136 Judge Parker's journal

Parker's Civil War Journal

In Blog 124, I noted that I was researching Judge Richard Parker, who lived in Clarke County and in Winchester, and was the judge at John Brown's trial in 1859.

I am now transcribing and annotating the journal he kept during the Civil War. The original of the journal is at the Library of Congress, and the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives of Handley Regional Library has a copy. 

Barbara Dickinson did transcribe the journal when she worked in the Archives but did not have the time to research fully all the references. The act of identifying as many individuals as possible has helped me to decipher some Parker's writing.

I went into the task thinking it would be great to have another local insight into the war, but was disappointed. Parker does occasionally mention battles and troop movements, but unlike Mary Greenhow Lee, Cornelia McDonald, and other Winchester journal keepers, gives few details and little of his feelings.

Richard Parker, 1810-1873

What did surprise me was his travels during the war. He went to Richmond twice--once right after the 2nd Battle of Winchester and while the Battle of Gettysburg was occurring. He seems to have undertaken these journeys to visit relatives. To determine the identity of the individuals he named, I have used Ancestry.com, Findagrave.com, and other genealogical sites. I ended up constructing family trees for Parker and for his wife Evelina (1821-1897), which has helped me understand his relationship to many of the people who populate the journal.

In my editing, I have reached the summer of 1864, which for those of you who don't have the events and dates stuck in your head, is after 2nd Winchester, Gettysburg, and the Battle of the Wilderness near Spotsylvania. However, these diary entries are before the battles of 3rd Winchester and Cedar Creek (fall of 1864), which decisively ended the Confederate presence in Winchester.  Below is an image of part of a diary page:

My transcription:

July 2, Sat. This morning Genl. Early’s force began to come into our town. Supposed he is going into Maryland. Cavalry was beyond the town towards M’Burg last night. 

July 4, Monday. N. Meade & I went to Martinsburg today. Found Genl. Breckinridge with his force there. We stayed at John Boyd’s at night & next morning marched home. Saw Mr. & Mrs. D.H. Conrad – how resignedly they have their great afflictions. Their latest loss was of their youngest child Nannie, who was, or he told me the light of his house. They hear now that Jane left & she sunk into a wretched melancholy. How our God seems to support these dear old people. Mr. C. speaks of his goodness in having made far better provision for his children, than he would have made for them in this world. [last phrase from next page of the journal]

Identifying the generals is easy. Both Jubal A. Early and John C. Breckinridge were Confederate generals. Parker is right. They were on their way to Maryland where the Battle of Monocacy occurred on July 9. Seemed like everybody knew it!

Parker refers to Nathaniel Burwell Meade (1828-1888) several times in the journal. He lived at 407 S. Washington and Parker lived at 307 W. Washington.

John Elisha Boyd (1811-1888) was a cousin of Parker's wife Evelina. They, along with David Holmes Conrad (1800-1877) shared the same grandparents, Joseph Holmes and Rebecca Hunter Holmes. 

On a side note, David Conrad was also the brother of Robert Young Conrad, who was a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1861 and voted against secession twice before eventually voting for it. Robert Conrad had five sons who served in the Confederate army and one who died--Powell Conrad of typhoid fever in 1862. Probably the best known of Robert's sons was Holmes Conrad (1840-1915), who served in the Virginia cavalry, practiced law after the war, was chairman of the Handley Board of Trustees, and was appointed by President Cleveland as Solicitor General of the United States from 1895-1897.

But back to Mr. & Mrs. D.H. Conrad, whom Judge Parker visited in Martinsburg. Their youngest daughter, Nannie, Nancy Addison Conrad (1844-1864) died on June 24, 1864, ten days before Parker's visit. Judge Parker also knew of their other tragedy:

Their two sons, Sgt. Holmes Addison Conrad (1837-1861) and Pvt. Henry Tucker Conrad (1839-1861) died at First Manassas.

The inscription on their tombstone reads:

Brothers in blood, in faith Brothers in youthful bloom Brothers in life Brothers in death Brothers in one same tomb Well fought they the good fight In death the victory won Sprung at one bound to heaven's light and God's eternal son Written by David Holmes Conrad and carved on the tomb of his two Sons Holmes and Tucker July 21-22, 1861 Manasas          Norbourne Parish Cemetery, Martinsburg Jane, who left home, is probably daughter Jane C. Conrad (1833-1876). So this editing task is slow going, but very rewarding when it reveals stories such as this one! And I didn't tell you about all the relatives in Richmond! Savvy editor, Trish