A Guide to the William Watts Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy Collection

A Guide to the William Watts Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy Collection

The donated collection consisted of scrapbooks, binders, and photo albums, as well as some loose items, across the active years of the organization, though the depth of information varies. The years from the organization’s founding through the 1930s are well represented in several scrapbooks, with an emphasis on local activities and obituaries, as well as Civil War history. From the 1940s, most information relates to documents distributed by the national organization about its educational resources and programs. Scrapbooks from the middle years of the twentieth century focus on UDC events, both local and national, and include newspaper clippings and event ephemera. Many events were jointly sponsored by the Fincastle Rifles Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and some also included the Hanging Rock Rangers Chapter, Children of the Confederacy. The scrapbooks from 1980s through the disbanding of the organization include numerous photos from local events, as well as newspaper clippings regarding the history and memorialization of the Civil War, often at a national level.

The early scrapbooks were compiled by Maggie Jane Dull Crute (1868-1950), wife of Samuel L. Crute (1839-193), a Confederate veteran and active leader in the William Watts Camp of Confederate Veterans. Mrs. Crute was very active in the UDC and also served on the state pension board for veterans and widows. These albums largely consist of newspaper articles related to Confederate veterans’ issues, including many obituaries and biographies, as well as the activities of the UDC and items related to Civil War history. There are a few photographs in the albums, but individuals are generally unidentified.

The collection also includes the minute book of the William Watts Camp of Confederate Veterans from its founding in 1891 through 1912. In addition, the collection includes over two hundred Certificates of Eligibility for the Southern Cross of Honor, a medal awarded by the UDC to living veterans.

Materials from binders that could be easily disassembled were placed in file folders. In the case of “magnetic” photo albums, digital images were made of pages prior to disassembly. Most scrapbooks consist of acidic paper and largely contain newspaper articles. Each scrapbook was digitized. The method of attachment of items varied; in later books photographs could be and were removed, but in earlier scrapbooks removal of items would have caused irreparable damage. Scrapbooks have been preserved, but researchers should primarily consult the digital files.

Historians, presidents, and members of the chapter; early scrapbooks were compiled by Mrs. Maggie Dull Crute.

Roanoke Public Libraries

pdf

Text

UDCWatts