Hear a side story of history
Bonnie Martland
Special to the Valley NewsJohn Early was a 15-year-old teenager who accompanied his father on a trip to meet his uncle. His father’s brother had agreed to give the young man a job. Young John was a bit nervous but quite excited at the prospect. His parents had engaged a tailor to make John a new and splendid suit of clothes, complete with pleats and ruffles. Coming from a family of all females at home, he had to admit the fairer set had taken care of sewing all his underwear.John’s new suit was a confederate uniform, and young John’s uncle was Jubal A. Early, a major general and division commander in Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. John was to be a courier at his uncle’s headquarters. It was the first week of July 1863, and John was on his