Camp MP-3, Chancellorsville (National Park Service)

     When Franklin Roosevelt became President in March 1933, the United States was in a bad way. The Great Depression was by then in its fourth year--hundreds of banks had failed, farms across the country had been foreclosed, unemployment remained at staggering levels and millions of Americans were receiving some sort of public assistance. The new administration felt a great sense of urgency to implement a series of programs to provide work and help alleviate the suffering and despair of the people.
     One such program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, was considered by many to be the most successful of these government initiatives. During its nine-year life, 1933-1942, the CCC provided employment to 3,000,000 Americans (including 200,000 black Americans who served in segregated companies commanded by whites). During the CCC years, "enrollees planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed trails, roads, bridges, lodges and related facilities in more than 800 national parks and also upgraded state parks, updated forest fighting methods and built a network of service buildings and roadways in remote areas" (Wikipedia).
     The emergency Conservation Work Act was submitted to Congress by the new administration on March 21, 1933 and was enacted into law by voice vote on March 31. In conformance with the new law, President Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps on April 5 by Executive Order 6101.
     The CCC was managed by four cabinet-level departments: Labor, which recruited the enrollees; War, which operated the camps; and Agriculture and Interior, which organized and supervised the work projects. CCC enrollees were young men, age 18-25 (later expanded to include 17-28 year olds), who were unemployed, unmarried and whose families were frequently on relief. Enrollees signed up for six month enlistments. They worked six days a week and were paid $30 dollars per month, $22-$25 of which was sent to their families. These young men were organized into companies of up to 200 individuals, and one company would be assigned to each camp. Depending on the length of an ongoing project, several companies could be rotated into the camp until the work was done.
     A military commander from the Army Reserves supervised the activities of the enrollees in the camps. The park superintendents coordinated all the work projects, and the camp superintendents organized the daily work regimen. The enrollees received educational and religious instruction, and each camp maintained a small library.
     Three CCC camps were set up in Spotsylvania at the newly established national military parks: MP-1 at the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield; MP-3 at Chancellorsville (which also serviced Fredericksburg); and MP-4 at the Wilderness. "They cleared the vistas, built the trails, built the bridges, landscaped the road sides, applied seed and sod to eroded earthworks and trenches, built picnic areas and reconstructed a missing section of the famous stone wall at Fredericksburg" (Eric Mink, Civilian Conservation Corps at Chancellorsville).
     The local CCC camps published monthly newsletters for the benefit of the enrollees. These were "Out of the Wilderness,""The Battlefield News" and "The Blowout." The surviving editions of these news letters can be found online at Virginia Chronicle. For a flavor of what these publications were like, here are a few pages from the June 1939 edition of "The Battlefield News:"

(Virginia Chronicle)

(Virginia Chronicle)

(Virginia Chronicle)

(Virginia Chronicle)

(Virginia Chronicle)

     Eric Mink, historian with the National Park Service, shared with me several documents relating to the local CCC. This is a schedule of classes held at the Chancellorsville camp:

Camp MP-3, June 7, 1939 (National Park Service)

     These three documents list the salaried employees of the local CCC camps and their pay rates (once the CCC completed its work at Chancellorsville, its designation changed from MP-3 to NP-11):

Camp MP-1, August 23, 1934 (National Park Service)

    

Camp MP-3, November 20, 1936 (National Park Service)

    

Camp NP-11, May 6, 1941 (National Park Service)

     I have been able to put together a little information about several of the men listed in these papers. Here is some background on these salaried employees of the CCC:

William Key Howard (Ancestry)

     William Key Howard (1904-1981) was the camp superintendent, and later park superintendent, at Chancellorsville. William was a descendant of Francis Scott Key, and a brother-in-law of Spotsylvania clerk of court, Cary Crismond. His grandfather (1829-1899), for whom he was named, was born in Baltimore and served in the 1st Maryland Infantry (Confederate) until it was disbanded. He then joined the 4th Virginia Cavalry. He was captured in 1864 and spent the rest of the war in federal prison. After the Civil War, the elder William Key Howard bought Kenmore, and his family lived there for many years. The grandmother of the park superintendent was Clara Haxall Randolph (1831-1913). During the Civil War, she served as a Confederate spy who smuggled arms, letters and medicines from Maryland into Virginia. She was also captured in 1864 and spent the rest of the war in federal custody.
     Superintendent Howard's uncle, William Key Howard, Jr., spent a year repairing the artistic plaster ceiling at Kenmore damaged during the Battle of Fredericksburg. A video about his work at Kenmore is well worth your time and can be viewed at Saving Kenmore's Ceilings.

Alphonzo Apperson (Vickie Neely)

     Alphonzo Apperson (1875-1960) of Orange County served as a foreman both at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House camps (the foremen managed work crews of 40-50 men). He was a nephew of Dr. John Samuel Apperson, about whom I recently wrote.

John Henry Apperson with his father, Eli (Vickie Neely)

     Alphonzo's brother, John Henry Apperson (1885-1964), was a blacksmith by trade. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, John and his brother, Bernard, undertook many blacksmithing jobs in the region utilizing their portable smithy, shown here:

John Apperson and his portable blacksmith shop (Vickie Neely)

     John was selected for the salaried job as blacksmith upon the CCC's arrival in Spotsylvania. He first worked at the camp at Spotsylvania Court House, and later at Chancellorsville. Among his duties were maintaining the tools used by the enrollees and fabricating hardware for the signs in the new military parks. He also held classes in blacksmithing.

John Henry Apperson at his forge (Vickie Neely)

     John routinely brought CCC enrollees to his home near Parker in western Spotsylvania County so that they could enjoy a home-cooked meal. Among these young men befriended by John was Charles Dixon Pierro (1908-1982), a self-described commercial artist. Originally from Ohio, Charles came to Fredericksburg as a young man and remained in the area for the rest of his life. At some point during his friendship with John Henry Apperson, Charles helped himself to one of the signs in the camp and painted on it the scene above showing John at work in his shop. Charles Dixon Pierro evidently led a colorful life. On his World War II draft registration card, he listed his distinguishing marks as "Left arm tattooed--Bullet hole through chest."

Florence Apperson and George Elliott May (Vickie Neely)

     Another CCC visitor to the Apperson home was George Elliott May (1909-1980), a welder and mechanic from Norfolk. George was the salaried mechanic for the camps. George and John Henry Apperson's daughter, Florence, took a liking to each other and got married. The photograph below, showing George May's work space, appears in John Cummings' book, Images of America: Spotsylvania County. The caption reads: "This photograph shows the interior of the vehicle maintenance garage. Senior project superintendent William K. Howard reported, 'Mechanic May is kept continuously busy on repairs of trucks of the three camps, being assisted by Mechanic Beasley from Camp MP-4.'"

Vehicle maintenance garage, 1935 (National Park Service)

     There were two other salaried foremen from Spotsylvania that I would like to mention here. George Day Stephens, Sr., was a grandson of Reverend Melzi Sanford Chancellor. Frederick Lee Parker (1895-1980) was a son of Frank and Wilhelmina Parker, who owned the general store (and one-time stop on the Potomac, Fredericksburg & Piedmont Railroad) on Brock Road where Wilhelmina served as postmistress 1895-1940.

Jodie, Sue and Day Stephens (Donald Colvin)

Fred Parker (Donald Colvin)

Camp P-69 (National Park Service)

     A fourth camp, P-69--known as Camp MacArthur--was set up on property rented from the Payne family. On the map above, Camp Malcom MacArthur can be seen at the bottom of the image on Catharpin Road near its intersection with Stewart Road. Frank Payne's store can be seen at right, at Catharpin and Piney Branch roads. Unlike the other CCC camps in Spotsylvania, Camp MacArthur was not involved in the work at the nearby military parks. As stated in John Cummings's book, "The P-69 camp concentrated its energies on the surrounding rural needs such as fire lanes and trails...The Commonwealth of Virginia administered P-69."

Frank Payne (Donald Colvin)

Freemond Payne (Donald Colvin)

Amanda Kennedy Payne and Lottie Kent Payne (Donald Colvin)

     Thomas Pearson Payne (1852-1934) once owned much of the land on Catharpin Road between Piney Branch and Stewart roads. By the time the CCC established Camp MacArthur, Thomas' sons Freemond and Frank were living on the north side of Catharpin near Stewart. Both Freemond and Frank farmed their property, and Frank also operated a saw mill business.

Camp MacArthur (Donald Colvin)

    

     In the photograph above, Camp MacArthur stands along the north side of Catharpin Road. In the right foreground is the drive that led to Frank and Lottie Payne's property. Just beyond the tents, out of view of the camera, is the home where Freemond and Amanda Payne lived with their children.

House of Freemond and Amanda Payne (Donald Colvin)

     Also not seen in the camp picture above, just before the drive leading to Frank and Lottie's house, was what would become Sonny Davis' Garage, which began as the motor pool for the camp. A mess hall, built to serve the enrollees, can be seen in the two pictures below. The bicyclists in the second photo are Freemond and Amanda's son, Carey, and CCC worker, Charlie Rogers.

Camp MacArthur mess hall under construction (Donald Colvin)

Carey Payne and Charlie Rogers at mess hall (Donald Colvin)

     Below are images of an unidentified officer beside a truck, and a group of CCC workers in front of one of the tents.

(Donald Colvin)

(Donald Colvin)

     According to Eric's Mink article on the CCC at Chancellorsville, Camp P-69 was staffed in June 1934 by Company 1363, which had spent the previous month at MP-3. This company was comprised of 207 veterans of the First World War. Company 1363 apparently spent a short time at Camp MacArthur before being rotated back to Chancellorsville. I do not know which companies may have stayed at Camp MacArthur before or after Company 1363.
     After the CCC left, Frank Payne made use of the camp's boiler at his saw mill. The mess hall was used by the Payne brothers to host dances. Lottie and Amanda used to prepare food that was sold at these get-togethers. A third Payne brother, Ashby, played fiddle and called tunes at these dances.

Ashby Payne

     I am told that the posts along Catharpin Road where the tents had been pitched remained in place for decades after the CCC era, and that as late as the 1950s locals would use them to hitch their horses. In the years after the camp picture was taken, three houses were built where the tents once stood, namely, those of Joe and Margaret Harding, Elton and Lucille Jones, and Embrey and Isadora Payne.


My thanks to Vickie Neely, Donald Colvin, Eric Mink and John Cummings for their assistance.

Sources:

- John Cummings, Images of America: Spotsylvania County. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston: SC, 2011.

-Eric Mink:
     Civilian Conservation Corps at Chancellorsville
     A Camp in the Wilderness: Civilian Conservation Corps Camp MP-4

- National Park Service: The National Park Service Camps

- Wikipedia: Civilian Conservation Corps



    
    

Nan Row (Ellen Apperson Brown)

First and last pages of Nan Row's letter (Ellen Apperson Brown)

     Recently I had the privilege of meeting with author and historian, Ellen Apperson Brown. She shared with me a number of rare photographs of people related to my family, as well as some very interesting papers.
     Among these papers was a letter written from Greenfield farm in Spotsylvania by my great-grandfather's sister, Nan Row, dated January 28, 1866. It is addressed to her older sister, Martha Row Williams, who at the time was living in Richmond with her husband, James Tompkins Williams, and their children. Until the end of the Civil War, James had been a partner in the firm of Tardy & Williams, commission merchants. In 1867, James and Martha would move to Lynchburg, James' home town.

Martha Row Williams (Ellen Apperson Brown)

James Tompkins Williams (Ellen Apperson Brown)

     Much of this letter is devoted to news regarding people who were part of the Row orbit. Nan writes of the events of their lives, both hopeful and tragic, just months after the end of the Civil War. So join me, won't you, as we catch up on the local news from 151 years ago.

Nancy Estes Row, Nan's mother (Ellen Apperson Brown)

Greenfield Jan. 28th--66
Dear Sister
     
     Your last letter has been received, and as there will probably be a chance to town this week I write a few lines tonight to let you hear from us. This leaves us all well, & hope it finds you all the same, I hope you have gotten through with the diseases now, as mumps is harder to catch than any other. I wish I could be with you for the next six weeks, but I would not like to leave Mother so long at this season except in an emergency. I wish you could be with us while you are sick but I suppose that cannot be: could you not get Annie Seay [1] to come down she is such a good house keeper, & then it would suit her, & Tip [2] so well to be together. As you would like to look into Mother's supplies I will give you a rough inventory of them, fifteen hogs, & one beef, plenty of corn, one peck of flour, some irish potatoes, peas & beans a few cabbage, 20 gallons sorghum, 7 lbs coffee, half bushel rye, 5 lbs sugar, two of rice, two of cheese, milk & butter for family use, some dried fruit so though you can see we cannot have biscuits & pies we are not starving by any means; we have six lbs of butter that we have made since we have been over here for sale & two doz eggs that we will sell to help pay taxes, if we were only out of debt I would feel right rich, but am always thinking about what we owe, if Uncle Nathan would get the thousand dollars from Mo. that is waiting for us there in Wm Beazley's hands for us all, it would put us above the world [3], & I hope we get it soon, I do not see where there would be any difficulty in sending through the Banks as they are all alike; we have had two letters from Mo [4], all alive & well out there, Uncle B's [[5] boys were not in the army, but they treated him badly on account of his secession sympathy, his youngest daughter Mollie is married to Mr Parks, a merchant in Columbia, money is plentiful & things prospering out there. Uncle George [6] is still alive, & living in Cincinnati. Cousin William Kale's [7] wife is dead, had typhoid fever & Cousin W was taken away at the time, & they think that killed her; his youngest child is named Jeff Davis [8], he lost a great deal, but has something laid by for a rainy day, he must be better off than any of the rest of us. All of Aunt Sarah's [9] negroes have left, & Rich [10] was cooking last week & waiting on her; they have not been able to get a woman yet to do their house work: Ed [11] has rented Cousin Rachel's [12] land & I reckon will live in the house with them, Buck is at Uncle Nathan's; Uncle N had a notice served on him two weeks ago by a raiding party, he let them know he would invite his own guests, so none came but Mr. Moore & his wife, & they spent the night, he had made some preparation thinking some would come, it is said he will give a large party soon, I don't know as I have not seen any of them, or had a letter from Kate, Jane died of consumption two weeks ago, I do not know what will become of her children, they were expecting John to come after Jane, & his children, but there were several he would not take of hers. Julia Chartters [13] had her house burnt down before Christmas with everything she had but two beds, did not have a suit of clothes, all of her provisions were in the house, it is thought to have caught from a stove pipe, she is living in the kitchen & the neighbors were to have gone last week to put another room to it for her, we have sent her two pieces of meat & a bag of clothes for herself, & children, I do feel so sorry for her, her boys had worked so hard & made 50 barrels of corn, & she had several hogs, & bid fair to live more comfortably than she had done for years, I reckon everybody around here will help her some. Xanthus Chartters [14] was married in Dec, to a Miss Montague of Essex, he has rented a farm down there, his Father & Mother are living at Sam King's place, she has been quite sick. Mrs. Walker and Mrs. George King [15] are dead & that is the reason of Mrs. Warren & Mollie being in mourning, it is said that William Warren had Yankees boarding in his house ever since the surrender, & Mollie walks out with Yankee beaux but Nannie won't do it. Maria Dobyns [16] will soon be married to Mr. Roane, a young Baptist preacher, he has been called to Mt. Hermon, & probably New Hope. The marrying fever is raging in Uncle Elhanon's [17] neighborhood, Mr. Chancellor [18] married three couples last week, it is very fatal among the Tinders & their kinfolks. Do you ever hear from Elhanon? We have not seen or heard particularly from any of them since they moved home. Wm Stephens [19] has gone to Texas to get a legacy left to his Father by his brother who died out there, will be gone several months. Sallie Stephens & John Scott are both dead, & Mrs S is in great distress, old Mrs. S is also dead, & the old man & Bettie live over there with her.
Let us hear from you every chance & get Cousin S to write when you can't. All send love. Your sister, Nan


Notes:

[1] Annie Price Seay (1845-1919) was a daughter of Lynchburg pharmacist John Henry Seay and Martha Row Williams' sister-in-law, Elvira Williams. Annie married Tipton Davis Jennings, Jr. in 1868. In the Seay family photo below, Annie Seay is likely the woman seated second from left.

Seay family of Lynchburg (Ellen Apperson Brown)

[2] Lynchburg native Tipton Davis Jennings, Jr., (1841-1915) fought with the 11th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War, and was a business partner with James T. Williams both in Richmond and in Lynchburg. He later served 17 years in the House of Delegates.

Tipton Davis Jennings, Jr., 1901 (Library of Virginia)

[3] Jonathan "Nathan" Johnson (1803-1873), wealthy Spotsylvania farmer who was married to Sarah Estes, a sister of Nancy Estes Row. Nathan assisted Nancy and her son, George Washington Estes Row, in getting the legacies willed to them by Nancy's brother, Richard, who had died in Missouri in 1856. That money was being held in trust by William Beazley, with whom Richard shared a farm.
I have written about Nathan Johnson twice: Walnut Grove and "It sure looks like starvation".

[4] During the 1820s, three of Nancy Estes Row's brothers moved to Boone County, Missouri: Ambrose, Richard and Berkley Estes. Among their other activities, they contributed land and money to establish the University of Missouri in Columbia.

[5] Berkley Estes (1797-1869), about whom I have written at: Berkley Estes.

[6] George Washington Estes (1801-after 1880), younger brother of Nancy Estes Row who lived most of his adult life in Kentucky. Nancy's only son was named for him.

[7] William E. Kale was a son of Nancy Estes Row's sister, Catherine, and Fredericksburg merchant Anthony Kale. William and his wife, Susan Ware, moved to Kentucky, where she died in 1864. The Kales were very interesting people; here is my article about them--The Kales of Fredericksburg.

[8] Jeff Davis Kale (1863-1886) was one of seven children born to William and Susan Kale in Kentucky. All but two died during the 1870s and 1880s.

Jefferson Davis Kale (Polk County Museum)

[9] Sarah Estes Johnson (1804-1869), younger sister of Nancy Estes Row. Sarah was married to Nathan Johnson's brother, Marshall Johnson.

Sarah Estes Johnson (Kerry Sears)

[10] Marshall and Sarah Johnson's son, Richard Jonathan Johnson (1844-1908) served in the Confederate artillery during the Civil War. He and his family moved to Boone County, Missouri by 1884.

Richard Jonathan Johnson (Kerry Sears)

[11] Edgar Marshall Johnson (1839-1909), brother of Richard Jonathan Johnson.

[12] Rachel Keeling Row Farish (1819-1892) was the daughter of Nannie Row's uncle, Carlton Row. Rachel was orphaned  when her parents were murdered by their slaves in 1820. Rachel was the widow of Caroline County farmer, Charles Tod Farish.

[13] Julia Decastro Chancellor (1825-1904) was a daughter of Sanford Chancellor and Francis Longwill Pound. She was the widow of Thomas Chartters, who died in 1862 while serving with the 7th Virginia Cavalry.

Julia Chartters (Ancestry)

[14] The elaborately named Xanthus Xuthus Chartters was a son of James Pettigrew Chartters (brother of Thomas Chartters) and Susan Philips Chancellor. X X Chartters served in the 30th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. He was an early supporter of the Grange, a farmer advocacy organization, and became a part of its national leadership. X X inherited his father's farm, "Clifton," on Old Plank Road. That farm was later owned by the Thorburn family. X X Chartters married Evelyn Wortley Montague on December 14, 1865.

[15] Susan Warren King, wife of George Phillips King, Sr., died on July 23, 1865. Her father was William Warren, and I presume Mollie and Nannie Warren were her sisters.

[16] Maria Lindsey Dobyns (1840-1914) was a friend and neighbor of Nannie Row. She lived at her family's farm, Oakley, adjacent to Greenfield. In June 1864, Maria wrote what is now a famous letter to Nan Row describing attack by United States forces on Oakley during the Battle of the Wilderness. This was a topic of one of my posts: The Letter from Maria Dobyns.

Maria Lindsey Dobyns (Wesley Pippenger)

[17] Elhanon Row (1798-1874) was a brother of Nan's father, Absalom Row. Elhanon was an Orange County farmer, school commissioner and colonel of the local militia. He was also the first elected sheriff of Orange County. During the Civil War, Elhanon and his family moved to Louisa County to escape the threat of cavalry raids at their home on modern Route 20 at Mine Run.

[18] Melzi Sanford Chancellor (1815-1895) was a Baptist minister who served a number of churches in Spotsylvania and Orange Counties. In the photograph below, Reverend Chancellor is seated at left with his family in April 1865. My mini-biography of him may be read at: Reverend Melzi Sanford Chancellor.

Melzi Sanford Chancellor and family

[19] William A. Stephens (1821-1886) of Rosemont farm was a neighbor and friend of the Row family. His wife, Mary Dogget Stephens, died on September 7, 1865. His daughter, Sarah Walton Stephens, died of typhoid pneumonia on October 27 while visiting relatives in Greene County.

