Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 24.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

Unparalleled in the history of great wars, Winchester was the scene of three battles during the rebellion. It has been declared the most patriotic city of the South. Nearly all the troops it furnished the Confederacy belonged to the unflinching, unyielding ‘Stonewall’ Brigade. But its women have a record for bravery and devotion that history loves to linger over. When all the men were absent on the field of war the women nursed the sick and buried the dead. Many a brave boy from Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana owes his life to the women of Winchester. After each of the great battles, and the numberless skirmishes which crowded upon each other in the valley around the beautiful little city, the women of [243] Winchester set forth in their carriages, their wagons and even in ox carts and picked up the wounded and the dead. That is the reason why Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, the sacred spot placed right next to the heart of the city, contains to-day such a large number of marked graves.

In the hurried days of battle the women could only mark the resting place of each hero with a plain, wooden slab, bearing the name and command of the soldier. Unsatisfied with their grand work in war time, the women of Winchester have been unceasing in these times of peace in their efforts to have these graves properly marked. The Southern States were appealed to, and most of them, Louisiana among the number, nobly responded, and have marked each grave with a lasting marble headstone, bearing inscriptions telling as fully as is known the story of the dead who lie on the rolling hills of Winchester cemetery, overlooking the battlefields where they fell.

In the section devoted to Louisiana are the graves of the following:

Lieutenant P. Charpio, Company B, 8th Louisiana.

A. A. Arceneaux, Company C, 8th Louisiana.

J. J. Anderson. Company H, 9th Louisiana.

M. Kirwin, Company K, 6th Louisiana.

G. M. Barrais, Company I, 6th Louisiana.

J. Crookshanks, Company B, 9th Louisiana.

S. J. Snyder, Company F, 9th Louisiana.

J. Muntinger, Washington Artillery.

Armand Freret, Washington Artillery.

G. H. Chaplain, Washington Artillery.

J. W. Crawford, Company D, 9th Louisiana.

W. McElgren, Company B, 14th Louisiana.

Captain H. Z. Guice, Company E, 8th Louisiana.

J. B. Galatti, Jackson parish, Louisiana.

L. G. Picon, Company E, 2nd Louisiana.

A. Comb, Company A, 6th Louisiana.

B. C. Scarborough, Company A, 6th Louisiana.

N. Schmitt, Company H, 2nd Louisiana.

—. Smith, Company C, 16th Louisiana.

C. Scarborough, Company A, 6th Louisiana.

R. Cahill, Company F, 6th Louisiana.

R. H. Senders, Company G, 7th Louisiana.

F. Rose, Company H, 6th Louisiana.

H. Hann, Company K, 8th Louisiana. [244]

Captain D. S. Griffin,——,2nd Louisiana.

—. Holly, 2nd Louisiana Battalion.

J. J. Holland, Company G, 6th Louisiana.

—. Bantly,——,—— Louisiana.

G. Grapen, Company K, 6th Louisiana.

L. W. Summons, Company A, 7th Louisiana.

D. Cons, Company F, 6th Louisiana.

S. W. Cresy, Company C, Washington Artillery.

P. McGrafney,——,—— Louisiana.

——. Flin,——,—— Louisiana.

J. C. Griffith, Company B, 7th Louisiana.

Lieutenant E. Somday, —, 14th Louisiana.

P. Riely, 14th Louisiana.

J. Ganey,— Louisiana.

T. Murphy, Company C, 6th Louisiana.

J. A. Cannon, Company A, 8th Louisiana.

W. Ringold, Company H, 7th Louisiana.

B. M. Jennings, Company H, 7th Louisiana.

J. Mollen, Company I, 6th Louisiana.

H. C. Burk, Company H, 9th Louisiana.

P. C. Cousin, Company A, 6th Louisiana.

J. C. Doughty, Company D, 5th Louisiana.

P. Everett, 8th Louisiana.

H. Heinglas, Company F, 6th Louisiana.

Captain R. Talbert, Company A, 1st Louisiana.

G. H. Guess, Company H, 9th Louisiana.

T. Quillius, 6th Louisiana.

M. Conskey, Company F, 14th Louisiana.

J. M. Martin, Company B, 8th Louisiana.

J C. Snow, Company I, 14th Louisiana.

A. D. Rowles, Company F, 9th Louisiana.

J. L. Lock, Company B, 1st Louisiana.

W. M. Sunley, Company B, 15th Louisiana.

Sergeant J. Antrey, Company H, 2d Louisiana.

G. B. Walker, Company A, 9th Louisiana.

Lieutenant C. Smith, Company C,— Louisiana.

