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BECKLEY- POST-HERALD. BECKLEY. W. VA.. SATURDAY MORNING. AUGUST 2.1975TWENTY-FI VIRaleigh's Graves Reminder Of Gounty's Civil War StrifeBy PAULINE HAGAPost-HeraldCorrespondentGrave markings in several areas of Raleigh County, and accounts from descendants, place several local men in battle during the Civil War.At Flat Top the grave of a Pvt. Lee has been marked with a stone wall. According to local historians Lee and several soldiers were attempting to find food, which was very scarce, and Lee came upona field of cabbage. As the tale goes lie was so hungry he ale too many and died of colic as a result.ABDEL McCLURE of Grandview was a Confederate soldier and his brother, Washington, served with the Union army. Descendants report while Abdel McClure was marching down S. Kanawha Street, Mrs. John Beckley Campbell ran out and hollered “Doc (his nickname) shoot high 'cause Wash Is over there.M Mrs. Campbell spoke of Piney, where the trnrips were marching.The descendants'of William J.H. Farley tell of the time he rode onto a high hill at Flat Top. where Union soldiers were congregating to march on Princeton. Farley, a Rebel, reportedly rode back and forth on theridge, using his sword as iF he was directing a troop of cavalrymen. As a result the Union soldiers saw him and withdrew their troops For a whilp.In history files, J.E.B. (Jeb) Stuart, noted Confederate general, had as his scout Captain Will Farley, whom descendants believe to have been born in Raleigh County. Parley is mentioned in an account when Stuart attempted to destroy a train ut Tun-stall’s Station on the YorkRiver Railroad. Farley’s sword hangs on the wall in the living room of his great-granddaughter,Mrs. Belva McVey at Midway.THERE WERE manybushwacking and guerilla parties in Raleigh County.Iiigh atop a bill In Rich-iiioud District, at Abraham, lies the grove of Art Richmond, a farmer who was bushwaeked. He would farm at night and hide from the soldiers during the day.Another such incident took place‘on New River. Samuel Richmond, the father of John A. Richmond, was shot and killed in 1863. He was a Union man. opposed to the severance of the Union and the secession of the South. According to family history, he left no doubt in the minds of the people asto his beliefs, 'but proclaimed them far and wide.Being over the age at which he could be required to serve in either of the ar-mies. he remained at home, owning a large burr-hewed log gristmill, located at the low side of Richmond Falls. It was patronized by residents from many miles around and both sides of the river, as it ran all year, and people able to have grinding done at this mill when the water had dried up during the summer and fall and the other mills were out of operation.According to descendants. feeling was intense, and a great deal of bittterness was engendered between the partisans oF the Southern and Northern causes, both preceding and during the war.ON THF. DAY of his death, Samuel Richmond ferried Alien Vincent across New River from the Raleigh side. His wife Insisted on his not crossing, fearful that some harm would result. He disregarded her warning, ferried Vincent across to the Summers side, and, as he started to row back, was shot at from ambush by two persons hidden on the mountainside, the ball passing through his lungs.According to the family he was a man of powerful determination and physique. He rowed his boat back to the Raleigh side, where he was- carried home to die. The (late was Sept. 11. 1863. .Graves of two Civil War soldiers, both scouts, lie in the field on the Noah Crot-ty farm at Pluto. Crotty keeps the graves cleaned and marked.Another soldier known to have served in the Civil War was William Lilly of Flat Top. According to his granddaughter, 77-year-old Mrs. V.L. Harvey of Flat Top. he earned thenickname of Hickory Bill” during his war years. Lilly reportedly was stationed at Comp Narrows in Giles County. Va., and was worried about his wife. One night he stole a Confederate officer's horse and cut n hickory switch to “guide fhe horse towards home.”LILLY VISITED his family and then rode back to camp, returning in the early morning hours before he was missed. His fellow soldiers who covered up for his slipping off named him “Hickory Bill.”. Mrs. Harvey .also has a letter written by her grandfather on Feb. 18, 1863. at Camp Narrows and sent to his wife. The letterreads (spelling as is):“Dear wife, 1 seat myself this morning to inform you that I arrived at camp on the I7st. The boys all appeared well pleased in see me. All is right. I will inform you that there will be three men executed tomorrow. They have got coffins made. I am sorrow that they got in till after tomorrow ten o'clock, them men belong to the 36 Regiment. 1 wont you to let me now what is done with him in the church 4 if you intent to make any shugar you cant yoke it too soon but if you begin yoo must make the children carry all of the watter 4 be verry careful how you go about “ceap (keep) milling done plenty “sow (so) you can ready to way.“WE ARE living on corn bred and nothing else our mess bough (bought) ten lbs of beef today. You will not pay anything for my wool, no bacon. You will pay Ciendenon his taxes and let Bray go Empty. Tha (they) say that soldiers have no taxes to pay no war taxes you had better go to Davy Martin and buy his wheat if wants the half or take money if not hod better pay Dave 36 dollars.The letter was signed “May God bess you is my priar (prayer). William H. Lilly. _History records ii .Raleigh County list 3 Confederate and thro-Union soldiers ‘ who dtelt; while in service. Severn more were reported Uhave been missing.Predominately Confederate in sentiment several hundred count; men enlisted during th. war.Union prison camps an; disease took more live than did bullets fror enemy guns. Camp Chas in Columbus, Ohio, am Other Union prison camp cost the lives of a numbei of Raleigh County men.Only three Uniot soldiers from Raleigt County are listed as dyini in service. They an Andrew and Daniel Cook brothers, who died of dis ease while serving with thi Eighth Virginia Infantry and John Maxwell, wht died in service.PARACHUTISTS ALSO A DUTY CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — As a result o the drowning of 1* parachutists in Lake Enin 1967, the U.S. Sixth Cir euit Court in Cincinnati ha ruled that the responsibili ty of air traffic controller extends to parachutists a well as to airplunes am their passengers. So say the Research Group Inc here.
Newspaper Details
Post Herald and Register
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Sat, Aug 02, 1975
Page 71
Full Page
Clipped by
Phyllis T.
ID, USA 24 May 2018
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