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Johnson Family Papers, MS 0341, Virginia Military Institute Archives, Lexington, VA 24450.
The Johnson Family Papers are available online at: http://digitalcollections.vmi.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15821coll11/id/1291
Mortimer Howell Johnson, a lawyer was born at Bridgeport, Harrison Co. West Virginia in 1815. He married Eliza Dulaney Kemble, b. Kingwood, Preston Co., West Virginia. The Johnson Family resided in Brownsburg, Rockbridge County, Virginia at beginning of the Civil War, and Mortimer enlisted in April 1864 (at age 48)in the Rockbridge Senior Reserves. He was described as having a dark complexion, dark hair & eyes, 5' 6". He died December 13, 1889, at Charleston, West Virginia and is buried at the High Bridge Presbyterian Church cemetery, Rockbridge Co., Virginia. He was the father of Porter Johnson, Virginia Military Institute Class of 1867.
Porter Johnson was born in 1845 in Taylor County, West Virginia. He matriculated at the Virginia Military Institute on September 1, 1863 and was a cadet private at the Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864. Porter resigned from Corps of Cadets on March 6, 1865 and joined the 8th Confederate Battalion commanded by Col. Garnett Andrews. He was captured at Salisbury, NC on April 12, 1865 and imprisoned, and was paroled June 13, 1865. He returned to Rockbridge County where he was a farmer. He died June 9, 1917.
The papers consist of 26 letters, bulk 1862-1865, from Mortimer Johnson and his son Porter to members of their immediate family. The Johnson family, originally from West Virginia, moved to Brownsburg in Rockbridge County, Virginia, although they maintained close ties to their former home. Topics in Mortimer's letters include civilian life during the war; the animosity between Union and Confederate sympathizers in West Virginia (the letter of April 28, 1863 discusses the Union loyalty of Stonewall Jackson's sister, Laura Jackson Arnold); the Battle of Fredericksburg and its aftermath (Dec 1862); the Jones- Imboden Raid (West Virginia, April 1863). Porter's letters include a discussion of VMI cadet life at the Alms House in Richmond, Virginia, where the Corps was headquartered during the last months of the war.
Written at Richmond, Virginia. Contains family
news; comments on work of the state legislature.
"The legislature is working very slow and not
doing much good for the country. The House is not in
session yet this morning. At 8 o'clock I left my
boarding house came by the Post Office and barber
shop at half past 9 in the house and engaged in
writing this letter to you. The house meets at 11
o'clock and adjourns about 3 o'clock, so that we get
dinner at half past 3. Sometimes the house does not
adjourn until later. You set down in the house with a
comfortable cushioned chair to sit upon, a desk
before you to write upon and it frequently happens
that while a member thinks he is making a very fine
speech, one half the members are engaged in writing
letters or reading newspapers. I suppose you have
heard of the fight that happened in Congress last
Saturday. It was disgraceful to the Nation and the
men that were engaged in it are heartily ashamed of
it...."
Written at Brownsburg, Virginia. Regarding the
inflated prices of grain used to produce whiskey for
soldiers.
"...The North expected to starve us out when
the war commenced. All that recognize a
superintending providence had cause to thank the
giver of daily bread last year for our unusually
heavy crop of all kinds of grain. It was every where
considered as an evidence that the Lord was on our
side. Grant that it was so will he continue to be if
we abuse his choicest favors-- if we convert
ourselves into a nation of extortioners and have for
our soldiers an army of drunkards. Grant as some
contend that liquor is necessary for the soldiers
should not a limit be placed upon the price of it .
Liquor for which 3 dollars per gal is paid after
running the blockade of the camp is frequently sold
to the soldier at the high price of from one to five
dollars per pint. If it is necessary for the soldier
it should be added to his rations and handed out
under proper rules and regulations and every other
person detected in smuggling liquor into the camp
should be summarily and severely punished...."
Written at Staunton, Virginia. Contains family news; expresses concerns about high cost of food.
Family news; mentions woman who is a Union
sympathizer; Porter is eager to join the army.
