urn:taro:utexas.cah.01077 A Guide to the William W. Black Papers, 1820-1911 Original EAD encoding by Laurel Rozema according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. September 2008 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Black, William W. William W. Black Papers 1820-1911 Materials are written in English. 82-015; 92-184 2 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Papers relating to Black (1820-1862), a physician in Panola County, as well as to the Robb family of New Orleans reflect the social, political, cultural, and financial activities of various family members and friends. Correspondence and financial records primarily concern Black's medical career and his service with the Confederate Army. There is also a weather diary kept by Black in 1853 Biographical Note

Dr. William W. Black was born in South Carolina in 1820. He completed his medical training at Student Medical College in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1847. He moved to Louisiana in 1848 before settling in Panola County, Texas, in the spring of 1850. Black practiced medicine and farmed near the community of Bethany. He married Melinda Haliburton in 1855 and fathered two sons; David Black, born in 1856, and William Black, born in 1859.

In 1862 Black joined a volunteer company of cavalry organized by H. G. Roquemore. In the spring of that year Black was elected captain of G Company, 14th Texas Cavalry (dismounted), when his unit was inducted into Confederate service. Black died during the Army of Tennessee's campaign of 1862-63.

In 1863, after Captain Black's death, his widow married Marcus Dosson of Rusk County. Black's youngest son, William S., became a successful cotton broker and married Agnes Robb of New Orleans, Louisiana.

 Scope and Contents

The William W. Black Family Papers consist primarily of personal correspondence, most of which was from family members and personal friends to Black. This correspondence reflects the personal, social, political, cultural and financial activities of various family members and personal friends of Black's during the years 1845-1864. Dr. Black maintained correspondence with many doctors with whom he attended medical school, and his closest friend, James Whetson, who participated in the California Gold Rush. Many of the letters from family members reflect the concerns of farmers of the period. The only letters by Dr. Black are those to his wife during his service with the 14th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) during the Civil War. Dr. Black also kept a weather diary during the first six months of 1853. Financial records of Dr. Black consist mainly of personal promissory notes and receipts for medical services. A portion of the William W. Black Family Bible in the Melinda Black Dosson folder gives birth, marriage, and death dates of many family members.

A small amount of the collection consists of personal and business correspondence of Black's widow, Melinda H. Black Dosson, after her remarriage.

William W. Black's youngest son, William S., married Agnes Robb of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Robb family correspondence consists primarily of letters from Robert Robb of Toronto, Canada, to Agnes's father, George Robb, of New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Unrestricted access.

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 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Baines, Charles S. Baines, James B. Becknell, Charles Becknell, Melinda E. Black Black, Agnes Black, David M. Black, John A. Black, Mary A. Black, Melinda E. Black, Melinda H. Black, Sarah J. Black, Templeton T. Black, William Stanford Black, William W. Crosby, John L. Dosson, Marcus Dosson, Marion Hunter Dosson, Mattie E. Dosson, Melinda H. Black Ford, Sam Gist, States Rights Gist, William Haliburton, Melinda H. Holbrook, J. Edwards Ravenal, St. Julien Robb, Agnes Robb, George Robb, Robert K. Roquemore, H. G. Whetson, James A. Wright, John M. Subjects Agriculture. Camp meetings Confederate States of America. Army. Cavalry. Fourteenth Texas Regiment (Dismounted) Farm life. United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865. Crops and climate Medical education--United States. Gold mines and mining--California Fenian Brotherhood. Medicine, Rural--Practice Medicine--Practice--United States. Physicians--Texas. Diseases and history. Places Athens (Ga.) Bethany (Tex.) Camp Likens (Tex.) Camp McKnight (Tex.) Camp Priceville (Miss.) Panola County (Tex.) Carthage (Tex.) Charleston (S.C.) Chattanooga (Tenn.) Crooked Creek (Ark.) Henderson (Tex.) Lookout Mountain (Tenn.) McBridesville (S.C.) Mariposa (Ca.) Moscow (Tex.) New Orleans (La.) Spartanburg (S.C.) Toronto (Ont.) Union County (S.C.) Preferred Citation

William W. Black Papers, 1820-1911, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 3S124 1 Personal correspondence: 3S124 Letters to William W. Black, 1845-1849 3S1242 Letters to William W. Black, 1850-1854 3S1243 Letters to William W. Black, 1855-1859 3S1244 Letters to William W. Black, 1860-1861, undated 3S1245 Letters from William Black to Melinda Black, January-July 1862, undated 3S1246 Papers of Melinda Black Dosson, 1820-1884, undated 3S1246a Papers of William S. and Agnes Robb Black, 1886-1904, undated 3S1247 Financial records, 1846-1867 3S124 Promissory notes 3S124 Tax records 3S124 Educational records 3S124 Receipts 3S1248 Weather diary (8 pages), January-June 1853 3S1249 Correspondence: 3S124 Robb family, 1864-1911 3S124 Becknell Family, 1882-1885 3S12410 Miscellaneous, 1886, 1896, undated 3S50 Photographs: Black, William S. Robb, Agnes Robb, Robert K.