anniversary guys. thank you, thank you. what is the two-year anniversary gift? why surely get each other? beer, that sounds good, beer works. joe anne marie and i have been traveling around to different or reason wineries and other establishments throughout the area telling stories of local history the the wild than usual the interesting, stories that slippeduat through the cracks wn it comes to talking about our local history. ltonight is kind of a special program because we are here at and historic site not to bury. >> my name is joseph rizzo i'm the executive dr. of the t lowdn museum and it's always i'm joined by travis shaw who is the director of education and the best dresser of the group. and the c-span crew complimented him on his shirt and his hair on his way in. the crew is one person. >> that is accurate. that is accurate. >> it wasn't the crew, it was one person. >> that is accurate. there'll be 150 people by the time the story is over and i'm joined by anne marie chrieleisone the executive director of the lowden arm museum. [applause] >> i was going to say no one has said i look cool yet but it's fine. >> her husbandet is in the front row. mike you've got to step up. since this is her second annual fund-raiser we had to bring in the big guns to celebrate in our special guest b for tonight is dana shoaf editor of civil war times. [applause] >> i'm a little terrified because i haven't been out of the house much. >> you look like it. you look at. i can never compete with travis' hair and i thought i should grow myself a little bit before it came down here so i grabbed this little raiser for my beard and i made it once around in the battery ran out.fo [laughter] i'm think limeade when circuit because of i only got halfway across it would have been even worse. i tried to hang in there against the silver fox. i do what i can. it's nice to meet you all and as was said i also work as the editor for civil war trails in tmy free time. [applause] it's a real pleasure to be here. i've never been here before and this is a beautiful, beautiful place. >> if you want to see the evolution of travis' here we have the youtube channel that has a lot of original history on tap that you can see it grow throughout the pandemic. one way to spend the time when you're all stuck at home. how this works as we wage tell a prshort story about local histoy particularly civil war history since we are at historic as harrison halted because they are they are recovered there what to say a big thank you tohi alexanr danko to own this beautiful property for the program tonight. [applause] and would like to thank dynasty brewing located in downtown leesburg and ashton for the beer that were having tonight and i will give a special shout out to the lowden museum al available throughout the month of october. in partnership with them proceeds benefit the museum can benefit you because it's of the great bear to have it available tonight and it's available all month at dynastyis brewing. i'm going to tell a short story that looks at political prisoners from lowden county during the civil war. travis what are you going to talk about tonight? >> i'm also drink in the al. it's delicious. i'm going to tell a story of a local soldier during the civil war and kind of his run of luck both good and bad to the civil war that puts him in interesting circumstances. >> i'm going to tell the story of a union soldier who became an accidental tourist and was admiring the view when he ran afoul of the well-known confederate gorilla. >> drinking? >> i'm drinking the dynasty logger which is amazing. it's really good. this is my third one. [laughter] >> i'm also having the dynasty logger now be kicking off the program tonight talking a little bit about harrison and paul for some of the stories is well-known however i hope the purpose of my story will be new to those of you who are familiar with harrison hall and have new bits includes. to begin harrison hall also known as the glenn vintage house has its origins in the last part of the 18th century that is you are looking at the 1 house w there's a portion on the far right that is about 1.5 to two stories hauled -- tall and that dates to 1780 when leesburg was just being built up in is the visiting person said was a badly built a ramshackle town prefer one that you can ask him as well. harrison hall had a relatively humble beginning. by the 1830s a gentleman by the name of henry tassel harrison moved in to this property with his second wife mary jones harrison and is he who added on the addition we see tonight. this italian structure we see here and the second of the two outbuildings behind it g and the land that wereco sitting curreny on on our chairs and a block behind you. he built the house ostensibly so he and his growing family could fit into less cramped quarters because they did have the children and it's not that easy to fit a children into and two adults into the far right portion of the building that you see here so they must have been a little bit more comfortable having the largest state available to them. they also have workers living in a household with them as well as working on their properties. henry caswell harrison was a member of the prominent harrison family of virginia and hise wife mary was not only a jones, her father was a prominent attorney. she also is the granddaughter of charlesm lee. henry did pretty well for himself marrying into the jones in the lee family's and with their eight children they have a very merry household. unfortunate for them there's a civil war that happens. i think you've probably heard of it. henry finds his family is divided along these war lines. his wife sam with the joneses live in washington d.c. in and while certain members of their family or pro secession and pro virginia there others including her own father who are pro-union and counts a session is a double treason not just against united states. also against the whole state of virginia. some of theirse family members e going to leave d.c. to stay here at harrison hall with the family during the war. with their housing watch in d.c. they can live more freely here in lowden and they made be thinking they can get away from the b. away from the war. unfortunately the war comes to to leesburg in the fall of 1861. the country has already seen one large battle in the first battle of manassas and little do they nail felt that it's come creeping back. during that time the union encampment on our side of the river andh encampment in virgina on the leesburg side are poking at each other. the war had just help again. they are very good as surveilling each other and they aren't very good at knowing who is in charge at any given time so you see a lot ofly cross lins fand kernels doing things that they should without telling their officers and just kind of sneaking around badly. everyone is stumbling in the dark a little bit atde this poi. it's only a matter of time before someone stumbles into the wrong place. earn entered colonel bevans from the union side. he sent to serve ale to recon what he thinks is in a camp meant of confederate soldiers here but it turns out they are treason not in encampment. >> it's early in the war. >> it'swa early in the war in i don't know if trees are like tents. >> how many times have you've been on a the nighttime surveilled? >> i don't want to know. >> at least