The Journals of James Lawrence Hooff, 1859-1864

Archive

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Jefferson County Museum

Name/Title

The Journals of James Lawrence Hooff, 1859-1864

Entry/Object ID

ARC752

Scope and Content

Photocopy of transcript entitled "The Journals of James Lawrence Hooff, Charlestown, Virginia, now Charles Town, West Virginia. October 17, 1859 - June 1, 1864". Although James Hooff is credited with writing the journal, his wife Ann Amelia Beckham Hooff made many entries (marked AAH) while her husband was away during the Civil War. Elizabeth Ann Bayne Connelly, mother of the donors, transcribed the journal from the original handwritten version. She was the great-granddaughter of James Lawrence and Ann Amelia Beckham Hooff. The Hooffs, using the labor of enslaved African Americans, operated a 350-acre farm along Evitts Run near Kabletown Road, in Jefferson County. First names of men enslaved on the Hooff farm include Jim, Ned, Charles, Webster, Baker, and George. Last names of many local white people are mentioned, including Chew, Lackland, Langdon, Risler (Rissler), Wager, Humphreys, Keyes, Eichelberger, Isler, Ware, Wager, Ambler, Lippett, Selden, Stephenson, Straith, Lewis, Opie, and many more. Among the many entries are references to farming activities; trips to Charles Town, Kabletown, other towns, mills, and other sites; visits among the Hooffs and neighbors; weather, illnesses, births, and deaths; the 1859 John Brown Raid in Harpers Ferry; and Civil War-related activities in the area.

Acquisition

Accession

627

Source or Donor

Connelly, Robert B., Jr. and Connelly, Cathleen C.

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Beckham, Hooff, Brown, Bayne, Connelly families

Archive Details

Date(s) of Creation

1859 - 1864

Archive Size/Extent

203 pages plus cover page and Forward (i-vi).

Archive Notes

Date(s) Created: 1859 to 1864