This is an all too common situation encountered throughout Virginia and many other southern states. What we frequently refer to as "burnt counties" whereas the local records before a given point were lost. Most commonly during the Civil War or by a courthouse fire/flood caused by other means.

Many accounts of county clerks or local sheriff taking what could be hauled out to a safe hidden location in the wake of an invading force. Some survived, some didnt. Some county records totally lost prior to a given date, others may be fragmented depending on what records had been rescued.

At least one account in Virginia whereas the approach of a Federal force caused the local court clerk to try to rescue what he could. Piled up the record books and files till he had a good wagon load, and tried to make his way off to a safe place. Unfortunately he crossed paths with Federal cavalry, who promptly burned his wagon and its contents. Ironicly the Federal force actually bypassed the courthouse village and never touched the courthouse. So what he tried to rescue was lost, what remained left behind survived.

Not all records and documents were systematicly destroyed. Many soldiers would pillage and take off items they might have found on interest as a momento's too. Ive examined the originial register of an old medical school in Virginia. A Wisconsin soldier had stolen it. Later was returned but not before he had used several pages in the back as a doodle book, and drawing pad. All which are still in the book when it was returned. In another case an original 1730 era colonial charter for a county in Central Virginia disappeared after Federal forces had come through the area. Long thought to have been lost. About 20 years or so ago it turned up in some roadside antique store in upstate NY. Apparently a soldier took it cause it looked interesting, and took it back home. Ended up 100+ years later in some antique mart. A visitor there from Virginia recognized what it actually was, purchased it and gave it back to the county. Im sure there are still hoards of documents, papers and interesting long-thought-to-be-lost curios still yet to be re-discovered hidden in trunks and attics, or misidentified in antique collections.

A pain when trying to do research in a given locality, when its original record base had been lost. But not entirely impossible, hense requires much more detailed and time consuming research to locate alternate sources. More difficult but can be done in most cases.

Frederick