USA > Virginia > King and Queen County > King and Queen County > King and Queen County, Virginia (history printed in 1908) > Part 10
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PART II CIVIL WAR ANNALS
CHAPTER VIII
THE WAR STARTS-THE HOME GUARD
It is easy to understand that the great events of this period constituted a crisis in our county as well as in all the Southland. Our people-at least an overwhelm- ing majority of them-were for the Union so long as there was hope left. Our representative in the Virginia Convention was a Union man until President Lincoln called for troops to overrun our sister Southern States; then everything underwent a change, and with few ex- ceptions the county voted to oppose Mr. Lincoln's meas- ures and voted for secession. With great unanimity and cordiality our people assumed the gigantic respon- sibility which fell upon them. Could General McClel- lan's views have been carried out, his great army would have landed at Urbanna and passed through the county with Richmond as the objective point. This, I believe, is undisputed history. Mr. Lincoln overruled him, and Fortress Monroe became his base. Up to late in the spring of 1862 we had not suffered any material hard- ships from the war. We were separated from the great armies by the York River below, and the Mattapony higher up. This circumstance saved us from untold trouble which afflicted other people more remote from Richmond than ourselves.
So soon as Mr. Lincoln's election was announced, we witnessed a great upstir; the militia had more fre- quent drills, under Colonel J. R. Bagby, Lieutenant Colonel T. R. Gresham, Major Roderick Dew, etc. Lincoln was inaugurated, Sumter was taken, and the government called for 70,000 soldiers to retake forts. The State Convention at once passed a vote of seces- sion, General Lee was made commander-in-chief, and soon Virginia joined her sisters in the South.
129
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KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
When the tocsin of war was sounded our people showed their metal in the sending of five infantry com- panies to the war, besides several cavalry companies.
King and Queen County from first to last sent five infantry companies into the field. We give those com- panies in order : June 24, 1861, Twenty-sixth Virginia Regiment; regular officers, Colonel Powell Page, Lieu- tenant Colonel J. C. Councill, Major J. S. Garrett. Company H, Captain R. A. Sutton (died since war), First Lieutenant J. D. Taylor, Second Lieutenant W. C. Gayle. Company C, Twenty-sixth Regiment, Wise Brigade (see paper by Lieutenant J. W. Hundley) . Company I, Twenty-sixth Virginia Regiment, Captain Spencer (see paper by Captain James Pollard). Com- pany K, Thirty-fourth Virginia Regiment, Colonel Goode, Lieutenant Colonel Harrison, Major J. R. Bagby, Captain A. F. Bagby, etc. (see paper by Orderly Sergeant Dr. John Bagby).
Many from the county joined various companies re- cruited in other sections, and we feel it to be a duty to mention among these last the following names which appear to us to shine resplendent in the ranks of Lee and Stuart. There are other names worthy of mention had we space for them :
Captain Thomas W. Haynes (Company H, Ninth Virginia), son of Captain Thomas Haynes of Bruing- ton, joined the Lee Rangers. He was as gallant a sol- dier as ever drew sword. Dashing and fearless, he received a desperate wound from which he never recov- ered, though he lived to be treasurer of King William County. He married a Miss Hawes, and died many years ago. William Campbell, now an honored resi- dent of Dunsville, Essex County, and once representa- tive in the legislature of Virginia, was a native of King and Queen. He married Miss Janett Latane. When the war came on he was in the far Northwest, and on his way back to King and Queen visited an uncle in Illinois, who made every effort to detain him, but failed. He then joined the cavalry, and proved him- self among the bravest of the brave. An incident is told of him in Stewart's Raid in rear of McClellan,
KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA 131
May, 1862. Near Old Church he came face to face with an accomplished Northern cavalryman, trained at West Point in all the arts of sword practice. The con- flict was severe and ended in the complete disarming and capture of the Federal soldier. Presently the cap- tive said to Campbell: "I can't understand how you succeeded in disarming me." Campbell answered, "I am left-handed." "Now I understand," said the cap- tive. That left hand was, and still is, dangerous. Colonel Thomas Smith was a son of Hon. James Smith of Smithfield, King and Queen, and a brother of the late Captain James W. Smith of the Twenty-second Virginia Battery, and was noted for soldiery conduct. P. E. Lipscomb, at present doorkeeper of the House of Delegates (he married Miss Imogen Hawes of Poplar Grove), fought well and lost a leg in battle.
