William W. Blackford letters to family members, 1861 - 1893

John M. Gordon's papers (1826-1884) cover his days (1826-1832) as a student at Yale College including the student boycott of 1828, his tenure as president of the Union Bank in Baltimore, and his land speculation in Michigan in the 1830s. His family letters are largely from his mother Susan F. Gordon (Mrs. Samuel Gordon) of Kenmore, Virginia and his sister Susan F. Gordon 1806-1878 (Mrs. Alexander Gordon) of Kenmore and Baltimore. His business correspondence is not as extensive and deals with the Union Bank and Michigan land speculation. These letters include several letters (1840) from his father-in-law Dr. Nathaniel Chapman discussing the Bank of the United States in Philadelphia. After 1860 the bulk of the material on John M. Gordon is the letters he wrote to his daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Eugene Blackford. These letters contain much domestic and financial advice as well as she light on Gordon's own activities. These letters are found in Rebecca and Eugene's papers.

Emily Gordon's papers (1833-1852) consist of family correspondence: her letters to her husband John and her mother, Rebecca B. Chapman (nee Biddle; Mrs. Nathaniel Chapman) letters to Emily. Her letters to John were written 1834-1852 largely while she was visiting her family in Philadelphia. These letters contain detailed descriptions of her children's illnesses and treatment and her own poor health including a graphic picture of a dentist's attempt to kill a tooth in the 1840s. These letters are found in John M. Gordon's family correspondence. Most of Emily's incoming correspondence is from her mother. It contains family news as well as advice.

Susan F. Gordon's papers (1848-1858) include letters from her girlfriends, especially a cousin in Virginia who wrote about mutual friends and beaux. There are also fragments of Susan's and writings on religion.

Rebecca C. Blackford's papers (1852-1885) consist of incoming correspondence from her girlfriends in the 1850s, from her husband before their marriage, and from her father John M. Gordon.

Eugene Blackford's papers (1845-1904) consist of correspondence and business and financial papers. Eugene's mother and uncle saved all his letters so the majority of Eugene's family correspondence is letters Eugene wrote. His letters home from 1857-1860 detail his studies at the University of Virginia. In 1860-1861 Eugene was teaching in Clayton, Ala. and as a Virginian he commented on the progress of secession and war fever in the Deep South. In 1861 he became captain in the 5th Alabama Regiment, and his letters home contain candid comments on the handling of the war by his superiors. The collection also includes papers relating to Civil War military service including his court martial in 1864. There are also pages from his father's diary about Eugene's military service and a speech by Eugene in 1878 to his former troops. After the war he resumed teaching in Virginia which is described in his letters to his fiancee Rebecca C. Gordon and are in her papers. After his marriage he moved to Pikesville, Maryland, and his mother was his most constant correspondent. Their letters form the bulk of his family correspondence from 1866-1880s. His mother, Mary. Blackford, was writing to Eugene from the Episcopal High School of Virginia where she lived with her son Launcelot M. Blackford, the principal. Her letters contain comments on Episcopal policy and theology as well as family matters. Eugene's letters describe his life in Pikesville. After the 1870s the family correspondence contains only a few letters from Eugene's brothers Launcelot M., Charles, B. Lewis, and William. Blackford and his sister Mary B. Cooke (nee Blackford; Mrs. Cooke. Eugene's business papers are not as extensive as his family letters. There is a series of bills, receipts, and accounts largely for the operation of the Pikesville, Dairy. There are also letters concerning his work with the vestry of St. Mark's Church in Pikesville.

The collection contains miscellaneous items relating to other Gordon and Blackford family members including John M. Gordon's parents Samuel and Susan F. Gordon and his [aunt] Mrs. Knox, and Eugene Blackford's mother Mary B. Blackford, his sister Mary B. Cooke, his borthers Launcelot M., Charles, B. Lewis, and William W. Blackford, and Eugene's sons Eugene Jr. and William G. Blackford.