James B. Dorman: Scholar, Politician, and Soldier (1823-1893)

Abstract

James Dorman lived seventy years. His years of greatest accomplishment were between 18 and 40. After that point a decline set in. This is not to say his life in the last 30 years was not happy, but merely states the fact, that either, by choice, or by fate he was not in the public eye as much. James B. Dorman was a capable man, his writings and ideas gave evidence of that. It is unfortunate that he suffered along with his countrymen because of the Reconstruction in the South. To look at Dorman is a look at a complex man. A man who was cauaht in a difficult situation which required him to reassess his own involvement in society. James Dorman had contemplated and discussed before the war the problem of secession and slavery, unfortunately he had ideas that were never accepted. I am to look into the life of James B. Dorman, primarily his years between 18 and 40. These are the most documented and the liveliest. His life in Rockbridge County, his life as a VMI cadet and instructor, his adventure in the Mexican War, his involvement in state politics in t he 185 0's, his stand at the Secessionist Convention of Virginia, in 1861, and the sometime, frustrating period as an officer in the Confederate Army, makes James B. Dorman, a man full of experiences and observations. It is i n these experiences that hopefully we will get a picture of a truly unique individual with varied observations and different ideas. [From Introduction]