Of course, my interests are a bit narrow in scope… being a native (and resident) of the Shenandoah Valley, I’m incredibly happy to see Virginia’s state legislature taking initiative in recognizing yet another Valley-connected Civil War personality in the proposed Washington-Lincoln Day. Think of it… first we have Jackson who lived here and made a… [Read more…]
January 15, 2012
by Robert Moore
Rarely taking the opportunity to write about World War I (much less anything else as of late ), I have to say… regarding War Horse, well, it’s not just a World War I movie… but that’s cool, really, because, overall, it’s just a rich, enjoyable movie. In fact, I got the sense that it takes… [Read more…]
January 14, 2012
by Robert Moore
A day late, but… While some may reflect on various aspects of the lives of Lee and Jackson, on their day, here in Virginia, I’d dare say that the heaviest focus is likely on their lives during four years of war, yet while hardly giving time to consider the complexities of family ties caused for… [Read more…]
January 11, 2012
by Robert Moore
Please pardon my rather lengthy absences over the past few months. Between dealing with some health issues, having surgery… and somewhere in between… still working an average 90+ hours per two weeks… not to mention the average 12-15 hours of commuting per week… writing has fallen significantly on my list of priorities (sleep has ranked… [Read more…]
December 25, 2011
by Robert Moore
For those in western Maryland who considered themselves Southerners AND Unionists… (and, considering the circumstances as Southern Unionists… perhaps it should be “Unionists AND Southerners”) the first eight months of the Civil War must have proved trying between the back-and-forth of uncertainty regarding Maryland and secession, and the division in sentiment with those, mostly across… [Read more…]
December 18, 2011
by Robert Moore
So many of us go to battlefields and imagine the damage done by artillery, yet, are unable to see the impact on the ground. There is, however… here and there… evidence of damage done to structures. While not the site of intense artillery fire, the lockhouse at Dam #5, on the Potomac, may have the… [Read more…]
November 30, 2011
by Robert Moore
Men of the Shenandoah Valley earned a number of battle honors over the course of the Civil War… from Manassas to the Mule Shoe… Falling Waters to Appomattox… but… sadly, the list is much shorter than it should be… and for what purpose? Yes… men of the Valley were present in the ranks of the… [Read more…]
November 20, 2011
by Robert Moore
I’ve been to Gettysburg lots of times, but have only been there twice for Remembrance Day. My first Remembrance Day was in 2002, as a commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans camp. Working in the spirit of a Blue-Gray reunion that had taken place, between Confederate veterans of my home county, and Union veterans… [Read more…]
November 13, 2011
by Robert Moore
Sorry for the delay… busy week. O.K., where was I? Oh, yes… First, I need to say, this has been a very fluid set of posts, and all are subject to modification at this point (the beauty of blogs… they aren’t really “set-hard in ink”). I started off writing this with an idea of where… [Read more…]
November 6, 2011
by Robert Moore
So, here I am, weaving my way through this story, when last night, in the process of ironing out details, I ran into a whole new line of Nicholson family members that had evaded me over the years… somehow. In fact, I’m amazed at the number of Nicholson family members (just a few shy of… [Read more…]
November 6, 2011
by Robert Moore
Though Pollock’s first contact with Madison County took place in October, 1886, and it was the beginning of a long series of events that would impact the mountain people there, it seems unlikely that he actually visited Nicholson Hollow (also known as “Free State Hollow”) at the time. He does, however, mention it briefly, in… [Read more…]
November 5, 2011
by Robert Moore
Last weekend, I brought out one of the family bibles in my collection, so that my two youngest could see some of the “artifacts” that have been maintained, safely inside, for more than a century. In particular, I wanted to show them these items… … a death poem, a “cypher”/multiplication table, and a lock of… [Read more…]
October 31, 2011
by Robert Moore
