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Note: Death certificate gives burial place as Victory Cemetery. All my listings for these 2 cemeteries need checked.
(The original document below includes pictures. Email L. E. Alley, III for a copy.)
ÙCbÙDMona Bond relates some stories about the Ramsey family.
ÙC/bÙD "Great ÙCiÙDGrandmother (Elizabeth Lilly Ramsey)ÙC/iÙD had three sons in the ÙCiÙD(Confederate)ÙC/iÙD army. Uncle Tom got badly injured and they sent him home, but he died before the war was over. ÙCiÙD(Records of Company "C" 14ÙCsupÙDTHÙC/supÙD VA Calvary report that he was wounded at Charleston, West Virginia.) ÙC/iÙDUncle Billy, a younger brother, was a little short man, 5 ft 4 in. Uncle Billy and Pa ÙCiÙD(James Ramsey)ÙC/iÙD were in prison, down around Richmond. Someplace down on the James River there was an island at the mouth of the Chesapeake ÙCiÙDBay (Point Lookout Prison on the outer tip of St. Marys County. Then shortly after they was transferred to Elmira Prison in New York State)ÙC/iÙD, and they nearly starved those boys to death. Uncle Billy was small, but he was a big eater. Pa just never was a big eater, but he was a big man. Pa would some way get away from the prison at night and swim across to the main land, it was far enough that it was a right good swim, and steal food and carry it back over his head and swim back to prison with one hand to feed Billy. Because he said, Billy would starve to death. He could not exist on the food they had. That was one of the stories that he told, himself." ÙCiÙD(Italics added by L. E. Alley, III)ÙC/iÙD
Company "C" 14th Va. CavalryÙCbÙD ÙC/bÙDwas formed in 1862 and was made up largely of enlisted men who had seen service in West Virginia as members of the Rockbridge 2nd Dragoons and the Churchville Cavalry of Augusta County. These companies exceeded in number army regulations and it was deemed best to form another company of the surplus. This will account for the fact that some names appear on the roll of Company "C" and also on that of Company "H"
Company "H" is James' and William's unit. The 14th Va. Cavalry is Thomas Ramsey's unit. Thomas was wounded in Charleston, West Virginia in the spring of 1863. James and his brother William were captured at the "Wilderness" on May 5, 1864 along with at least 30 others from Company "H" alone of the 25ÙCsupÙDth ÙC/supÙDVirginia Infantry. Except for the above account, James did not talk to Mona about his Civil War adventures. She was a young woman 26 years of age when he died. We are fortunate to have a book by John Rufus King who was also in the 25ÙCsupÙDth ÙC/supÙDVirginia Infantry. His experiences of the Civil War will give us an idea of what James experienced. ÙCbÙD
James and William Ramsey were in the 25th at the time John King joined it.
ÙCsupÙD ÙC/supÙDJohn King's Experiences in The Civil War:ÙCiÙD
ÙC/bÙDÙC/iÙD"My father moved from Marion to Upsher Co., Va ÙCiÙD(West Virginia)ÙC/iÙD, in April, 1861
Early in May, 1863, Cyrus ÙCiÙD(his brother)ÙC/iÙD and I started for Dixie. It was hard for us to leave kind parents, good brothers and sisters. We went by way of Beverly, W. Va., and others joined us making in all ten bound for Dixie
We volunteered in Co. B. 25ÙCsupÙDTHÙC/supÙD Va. Infantry. That regiment and the 31" Va. regiment had been taken from Robert E. Lee's Army and sent with Imboden's army to W. Va.
"Our captain was W. H. Fitchett; Colonel John C. Higginbotham who was the first captain of our company; Brigade Commander, J. M. Jones; Division commander, Edward Johnson; Corps commander, General Ewell, the same division and corps that Stonewall Jackson formerly commanded. We were all under our beloved R. E. Lee, called the Army of Northern Virginia. Our company was called the Upsher Grays
When this was completed we went to Staunton, Va., and took the train for Hanover Junction and then went to Fredericksburg; there we found R. E. Lee's main army. They had just fought the battle of Chancellorsville and we all know what happened there" - John King
The Confederacy lost their best general. "Thomas Jonathan 'Stonewall' Jackson was born in what is now the state of West Virginia, in the town of Clarksburg. Jackson's military feats had elevated him to near mythical proportions, in both North and South, when in the midst of one of his most brilliant maneuvers, he was mistakenly shot by his own men on the night of May 2, 1863 at the The Battle of Chancellorsville.
"Despite the efforts of pneumonia specialists, nothing seemed to bring relief to the General. Jackson observed, "I see from the number of physicians that you think my condition dangerous, but I thank God, if it is His will, that I am ready to go." On Sunday, May 10, 1863, the doctors lost all hope of Jackson's recovery, and the General was notified of his condition. But as Jackson grew physically weaker, he remained spiritually strong. "It is the Lord's Day; my wish is fulfilled," said Jackson. "I have always desired to die on Sunday." Jackson realized that desire at 3:15 p.m. with Dr. McGuire carefully noting Jackson's last words:
"A few moments before he died he cried out in his delirium, 'Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action! Pass the infantry to the front rapidly! Tell Major Hawks' - then stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished. Presently a smile of ineffable sweetness spread itself over his pale face, and he said quietly, and with an expression, as if of relief, 'Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.'" ÙCuÙD<http://www.nps.gov/frsp/js.htm>ÙC/uÙD
(From the National Park Service - Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park web site)
ÙCbÙD Continuing with King's narrative,
ÙC/bÙD"Then the army started on a long march across the Blue Ridge, the beginning of that memorable campaign into Pennsylvania and to Gettysburg. After several days marching we arrived at Winchester, Va., and found General Milroy holding the town. Our corps was the only one that crossed the mountains in that direction. Longstreet's and Hill's corps went to the Potomac river in another direction, so we had to attack Milroy with Ewell's corps. This was in June. On the evening of the first day we began fighting and we continued that night, the next day and the next night, then very early in the morning of the third day the big flag on Milroy's Fort was taken down. We took many prisoners and a quantity of army stores. This was my first taste of battle and I wish you could have seen me dodge the first shell. If a hole had been near I would have disappeared. I would like to impress on your minds that I had a fine brave heart, and a pair of legs that had a wonderful inclination towards carrying my body out of danger, but I succeeded in coaxing them to stay with the crowd.
