Joseph Hancock Blackwell - Fauquier Historical Society

NEWS AND NOTES
from
Vol. 11, No.4
WARRENTON,
Fall 1989
VIRGINIA
Joseph Hancock Blackwell
Joseph Hancock Blackwell (18321905) was many thipgs to many people.
To family members he was a good
husbandman, not only of his own
acres, but the care and management
of Aunt Sarah Clotilda Carter's property.
To Colonel John S. Mosby of the
43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry he
was a loyal, dedicated follower-one
who was willing to risk his life and
property for The Cause. To John
Munson and many of Mosby's men he
was a meal ticket; his bounteous table
fed many a hungry ranger.
But to Col. Henry Gansevoort,
of the 13th New York Cavalry, he
was a "thorn in his side." It was Gansevoort's mission to keep the Manassas Gap Railroad running, and with
Joe Blackwell's home overlooking the
railroad a Mosby haven, his task was
nearly impossible.
Joe Blackwell's ancestors had
helped to claim Northern Fauquier
County from the wilderness.
The Blackwells, the Carters and
the Edmonds were local empire builders, and, with the outbreak of Civil
War, their energy and spirit of adventure would be manifest in Joseph
Blackwell, grandson of Fauquier's
first sheriff.
In 1856, Blackwell married his
cousin, Ann Roberta
Edmonds.
Their home was located on Grandfather Moore Carter's
Farmview,
where Blackwell had been born.
Overlooking both the Manassas
Gap Railroad and Goose Creek and
only a mile and one half northeast of
Piedmont Station, it drew the attention of Federal Forces.
"Chief" Blackwell
Mosby first met Joe Blackwell in
the summer of 1863. The location of
Blackwell's property as a potential
message center and point from which
to operate must have appealed to
Mosby immediately.
Ranger Munson's praise of the
Blackwell hospitality was not overstated. No ranger was ever turned
away, as "often there would be two or
three seatings in the small dining
room."
These Mosby Rangers
were
youngsters, hardly out of their teens,
so a good home cooked meal was
something to talk about and record.
The young rangers called him
"The Chief'; later some indicated that
he was a Chief Of Staff. Since no
such rank or title existed, the term
may have been used in respect for his
age-he was possibly ten or twelve
years older than the average ranger.
At the beginning of the war
Blackwell was rather affluent, with
assets that included real estate valued
at $29,000.00, and personal property
at $11,795.00.
By the summer of 1864, he was
paying the price for feeding and sheltering the much-hunted Mosby.
His farming operations practically halted, and his land was in grass;
no doubt he had given up trying to
raise grain with so many hungry
horses around, both of friend and foe.
Summer of 1864 found Blackwell with
but one farm hand, an Irishman by
the name of Lawrence Ryan; appar:
ently his slaves had all left.
"Lat" Ryan was an immigrant
who had come to work on the Manassas Gap Railroad. His nickname had
-Photo
by John T. Toler
JOHN E. DIVINE
come from his service as a young choir
boy who had learned the Latin Missal.
"Black Monday"
As early as August 24, 1864,
Federal forces had their eye on Joe
Blackwell's place. General C. C. Augur, in sending out patrols, added to
his orders, "Attention should be given
to Mosby's headquarters."
(Continued on Page 2)
The Fauquier Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the
Conunonwealth of Virginia. Dues and contributions are tax deductible.
Newsletter published bi-monthly beginning August 1979. Published quarterly beginning September 1980. ©Copyright 1990. All Rights Reserved.
