Luther K. Justis first served as Lt. in the company of the 20th Va. Infantry from Powhatan Co. I assume he was in the debacle at Rich Mountain since his unit was there. That regiment was disbanded and he next shows up as a Captain commanding a company in the 3rd Va. Lt. Artillery (local defense). That unit was also broken up and some members went, for a time, to the 28th Va. Inf. Battalion. Official records do not show Capt. Justis as belonging to that unit but rather as Captain in a company of the 59th Va. Infantry. The 59th was apparently part of the command of former Gov. Henry A. Wise. Wise was apparently a "political" general and not highly regarded as a soldier. I assume it's for this reason that his forces served in backwater areas for most of the war following the disaster at Roanoke Island.

Sometime in late '63 or early '64, Luther left the 59th as he shows up next as a private in the 1st Va. Cavalry. During this time he also found time to marry Miss Laura Mildred Robertson of Crewe in Nottoway Co. He fought in the valley and lost a horse at Cedar Creek in November '64. The Confederate government allowed him $3,800 for what was either one super horse or some very worthless currency. He was captured at Amelia Springs during the retreat and spent three months at Pt. Lookout.

I won't go into much of his post-war life here since most doesn't relate to the war but my dad told me that he would not wear blue and that he hated yankees for the rest of his life. He also remarried a much younger woman following the death of his wife in the 1890's. He and "Aunt" Bert would attend confederate reunions in Richmond and, when introduced as his daughter, she would with feigned indignity, proudly announce that she had the privilege of being the Captain's wife - not his daughter.

My interest in making the post is the hope that someone may be able to elaborate on why he moved backwards through the ranks. He must have been a good loyal soldier as witnessed by, among other things, the notation "good man" beside his name in the roster of his company in the 1st Va.

Mike Lee
Lynchburg, Va.