"We moved on down the valley to Shepherdstown and here we met a company belonging to some of our regiments that had secured a leave of absence and were staying at their own homes in the town. We saw a dear mother, sister or wife, come out and meet them and it was good to see the joy of their meeting; but then, perhaps, at the next house, someone would go to a dear old mother and speak gently, she would clasp her hands and loft her eyes to heaven, touched with grief, for she knew the ground had closed over her sunny haired southern boy forever. After passing through that town we waded the Potomac and camped for a day or so on the Antietam Battlefield, then went on through Hagerstown and Greencastle where we saw a pretty young girl standing on a portico holding a small United States flag in her hand. She taunted us with it and some were not courteous to her. We went ahead to Chambersburg and our regiment patrolled the town for a day and a night. It was necessary to guard the place to keep order . I remember I did a fine job guarding a bed of onions just long enough to pull all I wanted for my own use, and I gave some to others who were not so skillful in climbing palings as I was. We went from that town to Shippensburg, and on to Carlisle, Pa, then turned to the right and went to Gettysburg. General Lee gave us orders not to destroy or molest private property. Any farmer could have a guard for his house if he asked for one. I know this to be true for I did that kind of guarding myself. We reached Gettysburg on the evening of the 1st of July. There had been hard fighting before we arrived. We saw some gruesome sights in the railroad cut near where Gen. Reynolds was killed. Men's heads were torn from the bodies, legs and arms torn asunder and horses lying around mutilated. It took courage to face these things. We passed through Gettysburg that same evening and lay in line of battle under the guns on Cemetery Ridge; the next day our division stormed Culp's Hill, and that evening late moved into the Valley of Death, then on the third day while Pickett was making his terrible charge and the battle was raging everywhere, we were holding our position among the rocks under the murderous fire from Little Round Top. My brother Cyrus was badly wounded in his right arm, so I removed him from the battlefield under the fire of the cannons, musketry and bursting of shells. It is due to the hand of a Divine Providence that we were not both killed for the cannon balls bored into the ground so close we thought sometimes we would be covered. I left my brother on the top of the hill and went back to the line of battle. Again it fell on me to take another one of our company off the battlefield, but fortunately I was never hurt. About midnight on the 3rd of July, Gen. Lee began to fall back. We lay all day, the 4th, just a little west of the battlefield when we finally fell back to Virginia. All the wounded had to be left in Pennsylvania Co., (NOTE at top of page; "read Pittsylvania.") and Rockingham Co. Va., arriving home in June, 1865, a few days before my return. ÙCiÙD(May be Spotsylvania Co. King evidently means that the Gettysburg wounded from his West Virginia neighborhood arrived home after the War when he got out of prison. The following narrative makes it unclear where the wounded were left, whether it was Pennsylvania or Virginia.)
ÙC/iÙD"Now, I will speak of our march back from Gettysburg to Virginia. On the morning of the fifth of July we were called in line and were standing by the roadside when Gen. Lee and most of the higher officers of the army of Northern Va. rode up and stood in a group near us. Gen. Lee said to Gen. Ewell: "You will march in the rear and if the enemy comes up, give him battle and I will go ahead and open the way." We marched in the rear all the way back to Virginia; the enemy in small bodies would attack our rear every day, but they did us little harm. A laughable thing happened one evening. A big negro rode up on one of the officer's horses to a pump by the roadside where a great many of the soldiers procured water. He was feeling his importance and making himself conspicuous when a shot from one of the enemy's cannons very gracefully knocked the pumpstick off. It was a beautiful sight to see that Mr. Nigger taking his leave; about all we could see was a black streak vanishing in the distance. We went ahead for several days with about the same discouragements and finally stopped at Hagerstown, and skirmished with the enemy for several days.
"On leaving home my father gave me a pocket Bible which I carried on my side breast pocket. After reading it I enclosed it in a tight oilcloth case, and though the water submerged my pocket, the outside leaves only were damaged. I number it among my treasures today. Ewell's Corps was the only one that waded but the water was warm. We rejoiced to be again on Virginia's soil.
"We stayed in Martinsburg two weeks during which time we destroyed much of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. After the close of the war I came home over that road, and at Martinsburg I recognized the same rails replaced; they were still red and rusty from being in the fire which we made by piling crossties, laying the rails on top of them and setting the ties on fire; when the rails were red hot the ends would fall to the ground. I almost felt ashamed of myself when I saw them straightened out and I was riding home over them, but such is war.
"Gen. Bradly T. Johnson was in command of our Brigade for several months after the battle of Gettysburg, Gen. J. M. Jones being disabled. From Martinsburg we went by Bunker Hill to Winchester and then from there to Front Royal where we had a little brush with the Yankees. We then went on up the river to near Luray, crossed the Blue Ridge into Madison County, Va., thence to Montpelier Place, Presidents Madison's old home near Orange Court House, where we remained in camp three months.