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OFFICERS:
President: Mrs. Michael G. Macdonald
Vice President: Harold R. Spencer
Secretary: Mrs. Stephen N. Cooper
Treasurer: Lt. Col. Fred A. Grohgan
Corr. Secretary: Mrs. Mary E. Ashe
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mrs. Mary E. Ashe, Warrenton
Mrs. Alvin V. Baird, Delaplane
Dan H. deButts, Upperville
Mrs. John A. Fraser, III, Orlean
C. I. Garrett, Warrenton
Lt. Col. Fred A. Grohgan, Warrenton
H. Lynn Hopewell, Warrenton
William K. James, III, Haymarket
Mrs. Norman G. Jones, Warrenton
Glen Jordon, Warrenton
Robert deT. Lawrence, IV, Warrenton
Mrs. Jo Ann Lyons, Amissville
Mrs. Mary C. Matteo, Warrenton
Mrs. Michael G. Macdonald, Warrenton
Chilton H. McDonnell, Warrenton
Mrs. Meade Palmer, Warrenton
Mrs. Anne Brooke Smith, Warrenton
Col. Cowper Smith, Broad Run
Harold R. Spencer, Warrenton
J. Michael Welton, Warrenton
Ex-officio Member: James R. Green, Jr., Chairman,
Board of Supervisors
Correspondence should be directed to:
The Fauquier Historical Society
P.O. Box 675
Warrenton, Virginia 22186
Telephone:
(703) 347-5525
Newsletter Chairman and Editor: Isabelle S. Palmer.
Assistant Editor: Jackie Lee
NewsletterCommittee:
John K. Gott, Susan S. Nelson, Anne Brooke Smith, John T. Toler,
J. Michael Welton
Blackwell
(Continued from Page 1)
It was reported back to him that
Mosby's headquarters alternated between Mr. Blackwell's at Piedmont
Station and Mr. Turner's at Upperville. Then came Black Monday.
September 26, 1864 was a bad
day for "The Chief' and his family
when the enemy finally burned them
out ..
Apparently Colonel Gansevoort
had become frustrated with having a
Mosby headquarters so close to the
railroad he was trying to protect.
On that day, Gansevoort, with
500 troopers, was escorting engineers
from Centreville westward.
They
were surveying the railroad for damage and looking for Mosby's "headquarters" at Blackwell's.
Colonel Gansevoort
reported,
"The house of Joseph Blackwell was
burned as directed, together with the
barns and extensive outbuildings."
Some few of Mosby's personal effects went up in flames, and as the
fire spread loud explosions were
heard, indicating a small arsenal may
have been stored there.
He added further, "A large quantity of ammunition, artillery harness
and equipment was destroyed, including a large quantity of pistols and carbines, which were concealed from
search in the house and whose
destruction was only known by their
reports."
One source, who later lived at
this property, related that the Blackwell family took shelter in a barn that
night.
Did Gansevoort's men miss that
building, or did the family escape to a
barn on Clotilda Carter's adjoining
property that Joe Blackwell was using in the management of her property?
It is a moot question because
"The Chief' had suffered greatly for
his loyalty and aid to Colonel Mosby.
We know, however, that one
building survived; the stone springhouse offered nothing flammable and
so today still stands silent witness to
that day of destruction.
With the loss of their home Joe,
Ann, Roberta and their two children
moved to Rosenvix, the home of Aunt
Sarah Clotilda Carter, about one mile
west oftheir old place.
Mosby shifted his headquarters
to Brookside, two miles down the
road at Gap Run.
Wedding at Rosenvix
Romance could not be discouraged nor suppressed, even in strifetorn Fauquier county.
Jake Lavender had joined Mosby
and became Ordnance Sergeant for
the 43rd Battalion.
A native of
Franklin County, he met and fell in
love with Judith Edmonds, a sister of
(2)
Ranger Johnny Edmonds and Ann
Roberta Blackwell, Joe's wife.
The romance flourished, and the
couple set December 21, 1864 as the
wedding date. The ceremony was
held at Rosenvix, home of the bride's
aunt and the Blackwells.
Colonel Mosby, accompanied by
Tom Love, came to honor his sergeant; other rangers showed up as
well, since Jake and his seventeen
year old bride-to-be were popular in
the battalion.
On that afternoon elements of the
13th and 16th New York Cavalry regiments roamed the nearby countryside.
Hardly had the ceremony been
completed when scouts dashed in to
report the presence of the enemy.
