James Petigrew Chartters

Marriage of William Chartters and Elizabeth Rogers (Wade Haney)

     Reverend Jeremiah Chandler (1749-1834) was ordained as a Baptist minister at North Pamunkey Baptist Church in Orange County in 1792.  During the course of his long ministry, Reverend Chandler presided at over 250 marriages at that church and at Piney Branch Baptist Church in Spotsylvania. Many of the those original marriage licenses, which were once kept in a saddle bag,  passed down through generations of the Haney family, his descendants. Shown above is one of those licenses, dated December 22, 1813. The following day Reverend Chandler officiated at the wedding of William Chartters and Elizabeth Rogers.
     Who exactly William Chartters and Elizabeth Rogers were and where did they come from remains a mystery to me. One researcher suggested that William's parents were from Scotland and that he was born at sea during their voyage to America. But I have not been able to verify that. For now at least, we will be content to know that they were married in Spotsylvania in 1813 and bought a great deal of land on the south side of the Ni River at Catharpin Road.

Map detail of Spotsylvania County, 1863 (Fold3.com)

     The map detail above shows the location of the Chartters property in 1863. On the north side of the Ni River was the farm of Nancy Young, shown above as "Young F.N" (Free Negro"). Nancy, her husband and their nine children were among Spotsylvania's community of free persons of color prior to the Civil War. Shown just to the east of the Chartters property is Laurel Hill, the home of the Couse family.
     William and Elizabeth Chartters had four sons, only two of whom survived to adulthood: James Petigrew, born January 27, 1816 and Thomas Rogers, born March 27, 1821. There is no known photograph of James. There is one of his brother.

Thomas Rogers Chartters (Ancestry.com)

     Each of the Chartters brothers married a member of the Chancellor family. James Petigrew Chartters married Susan Philips Chancellor on his birthday in 1836. Susan was a daughter of George Edward and Ann Lyon Chancellor of Chancellorsville. James and Susan had three children: Ann Elizabeth (1838-1916), Lucy Park (1841-1928) and Xanthus Xuthus (1844-1893). Xanthus was always referred to as 'X.X.' and that is what we will call him here.
     Thomas Rogers Chartters married Julia Decastro Chancellor,  the daughter of Sanford and Frances "Fannie" Pound Chancellor and also a cousin of Susan Philips Chancellor. Thomas and Julia were married at Forest Hall, the home of Julia's parents near Chancellorsville, on January 29, 1846. Thomas and Julia had five children; William Sanford (1847-1928), Thomas Elmore (1849-1884), Estelle May (1851-1896), Charles James (1853-1931) and John Rogers (1857-1924).

Julia Decastro Chancellor Chartters (Ancestry.com)

     William Chartters died about 1836. His property was passed on to his widow and two sons. After the death of Elizabeth Chartters (date unknown) James and Thomas became the owners of the land along the Ni River.
     By the early 1840's James and Susan and their children were living at Chancellorsville. James was appointed postmaster at that location in June 1845 and held that position until June 1851. The 1850 census shows James to be head of the household at Chancellorsville, where he worked as a farmer and tavern keeper. In addition to the Chartters family there was also living at Chancellorsville in 1850 Susan's mother Ann, her sister Ann Monroe Chancellor and her uncle James Lyon. Also living at Chancellorsville on September 14, 1850 were five guests, the "manager" (which probably meant the overseer of the 17 slaves who lived and worked there) and Vivian Quisenberry [1], the tavern clerk and deputy postmaster. James P. Chartters became the postmaster at nearby Dowdall's Tavern in 1857 and served in that post until that post office was closed in 1859 and its functions moved to Chancellorsville.

Chancellorsville (Robert Knox Sneden)

     Capitalizing on his experience managing the tavern at Chancellorsville, James tried his hand at running the U.S. Hotel in Fredericksburg in the early 1850's. While he was proprietor there it was called the Chartters Hotel.
     During the 1850's James was also a justice of the peace. He and Thomas were active in Democratic Party politics, and were selected to be among the delegates to attend the Democratic State Convention in Richmond in March 1852.

Richmond Enquirer 19 March 1852

      In 1844, Pennsylvania native Samuel King bought a 377-acre tract of land adjacent to the farm of William Couse near the old Piney Branch Baptist Church. This would be Samuel's home for the next 19 years. During that time he became well acquainted with the Couse, Chartters and Young families.
     Ann, the older daughter of James and Susan Chartters, married Samuel King on May 19, 1859. His farm became their new home. This happy state of affairs would not last long, however, as events conspired to turn their lives upside down.
     Ann's sister, Lucy, married New York native Charles B. Guy in a ceremony held in Orange County on February 18, 1860.  Like Samuel King, Charles was also not enthusiastic about the prospect of secession and the Guys would soon have their own problems as well.
     X.X. Chartters was making plans to attend the University of Virginia when Virginia seceded from the Union. Instead of completing his education, X.X. enlisted in Company C of the 30th Virginia Infantry on July 3, 1861. In December 1861, he was ordered to report to Captain John B. Burton, quartermaster officer at Brooke's Station in Stafford County. He later returned to his regiment and served ably for the duration of the war. Except for a three month stay at the General Hospital in Charlottesville due to chronic bronchitis, he seems to have avoided any real difficulty during the war. He was among those surrendered by General Lee at Appomattox on April 9, 1865
     Although they must have been in or near Spotsylvania on the eve of the Civil War, I have not been able to find James and Susan Chartters on the 1860 census. During the war, James worked in a civilian capacity for the Confederate quartermaster department. His work required extensive traveling in Virginia and in North and South Carolina. His earliest assignment that we know of was in Stafford where he was "superintending the repair of the military and public road from Brook Station to Evans Port." This work on the railroad near Aquia Landing was done under the supervision of Captain John B. Burton. It seems likely that James pulled some strings to have his son transferred to the safer realm of the quartermaster department. Shown below is James's receipt from Captain Burton for his work on the railroad, and a sketch of Evansport drawn by Private Samuel Sydney Gause, Jr., of the 1st Arkansas Infantry, Engineer Corps:

Payment for work done at Brooke's Station, December 1861

Railroad at Evansport (Tennessee Virtual Archive)

     James also found work at Brooke's Station for his friend and neighbor, Atwell Young:

Payment to Atwell Young from Captain Burton (Fold3.com)

     In May 1863, James was in charge of the Confederate army supplies at Hanover Court House. Five months later, he wrote a report from Abbeville, South Carolina, in which stated that the enemy "made a raid on Hanover C H Virginia and finding all the stores and property unprotected by any military force, succeeded in burning and destroying everything at the port that they could not carry off." James suffered the additional indignity of having "a bundle of papers consisting of a payroll and letters snatched from me by one of the raiders and consigned to the flames."