"In October we broke camp and marched to Bristow station near Manasses on the Orange and Alexandria R. R. For several days part of our army watched the Yankees while others destroyed much of the Orange and Alexandria R. R. When the bars were red hot they were bent around telegraph poles. Later we camped for a week or two at Brandy Station near the same railroad. Some of our cavalry had a little skirmish with the enemy before we arrived in which a few men had been killed. We had been getting our drinking water at a little run and were ordered to stop using that water for they found a dead Yankee lying in the run in the woods a short distance above where we procured drinking water. This caused much discomfort.
"After that we went in camp a short distance below Orange Court House. By this time the weather was beginning to grow cold, and we had nothing so far but small shelter tents, dog tents we called them
The latter part of November we went to Mine Run, and quarreled with some Yankees who had crossed the Rappanhannock River, charging the enemy in the woods near Payne's farm. We soon found their line concealed in some thick red brush, they sprang up within 20 feet of us and fired. My, but the bullets passed affectionately over our heads. A big fellow by the name of Hoy Reger, in front of me saw a gun leveled at him, he cried sharply, "Look out, King," at the same time ducking his head under his cap, the crown of which was stuffed with cotton and stuck out like a rabbit's tail. I dodged quickly behind a tree and had Reger not yelled sharply at me I would have been killed. The next day we made breast works on the hills along Mine Run and the Rebels and Yankee cannonaded one another after the worked was completed. That night was very cold and our company stood picket down below the works among the pines. We kept a fire by burning pine knots, and the next morning we were so black from the smoke that we hardly recognized one another. After much cannonading, the Yankees recrossed the river, and a number were killed during the fighting. Then we returned to Orange Court House, and went into camp near the one we left.
"The first of December we began to prepare for a large brick church a short distance below Orange Court House. The church was called Pisgah church. Therefore, our winter camp was called Camp Pisgah. We suffered intensely with the cold it being near Christmas before our shanties were completed. We were along the Rapidan River eight miles away doing guard duty, drilling, cleaning our guns, attending dress parade and many other things necessary to a winter camp; frequently lady relatives made us glad by the presence of their gentle faces. The winter passed slowly and we were glad when the spring of 1864 came with its usual smiles. Our army moved in the direction of Mine Run early in May and rested near where the first battle of the Wilderness began
On the evening of the 4th our rations did not arrive until late in the night and it was necessary to cook them ÙCiÙD(late at night)ÙC/iÙD before retiring
"
Johnson's Division of the 25ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia under the command of General Ewell was among those that led the attack on the northern troops. John King and the Ramsey brothers were in this unit.
The Wilderness is a forest land of about fifteen miles square, lying between and equidistant from Orange Court House and Fredericksburg. It is broken occasionally by small farms and abandoned clearings, and two roads, the Orange Plank road and the turnpike, which are cut at right angles by the Germania road-in general course nearly parallel, open ways through it between Fredericksburg and the Court House. The Germania Ford road joins the Brock road, the strategic line of the military zone, and crosses the turnpike at Wilderness Tavern and the Plank road about two miles south of that point.
ÙCbÙD King continues,ÙC/bÙD "The next day was the memorable 5th of May, 1864, the beginning of the bloody battles in the Wilderness. We were called in line early in the day and met Grant's army on the old stone road leading from Orange Court House to Fredericksburg, there we had a severe battle. Our regiment was always deployed in front of our lines of battle as skirmishers and sharpshooters. A skirmish line is made by a regiment deploying, that is a regiment forms a thin line with each man 5 spaces apart. Our business was to watch the enemy and keep their skirmish line back as long as possible consequently we faced the enemy. If we succeeded in holding them back we were to fall behind the line of the battle and form our regiment, then take our place in line with the others. Soon after we deployed the skirmishers advanced on us. We met them with vim and they fell back, on they came the second time with a double skirmish line. We sent them back again. Just then General Battles Alabanious threw forward a skirmish line to assist us. In a few minutes the foe appeared with a double line of skirmishers and a line of battle. We poured into them with our two skirmishers and they fell back again leaving a few dead. Phill Crites, a big robust fellow in our company, seeing two dead Yankees in front of us, concluded he would examine their knapsacks. It was a mean trick and the officers warned him, but he did not listen and as he was stooping over the dead man he was shot and fell badly wounded. At once four of our Company went to him. Sam Lynch, My dear classmate, also went, not belonging to the ambulance corps it was unnecessary for him to go. I said, "Sam, don't go," but he set his gun against a tree and went and as the four were ready to remove Crites, bullets came from sharpshooters on the other side, and Lynch fell desperately wounded. I loved my comrade so well that I was strongly tempted to try and carry him off, but I knew it meant death. One of our ambulance corps saw the poor boy die where he lay a few hours afterwards, and his death hurt me worse than any other in the war. Soon after Lynch fell, the other enemy came upon us with a double skirmish line and a double line of battle and our men scattered. We were ordered to fall back in the rear of our line of battle and from our regiment as we usually did, but while we were still stretched out in our long thin line and the enemy was right on us, our Brigade rallied; another line of battle came up to assist us, and the Yankees were badly defeated. Our Colonel was so badly hurt over the way the rest of the Brigade left us on the skirmish line that he refused to stay with the Brigade, so Gen. Ewell told him to take what was left of the regiment and go to Hay's Louisiana Brigade
The Wilderness is the place where so many soldiers met the "Unseen Death," as it is called in history. It was rightly named for there was such a wilderness of undergrowth and vines in which the soldiers could hide, that a bullet would often strike a poor fellow and no one could tell from whence it came."