A CITIZEN'S DIARY
The extracts below are from a diary kept by one of the most venerated citizens of the county during the war, and present a vivid picture of the status here dur- ing the whole of this eventful period. So far as we know, this is the only diary extant of that period in the county. The author begs pardon in advance if these extracts should seem to relate to one section of the county, and largely to the soldiers in that immediate vicinity. What is said here in commemoration of the soldier boys from Stevensville may be understood to apply with equal force to every company from King and Queen. It would be a pleasure to give details from each company in turn, but that is not practicable, for want of necessary data.
It must be borne in mind that our county is separated from Richmond by the two branches of the York River, Pamunkey and Mattapony. This fact doubtless saved our people from numberless and nameless worries. We were by no means, however, exempted from the com- mon perils and conflicts incident to the situation. The people were in full sympathy with the Confederate Government, and did what they could for the common
132 KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
cause. In addition a home guard was organized by and by, composed of men and youths who for one cause and another were exempted from service in the army. Rev. R. H. Bagby, D. D., was made captain of one company, and the rank and file was made up of some of the first citizens of the county,- Joseph Ryland, James R. Fleet, B. T. Taylor, W. P. Courtney, Sylvanus Gresham, Robert Pollard, Jr., Hal- bach, Porter, and others,-making in all a company of a hundred cool, daring men, ready to pursue, to stand on defense, and, if need be, to suffer for their people. This company never failed to strike at the public enemy when he came our way, and it is reported that a distin- guished Federal general remarked that he had met no such spirited opposition in any other county in the State as in King and Queen. It will be seen in the sequel how these old men distinguished themselves in encounters with Union forces.
Kilpatrick's Raid .- General Kilpatrick, commanding a body of horse, came into the county May 5-6, 1863, and camped in a field opposite Locust Cottage (Ste- vensville). That night our people had a new experi- ence, and there occurred at Locust Cottage, the home of Mr. and Mrs. John N. Gresham, a scene which, withal, was highly amusing. The General sent word to Mrs. G. that he and his aids would take tea with her. She made ready, and the company sat down. As the lady of the house poured out the tea, she boldly re- marked, " Did I ever think it would come to this, that I should be pouring out tea for Yankee soldiers, come to waste and destroy?" The General, not at all dis- concerted, coolly remarked: "Never mind, madam, we have only come to seek and to save that which was lost." The cavalry did no special harm, save that numerous horses were taken, and next morning went on its way. Stragglers from the ranks, however, not under the eye of the General, were very offensive. Old citizens, nota- bly Samuel P. Ryland and James Robert Fleet, were unhorsed, robbed, and beaten.
The Spears Raid, so-called .- On July 8th, 1862, a
KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA 133
squad of cavalry came up from Gloucester Point and camped at King and Queen Courthouse, the object being to break up boats and prevent crossing the river on the road to Richmond. We give here an interesting account by Dr. B. H. Walker of an encounter next day between them and the home guard at Walkerton. The account in Dr. Walker's diary runs :
" So soon as we learned that the Yankees were coming up the road towards Walkerton, Major Bagby [at home on furlough], and I ar- ranged a plan to capture them. I was to go the Ridge road by Butler's Tavern, gather all the men I could, and make for Walkerton. When I reached that village, I found several of the home guard, and others, including Mordecai Cook, a youth, eight in all. In half an hour a Yankee lieutenant, with five men rode up, inquired for the ferryboat; but the ferryboat had been hastily taken down the river. Presently the lieutenant walked into the store. My gun was lying on the counter. He and I scuffled over the gun. William Turner shot him with a pistol, but he ran out into the yard, and Alfred Gwathmey shot him with buckshot. A fusilade began between us and the remaining four men. One man was shot from his horse and another from behind a tree by Mordecai and killed. The rest were scattered. I then agreed to go up to Richmond and post the authorities about conditions in our county. Colonel Goode at White House was ordered by General Lee, through myself, to send soldiers to our aid. Before he could do so, the enemy had retired to Gloucester Point."
Major Bagby and Holder Hudgins .- Pending all this, Major Bagby had come into the river road near Mantua Ferry, where a citizen from Mathews named Holder Hudgins, with a wagonload of provisions on the way to Richmond, had been halted by a squad of Union cavalry. The major, without disclosing his identity, remonstrated against the arrest of private citizens, and the soldiers were evidently intimidated. The major withdrew, and taking a position just below, awaited developments. Presently two soldiers came down at a rapid pace, and refusing to halt when summoned, the major fired, killing one of them. The rest of the squad were captured by the home guard. Thus ended the first raid into King and Queen County.
Dahlgren Raid, March 2-3, 1864 .- Lieutenant Col-
134 KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
onel Ulric Dahlgren, a son of Admiral D., U. S. N., was young, dashing, and chivalrous. We here subjoin a succinct account of this notable raid from a painstak- ing statement of the facts compiled by Prof. John Pollard, D. D .:
" In the winter of 1863-4 the Army of North Virginia lay near Orange Courthouse, the Army of the Potomac (General Meade) in Culpepper County, the Rapidan separating them. In February an ex- pedition, supposed to be planned by government in Washington. Gen- eral Kilpatrick, with four thousand cavalry, to pass General Lee's right flank, destroy railways, and dash into Richmond. February 28th, 7 P. M., Kilpatrick left Stevensburg, crossed at the lower ford (Ely's) to Spottsylvania. Here Dahlgren with four hundred picked men was detached to go by Frederick Hall (C. & O. R. R.), capture a park of artillery there, cross James River to south side, release prisoners at Belle Isle, arm them, set city on fire, etc. The colonel picked up a negro guide to lead him to a ford over the James, and was carried to Dover Mills. He reached Dover Mills at 8 A. M., March Ist-two nights and one day on road-say ninety miles. Thus far, all well, though tired. But at Dover the poor negro could not point out a ford, and was hung for his pains. When Dahlgren, turning then down the river to rejoin General Kilpatrick, reached neighborhood of city, Kilpatrick had been driven off and moved down Peninsula. Dahl- gren came within three miles of city, lost forty men, and was com- pelled to retire and escape as best he could. He moved around to Hun- gary station (R. F. & P.), came to Brooke Turnpike, and moved north- east. Meantime his force separated-some moving after Kilpatrick, and one hundred or one hundred and fifty under Dahlgren to cross Pamun- key and Mattapony and so retire to Gloucester Point. Entered King William at Hanover Town, King and Queen at Ayletts. This county is sixty-five miles long, running along the Mattapony, with not a single settlement larger than a village. Average of virtue and intelligence far above usual, [the people] ardently devoted to Confederate cause and ready to assert their devotion. Young men were at the front; old men organized a regular company (officers commissioned regularly), as home guard for local defense. R. H. Bagby, D. D., captain,-one of the ablest ministers in Virginia. In addition to home guard there were fifty or seventy-five troopers from army in the county recruiting. So soon as it was known that Colonel Dahlgren was crossing the river above, the defense began to gather in squads. It was now March 3, 1864. Half mile above Bruington his rear attacked by twenty-five men, and one man killed,-a corporal,-just at Bethlehem, a colored church. " The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," said a Confed-
Bruington Church.
Sketch showing location where
-
N
HOME GUARD'S Of KING & QUEEN COUNTY attacked COL. DAHLGREN'S command, where he fell leading his troops and where his force surrended.
Butler's Old Tavern.
67/89
STEVENSVILLE
Mattaponi Church.
DAHLGRENS
CORNER.
Creek
HOME GUARD.
River Road
O WALKERTON
0
D MANTAPIKE
MATTAPONI
RIVER
KING & QUEEN COURT HOUSE. 0
River Road
To Gloucester Point
Creek Point of Surrender.
