These loose pages, extracted from an orderly book, document service of the 2nd Elite Corps of the Virginia Militia from September to October 1814. Garrisoned in Charles City County, the unit kept records of courts martial, unit orders, and observations of its commander, Colonel Moses Green. The collection also includes a single leaf dated February 1815, with 2nd Virginia Militia Regiment orders from Brigade commander General Robert Porterfield. At the time, the unit was garrisoned at Camp Holly (near New Market) and entries pertain to forage requirements for the regiment's horses, a morning report, the disbanding of the unit, and the distribution of equipment.
The unit's courts martial include cases of drunkenness, fighting, abusing (cursing) other soldiers, disobeying orders, neglect of duty, and riotous behavior. The records include verdicts, punishments, and transcripts of testimony.
The pages include regimental orders in which:
- Colonel Moses Green finds himself "astounded" that regiments have failed to adhere to regulations.
- Increased camp accountability is needed with respect to damage inflicted on nearby private properties, including the burning of wooden fences.
- Soldiers are forbidden from firing a gun within one mile of camp.
- Commanders are liable for reporting all delinquencies under their command.
- Uniformed companies are expected to appear in uniform at all regimental parades.
The final leaf, pertaining to the 2nd Virginia Militia Regiment, contains the following:
- Recto: Two tables. One respecting the foraging needed to feed the regiment's fourteen horses and the second is a morning report of Captain Stevenson on February 17, 1815.
- Verso: Orders from Brigadier-General Robert Porterfield respecting the discharge dates of companies, the sick or injured, relief of guards, and property belonging to the "publick".
Moses Green was born in Culpepper, Virginia, in 1770. He married Frances Richards and served as colonel in the 2nd Elite Corps of the Virginia Militia. Moses Green died in 1857 in Fauquier, Virginia.
Robert Porterfield, son of Charles and Vonie née Miller, was born in Frederick County, Virginia, on February 22, 1752. He married Rebecca Farrar in 1778 and, together, they had four children. The couple bought a farm in Augusta County, Virginia in 1783, naming it "Soldiers Retreat." Porterfield served as captain-lieutenant in the American Revolution and reached the rank of brigadier-general during the War of 1812. He also served as a justice of the peace and a high sheriff. He died at his home on February 13, 1843 and is buried in Staunton, Virginia.