James Tompkins Williams (Ellen Apperson Brown)

Martha Row Williams (Ellen Apperson Brown)

     This is the story of a chance encounter between two men during the Civil War, an encounter that would leave a lasting impression on both men.
     Born in Lynchburg, James Tompkins Williams (1829-1900) was a son of Jehu Williams, one of Virginia's preeminent silversmiths and clock makers. By 1850, 21-year-old James was working as a merchant for Lynchburg tobacconist, James Leftwich Claytor, in whose household he was living at the time. That same year, James married Spotsylvania native Martha Jane Row, a sister of my great grandfather, George Washington Estes Row.
     Once married, James and Martha settled in Richmond, where James was a partner with Samuel C. Tardy in the firm that became known as Tardy & Williams, auctioneers and commission merchants, located at 13th and Cary Streets. Their advertisements frequently appeared in the Richmond newspapers, including this one in The Richmond Enquirer dated October 7, 1863:

Tardy & Williams advertisement

     During the Civil War, Tardy & Williams were able to stay in business, thanks in part to the success of blockade runners. They were a reliable supplier of goods to the Confederacy, and a substantial number of their invoices survive in the National Archives, including this one to the Institute Hospital in Richmond:

Tardy & Williams invoice, 1863

     Tardy & Williams also enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for assisting individual soldiers whenever possible. I came across one instance of this generosity while writing Corporal William White and the Wrong Man. Here is an excerpt from White's own account of his relationship with Tardy & Williams:

Corporal White and Tardy & Williams

     James T. Williams would also befriend another Confederate soldier, whose letter is the topic of today's post.
     Thomas N. Powell was born in Louisiana in 1840. On July 22, 1861, he enlisted as a lieutenant in the 10th Louisiana Infantry, which served much of the war fighting with the Army of Northern Virginia. Powell quickly rose in the ranks (partly due to the death and injury of several of his superiors); he was elected captain in January 1862, and was promoted to major in May 1863, when he assumed command of the 10th.
     Major Powell's service was not without its moments of peril. He was wounded at the Battle of Second Manassas on August 29th, 1862. He was wounded a second time on May 14th, 1864 when he was shot in the right hand while fighting in Spotsylvania. He received a 30-day furlough to recuperate in one of the hospitals in Lynchburg, and then returned to his regiment. Powell was captured at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, but within several weeks was able to escape and he once again returned to the 10th. By early 1865, the 10th was serving in the trenches defending Petersburg.
     In early 1864, Major Powell met James T. Williams, and enjoyed the hospitality of his household. Powell recounted this experience in an appreciative letter he wrote to James in early spring of that year:

Letter of Major Thomas N. Powell (Ellen Apperson Brown)

Hd Qrs 10th La Regt
Mar 21st, 1864
Mr. Jas. T. Williams
Dear Sir
     I received your kind letter of the 15th inst. a few days ago while on picket. Though I have just returned to camp and am much fatigued I must not miss another mail.
     I am Mr. Williams deeply indebted and highly appreciate the friendly sentiment you manifest in the closing lines of your letter, insisting that when I "turn up" in Richmond I must regard your residence as my home. Rest assured that your kindness shall ever be remembered even longer as I have in no way merited it. I regret exceedingly that I will not have an opportunity of enjoying your truly Virginian hospitality so graciously tendered. Your house, though deprived of a great attraction by the departure of young ladies, is not without many others and I must say it was rather inappropriate in you to say that you had lost your chief attraction.
     In order not to impose more than circumstances might compel me in your kindness, I requested another friend of mine to make the purchase of a saddle for me from the Dept enclosing an order on you for $125. I have not yet heard from him. Should he not draw the money, as per my order, prior to the 28th inst. please find the [illegible] in 4 per cent bond.
     Present my compliments to your lady and the young ladies when you write. I am most respectively
Thomas N. Powell


Major Thomas N. Powell was killed in the entrenchments in front of Petersburg on March 28, 1865.

Stonewall Jackson, April 1863

     In 1816, Samuel Alsop, Jr., bought an 849-acre tract on the Po River near Corbin's Bridge in Spotsylvania. Several years later, he built a house there as a wedding present for his daughter, Clementina, and his son-in-law, Thomas Coleman Chandler, who were married on September 20, 1825. This place came to be known as Oakley. During the Battle of the Wilderness, the residents of Oakley suffered a great deal. Their story can be read at The Letter from Maria Dobyns.
     In 1839, Thomas Chandler sold Oakley to Enos Gridley and moved to Caroline County, where he  made his home at Fairfield plantation just north of Guiney's Station. In the map detail below, the Chandler property can be seen at the upper left of the image, just above the railroad tracks at "Guinea Sta."

Northwest Caroline County, 1863

     After Clementina's death in 1844, Chandler married Mary Elizabeth Frazer. By the eve of the Civil War, Chandler was a wealthy man; he owned a 740-acre farm, 62 slaves and had a net worth of over $53,000.
     During the Fredericksburg campaign of 1862, Chandler became friends with Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who for a time made his headquarters at Fairfield. Just a few months later, in May 1863, Jackson was brought to Chandler's farm after the amputation of his left arm, following an accidental shooting during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Chandler brought a bed and some other small comforts into the building he used as an office. There Jackson spent the last days of his life before dying on May 10, 1863.
  

John Samuel Apperson (Ellen Apperson Brown)

     During this period, the hospital of the 2nd Corps of the Confederate Army was set up near Guiney's Station. Dr. Harvey Black, the chief surgeon of the hospital, was assisted by steward John Samuel Apperson, who just a few years later also became a doctor. During the Civil War, Apperson kept a detailed diary of his experiences. His entry for May 30, 1863, just three weeks after the death of Jackson, includes the description of a violent event at Fairfield involving Thomas Chandler:

     Tonight I went to the [Guiney Station] Depot with Dr. Gilkerson to see a wounded man--he was a member of Co. "H"[of the 4th Virginia Infantry, originally called the "Rockbridge Grays"] of  1 VA Battalion stabbed by Mr. Chandler near the depot. Several of the Battalion--all inebriated--went to Mr. Chandler's house and acted very badly. Mr. Chandler in self defense opened one's abdomen. The wound was in the median line about an inch above the Umbilicus [that is, the navel]. A large quantity of Omentum [1] protruded and was troublesome to reduce.
      
     What became of this wounded soldier is not known. Also not known is how this incident may have colored Chandler's memory of the historic events of the spring of 1863.


[1] Omentum: A large, apron-like fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach.

Ellen Victoria Hull (Courtesy of Ellen Apperson Brown)

     My last post (A Footnote to the Death of Stonewall Jackson) was based on an entry from the diary kept by John Samuel Apperson during the Civil War, as found in "Repairing the March of Mars," edited by John Herbert Roper. In the epilogue to this book, Professor Roper wrote of a dramatic incident involving Apperson's future wife, Ellen Victoria Hull (1840-1887). Victoria was born in privileged circumstances to one of the leading families in Smyth County, Virginia, which makes this episode even more entertaining to contemplate. Still, it was an incredibly brave act undertaken by a quick-thinking and resourceful young woman:

"In May of 1861, Victoria Hull had run to the town's railroad line to stop a trainload of Confederate troops from Mississippi before they crashed into a wrecked car around a blind bend of the tracks. To gain the attention of the engineer, she ripped off her petticoat and waved it. In retelling the incident, she is said to stand on the rails, and the train stops only in the nick of time, and the petticoat is red. What is known for sure is that the officer of the Mississippi regiment sent her an official letter of commendation and thanks."
    
    

Bishop Francis Asbury

          Born in Staffordshire, England in August 1745, Francis Asbury worshiped at the local Methodist church as a youth. At the age of 18, he became a lay minister. When he was 22 years old, John Wesley appointed him to be a traveling preacher. In 1771, Asbury volunteered to come to America, where for the remaining 45 years of his life, he traveled about the country, preaching to what were often very large gatherings.
     Asbury was ordained as a bishop in 1784. He continued to travel throughout the newly independent United States, averaging six thousand miles a year on horseback or by horse-drawn conveyance. During his lifetime, the Methodist church in America grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members, and he ordained hundreds of preachers.
     His travels in Virginia included a number of passages through Spotsylvania County, since what are now Courthouse and Partlow roads were once part of the primary connection between Fredericksburg and Richmond. When passing through Spotsylvania, he often stopped at the home of his friend, George Arnold, whose home lay just south of modern Travelers Rest Baptist Church.

George Arnold house, 1880's (Spotsylvania County Museum)

     During the last years of his life, Bishop Asbury suffered from tuberculosis and the infirmities of old age. He became increasingly feeble, and he could no longer deliver his sermons with the same power he once commanded. In the late winter of of 1816, Asbury stopped in Richmond, where he delivered what proved to be his last sermon on March 24. A few days later, he continued his journey north, his intention being to reach Baltimore in time to attend the Methodist quarterly conference, scheduled to begin on May 2. However, as he made his way through southern Spotsylvania County, both the weather and his declining health obliged him to stop at the home of George Arnold. He died there on March 31, 1816.
     Bishop Asbury was buried at the Arnold farm. When the general conference convened in Baltimore in May 1816, it was decided that his remains should be brought to the city for permanent burial. His funeral procession in Baltimore was attended by thousands of mourners. Asbury's body was brought to Eutaw Street Methodist Church, where it was placed in a vault beneath the pulpit. And there he remained for forty years, until he was removed to his final resting place at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Spotsylvania County, 1820

     By 1820, a meeting house was erected on the road once traveled by Francis Asbury. The Liberty Meeting House was located at or near the current site of Zion United Methodist Church. In the map detail shown above, the Liberty Meeting House can be seen on what is today Courthouse Road, just northeast of the location of the courthouse at that time, which was located on modern Lake Anna Parkway.
     By the early 1840's, Methodists in Spotsylvania County had already organized at least two churches, Shady Grove and Tabernacle. Although it is quite likely that Bishop Asbury preached at gatherings during his travels through Spotsylvania, the first mention of preaching at the Liberty Meeting House was found in an entry in the diary of James Pulliam dated May 1844. Previous research by members of Zion indicate that the Liberty Methodist Class--forerunner of Zion--consisting of twelve members, was organized on November 12, 1850. The meetings of this class originally took place in the homes of members in the vicinity of the current location of the courthouse.
     Over time, these gatherings became too large to be accommodated in people's houses, and services began to be held in the Liberty Meeting House. The first preacher of the church was John Wesley Hilldrup, whose father, Robert Taylor Hilldrup, was one of the founding members of Tabernacle Methodist Church. Seventeen-year-old John Wesley Hilldrup was licensed as an exhorter by the quarterly conference of the Spotsylvania Circuit in 1857. (Click here to read an excellent short biography of Reverend Hilldrup written by historian John Banks.)

John Wesley Hilldrup (Courtesy of Cindy Abbott)

     When the size of the congregation outgrew the meeting house, money was raised to build a new brick church, and construction began in 1857. When the church was completed in 1859 (at a cost of $2,800), it was named Liberty Methodist-Episcopal Church, South. Reverend Samuel Robertson was the minister at that time, and the names of forty members were on the church's rolls.
     The church was built on a plan that was common in the nineteenth century, with separate front entries for men and women. Inside the church, a wooden divider ran down the middle of the center pews, defining the seating areas off male and female members. The entrance on the left side of the building was intended for the use of the members' slaves, who would then take the stairs at the rear of the sanctuary leading to the balcony. The well-known photograph of Zion shown below was presumed to have been taken by Frederick Theo Miller, a photographer active in the Fredericksburg area 1860's-1880's. Miller's parents, John and Wilhelmina Miller, were early members of Tabernacle Methodist Church, and after the Civil War they donated one acre of land to erect a new church building for Tabernacle on Old Plank Road.

Zion Methodist Church

      In 1861, as the nation moved ever closer to civil war, Liberty renamed itself as "Zion Methodist-Episcopal Church, South." A large proportion of Zion's male members, both present and future, would enlist in Confederate regiments. Likewise, a number of Zion's pastors also volunteered for the Confederacy. Here is a list of those ministers who are known to have done so:

John Wesley Hilldrup served as a private in the 30th Virginia Infantry
James Erasmus McSparran served as a chaplain in the 11th Virginia Infantry
Henry Chapman Bowles served as a private in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry
Robert Blackwood Beadles served as a chaplain for the 55th Virginia Infantry
William Wilkerson Lear served as a private in the Richmond Howitzers
Richard Monroe Chandler served in the 9th Virginia Cavalry
William Amos Laughon served in the 30th Virginia Infantry

     When the South seceded, many in Spotsylvania were optimistic about the possibility of a speedy and favorable outcome to the war. Few could have foreseen the disruptions to the operation of the church that would remain a fact of life for the duration of the war. Fewer still could have predicted that the conflict would come to Zion's very door steps.
     The first occasion on which armed soldiers would enter Zion's sanctuary occurred in August 1862. On Tuesday, August 5, the brigade of Union General John Gibbon was divided into three parts. One of these, led by General Sullivan, included the 24th New York Infantry, commanded by Colonel Samuel Raymond Beardsley. At 5 p.m. that day, the three wings of Gibbon's brigade left their camps in Falmouth and crossed over into Fredericksburg. From there, they spread out to conduct a reconnaissance in force, with the intention of doing some damage to the Virginia Central Railroad, if possible.
     On Thursday, August 7, Colonel Beardsley and his regiment took up a position at Zion. "Our orders were to stay here & hold this point till this afternoon & then return to Falmouth," he wrote in a letter to his father that day. Beardsley and a number of his soldiers made themselves at home in the sanctuary, where he continued his letter: "I write this from the gallery of a country church which is situated in a grove about a half mile from the village (said village composed of a Court House, Clerks Office, and Tavern all of Brick, & one or two other houses of wood) which is a perfect bedlam below, as it is filled with soldiers some scuffling, some whistling, some playing cards on the little plain table in front of the pulpit, while one independent gentleman in his shirt sleeves occupies the ministers chair in the pulpit and is engaged in the laudable occupation of combing his hair with a pocket comb while he occasionally stops to admire his handy work through the medium of a little pocket looking glass."

Samuel Raymond Beardsley (Ancestry.com)

     Samuel Raymond Beardsley was born in Oswego, New York in 1814. Before the war, he worked as a merchant and miller, and in the 1850s was postmaster in Oswego. In 1863, Colonel Beardsley transferred to the 1st New Jersey Infantry. He died, while serving his country, in Stevensburg in Culpeper County on December 28, 1863. He lies buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Oswego.

     On the night of May 2, 1863, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was shot by soldiers of the 18th North Carolina Infantry, who had mistaken Jackson and his aides as Union cavalry. Doctor Hunter McGuire amputated his left arm later that night. Within a few days, Jackson was placed in an ambulance and taken to "Fairfield," the home of his friend Thomas C. Chandler, near Guiney's Station in Caroline County. As the ambulance drove past Zion, local residents lined the road to watch as he passed by, little knowing that their hero had but a few more days to live.

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (Wikipedia)

     When the Union army returned to Spotsylvania County a year later, the consequences for Zion Methodist Church would be much more dire. On May 4, 1864, Union General George Meade led approximately 120,000 troops over the Rapidan River and into Spotsylvania. The following day, Meade's army was met in the Wilderness by Confederate forces led by General Robert E. Lee. And so began a series of engagements that would rage in Spotsylvania until May 21.
     The Confederate cavalry moved southeast down Brock Road resisting the Union advance toward Spotsylvania Courthouse. When the vanguard of Lee's army, traveling down Shady Grove Church road, reached Laurel Hill, they entrenched and awaited the first Federal assault. It would not be long in coming. Beginning May 8, the two armies were in constant contact with each other, and titanic battles occurred almost daily, resulting in over 31,000 casualties.
     By May 11, division commander Henry Heth had established his headquarters at Zion. That evening General Lee also arrived, and over time other general officers and their staffs came and went from the church. General Ambrose Powell Hill, who was compelled by ill health to temporarily relinquish command of the Third Corps, arrived by ambulance. General Jubal Early, who was named as Hill's replacement as corps commander, was also nearby. Over the next several days, Early's soldiers encamped between the courthouse and the church. The cavalry division of General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee also spent time at the intersection of Court House and Massaponax Church roads and on the church grounds.
     At least one, and possibly two telescopes were set up at the windows in the slaves' balcony, providing a good view of Union activity at Myer's Hill, about a mile away. In the map detail shown above, the line of sight between Zion and Myer's Hill is evident. Off to the left, it was also possible to observe the movements of General Ambrose Burnside's Ninth Corps.
     The coming and going of Confederate generals and their staffs, not to mention the presence of large bodies of soldiers in the immediate vicinity of Zion, attracted the attention of Union forces nearby. Soon, a fusillade of artillery and small arms fire raked the church and its grounds. The windows were shot out, and significant damage was done to the church's roof and brick exterior. Somehow in the midst of all this tumult, General Robert E. Lee found it possible to take a nap inside the church on May 14th, one of the few times during the war when he slept under a roof.
     As the fighting continued and the casualties mounted, the church's sanctuary was pressed into service as a hospital. All of the pews (most of the original ones are still in use today) were moved outside in order to provide space for the wounded and dying who were brought in for care. Operations, including amputations, would have been performed in the sanctuary. The blood of these unfortunate men, which stained the floors, would remain visible for almost one hundred years.
     On May 15th, General Ambrose Wright's brigade of Georgians was ordered to make a reconnaissance toward Myer's Hill. This movement was not well executed by General Wright, and upon encountering stiff resistance after marching a short distance down Massaponax Church Road, he led his brigade back to their starting point near Zion. An outraged General Hill met with Lee at the church, and demanded that a court of inquiry be convened to investigate Wright's conduct. Lee's reply to Hill exemplified the temperament and wisdom for which the Confederate commander was well known: "These men are not an army; they are citizens defending their country. General Wright is not a soldier; he is a lawyer. I cannot do many things that I could do with a trained army. The soldiers know their duties better than the general officers do, and they have fought magnificently. Sometimes I would like to mask troops and deploy them, but if I were to give the proper order, the general officers would not understand it; so I have to make the best of what I have and lose much time in making dispositions. You understand all of this, but if you humiliated General Wright, the people of Georgia would not understand. Besides, whom would you put in his place? You'll have to do what I do. When a man makes a mistake, I call him to my tent, talk to him, and use the authority of my position to make him do the right thin the next time."
     On May 21, the armies began withdrawing south toward the North Anna River. For all intents and purposes, the war in Spotsylvania was over. The final months of the Civil War would be fought in the trenches around Richmond and Petersburg and on the agonizing march to Appomattox. Although the fighting had ceased, it would be a long time before any normalcy returned to the lives of the citizens of Spotsylvania. The economy was shattered, money was scarce, a great many men had been killed or permanently injured, and a large number of farms and public buildings--including churches--had been destroyed or rendered unusable for quite some time. A long period of rebuilding had just begun.    

[This is the second in a series of articles on the history of Zion Methodist Church. Click here to read the first installment]

     Despite the widespread poverty that persisted throughout the region, money was raised to rehabilitate the sanctuary, and in due course the windows and roof were repaired. Reverends James Erasmus McSparran and Henry Chapman Bowles served at Zion during those first difficult years after the Civil War. Progress would be slow, but Zion was buoyed by a faithful congregation and some occasional good fortune.
     At the very reasonable cost of five dollars, Zion received a generous donation of land from Joseph Sanford, owner of the nearby hotel that bore his name. On January 1, 1868, Joseph and his wife, Quincy, signed a deed conveying once acre of land to John M. Smith and Dr. Fleming J. Hancock as trustees for the church. The deed provided for "the sole separate use and benefit of the Religious denomination known as the Methodist Episcopal Church South as a place of Religious worship."

Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond

     Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond was born in Caroline County on May 6, 1846. He was the second of three sons born to John B. Crismond and his second wife, the former Jane McDaniel. At some time before 1850, the Crismond family moved to Spotsylvania and settled on a farm just southeast of Zion. Crismond's father died on July 13, 1861. Two years later, Crismond and his older brother, John Jr., enlisted in the 36th Cavalry Battalion. Little of Crismond's military service is known, other than the fact that he was wounded near Woodstock, Virginia. Meanwhile, his widowed mother stayed with her youngest son, Horace.
     After the war, Crismond returned home and farmed for several years, and then worked as a merchant. In 1866, he married Sallie Carnohan, with whom he had two children, Dora and Arthur Hancock. It is not known when the Crismonds began to attend Zion, but they became devoted and generous members of the church. None more so than J. P. H. Crismond himself. In 1871, he underwent an examination by Reverends D. Claiborne Butts, James F. Twitty and former Zion pastor John Quincy Rhodes. He passed this examination and was licensed to preach. However, Presiding Elder Joseph H. Davis declared this examination invalid. Crismond was obliged to go through the procedure a second time, and his license to preach was approved.
     At the seventy-ninth session of the Virginia conference held in Norfolk in 1873, Crismond was appointed as a supply minister for the Spotsylvania Circuit. The records of Tabernacle Methodist Church indicate that Crismond served as a preacher there during 1873-74. In November 1876, he was elected as an ordained deacon at the eighty-second session of the conference held in Richmond. For decades to come, Deacon Crismond preached many sermons and officiated at many weddings and funerals. His growing popularity among the community he served made his entry into politics a logical move. In 1881, Crismond was elected clerk of the county court, a position he would hold until 1903.

