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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)AnnRea Fowler, Student Assistant, and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Permission to publish material from the Henry Clay Deshields Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
The collection is open for research.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Henry Clay Deshields Collection, Ms2017-035, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Henry Clay Deshields Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2017.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Henry Clay Deshields Collection was completed in June 2019.
Henry Clay Deshields was born on April 11, 1832 in Northumberland County, VA. Henry married Sarah Furlong Wheelwright (September 3, 1833-July 6, 1901) on October 18, 1853 in Northumberland County, VA. Together they had 8 children. Henry attended law school at the University of Virginia, then worked as a lawyer and insurance agent. He practiced in Baltimore, MD until the Civil War began. He returned to Virginia and enlisted with the 40th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, Company G, at the rank of Second Lieutenant in May of 1861. He served as a quartermaster and eventually rose to the rank of Captain. On April 9, 1865, Deshields was among those who surrendered on the staff of Field at Appomattox, VA. Henry died on October 16, 1884.
The Henry Clay Deshields Collection contains letters sent to Sarah Deshields from Henry Clay Deshields during his service in the Confederate Army between 1861 and 1865. The collection also contains biographical information on Henry Clay Deshields and the book, Civil War Echoes: Voices from Virginia (1860-1891) by James I. Robertson, Jr. There is also a framed CSA Service Appointment Document dated May 1861. The letters relate to war happenings including the death of Stonewall Jackson.
There is some variation in the spelling of Deshields' last name, which is reflected in the associated agent (name) record.
This collection is organized by material type. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence, which in chronological order.
The guide to the Henry Clay Deshields Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).