Mosby and Tom Love quietly slipped
out while other rangers mounted and
hastily disappeared.
As Federal troopers approached
the house, Clotilda Carter, a lady of
large proportions, hid the evidence of
a party by placing the wedding cake
on the floor and standing over it with
her huge hoops.
Mosby and Love mounted, bypassing
Rectortown,
where
the
enemy was preparing to camp, and
rode on toward Rector's Crossroads.
That evening, while enjoying the
warmth and hospitality of 'Ludwell
Lake and his two daughters at Lakeland, a shot crashed through the window, seriously wounding Colonel
Mosby. The rest is history.
Parole and Mail Service
How often did Joe Blackwell ride
on raids? Not often, or not often recorded.
We know that he was a regularly
enlisted member of Mosby's Rangers,
as attested by his parole, recorded at
Winchester, Va. on April 23, 1865.
He was a private in Company C, 43rd
Battalion Virginia Cavalry.
He was described as 35 years of
age (an error as he was 33) 6 ft. 1 in.
tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. His
destination was Fauquier County.
. A comrade once described his
dress: "He wore grey clothes, and
Wellingtonian boots with steel spurs.
He carried a brace of revolvers."
In the late 1870s, Blackwell
moved his family to Albemarle
County. One may wonder why he
took his wife and four children to a
strange land when his kith and kin
were still in Fauquier County.
(Continued on Page 5)
Search for an Ancestor
A bright fall afternoon last
October at a small family cemetery
near Bethel marked the end of a
three-year
effort to honor the
memory of a son of Fauquier by one of
his descendants.
About 30 friends, relatives, and
others attended the dedication of a
new headstone on the grave of Joseph
Hancock Blackwell (1832-1905) in the
cemetery at The Meadows by his
grand-nephew, Col. Murray Fontaine
Rose, of Leesburg.
Col. Rose was assisted with the
search and the dedication by John E.
Divine, noted Loudoun County Civil
War historian (see accompanying article). Both gentlemen are members
and past presidents of the Clinton
Hatcher Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 21 in Leesburg.
The ceremony concluded with
refreshments served by Mrs. Marion
Poynter,
present
owner of The
Meadows, and Maxine Mickel.
The Blackwell Family
The first Blackwell to live in the
Fauquier area was Joseph Blackwell
(1715-1787), who was appointed the
first county sheriff by George II when
Fauquier County was formed from
old Prince William in 1759.
Joseph Blackwell originally lived
at Greenvilla, known more recently
as the "old Tannehill place", near
Goldvein.
He married Lucy Steptoe, and
was the father of Joseph Blackwell
(1752-1826), who served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army, and
later as a major in the Virginia
Militia.
Lt. Blackwell lived in Fauquier
and married Ann Eustace Hull (17611840). Their children included James
Blackwell (1805-1864), who married
Elizabeth
Carter
of
Northern
Fauquier.
James and Elizabeth Blackwell
had two sons, Joseph Hancock and
Moore Crater Blackwell; and four
daughters, Elizabeth Carter, Agnes,
Mary, and Lucy Steptoe Blackwell.
The Rose Family
Col. Rose was born in the midwest in the state he refers to as "that
part of the original colony of Virginia
now known as Minnesota".
He traces his family's F51uquier
career in the United States Marine
Corps.
After college, trips back east
were infrequent.
Col. Rose remembers visiting the The Meadows in
1936.
At that time, his uncle John B.
Rose was building a cottage on the
place. He also recalls visiting with
members of the Rose and Keith
families.
Col. Rose's military career sent
him many places, and in 1950, he was
assigned to Washington, D. C. He
and his family lived in the Northern
Virginia area before moving to
Loudoun County.
The Search Begins
-Photo
by John T. Toler
COL. MURRAY F. ROSE
roots to his great-great-grandfather,
Capt.
Alexander Fontaine Rose,
who came from the Fredericksburg
area to live at Hampstead, in Stafford
County, just across the county line
from present-day Goldvein and near
Greenvilla.
