Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Existence and Location of Copies

This collection has been digitized and is available online.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], John N. Hull Letter, Ms1992-043, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The John N. Hull Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1992.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the John N. Hull Letter commenced and was completed in November, 2023.

Biographical / Historical

John Norton Hull, son of Thomas T. and Sarah Byars Hull, was born in Virginia on July 13, 1842. On July 31, 1861, John N. Hull enlisted as a private in Company D, 4th Virginia Infantry during the American Civil War; he was later promoted to corporal. Hull was captured at the Battle of Spotsylvania, May 12, 1864, and was released on parole from Elmira Prison on March 10, 1865. Returning to Smyth County following the war, Hull married Susan Virginia Copenhaver (1855-1926) on April 3, 1872; the couple would have seven children. In the 1880 federal census for Marion County, Hull is described as a 36-year-old store clerk. In 1904, he was elected mayor of Marion but lost in his reelection bid to John P. Sheffey. The 1910 census describes Hull as a farmer. John N. Hull died at Marion (Smyth County), Virginia on December 28, 1917, and was buried in the town's Round Hill Cemetery.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a single letter written by John N. Hull, a Confederate soldier in Company D, 4th Virginia Infantry during the American Civil War. Written in a camp on the Rapidan River near Orange Court House, Virginia, on November 22, 1863 (or possibly 1862), the letter is addressed to "My Dear Friend, who was apparently a Union sympathizer, for Hull writes, "I thought you yould [sic] be glad to hear from me if I am a Rebel as I bliev [sic] you are hard on them." Hull focuses on his personal attachment to the city of Winchester and of his romantic interests in the city and elsewhere. He also makes note of having recently enjoyed a 50-day medical furlough and mentions an impending review by Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the building of winter quarters. (Given the family names mentioned by Hull, the letter was likely written to Elizabeth Dieffenderfer of Winchester.)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the John N. Hull Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).