"...His idea is that a man has but one time to
die and that a few years more or less will not make
any difference. He says that he is able to carry a
musket and that if he does not raise his arm in
defence of his country under existing circumstances
he shall never feel like asking a Southern woman to
marry him and that a northern woman he would not have
under any circumstances."
Written shortly after the Battle of
Fredericksburg, Virginia.
"...Our loss in the fighting that has taken
place is 1742 in killed and wounded. Our dead have
been buried. The Yankee dead remain unburied. The
field of battle is still in dispute. The Yankees have
not asked the privilege of burying their dead and we
cannot [venture] to do it. Ours were carried off
during the fight. We occupied the best position and
think the enemy loss 5 to our one. I have just been
to take a look at the Yankee Army. They are drawn up
in line of battle, but as it is now 4 o'clock we do
not think there will be a fight today. The principal
fight was on Friday--though in sight we feel
secure...."
Written after the Battle of Fredericksburg,
Virginia.
"...The loss of the abolitionists in the last
battle near Fredericksburg was greater than we at
first supposed. They are again on the other side of
the River. I spent yesterday afternoon in going over
a portion of the battle field near or adjoining the
City. On the portion of the field I visited there
were at least 500 dead. Under a flag of truce they
were burying their dead but doing it in a very
careless manner. Unless they worked last night they
cannot get through before sometime today. After going
through Fredericksburg and seeing the results of
their vandalism I felt no sympathy for their justly
merited fate. Scattered books, broken [----],
furniture of all kinds and every description carried
into the streets and broken to pieces. Our own loss
is narrowed down to less than 400 killed and less
than a thousand wounded, while the loss of the enemy
cannot be less than 2000 killed and from 10 to 20
thousand wounded and missing. All who have visited
the ground concur in the opinion that the dead are
thicker upon the ground than any [field] they have
seen. One could have walked for 400 yds upon the
dead...."
References to the Battle of Fredericksburg;
personal news.
"... Porter did not arrive here until the dead
were buried so that he missed a sight. I have very
much desired he should see under the hope it would
lessen his desire to join the army before he is
18...."
Family and business news.
"...I sold the wagon, harness and the two old
horses for 625 dollars including the horse I had when
you arrived. I thought it better to keep the two
young mares for the present. Porter was offered 300
dollars for the bay mare today but thinks she will
bring more money. I have heard nothing of the butter
and apples left at Staunton and Waynesboro and
probably never will. If so I shall lose by my
investment as I sold what arrived here for cost and
expenses. You had better have your apples opened and
see that they are not rotting. These that arrived
here had rotted considerably...."
Regarding family friends who have been wounded;
refugee families; problem with currency.
"...If you get any money either get gold or
valley money do not trust to N. W. Virginia money and
for this reason--If in the tide of War our armies
should ever win the N West your money will not be
good, as the men having charge of the banks will
leave and carry with them the specie...."
Family news; mentions situation in West Virginia.
Written from Lynchburg, Virginia. Remarks on
inflated prices.
"...Here you see nothing and hear nothing but
tobacco--save when a soldier steps up to pay his bill
or asks what he will have to pay for a days board and
is answered 5, 6 or 7 dollars. I feel satisfied from
his look, that he wishes all these people in
Yankeedom and their town in ashes. I do not feel
hopeful at this time as to the result of the contest.
I do not fear that Yankees can whip us, but I do fear
that the desire of gain, the thirst for money will
yet overwhelm us. ..."
Misc. family and business news.
Misc. family and business news.
Written at Beverly, West Virginia, regarding
situation there.
"...Beverly was taken yesterday after about two
hours cannonading and some but not much skirmishing
of infantry. The abolitionists were about 1300 in
number. Latham succeeded in burning all his stores.
[He] succeeded in getting away in the direction of
Philippi with little or no loss of men. Our cavalry
pursued, but I fear without any success...."
Written at "Hillery's, 9 miles west of Beverley."
Regarding Jones-Imboden Raid, West Virginia; Union
sympathies of Laura Jackson Arnold.
