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22nd. I go in search of brother Wm* who had been badly wounded; find him near the battlefield, and take him with other to the Junction. I then go in search of some other wounded, and find a few. Start to F. Royal at midnight with them. I am very wet from being in the […]
June 26, 2011 by Robert Moore
So, about that Jessie Scout that I’ve been mentioning… First, Jessie Scouts were known to be of great value to the Union cavalry, but… often it was because they wore gray… not blue. According to this site, The concept involving the use of enlisted Union soldiers as scouts, in enemy uniform, collecting information while operating […]
June 4, 2011 by Robert Moore
I was asked a question by a reader yesterday, and thought I’d give a little more background about the Jackson Prayer Oak/Tree. Why is it called Jackson’s “Prayer Oak”? In the wake of victories at Cross Keys and Port Republic, Stonewall Jackson moved his army into Brown’s Gap for a few days. A few days […]
May 22, 2011 by Robert Moore
Tomorrow marks the day, 150 years ago, when Virginians were given the chance to vote on secession… although, really, it didn’t mean a great deal considering the mobilization that had taken place, and… let’s not forget the Commonwealth’s offer for Richmond to be the capital of the Confederacy… before the referendum. Really, it was a […]
May 18, 2011 by Robert Moore
It’s the middle of May 1861… and Virginians are flocking to units across the state… In some areas of Virginia, the mustering of troops for Virginia units (ultimately assigned to the cause of the Confederacy) began as early as the day the news of secession hit the streets. No doubt, some were quite eager to […]
May 1, 2011 by Robert Moore
Cornelia Jane Mathews Jordan is an excellent example of one of the many paths that sprung forth from basic Southern Unionism. While one piece of her work reflects a strong affection to the Union and the flag, her opinions were not concrete, and were greatly influenced by her affiliations and the situations that she encountered, during the course of the war. ...[ Read more...]
April 3, 2011 by Robert Moore
As I mentioned yesterday, after posting a few items focused on anti-secession rhetoric in Virginia (during this time of the year, 150 years ago) this past week, I began thinking again about an ancestor of mine who also spoke out against secession at this same time. John Shuler (1815-1908) was a well-to-do farmer in Grove […]
March 23, 2011 by Robert Moore
I’m really jumping the gun here, because I should be holding this story in reserve (sure, why not… pun intended) until 2014… marking the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Virginia’s Confederate reserve units. Still, I brought it up the other day (in “WYSIWYG Confederates?”) , so I figured that I would pick-up from where […]
March 20, 2011 by Robert Moore
Pardon the silence for the last week. A few unavoidable matters over the past week set posting back a bit, but let me see if I can get things moving once again… What are WYSIWYG Confederates? Well, in Web development, WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What you see is what you get”, and, in some […]
March 9, 2011 by Robert Moore
Well, the quote from True Grit is at least fitting, in part… the part relating to bold talk coming from different enlistees, early in the Civil War, or suggestions that an ancestor was making a bold statement, through his enlistment, when there is nothing there to prove it. I doubt many could claim the one-eyed […]
January 16, 2011 by Robert Moore
While the audience of this blog is typically from well beyond the boundaries of my home county (and, I’m happy to say, even beyond the confines of this continent), I frequently look back to that place, as I have spent a considerable number of years writing about its history. No doubt, it’s fascinating to me […]
December 31, 2010 by Robert Moore
Just jabbed my friend Harry a little by pointing out that some still refer to the Bull Run battles as the Battles of 1st and 2nd Manassas, respectively. It was all in good fun, and owe a hat tip to Harry for pointing out that there are some quality Civil War stamps on the horizon… […]
December 19, 2010 by Robert Moore
One of my favorite historic sites in Page County, Virginia is Catherine’s Furnace. Because of efforts made in the early 2000s, the site has one Virginia Civil War Trails marker. I was fortunate to be involved in deciding that the site merited a marker, and I also wrote the text and provided images for the […]
October 31, 2010 by Robert Moore
As I’ve mentioned several times in my postings throughout the month, October brings to mind stories of witches and ghosts, but one ghost story captures my thinking frequently throughout the month. I suppose, one can almost say that it literally “haunts” me. The story actually developed over time, with each piece of information I uncovered […]
October 9, 2010 by Robert Moore
Just 146 years ago yesterday, the episode known as “The Burning” drew to a close in the Shenandoah Valley. Gen. Phil Sheridan had cut a swathe from Augusta County, north into Rockingham, Page, and Shenandoah Counties before coming to a halt around Strasburg, Virginia. No doubt, the devastation to the “breadbasket of the Confederacy” was […]
July 30, 2010 by Robert Moore
I was going to post another installment of D.H. Strother’s “Recollections” today, but will hold off till tomorrow. I saw something posted by David over at Inconvenient South that caught my eye. David cites an article (from The Journal of American History, and written by Jeanette Keith) published in 2001 focused on Southern draft resistance […]
March 29, 2010 by Robert Moore
It’s rare that I find something related to Page County in the Civil War in another blog, so when I do, I’m obviously interested. Right away, I recognized that the image of Harrison Monroe Strickler in Scott Mingus’ recent post originated in this reunion photo from 1894. My gggg-granduncle, Howard Richards, also appears in it, […]
September 2, 2009 by Robert Moore
Joseph Richards was born in 1833 (the third of seven children) to Aquilla and “Millie” Keyser Richards. Aquilla was of Welsh descent (the family having entered Pennsylvania in the late 1600s/early 1700s), while Millie was of German and English ancestry. In the 1850 census, after the death of his father, Aquilla (ca. 1804-ca. 1849), Joseph, […]
March 23, 2009 by Robert Moore
Just a passing thought this morning (and a relatively light post considering I am deep in my thesis right now), but, I’d like to say something quick about questionable loyalties when it comes to Confederate soldiers. I’ve mentioned it before, but from what one finds in a service record and a pension is not “all-revealing.” […]
February 13, 2009 by Robert Moore
See Sneaky practices by the “Yankees.”
July 22, 2011 by Robert Moore
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