The Federals lost an estimated 17,666 out of 101,895 (exclusive of cavalry) engaged; of these, 2,246 were killed and 12,073 wounded. Generals Wadsworth and Alexander Hays were killed, Getty and Carroll wounded, and Shaler and Seymour captured. Confederate effective strength is estimated at 61,025. Although there are no complete casualty reports, Livermore estimates that the Confederates lost a total of 7,750ÙCiÙD.ÙC/iÙD Gens. Jenkins and J. M. Jones were killed, Stafford mortally wounded, Longstreet, Pegram, Hunter, and Benning were wounded. Source: "The Civil War Dictionary" by Mark M. Boatner III
This order of command will help to understand the Wilderness Battle description:
ÙCtabÙDÙCbÙDSecond Army Corps: Lieut. Gen. Richard S. Ewell
ÙC/bÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙDJohnson's Division:ÙC/bÙD Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson
ÙCtabÙDJones' Brigade: Brig. Gen. John M. Jones
ÙCtabÙD21ÙCsupÙDstÙC/supÙD Virginia
ÙCtabÙD25ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia
ÙCtabÙDRockbridge Guards, Company "B" 25ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia Infantry
ÙCtabÙDJohn R. King's unit
ÙCtabÙDUpshur Grays, Company "H" 25ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia Infantry
ÙCtabÙDJames Ramsey's unit
ÙCtabÙD42ÙCsupÙDndÙC/supÙD, 44ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD, 48ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD, 50ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia
ÙCtabÙDStonewall Brigade: Brig. Gen. James A. Walker
ÙCtabÙD2ÙCsupÙDndÙC/supÙD, 4ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD, 5ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD, 27ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD, 33ÙCsupÙDrdÙC/supÙD Virginia
ÙCtabÙDÙCbÙDEarly's Division: ÙC/bÙDMaj. Gen. Jubal A. Early
ÙCtabÙDÙCbÙDRodes' Division: ÙC/bÙDMaj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes
The Rockbridge Guards was organized in the spring of 1861 and were mainly from the Rockbridge Baths, Alone Mills and Walker's Creek neighborhoods. It was composed almost entirely of farmers and sons of farmers, neighbors and friends, men used to toil and capable of the greatest endurance, as they often proved, winning for themselves later, with others the sobriquet of "Stonewall Jackson's Foot Cavalry".
The Upshur Grays were organized in Upshur County, (West) Virginia on May 27, 1861ÙCbÙD
"Reminiscences of The Civil War" By Lt. Gen. John B. Gordon, CSA, Chapter XVII-
The Wilderness Battle of May 5. ÙC/bÙDThese excerpts give us a better overall view of the desperate situation of the Confederates.
"My command brought up the rear of the extreme left of Lee's line, which was led by Ewell's corps. Long before I reached the point of collision, the steady roll of small arms left no doubt as to the character of the conflict in our front. Dispatching staff officers to the rear to close up the ranks in compact column, so as to be ready for any emergency, we hurried with quickened step toward the point of heaviest fighting. Alternate confidence and apprehension were awakened as the shouts of one army or the other reached our ears. So distinct in character were these shouts that they were easily discernible. At one point the weird Confederate "yell" told us plainly that Ewell's men were advancing. At another the huzzas, in mighty concert, of the Union troops warned us that they had repelled the Confederate charge; and as these ominous huzzas grew in volume we knew that Grant's lines were moving forward. Just as the head of my column came within range of the whizzing Miniâes, the Confederate yells grew fainter, and at last ceased; and the Union shout rose above the din of battle. I was already prepared by this infallible admonition for the sight of Ewell's shattered forces retreating in disorder. The oft-repeated but spasmodic efforts of first one army and then the other to break through the opposing ranks had at last been ended by the sudden rush of Grant's compact veterans from the dense covert in such numbers that Ewell's attenuated lines were driven in confusion to the rear. These retreating divisions, like broken and receding waves, rolled back against the head of my column while we were still rapidly advancing along the narrow road. The repulse had been so sudden and the confusion so great that practically no resistance was now being made to the Union advance; and the elated Federals were so near me that little time was left to bring my men from column into line in order to resist the movement or repel it by countercharge. At this moment of dire extremity I saw General Ewell, who was still a superb horseman, notwithstanding the loss of his leg, riding in furious gallop toward me, his thoroughbred charger bounding like a deer through the dense underbrush. With a quick jerk of his bridle-rein just as his wooden leg was about to come into unwelcome collision with my knee, he checked his horse and rapped out his few words with characteristic impetuosity. He did not stop to explain the situation; there was no need of explanation. The disalignment, the confusion, the rapid retreat of our troops, and the raining of Union bullets as they whizzed and rattled through the scrub-oaks and pines, rendered explanations superfluous, even had there been time to make them. The rapid words he did utter were electric and charged with tremendous significance. "General Gordon, the fate of the day depends on you, sir," he said. "These men will save it, sir," I replied, more with the purpose of arousing the enthusiasm of my men than with any well-defined idea as to how we were to save it. Quickly wheeling a single regiment into line, I ordered it forward in a countercharge, while I hurried the other troops into position. The sheer audacity and dash of that regimental charge checked, as I had hoped it would, the Union advance for a few moments, giving me the essential time to throw the other troops across the Union front. Swiftly riding to the centre of my line, I gave in person the order: "Forward !" With a deafening yell which must have been heard miles away, that glorious brigade rushed upon the hitherto advancing enemy, and by the shock of their furious onset shattered into fragments all that portion of the compact Union line which confronted my troops.
"At that moment was presented one of the strangest conditions ever witnessed upon a battle-field. My command covered only a small portion of the long lines in blue, and not a single regiment of those stalwart Federals yielded except those which had been struck by the Southern advance. On both sides of the swath cut by this sweep of the Confederate scythe, the steady veterans of Grant were unshaken and still poured their incessant volleys into the retreating Confederate ranks. My command had cut its way through the Union centre, and at that moment it was in the remarkably strange position of being on identically the same general line with the enemy, the Confederates facing in one direction, the Federals in the other. Looking down that line from Grant's right toward his left, there would first have been seen a long stretch of blue uniforms, then a short stretch of gray, then another still longer of blue, in one continuous line. The situation was both unique and alarming. I know of no case like it in military history; nor has there come to my knowledge from military text-books or the accounts of the world's battles any precedent for the movement which extricated my command from its perilous environment and changed the threatened capture or annihilation of my troops into victory. The solid and dotted portions of the line, here given, correctly represent the position of my troops in relation to the Federals at this particular juncture: the Union forces are indicated by a solid line, the Confederates (my command) by a dotted line, and the arrows indicate the direction in which the forces were facing. ÙCiÙD(map not shown)
ÙC/iÙD"It will be seen that further movement to Grant's rear was not to be considered; for his unbroken lines on each side of me would promptly close up the gap which my men had cut through his centre, thus rendering the capture of my entire command inevitable. To attempt to retire by the route by which we had advanced was almost, if not equally, as hazardous; for those same unbroken and now unopposed ranks on each side of me, as soon as such retrograde movement began, would instantly rush from both directions upon my retreating command and quickly crush it. In such a crisis, when moments count for hours, when the fate of a command hangs upon instantaneous decision, the responsibility of the commander is almost overwhelming; but the very extremity of the danger electrifies his brain to abnormal activity. In such peril he does more thinking in one second than he would ordinarily do in a day. No man ever realized more fully than I did at that dreadful moment the truth of the adage: "Necessity is the mother of invention." As soon as my troops had broken through the Union ranks, I directed my staff to halt the command; and before the Union veterans could recover from the shock, my regiments were moving at double-quick from the centre into file right and left, thus placing them in two parallel lines, back to back, in a position at a right angle to the one held a moment before. This quickly executed manoeuvre placed one half of my command squarely upon the right flank of one portion of the enemy's unbroken line, and the other half facing in exactly the opposite direction, squarely upon the left flank of the enemy's line. This position is correctly represented by the solid (Federal)and dotted (Confederate) lines here shown.
"This done, both these wings were ordered forward, and, with another piercing yell, they rushed in opposite directions upon the right and left flanks of the astounded Federals, shattering them as any troops that were ever marshalled would have been shattered, capturing large numbers, and checking any further effort by General Grant on that portion of the field.
"Meantime, while this unprecedented movement was being executed, the Confederates who had been previously driven back, rallied and moved in spirited charge to the front and recovered the lost ground. Both armies rested for the night near the points where the first collisions of the day had occurred. It would be more accurate to say they ÙCiÙDremained ÙC/iÙDfor the night; for there was little rest to the weary men of either army. Both sides labored all night in the dark and dense woodland, throwing up such breastworks as were possible--a most timely preparation for the next day's conflicts."
ÙCbÙD
Report of. Lieut. Gen. Richard S. Ewell, C. S. Army, Commanding
Second Army Corps, Of Operations May 4-29.
MAY 4-JUNE 12, 1864--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va.
ÙC/bÙD"By order of General Lee, his corps and division commanders met him on Monday, May 2, 1864, at the signal station on Clark's Mountain. He then gave it as his opinion that the enemy would cross by some of the fords below us, as Germanna or Ely's. They began to do so next day. About noon of the 4th we moved from our camps on the Rapidan toward Locust Grove, on the old turnpike from Orange Court-House to Fredericksburg. Johnson's division and Nelson's battalion of artillery bivouacked 2 miles south of Locust Grove, Rodes just behind them, and Early at Locust Grove. The artillery was close behind Early; Ramseur's brigade, of Rodes' division, with three regiments from each of the other divisions, was left on picket. Next morning I moved down the pike, sending the First North Carolina Cavalry, which I found in my front, on a road that turned to the left toward Germanna Ford. About 8 a.m. I sent Maj. Campbell Brown, of my staff, to General Lee to report my position. In reply he instructed me to regulate m march by General A. P. Hill, whose progress down the plank road I could tell by the firing at the head of his column, and informed me that he preferred not to bring on a general engagement before General Longstreet came up.
"Advancing slowly with John M. Jones brigade, of Johnson's division, in advance, prepared for action, I came about 11 a.m. in sight of a column of the enemy crossing the pike from Germanna Ford toward the plank road. The Stonewall Brigade (Walker's) had been sent down a left-hand road, driving in the enemy's pickets within 1 miles of Germanna Ford. Being a good deal ahead of General Hill, I halted and again reported through Lieutenant-Colonel Pendleton, of my staff, receiving substantially the same instructions as before. Just after they came the enemy demonstrated against Jones' brigade, and I placed Battle's brigade, of Rodes' division, to support it, with Doles' on Battle's right. They were instructed not to allow themselves to become involved, but to fall back slowly if pressed. Some artillery posted near the pike on Jones' front was withdrawn. Soon afterward the enemy fell suddenly upon Jones' right flank and front, broke his brigade, and drove it back upon Battle's, which it disordered. Daniel's brigade, of Rodes' division, and Gordon's, of Early's, were soon brought up and regained the lost ground, the latter capturing, by a dashing charge, several hundred prisoners and relieving Doles, who, though hard pressed, had held his ground. General John M. Jones and his aide-de-camp, Capt. Robert. Early, fell in a desperate effort to rally their brigade. I placed it in reserve to reorganize; Battle's brigade, which had rallied in time to do good service, taking its place in the line which was now formed on the ground first occupied. The brigades were as follows: From right to left of my line, Daniel's, Doles', Battle's (Rodes' division); George H. Steuart's, the Stonewall (Walker's), Stafford's (Johnson's division); Pegram's, Hays', Gordon's (Early's division). Battle's left and Steuart's right rested on the pike.
