Article - Joseph P. Farley, Picatinny’s second commander, known as "energetic builder"

An article I wrote for The Picatinny Voice on Brig. Gen. Joseph P. Farley, the second commander of Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, was recently published in the post's newspaper.

You can check out the article below via the link and/or image:

"Joseph P. Farley, Picatinny’s second commander, known as ‘energetic builder’"

Enjoy!

MW

Article - Picatinny history: Who was Lt. Col. Francis H. Parker?

An article I wrote for The Picatinny Voice on Lt. Col. Francis H. Parker, the first commander of Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, was recently published in the post's newspaper. 

You can check out the article below via the link and/or image: 

"Picatinny history: Who was Lt. Col. Francis H. Parker?"

Enjoy!

MW

Thomas Ward Custer's Grave

Thomas Ward Custer's Grave 
Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery
395 Biddle Boulevard
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
(Plot: Section A, Site 1488)

Thomas Ward Custer was born on March 15, 1845 in New Rumley, Ohio to Emanuel and Marie Custer. He was the younger brother of George Armstrong Custer. At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Custer enlisted in the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served in this unit until October 1864 when he was mustered out as a corporal. During his time with the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he saw action at a number of major battles including Stones River and the Atlanta Campaign.

Custer received notoriety when he joined his brother George Armstrong in the 6th Michigan Cavalry. Thomas was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Company B, and eventually became his brother's aide-de-camp until the end of the war in 1865. Thomas became the first Soldier to receive two Medals of Honor in 1865 at the battles of Namozine Church (April 3, 1865) and Sailor's Creek (April 6, 1865). Thomas received these honors for capturing a Confederate regimental flag at each battle. These flags helped to identify a unit on the battlefield, and the loss of such flags was seen as a sign of disgrace to the losing command. By the end of the war, Custer had received a brevet as a lieutenant colonel.

Following the American Civil War, Custer chose to remain in the Army with his brother George Armstrong. He was appointed a first lieutenant in the 7th Cavalry, and served at the Battle of Washita in 1868, where he was wounded in battle. He also served in South Carolina, the Yellowstone Expedition (1873), and the Black Hills Expedition (1874). Thomas again served as George Armstrong's aide-de-camp during the June 25, 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn. During this battle, Thomas and other members of the 7th Cavalry were killed by a combined force Lakota, Dakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Thomas and a number of other 7th Cavalry troops were initially buried on the battlefield where they were killed. His remains were later exhumed and re-interred at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. Thomas is buried close to other officers of the 7th Cavalry who were also killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Below are two links with more information on Thomas Ward Custer, along with several photos that I took of his grave site last summer:

https://www.nps.gov/libi/learn/historyculture/capt-tom-custer.htm

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=6793225&page=gr

MW

Edward Hatch's Grave

Edward Hatch's Grave 
Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery
395 Biddle Boulevard
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027

(Plot: Section A-Off, Site 2204)

Edward Hatch was a career soldier in the United States Army. Hatch was born in Bangor, Maine on December 22, 1832. He was educated at Norwich Military Academy in Vermont. After completing his studies at Norwich, he moved to Iowa where he became a lumber merchant and at one point a merchant seaman. At the outset of the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in the Union Army. He assisted in raising the 2nd Iowa Cavalry, a unit in which he later became a colonel in June 1862. Hatch participated in the 1862 Siege of Corinth, Mississippi. Hatch was wounded in 1863, and commanded a cavalry depot in St. Louis, Missouri while he recovered. He was promoted to Brigadier General in April 1864, and participated in the 1864 Franklin and Nashville campaigns. In March 1865, he was brevetted Major General of U.S. Volunteers for his service during the Civil War. 

Following the Civil War, Hatch accepted a commission as a colonel in the regular army, and was assigned to the 9th U.S. Cavalry. He became commander of the Department of Arizona in 1876. In this position, Hatch negotiated a reservation treaty with the Ute Indians in 1880. He also unsuccessfully pursued the Apache chief Victorio through the Department of Arizona. 

On April 11, 1889, he died while serving at Fort Robinson in Nebraska. Hatch is buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. 