Thomas Addison Harris (Courtesy of Richard Morrison)

     The life and career of another distinguished member of Zion, Thomas Addison Harris, paralleled that of J. P. H. Crismond. Harris's family came to Spotsylvania from New Jersey in the early 1840's; Thomas was their first child to be born in Virginia. At the outbreak of the Civil War, one of Harris's older brothers, William, returned north to fight for the Union. The other, John, enlisted in the 30th Virginia Infantry. Young Thomas Harris's allegiance was to the South. Shortly before his seventeen birthday, he enlisted for one year in the 30th Virginia Infantry, then joined the 9th Virginia Cavalry. The record shows that he was a brave and steadfast soldier. His horse was killed in action at Upperville, Virginia in 1863. During the Battle of Five Forks, he was seriously wounded while trying to save a family caught in a crossfire.
     Thomas Harris returned to Spotsylvania after the war. In 1867, he married Mary Elizabeth Poole, with whom he had eight children. His political career began in 1870, when he became Superintendent of the Poor for Spotsylvania County. He was elected deputy commissioner of revenue in 1879. Four years later, he was elected county sheriff, a post he would hold for twenty years. In 1903, he replaced J. P. H Crismond as clerk of court and held that office until his death in 1912. In 1891, three years after the death of his wife, Mary, he married Elizabeth Jane Eastburn.
     Although his parents and several other family members remained faithful members of Shady Grove's congregation, Harris and his family were loyal to Zion. One of his sons, Dr. William Aquilla Harris, married Crismond's daughter, Dora. They also remained members of Zion all their lives. There are two headstones dedicated to Thomas Addison Harris in Zion's cemetery. There is one provided from his family, the other ordered from the War Department by his daughter Roberta Harris Andrews to commemorate his military service. Roberta and her husband, Charles Robert Andrews, were also members of Zion. Buried near Thomas Harris are both of his wives and three of his sons.

     The Carner and Pendleton families also deserve their place in the collective memory of Zion Methodist Church. Allen Carner was born in Bedford County, Virginia about 1804. He married Elizabeth Spindle of Spotsylvania, and with her raised five children--Mary Jane, John William, Henry, Cornelia Anne and Martha "Mattie" Dawson. By 1840, he had received his calling to enter the ministry, and was "on trial" (that is, in a probationary period) as a preacher of the Methodist Conference. He was preaching in the Gloucester, Virginia area in 1842, and was assigned to its circuit the following year. From there, he went to Little River in Perquimans County, North Carolina, where he served as a pastor until at least 1850.
     At some time during the 1850's, Reverend Allen Carner and his family came to Spotsylvania, where he bought a farm near Andrews Tavern. Although there is no known record of his having been assigned to the Spotsylvania circuit, he did serve for a time as a trustee for nearby Lebanon Methodist Church. In the 1860 census, Reverend Carner's occupation is shown as "Methodist clergyman." He owned a farm valued at $1,800 and had a personal estate worth $6,000, a portion of which was tied to the value of the nine slaves he owned.
     Both of Allen Carner's sons served in Company I of the 6th Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War. After Henry's return home, he became a member of Zion and married Lucy Johnson in 1875. Henry and Lucy and three of their five children--Ethel Wilshire and Medwyn and Edna Carner--are buried at Zion.
     In 1884, Zion benefited, at least indirectly, from a deed of land from Sheriff Thomas A. Harris "and others." On June 23 of that year, one acre of land was conveyed to Oliver Eastburn, William Stapleton Hicks and Edmund Woodfolk acting as trustees for the Methodist Episcopal Church. This one acre lot, which had been part of Sheriff Harris's farm opposite Spotsylvania Court House, was intended "as a place of residence for the use and occupancy of the M. E. Church South who may from time to time be appointed to the said charge." On March 7, 1898, Thomas Harris and his second wife, the former Lizzie Eastburn, deeded an additional eight-tenths of an acre for the parsonage to the above named trustees and also trustees Alexander Watts Massey and John G. Miller. Reverend John Thomas Payne, who served Zion 1883-1887, was the first pastor to occupy the new parsonage when it was built in 1884. Reverend Payne had just recently been licensed as a preacher by the General Conference, and the Spotsylvania charge was his first assignment. Reverend Payne's son, Maurice, was killed in action while fighting in France in July 1918. Reverend Payne never recovered from the shock of hearing the news of his son's death, and he died on Christmas Eve, 1918.

Reverend John Thomas Payne (Tabernacle United Methodist Church)

     Martha "Mattie" Dawson Carner, the youngest daughter of Reverend Allen and Elizabeth Carner, was born in Greene County, Virginia in 1853. She married Spotsylvania native Joseph Albert Pendleton in January 1876 and raised four daughters--Maxie, Edith, Carrie and Fannie. Joseph Pendleton was a farmer and an enterprising business man. For a time, the Pendletons lived near Roxbury Mills, which Joseph owned. Their house burned in 1893. A year later, Joseph built a new house near the courthouse and purchased 43 acres adjacent to Zion. By a deed dated January 4, 1899, Joseph and Mattie Pendleton conveyed one acre of that property to John M. Smith, George W. Blackley and Stuart Marshall, acting as trustees for the church. The survey for this land was made by John M. Smith, who was the surveyor for Spotsylvania County. This gift of land was intended for use as the church's cemetery and included "specific instructions that no member ever be denied burial there and that no gravesite could be sold." The deed was witnessed by another member of Zion, clerk of court Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond. Joseph and Mattie Pendleton (who was a teacher of the Women's Bible Class) and their daughter, Maxie Austin, are buried there.

Members of Zion Methodist Church, c. 1885-1886

     Shown above is a gathering of Zion's members taken during the mid-1880's. The caption for the photograph is believed to have been researched by the late teacher and historian, Robert Hodge. Something of interest could be written about each person in this picture; below are a few notes about some of the more noteworthy members. Not all of the relationships noted here existed at the time this picture was made:

(1) Fannie Andrews was the sister of (4) Buford Twyman Andrews and Charles Robert Andrews.

(2) Dora Crismond was the daughter of (22) J. P. H. Crismond and (23) Sallie Crismond. She was the wife of (58) Dr. William Aquilla Harris.

(13) George Washington Blackley was a long-time member of and trustee of Zion.

(17) Charles Robert Andrews was the husband of (38) Roberta "Bertie" Harris.

(22) Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond was a long-time member of Zion and an ordained deacon. He served as clerk of court for Spotsylvania County 1881-1903. He was the husband of (23) Sallie Carnohan Crismond.

(24) Arthur Hancock Crismond was the son of (22) and (23). He served as clerk of court from 1912 until 1940, and was followed in that position by his son, Cary Crismond. Arthur donated an inscribed Bible to the church in 1939.

(50) Clara Dabney was a daughter of former clerk of court, Robert Clarence Dabney. During the Civil War, Robert C. Dabney saved the county's historic records from destruction by Union forces by burying them near the courthouse.

(53) William W. Ashby was the husband of (50). For years he was a merchant and politician. He was appointed Consul to Colon, Panama, where he drowned in a boating accident in 1898.

     In 1899, Zion's finances had improved to the point where it was possible to make major improvements to the sanctuary. These included enlarging the area behind the pulpit and installing new stained-glass windows there. These windows were donated by J. P. H. Crismond in honor of his mother. A tin ceiling was installed, as were oil-light chandeliers. Reverend James William Heckman was pastor during that time.
   





     The prosperity and good fortune Zion enjoyed in 1899 continued through the Christmas season, when several of its leading members traveled to Fredericksburg to buy some things for the Sunday school celebration, as seen in the article above.





     In the early 1900's, Senator Thomas Staples Martin of Virginia introduced a legislative initiative, whereby compensation would be made available to the state's churches damaged by the United States' army during the Civil War. In 1904 a claims court was established to process these claims. Zion began the process to make application for compensation as reported in the October 18, 1904 edition of The Free Lance: "Zion M. E. Church last night took preliminary steps toward securing reimbursement from the U. S. Government for damages done to the church during the war 1861-65 by Federal artillery. J. P. H. Crismond and George Blackley, trustees of the church, were appointed a committee to formulate items of damage and employ attorneys to present the claims."
     The following summer, depositions were taken at Spotsylvania Court House to establish Zion's claims for damages. Granville Swift, who would later serve as commonwealth's attorney for Fredericksburg and represent the town in the House of Delegates, was engaged to represent the church. In the article below, George W. Blackley's name is misspelled as "Geo. G. Black:"




    
     In an open letter to The Free Lance dated May 31, 1906, Zion's pastor, Reverend Edgar Poe Parham, noted the progress being made in obtaining reimbursement: "Zion is rejoicing in the prospect of getting the sum appropriated by the U. S. Court of Claims at Washington for damages done to it by Federal soldiers during the war and expects to make improvements when the money is forthcoming next spring."
     In December 1906, The Free Lance reported that Zion was slated to receive $2,000 (the paper incorrectly indicated Zion as a Baptist church):





     It is not known when Zion received any money, but it was likely nearly a decade after the process began. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at Culpeper Court House received payment in 1914. The Fredericksburg Baptist Church received its money in 1915.

     A number of Zion's congregation became adherents of the Spotsylvania Holiness Association, which bought land at the intersection of Brock and Piney Branch roads to establish a place where evangelistic camp meetings would be held. Reverend James William Heckman, Zion's pastor 1899-1902, was its founder and would be a frequent speaker at these meetings. This article from the April 11, 1903 edition of The Free Lance provides some insight into the religious fervor in Spotsylvania at this time and Zion's role in it:





     A photograph from one of these camp meetings survives:

Spotsylvania Holiness Association, 1907

     Shown in this picture are these people known to have been members of Zion, or associated with the church:

(16) Ethel Carner Wiltshire was the oldest child of Zion members Henry and Lucy Carner. She is buried in the church's cemetery.

(18) Reverend Thomas Evan Thomas temporarily served at Zion in 1909 after the regular pastor, Reverend George Henry Ray, suffered a stroke.

(22) Roberta Harris Andrews was a daughter of Zion member and clerk of court, Thomas Addison Harris. She was the wife of (45) Charles Robert Andrews. Roberta served as treasurer of Zion, was president of Zion's chapter of the Women's Society for Christian Service, and for many years was treasurer of the Spotsylvania Methodist Charge.

(26) Edna Clay Carner was the youngest child of Henry and Lucy Carner. Edna was murdered in Fredericksburg on October 3, 1939 and is buried in the church cemetery.

(27) Reverend George Henry Ray was pastor at Zion (1906-1909).

(32) Ellen Mae Burke Crismond was the wife of clerk of court Arthur Hancock Crismond.

(33) William Cary Crismond was the son of Arthur and Ellen Crismond.

(41) Carrie Pendleton Greer was a daughter of Zion members Joseph and Mattie Pendleton.

(48) Reverend James William Heckman was pastor at Zion 1899-1902.

(55) Fannie Pendleton Hilldrup was the youngest daughter of Joseph and Mattie Pendleton and the wife of (53) Robert Warner Hilldrup.

     By October 1906, preparations were underway to inscribe a granite memorial commemorating the death of Francis Asbury, and to transport it to the site of the old George Arnold property, where Asbury had died 90 years before:





     The stone marker was created and transported to the old Arnold farm in December 1906. In the meantime, lumber was salvaged from George Arnold's dilapidated house in order to build a small church, Asbury Chapel. Reverend George Henry Ray, Zion's new pastor, held Easter services there in April 1907:





     On June 27, 1907 the Asbury monument was officially dedicated. Standing five feet high, the granite marker was inscribed with these words: "On this spot stood the home of George Arnold, where Bishop Francis Asbury died March 31, 1816. Erected by the Epworth Leagues of the Washington District, Baltimore Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church South, December 1906." Reverend Ray and several members from Zion attended the dedication. He wrote this article describing the occasion in the July 11, 1907 edition of The Daily Star:













     A photograph was taken of the event:

Dedication of the Asbury Monument, June 1907

Several known members of Zion are shown in attendance that day:

(30) Maxie Pendleton Austin, daughter of Joseph and Mattie Pendleton.

(31) Elva Carner Alrich, (32) Edna Clay Carner, (33) Ethel Carner Wiltshire and (34) Cornelia Carner Tompkins were the daughters of Henry and Lucy Carner.

(43) Reverend George Henry Ray, pastor of Zion

(58) George Tompkins was the husband of (34) Cornelia Pendleton Tompkins.

Services continued to be held at the Asbury Chapel until 1915:





     Dr. Caleb Rosser Massey (1867-1907) was one of Spotsylvania's leading citizens. In addition to his flourishing medical practice, the popular Dr. Massey was chairman of the Board of Supervisors and chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee. He married Inez Colbert at Massaponax Baptist Church on February 17, 1897. During their ten years together, they raised three children--Mary, Lucille and Caleb Rosser, Jr. They became members of Zion Methodist Church, and Reverend George Henry Ray presided at the funeral of Dr. Massey.
     Inez Massey and her children continued to attend Zion, and after she married Arthur Lewis Blanton in 1912, they became one of the church's most important families. Arthur owned the Blanton Motor Company in Fredericksburg, and after his death in 1942 it was operated by his widow and his adopted children as Blanton-Massey Ford. Zion's pastor at the time, Charles Lewis Stillwell, officiated at Arthur Blanton's funeral. To honor his memory, his family donated to Zion a brass altar cross which is still in use today. Two brass candlesticks flank the altar cross; one was donated by the family of Dr. William Aquilla Harris, the other by the family of clerk of court Arthur Hancock Crismond. Other than the building itself, the cross and candlesticks are Zion's oldest artifacts.


    

     In January 1912, clerk of court Thomas Addison Harris slipped on a patch of ice and was seriously injured in a fall. He died on January 25. Six years earlier, Harris had been featured in the January 5, 1906 edition of The Daily Star, which provided an excellent account of his life and his service to his community:













Less than four months later, his second wife, Lizzie, succumbed to pneumonia and died on May 9, 1912.

Lizzie Eastburn Harris (Courtesy of Richard Morrison)

 Thomas Addison Harris, his wives Mary and Lizzie, and two of his young sons--Eustace and Rupert--are buried at Zion.

     Included in the scrapbook kept by Leota Pendleton are two photographs of Reverend Samuel Hunter Pulliam, who served at Zion 1917-1920. Born in Halifax County, Virginia, Reverend Pulliam was the father of ten children. After his time at Zion, he maintained close ties to the Spotsylvania area. He died in Snell in 1950 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Clarence Payne. Reverend Pulliam is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg.









     The passing of Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond on May 2, 1925 in many ways marked the end of an era at Zion Methodist Church. Despite a professional life sometimes marked by controversy, Crismond was a beloved figure in the county, and his decades of devotion to the church helped to sustain Zion through difficult times. His funeral was held at Zion (incorrectly shown as "Mt. Zion" in The Daily Star article of May 4, 1925, shown below) during the ministry of Egbert Ray Degges. He is buried with his wife in the cemetery at Zion. In 1930, Roberta Harris Andrews ordered a headstone from the War Department indicating Crismond's service during the Civil War. It was placed in the Confederate Cemetery at the courthouse.









    

[This is the third in a series of articles on the history of Zion Methodist Church. Click here to read Part 1, and here to read Part 2]

     Leota Pendleton's scrapbook contains another photograph of one of the ministers who served Zion during the last century. William Luther King was born in Patrick County, Virginia in 1870. He was the husband of New Jersey native, Mary Ann Waddington. Reverend King was pastor at Zion 1929-1932. Like the Pulliams, the Kings maintained ties with Spotsylvania after they had moved on. Both of them are buried in the Confederate Cemetery.






     On October 8, 1939, clerk of court and lifelong member Arthur Hancock Crismond donated to Zion a Bible that he inscribed:









     Just thirteen months later, on November 20, 1940, Arthur Crismond died of a heart attack. His death certificate was made out by his brother-in-law, Dr. William A. Harris, who was county coroner at the time. Crismond's funeral was officiated by Reverend Charles Lewis Stillwell, Zion's pastor 1940-1943. His obituary appeared in the November 23, 1940 edition of The Free Lance Star.

Arthur Hancock Crismond

     For the first 81 years of its existence, Zion was illuminated by four oil-lamp fixtures suspended by hooks from the ceiling. In 1940, the church was wired for electricity. The oil lamps were replaced by four incandescent fixtures suspended from the ceiling near the hooks, which were left in place. These new fixtures included the same frosted glass bowls that are still in use in the vestibule.



     At some time during the ministry of Reverend Wesley Astin (1978-1982), these fixtures were replaced with the four chandeliers now in use. In August 2010, Reverend Barbara Jacobs had replaced the chandelier in her dining room, and she donated her old one to the church, which now hangs over the pulpit. Just two weeks later, Zion acquired the large chandelier that now hangs in the middle of the sanctuary. Zion member Richard Reichert, an electrician, received a call for service from the Community Funeral Home in Alexandria, whose owner thought that his chandelier had stopped working. When Richard and his grandson arrived at the funeral home, they discovered that the fixture was still working, but the light bulbs had been partially unscrewed. Since the owner of the funeral home had already bought a new fixture, they replaced the old one. The owner was asked if he would consider donating the old chandelier to Zion, and he agreed to do so.
     Just as the Civil War had left its mark on Zion, the Second World War also had a profound impact on the church. A number of the male members of the congregation enlisted in the military service. Typical among them was Cary Crismond, who served as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Prior to his enlistment, Cary had been the assistant clerk of court, serving in that role from 1932 until his father's death in 1940; then Cary was appointed to fill out his father's unexpired term. He resumed his duties upon his return home.





     Attendance during the war and in the years that followed declined sharply. At times, as few as 10-15 people showed up for Sunday service. In some years, the church was unable to meet the meager budget requested by the Richmond District. There was some anxiety as to whether Zion could remain open. During these lean years, Cary Crismond brought firewood on cold Sunday mornings and lit the stoves.
     During the 1940's another permanent mark was made on the church, this time by member Flaura Jett. One morning she showed up alone at the church, equipped with a crowbar and hammer, and removed the wooden partition that ran down the middle of the center pews. This partition, and the twin entries to the church, was a reminder of an era when male and female members of the congregation sat separately. What, exactly, motivated Flaura to take this dramatic step is not known. But she was known as a person of strong resolve. Years later, Flaura (who was a founding member of the Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary) would routinely deliver lunch to the firefighters stationed near the courthouse. On one day when her car would not start, she would not be deterred from making her expected delivery. She loaded up the lunches in the cab of her son's semi and fed the firefighters.

Homecoming, 1956 (Leota Pendleton)

     The latter half of the 1950's witnessed an improvement in Zion's fortunes. In the autumn of 1956, Zion hosted its first homecoming service in at least fifteen years. Reverend George Burroughs preached the sermon that day, and held a revival during the following week.







     After the departure of Reverend Burroughs, Reverend Donald Durost served at Zion until June 1957. At that time, Reverend Cephas Haynes became pastor of the newly-formed Eastland-Zion charge. On the first Sunday he held services at Zion, only 13 people were present. However, Reverend Haynes brought a new energy to the church, and during his five year tenure there, much improvement took place. Attendance at the morning service grew to 40 people, and the Sunday school membership increased to 26. Reverend Haynes made it a priority to increase Zion's membership.





From Leota Pendleton's history of Zion:

     "A Vacation Bible School was held the summer of 1957 and was a great success. In August 1957 the interior of the sanctuary was redecorated in readiness for the second Homecoming Day to be held in a number of years. Guest speaker was a former pastor, Reverend Donald Durost. A week of revival followed that was conducted by Reverend Haynes. At this time the Eastland-Zion charge bought a parsonage located adjacent to Eastland Church. Zion's portion of this indebtedness was $3,000 with responsibility for one half of the upkeep.
     "Formerly, the ladies of Zion participated in a mission program called the Women's Missionary Society. This name, too, was changed. The new Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS) was organized on October 18, 1957, with ten ladies present. Much enthusiasm was shown as plans were made to do mission work and create projects by which the church and building funds would benefit.
     "Shortly thereafter, the WSCS started serving dinners, having hymn sings, bake sales, etc. with the proceeds going to church expenses. The fear that the doors of Zion would close was pushed back gradually, as the will of God was pushed forward.
     "The people of Zion saw a growth in attendance along with a rise in finances each quarter 1957-58. The first quarterly conference for Eastland-Zion was held on November 24, 1957 at 2:30 pm with Reverend Doctor Carl Sanders, Richmond District Superintendent presiding. There was a good representation from both churches and brought much encouragement by Dr. Sanders."





     In 1957, the floor of the balcony was painted to cover up what were presumed to be blood stains still remaining from May 1864, when the church was used as a hospital by the Confederate army. The decision was made to use the balcony as a Sunday school class, and the painting was done as part of the effort to prepare the balcony for that purpose. At least one stain is still visible on the knee wall at the front of the balcony. In 2018, church historian Dennis Gallahan conducted a luminol test on that stain in order to determine the presence of blood. The results of the test showed that it was indeed blood.

Spotsylvania Post Office and car of Alice Graves Coleman (Charles Trigger)

     By 1959, attendance at the Sunday school class had grown to the point that the balcony could no longer accommodate it. A solution was proposed by Spotsylvania postmistress Alice Graves Coleman (patrons of the post office would know that it was open for business when the saw Alice's car parked in front). Although she was not a member of the church, Alice regularly attended services at Zion. Since she was about to retire from the post office after 25 years of service, she offered the small building, which she owned, to be used as additional space for the Sunday school. The building was moved from its location across Brock Road from modern Pendleton's Hardware to the church. There it was placed on a sound foundation and was connected to the church by a small passageway, which also served as another entry to the church. Today the old post office serves as the office of the pastor.

