Thurman Family Letters

This collection contains letters (all photocopies, with the exception of one original) from various members of the Thurman family of Virginia's Chesterfield and Fluvanna counties during the Civil War. The collection consists largely of letters from Meredith Branch Thurman, of the 14th Virginia Infantry, to his wife, Jane Rosser Humphrey Thurman. Writing from various camps in Virginia, Thurman focuses overwhelmingly on personal matters. He writes continuously of his devotion to Jane. Thurman's concern for his wife greatly outweighs his allegiance to the Confederacy, and he frequently expresses a great desire to leave the army and return home. He writes of his disdain for those who prosper at home while others fight, and he expresses doubt and ambivalence toward a Southern victory. Thurman initially makes only passing mention of actual military movements and combat, though his later letters devote more space to army matters, beginning with his description of skirmishing in the Suffolk area in April 1863.

Also contained in the collection are several letters to Jane Humphrey Thurman from her brothers-in-law, Robert H. and Aurelius Thurman. These letters, like those of Merit Thurman, focus largely on personal matters: expressions of religious faith and concern for the well-being of other family members being among the foremost topics. The collection also contains a few letters from other individuals, including Nathaniel B. Bacon, A. W. Trabue and Perrington H. Humphrey.