William was born to a Welsh father and Irish mother, and was named after his uncle, a Welsh poet and radical social progressive who fought to preserve the Welsh language. William had an early love of writing, especially poetry, but was pulled from school at a young age and apprenticed to William Clemmitt, a printer in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom.
William Jones was mustered into service in Crenshaw's Battery in Pegram's Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery, on 14 March 1862. He participated in the battles of Seven Pines at Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville at Beaver Dam Creek, Gaines' Mill, Cedar Run, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg, between March and December 1862, the period covered by his diary. He returned to Richmond, where he first married Florence Smith, who died shortly thereafter. On 14 May 1874 he married Florence's younger sister Ella Cordelia Smith. By then he had gone back into the printing and binding business with Clemmit under the name "Clemmit & Jones". Active in veterans' activities, William became the printer of record for the Virginia Historical Society and other organizations. He was survived by his wife and their three sons, F. Ellis Jones, Fairfax Courtney Jones, and Thomas Grayson Jones.
His war diary is in the William M. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. It is contained in a single volume and covers the period of Jones' service in the Confederate States Army between 14 March and 31 December 1862. Jones apparently found the mostly-blank book on the battlefield at the Gaines' Mill. It had previously belonged to a Union Soldier named William Daugherty.
Jones' record begins when he was mustered into service and contains brief but extremely rich daily entries describing morale among Confederates, the intensity of battle, and frequent illnesses and deaths. Jones also described receiving medical treatment for several health problems, the execution of deserters, and meeting Stonewall Jackson.
William Jones was mustered into service in Crenshaw's Battery in Pegram's Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery, on 14 March 1862. He participated in the battles of Seven Pines at Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville at Beaver Dam Creek, Gaines' Mill, Cedar Run, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg, between March and December 1862, the period covered by his diary. He returned to Richmond, where he first married Florence Smith, who died shortly thereafter. On 14 May 1874 he married Florence's younger sister Ella Cordelia Smith. By then he had gone back into the printing and binding business with Clemmit under the name "Clemmit & Jones". Active in veterans' activities, William became the printer of record for the Virginia Historical Society and other organizations. He was survived by his wife and their three sons, F. Ellis Jones, Fairfax Courtney Jones, and Thomas Grayson Jones.
His war diary is in the William M. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. It is contained in a single volume and covers the period of Jones' service in the Confederate States Army between 14 March and 31 December 1862. Jones apparently found the mostly-blank book on the battlefield at the Gaines' Mill. It had previously belonged to a Union Soldier named William Daugherty.
Jones' record begins when he was mustered into service and contains brief but extremely rich daily entries describing morale among Confederates, the intensity of battle, and frequent illnesses and deaths. Jones also described receiving medical treatment for several health problems, the execution of deserters, and meeting Stonewall Jackson.
William was born to a Welsh father and Irish mother, and was named after his uncle, a Welsh poet and radical social progressive who fought to preserve the Welsh language. William had an early love of writing, especially poetry, but was pulled from school at a young age and apprenticed to William Clemmitt, a printer in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom.
William Jones was mustered into service in Crenshaw's Battery in Pegram's Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery, on 14 March 1862. He participated in the battles of Seven Pines at Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville at Beaver Dam Creek, Gaines' Mill, Cedar Run, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg, between March and December 1862, the period covered by his diary. He returned to Richmond, where he first married Florence Smith, who died shortly thereafter. On 14 May 1874 he married Florence's younger sister Ella Cordelia Smith. By then he had gone back into the printing and binding business with Clemmit under the name "Clemmit & Jones". Active in veterans' activities, William became the printer of record for the Virginia Historical Society and other organizations. He was survived by his wife and their three sons, F. Ellis Jones, Fairfax Courtney Jones, and Thomas Grayson Jones.
His war diary is in the William M. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. It is contained in a single volume and covers the period of Jones' service in the Confederate States Army between 14 March and 31 December 1862. Jones apparently found the mostly-blank book on the battlefield at the Gaines' Mill. It had previously belonged to a Union Soldier named William Daugherty.
Jones' record begins when he was mustered into service and contains brief but extremely rich daily entries describing morale among Confederates, the intensity of battle, and frequent illnesses and deaths. Jones also described receiving medical treatment for several health problems, the execution of deserters, and meeting Stonewall Jackson.
William Jones was mustered into service in Crenshaw's Battery in Pegram's Battalion, Virginia Light Artillery, on 14 March 1862. He participated in the battles of Seven Pines at Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville at Beaver Dam Creek, Gaines' Mill, Cedar Run, Groveton, Second Bull Run, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg, between March and December 1862, the period covered by his diary. He returned to Richmond, where he first married Florence Smith, who died shortly thereafter. On 14 May 1874 he married Florence's younger sister Ella Cordelia Smith. By then he had gone back into the printing and binding business with Clemmit under the name "Clemmit & Jones". Active in veterans' activities, William became the printer of record for the Virginia Historical Society and other organizations. He was survived by his wife and their three sons, F. Ellis Jones, Fairfax Courtney Jones, and Thomas Grayson Jones.
His war diary is in the William M. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. It is contained in a single volume and covers the period of Jones' service in the Confederate States Army between 14 March and 31 December 1862. Jones apparently found the mostly-blank book on the battlefield at the Gaines' Mill. It had previously belonged to a Union Soldier named William Daugherty.
Jones' record begins when he was mustered into service and contains brief but extremely rich daily entries describing morale among Confederates, the intensity of battle, and frequent illnesses and deaths. Jones also described receiving medical treatment for several health problems, the execution of deserters, and meeting Stonewall Jackson.
