History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870, Part 48

Author: Summers, Lewis Preston, 1868-1943
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Richmond, Va. : J.L. Hill Printing Company
Number of Pages: 936


USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 48


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of a number of excellent men, Major Hounshell himself exhibiting a bravery never excelled, but after some time this force was induced to retire to the west side of Cedar creek, and at this point the battle began in earnest, and in a few moments the colored regiment was repulsed with great numbers killed. Colonel Dibrell's Brigade being especially effective in mowing down the advancing enemy.


About the time of the attack on Dibrell's Brigade the Federal troops attempted to force the ford at the position occupied by the Tenth Kentucky, and the right wing of Colonel Giltner's Brigade, notwithstanding the fact that they fought with determined bravery, were gradually pressed back a short distance from their position by a whole brigade of the enemy commanded by Colonel Hanson, and every field officer of the Tenth Kentucky was killed or wounded at this time.


Colonel Trigg, seeing the situation of Giltner's Brigade, detached two companies from Kent's Battalion, Wythe and Carroll compa- nies, and sent them forward under the command of Colonel Kent to reinforce Colonel Giltner.


The two companies thus sent to the assistance of Colonel Giltner were soon in the thickest of the fight and lost twenty-four men, including Captain Shockley and First Lieutenant Bolt of the cay- alry company.


The artillery. under command of Captain Barr. did very effec- tive work. The reserves under the command of Colonel Robert Smith. Colonel Robert Preston and Colonel Kent, were in the thick- est of the fight, and their gallantry and bravery upon this occasion were highly commended at the time and have since been the pride of all the citizens of Southwest Virginia.


The force commanded by Colonel James T. Preston was attacked at about two o'clock by a brigade of infantry and a regiment of cavalry under Colonel Charles Hanson. but held their position from two o'clock in the afternoon until dark. with the assistance of about one hundred men from the Tenth Kentucky Regiment. About one-half an hour before dark. Colonel Hanson, who commanded the enemy's forces, was wounded and thereupon withdrew. The battle lasted from ten o'clock in the morning till sundown of the same day, and resulted in the precipitate retreat that night of General Burbridge to Kentucky by the road that he had come, hotly pur- sued by the Confederate forces.


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The forces engaged in this battle were, according to the official report of General Burbridge, four thousand eight hundred picked troops on the Federal side, while not more than three thousand men, including the reserves, were on the Confederate side.


The Federal loss in killed and wounded in this battle was about three hundred and fifty, the number of prisoners captured is variously estimated at from three to twelve hundred. The Federals left dead upon the field one hundred and four white and one hun- dred and fifty-six negro soldiers.


The Confederate loss was eight killed and fifty-one wounded, among the killed being Colonel Trimble and Lieutenant Crutch- field, of the Tenth Kentucky Regiment.


General John C. Breckenridge, who was in command of this department at that time, reached the field of battle about sun-down, and General Vaughan, who had made a forced march from East Tennessee, with his own and Duke's and Cosby's Brigades, reached the field of battle just as the enemy began to withdraw and in time to hear the shout of victory given along the lines of this gallant army of Confederate soldiers.


It was thought at the time that the bravery exhibited in this con- test by the reserves from Southwest Virginia was equal to the bravery exhibited by the citizens of this county at King's mountain in 1780.


General Burbridge was not only hotly pursued by the victorious forces, but he was assailed at all points upon his retreat, and escaped into Kentucky with great loss.


This victory, if it could have been the fortune of our country to take advantage of it, as did our forefathers of the battle of King's mountain, might have turned the tide of the war and won for the South her independence. But the condition of our country at this time was hopeless.


The greater portion of the South had been overrun by the Fed- eral forces, and the armies of the Confederacy were starving and naked, while the families of the soldiers with the greatest difficulty kept starvation from the door.


The County Court of this county at the November term, 1864, appropriated $10,000 to be used for this purpose.


