Augusta Historical Bulletin Vol. 47 (2011)

2011·24.7 MB·English

by  Augusta County Historical Society

Presidents
of the
Augusta County Historical Society
*Dr. Richard P. Bell, 1964-1966
*Harry Lee Nash, Jr., 1966-1967
*Dr. Marshall M. Brice, 1967-1968
*Dr. James Sprunt, 1968-1970
*Richard M. Hamrick, Jr., 1970-1972
+Joseph B.Yount III, 1972-1974
*Mrs. William Bushman, 1974-1976
*John M. Dunlap, Jr., 1976-1977
Miss Mary Kathryn Blackwell, 1977-1979
Mrs. Harry D. Hevener, 1979-1981
John M. McChesney, Jr., 1981-1983
Mrs. John E. True, 1983-1985
Edgar R. Coiner, 1985-1987
Charles R. Chittum, 1987-1989
*Mrs. William B. Patterson, 1989-1991
*R. Fontaine McPherson, Jr., 1991-1993
Dr. James B. Patrick, 1993-1995
Dr. Ann McCleary, 1995-1997
Dr. Katharine L. Brown, 1997-1999
Nancy T. Sorrells, 2000-2001
Mary Beirne Nutt, 2002-2003
Dr. Kenneth Keller, 2004-2005
Linda Petzke, 2006-2007
Dr. Katharine L. Brown, 2008-2011
*Charter Member of Society
+Honorary Charter Member
Augusta
Historical
Bulletin
Published by the
AUGUSTA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Founded 1964
Post Office Box 686
Staunton, Virginia 24402-0686
www.augustacountyhs.org
VOLUME 47 2011
Copyright 2011 by the Augusta County Historical Society
ISSN: 0571-8899 Copies of this annual issue go to all members
550 copies printed by Mid Valley Press
Verona, Virginia
A purpose of the Augusta County Historical Society is to
publish the Augusta Historical Bulletin which is to be sent
without charge to all members.
The membership of the society is composed of members
who pay the following dues:
Membership renewal notices are sent out based on the
month in which you joined the society.
Annual (individual).............................................................$35
Annual (family).....................................................................$50
Annual Institutional.............................................................$35
NOTICE
It is urgent that the society be promptly notified of changes
of address. Bulletins which cannot be delivered by the postal
service will not be forwarded due to high postage rates.
Augusta County Historical Society
P.O. Box 686
Staunton, VA 24402-0686
540-248-4151
www.augustacountyhs.org
Augusta County Historical Society office and research library are
located on the third floor of the R.R. Smith Center for History and
Art at 20 South New Street, Staunton, VA 24401. A parking garage
is located across the street.
Cover design and historical society logo by Cheryl Lyon
Contents
Virginia's Secession Convention
Compiled by Dr. Edward Ayers.....................................Page 1
Why did Upper Valley voters shift allegiance in 1861?
By Dr. Daniel A. Métraux.................................................Page 9
The West Virginia story
By Bobby L. Arrington...................................................Page 14
Making history come alive...the Woodrow Presidential Library
By Beth Huffer..................................................................Page 25
Staunton in Days of Yore
Located and transcribed by Richard M. Hamrick Jr....Page 40
Vermont soldiers find death and suffering in Virginia
By Dr. Daniel A. Métraux...............................................Page 48
In his own words: The Miracle of Sight:
An Interview with Ray Houser
By Donald W. Houser Jr.................................................Page 52
Some nineteenth-century Irish in Augusta County
& Life along the tracks
By Kevin Donleavy................................................Page 62 & 66
Information about St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Provided by St. Francis..................................................Page 74
Interesting findings in the Augusta County court records
Compiled by Greg Crawford & Library of Virginia staff....Page 79
Book Reviews (By Daniel A. Métraux)
Regional and Virginia History
1) Warren Hofstra and Karl Raitz, eds., The Great Valley
Road....................................................................Page 122
2) Edward Ayers and Carolyn Martin, eds., America on the
eve of the Civil War............................................Page 124
-- iii --
3) Mark Snell, West Virginia and the Civil War........Page 127
4) Scott Patchan, The Battle of Piedmont and Hunter's
Raid.....................................................................Page 129
5) Laten Ervin Bechtel with Susie King, "That's Just the
Way It Was"............................................................Page 130
Revolutionary War Era
6) Michael Kranish, Flight from Monticello..............Page 132
7) Jack Rakove, Revolutionaries.................................Page 134
8) Maya Jasanoff, Liberty's Exiles......................................Page 136
Civil War Era
9) Adam Goodheart, 1861: The Civil War Awakening.....Page 138
10) [Review by Ralph Ruedy] Gary Gallagher, The Union
War......................................................................Page 140
11) Eric Foner, The Fiery
Trial...............................................................Page 142
12) James Swanson, Bloody Crimes...........................Page 144
13) Kate Clifford Larson, The Assassin's Accomplice.....Page 145
Post Civil War through World War I
14) H.W. Brands, American Colossus.........................Page 146
15) Edmund Morris, Colonel Roosevelt....................Page 148
16) James Chace, 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft, and
Debs...............................................................Page 150
17) Evan Thomas, The War Lovers..............................Page 151
18) Ernest Freeberg, Democracy's Prisoner...............Page 153
Index...........................................................................................Page 155
ACHS officers............................................................................Page 172
Family Heritage Program........................................................Page 173
ACHS books for sale.................................................................Page 174
-- iv --
Augusta Historical Bulletin: Editorial Policy
The editors of the Augusta Historical Bulletin welcome submis-
sions relating to any topic or period in the history of Augusta County,
Virginia, and its wider environs. Submissions may take the form of
articles, research notes, edited documents, or indexes to historical
documents. Other formats might be acceptable, but prospective au-
thors of such submissions are encouraged to consult with a member
of the editorial board. With rare exceptions, the Bulletin does not
publish manuscripts that focus exclusively on genealogical matters.
Authors should strive to make their contributions accessible to a
broad readership. In matters of form and style, authors should ad-
here to the guidelines and strictures set forth in the Chicago Manual
of Style, 14th ed., or Kate L. Turabian, et al., A Manual for Writers of
Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed., both of which are
widely available in libraries and bookstores. A style sheet, prepared
by the editors of the Bulletin, is available upon request. Authors
should submit four double-spaced copies of their manuscripts, with
endnotes where applicable, and include photocopies of any illustra-
tions. Upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication, authors
must provide an electronic copy of it, as well as publishable-quality
illustrations.
Manuscripts or requests for style sheets should be sent to: The
Augusta County Historical Society, Attention: Bulletin Editors, P.O.
Box 686, Staunton, Virginia 24402-0686. Please try to submit pro-
posed manuscripts by June 1, 2011. Queries may also be sent to:
Nancy Sorrells ([email protected]) or Katharine Brown
([email protected]).

