Abstract: John Kenyon Chapman (1947-2009), known as Yonni, was a life-long social justice activist, organizer, and historian who focused his academic and social efforts on workers rights and African American empowerment in central North Carolina. Chapman was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in 1947; graduated from Harvard University in 1969; and then moved to Atlanta, Ga., to join the fight for African American equality. He relocated to North Carolina in 1975 and worked as a laboratory technician at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital for about ten years. During this time, Chapman became active in local social justice struggles and community organizations. He helped organize his coworkers against unfair working conditions, became involved with the Communist Workers Party, and participated in African liberation and anti-apartheid struggles. Chapman was a survivor of the Greensboro Massacre of 1979. Throughout the 1980s, he was active in progressive social justice campaigns. In the 1990s and 2000s, Chapman was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he focused his activism and academic work on historical accuracy, African American empowerment, and civil rights education in and around Chapel Hill. During this time, Chapman founded and directed two racial and social justice organizations: the Freedom Legacy Project in 1995 and the Campaign for Historical Accuracy and Truth in 2005. From 2002 to 2005, Chapman ran a successful campaign to abolish the Cornelia Phillips Spencer Bell Award on campus, an action that opened a dialogue about the history of slavery and racism on campus. After a 30-year battle with cancer, Chapman died on 22 October 2009 in Chapel Hill. The collection documents Yonni Chapman’s social activism and academic activities, covering nearly four decades of progressive racial, social, and economic justice struggles in central North Carolina. Organizational correspondence, notes, newsletters, and reports document the activities of the Communist Workers Party, the Federation for Progress, the Orange County Rainbow Coalition of Conscience, the New Democratic Movement, the Freedom Legacy Project, and the Campaign for Historical Accuracy and Truth, among other organizations on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus and in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Workers rights and racial justice campaigns and commemorations, including the Greensboro Massacre and the campaign to end the Cornelia Phillips Spencer Bell Award on campus, are documented in paper, audio, visual, and photographic formats. Photographs, slides, contact prints, photographic negatives, posters, banners, signs, and screen-printed t-shirts, chiefly created by Chapman, document a variety of demonstrations, meetings, and social justice events. Audio and video materials, largely created by Chapman include documentaries, meetings, speeches, and demonstrations captured on audio cassettes, VHS tapes, 8mm video cassettes, and DVDs. Research materials for Chapman’s graduate doctoral work include audio and paper files of interviews with participants in the Chapel Hill civil rights movement. There are also audio files recorded by Chapman on a digital voice recorder in the year leading up to his death that contain lengthy discussions with local activists about continuing his social justice work after his death; audio recordings and a video photograph montage from Chapman’s 2009 memorial service; photographs of Chapman with friends and family; and other items.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Of particular note are the materials related to the Communist Party in Series 1, as well as materials documenting the Greensboro Massacre that took place at an anti-Klan Rally in 1970. Series 6 also contains materials related to numerous social justice and civil rights organizations that Yonni Chapman was involved in, including the Chapel Hill- Carrboro chapter of the NAACP. Subseries 7.1 contains audio recordings of oral histories interviews Yonni conducted with participants in the black freedom struggle and civil rights movement in Chapel Hill. There are also photographs and audio of numerous civil rights demonstrations, events, and programs.

Abstract: Alfred Chapman (1813-1876), native of Orange County, Va., was an official of the United States and Confederate war departments. The collection includes scattered family and professional papers, chiefly 1845-1869, of Alfred Chapman. Included are early papers of Chapman’s ancestors in Orange County, Va.; payrolls of Virginia militia units during the Revolutionary War; family and business correspondence of Chapman at Staunton, Va.; about 40 letters from Chapman to his wife, Mary Edmunds Kinney Chapman, 1850-1852, while he was in Washington, D.C., working in the pension and Indian offices, about family matters, his work, and other topics. Among the letters is a brief recommendation letter, 23 June 1851, written by Daniel Webster on behalf of his former slave Paul Jennings, whom he had freed in 1847. Jennings had originally been owned by President James Madison. There are also very scattered papers pertaining to Chapman’s appointment in the Confederate government and to its operations; and letters, 1876, to Mrs. Bedford Brown, Alexandria, Va., from her son.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Folder 3 includes a recommendation letter, dated 23 June 1851 written by Daniel Webster on behalf of Paul Jennings, an enslaved man Webster formerly owned. Jennings had been raised a slave under the ownership of President James Madison. He was later sold to Webster, from whom he purchased his freedom in 1847.

