Mosby's Horse Artillery
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"Preserving the Past. Protecting the Future." the Protecting Past. the "Preserving Volume 11, Issue 3 Summer 2014 Mosby’s Horse Artillery Historic Fairfax City, Inc. and the "Fare Fac - Say Do" Annandale Stockade Raid Executive Officers By Edward Coleman Trexler, Jr. Sandra S. Wilbur President Deborah E. Mullen Vice-Pres. Albert L. Leightley Treasurer By August 1864, the 60,000 or more men of the 11th, Christopher Kelley Secretary 12th, and 6th Corps that had been camped in and around Ann F. Adams Director Fairfax Court House were then gone with Grant’s army Linda M. Barringhaus Director south of Richmond. Likewise, the troops of the Washington Hildie Carney Director Patricia A. Fabio Director Fairfax, VA 22030 VA Fairfax, Defense Department headquartered at Fairfax Court House Catherine Foust Director were much diminished in numbers as the Confederate Army was no longer 10209 Main Street Main 10209 Mary D. Gauthier Director D. Lee Hubbard Director seen as a threat to Washington, and Grant was then receiving his supplies Sandra S. Wilbur, President Wilbur, S. Sandra Hon. Wm. Page Johnson, II Director John A.C. Keith Director from the James River rather than from the Orange and Alexandria Return Address - Historic Fairfax City, Inc. City, Fairfax Historic - Address Return Claudia J. Lewis Director Jenée L. Lindner Director Railway. General Lee, locked in trench warfare with Grant near Wayne A. Morris Director John P. Murphy Director Petersburg, had sent General Early’s force up the valley to create a Hon. Penny A. Rood Director diversion by threatening Washington from the northwest and diverting Edward C. Trexler, Jr. Director Barry R. Wickersham Director troops away from Grant’s siege of Petersburg. Lee’s strategy worked to some degree as Grant then sent General Sheridan’s force into the valley The Newsletter of to counter Early. Historic Fairfax City, Inc. 1861-1865 2011-2015 The Fare Facs Gazette © 2014 Editor: William Page Johnson, II Mosby’s command grew in size and strategic importance as local Union forces were diminished, and as General Lee became more directly involved with Mosby’s activities with the recent loss of Cavalry Commander General Stuart. While Union protection of the Orange and Alexandria Railway line had recently diminished when Grant began to receive his E-mail: [email protected] The Annandale Stockade may have been similar to this stockade built in Alexandria, Website: www.historicfairfax.org supplies by ship, it increased Virginia during the Civil War. Photo Soure: Library of Congress Continued on Page 4 Volume 11, Issue 3 The Fair Facs Gazette Summer 2014 Volume 11, Issue 3 The Fair Facs Gazette Summer 2014 Fairfax, Virginia - May 2014 Rather Die: Rape in the Civil War, award winning Select historic buildings are open during city special Welcome New Members! author Kim Murphy, will contradict many historians events, including the Chocolate Lovers Festival, Greetings from the President - claims that The American Civil War was a “low-rape” Civil War Weekend, Independence Day Celebration, The President & Board of Directors of HFCI war to show the atrocities against women, both white Fall Festival and Festival of Lights and Carols. To HFCI is certainly having a lively, productive, and extends a hearty welcome to all new HFCI and black. Book purchase and signing to follow. arrange group tours of city-owned historic buildings interesting run! members. email or call 703-385-8414. Saturday, December 7, Noon to 4 p.m. Please save the date for HFCI’s annual Taste of Barry and Kathy O’Hare the Vine , Friday, September 26, 2014. Raymond and Regina Girouard “Christmas in Camp” The Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It includes a Joseph Diloreti Civil War Living History. Discuss Civil War-era This is our big fund raiser to financially support variety of building and monument types and styles, Sunday, holiday customs, make Victorian historic preservation in our wonderful city. including: ornaments, and participate in camp drills with Come to this important event, taste the wine and Company D, 17th VA Infantry, “Fairfax Rifles” enjoy the food, silent auction, and great company! Fairfax Courthouse (1800) C.S.A. Guided tours of Historic Blenheim House. Bring your friends. If you can’t attend, we would Ratcliffe-Allison House (1812) welcome your financial contribution. Joshua Gunnell House (c.1830) At the Fairfax Museum Other Information of Interest: William Gunnell House (c.1835) HFCI participated with other community and Historic Blenheim... Ford House (c.1835) Walking Tour organizations in the naming of our new downtown Fairfax Elementary School (1873)* 11 am Guided walking tour (approx. 