Southern Claims

Unionist Book Ready for Publication

The experiences of the Unionists in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War is a generally unknown and unexplored aspect of the Civil War. This new book, being published jointly by the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center and the Valley Research Associates, is the result of several years of careful work by researchers David Rodes and Norman Wenger. Emmert Bittinger, project editor, has prepared the volume for publication, including abstracts and an introduction.

More than 200 Unionists in Rockingham County, and 22,298 in the South, tell stories of their experiences during the war. These narrations are preserved in the National Archives. The researchers have recovered the documents pertaining to local families; the first in this series of volumes will be available this fall.

The first volume focuses on families who lived at Pleasant Valley, Mt. Crawford, Friedens Church, Cross Keys, and the Mill Creek-Goods Mill areas. One third of the families were German Reformed and Methodist, and the remainder Anabaptist. The series, titled Unionists and the Civil War Experience in the Shenandoah Valley, is based on the documents of the Southern Claims Commission established by the Federal Government following the Civil War.

These claims expose a rich texture of Civil War events and personal experiences deeply rooted in the political and moral context of the times. As the claimants attempt to document their losses and prove their loyalty, intimate and poignant dramas emerge. Not only is the devastating economic impact disclosed, but also the personal reaction to crisis is readily observable.

This publication promises to be an exciting and insightful addition to our local history.