J.P. Chartters letter from Abbeville, October 1863 (Fold3.com)

     James was in South Carolina again during the summer of 1864 to oversee the shipment by rail of grain sacks and wagons to Abbeville. Enroute to their destination, the grain sacks were "damaged by fire from engine on road," which I assume means that sparks from the engine landed on the exposed sacks. Susan Chartters was paid $10 to repair the sacks.

Shipment of grain sacks and wagons to Abbeville, August 1864 (Fold3.com)

Susan Chartters repair of grain sacks, September 1864 (Fold3.com)

     Although I can find no record of Thomas Chartters's service in the Confederate army, he apparently served in Comapany E of the 7th Virginia Cavalry and died August 16, 1862. In 1939, Chancellor family member and historian George Harrison Sanford King ordered a headstone for Thomas and had it placed in the Chancellor family cemetery at Fairview.

Thomas Chartters (Dan Janzegers)

George H.S. King application for Thomas Chartters's headstone (Ancestry.com)

     But the Civil War was not done with the Chartters quite yet.
     Samuel and Ann Chartters King, their infant daughter, and the four daughters from Samuel's first marriage were living in Spotsylvania when Virginia seceded from the Union. Prior to the war, Samuel had been coerced into joining the Mercer Cavalry, the militia unit from whose membership Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry was formed. During the first year of the war, Samuel maintained his status in the militia. In the spring of 1862, Samuel and his fellow militia members were mustered into an enclosed space at the Fredericksburg fairgrounds. They were kept there for ten days in order to pressure them to enlist. James Harrow, who served with the artillery before transferring the the 9th Virginia Cavalry, told these men if they were conscripted instead of enlisting voluntarily, things would go hard for them.
     Samuel requested to see Colonel Brockenbrough to find out if he could be detailed to some other duty rather than active military service. He was assigned to gather tanbark for John Hurkamp's tannery in Fredericksburg, and then Samuel was dismissed and sent home.
     Samuel went home, but he did nothing in the way of providing tanbark for Mr. Hurkamp. John Harrow came to see Samuel and ordered him to report to Colonel Brockenbrough "immediately." Samuel disregarded this order, too. On the same day that Peter Couse and other Unionists were arrested by troopers of the 9th Cavalry--March 9, 1862--Samuel was seized and taken to Libby Prison in Richmond, where he stayed for three months. Through the intercession of his father-in-law, James Petigrew Chartters, he was finally released from prison after signing "some sort of oath." As his wife later testified, "When Mr. King came home he was very much emaciated and it was thought he could not live long our Physician said so. And it was three months more before he recovered sufficiently to be able to do anything."
     After the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate government in April 1862, Samuel and every other able-bodied man under the age of 45 was subject to being conscripted into the army. For much of 1862, Samuel was not able-bodied, but once he regained his strength, he was kept under surveillance by conscription officers, and he began to hide in the woods to avoid capture.
     One night during the summer of 1863, Samuel saddled his best horse and struck out for the Rappahannock River. He swam his horse across the river and then headed north to federally occupied Alexandria. Confederate cavalry picketing the river spotted him and gave chase, following him until they came dangerously close to Union lines. Samuel made it to Alexandria, but it would be a year before he saw Ann and his children again.
     Samuel spent the next three months at Fortress Monroe in Old Point Comfort, Virginia. He assisted the Union military by making a map of the country from Culpeper Court House to Richmond. After rendering this service to his country, Samuel moved to Baltimore.
     Ann Chartters King and the children carried on at their farm in Spotsylvania. They had the help of their friend and neighbor, Atwell Young. In May 1864, the King farm was very near the epic battles that were occurring at Spotsylvania Court House. Their farm was used by the Union army as a park for its supply wagons and the cavalry which protected them. The fact that the Kings were loyal Americans made no difference to their occupiers, who cited military necessity as justification for seizing their horses, slaughtering their livestock, burning all the fencing for firewood and consuming or carrying away all their food supply.
     After the battles near Spotsylvania Court House were over and the armies had moved on, there was little reason to remain at the King farm. Ann said she "ran the blockade" and joined her husband in Baltimore. Later that year, Atwell Young was conscripted into the Confederate army. His story is well worth reading and can be found at Atwell Young, The Black Confederate.
     In May 1865, Samuel King, along with his neighbor and fellow Unionist Peter Couse and 90 other passengers, boarded the paddle steamer Wenonah in Baltimore and came back to Virginia for the first time in two years. It is not known how long he stayed in the area, but since he had business to attend to in Baltimore, it probably was not for long.

Matthew Brady photograph of Wenonah, 1860's (Fold3.com)

Fredericksburg Ledger 30 May 1865

     The situation regarding Charles and Lucy Guy was a little more ambiguous. Mr. Guy appears to have sold supplies to Confederate quartermasters on several occasions, but by 1864 he was trying to get within the Union lines. He had evidently sought a pass to accomplish this end, and Union General Marsena Patrick gave permission for him to do so, provided he took the oath of allegiance.