Below are two links with more information on Major General Edward Hatch, along with some photos of Hatch and his grave site: 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10030

http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/UGENS/USAHatch.html

MW

The Death of A.P. Hill

Where Hill Fell Marker
Southwest of Petersburg on the northwest side of Boydton Plank Road (US 1) less than a mile northeast of Airport Road and the intersection with Interstate 85
Petersburg, VA 23803

Ambrose Powell Hill was born on November 9, 1825 in Culpeper, Virginia. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1842, and was commissioned as an officer in the 1st U.S. Artillery. Hill served in Mexico during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) during the closing stages of the war. Following the war, Hill went on to serve against the Seminoles in Florida, and with the U.S. Coastal Survey in Washington, D.C. In March 1861, Hill resigned from the United States Army to join the Confederate cause.

Hill served with distinction in a number of the major campaigns and battles of the Civil War including the Peninsula Campaign (March – July 1862), the Second Battle of Bull Run/Second Manassas (August 28 – August 30, 1862), and the Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862). During his service with the Confederate Army, Hill had two feuds with Confederate generals James Longstreet and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The latter feud resulted in Hill being arrested for neglect of duty during the 1862 Maryland Campaign. He was reinstated prior to the Battle of Antietam.

Hill was plagued with bad health throughout the second half of 1864 and early in 1865. He returned to the army in time to participate in the Siege of Petersburg. During this time, Hill continued to battle health problems. On April 2, 1865, Hill was riding close to the front lines with a staff officer and was shot dead by a Union soldier. The soldier was part of the Union force that had broken through the Confederate defensive lines at Petersburg. Hill died at age 39, just seven days before Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House.

Below are two links with more information on A.P. Hill along with two photos that I took of the marker in 2009:

http://www.stonesentinels.com/Petersburg-West/Where_Hill_Fell-S49.php

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/a-p-hill

MW

North Carolina at Appomattox Court House

North Carolina Monument at Appomattox Court House
111 National Park Dr.
Appomattox VA, 24522
(Follow the signs for the North Carolina Monument trail)

In 2009, I had the opportunity to visit numerous historic sites in Virginia while stationed at Fort Lee. If you are a regular reader of my blog then you know that I have been adding photos from past trips over the last couple of years. While looking through some old photos this past spring, I came across my photos from Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia. Appomattox Court House is known for being the site of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.

In the tradition of my blog, I decided to cover individual locations and monuments from the park that are often overlooked by visitors. Being a good descendant of a family that has lived in North Carolina for hundreds of years, I decided to cover the history of the North Carolina Monument. The monument was erected in 1905 by North Carolina veterans. The monument sits on the site where the last volley of the Army of Northern Virginia was fired during the Battle of Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The monument also memorializes the contributions of North Carolina Confederate troops over the span of the war. The monument recognizes the Confederate troops of North Carolina as the ""First at Bethel, farthest to the front at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and last at Appomattox."

The North Carolina Monument is one of the sites associated with the park that is classified as one of the "places beyond the village." This monument along with a few other places is outside of the Appomattox Court House village area of the park. The monument can be accessed via a marked and improved trail.

Below are two links with more information on the North Carolina troops at Appomattox and the monument, as well as a few photos that I took during my 2009 visit to Appomattox Court House:

https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/historyculture/places-beyond-the-village.htm 

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/appomattox-station/appomattox-station-history/the-battles-of-appomattox.html

MW

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #6

Check out the sixth edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!

SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/matt-ward-427598454/the-matt-ward-history-experience-podcast-episode-6

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-ward-history-experience/id1178237076

Episode #6 contains the following segment:

1. Let's Talk History - Interview with author, historian and tour guide Mark Nesbitt. 

You can check out Mark Nesbitt online via the following websites:

Ghosts of Gettysburg Website - http://www.ghostsofgettysburg.com/

Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Nesbitt/e/B001JS4SAK/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Ghosts of Gettysburg Facebook Page - https://m.facebook.com/GhostsofGettysburg/

Mark Nesbitt's Twitter - @hauntgburg

Below are a few photos of Mark Nesbitt and his first Ghosts of Gettysburg book:

First and foremost I would like to thank my guest Mark Nesbitt for sitting down in Gettysburg to talk history with me.

This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording and Mastering. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can stream on SoundCloud.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially those who submitted questions for this month's segment of Let's Talk History.

