Civil War – Loganalogy- Your Family Historian

The Legacy of Lewis Hollister: A Musician’s Role in the Civil War

Lewis Hollister, born on September 6, 1840, in Washington, Connecticut, was the son of Sherman Preston Hollister and Martha “Patty” Nettleton. Raised on a family farm, Lewis developed a profound love for music, mastering instruments ranging from the Jew’s harp to more complex stringed instruments. This musical talent was a cherished gift from his mother.

On August 30, 1862, at the age of 21, Lewis enlisted as a musician in Company D of the 28th Infantry Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, a nine-month volunteer unit. His leadership and musical skills earned him the position of band leader for his regiment.

The 28th Connecticut Infantry played a significant role in the Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, a critical campaign during the Civil War. Port Hudson was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. The Union aimed to gain control of the river, effectively splitting the Confederacy and securing a vital transportation route. The siege, lasting from May 22 to July 9, 1863, was marked by intense combat and challenging conditions.

Tragically, during the siege, Lewis suffered a severe injury when a gunshot resulted in the loss of his finger. This injury led to subsequent illness, and he passed away on July 13, 1863. His dedication and sacrifice are remembered as part of the collective efforts that led to the Union’s strategic victory at Port Hudson.

Lewis’s story is a poignant reminder of the personal sacrifices made during the Civil War. His musical talents and leadership left an indelible mark on those who knew him, and his service contributed to a pivotal moment in American history.

Lewis’s sister married Seth Logan, a second cousin five x removed.

References

¹ “Lewis Hollister,” Washington Civil War Soldiers, washingtoncivilwarsoldiers.weebly.com.
² “Siege of Port Hudson,” American Battlefield Trust, battlefields.org.

AI Tools Help Transcribe Captain Wescott’s Article

For many years, I had a newspaper article about my second great-grandfather, but it was torn into two sections, making it hard to read. Plus, the person who cut it out removed the date, newspaper title, and publisher, so I couldn’t find it. Recently, I discovered the article online, and thanks to some amazing AI tools, I was able to transcribe it! I’m excited to finally share it with everyone so we can all enjoy the story together!

Captain Wescott Preparing For Season On “Dry Body of Water”

The article about Captain Wescott is from The Waynesville Mountaineer, published on June 1, 1939.

“Yes, I was born on Roanoke Island, where Virginia Dare first saw the light, but she had left before I got there,” said Captain John T. Wescott, with a twinkle in his eyes.

The captain, a landmark at the Lake Junaluska Assembly Grounds, has been in charge of the rowboats and has run the launch “Cherokee,” in which he has a third interest, for the past twenty-one years. Prior to his coming to the Lake, the captain had retired from the United States Coast Guard service, after 43 years of active duty.

“But I date back pretty well, even if I didn’t know Virginia,” continued Captain Wescott. “I was born in 1853, and I well recall the days when General Burnside captured Roanoke Island during the Civil War. We had food stored away to do us a year, but the soldiers took everything, and after they left, it looked like starvation. We had forty hogs and forty chickens, and they took them all. One of the Yankee officers, however, took an old hen away from one of the privates and came back and brought it to my mother. She kept it hidden in a barrel in the attic until she was sure the soldiers had left for good.”

“Another thing I remember were the decoy geese my father had and prized so much. They took them all and his guns too. We had been taking care of two Confederate soldiers who were wounded and suffering, and had asked us to give them shelter. So, when the Yankees found out about them, they took my father a prisoner. But what’s the use of recalling such things at this time? Somebody might have hard feelings about it, and I don’t mean it that way. I am just remembering when I was a child.”

Captain Wescott, erect, stocky, and ruddy-faced, denies in appearance and bearing the years he claims make up his age. He shows the clear skin of a person who has lived much in the open. His quarters in the Cherokee Inn, where he lives six months out of the year, are as immaculate as the cabin of a well-scrubbed ship. He showed us about. His closet, cedar-lined and large enough to hold a good-sized trunk, boxes, plenty of shelves, and rows of hooks for hanging garments, is as neat as a pin. Everything is in its place. But one could have guessed without being told where his great interest lay, for there were boat models.