Reverend Cephas Haynes and the discovered sword (Leota Pendleton)

The display for the sword found in 1960 was made by Zion member Bob Scott

    
    

[This is the final installment of a history of Zion Methodist Church. Here are the links to the previous articles in this series: Zion, Part 1, Zion, Part 2 and Zion, Part 3.]

Zion's collection plates

     In 1960, concrete walks were laid in front of the church. A new pulpit Bible was given by the MYF; a baptismal bowl was donated by Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Lovell and their son, Michael; collection plates were purchased by Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Pendleton and their son, Bobby; and linen cloths were purchased for the communion table by the WSCS. In addition, a new piano and organ were bought for the sanctuary.
     After Reverend Haynes left the charge in 1962, he was replaced by Reverend Robert J. Donnelly, who remained until 1965. When Reverend William "Bill" Carter began his ministry in 1966, he brought a new energy to the church. He is well remembered for his musical gifts and fine singing voice. Many of Zion's children received musical instruction from Reverend Carter and the church's organist, Anne Vojnovich. After he left Zion, Bill Carter taught at Spotsylvania High School and began a long career in education.






     In 1972, during the ministry of Reverend Lewis Minter, ground was at last broken for the new educational building. The first shovel of earth was turned over by Zion's oldest member at the time, Annie Jett. The construction of the building was made possible by the generosity of member Susie Swift and the dedication of Lynwood "Slim" Landrum, as well as the hard work of many volunteers. The new facility was named the Swift-Landrum building. At long last, Zion now had a kitchen, classrooms and bathrooms.
    

(Leota Pendleton)

(Leota Pendleton)

     Reverend Barry Minnick served 1973-1977. New hymnals were bought for the church. Reverend Minnick wrote a brief history of the church, a copy of which is in the library of the Spotsylvania County Museum.

Reverend Barry Minnick and family (Leota Pendleton)

New hymnals for Zion, 1974 (Leota Pendleton)

    




     Significant changes occurred during the years when the popular Reverend Wesley Astin was pastor. Reverend Astin, who served 1979-1982, became Zion's first full-time pastor when the church went station in 1982. That same year, a new parsonage was built; Reverend Astin and his family were the first to live in it.









     Reverend Beth Marie Barnett (1982-1986) was Zion's first female pastor. In 1984, the church celebrated the 125th year of its building with an all day service. Some attendees came dressed in period clothing.
     Zion's land holdings grew for the first time in many years during the ministry of Reverend John R. Esaias, Jr., (1988-1996) a retired Navy chaplain who had served during World War II. The Virginia Conference gave Zion $3,200 to help buy 1.12 acres of the Fairchild property adjoining the rear of the church's lot. In addition, the tireless Flaura Jett raised the remarkable sum of $4,100 for the church building fund by crocheting and selling Easter baskets. Reverend Esaias and his wife journeyed to England to witness the enthronement of Reverend George Carey as the Archbishop of Canterbury.

(Leota Pendleton)

     Member John Young helped to coordinate the events that were organized for the weekend of May 28-29, 1994 to commemorate Zion's history during the events that took place in May 1864.

(Leota Pendleton)

(Leota Pendleton)

(Leota Pendleton)

     Copper gutters and downspouts were installed in 1984:

(Leota Pendleton)

     On September 24, 1995 ground was broken to build a new fellowship hall, which became a part of the Swift-Landrum building. The dedication of the new addition took place on Homecoming Day, October 13, 1996. On that same day, member Bob Weeks donated a piano to the church in honor of his mother, Maureen.
     The following year, Bob Weeks and member Justin Williams announced their intention to be candidates for the ordained ministry. In June 1998. Bob Weeks received his first appointment as a full time pastor to a charge in the Farmville District. In June 2000, Justin Williams was also appointed as a pastor to the Farmville District.
     In February 1998, the Administrative Council voted to become part of the Civil War Trail Tour:

(Leota Pendleton)

     When Reverend Barbara Jacobs began her thirteen-year ministry in 2002, she would become Zion's longest serving pastor.

(Leota Pendleton)

Barbara and Alan Jacobs (Leota Pendleton)

(Leota Pendleton)

     Here are a few of the many highlights of Reverend Jacobs's years at Zion:

- In 2004, Reverend Jacobs and three of Zion's members--George Applin, Bodie Williams and Diane Williams--formed a team to travel to Honduras on a medical mission in conjunction with other members of the Barnabas Committee to treat sick children. Their mission to Honduras took place June 18-28, 2004.

- In 2007, a new choir was formed. In April of that year, Reverend Jacobs led a group to Kentucky to work with the Native American Red Bird Mission. In July, Zion held a grand opening of the food pantry to serve the community.

- In 2009, the church spent $4,600 to repair the weather-damaged windows and doors of the sanctuary.

- in 2012, special-needs access to the sanctuary was installed at a cost of $6,000 and was consecrated on September 16.

- On January 14, 2013 Reverend Jacobs offered the invocation at the noon session of the General Assembly.

     When Reverend Jacobs left Zion in 2015, she shared these parting remarks with the congregation:

Powhatan Thomas Foster (Barbara Faulconer)

     For a number of years now, I have wanted to write about Powhatan Foster, who was a friend and an employee of my great grandfather, George Washington Estes Row. Powhatan and George also served in Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry, although not at the same time. Over the past year, I have had the good fortune to be given access to resources that have made it possible for me to tell Powhatan's story with with the kind of detail that would not have been possible earlier.

Lily Foster Haney (Barbara Faulconer)

     Last year, Barbara Faulconer shared with me a splendid and richly detailed history of the Foster family written by Lily Foster Haney (1892-1973), a daughter of Powhatan Foster. Lily taught in the public schools of Spotsylvania County for many years, and she wrote her history in a lucid and flowing style that is a joy to read. In this essay, I will be quoting from her work with the notation '(LFH)' at the end of each passage that I include. In addition to Lily's writing, I have also benefited from the Haney family history researched and written by Wade Haney, a grandson of Powhatan.

Map detail of Spotsylvania County, 1863 (Fold 3.com)

     Powhatan Thomas Foster was born in Spotsylvania on December 20, 1846. He was the third of ten children born to William Edwin Foster and the elaborately named Ada Engedi Ellentine Wheatley Harding. Powhatan's older brother, Oregon Dallas Foster, was also born in 1846 (on February 3). Powhatan was born either at his parents' house (indicated as "W Foster in the map detail above) or at "Aspen Hill," the farm of his grandfather, Robert Dudley Foster, immediately to the southwest of William Foster's home.

Robert Dudley Foster (Ancestry.com)

     Powhatan received what formal education he got from his mother's father, Mark Harding, who who was living in the household of William Edwin Foster during the 1850's. It is presumed that Powhatan and his siblings enjoyed the usual fun and games available to rural youngsters of that era. Two of Powhatan's uncles, James and Thomas, were about the same age as his brother Oregon (called "Dee" by the family and later known to the public as O. D. Foster) and himself. In a survey of the Foster farm written by her in 1936 for the Works Progress Administration, Mildred Barnum interviewed Lily Foster Haney and Lena Foster, the widow of Powhatan's younger brother William Beauregard Foster. From Mildred's interviews, we learn that some of the fun and games enjoyed by the Foster boys came with serious consequences: "One night these boys were having a party around a fire near the many outbuildings that a Virginia plantation had in those days. In a spirit of mischief they set fire to a pile of shavings near the cooper's shop, and as a result of this all of 'Marse Robert's' [Robert Dudley Foster] outbuildings went up in smoke. The boys went to bed but when the owner discovered the fire they were punished. Powhatan slipped out of bed and ran downstairs. His grandmother said 'Run, Honey, Run.' He replied 'Please open the door and you will see some running.'"
     When the Civil War began, the Foster men enlisted in the Virginia Cavalry. William Edwin Foster and his brothers James and Thomas joined Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry. William's brother, Warrenton Dudley Foster, fought with the 39th Cavalry Battalion and was captured by Federal troops along with Benjamin Cason Rawlings in November 1863. At the age of 15, Powhatan's brother Oregon enlisted in the 9th Cavalry on July 15, 1861.
     The compiled service records for Powhatan Foster do not exist in the National Archives. When he applied for a Confederate veteran's pension in January 1912, he affirmed that he joined the 9th Virginia Cavalry in Culpeper County in May 1863. Family tradition says that Powhatan ran away from home to join his kinfolk serving in the 9th Cavalry. The Foster men of the 9th were unaware that he had come until his name was called out during a roll call shortly after his arrival. Powhatan served with the 9th Cavalry until its remnants were surrendered by General Lee at Appomattox in April 1865.
     One dramatic episode from Powhatan's experience during the war comes to us courtesy of his daughter Lily: "He was an excellent horseman and became a courier to General [J. E. B.] Stuart. Once he was taking a message from Verdiersville to General Lee near Fredericksburg. His orders were to swallow the message if captured. The Yankees were between the two generals. He ran into the enemy near Shady Grove Church but was not captured. Dad had some narrow escapes but was never hurt, the hat band was shot off his hat was the closest call. He and three others were scouting around when they met the enemy at the spring of the Todd farm. Dad shot and a blue coated Yankee fell in the spring. All four 'rebs' escaped" (LFH).
     After the war, Powhatan returned to his father's farm and remained there, working as a farmer and laborer in the local saw mills, until his marriage in 1883. However, he did have an adventure on the high seas when he served on a merchant vessel that sailed to South America. "While there he got a monkey to bring home. This monkey was so mischievous he was always in trouble with the sailors. Finally the monkey disappeared and Dad thought the sailors killed him. Dad was gone a long time on this sailing trip and was reported dead. When he returned a friend told him he heard he was dead. Dad said 'I heard it too, but I knew it was a damned lie when I heard it'" (LFH).

Powhatan Foster (Babara Faulconer)

     During the late 1870's and early 1880's, Powhatan worked at the saw mill of George Washington Estes Row, which was located on the farm of Joseph Talley near Todd's Tavern. His name appeared several times in the business ledgers of Mr. Row:










     He also worked at the saw mill of his brother Oregon, who was in business in Fredericksburg. In addition to being a lumberman, Oregon was also a grocer, served on the city council and was the town's post master. His years of success allowed him and his family to live comfortably in the historic "Sentry Box" house. Meanwhile, despite his best efforts, Powhatan could never quite equal his brother's achievements.

Oregon Dallas Foster (Ancestry.com)

     By the early 1880's, Powhatan was courting Ernestine Virginia Knighton, a daughter of Robert S. Knighton and Georgianna Herring. He loved to attend the local dances, and it was at one of these get togethers that he made his move: "When he proposed to Mother, he was at a dance, he wrote a note, fastened it to the end of a switch and passed it over to her, asking her if she would marry him to look up and smile. Mother's name was Ernestine Virginia, but he always called her Susie" (LFH). Powhatan and Ernestine married at her parents' house on October 18, 1883.
     During the early years of their marriage, Powhatan and Ernestine "lived in a small house at Buchanan's Corner [at the intersection of West Catharpin and Robert E. Lee Drive]. They ran a little store for Mr. Buchanan" (LFH). The first three of their eight children were born during this time, and are shown in the photograph below:

Powhatan Foster and family (Barbara Faulconer)

     About 1890, Powhatan built a house on West Catharpin Road on land that had belonged to his father, who died in 1885. Shown here is a photograph of the place, and a drawing done by Lily Foster Haney. This house was called "New Danielsville:"

New Danielsville (Barbara Faulconer)

(Lily Foster Haney)

     Powhatan worked as a subsistence farmer, earned $1 a day working as a sawyer in the local mills and even worked for a time at nearby White Hall gold mine. Lily noted that while working for the saw mills, Powhatan spent the entire week living in one of the on-site shanties (these shanties also  existed at the Row saw mill). He came home on Saturdays and returned to the mill on Sunday evenings. Working in a 19th century saw mill was a dangerous undertaking. In 1893, Powhatan suffered an injury serious enough to be reported in The Free Lance:

The Free Lance 7 February 1893

     Although he would be remembered as a "small man in stature, with a big heart," he also had a volcanic temper which would subside as quickly as it erupted. His daughter Lily remembered this episode in particular: "One Saturday night he was at Sheppard's store when a young fellow made a rude remark about some lady--the fellow was drinking--up shot Dad's fist and knocked him down--his nose bled and he had a black eye. Dad's fist was hurt too.  Dad knew Eddie was in no condition to go home so he brought him to our house, washed his face and put him to bed. Next morning he lent him a clean shirt and we all went to Craig's [Baptist Church] to an all day meeting. Of course people noticed Dad's hand and asked what was wrong. Dad told them to find the fellow with the black eye and they would know" (LFH).
     Unlike his brother Oregon, Powhatan was a staunch Democrat (Oregon was active in Republican Party affairs and represented Fredericksburg at the 1888 Republican National Convention). Powhatan dipped his toe into local politics, and ran unsuccessfully for a county supervisor seat in 1895 and 1899, and he also fell short in his bid to become a justice of the peace in 1907.

The Free Lance 16 April 1895

     Of course, there were also happy times for the Foster family, which is evident in this article from The Free Lance:

The Free Lance 3 November 1910

     However, the year 1914 would be marked by a succession of tragedies in the Foster family. Oregon Dallas Foster died on June 26. On November 13, fourteen-year-old Robert Edwin "Ned" Foster, the older of Powhatan and Virginia's two sons, died of rheumatism.

Ned Foster (Barbara Faulconer)

     Just three months prior to Ned's death, on August 10, 1914, the life of Powhatan Thomas Foster came to an abrupt and violent end at the saw mill of C. W. Howard. The particulars were provided in two obituaries published in The Free Lance:

The Free Lance 13 August 1914

    

The Free Lance 18 August 1914

Death certificate of Powhatan Foster (Ancestry.com)

     Powhatan was buried in the Foster family cemetery, in which the graves were marked by simple field stones. About 20 years later, Lily Foster Haney made arrangements to have the body of her father to be removed to the Confederate Cemetery at Spotsylvania Court House so that he could lie at rest in the company of his fellow soldiers. In late 1935, Mrs. Charles R. "Bertie" Andrews ordered a headstone for Powhatan from the War Department. Bertie's father, Thomas Addison Harris, had served in Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry.

(Ancestry.com)

(Ancestry.com)

Sources:

Barnum, Mildred. "The Foster Place and Foster Graveyard." The Works Progress Administration of Virginia, November 18, 1936.

Haney, Lily Foster. "Family, Friends & Neighbors: Lily Foster Haney's Autobiography",1970.

Haney, Wade R. "History and Genealogy of the Albert and Sophie Haney Family." Researched and compiled by R. Wade Haney, 1998.

Oakley, 1935 (Frances Benjamin Johnston)

           Several years ago, I wrote a piece on the early history of Oakley, focusing primarily on the letter written by Maria Dobyns in June 1864, in which she described to her friend, Nan Row, the occupation of her family's farm and the violence that occurred there during the Battle of the Wilderness.
     Earlier this year, I came across an eleven-page typewritten history of Oakley which included details I had never seen anywhere else. The author's name does not appear on this document, but his primary source of information is referred to as "Judge" Kent. This would have been William Lee Kent (1862-1949).

William Lee Kent

     William Kent at one time served as a justice of the peace in Spotsylvania County, and was also county  registrar for a time. I think that this is how he earned the nickname "Judge." He was very knowledgeable about Spotsylvania history, and was the main resource for a history of Shady Grove Methodist Church written in 1939. He was also frequently consulted by Mildred Barnum when she wrote her surveys of historic Spotsylvania properties for the WPA during the 1930's.
     William  spent his entire life on the farm established by his grandfather, Warner Kent, who was arrested by soldiers of the United States army during the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864.
Warner Kent was confined at the Old Capitol Prison for a time following his capture. His family had no idea what had happened to him until his return home some weeks later. The Kent family's dreadful ordeal during this time can be read in this post I wrote in 2011.

Detail Spotsylvania County map, 1863

     The Kents lived next to Hazel Hill, which was owned by W. W. Jones during the Civil War. Oakley, home of the Dobyns family, lay across Catharpin Road from Hazel Hill.

Leroy Dobyns and family. Spotsylvania County, April 1866

     From this recently discovered history of Oakley, I learned that Leroy Dobyns brought two families of slaves with him when he took possession of Oakley in 1854. These were the Fauntleroys and Woodwards, who remained in Spotsylvania after their emancipation and for decades afterwards.
     I also learned about two features of the Oakley property that have been gone for a long time. A large, two-room brick kitchen once stood behind the house. The room closest to the house included a huge fireplace which was nearly the width of the room. Hanging in the fireplace were large iron cranes, which could be raised or lowered. The cranes hung on pivots, so that pots and kettles could be swung into and out of the fire as needed. The fireplace included a large brick oven. The back room of the kitchen was used as quarters for the cook.
     The other thing different about Oakley during these years was that the driveway was not in the same place as the modern one. The entrance to Oakley at that time was about a half mile east of the one that exists today, and the road leading from Catharpin to Oakley was much longer.
     Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Leroy Dobyns and his family returned to Essex County, which had been their home before moving to Spotsylvania. The Embrey Index of Spotsylvania Deeds shows that Leroy W. and Mary C. Dobyns of Essex County sold 1000 acres to Jos. "Lichtensteen" of New York on January 3, 1868.
     Joseph Lichtenstein was born in Hungary in 1811 and at some time immigrated to New York City, where he made his money as a vinegar manufacturer. While he lived in New York, his name appeared as "Lichtenstein" in the state census of 1855, and the federal censuses 1860 and 1880. For whatever reason, once he came to Spotsylvania, his name appears as "Lichtenstern" in the 1870 census, articles in the local press and in the history of Oakley I am referring to in this article. I have no way of knowing if he chose this version of his name himself to sound less Jewish in the rural south, or if this was just how local residents chose to spell it. For the purposes of this post, he will be called Joseph Lichtenstein.
     Lichtenstein did not move to Spotsylvania right away. For a time, he rented the farm to Lucius Estes and Richard Todd. Lucius and his wife lived at Oakley until the arrival of the Lichtenstein family.  Lucius, his wife and their adopted son later lived as caretakers at "Greenfield," the Row farm just northwest of Oakley.
     When Joseph Lichtenstein finally arrived at Oakley, he brought with him his wife, Julia, and their children (there are six children named in the 1870 census).
     The former vinegar distiller apparently had visions of becoming a country squire once he came to Spotsylvania. He also brought with him a dozen fine horses and a number of stable boys to care for them. A man named Jones was hired to oversee the farming operations at Oakley.
     Unfortunately, neither Lichtenstein nor Jones knew much about farming. During the first year, much of the wheat crop was lost to their ineptitude (some of the wheat had been piled into one huge mound, and was allowed to rot). Each man blamed the other for this poor showing, and Jones was threatened with dismissal without pay. Lichtenstein approached three neighbors and asked them to help arbitrate the case. They ruled that Lichtenstein was responsible, and that he owed Jones the remainder of that year's salary. Jones was paid off, and then fired.
     Lichtenstein next hired William Harris as overseer. Harris was a brother of future Spotsylvania sheriff and clerk of court, Thomas Addison Harris. Harris's parents' farm can seen in the lower right of the map detail above. Later, William and his brother John owned Harris & Brother Grocery in Fredericksburg.
     William and his wife, the former Mary Ann Buchanan, lived at Oakley in the wing of the house. Mary Ann taught school at Hazel Hill, and was a teacher of William Kent.
     When William and Mary Ann Harris moved on, Lichtenstein decided to run Oakley himself. This did not go well, and he soon went into debt and had to borrow $4,000.
     His problems were compounded by a tragic accident that occurred not long after the birth of the Lichtenstein's daughter, Katie. One of their older sons, Isadore, kept a pistol in the bureau. One day he showed it to the black nurse hired to take care of Katie. After Isadore had left the room the nurse, who was holding Katie in one arm, took the gun out of the drawer. While examining it, the pistol accidentally discharged, instantly killing Katie. She is buried in an unmarked grave at Oakley. (Another daughter, Julia, died in January 1871.)
     About 46 years after this sad event, in 1918, William Lee Kent, who had worked as caretaker at Oakley for seven years, was tending the crops there. While he was working in the field, a man approached William and identified himself as Charles Lichtenstein, a younger brother of Isadore. William and Charles walked through the house together. When they entered the room where Katie had been fatally shot, Charles told William that he had been present when this tragedy occurred. He heard the report of the gun, and then the scream of the nurse, who started running down the hall. At just that moment, Katie's mother had come up the stairs from the basement to see what the commotion was about. Just as Julia Lichtenstein opened the door, the terrified nurse dropped the dead baby at her mother's feet.

Fredericksburg Ledger 10 May 1872

     Not long after  Katie's death, Joseph Lichtenstein sold Oakley to Thomas Hall and returned to New York, where he became an insurance agent. His ownership of Oakley started its long, downward spiral of absentee owners and neglect that would continue until the place was bought by George Charles Beals in 1926.

