Letters & Diaries
diary
James E. Beard (1861-1862)
Before the Civil War, James E. Beard lived with his family in Augusta County, Virginia. Three months before his thirty-ninth birthday, Beard decided to enlisted in the Confederate army in Staunton in 1861. He served as a private in Company D of the 5th Virginia Infantry until suffering injuries at the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862. After his service, he returned to farming in Augusta and died in 1906.
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Beard Household
James E. Beard joined the 5th Virginia Infantry in August 1861. His diary (1861-1862) recounts his life as a soldier in this regiment, including details about engagements at Manassas and Winchester and descriptions of his work as a paymaster for his company. His diary ends in 1862, when he was wounded at the Second Battle of Manassas.