9th Virginia Infantry (union) Ledger Book. 1861-1864 For Sale

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This huge tooled, leatherbound ledger contains manuscript entries for about 1,000 officers and men of the 9th Virginia Infantry (Union) during the Civil War. The entries range from October 1861 to late in 1864. The entries are arranged by a clerk by company, A through K, and include full descriptions: age, heights, complexion, eyes, hair, place of birth, and occupation.

Men who left service—often because of death—have an entry in the final column, for instance: “shot for desertion”; and “Died March 8th 1863 at Winchester Va., Disease Pneumonia.”

The ledger, which measures 10x16 inches, is loose at the hinges and the boards have separated from the spine. All of the pages with manuscript entries are in good condition. Two blank pages in the rear have mildew damage. Sporadic spots of mildew throughout. The leather boards are bumped and rubbed and a 3” piece is missing at the top of the spine.

The Ninth Virginia Volunteer Infantry [Union] was organized December, 1861, with the following field officers: Leonard Skinner, colonel; William C. Starr, lieutenant-colonel; Benjamin, M. Skinner, major. The regiment was composed largely of refugees, who, having been driven from home, were fighting with a desperation that was not excelled by any troops in any army. The regiment served mainly in the Kanawha and Shenandoah Valley under Crook, Hunter, Duval and others. It was especially distinguished for bravery at the battle of Cloyd’s Mountain. Col. Carr B. White commanding the brigade, says in his report that the regiment carried the enemy’s works on the right under fire that killed and wounded more than one third of the regiment, without an officer or man faltering, capturing two guns, one regimental flag, and many prisoners and is designated as one of the most gallant feats of the war. Its loss at this battle attests the desperate character of the assault: 45 killed, 144 wounded. In this action the colorguard entered the enemy’s works in advance of the line, every one of them falling, killed or wounded, and after the fight, 21 men lay dead around the flag, 12 of whom were Confederates. Besides this battle the regiment bore a conspicuous part in the battles of Lynchburg, Kernstown, Winchester, Martinsburg, Hunter’s raid, etc. The 9th was also especially distinguished at the Third Battle of Winchester, for which the colonel was brevetted to Major General.

Gen’l I. H. Duval was commissioned colonel of the regiment, September 9, 1862, and although he served much of his term as brigade or division commander, the regiment was generally in his command. Of the regiments he commanded, General Duval says he served longer with the Ninth Regiment than the others, and led it in many hard fought battles; “we were in some defeats as well as many victories, and in our defeats and retreats the Ninth Regiment was never panic-stricken, but always came off as it went into battle, shoulder to shoulder. We never allowed the enemy to go through us in advancing or retreating.”

The regiment’s losses during the war were: killed and died of wounds, three officers and 96 enlisted men; died of disease or accident, one officer, 107 men. Total 207. The reenlisted veterans and recruits of the Ninth and Fifth Infantry Regiments were consolidated November 9, 1864, which formed the First West Virginia Veteran Infantry.

[Source: Loyal West Virginia 1861-1865, by Theodore Lang]

The thorough, vividly detailed description of every man in a Civil War regiment is unusual. This may well be the only thing of the sort that has reached the market in a decade or more.

This item has been shown 246 times. 9th Virginia Infantry (union) Ledger Book. 1861-1864: $1,251