Letter of General Patrick, January 1864 (Fold3.com)

Charles B. Guy oath of allegiance (Fold 3.com)

     The Guy family eventually moved to Charles's hometown of Kingsbury, New York, and there they remained.
     The Kings stayed in Baltimore for a few years. Samuel made a go of the insurance business, but did not succeed. The King family then moved to Tennessee and later Illinois and did not fare well at farming at either place. They then moved to the Dakota Territory, where Samuel owned a prosperous wheat farm. Ultimately the Kings settled in Gage County, Nebraska and at last found the success and status they had been looking for. Samuel died in 1892, and Ann passed away in 1916

Nebraska farm of Ann Chartters King (USGennet.org)

     On January 1, 1866 James and Susan Chartters moved to the unsold Spotsylvania farm of Samuel and Ann King. They were joined there by Susan's widowed aunt, Fannie Chancellor, and cousins Mary and Sue [2]. The Chartters and Chancellors lived together for about nine years or so. At some time during the mid-1870's, Samuel King traded his Spotsylvania farm for one of his properties out west. Fannie Chancellor bought "Oak Grove" near Fredericksburg and lived there for the rest of her life. James and Susan Chartters bought "Clifton," a 185-acre farm at the intersection of Old Plank and Catharpin roads. In 1867 James was obliged to declare bankruptcy, but he was able to resolve his financial affairs the following year.

Richmond Daily Dispatch 19 September 1867

     X.X. Chartters returned to Spotsylvania at the end of the Civil War. Shortly thereafter, on December 14, 1865, he married Evelyn Wortley Montague of Essex County. Evelyn was the daughter of Reverend Howard W. and Mildred Montague. Her brother, Andrew Philip Montague, later became a well-known professor and university president.
     For the first ten years or so of their marriage, X.X. and Evelyn made their home with her parents, where X.X. worked as a farm laborer. Their only child, Florence Howard Chartters, was born there in 1868. When X.X.'s parents moved to Clifton in the mid 1870's, X.X. and his family came there and lived with them. It was while living at Clifton that X.X. Chartters came into his own and made a name for himself.
     X.X. joined several fraternal organizations, such as the Good Templars and the International Order of Odd Fellows, and he became active in local politics. For a time he served as deputy treasurer for Spotsylvania, and his signature appears on a number of tax receipts of that era, as well as checks made out to him by my family:

Row family taxes, 1892

Lizzie Row check for taxes, 1890

     But it was in the Grange movement that X.X. found his true calling. The Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the Grange, was organized in Washington, D.C. in 1867. Its stated purpose was to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture. Today it is the oldest agricultural advocacy organization in the country. X.X. began his career in the Grange by joining the the the Spotswood and and Wilderness Granges in Spotsylvania during the 1870's.

The Virginia Star 26 April 1875

The Virginia Herald 31 January 1876

     In 1884, X.X. established another chapter of the local Grange on his family's farm. He built a meeting hall for the Clifton Grange at the corner of Old Plank and Catharpin roads. By this time, X.X. was moving up the ranks of the Virginia Grange and became its head. Evelyn and Florence were also members of the Grange. X.X. served on the executive board of the National Grange. He and Evelyn traveled around the United States to attend meetings and to promote the affairs of the Grange.
     X.X.'s parents lived long enough to witness much of their son's success. Susan Philips Chancellor Chartters died at Clifton on August 25, 1885. She was buried in the Chancellor cemetery at Fairview. Her obituary shown below is among the papers of George Harrison Sanford King at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center.

Headstone of Susan P. Chartters (Beth Valentine)

     James Petigrew Chartters died suddenly and swiftly at Clifton suddenly just six months later. His obituary, also from the archives of the CRHC, was written by Reverend Walker John Decker. A veteran of the Civil War, Reverend Decker served at North Pamunkey Baptist Church in Orange County and at Salem Baptist Church in Spotsylvania. James is buried near Susan in the Chancellor family cemetery at Fairview.

Headstone of James P. Chartters (Beth Valentine)

     Florence Chartters married neighbor John Addison Alsop on May 5, 1889. Regrettably, their time together would be short.
     The health of X.X. and Evelyn began to fail before they were 50 years old. X.X. died of tuberculosis at Clifton on February 15, 1893.

(Central Rappahannock Heritage Center)

(Central Rappahannock Heritage Center)

Headstone of X.X. Chartters (Beth Valentine)

     The passing of X.X. hastened the death of his widow. Evelyn Wortley Montague Chartters died on July 22, 1893. She buried near her husband at Fairview. Her obituary was written by her brother, Professor Andrew Philip Montague.

(Central Rappahannock Heritage Center)

Headstone of Evelyn Wortley Chartters (Beth Valentine)

     Florence Chartters Alsop sold Clifton to Mungo William Thorburn (1857-1940) on April 6, 1896. A Scottish immigrant with brains and ambition, William Thorburn quickly set about improving conditions at Clifton and becoming active in the civic life of Spotsylvania. He was also instrumental in establishing the first telephone service in this section of Spotsylvania. This fascinating part of his family's story can be read at The Fredericksburg & Wilderness Telephone Company. William turned the former Grange Hall built by X.X. Chartters into a school house for both his own children and other youngsters in the neighborhood.

William Thorburn (Ancestry)

Students at Grange Hall School, 1908

     Florence Chartter Alsop's husband, who had been in poor health during most of their marriage, passed away on February 13, 1899. The caption of his obituary incorrectly reads "Mrs."

The Free Lance 15 April 1899

     Florence's uncle became president of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina in 1897. While he was there, Florence's mother, Mildred Columbia Montague, would visit him each winter. While at Andrew's house in Greenville in January 1900, Mildred was warming herself at the fireplace when her clothing caught fire. Her cries for help quickly brought the Montague family to her aid and they managed to extinguish the fire, but not before she was badly burned. She died that night and was buried in Springwood Cemetery in Greenville.

Andrew Philip Montague (Ancestry.com)

     Two years later, Florence moved to Greenville to live with her uncle Andrew, who had just retired from the presidency of Furman University. While there, Florence met Greenville business man George Buchanan. They were married on August 4, 1902 and lived in Greenville for the rest of their lives.

Florence and George Buchanan (Findagrave)

    

Greenville News 6 August 1902

     Florence Chartters Alsop Buchanan died in Greenville on May 19, 1942. She is buried in Springwood Cemetery, just 10 miles from my home.


     The Young family owned their farm on the north side of the Ni River at Catharpin Road for over 100 years. At some time after the death of Sam Ford, the grandson of Atwell Young's brother Humphrey, Tom Thorburn bought the Young place and subdivided it for sale as building lots. In 1985, my father bought the first of those lots, which happened to be where the Young house once stood. He built his house there, and he and my mother lived there for the rest of their lives. Today it is the home of my sister.

Footnotes:

[1] Orange County resident Vivian Quisenberry (1832-1888) graduated from the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1856. The following year, he married Anne Elizabeth Robinson, whose family owned Robinson's Tavern on what is now Route 20. Her sister Sarah became the mother-in-law of George Washington Estes Row, my great-grandfather, in 1867. During the Civil War, Dr. Quisenberry served as assistant surgeon of the 59th Virginia Infantry. After the war, he and Anne moved to the little town of Butler in Freestone County Texas, where he started a medical practice and ran a drug store. In 1871, George W.E. Row lived for several months with the Quisenberrys while investigating the possibility of buying land in Texas. He worked at his uncle's drug store while he was there.

[2] Many years later, Sue Chancellor wrote a memoir of her experiences during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Her story can be read at "O The Horror of That Day!".


Sources:

Samuel King, Southern Claims Commission case file

Biography of Samuel King

Sketch of Evansport, Virginia

Peter Couse

The Couse house (National Park Service)

     The house at Laurel Hill was built in the late 1700's and was the home of Edward Herndon (1761-1837). The house was a two-story frame building with two brick chimneys, two shed rooms and a stone cellar. In the sketch made by Edwin Forbes [1] in May 1864 shown above, the house can be faintly seen behind what appears to be a former slave cabin or some other farm building. Laurel Hill consisted of 1,420 acres and extended from Gordon Road west to Piney Branch Road and south towards Brock Road. The house was located about a half mile west of Gordon Road. In the map detail below, the Couse property can be seen in the middle of the image.

Map detail of Spotsylvania County, 1863

     Edward Herndon and Joseph Brock built what would become Piney Branch Baptist Church on the Laurel Hill property. Edward's son, Reverend Jacob W. Herndon, was one of the ministers who served there. During Edward's lifetime his niece, Ann Herndon, married Matthew Fontaine Maury (the "Pathfinder of the Seas") at Laurel Hill in 1834.
     After Edward's death in 1837, ownership of Laurel was assumed by two of his children, Elizabeth Hull and Reverend Jacob Herndon. In 1839, Elizabeth and Jacob sold Laurel Hill to New Jersey native Thomas Teasdale. In 1840, Teasdale sold Laurel Hill to William Couse.
     William Couse and his family came to Spotsylvania from Sussex County, New Jersey. He and his wife, Elizabeth, arrived with their five children--sons Elezar and Peter, and daughters Ann M., Sarah Jane, Cornelia ("Nellie"), Catherine Halsey ("Kate"), and Mary C. Elezar returned to New Jersey not long after the family moved to Virginia. In addition to his farming operations, William Couse also owned a 2,500 horsepower steam saw mill and a bark mill (a bark mill ground up the roots, bark and limbs of trees, making tanbark, which was then sold to tanners). Partnering with William in his mill business was his son-in-law, Pennsylvania native George R. Supplee, who had married Mary Couse. Up until the Civil War, the Supplees lived next door to the Couses.

Alexandria Gazette 21 November 1855

     William Couse died on November 6, 1855. He had made no will, so Peter--now 34 years old--administered his father's estate with the consent of his mother, brother and sisters. Peter assumed management of the family farm, and he operated the saw mill and bark mill until March 1862. The mills did a good business until the start of the Civil War. One of Peter's customers was Peleg Clarke Jr., a former Rhode Island resident who was a carpenter, manufacturer and lumberman in Fredericksburg during the 1850's and 1860's. Peter provided ship timber to Clarke, who had a government contract.
     Although I have found no evidence of the Couses owning any slaves, in 1860 Peter rented a 22-year-old man from Mary Spindle. His brother-in-law, George R. Supplee also rented a slave from Mary Spindle--a 28-year-old man.
     The stresses in American society, relating primarily to the issues surrounding slavery, states' rights and secession, grew in intensity in the years following William Couse's death. The election of Abraham Lincoln pushed radical southern leaders over the edge. Starting with South Carolina in December 1860, eleven southern states left the Union.
     Southern secessionists were intensely focused on what they perceived to be their rights under the U.S. constitution. And while they constantly spoke out on the defense of their personal liberties, the secessionists at the same time demonstrated a hostile intolerance to any person who remained loyal to the United States. The freedom of speech that was cherished by secessionists was disallowed to Union loyalists. Aggressive and threatening tactics were utilized to stifle dissent in southern society.
     Peter Couse and his family remained profoundly loyal to the government of the United States. Peter made no secret of his political sympathies, and he thereby incurred the wrath of his neighbors. When a vote was taken in Virginia in 1861 to select representatives to the secession convention, Peter voted for the Union candidate. Once the convention voted for secession, Virginia voters were asked to ratify the decision to leave the Union. In Spotsylvania, intense pressure was put on loyalists to vote for secession so that a unanimous mandate could be seen as a symbol of solidarity. For Peter Couse and other Unionists, the physical danger posed by a 'no' vote made their opposition too perilous to risk. Instead, Peter abstained from voting.
     Peter's mother died in 1861. As the year progressed, Peter and his unmarried sisters became increasingly isolated from the community. In April 1861 the Supplees moved back to Pennsylvania, and Nellie went north as well. Peter made an attempt to move himself and his three sisters to safety. Shortly before his arrest, Peter was in negotiations with a Dr. Grinnan to exchange Laurel Hill for property out west. But time ran out before this opportunity could be realized.

Reverend Henry Clay Cheatham (Tabernacle United Methodist Church)

     The Couse family were devout Methodists, and were members of Zion Methodist Church near Spotsylvania Courthouse. In 1861, the Methodist Conference appointed Reverend Henry Clay Cheatham to assume responsibility for the Spotsylvania circuit. As Peter later testified: "I was threatened with being arrested and dealt with by the pastor of the church we attended. It was the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church South at Spotsylvania. It was for talking Union."