The last call for troops was made by the Confederate States in the month of November, and met with a hearty response from


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our authorities, but, as the county was about drained of its male population, the court of this county petitioned the Secretary of War of the Confederate States to exempt from this call two to four men in each of the nine districts of the county, blacksmiths, wagon- makers, coffin-makers, shoemakers, tanners, one physician, and one miller. The names of the men thus asked to be exempted were fur- nished to the Secretary of War and entered of record by said court.


General Burbridge, shortly after his return to Kentucky, united his forces with those of Generals Stoneman and Gillem, making an army of at least ten thousand men, and again began the march for Southwest Virginia. The people of this county were informed of the movements of the Federal troops, but were so reduced by the pov- erty and want that surrounded them upon all sides and the almost total absence from the county of men able to bear arms, that the march of the Federal troops met with but little resistance. The people were expecting the arrival of the Federal troops for several days preceding the 14th day of December, 1864, and on the even- ing of the 14th at about nine-thirty o'clock, the report of the guns of the Federal pickets was heard at the western outskirts of Abing- don.


A part of General Duke's command of Confederate soldiers was encamped at the farm of James A. Bailey, a few miles northeast of Abingdon, and a number of soldiers from that camp were in Abing- don at the time the fire of the Federal pickets was heard.


These soldiers undertook to delay the Federals in entering the town, but a company of the Federal troops advanced up Main street, firing at intervals, and when they had reached a point oppo- site the residence of S. N. Honaker, a discharge from their guns in the direction of the court-house caused Duke's men, who had formed a line at the intersection of Court and Main streets to rapidly disperse in the direction of their camp at Bailey's.


General Stoneman, after taking possession of the town, passed on rapidly in the direction of the Lead Mines, having directed the burning of the Virginia and Tennessee depot, Hurt's store, Sinon's wagon-shop, Musser's wagon-shop, the county jail and the barracks opposite the jail, at the corner of Court and Valley streets. All of the places thus burned were occupied by the officials of the Con- federate States and in all of them were stored Confederate supplies.


The Federal commander issued orders forbidding the troops to


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enter private,houses or to plunder or burn any portion of the town other than the places mentioned.


A number of Federal soldiers and stragglers remained at a black- smith shop in the east end of the town on the morning of the 15th for the purpose of having their horses shod.


A company of Confederate soldiers numbering about twenty men, being a part of Colonel Lee's regiment from Mississippi, had become detached from their regiment and were following in the rear of Stoneman's army, capturing, plundering and harassing the enemy to as great an extent as possible.


This company reached Abingdon some time during the night of December 14th, and encamped on the Glebe land back of the reser- voir, and early on the morning of the 15th, sent one of their num- ber disguised in Federal uniform into the town to see what was going on.


About the time this messenger reached Abingdon, a straggler from the Federal army by the name of James (Tites) Wyatt, who had been reared in this community and had served as an apprentice to Gabriel Stickley, rode into town, dressed in Federal uniform, and declared his purpose to burn the town, because, as he said, "Noble I. McGinnis, a prominent citizen of the town and a member of the County Court, had some time previous to the war, pun- ished him for an offence of which he was not guilty." He dis- mounted in front of the court-house, had a negro to hold his horse, went to the cupola of the court-house and set it on fire. He then remounted and proceed to fire all the buildings on the south side of Main street, riding into the buildings and firing them as he went. After he had partially completed his work, he halted his horse at the intersection of Main and Court street, in front of the store now kept by Nidermaier & Barbee, put his leg across the horn of the saddle and watched the fire as it rapidly devoured the build- ings on either side of the street.


He would not permit any one to extinguish the flames. In the meantime the messenger from the camp of the Confederate soldiers had returned and reported the presence in the town of the Federal soldiers at John G. Clark's blacksmith shop, and the firing of the town by Wyatt.


