Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

The Captain Harvey Alexander Wallace Civil War manuscript collection is a virtual window in time that allows the reader to step through and share the lives of a Confederate soldier, his family, and extended family through the course of the entire war. The collection gives a complete story that places the reader there with Captain Wallace and his family, and beside the soldiers who served with him from South Carolina and Texas. The story unfolds as if on a movie screen, with the characters recording their thoughts, feelings, and emotions as if they were speaking directly to the reader. Wallace's letters, journals, and diary relate a nearly complete history of the infantry company that he recruited, trained, and led after his relocation to Texas from York District, South Carolina. As a result, Wallace's Company-H, 19th Texas Infantry, Walker's Texas Division, can be considered one of the most chronicled Texas infantry units of the Trans-Mississippi. Captain Wallace also records his service with the Catawba Light Infantry of York District, South Carolina, and the history of its early service as Company-H, 5th South Carolina Infantry. The breadth of the collection and depth of personal content give this work its uniqueness. The surviving transcribed manuscripts consist of 109 personal letters, three journals, a prison diary, a descriptive muster roll, and a casualty list. Numerous editorial footnotes provide additional background, biographical, and genealogical information. Photographs, muster rolls, an extensive bibliography, and a name index are also included. Stephen Skelton is a research historian and historical consultant specializing in local, Texas, U. S. military, and U. S. Civil War history. Steve is a Texas Civil War unit consultant with the University of Tennessee's Civil War Units File Project and has consulted on various research, writing, and genealogical projects. He also has extensive experience in historic site research and investigation, as well as artifact recovery and preservation.