it's over surveilled. >> that's a good point. so what was meant to be a recognizance mission bubbles up into this battle or as i wrote down earlier today a recon law. okay that was bad. anyways these union infantry troops are going across i the potomac river are they only have a couple t of small skips to thr names so they are trying to move hundreds of men across the river with 20 men at a time. it's slow going but it's a great idea. by the time they get to the top of the bluffs on the other side of the potomac date end up being met by confederate troops surprise, surprise. among these virginians that we see on the fields just up on the bluffs we also have a number of troops in the deep south who have h been in loudoun county around leesburg and the started to make leesburg their humpy these individuals haveop become part of the society here in leesburg and in fact some of them are frequent guests of the harrison tear at harrison hall. one of the more popular gentleman who comes visiting is a colonel who is a colonel of mississippi. he's as doctor. heo is so wife in a kids of his own back there as i think coming to leesburg and meeting the harrison to also have a kids and are also well-to-do southern family, and should they had a lot in common. colonel burke makes a special friendship with the young virginia miller at the knees of harrison's is from washington d.c.. she's about 19 or 20 years old and she is staying at harrison hall and meets colonel burke. according to regina they had a close relationship and close to what you would think of as siblings like a familial of affection for each other. i think he's probably thinking about the harrison's and the other white people when leesburg when he is there outside of the potomac river really. things in the morning of october 1, not going to replay the battle, full disclosure i'm not a civil warer or military historian to what i can tell you is the end result of the battle are pretty clear. as they are going across the field they are being guided by a maryland are. a maryland or who is a virginian and that is mr. elijah white. right now he's acting as a scout for the confederate army and he is actually riding on colonel burke's right-hand directing him in this battle. the 18th mississippi is moving forward in colonel burke is at the back of the regiment and he remarks colonel burke is moving forward and he did not know that ahead the field was clear and there was a patch of wet and then the ground dropped often where the wooded patch was where the ground dropped was just enough cover for the 15th massachusetts to be laying in wait and he came within 100 yards of that unit would nice ring up and fired. no other bali fired as directly overhead is deadly and impact as it did that volley. throughout the rest of his support career he said that wash the deadliest volley he had ever seen. immediately, we are talking haabout decimating the 18th mississippi, it was one out of three or one out of every two soldiers taken out by this volley from the 15th mass. they were just shredded and one of those bullets came right at him injuring his right hipip shattering the bone and staying lodged inside of his body. this is terrific. this is very bad news and what does he do? as if it's everyday conversation he says you need to tell colonel jennifer that i. >> something has come up. i've got to go. >> something just happened and that's credit to dr. birx being a doctor and being an officer tries to remain calm. he leaves the field and from that point the battle and the war are over for colonel burke. for the rest of them to sum things up the confederate soldiers push all the union soldiers down the block down into the river and a large number of union soldiers were drowned. on each side there were 1700 soldiersor to begin with. 1000 casualties were suffered by the union army. so again i'm not a military historian. that's not good. >> that's pretty bad, not great. >> as i said colonel burke at this point is taken away from the battlefield and is brought back here to this house to harrison hall in the ambulance and they lay him down in the front hall on a stretcher. this man has just been shot and not even shot through. the bullet is lodged somewhere in his hip. he's bleeding profusely and blood is pulling onto the wooden floor beneath him. but he's not alone in that house. remember there are at least a dozen kids of some kind at harrison hall at some time as well as family members and who it is colonel work make eye contact with across the hall. the young virginia miller who he has befriended in this house and she writes the soldiers that were with him or trying to find a doctor and trying to prepare a bed upstairs and there was no one there with colonel irk so virginia miller rises to his side and takes his hand. there's nothing else she can do for him. she can take his hand. eventually after some time their space made upstairs for him. he is taken upstairs and made as comfortable as can be made for him and surprising a lot of people colonel burke hangs in there. a day passes and then another day passes. virginia helps him write a letter to his wife back in mississippi. they have small charming insignificant conversations i ae for five days colonel burke lingers in this house behind me. as you are looking at it it's the second story and i believe it is the second window from the right as you are looking at it, that bedroom is where colonel burke played for his final hours. eventually he does pass away from his wounds and he's accompanied by friends that he has made here in virginia. this death affects virginia miller greatly and in fact it affects many people across the south greatly. false bluff if it'd happen later in the war it would have barely been a skirmish. we are talking handfuls of men when you compare to bigger battles like antietam or right now in 1861 it's literally the biggest thing that happened so it does make a big difference and it impacts the lives of the people at loudon. there's a funeral procession taking his body to the train station and the regimentalo band plays and there's another parade taking his body home to his wife and children. his death leaves his family and it tight spot. the youngest of the sons of the family didn't have a lot of resources so there isn't even a headstone on his grave for 50 years afterg he dies.s. that doesn't mean that he was forgotten. in fact virginia miller capped carrying him in her memory and she wasn't the only one either. there were some interesting little pieces as we go forward in the war that make one think that his memory stayed alive. for example in 1864 there was a william henry luce who was imprisoned on johnston island and he wrote to a friend of his. william henry luce at that time was the lieutenant colonel of the 18th mississippi and he was serving in that role at the battle of gettysburg when he was captured. here when he's in prison he's writing to friends and at that time virginia miller is back in washington d.c. and she might be a lesson in him some aid or at least commiserate to his existence as it is. apparently they have been writing back and forth a couple of times. here in september of 1864 he writes to virginia saying something a little interesting and a little specific. september 21 to send this letter and its october 21 when colonel vert had received his wound. h first he writes and