A couple weekends back, I had a chance to make a sweeping “history run,” starting at Loudoun Heights and ending up at Dam 5. All-in-all it was a full-bodied trip, and accomplished within seven hours. At Loudoun Heights, I finally had the chance to meet Craig Swain and his “assistant,” talked a bit, and took a quick look at the two remaining houses at the site where Mosby tried to take on Cole on an incredibly cold night on January 10, 1864. From there, I “pressed-on” through Martinsburg toward Clear Spring, did a cemetery walk at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, found two of three headstones I was hunting, and then moved-on to Rose Hill Cemetery for a shorter walk (where I found another grave of interest… Capt. Samuel Gideon Prather, Co. F, 1st Potomac Home Brigade Infantry). I then moved on to the once bustling village of Four Locks, which is now part of the NPS’ Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. I had been there before, but wanted to gather some additional photos. Not only that, but I had the chance to begin to imagine just how bustling a community it was back in 1861. While I was there, I think I saw one other visitor, and that was it. What once was a village is now a site with no people and relatively few remaining buildings from that time. Nonetheless, I was able to grab little glimpses of things that bore witness to a time in a place that has nearly been swallowed-up over time. I also had the chance to take yet another look at the Lock 49 lock tender’s house… in which (I recently discovered) my third great-grandparents Moore likely lived in 1858, while he served as lead lock tender at Four Locks. With this in mind, I also took another walk along the four locks (#47-50). The last time I visited, I tried to imagine how many times my ggg-grandfather Moore made it through the locks in his canal boat, carrying coal from Cumberland to D.C., and returning through the locks to get more. This time, I tried to imagine the rigors of life as the lead lock tender, a job that didn’t pay particularly well and could have been rather hectic. One of the things that struck me was how difficult it probably was, often depending on the number of boats moving through the four locks (each boat taking approximately 10 minutes to move through each lock, allowing the water levels to even off) and the odd and inconsistent hours at which they may have moved through them. I also took the time to imagine the community that has been portrayed, so far, in the newspaper articles that I have been featuring in posts (Four Locks is part of the Clear Spring District).
From there, I hit the road again, moving across the Washington County countryside to Dam 5, the site of Stonewall Jackson’s efforts (in December 1861) to severely hamper the efforts of the C&O canal to keep coal and other supplies running to Georgetown and Washington, D.C. He caused a little pain and discontent, but didn’t affect the canal as much as he reported. Had there been better weather… and a better time of the year… things may have been different.
You can see photos from part (Four Locks and Dam 5) of my “history run” via these links (here and here) to the HMDb.
Cenantua's Blog 
Craig Swain
October 30, 2009
Robert it was good to finally meet you in person, after all these emails and such. And my “staff” was excited to hang out with “Mr. Robert” for a while. Just wish it weren’t so cold and we had a bit more time!
Gary Smith
June 30, 2011
I am wondering if Cyrus S. Moore, your ggg grandfather, was related to my gg grandfather, John Moore (Nov. 28,1811 – Aug. 11, 1899) ? He lived in the Clear Spring area most all of his life. I can find nothing about him until the 1870 census where he was married to his first wife, Catharine. He is listed as living in District 15 of Washington County, Maryland, with the post office of Greenspring, which was along the Potomac River near Clear Spring. His son, John Henry Moore was my great grandfather, father of Annie Mae Moore Mundey, my grandmother, mother of my mother, Naomi Martha Mundey Smith. I would appreciate hearing from you with any information you may have about the Moore family of the Clear Spring area. Also, one of the six pickets captured at Loudoun Heights was my gg uncle, Walter Scott Myers. Thanks, Gary Smith
Robert Moore
July 1, 2011
Hello! I’ve also been wondering if there might be connections between the different Moore’s of Clear Spring. There is a JH Moore buried in the Lutheran cemetery, but separate from most of my Moore kin. There might be a chance that these people were descended from another Moore of the same family, but I’ve had no luck on making a connection. I do know that one, if not two, of my 4th gggg grandfather’s brothers were also in Washington County.
Gary Smith
July 1, 2011
My great grandfather was John Henry Moore (J. H. Moore) and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown, Maryland. I was trying to connect his father, John Moore (1811-1899) to your Cyrus S. Moore, the boatman on the C & O Canal. My great great grandfather John Moore lived at McCoys Ferry along the Potomac. Do you have any more info on Walter Scott Myers, one of the six pickets captured by Mosby at Loudoun Heights on January 10, 1864 and died at Andersonville and is buried in grave 1307? Please keep in touch. Thanks, Gary Smith
Robert Moore
July 2, 2011
Sorry, I forgot to respond to your comment about Walter Scott Myers. Take a look at my find-a-grave page for James Draper Moore, from there you can see info about all of those who were captured at Loudoun Heights. Let me know if you want to right a wrong, by the way… since Myers headstone is incorrect. I had to deal with the same issue with cousin James’ headstone, although on his older stone, they had both his name, and his state wrong.
Gary Smith
July 2, 2011
I would like to have his headstone corrected. How do I go about it? Can you send me his mother’s request for a pension? I lose his father, Emanuel, after 1850. I have him joining Cole’s Cavalry in 1864 but now I am having doubts that this is the right Emanuel Myers. Others have posted that his enlistment papers give his age as 35. If this is correct, then I have the wrong Emanuel Myers. I am researching the Myers, Moore, and Mundey families in the Clear Spring, Maryland, area. Please advise. Thanks, Gary Smith
Robert Moore
July 2, 2011
Copies of his service record sent to Andersonville, requesting that he be ordered a headstone that is correct.
Robert Moore
July 2, 2011
That’s correct, Emanuel Myers was 35 when he enlisted in February 1864.
Gary Smith
July 2, 2011
How do I go about getting his Civil War service record? Thanks, Gary Smith
Robert Moore
July 3, 2011
I’ll see if I can get the copies and send scans to your e-mail.
Gary Smith
July 3, 2011
Thanks. I am looking forward to getting his stone corrected. Gary Smith
Robert Moore
July 3, 2011
I think, coming from you as a gg grand-nephew, you might have more influence to make it happen, than as if anyone else, unrelated, did it.
Gary Smith
July 3, 2011
I appreciate your help in getting his service records to me. Thanks again, Gary Smith