    

     When John and Jennie Coleman were murdered at their home in Spotsylvania on the evening of April 2, 1935, their deaths shocked and outraged citizens throughout the region. Because of their deep roots in the area's history and their many familial ties to local persons of prominence, the news of their violent deaths and the events that occurred in the aftermath of that sad event made front-page news in The Free Lance-Star over the next ten months.
     To tell their story, I will begin with Thomas C. Chandler and his wife Clementina Alsop, the grandparents of Jennie Chandler Coleman. Thomas, a well-to-farmer from Caroline County, married Clementina, a native of Spotsylvania, on September 20, 1825. Clementina's father, Samuel Alsop, Jr., gave the Oakley farm and the fine house he built there as a wedding gift to the couple. Located on Catharpin Road near Corbin's Bridge, this property included several hundred acres and would be home to the Chandlers for fourteen years.

Oakley in 1935 (Francis Benjamin Johnston)

     During their time at Oakley, Thomas and Clementina Chandler became the parents of six children--four sons and two daughters, all of whom survived to adulthood. In 1839, Thomas sold Oakley to Enoch Gridley and moved his family to Fairfield, a large farm in Caroline County near Guiney's Station. In the 1863 map detail below, the location of the Chandler plantation can be seen just north of the railroad at "Guinea Sta." The home of Thomas and Clementine's oldest son, William Samuel Chandler (1826-1902) can be seen at far left in the image, just over the county line in Spotsylvania.

Map detail of western Caroline County, 1863

     The three oldest Chandler sons--William Samuel, Joseph Alsop and Thomas K.--attended Bethany College in what is now West Virginia. William, Thomas and their youngest brother Henry fought for the Confederacy. Dr. Joseph Chandler did not fight in the war, but supported the Confederate cause by selling fodder and provisions to a variety of quartermaster officers. (As a side note, Dr. Joseph Chandler's son, Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler, was president of the College of William and Mary 1919-1934).
     Just prior to the beginning of the Civil War, William and Joseph married two daughters of James and Margaret White. William married Ann Elizabeth in 1859; Dr. Joseph Chandler married Emuella the following year.

Fairfield (Ancestry)

Fairfield tobacco field. Stonewall Jackson died in the building at left

Fairfield in a state of decay. Stonewall Jackson died in the building in the foreground

     Clementina Chandler died in 1844. A few years later, Thomas Chandler married Mary Elizabeth Frazer, and together they raised four children. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the Chandlers prospered at Fairfield. At some point, Thomas razed the original house and replaced it with a fine brick dwelling. According to the 1860 census, Fairfield consisted of 740 acres. By the standards of his day, Thomas Chandler was a wealthy man. He had 62 slaves at Fairfield, and hired out another one to his son Thomas. The senior Chandler also owned six slaves employed in Spotsylvania County. His real estate was valued at $14,000 and his personal property was worth $39,000.
     Westwood, William Chandler's farm in eastern Spotsylvania, was a large one consisting of 500 acres, and he owned 22 slaves in 1860. On March 13, 1862, William enlisted in Company C of the 55th Virginia Infantry. He served as a guide for General Joseph R. Johnson. He mustered out of the infantry on December 30, 1862. Six months later, on June 15, 1863, he enlisted in Company B of the 9th Virginia Cavalry.
     While fighting south of Petersburg near the Weldon Railroad in October 1864, William was shot in the right thigh. Several days later, he was given a 60-day furlough, to begin November 4, 1864. By March 1, 1865 he was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 5 in Richmond, diagnosed with "debilitas" (that is, weakness and feebleness) and still suffering from his leg wound. On March 13, he was reported as a deserter. Three weeks later, on April 3, he was captured by U. S. forces at Amelia's Cross Roads and imprisoned at Hart's Island in New York harbor. He took the oath of allegiance on June 14, 1865 and was provided with transportation to Fredericksburg. He remained at least partially disabled from his wound and suffered from occasional abscesses for the rest of his life.
     Meanwhile, William's father continued to live at Fairfield. During the winter of 1862-1863, General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and his family stayed with the Chandlers, with whom they became good friends. Several months later, Jackson returned to Fairfield, but this time under very unhappy circumstances. After the amputation of his left arm following his accidental shooting at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863, Jackson was brought to the small building used by Thomas Chandler as an office, and made as comfortable as possible. He died there on May 10. A few weeks after being a part of that historic episode, Thomas Chandler had a violent encounter with Confederate soldiers at Fairfield.
     By the end of the Civil War, William and Ann already had three children. In the years that followed they would have three more. Their youngest daughter, Mildred Jane "Jennie" Chandler was born at Westwood on March 16, 1870.

Map detail of eastern Spotsylvania, 1863

     In the map detail shown above, Spotsylvania Courthouse can be seen in the lower left of the image. The homes of Joseph (which was in Caroline County) and William Chandler can be seen at upper right. In the left center of the map can be seen the 412-acre farm of John Thomas Coleman, Sr., (shown as "J. Coleman"). This place was called Hickory Point. John Thomas Coleman, Jr. was born here on March 9, 1858.
     Like William and Ann Chandler, John Coleman, Sr., and his wife, the former Emily Lewis Andrews, raised six children. In addition to John, Jr., I will mention Honeyman Coleman, who became a well-known pharmacist in Richmond, and Dr. William Coleman, who practiced medicine in Louisa County. A daughter, Bettie Kay, married Horace Frazer Crismond, a brother of Spotsylvania minister and clerk of court, Joseph Patrick Henry Crismond. Horace was a partner in the Fredericksburg store known as Willis & Crismond, and he served in the House of Delegates. John Coleman, Sr., had inherited Hickory Point from his father. After his death in 1892, the property passed down to John, Jr.
     John Thomas Coleman, Jr., married his first wife, Carrie Overton Harris, on December 7, 1890. They had one daughter, Mary Lin, born in 1895. Carrie was the daughter of Clement Marshall Harris, who owned "Bloomsbury" from 1854 until his death in 1867. Built in the late 1700's, Bloomsbury stood on what is now Route 208 for more than 200 years, until it was razed a few years ago. During the Civil War, the Battle of Harris Farm, fought here, was the last major engagement of the prolonged fighting near Spotsylvania Courthouse.

Bloomsbury (Ancestry)

     During this time, Jennie Chandler, who still lived with her parents, taught school near the courthouse from at least 1894-1900. Her sister Margaret also taught school.
     Jennie married railroad contractor Earnest M. Carpenter at Westwood on November 27, 1904. They moved to South Carolina, where Earnest's work took him. From there they moved to Georgia, where Earnest died. By September 1905, Jennie had come back home to Spotsylvania.
    John and Carrie Coleman lived at Hickory Point for 19 years. Carrie's health continued to fail, and she died of tuberculosis on March 20, 1909.
     And so it was that the widowed John and Jennie were able to come together in their middle age. They were married in Caroline County at the home of her brother, William Campbell Chandler, on January 27, 1910. The wedding was officiated by Reverend Decatur Williams. John and Jennie made their home at Hickory Point and John's daughter lived with them for many years.
     John was active in local politics and was a member of the Spotsylvania County Democratic Committee. For years he served as a member of the fair committee of the Rapphannock Mechanical and Agricultural Society, which planned the fair held annually in Fredericksburg. He was also appointed game warden for the Courtland District and remained at that job from at least 1904-1910.
     Mary Lin Coleman first attended the State Normal School in Farmville (the forerunner of modern Longwood University) and then studied two years at the State Normal School in Fredericksburg (today's University of Mary Washington). She married Oscar Clifford Scott in 1918. They lived with her parents at Hickory Point until at least 1930, but moved to their own house before 1935. Mary Lin was appointed as enumerator of the 1920 census for the Courtland District. Oscar owned a filling station.
     On the morning of April 2, 1935, Oscar Scott drove his father-in-law to Fredericksburg in John's 1929 Ford Model A (77-year-old John Coleman did not drive). John took care of a few errands in town, including cashing a small check from Farmers Creamery, and then they went back to the Coleman place. John asked Oscar if he and Mary Lin would come by that evening and Oscar said they would, then he left. As it turned out, something came up and the Scotts did not go back to the  Coleman place that night. (Mary Lin later said that had they done so, they likely would have perished with her parents.) Tom Braxton, John's black farm hand who had worked at Hickory Point for 39 years, milked the cows. When he left at about 6:30, the Colemans had begun their evening routine. Jennie had placed their dinner in the warming oven and had started washing the milk cans.
     A few hours later, John's Model A pulled into the Esso station near Thornburg owned by Thomas B. Payne. Elwood Haislip, Ezra Heflin and Mercer Waller were working there that evening. They recognized the Ford as that of John Coleman, Jr., because he had bought it there and had done all the repair work done there. Two black men were in the car, one of whom came inside to buy cigarettes. They filled the car with gas and then headed south toward Richmond. The station attendants were not concerned at the time, as it was not unusual for Mr. Coleman to give the keys to men who worked on his farm so that they could run errands for him.
      The following morning, Tom Braxton returned to Hickory Point to start his usual chores. He noticed right away that neither of the Colemans were up and about, which was unusual for them. The door to the house had been left open, as well as the garage door. The car was gone.
     By now Braxton was thoroughly alarmed, and he went to get Charlesworth Clarke, a white neighbor of the Colemans, and they returned to their house. They entered the house, but there was no sign of John or Jennie. Nor did they see signs of a struggle, although some papers had been taken out of a box on the bureau and strew about the bedroom floor.
     Braxton and Clarke then went to see Oscar Scott, and told them what they had observed that morning. The three of them then drove to Spotsylvania Courthouse and informed commonwealth's attorney, Emmett R. Carner (Sheriff Maxie Blaydes had traveled to Richmond that morning to testify in a trial at the federal courthouse).
     Carner, Scott, Braxton and Clarke then drove to Hickory Point. Carner noted that the cover to the well was askew, and that the bucket and chains had been torn away. The well cover was then removed, and once their eyes adjusted to the dark interior, a human form could be seen in the water below.
     Carner returned to the courthouse and called county coroner Dr. William A. Harris, who was in Fredericksburg at the time, and told him to be ready to examine two bodies once they had been retrieved from the well. Carner then returned to the Coleman farm. Help in bringing up the bodies was provided by neighbors Winfrey Mason, Ernest C. Lunsford and James Dennis.
     Both John and Jennie had been bludgeoned with with a blunt instrument, and each of them had been shot with John's shotgun, which was missing. Robbery was immediately thought to be the motive for the murders. Although the Colemans did not keep large sums of money in the house, they were presumed to be well-off financially. Mr. Coleman had no known enemies.
     Recently, a gang of road workers, primarily black men in the employ of the Clay Construction Company, had been grading and laying gravel on the road at Bloody Angle in the Battlefield Park. Because of the wet weather lately, these workers had been idle, so John had hired some of them to dig ditches, put up fences and do other work at Hickory Point. Suspicion at once fell on these men as possible suspects in the murder. The county offered a $500 for information leading to the arrest of the criminals.

The Free Lance-Star, 5 April 1935

     The Coleman's car was found in Richmond on the night of April 3. The attention of the investigators was briefly diverted from the road workers as possible suspects to two escaped black felons, James Williams and Connie Reeves. Mercer Waller, one of the attendants at Payne's filling station, had identified a mugshot of Connie Reeves as the man who had bought cigarettes on the night of the murders. This identification soon proved to be in error, however, and the search continued.

The Free Lance-Star 5 April 1935

     A double funeral was held for John and Jennie Coleman on April 6, 1935. The details of the funeral were published on the front page of The Free Lance-Star on April 5. Reverend Edgar Green Stephens, pastor at Massaponax Baptist Church, officiated with the assistance of Reverend Preston Cave. Clerk of court Arthur Hancock Crismond, a nephew of John Coleman's sister, Bettie Kay Coleman Crismond, was one of the active pallbearers. Among the honorary pallbearers were prominent farmer, Charles R. Andrews; county coroner and member of the House of Delegates, Dr. William Aquilla Harris; Judge Frederick W. Coleman (he appears not to have been related to John), who would preside at the murder trial; former commonwealth's attorney and member of the House of Delgates, Samuel Peter Powell; publisher of The Free Lance-Star, Josiah P. Rowe, Jr.; commonwealth's attorney Emmett Roy Carner; Spotsylvania County treasurer Irvin Chandler Clore; and Spotsylvania sheriff Maxie Blaydes.

Arthur Hancock Crismond

Charles R. Andrews

Samuel Peter Powell

Dr. William Aquilla Harris

Reverend Edgar Green Stephens

     Jennie was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg. John was buried in his family's cemetery at Hickory Point.
     On April 8, The Free Lance-Star reported that Joe Jackson, a black man from Goochland County who had lived in the Spotsylvania area for several months, had come to the police and turned himself in the day after the funeral. He had heard that the authorities had been looking for him. Officers declined to state why they had suspected Jackson in connection with the crime, and Jackson denied any involvement in the murders. But this proved to be the turning point in the investigation. On April 10, it was reported that the state of Virginia was offering a reward of $200 for the arrest of the Colemans' killers. This was in addition to the $500 already offered by Spotsylvania.

The Free Lance-Star 13 April 1935

     On April 13, it was reported that Joe Jackson and John Shell had been charged with the murders of John and Jennie Coleman. Sheriff Blaydes and constable S. Walker Burgess had skillfully tracked John Shell to Haverstraw, New York. With the help of local law enforcement, Blaydes and Burgess arrested Shell, who refused to waive extradition back to Spotsylvania, citing his fear of being lynched. At the time of his arrest, Shell had on his person a gold watch case that had belonged to John T. Coleman, Jr.
     On Tuesday, April 16, 1935, a special grand jury met and indicted Shell and Jackson for the murder of the Colemans. The grand jury consisted of: Arthur Lynn Blanton, owner of Blanton Ford in Fredericksburg; John Moncure Chilton, father of future Spotsylvania school teacher, Merle Strickler; J. T. Owens and G. B. Gardner. Also included in the grand jury were two black men: Virgil Williams and Alexander Crump.
     Immediately after the indictment was handed down, Joe Jackson was taken to the Henrico County jail, where his physical safety was more likely to be assured. Commonwealth's attorney Carner requested that Virginia Governor Peery begin extradition proceedings to have Shell brought back to Virginia for trial.
     Sheriff Blaydes and S. Burgess Walker (who had just been named a special officer by Judge Frederick W. Coleman) arrived in Haverstraw, New York and took custody of John Shell on May 1. He was brought to the Henrico County jail where he and Jackson would await their trial. As they continued to be questioned by authorities, these two men frequently changed their stories and blamed each other for the actual murder, a pattern that would continue for the rest of their lives.
     Judge Coleman appointed Fredericksburg attorney Harry H. Sager to represent Shell and Jackson at their trial on May 14. Feelings against the prisoners ran high in Spotsylvania for the crime described by the The Free Lance-Star as "the most fiendish and atrocious crime in the county's history." Ten state troopers would help protect the prisoners during their travel from Henrico to Spotsylvania, and during the trial itself. These state police would be armed with riot guns, night sticks, tear gas grenades and automatic pistols A section of the courtroom would be set aside for black spectators.

The Free Lance-Star 15 May 1935

     Under heavy guard, Shell and Jackson were taken from their cells in Henrico and driven to Spotsylvania. The trial began at 10 a. m. and the prosecution presented its case in the morning. The court adjourned at 12:30 and was scheduled to reconvene at 2 p. m. As the prisoners were led through the crowd at the courthouse, estimated to be at least 700 people, two men suddenly broke through the cordon of police and attacked Shell and Jackson. These young men were identified as Reginald Foster, 30, and his brother Warrick, 27, sons of Spotsylvania farmer William Beauregard Foster. The Fosters then proceeded to rain blows on the heads and faces of the prisoners. While doing so, they called out to the other members of the crowd to join them. Fortunately, none did so, although many were heard to say later that they sympathized with the Fosters' actions. The state police were able to beat back the Fosters with their night sticks, and Shell and Foster were hustled into the court room.
     Their defense attorney, Henry Sager presented no evidence on behalf of his clients, whom he had just met that morning. His defense consisted largely of asking the jury to acquit these men if they thought there was reasonable doubt as to their guilt. No stenographic record was made of the proceedings.
     The jury consisted of Robert Warner Hilldrup (foreman), Jeter Talley, H. F. Craig, James William Thorburn, E. C. Leitch, Lindsey Mason, John A. Gordon, H. J. Durrett, Rhodes Pritchett, J. L. Sullivan, N. A. Tristano and Willie Jennings. The jury retired to deliberate after receiving instructions from Judge Coleman. Four minutes later, they arrived at guilty verdicts for both men. Judge Coleman pronounced a sentence of death in the electric chair for Shell and Jackson and scheduled their execution for June 21, 1935. They were then taken back to Henrico County jail, where they would remain until transferred to death row in the state penitentiary.
     Three days before they were to be executed, Shell and Jackson were granted a reprieve by Governor Peery, who had received a petition seeking a writ of error from their new attorney, E. A. Norrell of Richmond. As The Free Lance-Star would constantly remind its readers in the months to come, Norrell was a "negro attorney."
     This would be the first of five stays of execution granted to the Coleman's killers. Norrell's last ditch attempt to get a new trial for his clients, by appealing to the United States Supreme Court, ended in failure when the high court ruled that it could not consider the appeal since there was no stenographic record of the trial.
     Joe Jackson and John Shell were executed for their crime just before 8 a. m. on February 21, 1936. These were the witnesses present for their electrocution:









Special thanks to Park Historian Eric Mink for sharing with me the two photographs of Fairfield.


   

Map detail of southwestern Spotsylvania County, 1863

     Richard Matthews Lumsden and Martha Ann Hillsman were both born in Spotsylvania County in 1816. They were married in 1836, and over the next 22 years they had ten children--five daughters and five sons. The Lumsdens lived on a farm in southwestern Spotsylvania near the Orange County line. In the map detail shown above, "Lumsden" can be seen at the center left of the image, just west of Brightwell Road.
     Richard and Martha Ann's four oldest sons fought for the Confederacy William enlisted in Company D of the 30th Virginia Infantry on May 21, 1861. During the summer of 1862, he was a patient at General Hospital No. 21 in Richmond due to illness. Otherwise, the records show that he did not suffer any real difficulties, such as wounds or capture.
     James Fife Lumsden signed up with Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry on March 10, 1862. Like William, he survived the war relatively unscathed except for a bout of illness in the spring of 1863. After the war, Fife prospered as a merchant and postmaster in Orange County. He died at the age of 104 in 1945.

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Obituary of James Fife Lumsden (Keith Walters)

     Charles and Henry Lumsden, who served in Crenshaw's Artillery, did not fare as well as their older brothers. Charles was shot twice during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. One bullet crushed his lower jaw, the second lodged in his left shoulder, permanently disabling him. He carried that bullet within him for the rest of his life. Henry was struck by a shell fragment in his back just above the hip bone during the Battle of the Crater. The wound never completely healed, and decades after the war it would still abscess several times a year.
     The Lumsden's oldest daughter was named Mary Francis, but was known as "Mollie." Described as a pretty young woman, Mollie was born on January 12, 1838 and lived in her parents' household all her life, In the 1860 census, her occupation is given as "seamstress."
   

Map detail of southeastern Orange County, 1863

     By the mid-1860's, the Lumsdens moved to a farm in southeastern Orange County near the Tatum community, close to the Spotsylvania line. Late in life, Richard Lumsden served as postmaster at Tatum. The map detail above shows the section of Orange County where they lived, and where in 1868 a series of tragic and shocking events took place. The Herndon house can be seen at far right. Mrs. Simpson's house is at the bottom of the image. Antioch Baptist Church is in the center of the map detail, and the various Jacobs residences are south of the church.