a lot of people say this in the victoriat era basically saying why don't you write me more? lieutenant colonel luce vasey cle says you should write to me at war. he also goes on to say i had never thought to tell you that i have a charming boy at home now more than two years old and married the same name as their lamented friend colonel vert. i shall be proud if you make such a man is he. i have not seen him in two years. else is naming their son after him.aming their son it's k a workable name. their other names that are so good. >> easy to remember. >> it wasn't just virginia miller that remembered b him although virginia miller what we know about her interactions with colonel bird as she did keep it in the diary entry she wrote were written when the battle happened. instead were written as the wreck perspective a year later. the diary entries that we do have from her they cover late 1861 to 1862 and she's just sure to make the point of what i remember about ball's bluff and ei at about colonel burt. about colonel they were hidden. where were they found? in the attic of harrison hall. wait, there's more. residents of leesburg will tell you that harrison hall has a number of goes and some suggest that there a:sender 9:'s and i'm not sure what the difference is. i have heard through the grapevine that there is a certain presence that is believed to be colonel burt and he's a daytime ghost and he is a nice guy. and one of the encounters that some individuals believe is a nod to her hint at colonel burt is the bed in the room where he died sometimes you will walk in the room and there'll be a distinct shape of a body lying in the bed that was not there before. it is very. harrison hall and the greater civil war history is often overshadowed by the bigger events whether it is the bigger battle that had tens of thousands of casualties instead of the ball's bluff poultry 1100 orff in september of 1862 robert e. lee and the generals visited this house pushing off other memories of officers that had been here. nevertheless those individuals both great and small made an impact here at harrison hall and perhaps they can still be felt today. [applause] >> did you add h that last bit because its october? >> its october and you can hear more about that at the library museum's haunting stores. >> on sale now. >> and i'm getting a cut, right joe? i'm going to pass things over to danahi here to continue our civl war stories. >> i'm going to need your help at some point. i think it may be a theme tonight. remember that name. he went down along the bluffs and below the plots at ball's bluff and captured a number of federal soldiers. he really use that, those exploits that made a name for himself and he's going to raise the unit out of loudon county. i'm going to talk about an encounter union soldier has with him that he recorded in his diary in that unions soldiers a man named john nevin and mike if he could start passing that around. you can get a look at their union man of the hour. the map on the back it is not real great but it's fun to look at. >> pennsylvania is never fun to look at. >> come on. i'mm from western pennsylvania and actually that segues nicely travis because years ago and i'm talking long time, i was waiting for a friend of mine to get off work at the regional history center in pittsburgh so i had some time on my hands and i went up and spoke -- look at the par catalog and i saw an entry of the gettysburg campaign accounts. i got those accounts, i got his diarieser photocopied and i've done a lot with john nevin were no name in a way produced on a major general or anything. interesting stories that come out of his store and to give you a bit of brief background on him when the civil war began he was a 28-year-old teacher and swiftly pennsylvania. if you are familiar with pittsburgh and now you've got the monotony hill river coming from the south and the allegheny from the north to form a point which is where the all ohio rivers form. slickly is just beyond the ohio river from pittsburgh as you're heading south. >> is this where you need the map? >> where is it in relation to three rivers stadium? >> it's out of three rivers stadium. no longer there travis. you are dating yourself. he will enlist in the 28 pennsylvania is a second lieutenant and like i said he was 28 years old and the 28 is commanded by colonel john white geary. geary is a six-foot six-inch tall guy and he's in leesburg at the courthouse and he is going to command the 28 early in the war. the 28th was raised from both sides of the state of pennsylvania the east and the west so it had soldiers from the philadelphia area in the pittsburgh area. it's going to muster in philadelphia and it's a huge regiment. for some reason it ended up with 13 of 15 companies instead of the usual 10. there's a little bit of a local tie-in becausese the regiment is ordered to plymouth rock after the first battle battle of manassas and as an murray was saying they willto get involvedn one of these poking prodding things because in late february they are going to put together commanded by geary a task force that will move into loudon county. before that happens though they get rid of some of these surplus guys and some of them joined pennsylvania battles and if you've ever seen photographs of antietam there's o a famous picture of naps battery. they will be taken out into the 147th pennsylvania. this is a rabbit trail to the what i find interesting these three units had three units together after the war because of one regiment. if you go to many battlefields there's a 28 p8 the hundred and 47th va very close together. across the river they are dividing this regiment up on the front lines. the 28 will be ordered as they said to make this movement just before they do that they march down the harpers ferry. i'm going to give you a microphone if i may. i'll see if i can drop all these papers. what i want to do and if you don't mind holding that. a well-educated young man a teacher as i said and he keeps a diary of his experiences throughout the war. persons that were missing and i'd really like to do more with it. one of the diaries is not available. b .. what's going on in their defenses again very early in 1862. when this movement is ordered he is sick. he's laying in bed and harper's ferry he watches his harper's ferry he watches his march out of her purse effect upon a pontoon bridge but i think it's actually short hill is very vaxed by this i watch the thin blue line disappear until it reached the mountain and disappeared into the goal when street forest. and then the next day they decides it might be id doesn't want to miss the war, he hauled himself out of bed and follows his regiment and catch up with them. so what's in his tire after he says this? he is climbing up short hill and he says, i continue to ascend the mountain afterre frequently i've reached the summit can go back down to the valley i beyond. i did not take long to realize because i thought it rained for a little army though he cannot see his comrades in the tree cover is lessened. he cannot see his friends. but no, not the sign was there that passed just from the valley had people in skilled the bright warm sunshine that are no certain i had for some time suspected i had lost my weight. yet i felt little concernon we'd not met any of the enemies of his red cross in two days before