“Yes, for twenty-one years I have run the ‘Cherokee’ on a regular schedule around the lake from 7 to 8 o’clock every evening except Sunday, during the entire season here. I always come early in April to get the rowboats and the launch ready for the summer,” he said.

“But after my years on the sea, I’ll have to admit that Lake Junaluska is the tamest body of water I have ever run a boat on. It’s like taking a broken dose of something for me to run the launch on Lake Junaluska, but then at 86, that’s alright, because I can’t do the work I once did,” said the captain.

“But I don’t like the looks of the lake a bit these days,” he continued. “Right now, it looks like I might have to hoist the old ‘Cherokee’ on wheels, because she has a poor chance of floating anytime soon. We are having a lot of dam trouble down here, but I think the good Methodists are having fun talking about their dam troubles,” he said when speaking of the present condition of the lake.

Lake Junaluska has been drained for work on the lake bed, and it may not be filled until July, which seems to be mighty hard on the captain, who is at work on his boats, getting them ready to float, with a “dry body of water facing the boathouse,” as he says.

The captain’s 43 years of service were seen in the Revenue Cutter, Life Saving, and Inland Service of the Government, and he was located some fifty-five miles from Cape Henry in the coast guard service for 30 years, retiring at the age limit of 65.

After his retirement, two of his daughters, school girls at the time, came to Lake Junaluska, and were so enthusiastic that they persuaded their mother and father to come to this section the next year. They did so, and both liked it. They soon bought the Cherokee Inn, which they owned and operated for many years.

Two years prior to the death of Mrs. Wescott, they rented the Inn to Mr. and Mrs. Claude Medford, who bought the place about three years ago and have since operated it. The captain has continued to make his home at the Inn, during the time he spends in this section.

The rest of the year, the captain spends with his six children, who are scattered from Greenville, Ky., to Richmond, Va. The greater part of the six months out of the mountains is spent with his son, who lives in Norfolk. When his longing for the old life on the coast of North Carolina gets too much for him, he visits his brother down in Manteo.

“I’ll be coming to Lake Junaluska to run the ‘Cherokee’ as long as I live,” said the captain. “I feel more at home here than most any place now.”

Footnote: We, my genealogical cousins and I, have been unable to find any record of John Senior being a POW, but that does not mean he was not one. It could have been an overnight stay in jail, or he had to pay a fine, or he was part of the prisoner exchange.

Read my blog to discover the incredible story of Captain Wescott and uncover the fascinating details about this remarkable man!

James Lide Coker: From Civil War to Corporate Success

Born in 1837, James Lide Coker, my 5th cousin, 4x removed.

Photo found at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12291661/james-lide-coker

The company he founded is called Sonoco today, a global provider of packaging products and services. (Not to be confused with Sunoco) He also founded Coker University (which was Welsh Neck High School, then the Coker College for Women, now Coker University).

Wouldn’t he be proud to know that his 5th cousin, 2x removed, Jeanne Wescott (my grandfather’s sister), attended Coker College in 1943? (Jeanne’s grandmother and James were 5th cousins.)

Just a year after he married his wife, the Civil War began and James fought in the Ninth South Carolina Infantry. He rose to the rank of major before getting hurt at Lookout Mountain, Georgia, shattering his leg in 1863. In that battle, he was captured by Union troops. He was released after 10 months.

From the fields of Hartsville, SC to the battlefields of Chickamauga, his journey transformed agriculture and education, leaving a legacy that shaped industries and communities alike.

Watch the video to witness the extraordinary life of James who wore many hats—farmer, soldier, and industrialist—who, despite the scars of war, cultivated a legacy of innovation and education that endures to this day.

In 2002, he was inducted into South Carolina’s Hall of Fame. CHStoday

“He was able to hire so many people in desperate straits after the war that he just uplifted the progress of everybody, black and white, urban or rural. He also was a leader in racial and social progress,”
Dr. Will Joslin (his great-grandson) said.

The Cofer Family’s Antebellum Roots Revealed

Minnie Baylor Cofer’s roots trace back to her parents, Robert Emmett Cofer and Martha Ann Davis—my third great-grandparents. While much of their story comes from scattered records and family notes, they were both born in Virginia and married at 23 in Norfolk.

