The Uniformed Historian

Happy West Virginia Day! It was so good to get out for a bit on West Virginia’s 163rd birthday!! I visited historic Henderson Hall for their Civil War weekend today and had a pretty swell time. Also ran into a Civil War Trails, Inc. marker and naturally had to snap a .

This was the home of George W. Henderson, a key player in the West Virginia statehood movement. Located along the main road between Parkersburg, WV, and Marietta, Ohio, thousands of Union soldiers camped and drilled here. Countless troops marched past this historic building during the Civil War years.

If you ever get a chance to visit Henderson Hall, definitely swing by. There is a fee to go inside but it’s worth the price of admission. Make sure they know sent you!

Memorial Day, originally called “Decoration Day,” is about honoring the memories of the men and women who are no longer with us, especially those who died in service to our nation. Today we honor their lives across the country. I spent all afternoon yesterday visiting graves and placing flags, then ended my day with a moment of reflection at the Union Soldiers monument at the WV State Capitol. This memorial, sculpted by Roy H. Stewart, has stood proudly on the statehouse lawn since it was placed in 1930.

Also worth mentioning, he is facing the correct direction. “What do you mean by that, Uniformed Historian?” This very ground was part of the battlefield at Charleston fought in September 1862. The Confederate force advanced up the river coming from the direction of Belle and Marmet, thus placing this soldier facing the direction his enemy was approaching from. Also worth noting: a Union officer named Samuel A. Gilbert was not happy to be in West Virginia because he basically felt there wouldn’t be any glory to be won here. In a strange twist of fate, Cass Gilbert, his son, designed the Capitol that now stands on a battlefield where his father served the Union.



Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - National Organization

This is my latest acquisition to the Jones Family relic collection. I am particularly excited to share this one with you. In my hand is a standard issue tin cup which was dropped or otherwise left behind by a soldier on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, making this my one and only Gettysburg artifact! “But Uniformed Historian, how do you know that isn’t just some random tin cup pulled out of a dumpster or somebody’s grandma’s attic? Do you have documents to prove it?” Great question, and I am happy to answer. Paper documents… Not exactly. The word of one of the leading Civil War historians in the state, possibly even the country? Yes!

The origin story is a little blurry but what I can say with absolute certainty is this artifact was acquired by a gentleman named Dan Crowley, originally of Boone County, West Virginia. He ran a museum in Harper’s Ferry for many years where this cup was on display for tourists from all around the world. When he closed the museum, the cup changed owners, becoming the property of one of the most knowledgeable historians I’ve ever had the honor of knowing, my friend and renown author Terry Lowry. About 2 weeks ago, I acquired this from my friend, Terry.

Normally I would demand more concrete evidence and documentation before making a bold claim, but Mr. Crowley only purchased from reputable sources and Terry has absolutely no reason to lie to me. Therefore, I am confident this is a genuine battlefield pickup from one of our nation’s bloodiest battles.

Yesterday was May the fourth, aka Star Wars Day, but today is Revenge of the Fifth! “Once more the fifth will rule the galaxy… and we shall have peace.”

In 1863, this was the site of a partially completed earthen fort from which Captain James Johnson held off two regiments of Confederate Cavalry under Albert Jenkins. Johnson only had companies A, B, D, and H of the 13th West Virginia Infantry at his disposal and ordered every able bodied soldier to the front line from a field hospital, located only a short distance out of frame. Today there is little to indicate a fort ever stood here, let alone that a battle was fought here which lasted 5 hours; a developed neighborhood occupies the location.

Just before we snapped this picture, one local man popped his head outside to inquire what we were doing. He had no idea of the historical significance of the property he was living on! He never knew a battle was fought over his property. This is another example of why preservation is important! When we lose our historic sites, they are gone for good.



Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - National Organization

The 20th Massachusetts Infantry was sometimes called “The Harvard Regiment” due the high number of men in its ranks who attended the university. Organized in Aug and Sept 1861, the regiment saw its first action at the battle of Ball’s Bluff in Oct 1861. The regiment’s Colonel, William R. Lee, was taken prisoner but would be exchanged and rejoined the 20th Mass. the following spring. Lee would resign his position just following the horrible clash at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and command would fall to Paul Joseph Revere, a relative of the Revolutionary War hero, Paul Revere.

At Gettysburg, the regiment arrived on the field on July 2 but “did not fire a shot” per the after action report of Capt. Henry L. Abbott. “Col. Paul Joseph Revere was mortally wounded and some ten or eleven men were killed.” The following afternoon, the 20th Massachusetts was a recipient of the rebel cannonade preceding “Pickett’s Charge” during which the regiment lost a handful more of their men. Upon the rebel advance, Abbott wrote the men, “were kept lying on their bellies, without firing a shot, until orders to fire came from Colonel Hall, commanding the brigade, the enemy having got within 3 or 4 rods of us, when the regiment rose up and delivered two or three volleys, which broke the rebel regiment opposite us entirely to pieces, leaving only scattered groups. When the enemy’s advance was first checked by our fire, they tried to return it, but with little effect, hitting only 4 or 5 men.

“We were feeling all the enthusiasm of victory, the men shouting out, ‘Fredericksburg,’ imagining the victory as complete everywhere else as it was in front of the Third Brigade, when Colonel Macy drew my attention to a spot some rods to the right of us, near a clump of trees, where the enemy seemed to have broken in…” The regiment then forced their way toward the copse of trees and Capt. Abbott continued on. “When they arrived there, there was a very thin line contending with the enemy, who was behind a rail fence, with the exception of a small number that climbed over, who were speedily dispatched. The enemy poured in a severe musketry fire, and at the clump of trees they burst also several shells, so that our loss was very heavy, more than half the enlisted men of the regiment being killed or disabled, while there remained but 3 out of 13 officers. Moreover, the contest round this important spot was very confused, every man fighting on his own hook, different regiments being mixed together, and half a dozen colors in a bunch, it being impossible to preserve a regimental line.”

When the smoke cleared, the rebel force had been driven back and the survivors left behind taken prisoners of war. The 20th Massachusetts lost 30 men killed, 94 wounded, and 3 missing in action. By the end of the war, the 20th Massachusetts Infantry would suffer the highest casualty rate of any Massachusetts regiment and the fifth highest of any Union regiment.

This monument in memory of the “Harvard Regiment” is made of Puddingstone, the official rock of Massachusetts. This chunk was brought from Roxbury, MA, to Gettysburg, PA and the memorial was dedicated on 20 Oct 1885. 🇺🇸



Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - National Organization

On the morning of 28 March 1863, Companies A, B, D, and H of the 13th (West) Virginia Infantry got their first taste of combat. Holding the high ground in a partially constructed earthen fort under the command of the gallant Captain James W. Johnson, approximately 200 Union soldiers defended against attacks from the 8th and 16th Virginia Cavalry under Albert G. Jenkins. For 5 hours, the yanks took fire from three directions, but only suffered 3 fatalities and 4 wounded. The Union victory ensured continued control of the James River and Kanawha Turnpike, and Jenkins knew he would have to find another route to Point Pleasant, where food awaited his hungry troops.

Special thanks to Dr. Phil Hatfield for hosting an amazing afternoon filled with fascinating historical facts and allowing us to be a part of his presentation on this beautiful day, the 163rd anniversary of the battle. Also a special thanks to all the reenactors who fell in today under my command as I did my best to portray Captain Johnson!