Henry Clay Deshields Collection
Scope and Content
The Henry Clay Deshields Collection contains letters sent to Sarah Deshields from Henry Clay Deshields during his service in the Confederate Army between 1861 and 1865. The collection also contains biographical information on Henry Clay Deshields and the book, Civil War Echoes: Voices from Virginia (1860-1891) by James I. Robertson, Jr. There is also a framed CSA Service Appointment Document dated May 1861. The letters relate to war happenings including the death of Stonewall Jackson.
There is some variation in the spelling of Deshields' last name, which is reflected in the associated agent (name) record.
Dates
- 1861-1865, 2016
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials in the Henry Clay Deshields Collection are in English.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Henry Clay Deshields Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Biographical Note
Henry Clay Deshields was born on April 11, 1832 in Northumberland County, VA. Henry married Sarah Furlong Wheelwright (September 3, 1833-July 6, 1901) on October 18, 1853 in Northumberland County, VA. Together they had 8 children. Henry attended law school at the University of Virginia, then worked as a lawyer and insurance agent. He practiced in Baltimore, MD until the Civil War began. He returned to Virginia and enlisted with the 40th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, Company G, at the rank of Second Lieutenant in May of 1861. He served as a quartermaster and eventually rose to the rank of Captain. On April 9, 1865, Deshields was among those who surrendered on the staff of Field at Appomattox, VA. Henry died on October 16, 1884.
Extent
0.7 Cubic Feet (2 boxes)
Abstract
The Henry Clay Deshields Collection contains letters sent to Sarah Deshields from Henry Clay Deshields during his service in the Confederate Army between 1861 and 1865. The collection also contains biographical information on Henry Clay Deshields and the book, Civil War Echoes: Voices from Virginia (1860-1891) by James I. Robertson, Jr. There is also a framed CSA Service Appointment Document dated May 1861.
Arrangement Note
This collection is organized by material type. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence, which in chronological order.
Acquisition Information
The Henry Clay Deshields Collection was donated to Special Collections in 2017.
Rights Statements for Archival Description
The guide to the Henry Clay Deshields Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Henry Clay Deshields Collection was completed in June 2019.
- Title
- Henry Clay Deshields Collection, 1861-1865, 2016
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- AnnRea Fowler, Student Assistant, and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
- Date
- 2019 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu