Volume 14 , Issue 20

Highland County Virginia - Highland Soldiers

In researching more history of Highland County, Virginia we find that the men of Highland birth or residence had fought in several American wars with honor and with no little loss of life and limb.

In the Indian War of 1754-64 the county was on the very frontier, and possibility was before every settler of having to do battle in company with his fellows or in defense of his very cabin. The muster roll of 1756 shows a large proportion of Highland names. In the Dunmore War of 1774, Highland men must have constituted the greater part of two companies of the Augusta militia that marched to Point Pleasant. We do not know at hand the muster rolls of the companies, nor do we know how many of them were included among the 77 Augustans who were killed or wounded in that Dunmore battle.

It was highly possible that several of the Highland militia were in the Pendleton company that marched with Governor Henry Lee to put down the whiskey Insurrection of 1794. In that instance there was, happily, no fighting.

In the War of 1812, we find that a number of Highland men marched to the defense of Norfolk. Some of the soldiers enlisting for that war saw no actual service, news of peace arriving about the time they reached the front.

For the War with Mexico, no company was recruited from Highland, although a very few residents saw service there. The same remark became true of the War with Spain in 1898. But in the War of 1861, more than 500 Highlanders, out of the white population of 3,890 (1860), were enlisted soldiers, serving almost exclusively in the armies of the Confederacy. Of these soldiers of Lee and Jackson, 101 were known to have lost their lives in the service, and man more were wounded or captured. One considerable engagement was fought on Highland soil, and the men were killed in the same who were within a few miles of their homes. Highland men were prompt to enlist, and their first organization marched to Grafton before a hostile shot had been fired. Several were likewise among those who stacked arms in the final surrender at Appomattox. One of these brought home and set out a cutting from the historic apple tree.

Nearly all the Confederate soldiers form Highland served in the 25th, 31st, and 62d regiments of Virginia Infantry. A few were in the 38th and 51st Infantry regiments and in the batteries of McClanahan, Carpenter, and Shumate. A larger number were in the 11th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and 26th regiments of Cavalry. One man was in naval service on board the "Patrick Henry" in James River.

The 25th Infantry took part in the battles of Philippi, Camp Alleghany, McDowell, Front Royal, Newtown, Winchester (1862), Cross Keys, Port Republic, Peninsula, Cedar Mountain, Second Manasses, Chantilly, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Brandy Station, Winchester (1863), Gettysburg, Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor. It was one of the commands surrendered at Appomattox. An inspection of the list shows that it was with Stonewall Jackson in his Valley Campaign, and that it subsequently formed a part of the main army under General Lee.

The 31st Infantry, at first under Edward Johnson, had Jubal A. Early as a brigade commander after the battle of McDowell. It was still under Early after his promotion to the command of a Division in Ewell's Corps. It was with jackson in his Valley Campaign, and then formed a part of the Army of NOrthern Virginia. It had a share in nearly all of Lee's battles except Chancellorsville, being at that time with Imboden on his raid into West Virginia. In the fall of 1864 the regiment was with Early in his own Valley Campaign. It was one of the commands to surrender a Appomattox, at which time it numbered only about 60 men. At Port Republic it lost nearly on half its numbers, Company B alone losing more than 50 men.

The 25th, 31st, and 62d Infantry regiments formed with the 18th Cavalry, White's Battlaion, and McClenahan's Battery, the brigade under the command of General John D. Imboden. It was in these regiments that nearly all the Highland men served. In the May and June of 1863, the brigade raided beyond the Alleghanies, penetrating as far as Weston and Sutton. At Williamsport, the 62d helped to cover the retreat of Lee, and afterward guarded the 4,000 Federal prisoners who were marched to Stuanton. After suffering heavily at New Market it took part in Early's campaign in Maryland and the Valley. When it disbanded at Fincastle, April 15th, 1865, it numbered only about 45 men, one company being represented only by its captain.