The Matt Ward History Experience is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, NJ. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/mwhistory and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering:

http://onestonerecording.com/mwhistory

http://onestonerecording.com

MW

Colonel Lawrence Allen House

Colonel Lawrence Allen House
39 S. Main St.
Marshall, NC 28753

The Colonel Lawrence Allen House is located in historic downtown Marshall, North Carolina. The house was built in 1849, and is the oldest building on Main Street. The home was built by Colonel Lawrence Allen who served as the first Clerk of Court for Marshall. Allen would go on to serve as an officer in the Confederate Army. He was later involved in the Shelton Laurel Massacre on January 18, 1863 in which 13 accused Union sympathizers were executed in Shelton Laurel, NC.

The home stands as a reminder of the divided loyalties of the residents of western North Carolina leading up to the American Civil War. A Civil War Trails marker out front of the house discusses an incident that occurred around and in the home in the early days of the war. The marker reads:

On May 13, 1861, voters gathered here in Marshall, the Madison County seat, to elect a delegate for the Secession Convention to be held in Raleigh. The citizens were divided in their loyalties. Sheriff Ransom P. Merrill and others were later described as “husawing for Jeff Davis & the confederacy,” while men of different opinions were shouting for “Washington and the Union.” One witness later noted that “a good Deel of Liquor had been drank that day.” When a dispute broke out between some Unionists and the sheriff, Merrill drew his pistol and shot and wounded Elisha Tweed, Elisha’s father and former clerk of the superior court, then shot Merrill with a double-barreled shotgun and killed him. The Tweeds later joined the 4th Tennessee Infantry (U.S.), but Neely died of fever in 1862. The voters elected secessionist J. A. McDowell to the state convention.

The local “war within a war” had escalated in the mountains by January 1863, when Unionists from the county’s Shelton Laurel community were deprived of salt. A band of 50 or 60 Union soldiers and civilians raided Marshall, taking salt and other provisions and wounding Confederate Capt. John Peek. The raiders also ransacked the house in front of you, the home of Col. Lawrence M. Allen, 64th North Carolina Infantry. Two of Allen’s children, who were lying in the house desperately ill at the time, afterward died.

Confederate troops marched on Shelton Laurel to “put down the insurrection” and recover property taken from Marshall. Meeting resistance, the Confederates summarily executed at least 13 prisoners, men and boys, in what became known as the “Shelton Laurel Massacre.”

Below are a few links with more information on the Colonel Lawrence Allen House and the town of Marshall, along with some photos that I took during my 2011 visit to the hometown of my Ward ancestors:

https://www.visitmadisoncounty.com/who-we-are/town-of-marshall/colonel-lawrence-allen-house/

http://www.visitmadisoncounty.com/wp-content/uploads/Marshall-Walking-Tour-flyer-size-PDF.pdf

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/murder-in-the-mountains/?_r=0

http://www.mwhistoryexperience.com/2016/01/madison-county-courthouse.html?m=0

MW

Violet Bank

Violet Bank 
326 Royal Oak Ave.
Colonial Heights, VA 23834

The land upon which Violet Bank sits was obtained by Thomas Shore in 1777. The first home on the property was built in 1778. During the American Revolution, the house and land served as the headquarters of the Marquis de Lafayette at the beginning of the 1781 summer campaign in the American South. The home was also witness to some of the military actions associated with the April 25, 1781 Battle of Blandford or Battle of Petersburg. The 1781 summer campaign eventually resulted in the defeat of the British army under Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown.

The original home on the property was destroyed by fire in 1810. The current home was built in 1815 by Thomas Shore's widow, Jane Grey, and her second husband. Violet Bank served as General Robert E. Lee's headquarters from June 8, 1864 to November 1, 1864. On July 30, 1864, Lee received word at Violet Bank that Union troops had detonated 8,000 pounds of explosives under Confederate positions in Petersburg. This action initiated the Battle of the Crater.

Below are the links to three websites with more information on Violet Bank, as well as some photos that I took during my 2009 visit:

http://www.colonialheightsva.gov/facilities/facility/details/Violet-Bank-Museum-44 

http://www.richmond.com/real_estate/richmond-neighborhoods/article_be4c9928-be36-11e2-b01e-0019bb30f31a.html

http://www.colonialheightsva.gov/index.aspx?NID=499

MW