Constance Hall Jones - The Spirits of Bad Men Made Perfect

At the beginning of this undertaking I had only the base text of the Civil War diary made by my great-great-grandfather William Ellis Jones, with precious little knowledge of the man himself and even less understanding of the antebellum South or the American Civil War. In truth, I did not know what I did not know. My ignorance of the material is likely what made the project seem reasonable at the time I began. Had I known then the challenges, setbacks, brick walls, and adjustments in worldview that lay ahead, I may have been too discouraged to continue. What got me through all the challenges was the encouragement, assistance, and patience of a handful of individuals who recognized the value in this endeavor. If theres anything novel or insightful offered here, I promise the credit lies with one or more of these contributors. All remaining fault in the work Ill claim as mine alone.

While they remain anonymous to me, the manuscript reviewers at Southern Illinois University Press deserve gracious thanks, as they rendered much-needed scholarly critique of the originally submitted text. They gently but firmly offered clear guidance on where to turn for deeper research on issues requiring more comprehensive analysis. Their advice was necessary, and it markedly improved this work. Similarly, the production and copyediting teams at SIU Press also deserve a sincere thank you for their efforts with the manuscript. Sylvia Frank Rodrigue, Jennifer Egan, Wayne K. Larsen, and Julie Bush all contributed immeasurably to ensuring this project finished on schedule and applied the highest degree of polish they could to the rough work I gave them. Every author should be so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of perfectionists propping them up!

John Hennessy deserves tremendous thanks for providing me with detailed information about little-documented aspects of the 1862 campaigns. His unparalleled knowledge of the geography and events of the Civil War in Virginia proved invaluable in helping me put context to the challenges the soldiers of Crenshaws Battery faced and understand how the soldiers presence in the Virginia countryside affected the civilian residents. John never failed to recommend more sources to consider, new perspectives to investigate,new people to turn to for help. More than all this, however, John staunchly refused to allow me to fall back on moonlight and magnolias notions of my ancestors motivations. He challenged me to dig deeper into the history, to think and write critically rather than accept the romanticized story of the antebellum South with which I was reared. At times his challenges were painful to confront, but having confronted them, I have a far more accurate and nuanced understanding of the nineteenth century and of William Ellis Joness world. Whats more, Johns challenges have led me to a better understanding of myself and my place in the twenty-first century. His efforts with me on this project not only informed the work but also informed my life. My worldview is transformed as a result. I can never repay Johns contribution to my growth as a human being.

Jeffry Burden, board member at the Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery, contributed substantially to this project by helping me confirm familial and social relationships between Williams extended family and network of friends. His knowledge of Richmond history and its antebellum and Civil Warera geography is extensive. His generosity of time and attention in showing me around Richmond during the 150th Civil War anniversary events proved invaluable to my understanding of Williams geographic world both before and after the war. Beyond this, his advice and recommendations have assisted tremendously in improving the final text. Jeffrys enthusiasm for this project kept me going when I felt most discouraged. I cant thank him enough for his generosity and his boundless energy and ideas.

Mike Gorman, with the online research project Civil War Richmond, deserves a very special thank you for bringing to my attention a crucial piece of primary source material: the letter written by an anonymous soldier of Pegrams Battalion and published in the Richmond Whig. This letter, while seemingly a random scrap of peripherally relevant material, provided me with answers to questions I could not have found elsewhere. The letter revealed a great deal about the character of the man William Ellis Jones was as the war wore him down. This letter propelled me over a brick wall that seemed insurmountable for many years prior to its discovery. Credit goes to historian and author Peter Carmichael for pointing out the existence of this letter.

Jayne Ptolemy, curatorial assistant at the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was so generous and so resourceful in her assistance with the physical diary manuscript. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for her patience with me and this project. Kelly Powers, digitalizationspecialist at the Clements Library, did an outstanding job providing high-resolution scans of this fragile document. Austin Thomason, senior photographer with University of Michigan Photography, provided beautifully composed studio shots of the diary for inclusion in this book. Their care and craft are more appreciated than they will ever know.

Buddy Secor is due my thanks for his fantastic photographic work that he has generously provided for this project. In addition, I owe him a debt of gratitude for getting me to Eastern View and showing me the place as William and his fellow artillerists saw it. His magical camera work closes the gap of more than 150 years between what William witnessed and what we fail to properly imagine today.

Mike Tomey provided me with the firsthand account of his great-great-grandfathers march across the Blue Ridge with the Indiana 27th (Union) at the same time William recorded the grueling march in his own diary. Im indebted to him for this supporting perspective and forever thankful for his encouragement and correspondence.

Dr. Michael Trahos and his wife, B. L. Trahos, owners of Mulberry Place at Bowling Green, Virginia, deserve a sincere and special thank you for their hospitality and generosity with their time. They are a remarkable couple with an unwavering devotion to the preservation of one of the most important properties in Virginia.

I cannot overlook Pat North, co-owner with her husband, Jack North, of Mayhurst Inn in Orange, Virginia, who brought me into their home for a tour of this historic and beautiful house. While we enjoyed iced tea in the main parlor, I read Williams diary entry concerning his stay there in 1862. Mrs. North was understandably moved by Williams words and the fact that we were standing in his footsteps.

Many others assisted me with this project either directly or indirectly. Doug Bond, George Psomas, Ed Neely, Scott Mingus, Linda White, Christina Lujin, Robert Krick, Linda Morris Mann, and Aldo Perry all deserve generous thanks for their contributions and time taken in review of the material and feedback. Chris Mackowski, Eric Wittenberg, and John Cummings, in particular, earn special thanks for speaking up for this project (to the right people) when it felt like there was little hope it would ever see the light of day.

Brian Slyfield in West Sussex, UK, deserves generous thanks for providing me with background and sources for my Welsh ancestors, including their professional and political histories. I am eternally in the debt of my brother,William Ellis Jones (the fifth of that name in our line), for all the time and careful attention he put into scanning documents in advance of this project. I need to thank my cousin Penny Warden Minton for the photographs of William Ellis Jones and William B. Jones. They are priceless!