Abstract: Thomas L. Clayton (1934-1905) of Asheville, N.C., was the son of Ephraim Clayton (1804-1892) and Nancy McElroy Clayton (d. 1892). He married Emma A. Clayton (1829-1887). During the Civil War, Clayton served in the Confederate army, stationed in Georgia during the Atlanta campaign in 1864, and later in Alabama. After the war, Clayton became a contractor with the Western North Carolina Railroad. Chiefly letters between Thomas L. Clayton and his wife Emma, many written while he was serving in the Confederate army. Other correspondents include Clayton’s father, mother, brother, and friends in the Confederate army. Topics include the election of Abraham Lincoln and the southern reaction, fears of possible slave uprisings, and feelings in Asheville about secession. After Thomas Clayton joined the Confederate army, there are letters relating to Thomas’s war experiences, including reports of battles around Atlanta, Ga., and Emma’s trials on the homefront. Post-war letters are chiefly about routine personal and business affairs. Also included are a few items relating to railroad surveying, damage caused by federal troops, and other matters.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Nancy Clayton wrote to her son Thomas Clayton on 7 December 1860, mentioning “frequently hearing of plans for insurrection among the negroes..”

Abstract: Albert A. Chase served in the 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment as acting assistant surgeon from 7 April to 28 June 1865. At the end of the war, Chase was contracted by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Land, commonly known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, to serve as a physician in the Raleigh district of North Carolina. The collection contains Albert A. Chase’s commission as assistant surgeon in the 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, orders to report for duty at the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, two documents related to an invoice for medical and hospital property given to Chase, and an order form for the Turkish Medical Company. Other items include the contract of employment with the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Land and orders to report for duty at Raleigh, N.C.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: In Folder 1 there is a contract for Chase’s employment with the Bureau of Refugees, Freedman, and Abandoned Land, along with orders to report for duty in Raleigh, N.C.

Abstract: David Irvin Craig was born in Orange County, N.C., in 1849. He received his early education at the old Hughes Academy at Cedar Grove, N.C.; was a student at Davidson College, 1874-1875; and, in 1878, graduated from the Theological Seminary in Columbia, S.C. He was licensed to preach in May 1878 in Greensboro, N.C., and served as pastor at the Reidsville Presbyterian Church in Reidsville, N.C., until 1925. In 1881, Craig married Isabel Gertrude Newman of Columbia, S.C., with whom he had four children. Craig was elected as a representative of Orange Presbytery in the General Assembly, served as Moderator of Synod and the Presbytery, was one of ten original regents of Barium Springs Orphanage, held the Stated Clerk position for both the Orange Presbytery and the Synod, and was a trustee of Davidson College and Union Theological Seminary. He wrote historical works on Presbyterianism. Craig died in 1925. The collection includes one account book, one day book, 14 diaries, and some loose papers. The account book, 1878-1924, includes information about marriages, baptisms, and burials performed by D.I. Craig. It also contains insurance information and lists new members of Reidsville Presbyterian Church, 1878-1897, with some gaps. The day book, 1912-1923, contains salary, expenditure, and debt information for D.I. Craig and his family. The diaries, 1884-1925, include stories of his experiences on the Craig family “plantation,” which was established in Orange County, N.C., during the 1750s. Craig also recorded a short history of the Craig and Strayhorn families in the 1884 diary and discussed family history in other diaries. Entries discuss President Grover Cleveland’s appearance at the Great Centennial Celebration of the Presbyterian General Assembly in May 1888, local and national elections, his experiences with African Americans at the polls on election days, thoughts on Prohibition, meetings with the Synod and Presbytery, his perspective on racial issues, farm life, family members, and the local gossip. Also included are entries describing the Wilmington race riots of 1898 and race riots across the country that followed first black Heavyweight Champion of the World (1908-1915) Jack Johnson’s defeat of Jim Jeffries, a white boxer and former world heavyweight champion who came out of retirement to fight Johnson on 4 July 1910. Loose papers, 1878-1925, include clippings mentioning D.I. Craig’s life and work, a program for Reidsville Presbyterian Church, and photographs of New Hope Cemetery in the 1920s. The cash book, 1914-1929, contains information on sermons preached and prayer meetings held at Reidsville Presbyterian Church as well as a list of baptisms, marriages, and funerals performed by D.I. Craig. There are also loose papers throughout the book primarily addressed to D.I. Craig’s son, Carl B. Craig. The notebooks, 1876-1878, consist of a collection of writings, sermons, and lectures given by educators at the Theological Seminary in Columbia, S.C., and they also include some written thoughts and reflections of D.I. Craig. The Addition of August 2010 consists of a single volume providing genealogical information about the Craig family written by D.I. Craig in 1899. Other information in the volume is written in another hand and includes a transcription of an obituary of a relative who died in the Civil War during the Battle of Bean’s Station (14 December 1863) and a transcription of a letter purported to have been found by a servant at a federal army camp near Camden, S.C. Dated 26 February 1865, the letter from Thomas J. Myers to his wife in Boston, Mass., recounts the looting and pillaging that occurred, likely in Camden, S.C., as General William T. Sherman’s army travelled north through the state.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection highlights: Some of the material in this collection has been digitized. Click here to access the finding aid to link to the digital material.

