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Preferred Citation

Edward S. Hutter diary, 1858. MS 0013. VMI Archives, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

Edward Sixtus Hutter was born on September 18, 1839 at the family home, Sanduskey [Sandusky], near Lynchburg, Virginia. He was the son of George Christian Hutter, a United States Army officer, and Harriet Risque. Hutter enrolled at VMI in 1856 and graduated in 1859, standing 5th out of 29 graduates. He subsequently read law with Judge John Brockenbrough in Lexington, Virginia and then continued his legal education at the University of Virginia. While at the University (1860-1861) he was Captain of a local militia unit known as Captain E. S. Hutter's company (Southern Guards).

When the Civil War began in the Spring of 1861, Hutter's company served briefly at Harpers's Ferry until the unit was disbanded on May 8, 1861. Hutter was then appointed 1st Lieutenant in the Provisional Army of Virginia and went on to serve in various capacities throughout the war. Among other duties, he was an aide to General J. E. B. Stuart, served in Captain W. H. Otey's Company of Virginia Light Artillery, and commanded the Danville (Virginia) Arsenal. At war's end he held the rank of Major.

After the Civil War, Hutter was in the insurance business and worked as a civil engineer. He married Nannie Langhorne of Lynchburg on December 19, 1861 and the couple had thirteen children. Hutter died at the home of one of his sons at Pittsville, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, on June 23, 1904, and his body was returned to Lynchburg for burial.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the one volume diary of VMI cadet Edward S. Hutter and covers the period between January to December 1858. The earliest entries were written while Hutter was on sick leave and contain mostly family references. Later entries mention VMI faculty members, friends, the Society of Cadets (a student debating club), room occupants, infractions noted while on Guard Duty, and other aspects of cadet life.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Diaries
• Virginia Military Institute—Cadet life—1850-1859
• Virginia Military Institute—Cadet literary societies
• Virginia Military Institute—Class of 1859
• Virginia Military Institute—Faculty—Anecdotes

Excerpts from VMI Diary Entries

March 20th - April 2, 1858 Ma woke R. [Edward S. Hutter's brother, Risque, VMI Class of 1860] & myself early this morning, so after getting up, dressing & bidding all good bye we got into the carriage, & were soon out of sight of Sandusky. I felt badly all day & have a very bad cold. We got to the boat landing in good time & at half past six the bell tolled for us to push off, our hilly city gradually disappeared behind the hills which encompass it. We had a tolerably pleasant ride up & got in sight of Barracks just about sundown. R & I walked down to Barracks immediately & took all in No. 50 (Barracks room number 50) completely by surprise. I have seen nearly all the fellows & feeling rather badly will go to bed early.

Here I am again at this miserable place. I find myself this morning beautifully spotted with the measles & have been in bed all day eating nothing and thinking of nothing but home. I really think I am the most unfortunate fellow in existence, just the idea of being laid up again the first day of my visit to this place. I would give oceans to be at home. There is a great deal of sickness in the corps. The Hospital is crowded. I never felt as badly in my life.

For the first time in some time, I visited the Mess Hall this morning at Breakfast The fare looked no more inviting than it did of old, consisting of plain corn bread, Goshen butter, & coffee.

Did not go to delightful reveille this morning, but laid in bed & listened to the charming strains of martial music. The soul stirring drum in the hands of Dick Staples & the ear piercing fife tooled by Pete Banker.

I attended recitation today without reciting although I feel very badly I become more & more disgusted every day & want to get home.... Went in to Major Jackson & was not remarkably well entertained the hour & half that he kept us in....Gil (Professor of Chemistry William Gilham) and Chenoweth and I made a galvanic battery. All the section took shocks & I never laughed as much in my life.