James W. Anderson-​Outgoing, 1837 - 1878

The bulk of this collection is comprised of the Anderson family's correspondence, although a number of bills and receipts, an estate sales record, and other miscellaneous papers are also included. Principal writers are James W. Anderson (1797-1881) and his wife Mary Minor Anderson (1810-1865). Much of their correspondence with one another refers to the Annapolis Constitutional Convention (1850-1851), and the seven years during which James lived in Washington, D.C. while working as an auditor for the United States Post Office (1854-1861). Letters also include details of the family members' lives and the complexity of maintaining the family farm in Montgomery County, Maryland as well as references to the local political climate just before the Civil War.

Also included are letters of their son, Captain James Anderson (1831-1920), written while he was held prisoner by the Union during the Civil War. Captain Anderson was a Confederate cavalry officer who was captured at Harper's Ferry on October 23, 1862.

Additionally, the collection contains financial documents such as account books, bills, and receipts; an estate sales record and inventory of Dr. James Anderson; petitions, legal notes and papers; and genealogical files.