7 -- M
KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA 135
erate. Below Bruington the road branches, one fork passing down toward and along the river, the other by Stevensville, rejoining the first a mile below that point. At point of junction is the " Dahlgren corner." The home guard and some sixty soldiers having moved ahead, stationed themselves in a wooded thicket here, about nightfall, and awaited Dahlgren's approach.
" Captain Fox was in supreme command (Major Pollard sick at Mr. Bagby's), his men posted on northeast angle of the two roads. Night without moon, but not all dark.
" Just about midnight Dahlgren moved slowly down upon corner. Discovering his enemy, there was a recoil, but Dahlgren drew his pistol, called to his men, and moved up, resolutely demanding surrender. The flash of arms broke upon midnight shadows, and Colonel Dahlgren, young, ardent, brave, enthusiastic, fell over into a ditch, pierced by five bullets. The column then withdrew into a neighboring field. Chris- topher B. Fleet and A. C. Acree scouted around and located them. Next morning all surrendered save officers, who escaped but were captured afterwards by Captain R. H. B. The captures amounted to one hun- dred and thirty-five soldiers, forty negroes, besides horses and arms. Major Cook, second in command, left with four or five others during night, but was taken as aforesaid.1 Colonel Dahlgren's watch, memo- randum-book, and ring were taken; and there was some mutilation, which was afterwards regretted. A lock of his hair 2 was preserved by Mrs. Juliet Pollard, and afterwards sent to his father. [He was signally avenged by General Kilpatrick in the burning of the county courthouse, clerk's office, etc.] The morning following, a rude coffin was made, and by and by a grave dug. A few gentle friends were in the act of lowering the body into grave, when orders came to send body to Richmond. This was done and he was buried at Oakwood. Thence it was secretly removed, through Miss Van Lew, a Union sympathizer, to the neighborhood of Laurel, whence again it went north into the hands of his family after the surrender. The admiral wrote to the government immediately after the surrender, inclosing one hundred dollars in gold and asking for the body. As it had been moved from
1 This is interesting: Thirty years after this a young man entered a hotel in a western city and recorded the name Bagby. The eye of a stranger fell upon the lettering. He asked the young man if he was from King and Queen County, Virginia. On receiving an affirmative answer he proved to be the identical Major Cook, and the young man before him a son of his old captor. They had a kindly chat together.
2 This was taken from his head by Moore B. Wright, a member of the home guard, and was left in the keeping of Mrs. John Pollard, Sr .; after Appomattox the hair was left in charge of the provost at Stevens- ville, to be transmitted to Admiral Dahlgren.
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KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Oakwood by secret Federal sympathizers, the government was greatly perplexed. Evacuation solved the difficulty. Thus the colonel was buried four times.
After Colonel Dahlgren was killed the officers of his command, six in number, with Major Cook in the lead, escaped. Next day, March 4th, they came, well-nigh starved, to the overseer's house on farm of Captain R. H. Bagby, some two hundred yards from the dwelling. The preacher-captain at once seized his pistol and followed by his son, Dr. J. B., and a colored servant, Jim Boler, rushed into the house where the officers were seated waiting for supper, no guard as yet being stationed, and the officers at once surrendered to his summons. The whole party were sent prisoners to Richmond.
Confederate force at Dahlgren Corner on night of March 3, 1864: Cavalry, Pollard, twenty-five men; Captain Fox, fifteen men; Captain Todd, nine men; Captain Magruder, seventy men. Captain Bagby's home guard, thirty-four men; Captain Halbach (schoolboys), fourteen .--- one hundred and sixty-seven men in all. Only about one hundred of Dahlgren's men were captured, some were killed enroute, and probably some escaped. After the capture large quantities of silverware, rings, and watches, with other valuables, which had been taken from wealthy families, were retaken from the persons of the prisoners."
Second Kilpatrick Raid, March 10, 1864 .- Gen- eral Kilpatrick, at the head of a large cavalry force, came up from Gloucester Point March 10, 1864, to avenge the loss of Dahlgren and his force. The Court- house, clerk's office, tavern, and private property were burned. Kilpatrick was opposed by General Beal with the Ninth Confederate Cavalry, and lost some of his men, but soon returned, leaving smouldering ruins in his track.