     Reuben David Herndon was born in Orange County in 1834, a member of the large family reared by John and Mahala Landrum Herndon. By the start of the Civil War, Reuben was working as a carpenter. On April 25, 1861, he enlisted in Company A of the 13th Virginia Infantry at Harper's Ferry. He almost immediately fell ill and was admitted to a hospital 5 miles west of Winchester. Reuben remained on the sick rolls during his short term in the Confederate army. He was discharged due to disability on August 26, 1861. His certificate of disability is shown below (note that [Dr.] John Woolfolk represented him in obtaining this certificate):

Herndon certificate of disability (Fold3.com)

     He then returned to Orange County and resumed his occupation as a carpenter. He appears to have had a religious inclination as well, as he was also licensed as a Baptist preacher. On January 14, 1862, he married Susan S. Mason, a daughter of Reverend Saunders Mason, a respected Baptist minister. Between 1863 and 1868 Reuben and Susan had three children--two daughters and a son. By 1867, Mollie Lumsden was employed as a domestic in their household, and frequently stayed overnight with them.
     One day late in May 1867, Mollie gave a note to Reuben, asking him to meet her. They met and had a brief conversation and agreed to see each other again later that day. The second time they met, they walked off the road into a pine thicket, where Mollie told him there were bad rumors about his conduct with some of the ladies in the neighborhood, and warned him to be on his guard. Reuben had been drinking whiskey that day and impulsively kissed her and gave her a ring. The next Sunday morning, Reuben met Mollie again as he was returning home from a job in Spotsylvania. They stepped into the woods to resume the kissing and hugging of their previous tryst and, in Reuben's words, "the devil told me to go further, and then and there I took the first step in the matter." They parted and did not see each other alone for a few months, during which time Mollie sent him presents of socks and neck ties.
     Reuben and Mollie then began seeing each other again, continuing their lovemaking episodes out of doors. Mollie began having misgivings about their relationship, fearing that Reuben's wife, Susan, would find them out. As it happened, this proved to be the least of her problems. In March 1868, Mollie wrote a note to Reuben and said that she "was in a bad fix" and wanted to know what to do. She was becoming obviously pregnant, and had taken to tightly binding her midsection with one of Reuben's ties in an attempt to hide her condition from her family. Reuben offered to go to her father and confess his responsibility. Mollie begged him not to, fearing her father would kill her. Reuben then suggested that they run away together to a place where no one would know them. Mollie did not like this idea either. They tried, unsuccessfully, to abort the baby.
     Finally, Mollie said that she knew a woman in Richmond who could take care of her, and if Reuben could arrange her transportation there, "he should have no more trouble about her and she would never betray him, come what might." By now Mollie feared to return home, and on the night of April 23, 1868 she hid herself in a stable. When Reuben met her on the morning of April 24, he realized how desperate their situation was, and determined to take immediate steps to raise some money to get Mollie to Richmond and have her cared for. First, he hid Mollie in a secluded section of woods and covered her with brush and branches both to hide her and protect her from the rain. He then went to see a number of people in the neighborhood. He sold a yoke of oxen for $28 and made arrangements to borrow a horse from Benjamin Quisenberry to take Mollie to Trevilian Station in Louisa County, some fifteen miles away. He bought a gingerbread cake for Mollie and then returned to her hiding place.
     As he approached the rude shelter he had made for her, he saw that it was all torn down. His first thought was that she had decided to take her chances with her family and had gone there to make her confession. Then he spotted her lying on the ground, as if asleep. But at once he realized that she was dead. Near her body was a bottle of morphine. It was the same one he had bought for her the previous month when she had been suffering with toothache. Reuben hid her body in the same spot in which she had waited for him that day. He picked up the vial, which he hid in the woods on his way home, taking care to mark the spot with a rock so that he could find it again.
     When Reuben returned home, he said nothing to Susan. She told him that Mollie was missing, and that her father had sent one of her younger sisters to ask Susan if she had seen Mollie, as she had not come home.

     This was the version of events that Reuben Herndon provided in his written confession. During the investigation and trial that followed, the newspapers reported a different version of what had happened: That Reuben had accidentally poisoned Mollie in a failed attempt to induce abortion. She died, and in a frenzied attempt to cover up his complicity, Reuben had cut her up with an ax, with the intention of burying child and mother in separate places. He gave up on this idea and simply covered her body with brush and limbs and then left her. One hundred fifty years later, it is not possible to tell which version was the truth. After reading the newspaper articles I could find regarding this case, my opinion is that Mollie's death was either an accident or suicide. It is unlikely that Reuben did what the press said he did.

     In any event, Mollie Lumsden was missing. Over the next several days, search parties were organized to scour the neighborhood for any sign of her. Reuben participated in some of these efforts, and he was apparently as concerned as the other searchers, but of course for different reasons. It would be remembered that he was careful to subtly lead his fellow searchers away from where Mollie would ultimately be found. He even organized one of these searches himself at Antioch Baptist Church.
     Despite his efforts to deflect attention from himself, suspicion began to turn to him. After all, Mollie had spent considerable time at the Herndon house, and she had spent many nights there. Tormented by these rumors circulating about him, and by his own sense of guilt, he published this warning on May 15 in the Orange Native Virginian:

The Native Virginian 15 May 1868

     On May 21, Mrs. James Jacobs was in her yard when she noticed that her dog had blood on his paws as he approached the house. Thinking he had perhaps killed a lamb or calf, she urged her dog on and got him to lead her to the source of the blood, which turned out to be the spot where Mollie's body had been hidden. Richard Lumsden was summoned to come view the remains. He was able to identify his daughter only by her clothing; the dogs and buzzards had made any further identification of Mollie impossible. On his way home, Richard passed by Mrs. Simpson's house, where Reuben and a Mr. Catlett were shingling an outbuilding. Richard asked Reuben to come with him to where the discovery had been made. Reuben declined to do so. Then Richard asked Reuben if he would make a box in which to put Mollie's body. Reuben volunteered to do so, but was "so excited and unnerved that he could scarcely take the necessary measurements."
     The following day, Dr. John Woolfolk (who six years before signed Reuben's certificate of disability) testified at the inquest held by justice of the peace Francis J. Saunders. It was revealed that a letter written by Reuben was found in Mollie's dress pocket:

The Native Virginian 29 May 1868

     Reuben was then placed under arrest and taken to the place where Mollie had been found. Richard Lumsden approached him and said, "You murdered by daughter." Herndon replied, "I did not." Lumsden continued: "You cannot deny that you wrote that letter." Herndon said, "No sir, I did it." Whereupon Richard raised a hickory stick and attempted to knock Reuben down, but was prevented from doing so by the magistrate, Richard Richards.
     Feelings against Reuben ran very high and--fearing for his life--he made at least one attempt to escape from his jail cell by June 10. He was put in irons. Plans were afoot to storm the Orange County jail and seize Reuben and hang him at the spot where Mollie had died. On the day this was to be attempted, only a dozen of the 100 men who were expected to participate actually showed up. The plan to lynch Reuben was abandoned.
     During these weeks in jail, Reuben was visited by clergy and appeared to be contrite. He was allowed paper, pen and ink and he spent his days writing his life story and his confession. It was reported that his license to preach had been revoked.
     Reuben was the only inmate in his cell, a windowless room ventilated by a barred opening over the door. On the night of Sunday July 26, Reuben sawed through the bars of the ventilator and managed to get out of his cell. He then made his way down the passage to the other cells, which were occupied by black prisoners. He opened their cell doors. Together they managed to remove an iron bar from one windows and fled from the jail. Although there was much speculation as to how Reuben had obtained a saw to cut through bars and a key to open the doors of the other cells, no evidence implicating anyone was ever mentioned in the newspapers.
     The escape of all the jail's prisoners was not discovered until Monday morning. The Governor was immediately informed by telegraph. Four days later, notice of a $500 reward  for the arrest of Reuben was published in the papers:

The Native Virginian 31 July 1868

     After his escape, Reuben remained in the vicinity of Orange County. With no money and every man's hand against him, he had few good options. Two groups of men set out to track him down for the reward. One group visited the house of his sister-in-law, and later learned that he had escaped by the back door as the approached the house. The other group found his shoes in the woods.
     A week after the jail break, a disheveled man approached Peter Bibb, a black man who lived near Trevilian Station, and asked for directions to the house of a Mr. Grady. Bibb gave him the directions, but his suspicion was aroused by the man's appearance and manner, and he reported his encounter to the local magistrate, James Woolfolk. Enlisting the aid of two other men, Woolfolk went to Grady's house. They found Reuben asleep in bed. "He presented a forlorn appearance--haggard, thin, shoeless, foot-sore and hungry." He was arrested and taken back to the Orange County jail, where he was chained to the floor of his jail. As for the reward, The Governor of Virginia allowed $100 of it to be paid to Peter Bibb, much to the displeasure of Woolfolk and his helpers.
     Reuben hired a Judge Robertson and Shelton F. Locke of Albemarle County to represent him in court. His attorneys managed to have a number of continuances granted, and the trial did not get underway until late May 1869. Because of the level of hostility toward him in Orange County, 43 prospective jurors from Alexandria were brought to the courthouse. From that group, 12 were empanelled to hear the case. Testimony was taken from Mrs. Jacobs, Richard Lumsden, Mrs. Simpson, Francis J. Saunders, Dr. John Woolfolk, Dr. Elhanon Row and others. The case was given to the jury, which deliberated for 45 minutes.
     The jury returned a verdict of murder in the second degree, and Reuben was sentenced to 18 years in prison.  He was taken to the state penitentiary in Richmond, where he died on July 30, 1884, three years before his scheduled release.

     Richard and Martha Ann Lumsden lived another 40 years after the death of their daughter. Ninety-three-year-old Richard died in 1909. Martha Ann died two years later.

     Life also went on for Susan Mason Herndon and her children. In 1875, she married Edward Hughes (a carpenter, like Reuben) and raised a second family with him. She died of heart failure at age 85 in Orange County on March 24, 1927.
    
    

John Day Andrews (Ancestry.com)

     During the waning years of the eighteenth century, four sons were born in Spotsylvania County to John Andrews and Elizabeth Lipscomb. Lewis, the oldest (1793-1858), became  a successful farmer in Orange County, where he and his wife raised their family. Samuel (1794-1871) never married, but achieved noteworthy success as a man of business. In 1826, he built a fine brick house in southern Spotsylvania County, at the spot that would become known as Andrews Tavern. In 1836, he added the wood-framed wing that housed the tavern. This addition was also utilized as a store, post office, polling location and a place where the local militia would muster. Living in the brick house with Samuel was his brother William (1801-1861), with his wife and six children. William ran the farming operations at Andrews Tavern, and was one of the largest owner of slaves in Spotsylvania.

Andrews Tavern (Virginia Department of Historic Resources)

     The fourth son, John Day Andrews (1795-1882), achieved a well-earned place in history by the force of his will, his ambition, personal energy and his intelligence. Little is known of John's very early years, but it is clear from his letters and legal depositions that he had benefited from a first-class education. As a young man, John had an association with a young woman named Mary Goodwin. Arising from that association was a closely-kept secret that John never shared with his family. The details of that secret were revealed in two letters John wrote in 1871 and 1872. These two letters are part of a large cache of documents that once belonged to the Andrews and Johnson families, which  are now in my possession. The significance of these letters will be more fully developed later in this biography.

Hanover Tavern (Google)

     William Winston Thilman (1798-1829) was a member of one of Hanover County's leading families. He owned Hanover Tavern, which still stands on modern Route 301 opposite the venerable Hanover Courthouse. The tavern had been previously owned by William's grandfather during the American Revolution, and then by his father. On February 17, 1822, he married a cousin, Eugenia Price (1805-1873). Eugenia was a daughter of wealthy Thomas Randolph Price, Jr., and Elizabeth Thilman Doswell. William and Eugenia had two daughters together: Barbara Overton (1823-1857) and Elizabeth (1825-1876).

Eugenia Price Thilman Andrews (Ancestry.com)

     John Andrews worked as the overseer for Eugenia Price Thilman. It is also quite possible that he had been employed as overseer before William Thilman's death. In any event, he was employed by Eugenia when they announced their plans to marry in 1830.

Marriage license of John Andrews and Eugenia Thilman (Library of Virginia)

Fork Church, Hanover County (photo by R.W. Dawson)

     John and Eugenia were married by Reverend John Cooke at historic Fork Church in Hanover County on December 1, 1830. At least one source says that John and Eugenia's marriage "scandalized plantation society" in Hanover County. And that is quite possible. It has also been suggested that Eugenia's family was strongly opposed to the marriage. However, that may not be entirely true. In a letter written by Eugenia's father to John, which was entered as evidence in a lawsuit brought against him by the executors of Price's estate, Thomas Price, Jr., wrote: "...your saying you did not wish to marry in my family, unless you were considered a member. I told you as far as I was concerned I was satisfied."
     However, there is no question that the relationship between Thomas Price, Jr., and John Andrews became toxic soon after the wedding, and remained so for the rest of Price's life. According to testimony given at the lawsuit mentioned above, including John's own deposition, the falling out between John and Price occurred after John's refusal to participate in a financing scheme accepted by Price's other children. Price wished to place in the possession of his children (including John and Eugenia) a certain number of slaves, each of whom was given a valuation. These slaves would be utilized for their labor while in the possession of Price's children, although ownership would be retained by Price. John refused, stating in his deposition that this would place him in the position of caring for slaves, which were not his property, at great expense "liable to be taken from him when most valuable, and in the meantime subject to the divided authority of two masters. This he refused, considering such an advancement as a Burden and not a benefit. The said Price took umbrage at his refusal."
     This refusal would cost John Andrews dearly. The year before this controversy arose, in 1831, John bought Hanover Tavern at auction. This he did at the urging of his father-in-law, who--according to John--had promised to assist him in making the payments on the purchase. After this spat regarding the slaves, Price apparently reneged on this commitment, and John was left in the uncomfortable position of making good on his bond for the tavern purchase from his own resources.

Thomas Price, Jr., bond to Eugenia (Library of Virginia)

     In March 1832, Price signed the document above, pledging to to Eugenia a substantial sum of money for the support of herself and her two daughters, Barbara and Elizabeth. This was likely the last financial help he ever extended to Eugenia.
     By 1834, relations between John and Price had permanently soured. John indicated as much in a letter he wrote to his father-in-law on December 5 in that year: "It is I must confess truly distressing to me to find that there exists with you a want of confidence in my prudence and discretion in the application and use of any matter of property that you might find yourself enabled towards aiding in comfort to myself & those members of your family with whom I find myself honorably associated." For the rest of his life, Price refused to assist John with any financial help, or if he did so, it was done grudgingly and with strings attached. In response, John nurtured a smoldering resentment against his father-in-law.
     In 1835, the first of John and Eugenia's two daughters, Samuella, was born. Her half-sisters, Barbara and Elizabeth, had been adopted (in spirit, if not by court decree) by John, who cherished William Thilman's daughters as if they were his own.

Richmond Enquirer 2 October 1835 (Chronicling America)

     Despite the ongoing strife between John and Price, newspaper accounts showed that this was not the entirety of John's experience in Hanover County. In the autumn of 1835, John hosted a multi-day horse racing event. As the proprietor of Hanover Tavern, he advertised that he would "do what he can for the comfort and accommodation of his guests. Sportsmen and others are invited to attend."
     John was also active in Democratic politics. In the November 1, 1836 edition of the Richmond Enquirer, John's name appears on a list of members of the committee of correspondence from Hanover County who supported the candidacy of Martin Van Buren.
     It was evidently during this time that John had made up his mind to move to Texas. He made his first trip to the Houston area in 1836. By the time he made his second trip there in 1837, he had joined forces with Baltimore merchants Thomas Massey League and Peter Wilson. Their business venture  was named League, Andrews and Company. The plan was for John and League to settle in Houston, where they would establish a mercantile business. Peter Wilson would remain in Baltimore, where he ran the "front office" of the company. It was his responsibility to purchase goods for the proposed store in Houston and arrange for that merchandise to be shipped there.
     These two trips to Texas required long separations from his family. As might be expected, Thomas Price, Jr., was very much opposed to the idea of his daughter and grandchildren moving so far away. There was even grumbling among some about John's "abandoning" his family during these long absences, and Price expressed doubts about John's "conjugal fidelity."
    

Petition of Thomas League regarding the Correo (Ancestry.com)

     About the time that John returned to Hanover County in January 1838, League Andrews and Company encountered its first setback (which, though costly, was not fatal to the company's fortunes). During the summer of 1837, the Mexican schooner Correo was captured by two schooners of the Texas Republic, Invincible and Brutus. The Correo was brought to Galveston where it was offered for sale by Thomas F. McKinney, prize agent. League, Andrews and Company bought the schooner, presumably to transport goods to their store. In December 1837 or January 1838, William M. Shepherd, Secretary of the Navy of the Texas Republic, seized the Correo and impressed her into the service of the Texas Navy. In 1843, Thomas League petitioned the Congress of Texas to recover financial damages due to the loss of the ship. Ultimately, Texas decided that it did owe League, Andrew and Company (which by then had dissolved its business) for its loss. However, it was determined that League, Andrews was indebted to Texas for a substantial amount of money, and the two competing claims offset each other.

Resolution of Texas Congress concerning the Correo

     The year 1838 would prove to be pivotal for John Andrews in other respects as well. Having completed his business in Houston for now, John sailed back to Baltimore in January, then returned home. Soon after his arrival, he met with Price at his home. They agreed to meet at Bell Tavern in Richmond on January 28 with the purpose of settling some matters of business and, as Price was later quoted as saying, "to bury the tomahawk" and hopefully come to a new understanding. Shortly after this meeting, John traveled to Baltimore to meet with Thomas League and Peter Wilson, where the final touches were put on their partnership agreement. Soon after his return to Hanover County, John wrote a letter to Price on March 3:

     "Dear Sir, I hasten to advise you of my return from Baltimore, and the result of my expedition. Mr. Wilson the Gentleman residing in Baltimore to whom I was proposed a partner has agreed by the advice of several friends to take me in as a partner in the Houston Concern. And I have succeeded in making a new arrangement with him much more favourable to my interest than heretofore proposed [here John goes into some detail about the financing of this venture]...I have taken much pains to investigate his circumstances and found them good, & that he is a man of good business habits. Now sir, I submit to you to say whether you do not think this is an excellent prospect for doing something to benefit my dear little family?...Now, my dear sir, if there is friendship or confidence in your bosom towards me, or if you wish to see me, or mine advanced in the scale of Human comfort or Human association, then let me beg that you now come out with a father's kindness, and a father's affection which I hope by frugality industry and prudence, will result in giving comfort to me and mine...I therefore again supplicate your speedy aid--and trust that it may be offered and extended upon principles of confidence and liberality..."

     But a liberal donation by Thomas Price, Jr., would not be forthcoming, and his relationship with John Andrews resumed its longstanding rancorous and bitter character.

John's letter to Price, 12 August 1838 (Library of Virginia)

     The last known letter written by John Andrews to his father-in-law was dated August 12, 1838. Remarks such as these doubtless did little to restore feelings of comity between the two men:

     "...I can only say that if our intercourse has degenerated into acts of offensive insult, the sooner it receives its final termination the better...I had hoped that the expressions that fell from your lips with regard to myself, since my return from abroad, & from the many declarations of favouritism expressed by you in my hearing, in behalf of your daughter, and her little family, that a better state of feeling, and a more noble and endearing intercourse between families, was desired and sought after than had hitherto existed. But alas a silent and patient observance of passing events have convinced me that my hopes have been utterly fallacious..."

     Of course, Thomas Price, Jr., had his own opinions, which he angrily expressed in an undated letter to John presented as evidence in a lawsuit instituted against John by the executors of his estate in 1839:

     "What benefit do you think could or has resulted to you, for slandering me in the way you have, to various persons; if I were ever guilty of such charges, do you think those to whom you have made your communications would think as well of you. You have mistaken your man, if you think of playing off your artifice on me by your slanderous tongue & am sorry to perceive that Eugenia has imbibed many of your principles...Your saying in my house, before my wife, that my not giving you what I gave, absolutely [to my other children], would be the means of separation between you & Eugenia, and threats repeated at the Ct. House that you would send her and children to me. Your dandling and kissing that black child..."

     All of this internecine squabbling would soon be overtaken by events, as the day was fast approaching when John Andrews and his family would soon leave Hanover County for Baltimore, and from there to Houston. One vital detail for which John sought reassurance was the legality of his importation of slaves from Virginia to the Republic of Texas. To that end, he wrote a letter dated October 20, 1838, to Dr. Anson Jones, who was then serving as Texas's ambassador to the United States (six years later, Jones was elected as the fourth, and final, President of Texas):

     "I feel satisfied of the fact...that very many slaves are constantly being carried into Texas, but whether in a rather smuggled character or openly I am yet unadvised. I rather suspect under the former character. This by all means I wish to avoid, as I hope to be extensively engaged in commerce between the two countries and would be utterly unwilling to do anything that should be in any way subversive of what the Governments of the U.S. & that of other Governments abroad might regard as conducive to the general good among nations..."

From the letter of John Andrews to Dr. Anson Jones (Texas Legation Papers)

     Another bit of business which had to be taken care of was the sale of Hanover Tavern. John began advertising his property in the Richmond Enquirer as early as February 1838. A buyer would ultimately be found, but only just in time.

Richmond Enquirer, 22 February 1838 (Chronicling America)

     About the time that John wrote his letter to Dr. Anson Jones, a totally unexpected accident occurred which put increased pressure on John to get his affairs in order so that he could leave for Texas by the end of 1838. Thomas Price, Jr., suffered "a violent injury of the spine, which produced compression of the spinal marrow." For the last two weeks of his life he lay paralyzed in his bed. He was visited by many persons during his final illness, including John Day Andrews. Charles Dabney testified at a hearing during the lawsuit against John that Price asked John not to move to Texas, & that if he stayed in Virginia he would give him "Rocketts" and other property in Hanover County. Price died on October 31, 1838.

From the will of Thomas Price, Jr. (Library of Virginia)

     Price had written his last will and testament on October 31, 1837. Not surprisingly, his will did not mention John or his daughter Samuella. The will did not even mention mention Eugenia by name. He did refer to her, however, in his bequest to the daughters of William Thilman:

     "One other portion I give and bequeath to my Grand daughters Barbara O. and Elizabeth Thilman. But on the express condition nevertheless that if any time that their mother should be in a state of poverty and destitution, they shall pay to her in equal portions the annual sum of one hundred and fifty Dollars, during the said necessity. And if they or either of them shall fail to do so then their or her said portion to be entirely forfeited..."