he talked about crossing harper's ferry. now stretch like a thread across the potomac. extended far beyond the spot where i stood. the valley and the detachment was going into i could look back into the other thin black threads marching in. i sat down on a large rock to rest for a few moments and consider what to do. i think this is a famous brothers rock that's on short hill did not interview. many of you have had the similar review have climbed up at harpers ferry you canig imagine this scene crawling with union soldiers. you can see all of this activity. how glorious it did seem to me the sublimity to the natural beauty of the scene. the army was still marching into the town during with it what destinies what consequences to reach the enemy. even at this moment the bright sunlight as it crosses the black thread of a bridge were the narrow strains of its band rightly fills the air. it's pretty descriptive. there's a lot of romance here. i continued on describing this and all of the pretty girls he continues what adventures may not go through now? then on to richmond. things changed abruptly lament another, all around me as i and some course great overcoats with approached me. i looked in vain for an outlet but there is no escape they closed in on me with all sides and asked pointing 40 guns at my breasts called me too surrender. so it should arrive less time writing poetry more time paying attention. [laughter] i looked around for their captain and his seat stepped forward i said i am your prisoner. that is obvious. he got that right. [laughter] instead of immediately answer him he drew his apostle on trout postal slowly aimed at my head. i am in the habit of treating my prisoners kindly and they wish to do the same by you. but it sure is there is a god in heaven if you do not tell me the truth aboutut your army i will blow your damn yankee brains out at this moment. hopefully not giving away too much as is the introduction to a leisure white. white is partisan whose author is because of exploits nearing the men so they are shadowing up on the bluff watching what was going on he has been captured and continues to write it's a sensation on phil's 6 inches of your eyes i experience the curious feeling i had a consciousness of a little circle about a half an inch in diameter. that particular spot was suddenly w endowed kind of a bit bit much isn't he? >> i want to hear about the maryland girls. >> he is looking back at the threatening faces around me as he says the ludicrous falling off my magnificent steed. we don't say it? so says i was frightened but thank god i did not the rebels know it. i knew he was afraid. [laughter] has by now had a smile on my face according to symbolized custom i don't believe you will shoot me i think there's too much discipline among you to allow any of you to shoot a prisoner. i realize there is seldom known he's hoping they don't shoot him. offender james is going on a shot rings out. find out one of their fellow men had excellent discharge a pistol. so they decide white besides we better get out of here. they tried to get to walk along but he is sick. hatred of the utmost kindness. i was considerably jaded by a long ride they must've put them on behind the saddle said he must've been writing behind the calvary. is it white ordered an to dismount and give me his horse. so white then comes next to him and w his writing and then taking them to interrogate him. white entered into a long rambling discourse about himself, his exploits the last ditch of the everglades of virginia where they weregi all going to go die if the wart went poorly. what does work is going to go into the everglades of the war goes against us. like setting this guy knows a long rambling discourse if he sees one. [laughter] [laughter] they felt bad and they gave me a horse the captain although somewhat vain that my applied to more than one person here. [laughter] i didn't put anyone else. [laughter] was a fellow in his hatred for the north and his mistaken zeal for southern rights. he then goes on in grants about how 28 pennsylvania has taken stealing everything. and then a white says, do you remember seeing in your papers last fall and account of the officer on a white charger but used to appear in front of edwards ferry look over at the unionr work. nice to fire at him with their big guns all in vain. this is whitete speaking. tapping his horse with his whip and i am the man. your papers anovas of beauregard or johnson. white is sort of boasting there. and continues notwithstanding vanity this captain was a very good officer adapted to the partisan service. we've got mosby, harriet gilmore, we had plenty of those. this is an interesting description. his men were stouthearted fellows nothing military in their was a heavy great overcoats with which they will provide. they're armed with guns of every description with a double barrel shotgun. two or three of them only had favors for the captain with good humor told me they were going to get better arms from the yankees. and to practically illustrate the manner he clearly buckled onto himself my sword and taking out my revolver admiring and telling me how glad he was to get h it. so he took his gun. he goes on here for a while once with captain white and his partisan rangers. so thank you. have that private experience with a leisure white. what i think happened is and to continued the story's interrogated by taking to centerville then he was sent to libby prison in richmond. eventually he is transferred to saulsberry when forces get too close during the peninsula campaign and he will be paroled. now. what i think happened is he went home and wrote this. i've been calling it a diary i think this is in his mind does not mention white's name to the very end. but what happened to him in the recollection it went on and i won't go into all the details he will be paroled go back home for an artillery battery. he will raise this independent battery age are to be sent to washington for training and then get in trouble with his commanding officer. never get in trouble with the guy by that name. there is a document this guy's incompetence for a diary that if he does not resign i'm going to court-martial. he resigned. he first don't succeed try again. and the picture going around you see them as the major of pennsylvania. he will command that regiment in the battle of gettysburg. he will b leave that regiment because he has an alcoholt problem. again i could talk about this at more length. and that 93rd regiment in history is pretty much admitted from it. i think he is an outsider for western pennsylvania at this time. they just do not want to acknowledge they have a problem with their colonel. so they just sort of ignored him. even though he is really good service gets his act together. it's interesting's activity here related to white and the one union soldier. i have one other thing should i wait on that or talk about the other documents i have now? >> i don't know why you're looking at me. [laughter] let's do it. >> let's also have a quick toast is that like the guy in shrek? [laughter] d from asking questions here. i got my papers on the except of course because here wey go. from the past these documents are out to a think they are really cool. what you are going to see here there are three documents. come on up mike thank you. let's hear from mike. >> thank