General Theophilus Hunter Holmes (Wikipedia)

     The right to freedom of speech enjoyed as a citizen of the United States did not exist in the newly-minted Confederacy. Peter and the other Unionists in Spotsylvania were regarded as a genuine threat to the secessionist regime, and one by one they were rounded up and imprisoned. General Theophilus Hunter Holmes, who commanded the Department of Fredericksburg and the Aquia District early in the war, ordered the arrest of Peter Couse. On the night of March 6, 1862 Captain Corbin Crutchfield [2] of Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry oversaw the arrest of Peter, who was hustled down to Richmond and confined in Castle Thunder.

Castle Thunder (Wikipedia)

     Peter was offered his freedom in exchange for taking an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. This he refused to do, and on May 13, 1862 General John H. Winder, who had responsibility for the Confederacy's prisons during the war, ordered that Peter remain imprisoned. Unwilling to renounce his patriotism, even under the harsh conditions he was kept in, he continued to languish in confinement all summer.

Prisoners and hostages, 1862 (Fold3.com)

     Fortunately, Peter's misfortune, and that of the other political prisoners sent to Richmond prisons from Spotsylvania, did not go unnoticed. In August 1862, Union intelligence agent Lafayette Curry Baker [3] drew up a list of Fredericksburg secessionists that he recommended be arrested as hostages in order to guarantee the safety of Peter and his fellow prisoners.  He thought that three secessionists should be seized for each loyal American in prison. Baker's list of potential hostages were in addition to six other prominent men of Fredericksburg who had been arrested earlier that year. Those men sent a petition to George Wythe Randolph, Confederate Secretary of War, pleading that Peter and the others be released so that they could get out of Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. In addition, Peter's sisters and friends in Fredericksburg interceded on his behalf. The wheels of Confederate justice turned slowly. Finally, on September 25, 1862 Peter Couse was released from Castle Thunder after signing a pledge to not take up arms against the Confederacy.

The National Republican 25 September 1862

     After his release, Peter was taken to Washington to Washington, D.C. where he was interviewed by General James Wadsworth, commander of the Military District of Washington. Peter did not return home. It would be three years before he saw Laurel Hill and Sarah, Kate and Ann again.
     Once he was set at liberty, Peter went north. He joined his brother Elezar, who at this time was a merchant in New Jersey. Peter kept abreast of the movements of the Union army in Virginia, hoping that an opportunity to return home would present itself. This did not happen. After several months, he moved to Norristown, Pennsylvania where his brother-in-law George R. Supplee had taken his family the previous year.

Peter Couse's enlistment in the Pennsylvania Militia Cavalry

     When lead elements of the Confederate army arrived in Gettysburg on June 26, 1863, 42-year-old Peter Couse enlisted for 90 days in Company B of the 3rd Pennsylvania Militia Cavalry. He furnished his own horse and "horse equipments." He then proceeded to Gettysburg, and then his company was stationed on the Potomac River at Williamsport and remained on picket duty for the remainder of their enlistment. After his discharge, Peter caught up once again with brother-in-law George R. Supplee, this time in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where George was working as a merchant. Peter remained there until the end of the war.
     Meanwhile, Ann, Kate and Sarah Couse did their best to survive at Laurel Hill. This would have been difficult under the best of circumstances, but the suspicion and hostility of their neighbors they had known for more than 20 years complicated their lives in many unforeseen ways. The saw mill had remained idle since Peter's arrest two years previously. The huge stockpile of sawn lumber and slabs were left unsold, since the Couses refused to accept Confederate money as payment. Pilfering of their food stocks by straggling Confederate soldiers and by opportunistic neighbors made their lives stressful in ways difficult for us to imagine today.
     Up to this time, Laurel Hill had managed to avoid some of the worst effects of the war. The fighting during the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville did not reach their house. That would change in May 1864 when Union General Ulysses Grant led a large and well-provisioned army into Spotsylvania. This was the beginning of the Overland Campaign, the ultimately successful effort to capture Richmond and destroy General Lee's army. In Spotsylvania, the violence would be widespread and catastrophic. The Couse sisters would find themselves near the epicenter of some of the worst fighting during the Civil War.
     On May 4, 1864 the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River into Spotsylvania County. The following day, Federal troops collided with lead elements of General Lee's forces. Grant's army pushed forward through the Wilderness, attempting to interpose themselves between the Confederates and Richmond. Thus began a race toward Spotsylvania Courthouse, with the Confederates just barely getting ahead of the Union Army and setting up a blocking force on Brock Road. The fighting along this new front began in earnest on May 8, and General Grant temporarily set up his headquarters at Beechwood, the home of Ann Armstrong and her family across Gordon Road from Laurel Hill.
     Kate, Ann and Sarah fearfully watched as thousands of troops poured into the neighborhood. Kate began to write a letter describing her experiences and added to it almost every day, providing a real-time account of the violence and chaos that occurred literally on the front step of Laurel Hill. Kate's original letter is part of the collection of the Library of the University of Virginia. National Park Service historian Donald Pfanz did an outstanding job of transcribing Kate's writing, and I have relied heavily on his work in the condensed and lightly edited version that appears below. Kate addressed her letter to someone identified by an initial--Mr. and Mrs. [?]. The initial is illegible, but based on the context of the letter, it is my opinion that it is 'M' for Morrison. I think the letter was written to either James M. Morrison and his wife Abigail, or to his brother Thomas Love Morrison and his wife Amanda. Like the Couses, the Morrisons were patriots devoted to the Union cause. During the battles near Spotsylvania Courthouse, the Union army's 2nd, 5th and 6th Corps set up their hospitals at Laurel Hill.