" Slight works were at once thrown up and several partial attacks of the enemy repulsed. In a counter attack by Steuart's and Battle's brigades two 24-pounder howitzers, brought up the pike within 800 yards of our works, were captured. The troops were brought back to the works after posting skirmishers to hold the captured pieces till dark, when they were brought off. General Stafford was mortally wounded in a similar attack by his own and the Stonewall brigade late in the afternoon. The fighting closed at dusk with the repulse of a fierce attack on Pegram's brigade. General Pegram was severely wounded, and Colonel Hoffman (Thirty-first Virginia) succeeded to the command. This evening General Ramseur came up with the picket regiments, which rejoined their brigades. Ramseur went to the extreme right of my line next morning.
"The 6th of May was occupied in partial assaults on my line (now greatly strengthened)
.
"My total loss at the Wilderness was 1,250 killed and wounded. The burial parties from two divisions reported interring over 1,100 of the enemy. The third and largest made no report. When we moved probably one-third or more were still unburied of those who were within reach of our lines. At Spotsylvania, though the enemy held the ground for a week, we found on regaining it many of their dead still unburied, while the numerous graves showed their loss to have been immense. It must have exceeded ours in the proportion of at least 6 to 1, taking all the engagements together."
For the complete Report of. Lieut. Gen. Richard S. Ewell, C. S. Army see:
ÙCuÙD <http://www.civilwarhome.com/ewellwilderness.htm>ÙC/uÙD
At some point on this day of May 5 James and William Ramsey were captured along with a large number of other solders. King continues to describe the battle which led to his own capture on May 6. The complete narrative of John King is on the web. Many of his interesting personal experiences have not been included here. King tells that 3000 prisoners were taken during The Battle of The Wilderness. Also, upon arriving at the Point Lookout Union camp after his capture, he says, "Here we found the greater number of our Regiment who had been made prisoners on the 5th of May in the wilderness."
Prisoners from this battle were first sent to Point Lookout, even though only a few individual records list both Point Lookout, Maryland and Elmira, New York. After capture the prisoners were transported by steamer down the Potomac to Point Lookout. The Elmira Prison was not opened until July. In July and August 9,619 were then transferred to Elmira. Only about 400 a month were sent from October through February.
It would be wise to consider the accuracy of the story that Mona Bond told to me 120 years after her grandfather's imprisonment. The river at Point Lookout is 5 miles wide. It is more likely that James swam along the river inland to find food. The descriptions of the prison and stockade fence would not lead one to think he could get out to swim for food. However, it seems entirely possible considering the experiences of John R. King, who was also in the 25ÙCsupÙDthÙC/supÙD Virginia, and captured on May 12 in this same battle. In his book, " My ExperienceÙCbÙD ÙC/bÙDIn the Confederate Army and in Northern Prisons", he reports that the prisoners had access to the water for swimming. Getting food in this way could also have happened at Elmira. There is an intriguing reference in John King's book.
"I want to speak of some of the characters in our prison who were very interesting. One fellow whom we called Shocky, seemed to have a mysterious influence over the Yankees. He was always well dressed and apparently loyal to the South, but it was always a mystery to us how he could go over the wall at a certain place at anytime he desired and always be respected by the guards. We thought it possible that some free masonry was connected with it."
There was no reason given for his coming and going or getting food. Even though it is not known that this man was James Ramsey it does show that a prisoner could get out to get food. Oh, yes, the prison was on a river; much smaller that the Potomac at Point Lookout. So it could have happened at either or both places. Although he would not have been swimming at either place in the winter. Let's look at these two prisons. The description of "well dressed" certainly fits the pictures we have of James Ramsey that were taken in ordinary day to day situations.
ÙCbÙD Rockbridge Guards, Company "H" 25th Virginia Infantry
ÙC/bÙDAt the battle of McDowell, May 8th, 1862, itÙCsupÙD ÙC/supÙDwent into the battle with thirty-five men and lost five killed and thirteen wounded, among them every commissioned officer. After the fight at McDowell, Edward Johnson's brigade became a part of Stonewall Jackson's Division and afterward shared in the glory of all the brilliant campaigns of that great commander; the Rockbridge Guards achieving fame as hard fighters and good marksmen. (p. 39)
ÙCbÙD Battles and Campaigns of the 25th Virginia Infantry :
ÙC/bÙDThe history of the 25th Virginia Infantry spanned the entire period of the war. The regiment was nearly destroyed after the Battle of Rich Mountain in July 1861, when nearly half of the men were surrendered. The following spring, the 9th Battalion and a company from the 31st Virginia Infantry were added to the 25th Regiment to bring it to full strength. James Ramsey said he joined the Confederate Army when he was 19 years old. He wass 4 months shy of 19, when he joined at Rich mountain on 25 June. The following Campaign list gives an idea of the action he saw.
