Scope and Contents From the Collection: Letters, chiefly 1862-1865, written by Nathaniel Venable Watkins to his wife Nancy Daniel Watkins. During the Civil War, Watkins served with Co. H, 4th Virginia Heavy Artillery, which became part of the 34th Virginia Infantry Regiment. Watkins appeared to have saw little combat, spending much of his time in defensive positions guarding artillery batteries. His unit was stationed at Gloucester Point (during the Peninsular Campaign), near Richmond (Chaffin's Bluff) and near Petersburg. His...

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Updates her on the events at home; relays news of his tobacco crop; refers to the progress of his boarding school and other schooling in the area.

Scope and Contents Nathaniel's continuous working is giving him health problems; they are living in extremely hard times; he must continue teaching due to the poor tobacco crops; relays miscellaneous farm news; gives details of event taking place at his club metting; mentions the difficulties in sending his daughter, Minnie H. Watkins to Farmville, Virginia, for schooling; his family is quite poor but happy; believes life for him is worse than life in Prince Edward County, Virginia; does not trust the corrupt...

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Scope and Contents Describes, in detail, their little cousin Asa Watkins; relays family news and news of other children in the area.

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Wishes she and her family would move back to Virginia and close to him; refers to the bad temperament of his son Asa; gives details on his garden; mentions how many beautiful children there are in his neighborhood.

Scope and Contents Is sorry to hear of her mother's (Nannie V. Watkins) poor health; suggests more servants and family visits would help her; requests that Minnie come to school near him; is doing quite well due to good crops and good health; relays neighborhood and family news; despite the hard times they are keeping their spirits up in the area; mentions a meeting of the stockholders in the Richmond and Danville Railroad; hopes his son (Asa Watkins) will be a machinist as they are so desperately needed in...

Scope and Contents Informs Nathaniel of the declining health and eventual death of their mother (?); recalls how blessed they were with good parents; refers to the many virtuous qualities held by their mother; refers to Nathaniel's offer to teach his children; relays the studies and future plans of his daughters; is sending his daughter to school in Lynchburg, Virginia, for music training; the hard times make it impossible to visit one another; the crops are poor in the surrounding country; gives family news;...