90 min.) of Old square, now under construction. The final name Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center Old Fairfax Jail (1885) Town Fairfax with stops at the Fairfax County selected by City Council was “Old Town Square”. “Second Sunday” Programs Old Town Hall (1900) Courthouse, several antebellum homes with a Civil HFCI will also participate in developing the Marr Monument (1904) Programs are held at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday War history, and the City of Fairfax Cemetery content of signage within the square to highlight of each month. Unless otherwise noted, programs (formerly Fairfax Confederate Cemetery). the Kitty Pozer Garden legacy, the McCandlish are held at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, *Fairfax Elementary School was converted into Location: Meet at Fairfax Museum and Visitors Memorial Garden, and other items of historical 10209 Main Street. Free (unless noted). Check back the Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center in 1992. center, 10209 Main Street, Fairfax 703-385-8414. interest. to find out about additional programs planned Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. throughout the year. Information: 703-385-8414. Two much needed lighting improvements supported by HFCI are now underway at Volunteers and docents are sought for the city’s Blenheim. The entrance sign and driveway Sunday, August 10, 2 p.m. historic buildings: Ratcliffe-Allison House, In the Next Issue... entrance are being lighted as requested by HFCI “The Battle of the White House on Belvoir Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive and funded by City Council. An anonymous Neck in 1814” Center and Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. donor has funded better lighting of the Blenheim Join historian and archaeologist Patrick O’Neill for Additionally, volunteers may be interested in attic replica in the Interpretive Center. Come see an illustrated talk on a battle in August 1814 between assisting with walking tours and special events. For these improvements when you attend Taste of the American and British naval forces on the Potomac information email or call 703-385-8415. Alexandria Gazette, May 23, 1863, p. 2, c. 3. Vine! River near George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The city has published a free self-guided walking The above notice from the Alexandria Gazette Have a lovely and safe Summer! Sunday, September 14, 2 p.m. tour brochure that provides a brief history of the refers to a deadly incident which occurred in both Sandra Wilbur city and noteworthy buildings in the Old Town Prince William County and Fairfax Court House. (Special Location... Old Town Hall, 3999 University Fairfax Historic District. This brochure is available Drive, Fairfax 2203) from the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Find out more about the Skirmish at the “Woodward and Lothrop: A Store Worthy of the Main Street, or call 703-385-8414. Marsteller Farm and the aftermath at the Brigade Nation’s Capital” Hospital at Fairfax Court House in the next issue of the Fare Facs Gazette. 2 Continued next page 11 Volume 11, Issue 3 The Fair Facs Gazette Summer 2014 Volume 11, Issue 3 The Fair Facs Gazette Summer 2014 Fairfax Court House News Talk and book signing by Michael J. Lisicky, who Saturday, August 23, 2 p.m. has chronicled the story of “Woodies,” the “Civil War Balloon Corps” of 150 Years Ago department store that opened in Washington, D.C. Balloons were used for surveillance and in 1887 and operated until 1995. reconnaissance by the Union Army from 1861 Sunday, October 12, 2 p.m. through 1863 and by Confederate Army in 1862. Alexandria Gazette, August 24, 1864, p. 2, c. 3. Join Kevin Knapp as he shares oral and living history “Taking Tea: Teatime Across the Centuries” as the Union Army’s chief aeronaut, Thaddeus Lowe, and discusses the technological innovations that Learn about the history of the tea drink and the were at the birth of U.S. military aviation. tradition of taking tea as an afternoon snack or evening meal. Tastings of hot tea, scones, teacakes, Saturday, September 20, Noon - 4:00 p.m. and shortbread will follow the presentation. Fee: $8/person. Program limited to 25 attendees. For “The War of 1812 in Fairfax” reservations and to arrange payment, call: 703-385- In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of local 8415. Fairfax citizens’ military role with the Virginia Militias in 1814, Historic Blenheim will host a Sunday, November 9, 2 p.m. living history encampment of the 60th Virginia Evening Star, August 25, 1864, p. 2, c. 4. “Not Forgotten: The Story of the Offerings at Militia, portrayals of local landowners, a the Wall” blacksmith; talks by historian Stuart Butler, author and reporter Steve Vogel, and period music by Megan Leining, Collections Manager with Fairfax musician/ musicologist David Hildebrand. County Park Authority, will talk about her former New York Tribune, August 15, 1864, p. 4, c. 5. work with the National Park Service of curating the Saturday, October 25, 2 p.m. objects left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “The Little Women of Virginia: The Adventures Sunday, December 14, 2 p.m. of a Navy Widow and her Daughters during the Civil War” “Four Centuries of Virginia Christmases” In the vein of Louisa May Alcott’s, Little Women, Join author Mary Miley Theobald to explore Jennie Forrest Richardson wrote a loving tribute Virginia Christmas customs and their evolution from about the ordeal of her penniless and widowed pagan, British, German, and Dutch precedents.