ÙCtabÙD Rich Mountain, WV, July 11, 1861
ÙCtabÙD Greenbrier River, WV, October 3, 1861
ÙCtabÙD Camp Allegheny, WV, December 13, 1861
ÙCtabÙD Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of May-June 1862
ÙCtabÙD Cross Keys, June 8, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Port Republic, June 9, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Gaines' Mill, June 27, 1862
ÙCtabÙD White Oak Swamp, June 30, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Manassas No. 2 (Second Bull Run), August 28-30, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Chantilly, September 1, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Harpers Ferry, September 12-15, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Sharpsburg (Antietam), September 17, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862
ÙCtabÙD Jones' and Imboden's West Virginia Raid, April 1863
ÙCiÙDThe Battle of Chancellorsville May 2, 1863ÙC/iÙD (2ÙCsupÙDndÙC/supÙD Army & 25th Virginia not there)
ÙCiÙD(May 10, 1863 death of Stonewall Jackson)
ÙC/iÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙD Gettysburg, July, 1-3, 1863
ÙC/bÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙD Lee's Retreat, July 12, 1863
ÙC/bÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙD Bristoe Campaign, October 1863
ÙC/bÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙD Mine Run Campaign, November-December 1863
ÙC/bÙDÙCtabÙDÙCbÙD The Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864 ÙC/bÙD(Regimental flag captured near Culpeper Mine Road)
ÙCtabÙD Spotsylvania Court House, May 8-21, 1864 (Most of the regiment was captured at the "Salient" along with the rest of Johnson's Division, including the famed Stonewall Brigade.)
ÙCtabÙD North Anna, May 22-26,1864
ÙCtabÙD Cold Harbor, June 1-3, 1864
ÙCtabÙD Monocacy, July 9, 1864
ÙCtabÙD Third Winchester, September 19, 1864 Fisher's Hill, September 22, 1864
ÙCtabÙD Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864
ÙCtabÙD Petersburg Siege, portions of the June 1864-April 1865 period
ÙCtabÙD Fort Stedman, March 25, 1865
ÙCtabÙD Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865 McDowell, May 8, 1862
ÙCbÙDThe Civil War Prison Camps
Point Lookout Union Prison Camp
ÙC/bÙDA federal prison camp for Confederates was built on Point Lookout, Maryland, at the extreme tip of St. Mary's County, on the barren peninsula where the Potomac River joins Chesapeake Bay. The camp was convenient to the battlefields in the East and therefore became the largest Union prison. The camp was established after the Battle of Gettysburg to incarcerate Confederate prisoners. The camp was in operation two years, July, 1863-June, 1865.
The prison consisted of "two enclosures of flat sand, one about thirty and the other about ten acres, each surrounded by a fence fifteen feet high, without tree or shrub. The camp was only about 5' above sea level. Because of the topography, drainage was poor, and the area was subject to extreme heat in the summer and cold in the winter. This exacerbated the problems created by inadequate food, clothing, fuel, housing, and medical care. As a result, approximately 3,000 prisoners died there over 22 months.
It is estimated that a total of 52,264 prisoners, both military and civilian, were held prisoner there. Although it was designed for 10,000 prisoners, during most of its existence it held 12,600 to 20,000 inmates.
This drawing, made between July 1863 and Feb. 1864, is a lithograph of Point Lookout. There were two camps: one larger camp entitled "rebel camp", and a smaller enclosure roughly 1/3 in size entitled "camp for rebel officers." The original is approx. 2' x 1.5' in size, and entitled "Point Lookout Md.--View of Hammond General Hospital & U.S. General Depot for Prisoners of War." The print was made as a piece to place "above the fireplace " and sold by the local Saint Mary's newspaper."ÙCbÙD
Union Civil War Prison at Elmira, NY ÙC/bÙDElmira prison was located on a 30 acre site, along the banks of the Chemung River. A one acre lagoon of water, called Foster's Pond, stood within the walls of the stockade. The pond was a backwash from the river and served as a latrine and garbage dump. Prison buildings were located on the high northern bank of the lagoon. The lower southern level, known to flood easily, later became a hospital area for hundreds of smallpox and diarrhea victims. The prison camp was only there for one year, yet it had the highest death rate, per capita, of any prison camp north or south, 24 percent.
At the time of their arrival, most prisoners were unaware of one last and deadly factor. The prison was located in New York State, where for at least four months of the year, the weather was bitterly cold. One prisoner from Virginia wrote the compound was, "an excellent summer prison for southern soldiers, but an excellent place for them to find their graves in the winter."
ÙCbÙDDanger and adventure did not end at the conclusion of the War for James
Mona continues as James arrives home after the war.
ÙC/bÙD "Pa had never told me this, but Mama ("ÙCiÙDMolly" Ramsey BondÙC/iÙD) told me one time. I believe it was after Pa was dead. Then after the war, when he went home, they had their country dances just like they had always had. They were having a dance one night, and Pa was there and these big old bucks, they crashed the dance and they came in and started taking the white girls away from their white partners. And they grabbed the wrong one, Pa's girl. And Pa knew these colored people real well. He knew that they were hard to kill. He knew just where to hit that fellow to knock him out, but he didn't mean to kill him, but he did. He killed him, and he said that he knew that come daylight the niggers would gang up on their family and his life wouldn't be worth a hoot, or anybody in the family. So he crept out in the middle of the night and got as far as he could into the mountains before daylight. (ÙCiÙDThey lived near the Natural Bridge in the Shenandoah Valley of VirginiaÙC/iÙD.) And then he worked his way across the mountains, crossing into West Virginia, and how he got clear down into this section I don't know.
