The letters that we are presenting online have been transcribed from the originals which reside at the Albert H. Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia (MSS 11599). The transcriptions presented are our best interpretation of these, mostly, handwritten letters. Some of the letters have been damaged over time, some are simply hard to read, either because the handwriting or because of the fading of inks.
Our transcriptions have remained true to what letter writers set down on paper; we have not corrected spelling or grammar and we have indicated crossed out and underlined text.
The following symbols have been used in our online presentation:
- ? ?: indicates that the word was unclear in the original
- [missing text]: indicates that a piece of the letter was missing
- Underlined text: indicates that the original text was underline
Striked through text: indicates that the original text was crossed out- Italics or bold: indicates the use of italics or bold, generally in a printed enclosure
You will find many abbreviations throughout the letters. Some of these are commonly used abbreviations, such as abbreviations for the names of the states and the days of the week and months. Other common abbreviations are those for titles. Some of the less common abbreviations, which were probably used within the family circle, are listed below.
- amt: amount
- ans: answer
- B: Bejamin Franklin Yancey Jr.
- C or c: children
- C: Christ
- C or C'ville: Charlottesville
- C.N.I.I.: Christiansburg Normal and Industrial Institute
- D or d: daughter
- H: husband
- H.F.& D.: Honesty, Faithfulness, and Devotion
- inst: instant
- M: May Elizabeth Yancey
- mo: month
- pd: paid
- Planet: Richmond Planet
- plfd: Plainfield
- R: Roger McKinley Yancey
- R: Richmond
- Rec, rec, recd, rcd: received
- Resp or resp: respectfully
- supt: superintendent
- V.N.&I. or V.N.I.I.: Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute
- wk: week
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