The F.B. Kegley Library at Wytheville Community College has published an 84-page softbound book about Smyth County’s 143rd Regiment of Virginia Militia, which covers the years 1832 to the early 1850s. The book is authored by William A. “Bill” Veselik, the Archivist for the Kegley Library.
The 143rd Regiment: Smyth County’s Citizen Militia traces the history of Smyth County’s militia regiment from its origins as an offshoot of Washington County’s 70th Regiment and Wythe County’s 35th Regiment, and includes the names of elected officers and those of enlisted men who were included in militia fines and delinquent/insolvent records preserved in the Library of Virginia. The book also offers a comprehensive index containing the names of all soldiers mentioned in the volume, broken down not only by surname, but by the given names of all soldiers.
“I’ve seen books relating to Washington County and other area militias,” said Veselik, “but I could find no such volume for Smyth County. This book closes that gap for area researchers.” He added that while transcribing names from handwritten militia records was a challenge, piecing together the history of the 143rd Regiment was more problematic. “I had to research not only the records of the Smyth County militia, but also those of the Washington and Wythe County militias in order to clearly present the story of the 143rd.”
Veselik’s own ancestor, Thomas Allen, served in the Smyth County militia, eventually holding the rank of lieutenant colonel prior to his death in 1843. “In fact, my research on Thomas Allen was the impetus for this new book. Having acquired documents from the Library of Virginia relating to the 143rd Regiment, I decided that any genealogists with Smyth County ancestry dating from 1832 to the early 1850s would potentially benefit from such a book.”
The author explained that Virginia militia records generally did not make mention of rank-and-file militiamen. It was compulsory that men between the ages of 17 and 45 served in their county militia. However, most surviving militia records tended to consist only of certifications of the elections of officers. “If your ancestor didn’t hold an officer’s commission,” noted Veselik, “you’d be unlikely to find him in militia records. On the other hand, the documents pertaining to militia fines and their collection contain the names of many, many soldiers who otherwise would have been lost to time.” He added that, mostly commonly, soldiers were fined for infractions such as missing semi-annual militia musters that were called for training purposes.
Veselik acknowledged that literally anyone with an ancestor of the appropriate age could claim that his or her ancestor was a member of the Smyth County militia, “but dedicated genealogists, as a rule, still want to see their forebear’s name in writing within original records. This new book makes that possible.” He added that copies of the original militia documents from which the names in the book were gleaned are available for public review in the Kegley Library’s collection during the library’s regular hours of operation, normally Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The records are also on file at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
All proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Kegley Library Fund at WCC, which supports the purchase of new materials and archival supplies for the Kegley Library. The purchase price of the book is $15. Checks can be made payable to the WCC Educational Foundation with a memo line note that the check is for the “Kegley Fund—Militia Book.” Checks should be mailed to the F.B. Kegley Library, Smyth Hall, 1000 East Main Street, Wytheville VA 24354. Purchasers will receive their copy of the book by mail. Purchases can also be made in person at the WCC Learning Resource Center, Smyth Hall, on the WCC campus in Wytheville.
For additional information, to receive a book order form, or to request directions for purchasing the book online, email the Kegley at [email protected].