The Rose and Blackwell families
were joined with the marriage of
Alexander Fontaine Rose II (18461935) and Lucy Steptoe Blackwell
(1845-1924) on July 16, 1879.
The
couple lived for many years at The
Meadows.
From this marriage three sons
were born: James Fontaine (father of
Col. Murray Rose), John Boursiquet,
and Dabney Carter Rose.
All three sons attended nearby
Bethel Military Academy.
According to Col. Rose, Howard
Worth Smith, a fellow BMA student
who would later distinguish himself as
a judge and U. S. congressman, often
stayed with the family at The
Meadows.
Following completion of his studies at BMA in 1900, James F. Rose
(1881-1959)
moved
to Hibbing,
Minnesota, to pursue a career in railroad reconnaisance work.
In this
capacity, he traveled
extensively
from Mexico to Canada and Alaska.
He married and had two sons,
Murray Fontaine, born in 1921, and .
Ronald S. Rose, born in 1923.
The boys grew up in Minnesota,
and Murray graduated from Duke
University
before beginning
his
(3)
Following his retirement,
Col.
Rose became interested in his family's
involvement in the Civil War, particularly the service of his great-uncle,
Joseph Hancock Blackwell, known as
Col. Mosby's "Chief of Staff."
Old census reports list Joseph
Hancock Blackwell's last residence as
in Ivy, Va., west of Charlottesville,
where he worked as a railway mail
agent after the Civil War.
Col. Rose began his quest there,
researching obituaries and talking to
area residents whom he thought
might have information on his branch
of the Blackwell family.
He learned
that
Blackwell
descendents had married into several
Charlottesville-area families, including the Perrys and Garths, and that
one of Joseph Hancock Blackwell's
grandsons, James Hancock Blackwell, had died in 1986 and was buried
at Garth Chapel Cemetery at Ivy.
But the search of old death
notices and cemeteries in Ivy and
Charlottesville revealed no trace of
Joseph Hancock Blackwell.
Col. Rose deduced that if Joseph
Hancock Blackwell was not buried in
Charlottesville, it was likely that he
had come back - or been brought
back - to Fauquier.
An investigation of records at the
Fauquier Courthouse provided the
first clue.
Col. Rose learned that Joseph
Hancock Blackwell's brother, Moore
Carter Blackwell (1833-1917), had
been appointed executor of his estate,
and that funeral expenses were listed
among the claims on the property.
This strongly suggested that the
burial took place in Fauquier.
When no record of the burial was
(Continued on Page 4)
Search
(Continued from Page 3)
found at the Warrenton Cemetery
(where brother Moore Carter Blackwell and other family members are
buried), the private cemetery at The
Meadows became the most likely
place.
Shortly afterward,
Co!. Rose
contacted his cousin, Co!. John B.
Rose, Jr., a retired Air Force officer
living in Florida, who remembered a
diagram of the cemetery at The
Meadows among his father's old
papers.
They found the information recorded on a piece of cardboard.
Listed were the burial sites of eight
persons, including Joseph Hancock
Blackwell and his grandparents, Lt.
Joseph Blackwell and Ann Eustace
Hull Blackwell.
Return to The Meadows
Gen. John Boursiqueot Rose was
the last member of the Blackwell and
Rose families to live at The Meadows.
He had bought out his brothers' interest in the property in 1936, following
their father's death.
When Gen. Rose died in 1966, the
property was inherited by his sons,
John B. Jr. and Julian Keith Rose,
who sold it to the Alan L. Day, Jr.
family in 1973.
The original 102 acres was later
subdivided, and the parcel with the
house and graveyard purchased by
Mrs. Poynter in 1984.
Upon reaching The Meadows,
Co!. Rose found the family plot in
excellent condition.
Mrs. Poynter
had cleared and fenced the grave sites
and planted rhododendron.
He found several graves marked
only with simple, native stones, as
was tradition in the 18th and early
19th centuries, and others with worn
headstones, the names and dates
obscured by time.