     John sold Hanover Tavern and about 600 acres to Francis Nelson of King William County on December 8, 1838. The purchase price was $8,000. Six thousand dollars of that amount was to be loaned to Nelson by Price's son, Dr. Lucien B. Price. Most of the remaining $2,000 was to come from the estate of Thomas Price, Jr., by way of a somewhat convoluted arrangement. John held his bond for $1,591 due to Price, who had signed a release indicating that the debt was satisfied. That credit was to be applied to the tavern purchase. Soon after John and his family moved to Texas, Dr. Lucien B. Price and Benjamin Pollard, Jr., the executors of Price's estate, sued John in Hanover County Circuit Court, alleging that John had forged Price's signature on the release. The case file for this lawsuit, amounting to almost 300 pages of depositions, interrogatories and other evidence, dragged on in various courts from 1839 to 1871. The case was ultimately dismissed.
     John, Eugenia, Samuella, Barbara and Elizabeth left Hanover County about December 20, 1838. They traveled to Baltimore, where they boarded a ship loaded with building materials for their new house in Houston, as well as goods for the store owned by League, Andrews and Company. Their new life in Texas would begin in early 1839.

Telegraph and Texas Register 28 November 1838

     John Andrews built a two-story house at 410 Austin Street in Houston. This has been credited as being the first multi-family house in Houston, as Thomas League and his family occupied the top floor for a few years. John and League ran a store in the Houston House at the corner of Main and Franklin streets until their partnership dissolved in the early 1840's.

Invoice of League, Andrews and Company

Morning Star [Houston] 9 January 1840

     Almost from the day he arrived in Houston, John Day Andrews began to make significant contributions to the civic and economic life of the city. His impressive list of accomplishments was neatly summarized in an article written by Priscilla Myers Benham for the Texas State Historical Association:

- In 1841, he was named superintendent for the newly-chartered Houston Turnpike Company, whose purpose was to build a road between Houston and Austin.

- John and Eugenia were charter members of Christ Church, established in 1839, which remains the oldest existing congregation in Houston.

- He helped organize and became the president of the Buffalo Bayou Company, which was charged with the responsibility of removing obstructions in the bayou in order to facilitate shipping traffic between Houston and Harrisburg.

- In 1839, League, Andrews and Company was among the $100 contributors for the purchase of an engine house for the volunteer fire company.

- He served as president of the board of health, established in 1840.

- He served two terms as Houston's fifth mayor, 1841-1842.

- He helped to establish the Port of Houston Authority.

- He was largely responsible for building Houston's city hall, completed in 1842.

- He was asked by Sam Houston to become secretary of the treasury for the Republic of Texas, an honor he declined.

- He was the first president of the first school board of Houston City Schools.

- Andrews Street in Houston is named in his honor.

     John and Eugenia's second daughter, Eugenia, was born in Houston on November 15, 1840. At some point in time, Eugenia's oldest daughter by William Thilman, Barbara, returned to Virginia. She married Robert Taylor of Culpeper County, where she died on May 1, 1857. Her sister Elizabeth married Daniel D. Culp in 1844. After his death in 1852, she married Scottish immigrant John Dickinson. Elizabeth died on on February 29, 1876 and is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.
     Samuella Andrews married James Kemp Holland on March 22, 1854. Holland was a successful planter who served several terms in the Texas House of Representatives. During the Civil War, he served as aide-de-camp to Governor Pendleton Murrah. On October 2, 1865, two of the Hollands' children, John Day Andrews and Nannie Hicks, died within hours of each other of "congestion." Three days later, Samuella died after having suffered from gastroenteritis for 41 days.
     Samuella's sister, Eugenia, married Dr. Robert Turner Flewellen on April 25, 1860. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Flewellen served several terms in the Texas House of Representatives. In 1872, he was elected President of the Texas state medical association. In 1878, he introduced a bill in the legislature that chartered a medical college in Texas. Eugenia Andrews Flewellen lived until May 17, 1923. She is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.
     Soon after his arrival in Texas, John began to buy farm land, and over the years became a successful planter and substantial landowner. By 1870, his real estate holdings were worth $100,000. His younger brother William, who owned dozens of slaves in Spotsylvania at Andrews Tavern, also invested in Texas real estate and was an owner of slaves in that state as well.
     John's older brother, Samuel, represented his legal and financial interests during his absence from Virginia. In August 1861, with the Civil War already well under way, Samuel wrote an advertisement for his brother, in which he made known John's desire to have additional slaves brought to Texas from Virginia:



     The issue of secession was put to the voters in 1861.  John described his point of view at that time in his application for a presidential pardon in October 1865:

     "When the question of secession of Texas from the American Union was presented to the citizens of this state, he quietly voted for secession, honestly entertaining the political opinion that a state, in her sovereign capacity, might withdraw from the Union, without an infraction of the Constitution of the U.S. States." John went on to state that much of his accumulated wealth "has been swept away by operation of the Emancipation Proclamation." John then reassured President Johnson that he "has not engaged in outrages or wrongs upon any citizen because of his Union sentiments. That he has belonged to no Vigilance Committee or secret organization for the prosecution of Union men, that he has in his hands no property belonging to the United States or the late so-called Confederate States."

Amnesty Oath of John Day Andrews (Fold3.com)

     In the second paragraph of today's post I referred to a little known chapter in the life of John Day Andrews. John himself revealed this secret in two letters written to Joseph Henry Johnson of Orange County, Virginia. Johnson was the son-in-law of John's brother William, and he was also the executor of William's estate (William died in 1861) and he had been William's attorney-in-fact in matters relating to his Texas investments.
    

From John Andrew's letter to Joseph H. Johnson, 1871

From John Andrew's letter to Joseph H. Johnson, 1872

     In his first letter to Johnson (which is undated, but by context is known to have been written in 1871), John wrote:

     "We rarely hear from you or our other friends in Va. Let me know how my Tinder connections are getting on try & find out if the boy William Tinder is at all promising also Mr. Pendleton and his son. Samuella Tinder I know is smart--how I would if alone like them all near me but Mr. Johnson my wife and daughters do not know of these dependents of mine, & I don't wish to distress them by placing them here. If they could & would act smart & say nothing of me & their connection with me I could materially aid them if out here--if you ever see Samuella Tinder & her brother Wm Tinder I authorize you to name these things to them & to know if they can keep this as one of their own secrets.
     "I shall expect you if you can to place or hand this money [illegible] to Samuella & her brother Wm &c & write to me. I am 76 years old now, Can't hope to live long. Yours most truly
J.D. Andrews"

     So who were Samuella and William Tinder, and what was their connection to John Andrews?
     They were his grandchildren.
     Samuella (1841-1887) and William (born 1849) were the surviving children of Spotsylvania residents John A. Tinder and Sarah F. Goodwin (1814-1849). Sarah Goodwin was the illegitimate daughter of Mary Goodwin and John Andrews. In the abstracts of the Spotsylvania Circuit Court, Sarah F. Goodwin is identified as the "bastard daughter of Mary Goodwin." John Andrews is listed as one of the defendants in a lawsuit brought by James L. Goodwin.

From the abstracts of the Spotsylvania Circuit Court

     The "Mr. Pendleton" mentioned in John's 1871 letter was Robert Lewis Pendleton, who had been the husband of Samuella's sister Laura, who died in 1869. Robert married Samuella in 1873.
     Like his father-in-law William Andrews, Joseph Henry Johnson owned real estate in Texas, specifically, a city block in Houston. During the chaos of the Civil War years, the taxes went unpaid on the property of both the late William Andrews and Johnson. In the years following the war, John Andrews paid these taxes. In his second letter to Johnson, dated March 12, 1872, John asked Johnson to apply that credit to a payment to be made to Samuella Tinder:

     "I hope you will turn the amount over to my relative Samuella Tinder & for the little boy of Laura Pendleton Dec'd. Miss Samuella Tinder's receipt may be taken for the whole amount with instructions to help the others as when may seems best--and her receipt send to me."

Receipt of Samuella Tinder

     John also mentions in each of these letters the state of his health and that of his wife, Eugenia. From the 1871 letter: "My health in the main is good my dear wife has been very ill in last 90 days but is now much mended is walking about again was confined to her room for 60 or 70 days--is very much reduced in flesh is almost a skeleton." And in March 1872: "Myself and wife are rapidly growing quite old. My dear wife has had a severe attack this winter & spring for full 4 or 5 months has been confined to her room. We are both up and she is traipsing our lots and yard. But she is very thin in flesh...I am nearly quite Blind, & am becoming very deaf."
     Eugenia Price Thilman Andrews died July 11, 1873. She is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

John Day Andrews (Ancestry.com)

     The eyesight of John Andrews continued to fail. His daughter Eugenia Flewellen and her family moved into John's house at 410 Austin Street and cared for him during his last years. He died August 30, 1882 and is buried next to his wife in Glenwood Cemetery.

Galveston Daily News 30 August 1882

Selected Sources:

Texas State Historical Association (Click here for link)

Hanover County Chancery Causes, Index No. 1872-016. Library of Virginia (Click here for link)

Texas Legation Papers (Click here for link)

Laws Passed by the Eighth Congress of the Republic of Texas. Houston: Cruger & Moore, Public Printers, 1844 (Click here for link)

Exhibits--Hanover Tavern (Click here for link)

"Mr. Holland of Grimes" (Click here for link)

Daughters of the Republic of Texas, "Patriot Ancestor Album," Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company (Click here for link)

Texas Memorials and Petitions 1834-1929, Ancestry.com (Click here for link)

Original sanctuary of Goshen Baptist Church

     Over the past several years, I have had the privilege and honor of writing about four of Spotsylvania's historic churches: Berea Adventist and Shady Grove, Tabernacle and Zion Methodist churches. Today I turn my attention to the first 40 years of Goshen Baptist Church. Recently, Vickie Neely--my friend and fellow researcher--shared with me a church history printed by Goshen in 1972, the 100th anniversary of its founding. Titled "Footprints in the Sands of Time," this booklet was, I believe, written by Evelyn Monroe. Much of what I share here comes from that publication.

1820 map detail of Spotsylvania

     According to "Footprints," Goshen's beginning has its roots in the last Anglican church built in Spotsylvania County, in 1772. This house of worship was called "Burbridges Bridge Church," says the church history. In the detail of an 1820 map of Spotsylvania, "Burbage's Church" can be seen on Catharpin Road north of Todd's Tavern.
     With America's independence, the authority of the Anglican church was swept away in the former colonies. In time, the Baptists began holding services in this building under the leadership of Reverend John "Swearing Jack" Waller (a nickname he earned before his religious conversion). By that time, the "Old Yellow Church," as it came to be called, had 40 members and was pastored by Henry Goodloe. By 1847, the membership began to dwindle, and as the church began to decay its members drifted to other churches in the area, such as Wilderness and Piney Branch. Goshen Church's website adds this detail to its history: "Its first members were part of a segment of the former Piney Branch Baptist congregation which splintered over temperance as a requirement for church membership."

Parmenas Pritchett and family (courtesy of Vickie Neely)

     In this regard, Parmenas Bowker Pritchett (c.1819-1894) was eminently qualified to be one of the principal founders of Goshen Baptist Church. Not only was he a devoted Baptist, he was also a member of the Temperance Society. He and the other former members of Piney Branch who abjured alcohol began to hold meetings at his blacksmith shop (operated by his son Van) and in houses in the neighborhood. (Parmenas's daughter Mollie, shown at far left in the photograph above, married the son of Goshen's other main founder, Nathan Beale Talley, Sr.) Presiding at these meetings was Reverend Melzi Sanford Chancellor.

From "Footprints in the Sands of Time"

     Parmenas Pritchett and Nathan Talley, Sr., together with Reverend Chancellor, drew up a resolution that established Goshen: "At a monthly meeting of Goshen Church on April 27, 1872, Brother Chancellor was unanimously chosen as pastor. The same day the church unanimously chose the name of Goshen by which it is to be called. Signed--A brief record P.B. Pritchett." The following year, Parmenas and his wife, the former Anne E. Downer, deeded three fourths of an acre to James Petigrew Chartters, William F. Scott and William Lawrence Jones, trustees of the church. The first  church was built on that land. Over the years, membership grew at a steady pace:

From "Footprints in the Sands of Time"

     After the retirement of Reverend Chancellor in 1887, these men served as pastors at Goshen: James Mortimer Sizer (1888), Edward Granville Baptist (1889-1893), William Wilbur Sisk (1893-1897) and Decatur Edwards (1897-1910). Elmer Grant Barnum accepted the pastorship of a circuit of Spotsylvania churches in 1911: Salem, Goshen, Wilderness and Eley's Ford. Because of the important role he played in the advancement of Goshen, as well as the civic life of Spotsylvania, special attention will be paid to him here.

"Footprints in the Sands of Time"

     As early as 1901, thought was given to enlarging the sanctuary. In 1905, the Sunday School was organized. William Lee Kent was named superintendent, Thomas Pearson Payne assistant and T.H. Twyman secretary.






     By 1912, serious steps were at last taken to replace the original sanctuary. On April 27 of that year "the building committee talked and planned with the idea of the probable cost of a certain house [of worship] of certain dimensions." The photograph above shows the church as it appeared about 1912. It is thought that the persons in front of the church are Joseph Clarence Mitchell and his second wife, Rosa Graube, on their wedding day.





     Under the guidance of Pastor Barnum, the new sanctuary was built in 1913. In the photo above, the brick Sunday School addition can be seen at the rear. A building fund was started in 1948, and the Sunday School was built at some time after that date. In 1957, a new brick sanctuary replaced the one shown here.
     Reverend Barnum resigned his pastorship in 1924. In addition to his responsibilities at the various churches he served, he also worked as principal at the original Chancellor High School. He served twice in that position: 1922-1924 and 1926-1931. His daughter Mildred, a graduate of Chancellor High, returned to her alma mater as a teacher after her graduation from Mary Washington College. After her mother was killed in a car accident near Wilderness Church in 1928, she continued to live with her father for the rest of his life. Elmer Barnum died September 5, 1951 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.

    

George Day Stephens (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     He was a scion of two of Spotsylvania's more prominent families, and his life's work connects him to both my family and topics I have written about for this blog. He grew up in a time in the county's history when most people knew their neighbors intimately, and when a trip to Fredericksburg from Brock Road by horse and buggy probably took the same amount of time that it takes on today's  traffic-congested roads.

Detail of Spotsylvania County, 1863

     Day Stephens was born at Rose Mount, the Stephens's family home (located on Brock Road at its intersection with the northern outlet of modern Jackson Trail West), the day after Christmas in 1881. He was the sixth of eight children born to John James Stephens (1847-1929) and Lucy Monroe Chancellor (1852-1889). John J. Stephens's father was William A. Stephens, who was a farmer, slave owner, constable, justice of the peace, postmaster at Danielsville, real estate agent and estate appraiser. In 1855, William A. Stephens was one of the appraisers of the estate of his friend and neighbor, my second great grandfather Absalom Row. In the detail of a Civil War-era map shown above, the Stephens farm, Rose Mount, appears in the center of the image. Next to it is Poplar Neck, home to the Trigg family. At the bottom of the image is Greenfield, my family's ancestral home, indicated as "Mrs. Rowe."

John James Stephens and his second wife, Maria "Nannie" Hackney Stephens (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     John James Stephens was the first postmaster appointed to the Wilderness post office after the Civil War. In 1877, he was the first post master named to the post office on Brock Road, established soon after the completion of the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad that same year. The next stop of that railroad, which connected Frederickburg and the town of Orange, was Stephens Station. A small building had been built at Rose Mount to accommodate local riders. 
     Day Stephens's mother, Lucy Monroe Chancellor, was a daughter of Reverend Melzi Chancellor, who served as pastor at Wilderness Baptist Church 1853-1870 (he also served at a number of other local churches during his long career as minister). Lucy died shortly before her 37th birthday, just two years after the birth of her youngest child, Lucy Eleanor Stephens. Her obituary was written by her cousin, Xanthus Xuthus Chartters:

(Courtesy of Central Rappahannock Heritage Center)

(Courtesy of Central Rappahannock Heritage Center)

     Day Stephens lived at Rose Mount until May 1903, when he enlisted in Company D of the 19th U.S. Infantry Regiment. He received an honorable discharge in December 1904 while stationed in the Vancouver Barracks in the state of Washington. He returned to Spotsylvania after his service.

Day Stephens's discharge certificate (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     In 1910, Day was living on the farm of neighbor Thomas E. Faulkner, employed as a handyman. Faulkner was the husband of Isabella Hawkins, whose family's farm was directly in the path of Stonewall Jackson's army as it attacked the exposed Union right flank during the Battle of Chancellorsville. On December 14, 1910, Day Stephens literally married "the girl next door," Josephine "Jody" Trigg (1896-1981).

Marriage certificate of Day Stephens and Jodie Trigg (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     In 1905, Day's oldest brother, Scott Stephens, bought Greenfield from my grandfather's half-brother, Abbie Row. Abbie had gone bankrupt while trying to modernize Greenfield at the same time he was working as a conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad. This 244-acre remnant of Greenfield, which included the family house and dependencies, was once part of an 889-acre plantation owned by the Rows for 110 years (now a part of Fawn Lake subdivision). Scott owned Greenfield until he died of tuberculosis in 1913. Title to the property passed to another Stephens brother, Robert, who then deeded it to Day, who kept it until 1923.
    

Oakley (Frances Benjamin Johnston)

     After the Dobyns family sold Oakley shortly after the Civil War, this historic house was owned by a succession of northerners, few of whom actually lived there. The last of these absentee landlords was Charles A. McHenry, who bought Oakley in 1916. Two years later, McHenry hired Day Stephens as caretaker, a position he held until Oakley was bought by George C. Beals in July 1926.

Day Stephens (at far right with hat) at Paytes School, about 1913 (Courtesy of Barbara Faulconer)

     Day and Jodie Stephens built a house on Brock Road near old Rose Mount. There they raised their four children: Scott (born 1916), Day Jr., (born 1921), Doris (born 1927) and Sue (born 1931).

Home of Day and Jodie Stephens (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

Day and Jodie Stephens with their children (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     When the Civilian Conservation Corps came to Spotsylvania to create the new national military parks, Day was hired as a foreman at the Chancellorsville site in 1934, a job he held until 1940.

(Courtesy of the National Park Service)

     George Day Stephens died of a complication of health problems, including heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver,  on October 31, 1950.

George Day Stephens, second from right (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     Day was buried at Wilderness Baptist Church on November 2, 1950.

The grave of George Day Stephens (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

Western Spotsylvania County, 1863

     Parker (also known as Parker's Store, or Parkers) is a small community in western Spotsylvania near the Orange County line at the intersection of modern Orange Plank Road and Windy Acres Lane. In the map detail shown above, "Parkers" can be seen at the far left of the image. The solid line at that location represents Orange Plank Road; the dashed line indicates the extent of the grading that had been completed for what would one day be the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad. This crossroads was undoubtedly named for a member of the Parker family, but for whom, exactly, no one seems to know (at least, I have not been able to find out). Although this sparsely populated part of Spotsylvania may seem insignificant on the map, Parker has a very rich history.
     During the Battle of the Wilderness, Confederate General A.P Hill marched his troops from their encampment near Orange County Courthouse to Orange Plank Road in order to confront Union troops nearer Brock Road. Not long after the lead elements of Hill's corps passed Parker, they were met by Colonel John Hammond and the 5th New York Cavalry. A brief fight ensued, but the mounted Federals were no match for the number of Confederates in their front, and were forced to retreat. Hill's men then resumed their march toward the farm of the Widow Tapp. A few days later, troops commanded by Confederate General R.H. Anderson proceeded south from Parker to Catharpin Road, just below Shady Grove Church, in a race to prevent the Federal army from reaching Spotsylvania Courthouse first.
   

Parker as it looked in 1940

     The drawing above, showing Parker as it was 80 years ago, was done by Spotsylvania resident Vickie Neely based on the memory of her mother, Shirley Apperson Trigg. Mrs. Trigg grew up in Parker during the 1930's and 1940's on the Apperson farm, shown at the left of the image. The straight road through the center of the drawing is Orange Plank Road.
     The photograph below, taken in 1954, shows the house of Roy and Violet Carpenter at left, and the house and store of Myrtle Sullivan at right:

Parker, 1954

     The growth of the Parker community received a significant boost from the arrival of the Moore, Kronk and Barnes families in the 1860's and 1870's from Beaver County, Pennsylvania. In February 1869, William and Isabel Morrow of Beaver County bought 800 acres from Irish immigrant and Fredericksburg merchant, Patrick McCracken. This property included what was referred to as the Parker Store farm, on which stood the former Mattaponi post office, which had been discontinued in 1866. Shortly after Mr. Morrow bought this land, his son-in-law and daughter--Joseph (1842-1912) and Mary Ann Moore (1838-1903)--moved to this place with their two oldest children, Kate and Alice Iona. The Moores had four more children once they moved to Virginia, including a son, William Morrow Moore (1871-1957).
     Joseph Moore farmed his land for the next 40 years. He also built a store on his property, in which a new post office, named Parker, was established. Joseph was postmaster of this office until 1892. That year, the post office was moved to the store of William Cleveland Reynolds (1855-1922), which was conveniently built next to the tracks of the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad. After Mr. Reynolds death in 1922, the post office was moved back to the Moore store, which had been owned by William Morrow Moore since his father had died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1912. William's sister, Alice, was the postmistress there until she retired in 1940. Mr. Reynold's son, Reuben, operated a drug store in his father's old grocery store.
     Before she became a postmistress, Alice Moore Patton had been married to gold miner and oil man, John R. Patton, whom she married in 1894. John Patton also speculated in real estate, and in 1890 had bought 135 acres of what had once been a part of Greenfield, my family's old plantation located where Fawn Lake subdivision now stands. When he died, Reverend R.V. Owens wrote an elaborate and heart-felt obituary for the February 8, 1906 edition of The Daily Star:













     In 1892, William Morrow Moore married Annie Barnes, a daughter of Eli and Mary Ann Barnes. Annie and their infant child died the following year. In January 1900, William married Mary Etta Kronk, daughter of neighbor Lucius Marcus Kronk. William's sister, Kate, married William, a son of Eli and Mary Ann Barnes. Their daughter, Onie, married neighbor Eugene Cathwell Garner in 1934.
    