Major A. Davis, 7th Louisiana.

Major McArthur,— Louisiana.

Captain T. S. Crump, Company D, 2d Louisiana.

Captain C. Thompson, Louisiana Guards Battery.

Captain W. F. Thompson, Company A, 7th Louisiana. [245]

Lieutenant V. P. Terry, Company K, 7th Louisiana.

Captain E. W. Butts, Company A, 6th Louisiana.

Captain R. A. Pearson, Company C, 9th Louisiana.

Lieutenant W. D. Hendrick, Company G, 1st Louisiana. * *

When the Louisiana veterans left for Winchester they were prepared for a hearty and hospitable reception. But the sincerity, the completeness and the whole-souled ovation tendered them completely eclipsed their expectations. While Winchester has only 6,000 inhabitants, fully 2,000 awaited the arrival of the Louisianians at the depot on the night of the 3d. The entire town turned out in honor of the occasion. Everybody smiled and spoke a welcome, and even the buildings, decked in splendid decorations of Confederate red and white, expressed the prevailing pleasure at the coming of the men from the far South. When at length the train pulled in it was after midnight, yet the ardor of the people of Winchester had abaited not a bit.

The ladies of the party were immediately taken charge of by the wives of the Virginia veterans, while the men of the delegation marched to the camp-room of Turner Ashby Camp. There they were refreshed and taken care of in true comradely spirit. It had been arranged that every member of the Louisiana delegation should be given a home with the Winchester folk, and not one was allowed to go to a hotel, or to spend a cent for his entertainment while in the city. Colonel Williams, commander of the Ashby Camp, and Colonel Laughlin, of the cavalry camp, of New Orleans, divided the veterans among their hosts.

“I will take care of four men,” some Winchester householder would declare.

‘Will four comrades who would like to be together please rise,’ Colonel Laughlin would say, and the four visitors and heir host marched off. So it proceeded until all were provided for. When there were none left, the trouble began. Numbers of the Winchester veterans had made preparations to entertain the visitors, who did not receive any. They entered a decided kick, because they were given no chance to entertain the visitors. This was especially the case with Mrs. Love, President of the Ladies' Auxiliary Confederate Association, who, back in 1863 and 1864 had first begun the sacred work of collecting the bodies of the soldiers. She lectured Colonel Laughlin for failing to send her some veterans to take tender care of. The only complaint was that Louisiana had not sent more veterans [246] that they might receive the loving ministrations of their Virginia brothers.

The very best that the county afforded was placed at the command of the visitors. Every organization in the county participated in the parade and exercises attending the unveiling of the Louisiana monument. Every public building and store was decorated. When the exercises were over on the afternoon of July 4th, and the veterans spoke of returning to Washington or Richmond that night, the hospitable Winchester folk would not hear of it, and insisted that they must remain until Monday at least. On Sunday the visitors were driven around the country, visiting the scenes of the innumerable battles around Winchester, in which nearly all of the visitors and hosts had taken part.

The visitors were taken at once to the hearts of their comrades and made members of their families. They were made by every word and act to feel perfectly at home, and when at length the time to leave came, they parted as old friends, and with the tenderest affection for each other. Possibly never before had Virginia hospitality been so thoroughly lived up to, or been better exemplified.

While attending the reunion in Richmond, Colonel Laughlin, Chairman of the Winchester Monument Committee, received a letter stating that the monument had not yet arrived at Winchester. This was a sore disappointment, and a large portion of the veterans left the Winchester journey off their itinerary, believing the monument would not be unveiled. But the others were determined, and declared they would go anyhow.

Telegrams were sent all over the State inquiring where the car containing the monument was. Just the day before it was discovered that by error the granite sections had been sent to Winchester, W. Va. Orders were at once issued to have it sent in haste to the proper destination. In the meantime, Colonel Laughlin, deciding to have the ceremonies at all events, telegraphed Mrs. Love, President of the Ladies' Association, to prepare a wooden monument, of the height of the granite one, and cover it with evergreens, so that no one could tell the difference.

This was done, but happily was not needed. The monument arrived at Winchester on the night of the 3d. The foundation had long been ready, as well as the appliances for placing the granite in position. Early on the 4th, through the energy of Colonel Williams, of the Ashby Camp, and others, a large force was put to work, and the monument completed and made ready for the exercises. The [247] day was bright, cheerful and clear, the oratory was stirring, and the huge crowd present were in thorough sympathy with the sentiment of the occasion. * * * *

In ante-bellum days, the Winchester cemetery began about three squares from Main street, and covered a comparatively small area. So many were the engagements in the valley, and so many were the dead for whom Winchester cared, that beginning at the limits of the old graveyard, a new cemetery was begun and aptly called after Stonewall Jackson, under whose command most of the dead had fought. This is possibly the only distinct Confederate national cemetery. The Federal national cemetery adjoins it on the left.

