Kinloch

Edward Carter Turner's Civil War Diary and Southern Claims Testimony fascinates and enthralls us because - as a noble Virginian from a storied family tied to the nation's founding - he walked a tragic path. Seven of the first eleven presidents were from Virginia. The Turners moved in these circles and had done so since colonial times. Family relatives include such notable Virginia lines as Beverley, Bland, Bolling, Byrd, Carter, Custis, Fitzhugh, Lee, Randolph, Taliaferro, and Tayloe. The Turner family's affections, loyalties, and politics were inevitably conditioned by their ancestors' and relatives' involvement as colonists and founders of Virginia and the new nation. Thomas Turner IV purchased the land that was to be Kinloch circa 1813 and, shortly after that, built the first house and moved there with his family.   Edward took over the ownership and running of Kinloch Farm in 1839 upon his father's death. Although well-educated, well-connected, and politically active, he was first and foremost a farmer. He kept a farm diary (the genesis of this book) and a book of accounts, necessary for running his 1200-acre farm. He was politically and judicially active and played a leading role in the economic development of Virginia by helping establish the Manassas Gap Railroad. How could he have known that this railroad, his farm and family, his beloved Virginia, and the Union would shortly suffer catastrophe? The division of the Union caused the division of Virginia and countless Virginian families. Indeed, three of Turner's brothers served the Union, two in the Navy and one in the Army, and two sons fought for the Confederacy. His diary (1839–1863) captures the rhythms of Kinloch Farm—weather, crops, and community—until the Civil War's chaos engulfs his world. Caught between Virginia's secession and Union loyalty, Turner's entries reveal a man torn by family, state, and national ties as armies plunder his land. The book's second part details his nine-year Southern Claims Commission struggle for $6,338 in restitution, with more than fifty witnesses, including a formerly enslaved woman and Confederate Colonel John Mosby, testifying to his Union loyalty. Diary and testimony offer dual lenses: Turner's private reflections expose his conflicted heart, while public depositions reveal his actions. Set in Fauquier County, a geographical and ideological battleground, this narrative probes the demands of loyalty during America's darkest hour. Was Turner a Union man or a Virginian at heart? Kinloch challenges readers to weigh the evidence and reflect on a nation divided by slavery, states' rights, and the fight for a more perfect Union.