"Pa, he wouldn't say anything against the Yankees or the colored people. Just like the girl in that picture I showed you, when I started to school in Smithburg with her, she said, "You can't go to school over here." And I said, "I can because I'm old enough." And she said, "You can't go to school. You have no business going to our school. Your grand daddy was an old Rebel." Well of course, Pa was the apple of my eye, and I didn't know what a Rebel was I went home, and I said, "Pa, Audrey Burwell said you was a Rebel. What's a Rebel?" And (Laughing) I will never forget. He was quick to get mad you know, and his eyes kind of snapped, and he said, "Well you just go back to school in the morning and tell Audrey Burwell that you're no Damned Yankee." Then I had to know what a Damned Yankee was. And that's my first knowledge that there was any difference in people, you know. But, what made him so mad was that she had heard that at home. That's what made him mad to think the war was over, and that's what he used to tell us, "Now that the war's over". Pa always said, had Lincoln lived the South wouldn't have had such a hard time. He always said that, when someone said Lincoln was the cause of the war.
As soon as he could get enough money to bring his family over, he got a place to put them. He bought a farm. I don't know how he managed to get enough money. ÙCiÙD(His brother, John Thomas Ramsey, whom Mona thought died earlier, bought the farm first.)ÙC/iÙD
When he was older Pa saw that some of the neighbor boys needed some guidance. Pa would get a group of them together and play cards with them, (he never played for money) and talk with them and council them. One of them, several years later said to me that Pa had more influence over him than any other person.
It was like this, Uncle Fate and Pa had one sister and unfortunately she had an illegitimate child, and this boy was retarded. He was a big strong fellow. Uncle Fate had this old farm and Uncle Fate didn't have much education. I don't know why he never went to school, but he was a hard worker. And so he stayed at home, and took care of this boy and the boy's mother, after his (Fate's) mother and father died. It was quite a good sized farm. He was a good farmer. He made the thing pay, and they drilled some wells on it, and he was a miser. He just horded his money to beat nobody's business. He really had some money and Uncle Charlie, he sort of looked after Uncle Fate in a way, and then Uncle Fate got feeble. Uncle Charlie, he was always a spoiled brat. Then they got into a squabble over Uncle Fate's will. And it was proven that Uncle Charlie made his will and had him sign it when he was dying
. To make a long story short they broke the will. They (Charlie's family) didn't have him in the house too long. They didn't have to take care of him too long.
Each one of the brothers, there was Uncle Billy, Grandfather James, Uncle Doc (ÙCiÙDAndersonÙC/iÙD) who were living close then, and they got their share of what was left after the lawyers were paid for, which turned out not to be an huge amount but it was a very comfortable amount. And that sort of brought a feud within the family and Uncle Charlie's children never did quite forgive the rest of the family for breaking the will. Uncle Charlie had been the youngest. And he had not helped accumulate a thing they had, but the older boys had. They were the ones who had responsibility. They had been the ones that had sacrificed to get it. Helping their mother and father to get it. So that's the way it ended.
Pa came home with the lunch box one morning ÙCiÙD(in 1910, the year of Halley's comet)ÙC/iÙD. He worked (ÙCiÙDwhen he was an old manÙC/iÙD); he was watching down there at the tunnel, and he was telling this fabulous story. The trains would stop here on the railroad siding. Then the train men would go down and loaf with him at the end of the tunnel where he had his booth of a thing, and he would always walk through the tunnel before certain trains would go through to see that no rock had fallen into the tunnel and non of the rails were broken or anything. So this morning he came - he stayed there 24 hours a day really, but he also had facilities to sleep and rest between trains. So he came home for breakfast every morning, and we always got up and ate breakfast together. Mama fixed a big breakfast for him, and he always wanted all of us to eat breakfast together, so we always got up to eat breakfast with him. And he said he had a funny story to tell us this morning, and anyway he said, 'Some of the fellows came in off the -', and he gave the number of the train, it was a freight train. And he said, 'As they were going west and when they got down to Silver Run,' I think it was the name of the station, 'there was heavy woods on each side of the railroad track, because it was a country section. And the fellows saw this woman, the engineer saw this woman in the middle of the railroad track all dressed in white and' - it was in the middle of the night - 'and it excited him.' They had great big head lights on the engine, you know. 'So he blew the whistle at her and she didn't get off the track. So he stopped the train and when he stopped the train she vanished just like that.' and the next night when they came back they were telling my grandfather about it. And that very night when they were telling my grandfather about this thing that happened the night before this night when they were going west the very same thing happened, except, 'She ran and jumped on the front of the cow-catcher,' You know, they had these pointed things and they called them cow-catchers. They knock a cow- in those days the cattle would get out and they could knock a cow off the railroad tracks and not wreck the train. 'and she was right across the cow-catcher. They had also heard the story of the other engineers the night before.' And Pa said, 'That they just couldn't comprehend it.' That was the story that Pa had told, and he wasn't a bit superstitious, and he would have laughed it down, had it not been told by two different men on two different nights. They said that several years before then, this girl had been ready to be married, and this was her wedding gown she had on. She disappeared. I forget what happened to her. People had said that they had seen her, or her ghost, up there in the woods. That was one of the stories he told of the railroad days. (This story corresponds closely with a more detailed version "ÙCiÙDThe Phantom of Silver RunÙC/iÙD", by William B. Price in his book, "ÙCiÙDTales and Lore of The MountainsÙC/iÙD".
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