you mike. so these documents are related to loudoun county as well. the three small documents and one larger one that i purchased these online from a dealer there's an envelope who lived from 1836 to 1916. we are nicknamed your pets apnea? that would be ar good name for a hamster. >> father's pass also might these documents concerning a trip that a set that lived from 1802 to 1857 and his daughter made to baltimore in early february 1863. ace owned a sawmill between goose creek and circleville least of filaments, okay? there are two letters of very short letters from the introduction in 1853 allowing present names sound familiar? those letters are in the customs house officer in berlin, marilyn and francis cochran of baltimore. it's an uncompromising union man. asa apparently traveled by horse and carriage to the potomac river somehow made his way across the sandy hook, maryland. we just work not long ago projects were just did a facebook thing at sandyk hook. got a pass from the marshall sandyy hook allowed to go to harpers ferry where they didn't event took a train to baltimore. the last large document is a letter of introduction 1863 to introduce him to major general robert shank commander of the naval department those headquartered in baltimore. like the big administrative departmentnt for baltimore and so this isn't going to sound great for shank but his mental pushing general. they sent to baltimore businessmen greece married that is why the probably went to his house after the introduction. unfortunately don't know the nature of the visit. the union's are probably having issues trying get help out of baltimore. we are talking beforehand the border is abstract. how many guys from loudoun county go over and fight with the potomac home brigade and there's quite a few marylanders that cross over fight with a leisure white. and of course white ends up going on he survives the war, and afterht the war he will by the fair name white ferry which is now closed. >> also founded the bank in town. >> there you go. >> is just north of your union cemetery. he is a maryland her. never forget. got some that come over our confederate though. that's my little vignette about loudoun county. might have to make it there heckling to tell you the story. [applause] >> i was a maryland her. before i begin i do want to apologize you are my favorite western pennsylvanian. i'm the only one he knows. [laughter] it's okay. actually that was a really great segue to the story i am going to tell because dana did mention there are a majority of people here in the loudoun county in 1861 are going to support secession are going to support the confederate because there is still a sizable minority of people who are going to cross the river her going to support the united states army during the civil war. what i am going today is take a briefak look at what i think is one of the more compelling people too serve in the united states army from loudoun county. that is a man name luther slater. his luck is not always good. but, what i find so interesting about him is that lot, whether good or bad seems to put him into interesting circumstances during the civil war. he's going to find himself at the center of a lot of really incredible c experiences over the course of the civil war. so slater is born in 1841 is born just outside of levitz ville a few miles northwest of usus here. and encase you could not tell from his name, he is eight lutheran. he is part of this a german migration comes to northern loudoun county different pennsylvania and western maryland. in fact, to this date some people still refer to levitt seville as the german settlement for this reason. what this migration is going to do is it's going to give this part of loudoun county and very different culture than the rest of the county. in thehe northwestern part of the county levitt seville, on down to goose creek, to rdwaterford you're going to have a lot of german immigrants, a lot of quakers, a lot of people coming from pennsylvania and maryland. the economic ties are to the north the family ties were tort the north. that is going to set them apart from the neighbors in the eastern and southern parts loudoun county these are parts of loudoun county that are largely settled by english planters from the eastern parts of virginia. they are going to bring with them plantation agriculture. they're going to bring with them a reliance on enslaved labor. these differences are going to play out in a very deadly way in the american civil war. slater as a young man is a stereotypical hard-working very highest industrial german family. as a young man he's going to decide he wants to go into a career in the clergy. thank you, thank you soo much. [laughter] he's going to look towards a career in the clergy's going to attend a seminary school in salem, virginia and transfer up to pennsylvania and studied to becomein a lutheran minister. of course in 1861 everybody's plans get derailed. the decision to go into the church is put on hold temporarily in 1862 is going to return to loudoun county. like many of his neighbors in loudoun county he's not going to return to the confederate army but in the federal army instead brace going to join a unit that's raised in the summer known as the loudoun independent rangers. this is the unit raised under the command of samuel who was from waterford, virginia. the idea behind the loudoun rangers of the scouts for the union armies are going to serve armies are going to as the anti- partisan troops against people like white, john mosby, they're going to help defend local union is here particularly in northwest and loudoun county. and at the tender age of 21 slater, despite any sort lack of any military experience is going to be elected first lieutenant. he is second in command and the loudoun rangers to the commander samuel mead. not word quickly spread throughout loudoun county there is a unionist calvary battalion being raised within the borders of confederate virginia. as you guys can probably imagine this is not very popular. it is particularly unpopular with a particular confederate officer with mentioned a few do you think that guy is? think that >> that his rights. at the same time is raising his own calvaryim battalion is going to be the 35th battalion of the virginia calvary. he's going to get word samuel is recruiting eight unionist calvary a unit here in virginia. he's going too declare in the summer of 1862 his intention to whip sam it means. in august of 1862 is going to get that opportunity. he gets word samuel means is back in waterford. his recruiting among the unionist. he is there for a few recruits he's got 20 or so men with him. until elisha white and his battalion are going to make a sneak attack upon the loudoun rangers will there still recruiting in waterford. in the predawn hours of august 27 are going to start creeping across the fields and farms surrounding waterford and try to avoid the roads avoid any pickets that might be onke watch. and just as they're about to their trap they are challenged by a union officer outside of the waterford baptist church. that officer just happens to be young luther slater young lieutenant of the raiders. it's going to challenge these men approaching out of the cdarkness shots are going to ring out and this is the beginning of an incredibly intense firefight that occurs in the village