Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Dept. of Northern Virginia General Orders No. 27, 1864, Ms2023-074, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Dept. of Northern Virginia General Orders No. 27 was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in February 2017.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Dept. of Northern Virginia General Orders No. 27 was completed in February 2025. Initial description was completed in July 2023.

Biographical Note

Joseph E. Johnston (1807-1891) served as a general in the U.S. and Confederate Armies and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During the American Civil War, he served as the leader of the Department (later Army) of Northern Virginia from 1861 to 1862.

No information could be found about A. P. Mason.

C. R. Holmes may be Captain Charles Rutledge Holmes (1835-1891) of South Carolina, who enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861 just after the American Civl War began. He served in Major General Joseph B. Kershaw's Bridgade and others in the Army of Northern Virginia.

External source:

"Captain Charles Rutledge Holmes", findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35961026/charles-rutledge-holmes , accessed on July 19, 2023.

John Bell, "Joseph E. Johnston (1807–1891)" (2020 December 07), in Encyclopedia Virginia, https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/johnston-joseph-e-1807-1891, accessed February 10, 2025.

Scope and Content

This collection contains an official copy of the Department of Northern Virginia General Orders No. 27 by order of General Joseph E. Johnston, written by A. P. Mason, and copied by C. R. Holmes. Dated February 28, 1862, the orders are from the Headquarters of the Department of Northern Virginia of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The order indicates two types of signals that will be made, one by night from Capt. Alexander's Quarters and one by day from Centreville, and states that all sentinels on guard are to report when the signals are seen or heard.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• Confederate States of America. Army. Department of Northern Virginia
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Dept. of Northern Virginia General Orders No. 27 by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).