Page 1 of Kate Couse's letter (Library of the University of Virginia)

 "Very Dear Friends Mr and Mrs M--

   "Dilapidation and decay mark the course of everything at old Laurel Hill, both people and place are gradually falling into ruins...An air of suffocating loneliness reigns as the shades of evening come on--the wind has a peculiar howling, as if ghosts and witches were mourning over the sad remains...There is no peace in living in this God forsaken country. It is fearful to see with what impunity all kinds of robbery and roguishness are carried on...Last spring and summer nearly all our fowls were stolen at different times...We raised sweet potatoes and watermelons--but enjoyed none of the benefits. They disappeared as soon as fit for use. Mrs. Tom Chartters [4] continues to live at your place...I could tell you things that would make you laugh or cry. I do not know which.

     "Today, Saturday, the Confederates have been picketing all day in the lane in front of the house. Horses, clanking of sabers and rattling of spurs...Suddenly this afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock a Confed soldier came dashing up. They all instantly ran for their horses and set off in a hurry--a large Yankee scouting party came in sight from the old mill road...Just then a most terrific cavalry fight commenced on the Court House Road...Old Laurel Hill resounded with the report of firearms...There has been terrible fighting going on on the Court House Road since 3 o'clock. It sounds almost at the house, it is soul sickening to listen to the continual crack of small arms, the the loud resounding cannon, shell whizzing, balls whistling, soldiers yelling and hollowing as they rush on. Oh! God human beings killing each other, this wicked war, will it never come to an end.

     "Wednesday May 4. Went to Mrs A [5] house...Pickets here musketry and see clouds of smoke going up from the artillery..there is skirmishing going on this afternoon...sharp skirmishing on the Court House Road, we heard yells--and the pop and crack of musketry made me feel faint...

     "Friday May 6 1864. Heard the cannon the first thing they jar the house continually...the whole outdoors alive with voices of soldiers, hear waggons and cannon moving, rumbling. Oh! So anxious...We are surrounded--Yankees on one side southern soldiers on the other pickets and vedettes on all sides...

     "Sat 7th. Calmer this morning, we are choked with smoke--from camp fires--and woods fire. Confed scouts and soldiers riding through thick going down in the direction of Piney Branch toward the Yankees...the soldiers told me Gen Longstreet was wounded slightly in the top shoulder yesterday...the place is alive with waggons moving, the field in front of the house is full of waggons moving to and fro.

     "Thursday 12th. The fighting opens early this morning. The Rowe family came down just now, refugees. Old Mrs Long [6] and Mrs Frazer have just come through the rain--coming for protection. I feel sorry for them. Oh! God there is now the most murderous battle raging. The continuous roar of cannons the still more terrific musketry sounds awful indeed. My feelings are intensely awful beyond description. The drums are beating, the bands at intervals--the poor wounded heroes are now coming in ambulances, they stand with stretchers ready to remove them to the tents, on the amputation tables. I can see them lying stretched out ready to be operated on. Mr Forbes the artist sketcher from Frank Leslie called in out of the rain, his right arm is helpless he sketches with left hand, has not the use of all his fingers on that hand. The house is perfectly muddy and hoggish, all tracked up with refugees, children, dogs and soldiers...The refugee children black and white are such nuisances. We are run over with them.

     "Sat 14. There were three hospitals on this place the one below towards Piney Branch moved up this morning...Here lay the poor wounded soldiers one mortally dying away from home and family. This war, this war. We took them some tea and bread and butter...True soldiers have died here today, they are nailing up a rough coffin for the poor Lieutenant...

     "Sunday 15th May. See the Rebs in sight again this morning, they are prowling all through took one soldier's hat and purse. Mr. Alrich [7] rode up and asked us where we are staying--he did not recognize the place--everything so changed. Requested me to write to Louisa Frazer to tell her of his wife's death. ..The Reb cavalry are pouring over the hills opposite the house all going up towards the old Piney Branch Church, getting in the rear...Rosser's [8] brigade went up to the old Piney Branch Church. Had a fight and came back. They are rummaging the camps taking everything they can lay their hands on. The whole brigade passed through the field by the spring out up through the corn and on...The old stable is full of wounded...poor suffering mortals. We prepared some coffee, tea and fruit for them it is soul sickening to look at the horrid suffering...Dr. Chambers eats with us and stays in the house nights. He brought in some old whiskey and we all took some.

     "Monday May 16th. I have heard no musketry or cannon today. The first still day in a long time...This afternoon waggons with provisions for the federal wounded came on--there were no rebs around they commenced unloading--but concluded to move the hospital. They brought up a long line of skirmishers and placed them on the hills all around, to keep off the Rebs in case of attack...They left us some sugar, coffee and fresh meat. The commissary promised to send for us each a calico dress. They left us weeping, sad and lonely every thing in an awful situation...They all got off about dusk, then the stillness of death settled around us...It seems as if some great funeral procession had passed through. The funeral of departed hopes...There are graves all around us. How many of the poor soldiers who started out in fine high hope and spirits now sleep the last sleep at old Laurel Hill....

     "Tuesday May 17th. Calmer still this morning. The birds are singing as sweetly as nothing had happened...The Reb soldiers are running through all the time searching through all the buildings. They pulled the lock off the cellar and stole our butter and eggs, some fruit and a lot of ginger cakes we had just baked...They are in everything, so annoying. I hate the sight of them. Cavalry pickets stayed in the yard. There was sharp skirmishing very near after dark.

     "Wednesday May 18. The fighting commences this morn. The cannon jarred me awake--up in the direction of the Brown [9] house it seems to be. It is very close. Little gangs of Rebel soldiers keep coming up inquiring for government stores. They say, they hear we are good Union people and they want all that was left. A couple came up to search looked at the sugar, they are cutting up the devil generally. They said they had orders from General Rosser. We told them we did not believe it, and talked mean to them. They were glad to get out. Soon as they were out of sight 4 more of our Cavaliers came up on the same purpose...told them General Rosser had better come down and settle the marauding parties...Sarah and I walked out over the fields...there were three hospitals at this place one up towards the old orchard--one down towards Piney Branch...We have lately seen some of the horrors of war, the fields are dotted over with graves. Clothing scattered in every direction, dead horses lying around and a general destruction of everything...a soldier told me Rosser's men robbed their own men--wounded--of their possessions...