of waterford. now samuel means the commander manages to slip out of his house and disappear into the early morning darkness. leaving slater and about 20 of his men behind for the men to fend for themselves. i am not one to comment on his leadership. this is the start of a trend with samuel if you ask me. you are laughing at this. it's not the best record you .are right. slater is going to gather the 20 or so men he has the going to fortify themselves within the waterford search. you can still go see the church today it's a fairly stout brick building. it is a very defensible position. and for the next several hours slater and his men are going to defend this place like it is the alamo. the confederates effectively surround of the building numerous times throughout the morning the confederates will demand their surrender. and at some point during this fight slater himself is wounded to praise one of many men who are hit during this firefight. he's actually shot in the head. that chess, the arm, and in the hands brick works and said this is a lucky guy lucky he got shot in the head. >> will be easier to say where he was not shot. [laughter] will i mean he's lucky because her story is not going to end herere. >> okay. >> slater is lying on the floor of the church. he is trying to command as long as he can he's literally bleeding out on the floor of the church o as the confederates quick so lucky. >> the story gets better. >> i am known for telling a downer. so eventually his men start to row in gent run low casualties on both sides. finally after the third demand forr the surrender the loudoun rangers l inside the church will lay down their arms under the condition they are allowed to be paroled rather than go to southern prisoner of war camps. i went white enters the church she sees luther slater lying on the floor bleeding out and says i am sorry to see you so dangerously woundedor lieutenants. >> are you though? [laughter] >> you did it. he sorry he didn't but he did it. >> a brother against isn't that what they say? that's a hole of thes store for whole different time. this looks like the end for all of our guys. as i said he's a fairly lucky fellow. despite everyone's predictions hett will survive the wounds he receives at the waterford oubaptist church. in fact after a few weeks he's going to be moved north to pennsylvania. they figured the safest place for him to recover is going to be the home of one of his college buddies one of the guys a gun to school before the war and so he's going to settle in, inet pennsylvania. never going to introduce a little bit of romance because twhile he is recuperating he is under the care of his friends sister molly. molly is going to be a guardian angel in the story. just literally going to nurse him back from the edge of death and helped him to recover his strength to the point in november 1862 he is able to rejoin his unit pretty comes back to the loudoun rangers. but despite all of molly's care, his old wounds are still giving him a lot of trouble. he's lost most of the use of one of his arms effectively shattered by a confederate bullet. he's going to be under a lot of duress. in february 1863 he's going to resign his commission and the loudoun rangers. it's going to return back north to pennsylvania and presumably to the waiting arms of molly who seems to be the thing that keeps himim going throughout all of this experience. he is so lucky. >> he gets lucky. >> misses on c-span. >> i'm sorry i'm sorry. >> he is lucky, he gets to go retire essentially to a quiet corner of pennsylvania where he's going to sit out the rest of the war and relative peace and harmony. or is he? >> of one of the things i have omitted from the story is a molly her family live in a little town called gettysburg. which in 1863 is not exactly the best place to go if you're trying to avoid the civil war. he is so lucky. >> lucky luther. >> so he is a guy that really can't avoid the sense of duty, the sense of patriotism. so as the confederate army crosses the mason-dixon line he's going to offer his services to the governor of pennsylvania and he's going to receive a commission in the 26th pennsylvania emergency militia. specifically in company a. one of the reasons it's so cool his company a is made up of students from gettysburg college but was the pennsylvania college and that theological seminary in gettysburg. so here you have a 22-year-old officer who has seen some experience. he's been horribly wounded in battle. >> has one functioning armor. >> literally going into battle with his arm in a sling almost a year after his wounding. leading a bunch of students who have never heard a shot fired in anger. >> what could go wrong? >> despite this, despite this he and the 26th pennsylvania going to march on that morning of june 26, 1863 they're going to take up a position on marsh creek west of gettysburg, pennsylvania to face leeza battle hardened veterans of the army of northern virginia. so i cannot even imagine was going to this guys mind he's looking out, looking to the west your sing-along calm of guys marching towards you already didid not know these are hardened veterans. and they are being escorted by a battalion of confederate calvary as they advanced to the pennsylvania countryside. now in one of those weird twists of fate luck has a weird way of popping up in his life, this confederate calvary men are members of the 35th battalion of the virginia calvary led by who? none other than a leisure white. so in some of the opening shots of the gettysburg campaign we have two men representing loudoun county one loudoun born one adapted to loudoun county opposite sides of the battlefield. now unfortunately for luther slater on luckily is what can be good it can be bad. wait a minute, wait a minute. you just gonna give me a hard time. >> always. >> his men are not going to put up the kind of fight they did back at the baptist church. the 26 pennsylvania militia effectively scattered like leaves to the wind. these confederate veterans roll over them about 175 of them are captured. their baggage is burned. escapes but this is effectively the end of his service during the american civil war. one of the reasons i love this story is just a few days later the confederate armies going to approach gettysburg for a second time. when they see guys in blue uniforms outside the town there going to figure oh this is part of the same militia guys we rolled over. what they are going to find out is that is absently not the case these are veteran calvary men with the army of the potomac backing them. i'd like to think some of that confederate overconfidence and walking back into gettysburg is due to the performance of the pennsylvania militiaf but i'm really trashing pennsylvania at this point. [laughter] so as i said this is the end of luther slater's frontline duty but he is going to remain in the united states armyd serving in the medical corps he's going to serve in the signalig court. and in the fall of 1864 he is going to finally marry molly and make an honest woman out of her. it's a beautiful love story than to get married they have a daughter soon after words. and at the end of the war this young families going to upper themselves and return here to loudoun county. and as they settle in luther's going to take up a number of positions with the local government is going to be a postmaster's