The diaries (1884-1925) contain entries describing Craig’s interactions with African Americans at the polls during election day, as well as his views on race relations.

The Diary from August 1897-1900 (Oversize Volume SV-5399/4) contains an entry describing the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898.

The Diary from 1908-1910 (Oversize Volume SV-5399/7) includes an entry about the 4 July 1910 fight between Jack Johnson, an African-American man, who defeated Jim Jeffries, a white man. The event provoked race riots across the country.

Abstract: Thomas Crawford, who was owned by Thomas Mosley of Mount Sterling in Montgomery County, Ky., was sold as a slave by Mosley to James Crawford, also of Mount Sterling. Thomas Crawford was manumitted by James Crawford in 1842 and moved to Delaware, Ohio, with his wife Hattie and their children. The collection contains a letter, 1 April 1844, from Thomas Crawford to his former owner, Thomas Mosley, commenting on his life in Delaware, Ohio. In the letter, Crawford addressed Mosley as “Farther” and mentioned receiving money from Mosley, which he used to pay off a mortgage debt, and renting property out to “a Dutchman to crop on the haves.” Thomas Crawford also mentiond his son, Steward Crawford, in the letter. Also included is a copy of the 1836 will of James Crawford, containing instructions to manumit Thomas Crawford after his death and urging Thomas to move his family to Ohio.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: The collection contains a 1 April 1844 letter from freed slave Thomas Crawford to his former owner, Thomas Mosley, commenting on his life in Delaware, Ohio. In the letter, Crawford addressed Mosley as “Farther” and mentioned receiving money from Mosley, which he used to pay off a mortgage debt, and renting property out to “a Dutchman to crop on the haves.” Crawford also mentioned his son, Steward Crawford, in the letter. Also included is a copy of the 1836 will of James Crawford, containing instructions to manumit Thomas Crawford after his death and urging Thomas to move his family to Ohio. The will was certified as a true copy by the Montgomery County, Ky., court in December 1841 and was signed and dated with seal on 3 May 1842 by James Howard, clerk, and on 18 May 1842 by Joseph Bondurant, justice of the peace.

