Virginia Tech is the designated beneficiary of a comprehensive collection of research and reference materials relating to the life of the Civil War's most illustrious cavalry officer, Gen. James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart.

The Special Collections department of University Libraries, in concert with the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies (VCCWS), has taken custody of an initial contribution of 13 boxes of documents, photographs, and other items focused on the personal and professional life of Stuart and the preservation of his "Laurel Hill" birthplace, which is located in the Patrick County community of Ararat.

The Thomas D. Perry/Jeb Stuart Collection is the gift of Thomas D. Perry, a 1984 graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor's in history, and founder of the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, based in Ararat.

Perry's initial contribution contains a photo album, scrapbooks, papers, and electronic images relating to Stuart's Laurel Hill birthplace; notes pertaining to the Stuart genealogy; materials about the history of Patrick County, and Perry's notes and other materials assembled in the course of tours and speaking engagements from 1990 to 2002, among numerous other items. Perry will add material to the collection as he completes continuing research projects or expands on those previously undertaken.

William C. Davis, director of programs at VCCWS, said "The Thomas Perry Collection will open important windows on the life of 'Jeb' Stuart, and will become a valuable resource for those wanting to study the Confederacy's premier cavalryman and his family. Its placement in Special Collections at Virginia Tech, affiliated as they are with the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, is certain to enhance the growing importance of the university and the Center as a recognized knowledge base for Civil War historians, scholars, students, and the interested community at large."

"Thomas Perry has managed to combine his deep personal interest and commitment with a sense of duty and obligation to give something back to the field of Civil War history and American education," Davis said.

James I. Robertson Jr., executive director of VCCWS, noted that "Gen. "Jeb" Stuart was one of the Confederacy's most capable and dedicated leaders. Tom Perry's fine gift to the university and the Center will contribute to our understanding of Stuart's personal life, and will help to cast new light on influences—both personal and professional—that inspired and guided his career."

Perry said there were several reasons for selecting Virginia Tech as the repository for his material. "Obviously, Tech being my alma mater was a large consideration, along with my tremendous respect for "Bud" Robertson (VCCWS executive director) and Jack Davis, and their work at the Virginia Center For Civil War Studies. But the fact that so many men who fought with Stuart during the Civil War came to influence the university was another. A third reason was the university's proximity to Laurel Hill and Patrick County—close enough so all locations will be conveniently accessible to future researchers."

A veteran of some of the Civil War's most famous campaigns, including 1st and 2nd Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, "Jeb" Stuart is generally regarded as the war's most distinguished and capable cavalry leader, North or South. Nicknamed "Beauty" by his West Point classmates for his copious flowing beard, Stuart was a close confidant of Gen, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and a trusted and respected subordinate of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Stuart was mortally wounded at the Yellow Tavern skirmish in the spring of 1864.

Written by Allan W. Miller

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