William E. McBride, a lawyer, moved from Henderson, Kentucky, to the newly opened Choctaw Session lands in Mississippi in 1835 or 1836. In 1841, he ran for district attorney of the Seventh Judicial District which was composed of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties. McBride married Ann Eliza Fearmster on December 6, 1845. He was commissioned as a judge advocate with the Twenty-Fifth Regiment of the state militia on May 15, 1846, but he later resigned his commission. His son, William E., Jr., was born on March 9, 1848. Census records show that McBride had a sizable household in 1850, including ten slaves. His wife, Ann, also owned three slaves in her own right. The family lived in Canton, Mississippi, although their plantation, Water Oak, was two and a half miles from town.

The 1850 census also shows that the Reverend David S. Tod was a part of the McBride household. Tod was a Presbyterian minister who had come from Kentucky in the mid-1830s to evangelize and to found new churches. In 1850, Tod had been called back to pastor the church in Canton and to assist in building a new church which was completed in 1852.

Ann McBride's death, shortly after the birth of their second child in June 1851, was a severe blow to McBride. He named the surviving baby girl after her mother. McBride did not remarry until June 15, 1854; his second wife was Catherine N. Gould. Three children were born in quick succession: daughter Nora, son Jamie (after Catherine's father, James), and daughter Kate. It was also during this time that McBride was appointed to oversee the construction of the new courthouse in Canton, the one currently standing in the town square. When the building was dedicated in 1858, McBride made one of the ceremonial speeches. McBride's plantation also continued to thrive, evident by his having thirty slaves listed in the slave schedule of the 1860 census.

As the national political debates over states' rights, unionism, and secession grew more heated in the late 1850s, McBride began to travel around the state speaking for the union and against secession. His law practice suffered, as did his standing in the community. There is also inconclusive evidence suggesting that Catherine died and McBride remarried during this time. When war came, his unionist stance failed to protect his property. During Sherman's march across the state, McBride lost nearly all his livestock. McBride was also accused of murdering a Union soldier, whose body had been found at the gate to Water Oak. He was nearly hanged by a group of soldiers, but was spared, only to suffer the destruction of most of his property. In contrast, William, Jr., joined a Confederate unit even though he was underage, and he served until the end of the war. He then returned home to help on the ravaged plantation.

By September 1870, William McBride, Sr., had recovered enough economically to plan the construction of a new house. William, Jr., went off to the Presbyterian Seminary at Clarksville, Tennessee, to become a minister, a goal he had set for himself at age eleven. However, when the elder McBride died in 1873, William, Jr., postponed the rest of his coursework and came home to Canton to manage the plantation. He married Neva Brown on November 26, 1877, and moved to Carthage, Mississippi, to work in a mercantile business. Neva's ill health caused them to move to Texas in 1882, but they returned in 1884. William, Jr., became a traveling salesman for a grocery company and was active in Sunday school work. Neva died in November 1891. Four years later, he married Jennie Alsworth.

In 1912, William McBride again joined the ministry, becoming ordained and licensed by the Central Mississippi Presbytery. His first call was to the Goodman group of churches. Later, he was called by the Camden group. McBride was so beloved by his churches and the surrounding communities that when he died on January 11, 1924, services were held at Camden and Concord, and conducted by Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist ministers. In May 1924, the Camden church was renamed the McBride Memorial Church. William, Jr.'s children were the Reverend Samuel H. McBride of French Camp, Mississippi, W. R. McBride of Greenwood, Mississippi, Annie McBride of Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, and Mrs. J. R. Sloan of Huntington, West Virginia.

Most of the fifteen letters were written by William E. McBride, Sr., to his brother, John, in Henderson, Kentucky. Three letters were written by William E. McBride, Jr., to his father and step-mother while serving as a soldier during the Civil War. One letter was written by Kate N. McBride to her uncle, John, in Henderson.

The elder McBride's letters vary in tone, but are usually written at leisure, so that the writer indulges in detailed descriptions of family life, weather, farming, and finances. A strong theme is the religious attitudes of the community. Another recurrent theme is the progress of the railroad through Madison County. McBride writes freely of his loneliness after the death of his first wife, Ann, and his later debate over remarrying. His love for his children and relatives is evident in every letter. Yet another frequent topic is politics and its effect on popular culture. A Constitutionalist, McBride opposed secession, but he experienced the woes of Reconstruction the same as his neighbors.

The younger McBride's war letters describe his fears of battle, his unswerving devotion to "Southern Rights", and his love of family and friends back home. His letters also depict how fluid the assignments of a young soldier could be, with references to several units and commanders, prison hospitals, transfers, and paroles. As William, Jr., reveals his fervent commitment to the "Just Cause", he also reveals his youthful inability to serve that cause. In his letter dated August 6, 1861, William, Jr., relates how he has accidentally shot two of his fellow soldiers, imploring his father to get him out of the army, especially since he is underage. In his letter dated March 7, 1863, he describes his benevolent treatment in a prison hospital. Incomplete service records show that William, Jr., did gain a considerable amount of expertise, because he was later selected for Harvey's Scouts, a crack unit of guerrilla rangers.

In his last letter, simply dated October 16, he announces that he is coming to Vicksburg as a paroled prisoner. He then describes his capture and release. The next letter in this time period, dated May 28, 1865, is from William McBride, Sr., to his brother, John, to ask for a loan. Along with a brief summary of the conditions at home, McBride states that, "Willie is at home & at work like a man." The final letter is from Kate N. McBride, youngest child of William McBride, Sr., to her uncle, John, in Henderson, Kentucky, upon the death of his wife.

This collection reveals a pioneer's views of patriotism, family relationships, religion, business, and popular culture. The striking contrast between father and son over the politics of war is unmistakable, yet familial love binds them together in the aftermath of war.

1. Correspondence. 1851-1882. 1 folder. 15 items.