Scope and Content Note
The papers of James Dodson Barbee (1832-1904) and David Rankin Barbee (1874-1958) span the years 1784-1953, with the bulk of the material dating from 1852 to 1904. Material relating to James Dodson Barbee largely dates between 1852 and his death in 1904, while that of his son, David Rankin Barbee, was compiled in the first half of the twentieth century. The collection is organized into the following series: General Correspondence ; Sermons and Notebooks ; Account Books ; Historical File ; Subject File ; Printed Matter ; Scrapbook ; and Microfilm .
The General Correspondence consists of family letters and correspondence between James Dodson Barbee and a variety of his brother ministers regarding church matters, problems in operating the Methodist Publishing House, in Nashville, Tennessee, and church war claims for property taken during the Civil War as well as secular press reaction to them. The only sizable individual correspondent outside the family is Collins Denny of Virginia, a bishop who exchanged letters with David Rankin Barbee over the five-year span 1927-1931. Other correspondents include John Whitfield Cunningham, Virginius Dabney, Waddy T. Duncan, William Wallace Duncan, E. E. Hoss, John Christian Keener, James Craik Morris, and Elbert C. Reeves.
The Subject File largely relates to the special interests of David Rankin Barbee and includes letters, research notes, printed matter, clippings, a manuscript for a book on Jefferson Davis, and material related to the All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church and the Cleveland Park Memorial Library, both located in Washington, D.C. The file also contains a book of conference proceedings for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, held in Clarksville, Tennessee, and kept by James Dodson Barbee.
The Historical File is divided into two parts. Part A is comprised of photostatic copies of letters of James Buchanan to his friend, George Plitt, with various other letters to Plitt from Pierce Butler, William B. Fordney, and John W. Forney, as well as letters from James Buchanan to William L. Hirst and Forney; a letter from William Rice to Forney; one from Lord Erskine to Buchanan; one from Forney to Buchanan; a Forney obituary of George Plitt (typescript copy); and two statements by unknown authors. The Plitt materials are positive photocopies and appear on the microfilm except for two negative photocopies and the Forney obituary of Plitt. Part B comprises a variety of letters and documents, some original but mostly photostatic copies or typescripts, and some historical clippings. Many of the items in Part B pertain to Albert Taylor Bledsoe. The Microfilm was made for David Rankin Barbee and is comprised of the Albert Taylor Bledsoe papers held by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Sermons and Notebooks contain individual sermons and sermon drafts as well as notebooks including sermons, Biblical references, and lists of either Bible class or Sunday school members. The Account Books are comprised of notepads and notebooks listing expenses, including church expenses and Sunday school offerings. The collection is rounded out by Printed Matter and an oversized Scrapbook regarding Negro slavery.