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Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Julius G. Lorence, Soldier, Civil War Letter Regarding Stonewall Brigade in Jackson's Romney Campaign, A&M 3970, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Scope and Contents

Letter written by Confederate soldier Julius G. Lorence (also spelled Lorenz and Lowrence), who served in the 27th Regiment Virginia Infantry, Company E, which was part of the "Stonewall Brigade". The letter is dated 12 January 186[2] and is addressed to Lorence's friend "Charley" and describes Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's attack against Dam No. 5 of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

A war-date Stonewall Brigade soldier's letter, 2pp. 8vo., written by 2nd Sergeant Julius G. Lowrence, Co. E, 27th Virginia Infantry, "Camp Misery near Bath, Morgan Cty., Va., Jan. 12, 1861[2]," to his commander and friend Lt. Charles L. Davis (1840-1907) 27th Virginia who was wounded, perhaps twice, during the war. Lowrence's letter gives us a good perspective on how the common soldier viewed Stonewall's success, or lack of, during the brief Romney campaign that took place when Stonewall Jackson tried for a second time to destroy Dam No. 5 on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal by breaching the stone structure. Jackson marched from Winchester, Va. on January 1, 1862 and reached the dam on the third. They waded into the canal's freezing cold water and succeeded in putting a hole in the dam after a brief skirmish with the Union forces at Bath, Va. Their success was short lived, though, since federal forces soon reoccupied the region and rebuilt the dam. The letter, reads, in part: "...as far as volunteering for next year is concerned, the chances are poor as Alfred Edgar [WIA & POW Spotsylvania, May 12, 64] will tell you... it will be crazy to enlist 20 men from our company for service in Western Virginia. We had a miserable time of it as Old Jackson marched us to Dam No. 5 [on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal] opposite Williamsport and Bath during the severest weather I ever saw and all to no purpose... we made the Yankees double quick to Hancock, Maryland, but we did not succeed in getting their entire stores and baggage... I am now second sergeant and have been acting orderly last 4 months in [Mathew R.] Coalter's [WIA First Bull Run] place... send... a bottle of whiskey by Alfred Edgar and I will send you the money for it..."

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Md. and Washington, D.C.)
• Civil War - Virginia 27th Infantry.
• Civil War -- Confederate letters
• Lorence, Julius G.