While Wyatt was occupying the position last stated, this com- pany of Confederate soldiers, partially disguised in Federal uni-


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form, were seen rapidly galloping down the hill fronting Jackson Institute, and from that point they began to disperse, a part of the soldiers turning to the right and to the left at Hayes and Slaughter streets. After passing Slaughter street, two of the number kept up Main street, the others following Valley and Water streets to the east end of the town. The two that came up Main street were named John and Samuel Findlay, and were from Holly Springs, Miss. When they had reached a point near the residence of N. K. White. Samuel Findlay asked a number of boys as to the whereabouts of the man who was firing the town. In answer, a boy by the name of Deady pointed out Wyatt at the corner of Main and Court streets. Thereupon Findlay began to fire upon him, and Wyatt began to call to Findlay that he was shooting at his own men, but Findlay continued to fire, and Wyatt, getting himself in position, rushed his horse by the Findlays, going toward the west end of the town. Samuel Findlay thereupon turned his horse and pursued Wyatt to Hayes street, when Wyatt's horse turned to the left and Wyatt fell to the ground, mortally wounded. Findlay captured Wyatt's horse, and soon joined his fellows in the east end of the town.


John Findlay did not halt his horse as he passed Wyatt at the court-house, but rapidly proceeded to the east end of town. Before he had reached the intersection of the street at Webb's store, the Federal troops at Clark's blacksmith shop had been charged by the Confederate soldiers that came down Valley street, and Findlay joined in the pursuit


One of the Federal soldiers, beyond question a brave man and bolder than the rest, turned in his saddle as he started east from Webb's store and deliberately fired upon his pursuers, and, as a result he was shot from his horse near the residence of A. B. Trigg. the horse making its escape. The Confederate soldiers thereupon returned to Abingdon.


The fire started by Wyatt consumed all the buildings, including the courthouse, on both sides of Main street from the Court street to Brewer's street.


This account of the circumstances attending the burning of Abingdon was given me by an eye-witness of the transaction .*


The Federal troops continued their march to the Lead Mines in


*W. H. Mitchell.


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Wythe county, which they destroyed, and from that point they returned to Seven-Mile Ford and thence to the right to Saltville. When they had reached Saltville, some slight resistance was offered by a number of Confederate soldiers and reserves who were at the place at that time, but the town was easily captured and the works destroyed. The particulars of the last visit of the Federal troops to Saltville it is impossible to obtain at this time, as all newspaper plants in this country had been destroyed previously thereto, and the accounts given by persons present at the time are so conflicting and unreliable that I do not undertake to state the facts.


On the 29th of December, 1864, the County Court of this county appointed Peter J. Branch, John G. Kreger, Joseph T. Campbell and James Fields, a committee to procure suitable rooms for a courthouse and clerk's office, and to report at that term of the court. On the same day this committee reported that they had pro- cured Dunn's store-house, (now the old Arlington Hotel), for one year, at the price of $1,500. This report was accepted by the court and the committee before named were directed to proceed at once and have said building fitted up in a proper manner for the court- house and clerk's office, and the jail of Smyth county was adopted as the jail of Washington county.


Dunn's storehouse, at the time, was occupied by Captain J. G. Martin, commandant of the military force at this place, as a guard house, and he declined to surrender possession to the committee appointed by the County Court, which fact the committee reported to the court, and the court at its January term, 1865, issued a rule against Captain Martin, summoning him to appear before the court at once, and show cause why he should not surrender the pos- session of the building to the court.


This rule was issued, and Captain Martin appeared before the court and answered that he had made a report to Major-General Breckenridge and had received a communication from Adjutant J. Stoddard Johnston directing him to hold possession of the rooms, and that he intended to obey the order, and immediately retired to an adjoining room and ordered his guard under arms, some of whom went into court with arms in their hands. The court evidently thought that this action was taken to intimidate the court, for thereupon an order was entered referring the matter


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to the Governor of the Commonwealth, requesting that a sufficient force be ordered out by the Governor to enforce the order of the County Court of this county.


Nothing more of importance occurred in this county until the close of the war in the following April.


This county, in addition to furnishing more than three thousand soldiers to the armies of the Confederate States, produced a num- ber of officers who won distinguished honors in their several spheres, among them being Generals Joseph E. Johnson, John B. Floyd, William E. Jones, William Y. C. Humes, John S. Preston and Colonels John S. Mosby, Samuel V. Fulkerson, John A. Campbell, John F. Terry, R. P. Carson, A. C. Cummings, D. C. Dunn, Conually F. Lynch, James W. Humes, Abram Fulkerson and many others, all of whom were citizens of this county by birth or by choice.


