restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations
Confederate Heroes of Brunswick County
Brunswick County, Virginia, lies in the beautiful south-central part of the state on the North Carolina border. The county seat, Lawrenceville, is 64 miles southwest of the state capital in Richmond and 75 miles northeast of Raleigh. The county has three incorporated towns: Lawrenceville, Alberta, and Brodnax. Brunswick County consists of 579 square miles of generally flat or gently rolling land. Elevations range from 150 to 315 feet above sea level. Drainage is provided by the Meherrin, Nottoway, and Roanoke Rivers and their tributaries. Brunswick Countys climate is a moderate climate and the average annual temperature is 57 degrees and the annual average rainfall is 41 inches.
The county was formed in 1720 and named for the House of Brunswick, which had assumed the English throne in 1714. Fort Christanna was the countys first settlement. The county has many historical sites including plantations and gristmills.
Last night in Lawrenceville I had the honor of addressing the Old Brunswick Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in celebration of Confederate History and Heritage Month in Brunswick County. The ceremony was simply a public act of appreciation, a thank you to those who put on the uniform, said goodbye to their wives and children, and marched away from home, some for the last time. It was an acknowledgement that their sacrifice will never be taken for granted.
In 1861, the average age of those who served in the Confederate Army from Brunswick County was 25, and three-quarters had yet to see their thirtieth birthday. It is thought that the youngest soldier was Private Isaac W. Finch who was born in 1849 and was only 11 years old when the war began. He is thought to have served with Colemans Artillery that defended Drewrys Bluff on the James River near Richmond. This was a strategic point, because if they allowed the Union gunboats to proceed up the River they could not only attack the capital but could also provide close cover for land forces attacking at the same time. Eleven confirmed soldiers were born in 1848 and were only 17 when the war ended.
War casualties from these soldiers were extraordinary. Three out of every ten soldiers from Brunswick County perished during the war, and doubtless many who did survive beyond the surrender at Appomattox died prematurely from the lingering effects of illnesses and wounds suffered during that terrible conflict. Nearly 285 veterans lived to be 70 years of age, 120 to 80 years, and 15 to 90 years. More than 370 were still living in 1900 and 225 in 1910. Private James Rawlings Percival, who died in 1937, is the last known Brunswick County veteran to strike the tent.
Unlike so many of us today, these men had backbone. They didnt sit around and talk about injustice, they didnt march in rallies, they didnt fire up their browsers each day and begin surfing the Internet looking for some Holy Grail that would usher in freedom. They simply thought and acted like free Americans.
I thank God for giving the members of the Old Brunswick Camp such a noble heritage and the honor of its defense. May they ever prove themselves worthy of it.
April 17, 2003
David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.