J. O. Humphreys Civil War diary transcription

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Military Institute Archives
Preston Library
Virginia Military Institute
345 Letcher Ave.
Lexington, VA 24450-0304
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Jeffrey S. Kozak
Phone: (540) 464-7516
Phone: (540) 464-7566
Fax: (540) 464-7089
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions

Terms of access:

Manuscript collections in the VMI Archives are made available for educational and research use. The VMI Archives should be cited as the source. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright holders. Materials from our collections may not be redistributed, published or reproduced without permission from the VMI Archives. Contact the VMI Archives for additional information.

Summary

Extent:
1 items
Creator:
Humphreys, J. O.
Language:
English .

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of a digital transcription of J. O. Humphreys' Civil War diary (April-July 1864). Private Humphreys was among the Union soldiers who briefly occupied Lexington, Virginia in June 1864, an event known locally as Hunter's Raid. The Union forces, led by General David Hunter, destroyed several VMI buildings, as well as much of the cadet library and laboratory equipment.

An unknown Union officer discovered the Order Book for the VMI Corps of Cadets, (containing administrative details of cadet life from January 17, 1862 to May 7, 1864) and it eventually came into Humphreys' possession. He used the empty pages in the back of the volume to record an account of his unit's activities and described the the events at VMI and Lexington in his entry on June 12.

Humphreys was subsequently mortally wounded at Petersburg, Virginia. Before he died, he gave the Order Book to his best friend, Private Harvey Rhodes. The book was cherished by Rhodes, who settled in Indiana after the War. When Rhodes died, the book was inherited by his son. The original Order Book, now including the diary, was returned to VMI in the 1970s, more than one hundred years after its disappearance.

Biographical / historical:

J. O. Humphreys served with the 1st Independent Ohio Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. He was mortally wounded at Petersburg, Virginia.

Physical location:
The diary pages are physically located in the VMI Corps of Cadets Order Book dated January 1862 to May 1864.