The Confederate officers stationed in Abingdon during the war, so far as I can ascertain, were M. B. Tate, William Rodefer and E. Crutchfield, quartermasters ; R. A. Williams and Francis Smith, commissaries ; John H. Earnest, D. B. Baldwin and J. G. Martin, provost marshals ; James K. Gibson and Floyd B. Hurt, Confeder- ate States depositaries.


A hospital was maintained in the White House, opposite the residence of Mrs. John D. Mitchell, during the greater part of the war, and Dr. Lightfoot, of Kentucky, was the principal surgeon in charge, in 1864. The wounded soldiers at this hospital were attended by Drs. Barr, Heiskell, Pitts and Preston, and received every attention possible from the ladies of the town.


The close of the war found the people of this county in as de- plorable a condition as could be imagined-without money, credit, clothing or the wherewithal to eat, with hundreds of wounded and disabled soldiers, their farm houses, fences, and farming utensils destroyed, and with grave apprehensions as to the future.


RECONSTRUCTION, 1865-1870.


Upon the surrender of the Confederate armies, the people of Vir- ginia accepted the situation in good faith and were ready and willing to resume their former position in the Union and to loy- ally discharge all the duties imposed thereby. The victors in this contest had insisted that the one object in view was the preserva-


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tion of the union of the States, and the people of Virginia sup- posed that it was their duty to proceed with their government as formerly, and did not anticipate any interference therewith from the victors.


The people of Washington county, pursuant to the proclamation of Governor Pierpont, held an election for county officers in this county on the 3d day of August, 1865, at which election David C. Cummings was elected clerk of the circuit court and James C. Campbell clerk of the county court of this county, and Rees B. Edmondson Commonwealth's attorney; James Fields, sheriff ; Commissioners of the Revenue, District No. 1, John F. Terry ; District No. 2, D. A. P. Campbell and members of the county court, constables, and overseers of the poor.


Soon after this election the attorney-general of the State gave it as his opinion that all persons who had held office under the Con- federate States Government were ineligible to office, and as a re- sult a number of officers elected in July were compelled to resign in the latter part of this year.


The county court thus elected held several meetings and trans- acted some business of importance.


This court, on the 28th of August, 1865, took into consideration the building of a new jail and courthouse for this county. James Fulcher, William C. Edmondson and Joseph W. Davis were ap- pointed a committee to contract for the erection of the new county jail, while John A. Campbell, Newton K. White and W. W. Blackford were appointed a committee to ascertain on what terms a courthouse and clerk's office could be erected upon the pub- lic square ; and on the same day the court proceeded to classify the justices for the performance of their duties in court.


Governor Pierpont, by proclamation, appointed John N. Humes and Charles J. Cummings commissioners to reorganize the govern- ment of the county, and pursuant to this authority they adminis- tered the oaths of office required by law to the members of the county court.


Governor Pierpont, acting upon the opinion of the attorney- general, ordered new elections to be held in the counties of the State to fill the vacancies occasioned by the resignation of all county officers who had held Confederate commissions.


The county court, on the 26th day of September, 1865, directed


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the commissioners of election of this county to hold an election in said county on Thursday, the 12th day of October, 1865, for the election of a representative in the Congress of the United States, a member of the Senate, members of the House of Dele- gates, and to take the vote of the electors upon the question, "Shall the next General Assembly be clothed with power to alter or amend the third article of the Constitution according to law ?"


In this election Daniel Hoge, of Montgomery county, Edmund Longley and Thomas J. McCulloch, of Washington county, were candidates for Congress, the election resulting in favor of Daniel Hoge.


Joseph W. Davis was elected to the State Senate, and Charles S. Bekem and Josiah Teeter were elected to the House of Delegates. and a considerable majority was given in favor of clothing the General Assembly with power to alter or amend the third article of the Constitution.


The Congress of the United States and the General Assembly of Virginia assembled in December of this year. Daniel Hoge was not permitted to take his seat in Congress, and Virginia was de- prived of representation in the Congress of the United States from this time until January 24, 1870.