Sheridan's Raid .- Part of Burnside's corps passed through the upper portion of the county May, 1864, but made no tarrying. Later, General Sheridan, re- turning from his engagement with Hampton at Trevil- lians, came into the county and camped at the Court- house, but returned the next day and rejoined General Grant on the Chickahominy. Our people suffered more from this raid than perhaps from any other during the war. Our people were greatly overwhelmed, in com- mon with their fellows, when tidings came of the sur-
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KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
render at Appomattox. Sheridan camped, both going and coming, at Farmington, five miles above Walkerton. He burned Walkerton Mill and otherwise inflicted great damage.
(By Spottswood Bird.)
A Major Wilson of the Fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry, U. S. A., was in command of the first Federal force which came up the county in 1862. On June -, 1862, he captured three Confederate soldiers at Fra- zier's Ferry (on King and Queen side), and brought them to the Courthouse, where he kept them until the afternoon of that day. He sent a party of about twelve men with a lieutenant to Walkerton, where they en- countered some youths and citizens who had hastily gathered there for defense. The encounter resulted in the death and wounding of several of the enemy and the capture of all the rest, except one man, who escaped and reached the Courthouse that afternoon, on whose arrival and report of the disaster to them, Major Wil- son hastened his force back to Gloucester Point as rap- idly as possible. He took a wagon and pair of mules from Mrs. Martin in which to carry the three captured Confederates, promising her to return the wagon and mules, which, to the surprise of us all, he did in about a week or ten days later, sending them by a citizen of Gloucester County, who at his request took a receipt from Mrs. Martin for the return of the wagon and team. The demeanor and gentlemanly conduct of this Major Wilson and his men while at the Courthouse were in the highest degree commendable, and in lumi- nous contrast to the vandalism which ever afterwards characterized the raids under officers of a far different type, who spread terror and destruction in their path.
Colonel Spears of the Eleventh Regiment, Pennsyl- vania Cavalry, burned all the buildings, public and pri- vate, at King and Queen Courthouse on the morning of March 10th, 1864.
The following were members of Company F, Twenty- fourth Virginia Cavalry, organized at King and Queen
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KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Courthouse in spring of 1863: L. W. Allen, captain; Preston Bird, Spottswood Bird, T. N. Jones, and James E. Hooper. There were two other companies of cav- alry organized at the same time and place, one com- manded by Captain Richard Hord of Gloucester County, and the other by Captain -, afterwards by Captain James Jeffries.
CHAPTER IX
ROSTERS OF KING AND QUEEN COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR
Officers of Twenty-sixth Virginia Regiment: Colonel, Powell Page; Lieutenant-Colonel, J. C. Councill; Majors, Joseph Garrett and N. B. Street.
COMPANY C, TWENTY-SIXTH VIRGINIA INFANTRY.
(Wise's Brigade).
[Supplied by Rev. John W. H. Hundley].
Captain,
N. B. Street
First Lieutenant,
James R. Houser
Second Lieutenant, John W. Hundley
Second Lieutenant, James R. Hart
First Sergeant,
Andrew B. Cauthorn
Second Sergeant,
Benjamin F. Eubank
Third Sergeant,
Lemuel S. Roane
Fourth Sergeant,
Joseph Tucker
Corporals: Robert Bland, William Didlake, Thomas Dike, Robert Lumpkin.
(At the reorganization in 1862 Lieutenant Hart was succeeded by Andrew B. Cauthorn; James Thurston was made First Sergeant.)
Company C was mustered into service at Gloucester Point, June 12th (I think), 1861.
PRIVATES :
Adkins, John
Burbank, Jacob 2 Collier, Robert
Ainsley, William
Burton, Cornelius 2 Collins, John
Allen, William Carlton, John
Corr, D. F.
