confederate army at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. After returning home Moore served in a variety of municipal positions; he was appointed the commonwealth's attorney in 1870, was mayor of Berryville, and in 1898 became judge of the Clarke county court until the new state constitution abolished county courts in 1904.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Samuel J.C. Moore papers (dated 1833-1936, 1955-1968, undated; 0.69 cubic feet, 1 box and 8 folders) comprise correspondence, personal writings, legal documents, meeting minutes, and newspaper clippings that document the life of Samuel J.C. Moore and his family in Berryville, Virginia in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The letters were sent from friends and family to Moore, both his first and second wives, his son Rev. S. Scollay Moore, and a grandchild. The letters discuss having visitors, their daily lives, plans to visit each other, and news of births and marriages. One letter to Rev. Moore discusses the Moore and Scollay family genealogy, including wills and relationships. The papers include essays discussing patriotism, duty, and religion. The collection also includes storage accounts, devotionals, study questions, poems, and one photograph. The legal documents include wills, liens, leasing agreements, estate costs, property boundaries, and settlements between private citizens. The meeting minutes are for the board of trustees for the female seminary in Clarke County, Virginia, a private academy for women, during the board's first four years. The newspaper clippings are mainly of poems, except for two, which announce the death of two of Samuel Moore's grandchildren.
- The Samuel J.C. Moore papers are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Ellen Scollay Moore letters to Samuel J.C. Moore, 1848-1855, undated
Letters to Reverend S. Scollay Moore, 1877, 1885, 1931
Confederate commanding officer's order to Samuel J.C. Moore, circa 1861-1865
Clarke county, Virginia female seminary board of trustee meeting minutes, 1850-1854
Outline of lots owned by C. Kownslar, undated
Receipts, promissory notes, and account statement dockets, 1833-1906, undated
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
