American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

ALS,  2pp, Edinburg [VA], 16 March 1862. Addressed to his aunt "Mrs. E.R. Middleton"; with cover. Middleton describes troop movements of both the Union and Confederate forces in the area with a reference to "Gen. Jackson [who] came up to the camp and told the Wagoners to move towards Strasburg." Though short on battle content, the letter reflects Middleton's lack of enthusiasm for his service - a fact that perhaps contributed to his desertion from the ranks in December 1862.

ALS, 4pp, "Camp near Woodstock" [VA], 26 March 1862. Addressed to his aunt; with cover. Middleton describes the First Battle of Kernstown which was fought on 23 March 1862: "The cannon roared all day. About 3 o'clock in the evening, the infantry commenced fighting and continued until dark when we fell back leaving our dead and wounded on the field. Our men ran in every direction, the enemy Cavalry after them, and if dark had not stopped the carnage, the half of our men would have been killed or taken prisoners." He continues, questioning Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson's decision to leave Winchester and attack the Federals. "Some say he was ordered to attack them to keep them from leaving to reinforce McCleland [sic], but in my opinion Jackson was out generaled and whipped." 

ALS, 4pp, "Boviac [Bivouac] Near Fredericksburg," 1 May 1863. Addressed to his aunt; with cover.
Written during the Battle of Chancellorsville,  Middleton describes the movement of his regiment during the initial onset of fighting on April 30th and the river crossings of the Union troops: "...there was a dense fog (of which the Federals took full advantage) and having their pontoons ready, run them across in about half an hour. Our men knew nothing of the move until they got nearly across. Our men fired into them, but they could do nothing with them. They landed two Regts. as soon as the bridges touched the shore. They captured two companies of our men. One a Louisiana & one a Georgia company. S.B. Fuller said that General Jackson knew nothing of the move till after sun up." Middleton indicates that he has just learned that the Federals have a large force and are crossing at Kelly's Ford. He is to be ready to move at any moment. Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson would be shot the next day and dead just over a week later. Though the Confederates would emerge the victor at the Battle of Chancellorsville, it would come at great cost.

Together, 3 letters from a Virginia soldier who served the entirety of the war in the "Stonewall brigade." 

John William Middleton (1835-1907) was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, and raised in the Lexington, VA, home of his aunt and uncle. Middleton enlisted as a private on 4/19/1861 at the onset of the war and mustered into Co. H, Virginia 27th Infantry, Stonewall Brigade. After the Battle of Chancellorsville, Middleton fought at Gettysburg where according to his family oral history he was captured while carrying a wounded comrade off the battlefield. He subsequently was imprisoned at Fort McHenry where he remained until the end of the war.