"...Had Jackson been in command we would have
been in Clarksburg today, The railroad would have
been destroyed. When we turned back almost every man
was dissatisfied--all wanted to fight the enemy
without regard to numbers. Mrs. J. Arnold 1 --sister
of Gen. Jackson--went off with the yankees. Arnold
stayed at home says he is a good southern man, that
his wife is crazy but Hell he says, could not govern
a Jackson...."
Written at Weston, West Virginia. References to
Jones-Imboden Raid and burning of bridge at Fairmont.
"...Gen. Jones arrived at Buckhannon Saturday
morning, having been at [ ], Morgantown, Fairmont,
[Skinnston], Bridgeport, Philippi. We immediately
marched to Weston arriving here on Sunday morning.
Beyond Evansville the Railroad was torn up for a
considerable distance. The fine bridge at Fairmont
was [blown] down. There was a fight at Fairmont,
several killed, 400 prisoners taken. 3 killed at
Bridgeport & c. Gen Jones command brought in 1200
horses taken from Union and secession men without
pay...."
Written from Camp Kemper, near Staunton. Regarding
the Battle of Winchester, Virginia.
"...The enemy in far superior number attacked
Early about day light. We held our own until 3 oclock
driving the enemy some two miles--at which time our
Cavalry upon the left embracing Vaughan's, Imboden's,
McCausland's, and Wickham's brigade gave way. This
placed the enemy's cavalry in Winchester in the rear
of our infantry and close upon our wagon train. The
wagon train would have been destroyed but for the
large number of stragglers with the train--the Yankee
Cavalry mistaking them for a strong guard. Our
infantry retired fighting saving the train and all
the artillery but 3 pieces...."
Written at Richmond, Virginia. Contains general family, business and war news.
Written at Lexington, Virginia. Contains family and business news.
Written at Lexington, Virginia. General Sheridan is in valley.
Written from the Alms House in Richmond, Virginia,
where VMI was headquartered from December 1864 until
Richmond was evacuated in April 1865.
"...We are very poorly fixed here for study,
twenty in a room, one small table, no chairs or
stools, but one gas burner, and attached to the side
of the wall instead of the center of the room where
it ought to be. There is but one little stove in the
room and the meanest coal that you can imagine. We
have but two meals a day which is quite often enough
of the kind, bread and beef for breakfast and beef
and bread for dinner...."
Written from the Alms House in Richmond, Virginia, where VMI was headquartered from December 1864 until Richmond was evacuated in April 1865. General news.
Written from the Alms House at Richmond, Virginia.
Porter has decided to join the army.
"...I feel it due to myself as well as to you
to state to you some of the reasons I have for
leaving here and giving up the only opportunity which
I shall perhaps ever have of getting an education. In
the first place I am past nineteen years old and I
think that it is my duty to be in the army. All who
stay here after they become eighteen are generally
considered shirkers. Then I do not think that the
school will continue much longer than the first of
April, for is it reasonable to suppose or can it even
be expected that in this the death struggle of the
Confederacy when every man woman and child should be
at his or her post, when every nerve is to be
strained to attain the object which we have so long
fought for, that two or three hundred well drilled,
able bodied men will be allowed to remain idle and
inactive? I am sure the answer of any rational man
will be No!"
Written at New's Ferry. He has joined the army.
"...I resigned about two weeks ago. I have been
in the trenches one week since, with the Corps. It
then took me a week or such a matter to make my
arrangements to leave the city. I have accepted the
place I wrote you about, and am now on my way to join
my command, it is at Charlotte, NC. I would like very
much to have come home before going into the army,
but the way not being open when I had the time at my
own disposal I did not attempt it."
Written at New's Ferry. General news; sends love.
Written from Prison Hospital, Camp Chase, Ohio.
"The order for release of prisoners has at last
arrived. I expect to be released in about a week. It
is a bitter pill but has to be swallowed. I do not
expect to be home immediately. J.W. McCorkle is sick,
he expects to go to his Uncles in Cabell county. I
must go with him. He would do the same for me and
more. Then I will go by West Va. I shall stop a few
days then hasten home as fast as possible. I am in
good health."