Abstract: Carhart & Roff was a merchant firm based in Macon, Ga., that was founded in 1841. The firm was named for its originators and principal investors, Elijah H. Carhart (1827-1885) and Aaron A. Roff (1815-1880). The collection consists of a letterpress copybook maintained by Carhart & Roff in its business from 13 September 1854 to 27 January 1855. The firm dealt in a wide variety of goods with parties across Georgia. Letters are frequently directed to merchants in Savannah, Ga., with whom Carhart & Roff appear to have numerous dealings; there are also letters to a number of customers with regular accounts. The letters often indicate shipment of goods, receipt of payment, the need for cash remittance, or payment overdue. Topics addressed in the letters include yellow fever in Savannah, the difficult economic environment, and the purchase or sale of whiskey. There are a small number of references to the use of slaves in business dealings. There are also numerous, regular letters addressed to a Mr. F.J. Ogden of Savannah, who was possibly the firm’s purchasing agent there. The letters urge him to send goods quickly and regularly direct him to invest amounts of money on the New York Stock Exchange, with further directions to remit payments to Carhart Brothers and Co., likely the grocery owned by the brothers of Elijah H. Carhart in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: A letter from 15 November 1854 alerted the Savannah firm of Bingham, Kelly, & Co. of the impending arrival of four slaves. Another letter on 7 December 1854, likely in response to a client’s complaint, apologizes for the quality of the buyer’s liquor upon arrival, but blamed the issue on the slaves responsible for handling and transporting the shipment.

Abstract: The Chapel Hill Historical Society was formed in 1966 in Chapel Hill, N.C. In 1974, the oral history committee was established to conduct interviews with local Chapel Hill and Carrboro, N.C., residents in an effort to preserve first-hand recollections about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, local African American communities, and local mill-worker communities. One of the first major projects conducted was a series of interviews with men and women who had worked in the Carrboro textile mills in the early and mid-20th century. The collection consists of 40 of the original 117 oral history interviews conducted by the Chapel Hill Historical Society between 1974 and 1978 in the “Generations of Carrboro Mill Families” project. Interviewees include mill workers, mill supervisors, and several doctors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who discuss health in the early 20th century. Interview topics include working in the Carrboro mills from the turn of the 20th century through the Great Depression and World War I; work conditions, social relations, and union organizing in the mills; everyday life in North Carolina and especially in Carrboro in the early 20th century, including displacement from farms into the town, housing conditions, health, education, family life, childbirth, and women in work; and the University of North Carolina.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Several of the interviews discuss race in Chapel Hill and the local African American community. For example see the interview with Forrest Lacock (Audiocassette C-4205/51 :Lacock, Forrest, 6 February 1975: Audio; Folder 51 Lacock, Forrest, 6 February 1975: Transcript, 35 pages)

Abstract: Speeches to Confederate veterans’ groups, recollections of North Carolina and Virginia soldiers and civilians, and biographical sketches of Confederate generals and Civil War battlegrounds. Items include reminiscences of Confederate soldiers in the 3rd Virginia Volunteers, and the 35th, 59th, and the 67th North Carolina Infantry Regiments, describing camp life, troop movements, and battles; a description of an expedition from Marion, N.C., to the coast during the Civil War, using slaves and equipment to obtain salt from seawater; reminiscences of family life, slaves, household work, cooking, and dyeing on Meadow Hill plantation in New Hanover (now Pender) County, N.C.; and several addresses on Robert E. Lee and John Hunt Morgan.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Abstract: Contempo was a journal of literature and social commentary published by Milton Abernethy and Anthony Buttitta in Chapel Hill, N.C., from 1931 to 1934. Incoming correspondence, typescripts of literary works, clippings of articles, and photographs pertaining to Contempo. Among the correspondents are Conrad Aiken (one letter, one poem), Sherwood Anderson (four letters), Kay Boyle (three letters, one long poem), James Branch Cabell (one letter), Erskine Caldwell (one letter, one short story), Hart Crane (two letters, one poem), e. e. cummings (one letter), Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) (one long poem), T.S. Eliot (one letter), William Faulkner (two letters, one note), Langston Hughes (3 letters); H.L. Mencken (three letters), Eugene O’Neill (one letter), Ezra Pound (twelve letters, one clipping), Upton Sinclair (ten letters), Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas (two letters), Wallace Stevens (two letters), and William Carlos Williams (seven letters, one article).

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: There are three letters and a photograph of Langston Hughes in the collection.