Martha Ann Davis: A Life of Privilege and Transition

Martha was the third of eleven children, coming of age during the tumultuous Civil War era. By 1863, President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and battles like Chancellorsville raged nearby. Martha’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Cofer Reed, recalled stories of her grandmother’s privileged upbringing: a private finishing school education, her own carriage with two horses, and never dressing herself until adulthood. Despite this sheltered life, Martha later worked as a professional nurse, as listed in the 1900 census at age 59—quite an accomplishment for a woman of her time.

Martha lived until 78, passing away from heart disease, and was laid to rest beside her husband in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk City, Virginia.

Robert Emmett Cofer: A Skilled Tradesman

Robert was one of ten children, later gaining four half-siblings after his father remarried. Growing up in Surry County, Virginia, Robert learned the craft of carriage making as a teenager, later becoming a wheelwright—a trade that was invaluable to the Confederate Army.¹ After 43 years of marriage, Robert succumbed to dysentery at 67.

The Cofer Family’s Antebellum Roots

Robert’s father, Isaac Cofer, owned a plantation in Surry County with a fluctuating number of enslaved individuals, peaking at fifteen by 1860. Following the Civil War, Isaac filed a claim for the loss of his enslaved worker, John, highlighting the entanglement of family history with America’s dark past.

Page 3 – Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-65 01 Jul 1864 https://www.fold3.com/image/30646096?xid=1945

Isaac’s wealth diminished significantly by 1870, and he passed away a few years later. His second marriage to Sarah Jones (possibly related to his first wife, Mary C. Jones) adds another layer to the family tree puzzle.

Isaac’s father, Reverend Joseph Cofer, was a Baptist minister and a patriarch of thirteen children. His first wife, Jerusha Lancaster, died young, leaving behind ten children, while his second wife, Martha Wrenn, added three more. Joseph’s plantation was substantial, with 25 enslaved individuals and connections to significant events like the crafting of samplers commemorating family deaths.

Innovations and Legacy

Isaac’s half-brother, Thomas Wrenn Cofer, stands out for his inventive spirit. During the Civil War, Thomas patented the Cofer revolver, a weapon used by the Confederate Army. ²Today, these rare firearms fetch thousands of dollars and are a testament to the family’s historical imprint.

Tracing Back to England

The Cofer line extends to John Coker, who arrived in America in 1635 aboard the Plain Joan.³ He earned his land through the headright system and eventually settled in Surry County, Virginia.⁴ Records tie the family to influential figures, including Richard Bennett Jr., and suggest English origins in Dorsetshire.

The video below shows an old grist mill owned by the Wrenn family, which stood on Route 677, north of Smithfield. The video is made from scans of a roll of medium format film taken in the late 1960s with a Yashica Model “D” camera. The mill was demolished in 1989 after a pickup went off the road and crashed into it.⁵

The below article was something I found in my research while writing this blog. A person from my Isle of Wight Facebook page owns the book and supplied the missing page 90 in order for me to complete my notes.

The book title is In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition
By Kimberly Smith Ivey

Southampton, Surry, and Isle of Wight Counties
Unity A. Delk and Elizabeth M. Cofer worked almost identical samplers to honor the deaths of their respective parents, Wiley Jones Delk and Jerusha Lancaster Cofer (figs. 123 and 124). An earlier sampler, which was worked by Unity’s older sister, Martha, is not shown here, commemorating their father’s death. In 1824, four years after the death of Wiley Delk, his widow, Martha Wren Delk, of Southampton County, married Joseph Cofer, a Baptist minister from the Isle of Wight and Surry Counties. One year earlier, Joseph’s first wife,

Samplers Delk and Cofer — **Figure 123 – Sampler by Unity A. Delk, dated Sept. 5, 1834;**
**attributed to Isle of Wight County, Virginia.**
**Figure 124 – Sampler by Elisabeth M. Cofer, age sixteen, dated 1834,**
**attributed to Isle of Wight County, Virginia.**

I discovered this information on the Colonial Williamsburg website about a sampler created by Elizabeth M. Cofer, which includes the exact date of Jerusha’s death.⁶ It would be wonderful to have this, and I am thrilled to have found it! The sampler was passed down in the family to Mary Wrenn Cofer Ballard and was donated to Colonial Williamsburg by her husband, Mr. L. W. Ballard.