going serve in a few different capacities. thisac is aware that you've already made fun of me once this is where his luck really turns and not for the best. because in 1871 for molly the love of his life is going to die shortly after the birth of their second child. she will die just six years -- seven years after they were married their young son david who was born at the time of her death will die just a few weeks later. sadly, although if you ever go to gettysburg and you visit evergreen cemetery the famous one there was ther center of the b fighting of the battle there you will see molly and her son buried there in her hometown. so it this point luther sways himself into his work parties going to move to washington d.c. and he's going to take a position with the pensions bureau. don't raise your hand if you've ever been to the national building museum in washington. one of my absolute favorite museums in the entire country iou love it it's a massive, massive brick building in washington d.c. wasn't built to house the pension department because for the first time inn american history we have hundreds of thousands of veterans who needed pensions, whose families next of s kin need some sort of payment for their service during the american civil war. and so luther slater is going to take a very important role as a clerk in the pensions office. how important? anyone is average and anything in research into a civil war soldier has benefited from his work. slater was on the team that helped develop the system of cards for compiled service records for civil war soldiers. he been trying to chase down your ancestors in military service if you've ever tried to research civil c war soldiers and military service the compiled service records are usually the first place you're going to look. i will raise a glass to luther slater for helping develop that system it's a very useful system. not just for our reach measures but certainly for the families of veterans and the veterans themselves are trying to get money for their military service after the civil war. he's also going to take on a very important leadership role in anotherpp organization. that is the military order of the royal legion of the united states because that is a mouthful. luther slater's on the founding officers the washingtonof d.c. chapter he's also one of the founding members of the lutheran church community in washington d.c. played a very important social role within the nation's capitol up until his very unexpected death in 1909. now, as kind of a eulogy i do want to share just a few words others wrote about him. now, fred ainsworth who was the general of the u.s. army was his boss at the pension bureau describes slater and says his loss to the department will be the most difficult to replace. which your boss says that about you that's prettyy nice. but much more heartfelt memorialization comes from one of the men who served alongside luther in the loudoun rangers. that was another loudoun county man in his memoirs of his service in the loudoun rangers he wrote luther slater was quite not only obeyed and respected, but loved by all. a true type of american soldier and brave as a line to very fitting tribute for locally born soldier one that serve united states army. unlike his neighbors easily commissioned officer of the to be buried in lovett seville the next time you're in the lovett seville union cemetery please stop by and pay a a little visit to our man luther slater, hear! hear!. [applause] lutheran church to taylor's town. >> slater laying he was born in w a farm he is buried right alongside slater's lane very fitting tribute. >> i do want to say i hope none of us are ever as lucky as slater. >> i don't know the guy was shot in four different places and survived the civil war. >> married a lovely pennsylvania girl. >> there is always a but. [laughter] it's curious he's not married with his wife a little bit. >> i'm glad you brought that g up. his first wife is buried in gettysburg, pennsylvania along with her family. three years after she died he did remarry. whoa. >> i'm not trying to besmirch this guy. >> only okay from the 19th century. so he remarried three years after his death and he is buried with his second wife as well as his daughter from the first marriage. >> just a little aside, trying to tear this cadaver dammit. >> no i'm not. >> don't ever call me lucky. [laughter] a little curious aside why it was a gettysburg famouses story of the army of northern virginia did not have enough calvert because sort of off doing his own thing. but white and stewart did not get along. and so they work together brandy station in june of 63 at a time the campaign really begins r in earnest is not working out so they send white off and that's how he ends up. >> ends up running into another loudoun county guy. cox and gwen handed over to you never. >> take it home for.>> >> bring us on number. >> as far story goes if you got a previous history be pretty depressing and some of his stories. [laughter] it was good. sit was good because i think it was very good atnd a loss arm and a wife. there were no plane crashes are nothing like that. >> is a lucky story. >> that's why you think it's lucky. [laughter] the story i want to tell you're going to hear some names you can probably already tell and already know loudoun county has secessionists you have both armies back h and forth. i want to talk a bit about some prisoners rethink prisoners of war you probably often think of those that get caught they also think of libby and andersonville i want to talk a bit about some people get wrapped up in war and end up in prison and or political t prisoners. want to start in early 1863 with the loudoun rangers again allowed and union regiment units. captain from waterford. when hee is in the area and 1863 he wants to show he is had some individuals. he uses this moment to take some prisoners he thanks are worthy. there's a couple secessionists not surprisingly within those who get arrested. most notably of them was a man named henry. henry ball lived a little north n of here he owned temple hall just on route 15 a bit north of here. now, samuel is pretty sure it's a ball who led them to the baptist church and waterford that travis had mentioned. that very notable secessionists in the area. they arrest ball amongst other individuals and every one of notable secession albert campbell belt also from that area. now outraged over these two civilians to get arrested. again it's not the most commonos thing. it's also what this might lead too. now, as travis mentioned you hamay have heard about it a bit interrupted some confederate clans did not see individuals released by the united states. but gettysburg is once again by the confederates with individuals. to go day one to try to get individuals out of prison. when to call them secessionists, was sent across potomac and ultimately gets to delaware especially for some prisoners of war and other criminals. now after gettysburg in the latter part of it was jeb stuart hooton outlooks and at ways to give men back potentially. he writes to a man i guess he does not get along very well. [laughter] he writes saying take captive who is bond? is the father-in-law of samuel mead. the man arrested. >> it is personal now. >> it is. >> is a small county. basically as a hostage for these two successions who were taken