Laid out ca. 1794, and better known as Smithfield or Middleway, Wizard Clip has a peculiar story, related by Confederate veteran, clerk, and author Thomas Kemp Cartmell (1838-1930), in his book, Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and their Descendants (1909)… One of the newcomers was Adam Livingston, who purchased desirable property in the vicinity of this village,… [Read more…]
October 31, 2011
by Robert Moore
One of my great-great grandfathers, Charles Robert “Tanner” Hillard, has a rather interesting story tied to one of his brides. A Confederate veteran, Hilliard began his married days, five years after the war, in 1870. The rather sad part about those years, however, is that he ended up outliving four of five brides, remarrying in… [Read more…]
October 31, 2011
by Robert Moore
From Samuel Kercheval’s A History of the Valley of Virginia (original date of publication, 1833), pages 280-281: I shall not be lengthy on this subject. The belief in Witchcraft was prevalent among the early settlers of the western country. To the witch was ascribed the tremendous power of inflicting strange and incurable diseases, particularly on… [Read more…]
October 31, 2011
by Robert Moore
This appeared in a post last year, but, I like the story so much… Despite being part of a series of victories in 1862, the “Page Grays” of Co. H, 33rd Virginia Infantry, had seen their fair share of desertions (not, by any means, that the “Grays” were slackers, as the company also saw more than… [Read more…]
October 30, 2011
by Robert Moore
Since we’re on the eve of Halloween… While I’ve mentioned her more than once, she is, by far, my favorite source for death poetry this time of year. Not only that, but Cornelia Jane Matthews Jordan was well connected to the Shenandoah Valley’s society circle. The following poem was written by Jordan ca. 1848, focused… [Read more…]
October 30, 2011
by Robert Moore
You might recall a post from this past July, in which I briefly mentioned Shenandoah Valley African-Americans in the USCT. I haven’t had as much time to work with that project as I would like, but it’s one that is always on my mind. Perhaps, over winter, I’ll be able to wrap it up. Anyway,… [Read more…]
October 30, 2011
by Robert Moore
It’s nearly everywhere you turn when reading about Native Americans in the Valley… inconsistency and/or one of a small number of standardized, mind-numbed, tracked approaches to the subject. … and… oh yes, by the way… …just how do we know that the word “Shenandoah” really means (loosely interpreted, or not) “Daughter of the Stars”? For… [Read more…]
October 29, 2011
by Robert Moore
A little something trivial, but interesting… On August 6, 1936, Frank Bruen, the author of Christian Forrer, the Clockmaker and his Descendants (1939), “was favored by a call from Capt. Joseph Deyerle Forrer, formerly of Mossy Creek [Augusta County], Va.” According to Bruen, In the course of our conversation we spoke of the Iron blast… [Read more…]
October 26, 2011
by Robert Moore
It’s barely a blip on the radars when it comes to Sesquicentennial commemoration/remembrance, but on this day, 150 years ago, some of my kin… some in blue, and others in gray… may well have exchanged shots. No, it wasn’t in one of the big battles, but, rather, a small scrap that resulted in Gen. B.F.… [Read more…]
October 25, 2011
by Robert Moore
It’s just over a week after the 152nd anniversary of Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. While many will continue to consider the actions of Brown, the man… especially as to whether he should be judged a hero or terrorist… this excellent video, from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, reveals an enduring, positive legacy, in the wake of Brown’s actions at Harpers Ferry… and… [Read more…]
October 23, 2011
by Robert Moore
To be clear… I’ve always been a fan of the Waltons… though I prefer the first three seasons over the rest. Not only was it based largely on the writings of a Virginian, but also focused on a fictional Virginia family under the shadow of the Blue Ridge (albeit, on the eastern side). I still… [Read more…]
October 15, 2011
by Robert Moore
As I drive nearly the entire stretch of the Shenandoah Valley (excepting the West Virginia counties of Berkeley and Jefferson), at least four days a week, I pass various sites of interests. Few, actually, are marked with any indication of their stories… though I’m aware of the stories for most of them. I suspect many… [Read more…]
January 22, 2012
by Robert Moore
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