University of Virginia Library

Andrew Brooks failed to include the month in which he wrote this letter. However, contextual clues, such as Andrew's discussion of the movement of the troops and the day of the week, lead us to conclude that the letter was written in November of 1861.

"Mary" is Andrew's sister, Mary Susan Brooks. Apparently their mother Eleanor Stuart Brooks was ill during 1861; see also Andrew Brooks's letter of May 28, 1861, where he asks if "she has improved."

In mid to late November of 1861, the Stonewall Brigade proceeded from Manassas to Winchester in order to join Jackson in defending the Shenandoah Valley. Although the Fourth Virginia lagged behind the rest of the brigade, perhaps because they were waiting for wagons to carry supplies, they soon set up camp at Camp Stephenson, which was four and a half miles outside of Winchester (Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 52).

Romney, West Virginia, located on the east side of the South Branch of the Potomac River thirty-five miles northwest of Winchester, was "the eastern key to western Virginia," while Williamsport, Maryland was an important point at which to cross the Potomac (Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 58). As Andrew anticipated, the Stonewall Brigade would soon be called on to aid in bringing the western part of Virginia into Confederate control. At the end of 1861, five thousand Union troops under the command of General B. F. Kelley were garrisoned at Romney. In January of 1862, Jackson easily captured Romney, since it had been deserted by Union forces (Bean 81-89; Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 59-63). In projecting future fighting, Andrew mentions that he expects the participation of troops commanded by General William W. Loring, who in 1861 led the Army of Northwestern Virginia, and General Henry Roots Jackson (http://home.earthlink.net/~atomic_rom/loring.htm).

On November 4, 1861, Jackson, who had been promoted to major-general, departed from his First Brigade as he proceeded to Winchester to assume command of the Shenandoah Valley (Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 166; Turner, 113). Realizing that the Valley needed a stronger defense, Jackson sent Lieutenant Colonel J. T. L. Preston, who had been a professor at Virginia Military Institute, to Richmond to ask for reinforcements. The War Department assigned the First Brigade to defend the Valley along with General William W. Loring's troops, so that Jackson was separated from the First Brigade for only a short time (Bean, 70; Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 49-50). General Loring's three brigades did not arrive in Winchester until late December of 1861, so Brooks is probably referring to some communication between Jackson and Loring regarding the planned reinforcment (Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 57)

As Andrew reports, weather conditions were miserable when the troops arrived in Winchester. The soldiers shivered as they faced frigid winds and sleet (Robertson, The Stonewall Brigade, 52).

Uncle Andy, or Andrew Stuart, is the the brother of Andrew Brooks' mother Eleanor Tate Stuart Brooks (see also Andrew Brooks' letter of January 23, 1861, where Andrew asks about his uncle's recent marriage to the former Sarah McClure). Aunt Betsy is probably Betsy Brooks, who is listed in the 1860 Census of Augusta County as being twenty-nine years old and as living with Silas and Apatia Brooks, not far from James Brooks' farm.

Dr. Walker is probably George W. Walker, who is listed as a physician in the 1860 census of Augusta County.