A Living History

The Cofer legacy is a tapestry of privilege, hardship, and resilience. From Martha’s cherished stories to the craftsmanship of Robert and Thomas, every thread connects to the broader narrative of Virginia’s history. Artifacts like Elizabeth M. Cofer’s 1834 sampler—now at Colonial Williamsburg—offer tangible links to these ancestors, reminding us of the enduring impact of their lives.

“Historic Trade: Cooper & Wheelwright” http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/locations/wheelwright/. ↩︎
Black, Daryl. “10 Facts: Confederate Manufacturing” American Battlefield Trust, http://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-confederate-manufacturing. Accessed 2024. ↩︎
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8) ↩︎
“Southside Virginia Families” Google Books, http://www.google.com/books/edition/Southside_Virginia_Families/a7tx6lhj-CkC?q=Nancy+Abraham+Jones,+Isle+of+Wight+Virginia&gbpv=1&bsq=headright. A ↩︎
YouTube, youtu.be/fUixvmtnfXs?si=h-7cFxlt93oSqfDj. ↩︎
“Sampler by Elizabeth M. Cofer” emuseum.history.org/objects/49200/sampler-by-elizabeth-m-cofer;jsessionid=AA0F539A77F4C2FD5579DE424B4775AA. ↩︎

While the majority of the writing is my own, I used ChatGPT to help with some minor formatting and edits.

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The Story of Mathias J. Chapman: A Civil War Soldier and ‘Rebel Deserter’

Browsing the homepage of my Ancestry database reveals upcoming birthdays and anniversaries, including both marriages and deaths. August 3rd was the anniversary of my 3rd great-grandfather, Mathias J. Chapman, passing away on my mother’s side. As I reviewed his details, I realized I had very little information and couldn’t recall the last time I had researched about him.

As I reviewed my information to verify its accuracy, something caught my attention. First, he had served in the Civil War, and second, he had been incarcerated as a “rebel deserter.” His imprisonment took place at Fort Mifflin in Pennsylvania. ¹ I knew I had to dig into this further!

Peggy Seymour possesses a family bible that indicates Mathias was born approximately in 1841 in Spotsylvania, Virginia, to Herman and Ann Chapman. (Peggy and Barbara are the daughters of Ellen Seymour, who is my great-grandmother’s first cousin on her father’s side.) Mathias married Sarah J. Crutchfield in Goochland, Virginia, on January 4, 1861, at the age of 19. The bible also notes that Mathias and Sarah had a child in 1862, but unfortunately, the baby passed away the same year.²

Mathias joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War on August 29, 1861. Historical records indicate that he had a fair complexion, blue eyes, and sandy hair. He stood 5 feet 9 inches tall. According to NARA records, he completed his service in October 1862 and transferred to the Virginia King William Light Artillery Battery. He mustered out again on December 15, 1862, and once more on January 15, 1863. On June 20, 1863, he was categorized as a “rebel deserter” and was imprisoned at Fort Mifflin until his release on November 17, 1863.

The NARA has “Descriptive Book of Arrested Deserters” ledgers, but the one he would be in is not online. I am waiting for the NARA to get back to me with their information on him. These books usually have descriptive information, so I hope they tell me more.

Update 6 Sep 2024: From the NARA via email:

The National Archives does not have Confederate pension files in our custody. Pensions based on military service in the Confederate States of America were authorized by some Southern states, but not by the federal government. To see if a former Confederate or his widow received a pension, contact the state archives of the former Confederate state where the veteran or his widow lived after the Civil War.

Confederate records that are in the custody of the National Archives are located in Record Group 109 War Department Collection of Confederate Records. These records are incomplete, due to the hazards of war and the destruction of records at the end of the Civil War. RG 109 consists of records that were captured by, or surrendered to, Union forces during and at the end of the Civil War, as well as records that were later donated to, or purchased by, the U.S. War Department.