Parker School

Caption of Parker School photo

     In June 1889, Joseph and Mary Anne Moore deeded one acre to the Chancellor school district of Spotsylvania County. This is where the Parker School would be built. The caption to the photograph above, written by Madora Chewning Stephens, reads: "The old 1 room school house at Parkers. This one was upon the hill across the road from Mrs. Patton's house (where Wayne Miller lives now.") The other school shown in the drawing of Parker above was a private school attended by the Reynolds children.

Joseph and Barbara Kronk (Ancestry)

     Joseph Kronk was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania in 1831. The 1860 census shows that he was still single and living in his father's household, working as a blacksmith. Both he and his brother Lewis registered for the draft in the spring of 1863, although I do not know whether or not they served in the Union army. Joseph married Barbara Brunton, probably in 1865, as their son Philmore was born in 1866. Sometime before June 1870, the Kronks and Barbara's mother moved to Spotsylvania. Joseph bought from William Morrow 216 acres on Orange Plank Road adjacent to the property of William Beazley (shown as "Beasley" in the 1863 map detail at the top of this post).
     In 1870, Joseph's brother, Lewis Marcus Kronk (1843-1922) was still living in Beaver County with his young bride, Elizabeth Barnes. Lewis was working as a blacksmith, an occupation he continued to work at after moving to Spotsylvania sometime in the 1870's. Lewis and Elizabeth lived next to Joseph's farm and raised eight children.
     Both Joseph and Lewis Kronk, as well as Eli Barnes, were customers of the saw mill business of my great grandfather, George Washington Estes Row. Their names appear in his account ledgers:









     Among my great grandfather's papers is a bill from Lewis Kronk for some smithy work he had done, and also a note written asking for payment, which reads: "Mr. Rowe Dear Sir, I would like very much if you could let me have what is due me as I want to get clover seed and am needing it badly for that purpose. Yours with respect LM Kronk Parkers Store Va."









     Joseph Kronk was a deeply religious man, and in January 1885 he deeded land to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South for the construction of Grace Methodist Church, which still stands:

Grace Methodist Church (Courtesy of Vickie Neely)

Grace Methodist Church (Courtesy of Vickie Neely)

Interior of Grace Methodist Church (Find-A-Grave)

     Madora Chewning Stephens, who grew up at nearby Mount View farm on today's Hill-Ewell Drive, wrote a memoir of Grace Methodist Church:










     Below are photographs of Madora and her parents:

Madora Chewning Stephens

Myrtle and Irvin Chewning

     Joseph Kronk's daughter, Mary, married Judson Hammond Pulliam in March 1900. Judson was the son of Thomas Richard and Sarah Pulliam. Thomas Pulliam was also the father of the notorious Phenie Tapp. Judson and Mary Pulliam's daughter, Violet, married Roy Carpenter in 1920. They lived in the Carpenter house shown both in the hand-drawn map above and in the photo of Parker taken in 1954.

Roy and Violet Carpenter (Ancestry)

     The Kronks appeared in the newspapers much more often than other Parker residents of their era. Below is a report of remarkably good news for the Kronk brothers, whose name appears to be of Dutch origin:

Staunton Spectator and Vindicator, 8 April 1897

    
     When Lewis Kronk's daughter, Mary Etta, married William Moore in 1900, the wedding was described in one of local papers:

The Daily Star, 23 January 1900

     Lewis Kronk probably had ample opportunity to regret the cap pistol he bought for his son Charles for Christmas in 1902:

The Daily Star, 17 January 1903

The Daily Star, 22 January 1922

Charles Kronk did indeed survive his bout with tetanus, and lived until 1906.
     And finally there is this item describing a very serious injury to Joseph Kronk. At the time of his accident, Joseph was 78 years old, not 87 as reported:

The Free Lance, 13 November 1909

     Eli Barnes (1819-1903) married Mary Ann Metts in Beaver County, Pennsylvania and moved to Parker some time between 1870 and 1880. His daughter, Annie, married William Moore in September 1892. She died a year later either during or shortly after the birth of her first child, who also did not survive. Eli and Mary Ann's son, Martin, married William Moore's sister, Kate, in October 1883. They had several children including Onie, who married neighbor Eugene Garner. The other Barnes son, James, never married. In the early 1920's, he bought Greenfield, my family's old farm, which changed hands many times over the years. After he died of pneumonia in 1925, Greenfield passed to his brother, William, who owned it a few years before selling it.
     One of the keys to the prosperity of Parker over the years was the fact that the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad, completed in 1877, ran right through the middle of it. The train made daily runs between Fredericksburg and the town of Orange. Here is a typical schedule from that time:

The Daily Star, 4 February 1903

     After Agnes Moore Patton retired as postmistress in 1940, the post office move across the road to the store of John Lawrence Sullivan. His wife, the former Myrtle B. Paytes, served as the last postmistress of the Parker post office. In 1958, the post office was discontinued, and its operations were transferred to the Mine Run office.

John Chiles Mitchell (Courtesy of Vickie Neely)

     Finally, a few words about the Mitchell-Apperson farm. Caroline County native John Chiles Mitchell moved to Spotsylvania county about 1869 and lived in the Courtland district for forty years. About 1909 he moved to Parker, where he lived until his death in 1917. That property then passed to John Henry Apperson, a blacksmith who worked for the CCC  in Spotsylvania during the 1930's. Earlier, I alluded to the fact that Shirley Apperson Trigg was a daughter of Mr. Apperson. By coincidence, her first husband was Louis Jackson Mitchell, a great-grandson of John Chiles Mitchell. Jack Mitchell was tragically killed with ten other seamen when a boiler exploded aboard the USS Bennington in 1953.








    

Detail of central Orange County, 1863

     The home of Catlett Rhoades (1804-1878) was the scene of a number of dramatic incidents over the years, both during and after the Civil War.  Catlett married Nancy Rhoades (1801-1899) in June 1831. They had three children together, two daughters--Eliza and Lucy--and a son named Achilles (sometimes spelled Archilles). The Rhoades family lived between the Grasty gold mine and Verdiersville, where Catlett served as postmaster in the 1850's Their home was located on modern Route 20 at its intersection with today's Mine Run Road. In the map detail shown above, this homestead is shown as "C. Rhodes" in the middle of the image.
     After the Seven Days Battle during the early summer of 1862, General Robert E. Lee's next priority was to "suppress" Union General John Pope's Army of Virginia, which occupied Culpeper County. General Stonewall Jackson's corps was dispatched from the Richmond area to Orange County with the intention of delivering a blow to the Federal forces in Culpeper. That blow was struck on August 9, 1862, during the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Although chastened by this defeat, Pope's army still lurked in northern Culpeper County between the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers. Meanwhile, Union General George McClellan was successfully withdrawing his forces from southeastern Virginia and transporting them to the Washington, DC area. Lee realized that if the armies of Pope and McClellan united, their combined strength might be too difficult to defeat.

General James Ewell Brown Stuart

     General Lee decided on a plan to even the odds in his favor. He would send a force of cavalry under the command of General J.E.B. Stuart to get in the rear of Pope's army. Stuart would then burn the bridge of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad that spanned the Rapphannock River at Rappanhannock Station, and block the fords across the river. This would make Pope's withdrawal north over the river a much more difficult undertaking. While stranded on the south side of the Rappahannock, far from the safety of the defensive perimeter around Washington,  the forces of General James Longstreet and General Jackson would move in and crush Pope's army.
     Orders were written to put this plan into motion. General Stuart and his staff rode to Verdiersville in Orange County on August 17, where they were to meet General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry brigade. General Stuart, Majors Norman Fitzhugh and Heros von Borcke, Lieutenants Chiswell Dabney and Samuel Gibson, and an unknown courier arrived at the home of Catlett Rhoades, where they awaited Fitzhugh Lee's arrival.

Heros von Borcke

John Singleton Mosby

Chiswell Dabney

     General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry was hours late in arriving for this rendevous. Stuart and his staff settled in for the night at the Rhoades house. Shortly before daylight on the morning of August 18, Stuart sent Major Fitzhugh and his courier down the Orange Turnpike to meet with the expected brigade of cavalry. As it so happened, two regiments of Union Cavalry--the 1st Michigan and the 5th New York--had crossed Raccoon Ford and were now approaching Verdiersville. On their way there, the Federals encountered two Confederates--Major Fitzhugh and his courier. They were duly captured and placed in the rear of the column. The capture of Fitzhugh would have significant consequences for the Confederacy's near-term military fortunes.
     It was still not yet daylight when a column of cavalry could be dimly seen down the road approaching the Rhoades property. Assuming them to be General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, Captain Mosby and Lieutenant Gibson rode out to meet them. Instead of a cheery hello, however, Mosby and
 Gibson were greeted by gunfire. Having left their sidearms in the house, they had no choice but to wheel their horses about and flee for their lives. The Yankees gave chase, firing as they came. The commotion awakened Stuart, who had been sleeping on the porch, and Dabney, who was sleeping in the house. Major von Borcke was standing in the front yard. He leaped on his horse and dashed through the front gate, which was being held open by Nancy Rhoades. He immediately found himself confronted by Union horsemen. A Union major aimed his pistol at von Borcke, who slapped his horse's head to get him to change direction (he had not had time to get his bridle on his horse) and sped away.
     Meanwhile, Lieutenant Dabney had troubles of his own. The previous night he had securely tied his horse to the Rhoades's fence. A little too securely, as it turned out. Dabney frenzedly worked at the knots he had used to secure his mount, while Federal troopers began pouring into the yard. at last he got his horse free and followed Stuart in a mad dash for the woods.

Stuart's Escape (Patricia Hurst)

     Having just missed capturing a group of Confederate officers, the Union cavalrymen spent a busy ten minutes looting the Rhoades's home. Their booty included Mosby's plumed hat, red-lined cape and haversack. The theft of his hat was particularly humiliating to Stuart. "I intend to make the Yankees pay for that hat," he vowed. The following week, Stuart had his revenge. He led 1,500 troopers into the rear of Pope's army and pillaged their supply depot at Catlett's Station. Among the items seized by the Confederates was the dress uniform of General John Pope.
     The loss of his hat was important to Stuart, but it was the loss of what had been in Major Fitzhugh's possession when he was captured that had serious implications for Lee's plan to suppress Pope. A copy of Lee's plan to cut off Pope's army while it was still south of the Rappahannock was taken from Fitzhugh and passed up the chain of command. Armed with this information, Pope managed to get men and equipment north of the Rappahannock River before he could be encircled. Although he suffered a serious defeat during the Battle of Second Manassas at the end of August, the bulk of his forces were able to retreat within the defenses of Washington. They would live to fight another day.
     A week after that, another set of orders written by General Lee fell into Union hands. This was the famous Order No. 191, which had been wrapped in paper with three cigars, and then lost by the Confederate officer who carried it. The information contained therein enabled General McClellan to make a better showing at the Battle of Antietam than he otherwise could have done by relying on his own initiative.
     And what became of General Stuart's plumed hat? It was taken by Lieutenant Ford Rogers, adjutant of the 1st Michigan Cavalry. He also grabbed Stuart's "crimson-lined cape, sash, gauntlets and a knapsack filled with official papers." After the war, Rogers took the hat with him when he moved to California. It had been crushed flat while in transit across the country, so Rogers took the hat to a haberdasher in San Francisco to be reconditioned. Amazingly, he forgot to pick up his prized historical artifact. The haberdasher, not knowing the significance of the unclaimed item, sold it as "an old second-hand hat."

     Catlett Rhoades's son, Achilles, fought with Company I (the "Orange Rangers") of the 6th Virginia Cavalry, my great grandfather's outfit. At the conclusion of the war, Achilles returned to his parents' home at Verdiersville. In July 1865 Patrick Warren, a 21-year-old private with the 1st New York Mounted Rifles, stormed into the Rhoades's house and assaulted Achilles's parents. When he came at Achilles with his sword drawn, Achilles shot him and inflicted a mortal wound. Warren was said to be drunk at the time, and Achilles appears not to have been punished for defending his family.

Fredericksburg Ledger 20 July 1865

Roster entry for Patrick Warren (New York State Military Museum)

     Achilles worked as both a brick mason and farmer after the war. He married Bettie Kube in 1880, and I believe they continued to live in the Rhoades home. In his later years, both his physical and mental health declined. In 1904 he attempted suicide by jumping from a second story window. After a long convalescence, he succeeded in taking his own life in 1905.

The Daily Star 18 May 1905

My thanks to Ron Veen, who shared the images of "Stuart's Escape" from Patricia J. Hurst's "Soldiers, Stories, Sites and Fights," written in 1998.

Other sources I consulted were:

"Riding in Circles: J.E.B. Stuart and the Confederate Cavalry 1861-1862" by Arnold Pavlovsky, Southampton, New Jersey, 2010.

"150 Years Ago: Lee's First Lost Order"

"J.E.B. Stuart's Revenge"

Salem Baptist Church (American Antiquarian Society)

     Dr. Reed Brockway Bontecou (1824-1907) was a surgeon from Troy, New York who was head of the Harewood Hospital in Washington, DC during the Civil War. While serving there, Dr. Bontecou photographed and catalogued the catastrophic injuries of many of the wounded Union soldiers who were his patients. His work in this regard was groundbreaking, and he is remembered to this day for his contributions to medical science.

Dr. Reed Brockway Bontecou

     In April 1866, Dr. Bontecou led a photographic expedition to the Spotsylvania region, where his team took dozens of photographs of the area's battlefields and associated sites. One of the photographs made was that of Salem Baptist Church, the scene of heavy fighting May 3-4, 1863 during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Union forces commanded by General John Sedgwick were repulsed by Confederates who had blocked the Turnpike in front of the church, and in so doing prevented Sedgwick from bringing much needed reinforcements to General Hooker, who was entrenched at Chancellorsville.

     I am not aware of the existence of a photograph of Salem Baptist Church taken before or during the Civil War. It is quite possible that this picture of Salem is the earliest known to exist.

Berkley Estes Johnson

     Marshall Johnson was born on a large, prosperous farm in southwestern Spotsylvania County on Christmas Eve 1805. He was the youngest of six children born to Jonathan Johnson and Nancy Casell. After his father's death in 1825, Marshall acquired possession of the family's 247-acre farm.
Marshall was a farmer, slave owner and gold miner. During the 1820's he was a principal in the Virginia Gold Mining Company, and Johnson's Gold Mine was located on his farm.

Sarah Estes Johnson (Ancestry)

     Marshal married Sarah Estes (1804-1869) about 1830. Sarah was born on Greenfield plantation, my family's old farm in Spotsylvania, and was a younger sister of my great great grandmother, Nancy Estes Row. Marshall and Sarah had six children together--two girls and four boys. The youngest of these was Berkley Estes Johnson, born in September 1849. He was named for his mother's brother, who had moved to Missouri in the 1820's with two other Estes brothers, Ambrose and Richard.

Berkley Estes (Ancestry)

     Marshall Johnson died at the age of 46 on January 13, 1852. Apparently he had been suffering from heart disease, since the invoice of Dr. Towles (shown below) indicates that he provided Marshall with digitalis. His brother, Jonathan "Nathan" Johnson (1803-1873) stepped in to ensure that his nieces and nephews received the resources for a proper upbringing. Nathan became what was then called a "curator," which meant that Marshall's children became his wards.  Nathan was married to Frances Estes (1802-1871), a sister of Sarah Estes Johnson. Nathan and Frances had no children of their own, so it was natural of them to wish to take care of Marshall's children. Since Nathan was one of the wealthiest men in Spotsylvania County, this obligation would not impose any financial hardship on him. Nathan owned Walnut Grove, the fine home he built near Marshall's farm. In June 1864, Walnut Grove was pillaged during a raid by Union soldiers.

Invoice of Dr. Towles

Invoice for the coffin of Marshall Johnson

     The surviving papers of Nathan Johnson indicate that he provided all that could be expected for the Johnson children, especially for Berkley, his sister Sarah Ann ("Nannie") and his brother Richard Jonathan. Accounts were set up at Fredericksburg's finest clothing stores, generous allowances were given and no expense was spared in educating these three promising children.

Nathan Johnson's allowances for Berkley

Clothing bought for Nannie and Richard Johnson

     Nannie received her early education at Oakley, the home of Leroy Wonderful Dobyns. This invoice shows that not only did Nannie receive her lessons at Oakley, she was also a boarder there for 10 months.

Invoice of Leroy W. Dobyns for Nannie Johnson's schooling

     Nannie then attended the prestigious Albemarle Female Institute in Charlottesville. This school for young women had a long and interesting history and was administered by members of my family later in the 19th century.

Invoice of the Albemarle Female Institute for Nannie Johnson's expenses

     When Berkley and Richard Johnson were still youngsters, they attended a school taught by Amanda M. Anderson at her home near Andrews Tavern:

Invoice of Amanda Anderson for tuition for Berkley and Richard Johnson

     Richard then attended school at Green Hill, the home of James Boswell Rawlings, whose son, Benjamin Cason Rawlings, left home at age 15 and made his way to South Carolina in order to join the Confederate army. This invoice is dated September 1859:

James B. Rawlings invoice for tuition for Richard Johnson

     Richard Johnson then attended Allegheny College in Blue Sulphur Springs, (West) Virginia. His cousin (and my great grandfather) George Washington Estes Row was a student there during the winter of 1861. The school's superintendent, William E. Duncan, wrote a letter to Nathan Johnson in February 1861, asking for reimbursement for money he advanced to Richard and George so that they could make the trip home to Spotsylvania, where both would join the Confederate army that spring.

Letter by William E. Duncan to Nathan Johnson, February 1861

     After his time at Amanda Anderson's school, Berkley Johnson boarded at the Locust Dale Academy in Madison County just prior to his enrollment in the University of Virginia. This invoice was sent to Nathan Johnson by the school's headmaster, Andrew James Gordon:

Andrew J. Gordon invoice for expenses of Berkley Johnson

     Not long after he graduated from the University of Virginia in 1871, Berkley moved to Missouri, where he began a long and distinguished career as a civil engineer. In 1878, Berkley married Margaret Wise in Joplin, Missouri:

Marriage record of Berkley Johnson and Margaret Wise

     Berkley and Margaret lived in Joplin for a time before settling in Kirkwood, a suburb of St. Louis. They had three daughters together: Maude Margaret (born 1881), Blanche (born 1889) and Grace Lucille (born 1891).
     During his years in St. Louis, Berkley held two important jobs as a civil engineer. First, he worked as the surveyor of St. Louis. In 1893, he published "An Atlas of St. Louis County"  a collection of maps that he had prepared.






     Berkley later became the chief engineer of the St. Louis Belt and Terminal Railway Company. This article from the May 1, 1902 edition of The St. Louis Republic provides a glimpse into one of the many challenges Berkley faced in that role:





     In addition to his professional interests, Berkley bred and raised Buff Plymouth Rock chickens, and by 1899 he owned 600 birds. His skill as a breeder was noted in the trade journals of his day:

Poultry Home & Garden, 1899

Big Four Poultry Journal 1906

Poultry, Volume 3, 1907

     In May 1905, Berkley and Margaret's oldest daughter, Maude, married Robert Bruce Brown. Robert was the son of Benjamin Gratz Brown, who had served as a United States senator during the 1860's and was elected as Missouri's 20th governor in 1871. In 1872, Benjamin Brown was the vice-presidential candidate in Horace Greeley's unsuccessful run for the president of the United States.

Campaign poster of the Greeley-Brown ticket, 1872

     Maude's sister Grace was one of the attendants at her wedding. Just three months later, Grace died of peritonitis. Berkley was devastated by the death of his daughter, and he never recovered from the shock of her passing. Just a year and a half later, on February 9, 1907, Berkley Estes Johnson died.

The Daily Star, 12 February 1907

     Maude and Robert Brown settled in Brooklyn, New York. In 1910, their daughter Margaret Wise Brown was born. Margaret was an intelligent child and attended private schools before enrolling in Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, where she graduated in 1932. Margaret soon thereafter began a highly successful career as a writer of children's books. Perhaps the best known of the dozens she wrote was Goodnight Moon, published in 1947.

Margaret Wise Brown

Goonight Moon