The Highland county Confederate soldiers constituted a portion of the "foot cavalry" under Jackson, and shared the luster of that leader's energetic and brilliant exploits. A few Highlanders served as enlisted soldiers in the Federal Army. Several of these had removed format he county before the war. The Roll of Captain George Wilson's Company, August 11, 1756 included the following:

Officers

1. George Wilson, Captain
2. Hugh Hicklin, Lieutenant
3. Thomas Hughart, Ensign
4. Charles Gilham, Sergeant
5. William Johnson, Corporal

Privates

1. Robert Adair
2. James Barton
3. Joseph Bell
4. William Black
5. James, John & Richard Bodkin
6. Samuel Bright
7. William Burnett
8. John, Robert (1) & Robert (2) Carlile
9. Patrick Davis
10. Simeon Deckert
11. Samuel Delamontony
12. Robert Duffield
13. Andrew Elliot
14. Benjamin & Boude Estill
15. Felix Gilbert
16. Robert Hall
17. Hans, Matthew & Michael Harper
18. John & Thomas Hicklin
19. James & John Jackson
20. Adam & John Jordan
21. George & John Lewis
22. Stephen Long
23. James Mayse
24. Elijah & William McClenahan
25. James, John, Patrick, Valentine & William Miller
26. Philip Phegan
27. William Price
28. William Sprowl
29. Frederick Stull
30. William Warwick
31. Michael Wilfong
32. Samuel Wilson

Soldiers of the Dunmore War

The only names we know of are the following, and it can not positively be affirmed that all were Highlanders:

1. ? Bradshaw
2. James Burnside
3. Robert Carlile
4. James Dinwiddie, killed at Point Pleasant
5. Abraham Hempenstall
6. ? McCoy, Lieut.
7. Robert Wiley, Sr.
8. Robert Wiley, Jr.
9. John Wilson
10. Capt. Samuel Wilson, killed at Point Pleasant

Soldiers of the Revolution

The following list has been gathered from a variety of sources. The persons with starred names were surviving pensioners in 1840, George Rymer, the oldest, being 90 years of age, and Edward Morton, the youngest, 75 years.

1. John Bradshaw, served in Yorktown campaign
2. Isaac Briscoe, on Washington's body guard at Yorktown
3. Samuel Campbell, officer
4. James Carlile, severely wounded at Guilford and taken home by his brother
5. Richard Curry
6. Thomas Devericks *
7. Michael Eagle *
8. James Gillespie
9. Samuel Gilmer, very severely wounded in the Waxhaw massacre, 1780.
10. Christopher Graham, in Henry Lee's legion.
11. Isaac Gum, at Yorktown
12. Capt. David Gwin, at Guilford
13. Capt. Thomas Hicklin, under Maj. John Wilson, conveyed prisoners from Yorktown to Winchester.
14. Henry Jones
15. Thomas Kincaid *
16. Willliam McClintic, severely wounded at Guilford
17. Robert McCoy, at Guilford
18. John McGlaughlin, in garrison under Capt. William Smith at Hinkle's Fort, 1781
19. Edward Morton *, at Cowpens when 16 years old
20. George Rymer *
21. John Sharp
22. John Slaven, at Yorktown
23. James Steuart, guarded Augusta frontier at Clover Lick, about 1779, marched to Jamestown, 1781, under Col. John McCreary and Capt. Peter Hull, substitute for James Carlile, 1781.
24. Edward STeuart, in Capt. Thos. Hicklin's company, substitute for Joseph Beathe, 1778, in garrison at Vance's Fort, Back Cr. to guard frontier against Indians, helped convey prisoners form Yorktown.
25. John Steuart, in Capt. Thos. Hicklin's company, sword wound in hand at Yorktown.
26. William Steuart
27. Henry Towberman
28. Maj. John Wilson, conveyed prisoners form Yorktown to Winchester

The muster roll given contains Pendleton as well as Highland names, was copied from the original paper in the handwriting of Nicholas Seybert. Muster Roll, Capt. Peter Hull's Company, 2nd Battalion, Augusta Militia, 1779 (those * are under 18 years of age.):

Officers

1. Peter Hull, Captain
2. Nicolas Seybert, 1st Lieutenant
3. Henry Fleisher, 2nd Lieutenant
4. Jacob Hoover, Ensign

Privates

1. Adam, David, John & Micahel Arbogast
2. Jacob, John & William Bennett
3. Thomas Blizzard
4. Hugh Bodkin
5. John Bowman
6. Abraham Burner
7. Ulrich Conrad, Jr.
8. Frederick Crummett
9. Abraham Duffield *
10. Abraham & Philip Eckard
11. Jacob Ellsworth
12. Christopher Eye
13. Conrad Fleisher
14. Francis Graham
15. Isaac, Jacob & William Gum
16. Balsor Hammer
17. Nicholas Harper
18. James Hoff
19. John Hogg
20. Michael Hoover
21. George Huffman
22. Adam Hull
23. Uriah Ingram
24. Andrew Jordan
25. Conrad & Joseph Lantz
26. Alexander McQuain
27. John & James Mullenax
28. Henry Noll
29. John Peninger
30. Christian Pickle
31. George Puffenberger
32. George Rexrode
33. George Sheets
34. George, John, Leonard, Mark, Michael & Peter Simmons
35. Mark & Sebastian Smith
36. Sebastian Stone
37. George Stout
38. Paul Summers
39. Thomas Summerfield
40. Adam Wagoner
41. John, William & James* Wamsley
42. Henry Whiteman
43. Jacob Wilfong
44. Philip Wimer
45. John Yeager

British Service

A few of the Highland settlers had served in the British army during the Revolution. Among these were Charles Halterman, George Keitz, James Trimble(surrendered at Yorktown), and John White.

Wars of 1811 and 1812

1. Jared Armstrong
2. David Bird
3. Capt. John Blagg
4. Thomas Brown
5. Andrew H. Byrd
6. John Cunningham
7. William Erwin
8. John & Thomas (taken prisoner) Graham
9. James Gwin
10. Jacob Hiner
11. John McCoy, killed at Tippecanoe, 1811
12. James Mullenax
13. Loftus Pullin, Jr.
14. Christian Rexrode
15. William Robertson
17. George Varner
18. William Wade, died in service

Roll of Captain Jacob Hull's Company, 1814:

1. Daniel, George, Jonathan, Joseph, Michael & William Arbogast
2. John Armstrong
3. Mathias Benson
4. David Berage
5. Jacob Jr., John & Valentine Bird
6. Jacob Bright
7. Abraham, Daniel, George & Henry Burner
8. Jacob Colaw
9. James Curry
10. Jacob & John Sr. Gall
11. Samuel Gibson
12. John Gothard
13. John Grim
14. Abraham, Adam, McBride & Jacob Gum
15. Leonard Hammer
16. Andrew Hardway
17. Jacob, John & William Hidy
18. Charles Huchin
19. Daniel Huffman
20. Jesse Johnson
21. Jonas Lantz
22. Christian & Samuel Life
23. Henry McCan
24. John McNulty
25. Jacob, Joseph & Samuel Mullenax
26. Francis & George Nicholas
27. John Peck
28. Adam Rexrode
29. Thomas Roby
30. John Sharrot
31. Henry (Sr.), Henry (Jr.), Joseph & MIchael Simmons
32. Adam & James Stephenson
33. Cornelius Sutton
34. George, Joseph & MIchael Wagoner
35. George White
36. Jacob & Henry Wimmer
37. Samuel Wood
38. Sampson Zickafoose

War of 1861 - Federal Service

1. Francis M. Bird, W. Va. Reg't
2. George W. Helmick, Penn. Reg't
3. Thomas J. Jones
4. Newton Lowery
5. William McNett
6. Leonard Rexrode, W. Va. Reg't, died in Andersonville
7. John, Nathan & William Rexrode, W. Va. Reg't
8. Wooddell, W. Va. Reg't

We will take up next week with the "Roster of Highland Men In Confederate Service."   |  View or Add Comments (2 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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