Scope and Content Note
The papers of Henry Clay Derrick (1832-1915) span the years 1848-1994, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1875-1878. Derrick, a civil engineer from Halifax, Virginia, served in the Confederate army as captain of engineers. In 1875 he entered service in the Egyptian army (Jaysch) under the Khedive as an engineering officer, conducting surveys and preparing maps. His two diaries, 1875-1878, depict day-to-day life of the small band of former Confederate and Union soldiers serving the Khedive. The first diary includes a detailed description of his involvement in a military expedition into Abyssinia, which resulted in the battle of Gura in March 1875 and the defeat of the Egyptian army. The papers also contain material transcribed, edited, and annotated by Clarence Derrick. This material includes transcripts and synopses of portions of the journal and of family correspondence, principally letters from Henry Derrick to his wife, Martha Frances (Cosby) Derrick; a listing of books from Derrick's library; and photocopies of clippings and other related papers.