Fort Mifflin held three kinds of prisoners: Confederate prisoners of war, Union soldiers, and civilians. The prisoners were held in the Fort’s three largest casemates or bombproof shelters.

The same gentleman who emailed me also sent me his Oath of Allegiance.

The oath of allegiance probably refers to a list of prisoners in Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania, who signed a document indicating that they had taken the oath of allegiance. This document is located in RG 109 Entry 199 Records of Confederates in Union Prisons, under Pennsylvania. Although the National Archives is not appropriated to provide free copies of records in our holdings, because the number of pages involved is small and because the series is not available on microfilm or in digital form, we have made a one-time exception. A complimentary scan of the endorsement page and of the page where Chapman signed his name is attached.

In July 1863, Fort Mifflin started to accommodate Confederate prisoners of war taken during the Battle of Gettysburg, which occurred from July 1 to July 3. At its highest occupancy, the fort held up to 216 Confederate POWs in its largest casemate. Their time at Fort Mifflin was short-lived, as many were eventually moved to larger facilities like Fort Delaware, or they were released after pledging allegiance to the United States. ³

By: Seth Eastman – http://www.history.army.mil/html/artphoto/pripos/eastman.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125473364

According to the records, Mathias’s desertion coincided with the birth of their child. The family Bible also notes that his wife, Sarah passed away in 1863.

While Mathias was stationed at Fort Mifflin, a significant skirmish took place in Hagerstown, Maryland. Already an important center for trade and transportation, Hagerstown would later be instrumental during the Civil War. In July 1863, while Mathias was still imprisoned, Hagerstown played a key role in the Confederate army’s retreat from Gettysburg. Following the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee and his troops aimed to cross the Potomac River into Virginia. Union cavalry, led by General H. Judson Kilpatrick, attempted to intercept the Confederate forces and engaged them in Hagerstown. Lee had established a garrison in the area to protect their rear. The subsequent Battle of Hagerstown lasted seven hours, involved around 2,000 soldiers, and resulted in close to 200 casualties.⁴ Interestingly, being labeled a ‘rebel deserter’ and becoming a POW may have ultimately saved Mathias’s life.

My great-grandmother’s notes indicate that he served as a drummer boy during the Civil War, but there are no documents to support this claim. They only show that he was part of Light Artillery units, although it’s possible he served in both roles.

One year after his release from Fort Mifflin, he married my third great-grandmother, Mary Isadore Burns, in Hagerstown, Maryland, just over the border from Pennsylvania. Their wedding took place at Saint Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church (now John Wesley United Methodist Church) and was officiated by Rev. George W. Heyde. ⁵ Mathias worked as a brick mason, and they welcomed three sons while living in Pennsylvania. In 1872, the family moved to Virginia, where they had three more sons and one daughter.

By 1896, Mathias was serving as the superintendent of Cedar Grove, Elmwood, and West Point cemeteries, and he was later elected as the “Keeper of the Cemeteries.”

In 1894, he was elected to his present office, and he has fulfilled his duties in an able manner that leaves no room for criticism. Under his supervision, great changes have taken place. Under his care, great attention has been given to the cemetery grounds, and they have been kept neat and beautiful, a fact that is appreciated by all those who have loved ones there entombed. Mr. Chapman is well in touch with his fellowmen and is a member of K of P Lodge No. 56. Vandalia Lodge No. 57. I. O. O. F. No. 79, Orinoco Tribe, I. O. Red Men; Palestine Tent No. 40, Rechabites, and Friendship Council No. 4. Chosen Friends. He has intelligent plans for the further improvement of the cemeteries, and his past efforts for the public good should entitle him to a continuance in the office. All of the property in his care is well kept, and a special improvement is noted in the West Point Cemetery. When he went into office, he found that place overgrown with weeds and the branches choked with underbrush. The weeds have been removed, the underbrush cut away, and the cemetery is now a neat, well-kept, and slightly place, that is a credit to Norfolk.⁶—

Mathias passed away from a stroke at 11:00 a.m. on August 3, 1898, at the age of 56, in Norfolk, Virginia.⁷