     "Thursday 19th. Calm this morning. A- and Milly and myself walked to Mrs. Armstrong's, did not know whether we could get through or not when we started. The country looks awful, all cut up, new roads all through the fields. No vestige of a fence...We had a hard time to get there. Yankees left the house last night. Gen. Grant, Meade, Patrick and Burnside were there. Rosser's men came around Mrs. A's. A large body of Reb cavalry just now passed through the cabin lot, going on towards Mrs. Armstrong's--they came down through the old orchard had artillery Rosser's brigade six o'clock--I hear musketry fighting out in that direction soldiers straggling around nearly all the time. There is heavy musketry fighting going on towards Mrs. K's...There is still a heavy battle raging out in the direction of A. The cannon shakes the earth and reverberates through the air. We are afraid it is near Mrs. A. Yesterday a couple of soldiers taunted us with being good Union people. We told them--it did not make any difference to them what we were--and that as long as we treated them well they were bound to treat us in the same manner they said of course and backed off. The shells whiz through the air. The echo sounds as if there was fighting on the opposite side. Gen. Ewell's corps attacked the Feds fighting to capture some of their waggon trains. Infantry and cavalry coming up all the time.

     "Friday May 20th 1864. Soldiers were riding and walking up all night long, rapping at the doors to inquire the the way to their breastworks. I judge they must have been driven back, though they always say they are the driving party...It has been remarkably calm this morning. I have not heard a single gun or cannon. After being in Fed lines I can scarcely tolerate the sight of the grey backs. I hate their rusty uniforms. I am disgusted with the sight of them. Every hour some of them ride or walk up--rummage the whole place. We do not ask them in, have as little to do with them as possible. A surgeon rode up this morn--inquired if there any medical stores left here. We feel harassed and annoyed to death. Mrs. Rowe and Laura came over and took tea with us. It looks strange to see neighbors come in. Miss Apphia [10] still here.

     "Sat. 21st. Very calm--see only an occasional Reb--Late this eve we hear cannon. It sounds more distant. Had a slight shower here this eve. We are tired. We walked out and looked at the graves..."

     Not long after the battles at Spotsylvania Court House, Sarah left Virginia and went north to live with her relatives. It would be years before Laurel Hill was rehabilitated to the point when it would be a working farm again.

Matthew Brady photo of Wenonah on the Pamunkey River, 1860's (Fold3.com)

      Peter continued to work in Pennsylvania with his brother-in-law George Supplee until the spring of 1865. Not long after the surrender of General Lee's army at Appomattox on April 9, Peter made his way to Baltimore. On May 26, he was one of 90 passengers who boarded the paddle steamer Wenonah, commanded by Captain Daws. Once she slipped her moorings at the dock in Baltimore, Wenonah sailed south down the Patapsco River. Once the steamer reached the Chesapeake Bay, its progress was slowed by heavy weather. It finally reached the Fredericksburg wharf on May 28. Gone from Virginia for three years, Peter Couse was home at last.

Fredericksburg Ledger 30 May 1865

     Peter's sister Nellie also returned to Virginia after the war. She, Peter, Kate and Ann settled in Fredericksburg. They lived in a boarding house bought by Peter and managed by Ann. Peter also ran a grocery on Commerce (William) Street. In 1871, one of the local newspapers approvingly noted that Peter had made some improvements there:

Fredericksburg Ledger 17 March 1871

     But the primary focus of Peter Couse in the post-war years would be politics. He became very active in the affairs of the Republican Party, specifically in the Radical wing of that party. In May 1867 he was appointed as one of the registrars of election for Spotsylvania County:

Alexandria Gazette 8 May 1867

     On September 30 of that same year, Peter was among the Radicals calling for candidates to run for seats at the convention for the writing of a new state constitution. As it turned out, Peter was selected as one of the candidates nominated by the Republicans:

Alexandria Gazette 7 October 1867

     Peter lost his bid to serve on the Virginia constitutional convention. The winner was Conservative candidate John L. Marye, Jr., former mayor of Fredericksburg and member of Congress (his name also appeared on the list of possible hostages to guarantee the safety of Peter Couse and others, written by Lafayette Curry Baker in 1862). Peter contested Marye's election, saying that he was not qualified because of his Confederate sympathies during the war. Peter's objections were not successful, however, and Marye was ultimately seated as one of the representatives at the convention.

Alexandria Gazette 17 December 1867

     This action against Marye made Peter a very unpopular figure in Fredericksburg. He was hanged in effigy in October 1867. In April 1868, Peter was appointed to serve on the city council. Two months later, Peter involved himself in the controversial case of a man named Tibbets, which likely did little to increase his popularity:

Fredericksburg Ledger 9 June 1868

     Not long after that, Peter was accused of knowingly buying a stolen pistol. Whether this was a trumped-up charge or if he ever stood trial, I have not been able to determine:

Fredericksburg Ledger 18 August 1868

                 
     Another position held by Peter for several years was that of Deputy Collector of Revenue for the 3rd District.

Fredericksburg Ledger 25 May 1869

Peter Couse, Internal Revenue Gauger, 1875

     In May 1871, Peter's sister Nellie was named to the decoration committee as part of the upcoming celebration of Memorial Day to honor the Union soldiers buried in the National Cemetery.

Fredericksburg Ledger, 12 May 1871

     On November 15, 1871 Peter married New Jersey native Emily Cox in a ceremony held in Deckertown, New Jersey. They made their home in Fredericksburg and had three children together: William James, Mary and Lucille.

Couse-Cox marriage, 1871

     In 1873, Peter Couse--on his own behalf as well as for his brother and sisters--applied to the Commission of Claims for compensation of the losses the family incurred during the occupation of Laurel Hill in May 1864. His loyalty, and that of his family, was investigated and found to be valid. Peter claimed $2,753 in damages to the property at Laurel Hill. The Commission ultimately approved $2,223. Depositions were given by Peter, Kate and Ann Couse, as well as former Union surgeon Enos G. Chase and Spotsylvania Unionists Absalom McGee and Isaac Silver. The depositions of all but Dr. Chase (he submitted his in writing) were taken in Fredericksburg on March 19, 1873 by Isaac P. Baldwin representing the Commission.

