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More information on the Haines-Beyler murder — Part IIt’s been a few years since I last wrote about the incident in which John F. Haines (sometime seen as “Haynes) and a man named Beyler/ Beylor/Beler were murdered in 1862 by a handful of citizens from Luray, but in a recent history research trip (in which Page County was not actually my focus),I stumbled across another version of the account. While the two earlier versions that I had were from a chaplain in a Rhode Island cavalry unit and from an old edition of the Page News and Courier, this recent piece was discovered in the July 9, 1862, issue of the Hagerstown Herald of Freedom and Torch Light, and was originally written by a correspondent to the Philadelphia Inquirer.DEVASTATION OF VIRGINIA “Fortunate, indeed, for the people of the North that this war, with all its desolation, has not been brought to their own doors; and little did the people of Virginia, when they so madly plunged the State into the vortex of rebellion, think of the awful retribution that awaited them. Ravaged by two armies, with homes desolated, fences destroyed, fields laid waste, every branch of industry stopped, her fighting men all in the army,either by force or of their own free will, her laboring population scattered - never again to be gathered - such is her great but well merited punishment.But worst *f all is the terrible persecution suffered by the few who have remained true and loyal, thereby incurring the worse than hellish of hate of these traitor fiends...”MURDER OF TWO UNION MEN “Mr. John F. Haynes [61 years old as of 1862], a prominent and most estimable citizen of Page County, well known in Washington, where he has been for some time engaged in business (according to the 1860 Page County census, Haines was a miller by occupation], came from Washington to his home in Milford after the advance of our army. The day Shields’ division had passed through the town on its way to Fredericksburg, sixteen of the Louisiana Tigers came to Haynes’ house, and asked permission to stay over night. He told them he would keep as many as his house would accommodate. After searching his house, eight of them left, the rest remained. They questioned him with regard to his politics. He told them he was a Whig and a Union man; and voted for Bell and Everett for President (and an earlier account that I found, some four years ago, stated that he also attended the 1861 inauguration of Abraham Lincoln], He furthermore gave them his word of honor that he would not attempt to escape for five days. They left in the morning, after assuring him that they had not been treated with such hospitality since they left Louisiana.“The same day a part of them, accompanied by a neighbor, returned to his house, carried him a prisoner to Luray, and lodged him in jail. He was here kept in confinement eight days, when two men came at night and demanded the key of the jailor, stating that by order of Colonel Ashby they were to remove two prisoners. Haynes and Beler [Beyler], to Harrisonburg. The jailor’s wife offered to get a light, when they said they did notwant a light, they only wanted the key..It was evident they did not wish to be recognized. The men were taken into the woods about a mile and a half from the village and murdered. After the return of Gen. Shields, the bodies were there found, lightly covered with earth.“The General has information that, at a meeting of several citizens of Luray, the question was discussed what should be done with these men, and a vote taken to put them to death. One of the men who demanded the key of the jailor and was concerned in the murder, is named Gibbons. He formerly lived neighbor to Haynes, but had removed to Georgia, and is now serving in the rebel army.“These facts I gathered from a son of the murdered man, Mr. Ellis A. Haynes [Ellis Asbury Haines], who has been five years in California. He returned to New York about a month since, and as soon as he considered it safe, he started for home, where he arrived last Thursday. Deeming it unsafe to remain, he returned here with Gen. Shields, and is now visiting friends living in the vicinity of Winchester.”Some “after-action” thoughts to follow next week.Moore can be reached directly at cenanlua® gmail.com or at http:// heritageandheraldry. vifordpress.com/
Newspaper Details
Page News and Courier
Luray, Virginia, US
Thu, Jun 03, 2010
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Jim G.
USA 07 Jan 2024
Other Publications Near Luray, Virginia
Luray Sun
Luray Commonwealth Review
Page News and Courier
