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Tragedy in the Shenandoah Valley: The Story of the Summers-Koontz Execution
Try to meet me in Heaven where I hope to go. These poignant words were written in the summer of 1865 by twenty-year-old Confederate Sergeant Isaac Newton Koontz, in a letter he penned for his fiancée just hours before his death at the hands of Union firing squad in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The execution of Koontz and Captain George Summers came after the surrender at Appomattox Court House, and remains one of the most tragic yet little-known events of the Civil War.
One month prior to kneeling on the hard ground to face their deaths, Koontz and Summers, along with four other Confederate soldiers, stole horses from a Union troop stationed near their home. Soon after the theft, the young men--remorseful and goaded by their fathers to uphold their honor--returned the horses and were offered a pardon by Union Colonel Francis Butterfield. The rebs returned home, free of mind and clean of conscious. All had been forgiven. Or so they thought. As the sun crept over the horizon on June 27, 1865, Union soldiers--under new command--swarmed the family homes of Summers and Koontz in a swift raid and arrested the two bewildered men. They were told that their pardons were no longer valid, and later that same day they were tied to a stake and shot with Union muskets--no trial, no judge, no jury. Before their deaths, Summers and Koontz were allowed to write farewell letters to their loved ones, and these heartrending documents serve as the basis for Robert Moore's insightful recounting of the Summers-Koontz execution. An experienced Civil War writer and a direct descendent of Koontz's fiancée, Moore brings this shocking story to life with a clarity that will appeal to Civil War experts and enthusiasts alike. Exhaustively researched and well written, Tragedy in the Shenandoah Valley tells one of the great and largely untold stories of the Civil War.
One month prior to kneeling on the hard ground to face their deaths, Koontz and Summers, along with four other Confederate soldiers, stole horses from a Union troop stationed near their home. Soon after the theft, the young men--remorseful and goaded by their fathers to uphold their honor--returned the horses and were offered a pardon by Union Colonel Francis Butterfield. The rebs returned home, free of mind and clean of conscious. All had been forgiven. Or so they thought. As the sun crept over the horizon on June 27, 1865, Union soldiers--under new command--swarmed the family homes of Summers and Koontz in a swift raid and arrested the two bewildered men. They were told that their pardons were no longer valid, and later that same day they were tied to a stake and shot with Union muskets--no trial, no judge, no jury. Before their deaths, Summers and Koontz were allowed to write farewell letters to their loved ones, and these heartrending documents serve as the basis for Robert Moore's insightful recounting of the Summers-Koontz execution. An experienced Civil War writer and a direct descendent of Koontz's fiancée, Moore brings this shocking story to life with a clarity that will appeal to Civil War experts and enthusiasts alike. Exhaustively researched and well written, Tragedy in the Shenandoah Valley tells one of the great and largely untold stories of the Civil War.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 10, 2019
A sad post-script to the Civil War. This was a short book, apparently written by a local historian, that details the execution of two Virginians in July 1865 for the theft of a few horses from some Union troops. They had quickly returned them at the urging of their fathers and were pardoned by the colonel in charge of the local troops and gone home to resume their lives. A month later, events conspired to result in the arrest and summary execution of these 2 young men without even a trial.
This was a straightforward retelling of events. I think in the hands of a more accomplished author this might have been (and still could be) a truly heart-wrenching story. 21 year old Sgt Koontz writes his fiancee a letter just prior to his execution and implores her to meet him in Heaven 'where I hope to go.' The other young man, Captain George Summers, also wrote a letter to his family and tries to console them. It was so unnecessary, and I'm sure, one of many miscarriages of justice on both sides. All in all, an interesting read on a relatively unknown event after the end of the Civil War.
This was a straightforward retelling of events. I think in the hands of a more accomplished author this might have been (and still could be) a truly heart-wrenching story. 21 year old Sgt Koontz writes his fiancee a letter just prior to his execution and implores her to meet him in Heaven 'where I hope to go.' The other young man, Captain George Summers, also wrote a letter to his family and tries to console them. It was so unnecessary, and I'm sure, one of many miscarriages of justice on both sides. All in all, an interesting read on a relatively unknown event after the end of the Civil War.
March 23, 2020
Great civil war story.
Having seen the monument on a tour of the Shenandoah valley I had wondered what the underlying story was. This book tells that story and also gives insight into the local community and the events and attitudes that prevailed just after the surrender at Appomattox. Very worthwhile.
Having seen the monument on a tour of the Shenandoah valley I had wondered what the underlying story was. This book tells that story and also gives insight into the local community and the events and attitudes that prevailed just after the surrender at Appomattox. Very worthwhile.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews