Alfred P. Andrews Sylvester Magee Research Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection includes materials collected and produced by A. P. Andrews, in his effort to substantiate Sylvester Magee’s claim to have been an adult enslaved man that served in the Civil War. The collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings and journal articles, research notes produced by Andrews, photographs, and reel-to-reel tapes of oral histories of Magee and some of his family members.
Dates
- Creation: 1965-1971; 1974; 1976; 1990-1992
Creator
- Andrews, Alfred P. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Noncirculating; available for research
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the united States (Title 17, United States Code).
Biographical / Historical
A. P. Andrews was a retired insurance agent, amateur historian, and member of the Jackson (Miss.) Civil War Roundtable, who drew attention to Sylvester Magee’s story as the reputed last living former slave. Magee, who died in 1971, stated that he was born in 1841 in North Carolina. After he escaped the plantation in Rankin County, Mississippi, where he was enslaved, Magee claimed to have served for both the Confederate and Union Armies during the Civil War, and witnessed the siege of Vicksburg. Magee also claimed to have fathered a child at 109 years of age.
Extent
0.50 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Dr. William K. Scarborough in 2013, who received it from Mrs. A. P. (Zetna) Andrews circa 1970s. Digitized photographs in collection donated by Mr. John Corley, on behalf of his mother, Mrs. Sallie Mae Corley, in 2016. UPI photo donated by Jennifer Brannock in 2016.
Administrative Information
The Corley family retains possession of original photographs donated by Mr. John Corley and Mrs. Sallie Mae Corley.
Processing Information
Descriptions of digitized images in Folder 4 provided by donor of collection. Photos from scrapbook are numbered as they were found on scrapbook pages, from left to right, top row to bottom row. Reel-to-reel interviews digitized by USM’s Center for Oral History and Culture, via Steve Haller.
Processing Information
For more information, see contents of the Collection and the Case File
Source
- Andrews, Zetna (Person)
- Title
- Alfred P. Andrews Sylvester Magee Research Collection
- Author
- Lynn Cowles
- Date
- June, 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Manuscripts and Photographs Repository
118 College Drive - 5148
Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001
601.266.4345
