George Ridgeway Minor correspondence

Content Description

This collection features the Civil War correspondence of George Ridgeway Minor. The twelve letters discuss Minor’s service in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry, Company K, “Albemarle Light Horses.” Between May 2, 1861, and May 30, 1864, George addressed his letters to his mother, Mary Ann, or to his sister, Pattie Lee. The letters document Minor’s involvement with the 2nd Cavalry in several Virginia campaigns from 1861 to 1864. Minor writes from a variety of Confederate camps in Virginia, including Manassas Junction, Manassas, Leesburg, Camp Lee, Culpeper Courthouse, Fredericksburg, a “camp near Locust Dale,” Atley Station, a “camp near Dinwiddie,” and a “camp near Mechanicsville.” Minor was a private for the entire war, never becoming an officer. The content of George’s letters to his sister and mother details his service in the First Battle of Bull Run, conditions and life at Confederate camps, his rides in the Shenandoah Valley, trips to Richmond, and his observations of General J.E.B. Stuart. A letter dated May 20, 1863, from Culpeper Court House in Virginia discusses the Minor plantation called “The Riggory.” In this letter, George assures his sister that Daniel, an enslaved man owned by the Minors, “arrived safely last night with my horse.” “Ben” and “Jacobs,” both enslaved men, are mentioned in the preceding letters. In many letters, George worries about his family’s safety in the face of the gaining “Yankees.” Descriptions of fellow 2nd Virginia Cavalry soldiers lost in raids and battles are extant throughout the letters. A 1909 type-written letter from Hugh Minor to George Minor is included. It asks Minor questions about the content of his letters and his service in the 2nd Cavalry. A type-written transcription of Minor’s letters is titled “Letters of Geo. R. Minor, 1861-1864, INC. Co. K 2nd Va. Albemarle Light Horse."

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

Gift of Margaret Minor Wood, 6 February 2025.

Language of Description

English

Restrictions Apply

No