Using the diagram provided by
his cousin, Co!. Rose noted the
approximate location of the graves of
Joseph Hancock Blackwell and his
grandparents.
Gravestones were ordered from
the Veterans Administration for both
Civil War veteran Pvt. Joseph Hancock Blackwell and Revolutionary
War veteran Lt. Joseph Blackwell.
Ann Eustace's name was added to her
husband's stone at private .expense.
-Photo
by Isabelle Palmer
Heartland, the Blackwell
house, once the headquarters of Col. John S.
Mosby. This little oil was painted in May 1864 by Lt. Col. B. B. G. Stone,
U.S.A., of Cats kills County, New York. The painting was given to the museum by Mrs. Helen Jeffries Klitch.
The stone for the Revolutionary
War veteran was shipped first, and
while they were excavating a spot to
place the stone, Co!. Rose and Mr.
Divine uncovered a small, flat stone.
Brushing it off, Mr. Divine read the
inscription, "Joseph Hancock Blackwell, 1832-1905".
The actual grave had been found!
Soon afterward, the new stone
for Joseph Hancock Blackwell's grave
arrived. It bears the inscription,
"Joseph Hancock Blackwell, 43 BN,
VA CAV., CSA, 1832-1905", and the
cross used to identify Confederate
veterans.
The new stone was placed at the
head of the grave; and for good
measure, the old stone marks the
foot.
Joseph Hancock Blackwell will
not be lost again.
-John T. Toler
-Photo
The
Meadows,
as
Christmas Day 1936.
(4)
by Co!. M. F. Rose
it
was
on
Research
Committee
Dan deButts is continuing to research the history of the old jail and
replys to queries which the Society
receives.
Nancy Baird and Carol Jordon
are working on revising Mrs. Baird's
Fauquier
County,
Virginia
Tombstone Inscriptions.
It will be
brought up to date and corrections
will be made.
In the process they have found
many problems in the disappearance
of our local cemeteries. A committee
was set up to look into this problem.
Members are: Nancy Baird, Chairman, Kay Macdonald, Bob Lawrence, Bill James, Carol Jordon, Dan
deButts, and Bea and Chilton McDonnell.
A motion was passed by the
board of directors to use the Exercise
Yard of the museum as a repository
for homeless historic tombstones.
The committee has written letters to newspapers, state and local
authorities, family members of endangered cemeteries and appeared at
hearings of the Warrenton Planning
Commission and the Town Council to
attempt to have these cemeteries
saved.
Blackwell
(Continued from Page 2)
The answer may be found in John
Munson's book and the 1880 Census.
Munson said, "Colonel Mosby got an
appointment for Joseph Blackwell in
the Government service some years
after the war."
The 1880 Census shows him to be
living near Ivy, Albemarle County.
His occupation was listed as Mail
Agent.
The hand of Mosby can be seen in
this appointment, as in the case of
post-war employment for so many of
his former rangers.
It was a moving sequel to the
Blackwell story-Mosby
attempting
to repay him for his wartime dedication and sacrifices.
Joseph Hancock Blackwell died
March 14, 1905. He was buried in the
cemetery at The Meadows, the ancestral home of the Blackwell's on Rt.
628 near Bethel.
He lies with his forefathers, all
prominent in the settlement and affairs of Fauquier County.
At his Civil War home, "the old
Carter place" now called Heartland, a
lone burned chimney still stands.
This old relic, survivor of two
fires, stands as if a sentinel, watching
for the approach of Union cavalry.
Or is it a memorial to Joseph
Hancock Blackwell, who contributed
so much to John S. Mosby and his
Rangers?
---,J ohn E. Divine
-From
Museum Collection
Lakeland, home of Ludwell Lake.
John E. Divine
John Divine, a retired banker
who calls himself a Civil War Buff,
was born in Waterford,
Loudoun
County, in Northern Virginia.
He attended local schools and
Strayer's Business College in Washington, D.C.
During World War II he graduated from the Army Finance School
at Duke University. He served overseas as a Finance Disbursing Officer.