prisoner earlier. elijah wanted to report that but suggest maybe take a second person beat two for two essentially two unionists to secession. that is the plant and arrived at lights rights in they say do this undertaking. this will go to the other person they plan to take. he is the head of the insurance companyam waterford arrives on a sunday evening, knocks on the door but then when it's opened with a revolver inve his face as the unlucky part. and they're taking him prisoner. his wife pleads for them not to do so now it's on to asa. they might not have twitter but they don't pretty easily waterford. the waterford social media page. [laughter] waterford news. it was lighting up. >> they made a mistake and by the time these few confederates arrive it is not who answers the door it's too late. there is a secession led about what is supposed to happen. she wrote stating and dared the southerners to enter. they did enter fired a revolver on them. these waterford ladies. >> they are unionists in the slapped her in the face, right? >> in the job. >> she also says if we dare to do that we would've been shot instantly. >> probably. tthat is the edited version of what they say. >> whatever happens happened. they don't. the confederates were like we missed the main target. we better take someone else. so they run in to local quaker schoolmaster. >> is he lucky to? by travis sanders questioned rick if he warm going to counted. i will allow it. >> these two individuals will do anything the union army the two secessionists to do some acts. and what the secessionists were charged with. again let union troops or confederates to union soldiers at that baptist church. there also charged with horse stealing and burning to keep them out of union k hands. once the two unionists are taken captive they are taken to elisha white. the buzz the next eight unionists and secessionists completing the case to let these two men t go. both sides of secessionists and unionists are fearful this can lead to continued escalation and retaliation. no elisha does not let the two men go. he is at least convinced to give them a three week parole. he calls the two unionists who he has prisoner you're going to go back up to waterford you are going to convince the united states to let those two sessions go. if you can't do that you've got to come back in three weeks time. so they drove up there all four individuals are working together throughout our pre- u.s. and confederate ones as well. three weeks goes pretty quickly for their unsuccessful from fort delaware. the two unionists planning going back to elisha white. now at this point the rangers think where you going back? you are here let's keep them from going back. the rangers plan a mock arrest. were going to get you before you can go back. we go back in the three weeks time? you can actually or just ahead of the rowdy ranges we can then take a rest. eventually there in the area at this time white isn't a good mood at the time to do going to be true to justice and other prisoners of war justice does to secessionists men were sent you are going to go on foot down to richmond when they were sent the head of that prison in richmond. several other political prisoners and other spies and the like. >> you can tell it's bad it sounds like it should be in a comic book. [laughter] >> there lucky they are there. >> but could be worse they could be shots like six times in the face. >> this time the secessionists ahead of the union are working together they have a common goal. gets plenty of signatures from unionistsat in virginia she's making the case united states let these men go. that fall she went toev the white house thinking there's one person to get these guys out asis president abraham lincoln she meets with him in october 12. understands the situation and writes a note to the head saying help this request out if possible. this is from president lincoln saint let these two individuals go. now i was reading about this think of an office episode you cannot get a get out of jail free card. i have some in that moment because it's too good to be true and it is. even that lincoln writes a letter to the head of prisons secretary stanton knows. [inaudible] >> no, no, no. this is just going to get more and more hostagese taken. there were going to be more cap cats like this. these are staying in prison. disappointed even with a letter from the president they return back to waterford to get permission to get the two individuals out. at this point attentionth goes to let's get the secessionists out. so it's a nash secessionists macon prince the secretary of war. you even have writing from fort delaware prison thing i don't want people taken prisoner on my accounts. didn't like virginians being captured by other virginians. this has a good effect. the two individuals are eventually released from confederate prison. the taken oath they get a travel permit and head back home. the two unions that were hit both got another challenge here. luckily for them individuals in the war department. take the train up to the stanton area than work on home. not what they are walking back they get captured again. >> so lucky. >> they are lucky guys. it's a short caption they are released fairly quickly and they were able to walk back home and in dramatic fashion they were back to waterford longer beards one had smallpox will they were in prison but they it back to waterford on christmas day 1863. >> very hallmarked. a secession christmas. >> this is a story handmade for the hundreds made every year. now this is early december the twoo unionists were out of prison then stanton relented and the two secessionists were released and they returned home just before the new year. so all four of them do make it home by the end of 1863. but it's a great story for showing people get caught up in war even if you are not directly involved in it. when you are in loudoun county with the potomac river you have varying degrees of work for or against it. and you have armies going back and forth sometimes war is unavoidable. sometimes you're at notable secessionists sometimes you might just be a schoolmaster caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. war does not take breaks for anybody. particularly in areas where muchet activity. >> what did the kids do? [applause] sometimes have questions if you have any with the stories feel free to ask will bring a microphone to you. >> c-span has got it they are professional for a quick bring you a microphone. the halo. >> this is not so much a question but a celebration. >> you can celebrate. i think it's amazingly cool you just told a story about four prisoners in all of their houses are still standing. >> of cheers for that. >> we have a very robust community preservation organizations here in loudoun county. [applause] [laughter] >> any other questions, comments? anything before we sign off? >> before we go i just would like to thank all of you for coming. thank you to alex in and for letting us use the historic harrison hall to hold this event. cheers. >> weekends on cspan2 are an intellectual feast. every saturday documents america's story and on sundays book tv brings you the latest in nonfiction books and authors. funding for cspan2 comes from these television companies and more including buckeye broadband. : : :

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