Bland, James Polk
Carlton, Richard Ist
Creswell, John 3
Booton, Benjamin 1
Carlton, Richard 2d
Davis,
Booton, Henry
Carlton, Robert Davis, Benjamin
Booton, William
Carlton, Wm. Henry Eubank, John 2
1 Killed at Nottaway Bridge, 1864.
2 Killed, - -, June 15, 1864. 3 Taken prisoner, June 15, 1864.
139
140 KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Evans, Cyrus
Lucas, William
Richerson, W. J.
Fleet, James
Lumpkin, Quint
Smither,
Flemming, Dennis
Moody, W. H.
Smither, William
Fletcher, Robert
Muire, James
Shelton,
(1)
Garrett, Joseph
Muire, Samuel
Shelton, (2)
Garrett, Lemuel
Newbill, George T.
Taylor, _5
Garrett, Montgomery
Newbill, William T.
Taylor, Philip
Gibson, George
Oliver, Frank 3
Taylor, Richard
Good, John
Oliver, Leslie
Trice, Edward 4
Hart, Jos. W. (Rev.)
Parron, Henry
Tyler, Benjamin R.
Hilliard, Quint 3
Pendleton, George
Tyler, Lewis A.
Hoskins, John B.
Prince, James
Watkins, Corbin
Hurt, Buck
Purcell, R. B.
Watlington, James
Jesse, Richard
Redd, George
Williams, Calhoun
Kerr, Harvey
Redd, John
Williams, Charles (?)
Kidd, W. H.
Richerson, Andrew 4
Williams, Junius B.
Lucas, Thomas
Richerson, Elias
Wilson, 6
COMPANY G, TWENTY-SIXTH VIRGINIA INFANTRY.
[By W. S. Courtney.]
Captain, R. H. Spencer (captured, Petersburg, June 15, '64)
First Lieutenant, R. B. Roy (captured, Hatcher's Run, April 7, '65) Second Lieutenant, M. B. Davis (wounded and captured, Petersburg, June 15, 1864; killed, Hatcher's Run) Third Lieutenant, A. P. Bird (wounded, died at home)
First Sergeant, J. W. Turner; Second Sergeant, William H. Jackson (captured) ; Third Sergeant, William J. Eubank; Fourth Sergeant, F. A. Morsball (killed) ; Fifth Sergeant, J. M. Bew (wounded, Howlett House, May 20, 1864)
Corporals: G. F. Hart, G. W. Hayes (killed, June 15, 1864), G. W. Turner (killed), James H. Turner.
3 Taken prisoner, June 15, 1864. 4 Killed, July, 1864. 5 Mortally wounded, June 17, 1864.
6 Died near Chaffin's Bluff, 1863.
CAPT. EDWARD CAMPBELL FOX
Fifth Virginia Cavalry, Army Northern Virginia, in command at Dahlgren's Corner ; killed in battle at Yellow Tavern.
FACING 140
KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
141
PRIVATES:
Acree, Horace
Donovan, Jno.
Oglesby, William
Acree, W. N.
Edwards, Alfred 5
Parker, Albert
Bew, Hezekiah
Edwards, Dunbar
Parker, S. P.
Bew, Jno.
Egar, J. H.
Rives, James
Bland, Dr. J. E.
Estis, F. B.4
Seward, Ed.
Bray, W. T.
Estis, J. S.
Seward, John 5
Brooks, William G.
Eubank, A. W.
Seward, R. B.4
Brown, George
Gaines, Jno.
Smith, Lewis W.
Brown, J. L.
Garrett, Augustin
Spencer, Gideon L.
Burton, R. C.
Garrett, Richard 4
Spencer, James R.
Burton, R. E.
Garrett, Thomas C.4
Spencer, T. B.
Burton, Robert B.
Gibson, Adolphus
Thurston, F. A.3
Callis, Charles
Gibson, George 2
Thurston, William
Cardwell, George W.1
Gibson, Jno. C.
Tuttle, Edw. D.
Cardwell, J. N.2
Groom, Benjamin
Tuttle, Jerome
Carlton, Ira
Guthrie, B. E.
Walton, L. R.
Carlton, Levi
Hilliard, Allen
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