Collection Contents

William Francis Brand: Civil War Letters
Collection Contents

Photograph of William Francis Brand at age 21

[manuscript], 1856-1959 (bulk 1857-1866)
Accession #11332, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

This collection chiefly consists of Civil War letters written by Confederate soldier William Francis Brand (1840-1936), Augusta County, Virginia, to Amanda Catherine Armentrout, his future wife and a Greenville, Augusta County resident. Brand was a private in Comapny E (the Augusta Grays), 5th Virginia Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. Also present are notes, genealogical information, a 1959 news article concerning these letters, several letters from friends and relatives in Virginia and elsewhere, and photocopies of abbreviated typescripts and notes of selected Brand letters by the Chairman of the Waynesboro Civil War Centennial Committee.

Letters from John P. Lightner to Amanda Catherine Armentrout
Letters of John P. Lightner to Amanda C. Armentrout discuss life at school (Christian Creek School and Brownsburg Academy, Rockbridge County), at Washington College, and in Confederate camps in the 4th Virginia.

Letters to Amanda Catherine Armentrout from friends and family, and personal correspondence written by Amanda Catherine Armentrout
Correspondence of Amanda C. Armentrout contains letters from family and friends including Robert B. Spillman at Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 who mentions a rumor about the Hampton Roads Peace Conference. Of interest is a letter describing a taffy pull.

Letters from Amanda Catherine Armentrout to Willliam Francis Brand
Though few in number, Amanda C. Armentrout addresses a few of her letters to future husband William Francis Brand whom she often addresses as "Willie" (June 5, 1864, July 6, 23, 29 and August 17, 1866). She first addresses W.F. Brand as husband in her letter of October 7, 1866.

Letters from William Francis Brand to Amanda Catherine Armentrout
Brand's Civil War letters describe camp life, duties, battles and marches; send news of officers, friends in the regiment and families; comment on state and national events and on Confederate generals and political figures; and express religious sentiment and devotion to his correspondent.

Topics of interest include the secession vote; the battles of 1st Manasses, 1st Kernstown, 1st Winchester, Cedar Mountain, Spotsylvania, Fisher's Hill, Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Cedar Creek, and Bentonville, N.C.; the Petersburg trenches; an 1864 Confederate snowball fight; Bellmont Hospital in Nelson County; and illnesses, casualties and prisoners in his company.

Brand mentions or quotes prominent civilians and military personages in his letters including: Jefferson Davis [1808-1889], Jubal Early [1816-1894], Elmer Ellsworth [1837-1861], Richard Ewell [1817-1872], Richard Brooke Garnett [1817-1863], Joseph E. Johnston [1807-1891], Abraham Lincoln [1809-1865], James A. Longstreet [1821-1904], Prince Napoleon [Prince Napoléon-Jérôme, 1822-1891, born Napoléon-Joseph-Charles-Paul Bonaparte], John Pope [1822-1892], Robert Emmett Rodes [1829-1864], Jeb Stuart [1833-1864], James Alexander Walker [1832-1901], and Charles S. Winder [1829-1862]. Several identified members of various Confederate regiments and mutual friends and families are also mentioned or discussed by name.

Miscellaneous Family Letters
Miscellaneous Brand family letters include a copy of a letter from John W. Moseley, 1863 July 4, to his mother describing the battle of Gettysburg and noting that he is a mortally wounded prisoner of war, and a letter from Charles David Brand, 1866 August 12, describing "a grand memorial" at Buckingham Female Institute.

Miscellaneous Materials and Genealogical Notes
Miscellaneous items include a 1959 newspaper article about William F. Brand with a photograph of him and his wife, some typescripts of the letters and notes made by S.L. Denison of the Waynesboro, Va. Civil War Centennial Committee, and an excerpt from the minutes of the Tinkling Spring Church minutes commemorating the life of senior elder William F. Brand.