I had some time to make a visit to the Wilson Library at Chapel Hill last week and was treated to some amazing things. The archive is fairly extensive, and contains many letters and papers of the the family and many diaries. It was thrilling to touch the same pages that my great-great grandfather and great-great grandmother handled. I really enjoyed reading a few letters from ny great-grandfather, Wilbur F. Davis, to his parents and siblings while he was at the University of Virginia in the late 1850s. There were also a couple of letters sent by John W. C. Davis during the Civil War, and one by his older brother, Robert Beale Davis, sent in April 1861 after hostilities had broken out describing some of the war preparations being made.
I photographed a good many interesting items, as access was not restricted. There were some sketches of family genealogy that have filled in some gaps in birth, death and marriage dates, and some recollections of the early Davis and Hoomes families in Virginia. I’m not sure if there is anything really new there or not, but it is certainly interesting to read. I wish I had been able to spend more time there, as the archive was rich with information and little family tidbits. I will certainly have to make another trip!