Valley of the Shadow
The War Years
Spring 1861–Spring 1865

Letters & Diaries

letter

James M. Schreckhise (1861-1864)

James Schreckhise lived in Mt. Sidney in Augusta County with his parents and siblings before the war. While enthusiastic about secession, we have no record of Schreckhise serving in the Confederate army, although several members of his immediate family did so (including his brother). His letters to and from his family provide insight into wartime conditions in Augusta County, including issues of slavery during the war.

The following links provide access to the most likely matches in the Valley of the Shadow databases:

Schreckhise Household

1860 Slaveholder Census

Military Records

Schreckhise corresponds with several people, expressing his enthusiasm for secession and his fears for the Confederacy’s future. He also received letters from his father on the subject of enlistment and conditions on the home front, from his brother and cousin on the presence of Union troops in the Valley of Virginia, and his sister about the possible death of his brother.