Josiah J. and George W. Thompson, brothers aged 25 and 24 who farmed in Barbour County, Virginia, enlisted at Philippi on 14 May 1861 in the "Barbour Grays", enrolled by A.G. Reger and Thomas A. Bradford. When on 14 June Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett formed two infantry regiments - the 25th and 31st Virginia - at Huttonsville, the unit was designated Co. H, 31st Virginia Infantry. Its original commander was William L. Jackson. Charged with defending the vital communications links among the hills of northwestern Virginia, General Garnett's green troops were soon in "miserable condition" with almost no ammunition, equipment, blankets or tents. Routed at Rich Mountain, they retreated from Laurel Hill in mid-July and General Garnett was killed. By August only 231 men out of nearly 500 in the 31st Virginia were fit for duty; the rest were unfit through hardship, hunger, exposure and sickness. Even their first success, at Greenbrier River on 3 October, was a costly one for the 31st. Strung out on the extended left flank, the pickets of the regiment's "grand guard" were driven in with 19 casualties, 11 of whom were captured. Among the prisoners was Private Josiah Thompson, who was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio where he was held for more than a year. Desperately ill by the time of his exchange in November 1862, Josiah was admitted to the Confederate General Hospital at Charlottesville, Virginia on 20 January 1863. He died there on 6 February, of "anasarca and acute diarrhea". Josiah Thompson is buried in a marked grave in the Confederate Cemetery at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. After his brother's capture, George Thompson soldiered on and was promoted to Sergeant. The regiment was victorious at Camp Allegheny in December 1861, but its 53 casualties gained it the nickname "Bloody Thirty-First". Forced out of their native portion of the state, the fortunes of the 31st improved dramatically on 8 May 1862 when they were united at McDowell with the army led by Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson; a string of brilliant successes ensued. But George Thompson would not survive the Valley Campaign. On 9 June 1862 at Port Republic the 31st Virginia, led by Colonel John S. Hoffman, was "badly cut up" by artillery and small arms fire from a Federal force under Colonel Samuel S. Carroll after moving to an exposed position in support of Charles S. Winder's brigade. Here the regiment suffered 97 casualties, including 14 killed. Among the dead was Sergeant George W. Thompson. His remains are most likely in an unmarked grave, either at Port Republic or in the mass Confederate grave at Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. The period image shows Port Republic, Virginia in 1912.