But the representatives from this county in the Senate and House of Delegates were permitted to take their seats, and the business of the General Assembly proceeded without interruption. Governor Pierpont, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, adopted for the State at Alexandria, Virginia, nominated Judge John A. Campbell to preside over this circuit, which nomination was confirmed by the Legislature on the 22d of February, 1866, Judge Campbell receiving the unanimous vote of the General As- sembly.


Rees B. Edmondson, James Fields and John F. Terry were compelled to resign the offices to which they were elected, and at a special election held on January 11, 1866. Rees B. Edmondson was elected Commonwealth's attorney, James L. Campbell sheriff. and Ben C. Clark commissioner of the revenue in District No. 1.


At the November term, 1865, of the county court of this county. orders were entered letting to contract the building of a new jail and directing the fitting up of the Temperance Hall for the use of the court until a new courthouse could be built, and the court was


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held in the Temperance Hall from the spring of the year 1866 until the year 1868. The action of the court in occupying the Temper- ance Hall was authorized by proclamation of Governor Pierpont in the month of October, 1866.


The government of the county as thus reorganized was in the hands of the best citizens of the county, men who in nearly every instance had been active supporters of the Government of the Confederate States.


In the month of December, 1865, York A. Woodward, first lieu- tenant Twenty-fourth V. R. C., assistant superintendent Eighth District of Virginia, arrived in Abingdon for the purpose of or- ganizing the Freedmen's Bureau. His district was composed of the counties of Washington, Russell, Buchanan, Wise, Scott and Lee.


He established his headquarters at Abingdon and had his office in the Swedenborgian Temple on Main street, but subsequently his office was removed to the courthouse by permission of the county court.


The Freedman's Court for Washington county was organized at the December term of the county court of this county, and was constituted as follows: Lieutenant, York A. Woodward, of the Freedman's Bureau; John N. Humes, Esq., selected by the county court; Colonel D. C. Dunn, selected by the freedmen. This court held weekly sessions, commencing Saturday morning of each week at 9 o'clock.


The purpose of this court was to determine all matters of diffi- culty, civil and criminal, that arose between the whites and the freedmen, to take a census of the freedmen in the district, to cele- brate the rites of matrimony between freedmen and freedwomen and to require all the able-bodied freedmen and freedwomen to enter into written contracts for their services and to see that the contracts were faithfully observed by both parties.


The organization of schools for the instruction of freedmen and freedwomen was also undertaken by this court.


In this year a white man, by the name of Parks, and his wife came to Abingdon at the instance of the Freedmen's Bureau and for some time conducted a school for colored children in the build- ing now occupied by the colored Masons of Abingdon, on the south side of Water street, the land having been purchased for the pur- pose, Colonel D. C. Dunn, of his own volition, contributing one-


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half the cost. The object sought to be obtained by the Freedmen's Bureau was accomplished to a great extent in this community, and the conduct of Captain Woodward was such as to command the respect of all good citizens.


Captain Woodward remained in Abingdon for some time and was succeeded by Captain Sherwood.


Upon his departure the Abingdon Virginian said: "The people of Abingdon and Washington county will regret to hear of the transfer. as the official conduct of Captain Woodward has been such as to entitle him to the respect and confidence of those with whom he had business transactions. The system here worked well under his direction and, in the main, gave the fullest satisfaction to both races. The Freedmen's Bureau was abolished in the year 1869.


In January, 1866. the General Assembly of Virginia authorized the county court of Washington county to sell and dispose of its stock in the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company, and the county court of this county, pursuant to this Act, at the May term of said court, appointed A. C. Cummings, J. C. Greenway and James K. Gibson a committee to ascertain for what price these bonds could be sold and upon what terms a courthouse could be built. This committee reported, and the contract for the erection of the new courthouse was awarded as follows: To Messrs. James and David Fields, the plastering : Mr. Hockman, of Harrisonburg. the carpenter's work; Messrs. Keller & Grim, the roofing; Messrs. Morrison and Vaughan, the painting.


The courthouse thus let to contract was completed in Novem- ber, 1868, and was occupied by the courts of the county in De- cember of the same year.




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