Page from Peter Couse's claim for damages

     Peter lost the 1872 election for city council, but he remained a potent force in Republican politics. In October 1873 he was appointed to the committee to nominate candidates to fill Spotsylvania County offices:

Fredericksburg Ledger 14 October 1873

     The following year, Peter's name was put forward as a possible candidate for a seat in the 44th U.S. Congress:

Alexandria Gazette 27 October 1874

     At some point during the mid-1870's, Peter and Emily decided to move to New Jersey. They settled in Farmingdale in Monmouth County. Peter opened another grocery store there. The Couse family became devoted members of Farmingdale Methodist Church.
     Not long after moving to New Jersey, Peter and Emily made one more contribution to their legacy in Spotsylvania. On February 5, 1878 they sold two acres on Piney Branch Road to X.X. Chartters, R.W. Ferneyhough and Nathan Talley, trustees for the Chancellor School District. Two months later, the trustees sold one of these acres for $10 to the trustees of the Piney Branch Colored Church: Claiborne Lewis, John Lewis and William Parker. A school for black children was built on that spot, and remains standing to this day.

Piney Branch School

     Peter Couse died on June 24, 1887. He is buried in the Deckertown Union Cemetery in Wantage, New Jersey. The year of his death carved in his headstone is incorrect.

Couse monument at Deckertown Union Cemetery (Findagrave)

     After his death, Emily continued to run the Couse grocery in Farmingdale. For a time, her son William also worked at the store. Here are two artifacts attesting to Emily's years as a successful merchant:

    
    
     Peter and Emily's son became a successful banker in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In the 1920's he was elected President of the New Jersey Bankers Association.

     Nellie and Kate Couse returned to New Jersey. Sarah and Ann continued to live at Laurel Hill until Ann's death in 1892. She is buried in the Fredericksburg Cemetery.

Headstone of Ann M. Couse (Findagrave)

     Sarah left Virginia and joined Nellie and Kate in Sussex County, New Jersey, where they lived for the rest of their lives. They never married. They died within a few years of each other in the early 1900's and are buried in the Newton Cemetery in Sussex County.
     After Sarah's departure from Virginia, ownership of Laurel Hill passed to Wilfred Smith Embrey. On September 21, 1899 Wilfred and his wife deeded Piney Branch Church to its members for $1.00.
     Wilfred died in 1908. Three years later, Laurel Hill was bought by Ohio farmer William Mergler:

The Free Lance, 18 April 1911

     Laurel Hill was later owned by J.W. McCalley. Some time before 1936, Mr. McCalley tore down the historic old house at Laurel Hill.

     

Footnotes:

[1] Edwin Forbes (1839-1895) was a sketch artist employed during the Civil War by Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.

Edwin Forbes (Wikipedia)

[2] Corbin Crutchfield was born in 1839 at "Snow Hill" in Spotsylvania. He attended the Virginia Military Institute for one year, then was dismissed in 1856 for hazing cadets.

[3] Lafayette Curry Baker (1826-1868) was a Union spy in Virginia early in the war. He went on to serve as provost marshal of Washington, D.C., head of the National Detective Bureau and colonel of the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry.

Lafayette Curry Baker (Wikipedia)

[4] Julia Decastro Chancellor Chartters (1825-1904) was the widow of Thomas Rogers Chartters (1821-1862). Julia was a daughter of Sanford Chancellor and Frances Longwill Pound.

Julia Decastro Chancellor Chartters (Ancestry)

[5] Beechwood, the home of Ann Armstrong and her family. The Armstrongs were also Union loyalists, and I have told their story here.

[6] Gabriel and Elizabeth Long. Gabriel died the day after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

[7] John Roberts Alrich (1830-1907) was born in New Castle County, Delaware. He and his wife, Jane Frazier, moved to Spotsylvania in the 1850's. They lived on a farm that was then called New Store, located at the intersection of Old Plank and Catharpin roads. John cast his lot with the Confederates and served with Company E of the 9th Virginia Cavalry. Jane Alrich died on April 24, 1864.

[8] Confederate General Thomas Lafayette Rosser (1836-1910) commanded the 7th, 11th, and 12th Virginia Cavalry Regiments and the 35th Virginia Cavalry Battalion during the battles near Spotsylvania Courthouse.

Thomas Lafayette Rosser (Wikipedia)

[9] Captain John C. Brown (1783-1867), a veteran of the War of 1812, lived across Gordon Road from Laurel Hill.

[10] Probably Apphia Farmer Sanford, the mother of Joseph Farmer Sanford, owner of the Sanford Inn near Spotsylvania Courthouse. Apphia came to live with her son after the death of her husband in Stafford in 1858. Apphia died a few weeks after Kate Couse wrote her letter.

Sources:

File of Peter Couse's claim for damages with the Commissioners of Claims: https://www.fold3.com/image/34/222378478

Letter of Kate Couse, transcribed by Donald Pfanz February 2004 (the original letter is part of the collection of the Library of the University of Virginia, Accession No. 10441).

John Hennessy: "Echoes from the Bloody Angle: A Real-Time Description from Katherine Couse's Laurel Hill." This article includes the link to Donald Pfanz's transcription: https://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/echoes-from-the-bloody-angle-a-real-time-description-from-katherine-couses-laurel-hill/

"Confederate Memoranda on Peter Couse:" http://www.confederatevets.com/documents/couse_va_1.shtml

John Hennessy: "Democracy's Dark Day--The May 1861 Secession Vote in Fredericksburg, Part 2":
https://fredericksburghistory.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/democracys-darkest-day-the-may-1861-secession-vote-in-fredericksburg-part-2/

"Piney Branch School:" http://visitspotsy.com/african-american-heritage-trail/piney-branch-school/

Mildred Barnum: "Laurel Hill." Works Progress Administration of Virginia Historical Inventory, November 9, 1936.