Mr. Divine has written on the
Civil War as it affected Loudoun
Please Return To:
The Fauquier Historical Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 675
Warrenton, Virginia 22186
County for their Centennial Publication, for the Waterford Foundation
and the Loudoun Historical Society.
Though his primary interest has
been the cavalry of the Army of
Northern Virginia he put it aside to
write one of The Virginia Regimental
Histories Series, the 8th Virginia Infantry, which was commanded by
Fauquierian General Eppa Hunton.
Mr. Divine is a member of seve,ral Civil War Round Tables and conducts tours to local Civil War sites.
He has spoken to many historical
groups, including the Fauquier Historical Society.
o
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-Photo
by Isabelle Palmer
Heartland Chimney
(5)
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Annual
Meeting
More than 100 members and
guests attended this year's annual
meeting at Airlie House on June 15th.
This meeting celebrated the Society's
25th anniversary.
President
H.
Gary
Heath
thanked the members who worked
with him during the past three years.
Committee chairmen were thanked
for a successful year, with special
thanks to museum chairman Lucy
J ones and newsletter editor Isabelle
Palmer for jobs well done.
He then introduced Anne Brooke
Smith, nominating committee chairman, who presented the slate of nomi- ,
nees to the board of directors. These
were: William R. James, III, Mrs.
Carol Jordon, Glenn Jordon, and Mrs.
-Photo by John T. Toler
JoAnn Lyons. Mrs. Michael G. MacFred
Grohgan
presents
plaque
to
retiring
president
Gary
Heath.
donald was nominated for president.
A motion was made and seconded
to accept the slate as presented and
Society had for the future and what it
Mr. Heath passed the gavel to the
can do to help us.
new president.
Describing a small rural commuMrs. Macdonald thanked Mr.
OLIVER, STONE. Janet Wilnity,
he followed its history, its peoHeath for the many hours of labor he
liams
Hinkley, 809 North 12th St.,
ple,
and
its
life
during
World
War
II.
has put into the restoration of the old
Cambridge OH 43725 seeks info on
He told of the effect the war had on
jail, and presented his wife, Shiela,
Leonard
Oliver and wife Ruth
the community and how it changed
with a gift for her patience.
Stone.
He
served with Brawner and
the
lives
of
its
residents.
Museum chairman Lucy Jones
Hardin's
Virginia
Militia during War
Speaking
of
Virginia,
he
said,
gave him a souvenir gavel made of
of 1812. Leonard Oliver, Jr. and Sr.
"We have an interesting future ahead
wood from one of the old beams in the
appear in 1810 census. Fauntleroy
of us-a great deal of change. Let's
building. This was followed with a
Stone also on 1810 census, is believed
not
fight
it;
let
us
grow
with
it
and
presentation by Fred Grohgan of a
to be brother of Ruth. He may have
help
people
adjust
to
it."
plaque expressing the Society's apserved in Revolution. Would also like
preciation for an excellent effort.
1. Vol. 11, No.3, Summer 1989. Copies of Dr.
info
on Brawner and the Hardin's MiBryan's talk can be obtained by writing to the
One of the founding members,
litia.
editor.
Mrs. Richard M. Cutts, was commended for her key role in saving the
Old Jail from demolition and the establishment of the museum.
The Fauquier Historical Society
The treasurer's report of July 1,
Nonprofit Org
1988 through June 14, 1989: Expenses
U.S. Postage
P. O. Box 675, Warrenton, VA. 22186
$34,396.39
with
a balance
of
PAID
$3,029.02.
Warrenton, VA
Nancy Baird introduced
the
Permit No.1 09
guest speaker, Dr. Charles Faulkner
Address Correction Requested
Bryan, Jr., Director of the Virginia
Historical Society, the oldest historical society in the South. The topic of
Dr. Bryan's talk was Virginia: Past,
Can You Help?
Present and Future.
1
He told of the history of the Virginia Historical Society. Chief Justice John Marshall was the flrst
president and James Madison the first
honorary member. He described the
extensive collections, what plans the