In the precincts of Stonewall Jackson cemetery the people of Winchester gathered and placed all the known Confederate dead, locating the graves by States. The unknown, numbering nearly seven hundred, were placed together, and now a splendid monument marks the resting place of these unknown heroes. Many of the graves of the known, are still surmounted with the wooden headboards placed there when they died, but Maryland, Virginia, Georgia and Louisiana have removed these crumbling memorials and replaced them with marble stones, which will be everlasting.

These four States have likewise erected monuments to their dead.

The Louisiana monument which was unveiled on the 4th of July, is a beautiful granite shaft planted on a slight eminence in one of the prettiest part of the soldiers' cemetery. The specifications called for Georgia granite, with a total height of eighteen feet, the base being four feet three inches square, the second base, the die, the cap and the plinth each being proportionately smaller, until the shaft is one foot three inches square, and eleven feet high. The design was graceful, chaste, and of proper soldierly simplicity. On the first base are the large letters, ‘C. S. A.’ The second base bears the word ‘Louisiana,’ and the cap above the highly polished die shows the coat of arms of the State.

The inscriptions are as follows:

‘To the soldiers of Louisiana who died for the South in the Valley Campaign, this monument has been erected in memory of their noble daring and heroic endurance in their country's cause.’

On the right side:

Sleep in peace with kindred ashes,
     Of the noble and the true;
Hands that never failed their country,
     Hearts that never baseness knew.

[248] The words on the rear of the base are:

‘They died for the principles upon which all true republics are founded.’

On the left of the base is:

Remember their valor,
     Keep holy the sod,
For honor to heroes
     Is glory to God.

The Monument Committee had the plinth so designed that at some future day four bronze medallions of Louisiana soldiers can be attached to it. These will probably be Colonels Taylor, Hays, Stark, and Stafford, who commanded the Louisiana regiments which were most constantly engaged in the Shenandoah Valley campaigns.

When Colonel William Laughlin attended the reunion in Houston last year, he met Captain T. J. Bantz, of Winchester. The New Orleans veteran told his Virginia comrade about the superb collection of relics in the Confederate Memorial Hall, and interested him so much that he volunteered to secure a number of relics for the hall from the Winchester battlefields. He kept his promise, and when Colonel Laughlin met him again at Winchester, he had collected a fine lot of battle mementoes. These included minie balls, bayonets, two United States army belts, gunstocks, and pieces of shell and canister from Monacacy, the first and second Winchester fights, the battle of Milroy Fork and other skirmishes about Winchester. These precious relics Colonel Laughlin brought back with him to New Orleans, with infinite pains (as they are bulky and heavy) and will present them in a few days to Memorial Hall. They will shortly be supplemented by a collection of shells and other bulky articles which it was impossible to bring by hand, and which will be received by express and placed among the other relics. * * *

One of the most striking of the many monuments in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery is that which marks the grave of Major Thompson, a gallant Winchester soldier, who received his death wound on almost the last day of the war.

The monument is a massive block of granite surmounted by a wondrously polished granite globe several feet in thickness. It is as smooth as polished crystal, and one seems to see into its depth for several inches. So perfect is the reflection that the globe presents [249] in compact space a marvelously beautiful view of the cemetery scenery, showing the monuments, the foliage, the soldierly headstones, and the distant historic hills.

Colonel W. R. Lyman, of New Orleans, who fought with the Virginia troops, and knew Major Thompson intimately, started the movement to erect this monument to his heroism. He was in Winchester one day, when he was told that Major Thompson was buried there. ‘Then his grave should have a monument,’ he instantly declared, and offered to lead the subscription list for one. It was instantly taken up, and in an hour $600 was subscribed. The result is the memorable stone that now marks the grave.

Major Thompson's death was unusually pathetic-unusually heroic.

It was two days before the surrender at Appomattox. Major Thompson's left arm had been rendered useless by a rifle ball. His regiment was ordered to charge, and he rode to its front, his left arm hanging helplessly by his side, the reins in his teeth, his revolver in his right hand.

“Don't go into this fight,” a friend entreated. ‘It is sure death, with your arm crippled.’

“I don't care,” was his brave response. ‘The Confederacy is dying. I do not wish to survive the Confederacy.’ He rode into the battle, charged impetuously, and was the first to fall.