Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-02-10
VlTginia's Shining Record.
Roanoke Times.

One of the most interesting end least
noticed of the official reports of the
State administration of last year is that
of Major Robert w Hunter, secretary
OF Virginia Military Records. Major
Hunter, patiently and quietly and with
loving allegiance to his comrades, living
and dead, has been delving and work
ing laboriously compiling a record of
value beyond estimation and which will
be studied eagerly by historians and
many others long after the other re-
ports are forgotten. The purpose of
his Office is to have enrolled in perma-
nent forms the names of all Virginians
who served the Confederate governm, Mt
by land or sea in any branch of the SER
vice and the official story of their re-
cords, their ranks, etc. Further he Is
to provide material for a History of
Virginia in the War"
So far his lists show that Virg MIA
sent to Confederate service I69. 500 men
-l5, 600 more than her total vote two
years ago. This number may Include
some duplicate rolls but it also fails to
include number of rolls which hive
been lost
AS Major Hunter points out, it is more
difficult to secure the rolls of Virginia
than those of any other State because
at the fall of Richmond the office of the
adjutant general was burned and the
rolls held by the Confederate govern
ment were seized and carried to Wash
ington. These last are not available as
the agents of the State are denied the
right to copy them. Legislation pend
ing in Congress, however, may result in
having them printed. If they are thew
can be used to piece out the missing
places in the rolls which Major Hunter
has collected at the expense of SO much
persistent effort and research. But for
his office practically all the rolls and
lists would have been DESTROYED within
few years and it would have been i'm
possible to prove the fact, now demon
strated by the actual names, that Vir-
glnia sent 10 the war more men than
any other Southern State. One part of
the duty of the office is to endeayor To
have on the record books of the clerk of
court of each county rosters of all the
organizations and men sent from that
county to the service. The veterans
themselves have been negligent in this.
Apparently many of them take little in
terest in having the parts their couaties
took IN the war preserved for their de-
scendants. Eighteen counties and cities
have recorded their rolls and twelve
have made partial records; twenty-one
are gathering their records and the re-
naming counties haYe made no reports.
Most of us can realize the value and
endless interest the rosters of the Revo-
lutionary war would be if they had been
preserved and could be read now. The
rosters of the Civil war will be of equal
value and interest a hundred wears
hence
Part of the material for the history.
to be written some time, is map of old
Virginia, including the present West
Virginia, showing the location of every
engagement of sufficient Importance to
be mentioned in the official reports of
either side. This map shows that in the
four years 1,064 serious collisions of
arms occurred on the soil of what is
now Virginia and $40 in the present
West Virginia. Major Hunter suggests
that If this map could be reproduced
and published it would be of great gen
eral interest and value and that the
saleI of it might more than compensate
the State for the cost of its preparation.
The facts established that Virginia
gave to the Confederacy between 1861
900 and IT'S, 900 fighting men and that
on her soil 1864 engagements were
fought, surely are worth knowing.
They make an astonishing and an in
spring record.
One paragraph of Major Hunters re-
port of special interest in the South
west is this:
13. A roster of the regimental, COM
pany and staff officers of the Virginia
State Line, commanded by Major len
eral John B. Floyd. This command was
independent of the Confederate govern
ment and was recruited from among the |
classes not embraced in the Confederate |
Consumption Act-old men and bows II |
rendered valuable service in Southwast |
Virginia in protecting the Virginia and |
Tennessee Railroad and Salt Works. IL I
numbered about 5000 men from South
west Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.
Captain Micsjah Wood, of Charlottes- !
vile, who was an officer in the State !
Line, and for time an aide de camp of
General Floyd, has in course of prepa-
ration condensed history of the estate
Line" and DIR. George Ben Johnston,
of this city, has valuable papers left by
General Floyd, relating to the service
and personnel of this command, which