Virginia's Secession Convention
The Staunton delegates speak
Compiled by Dr. Edward Ayers
Editor’s Note: Dr. Edward Ayers, President of the University of Rich-
mond, was the guest speaker at the Augusta County Historical Soci-
ety banquet held May 10, 2011, at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and
Conference Center. Dr. Ayers discussed Virginia's Secession Conven-
tion in 1861 and, in particular, the leading role played by Augusta
County's delegates. As a follow-up for the Bulletin he offers these
extracts of speeches from Staunton delegates during the secession
debates. A complete picture of Virginia's Secession Convention, in-
cluding transcriptions of all the speeches, can be found at http://
collections.richmond.edu/secession/.
Virginia and the Crisis of Union
On February 13, 1861, delegates representing all counties in Vir-
ginia met to decide how the state would respond to recent events,
especially Abraham Lincoln’s election and South Carolina’s seces-
sion. They voted to remain in the Union and hoped that a compro-
mise could be reached to defuse the situation. Two months later, the
same men voted to secede from the United States, sparking a radi-
cally different war than might otherwise have taken place. Secession:
Virginia and the Crisis of Union links the fully transcribed text of
these debates with a wealth of contextual information, giving users
the tools to ask why the men who brought the war into their own
counties and neighborhoods did so. (From the University of
Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab)
The following are speeches by Staunton delegates George Baylor
and John Baldwin show the intensity of debate at this convention.
George Baylor, February 28
Mr. BAYLOR, of Augusta
I desire, Mr. President, to say a few words upon the question
now before this body. I am not known as a public man. I am a very
obscure individual, I admit, but for all that, I do not hail from an
obscure place. I am from the town of Staunton, in the county
of Augusta; and the county of Augusta is within an inch of the cen-
tre of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am glad to see that almost
-1-