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  • Turin, Virginia?

    Here's a puzzle. The service record of George B. Fitzgerald, Co. A, 12th VA Cav, says he was captured at Turin, VA, 20 Aug 1863. He was imprisoned at Ft. McHenry at least by 7 Sept 1863.

    Any idea what location or action they could be referring to on that date? Or what it might be an abbreviation or mistake for?

    I've tried looking for Turin in the ORs, Virginia Gazetteer and Topozone, and some old almanacs we have in print, as well as other places, and it just doesn't seem to have existed. There's a Turin Georgia, but I can't find any action there around that time and I really expect he spent the war in Virginia.

    I also tried looking for any skirmishes/battles with prisoners taken Aug. 20, 1863, who might have been sent to Ft. McHenry, without luck.

    Note that it's possible his regiment affiliation might be wrong, if there's a good guess for an action at that time and place which the 12th VA Cav wasn't engaged in.

    Also, one other source (fellow prisoner J. Ogden Murray) says Fitzgerald was captured at Gettysburg. Don't know if that helps or hurts.

    Everyone was so helpful on the 41st VA Lookup, and POW ID question I thought I'd try again with this one other mystery.

    Hank Trent
    hanktrent@voyager.net
    Hank Trent

  • #2
    Re: Turin, Virginia?

    Just a thought, "Turin" might be the name of a prominent homestead, just like "Elmwood," "Araby, or "The Bower." Since the unit seems to have been operating around Culpeper at this time, maybe some local historian or student of old home sites might have a clue. Good luck.
    Bob Williams
    26th North Carolina Troops
    Blogsite: http://26nc.org/blog/

    As [one of our cavalry] passed by, the general halted him and inquired "what part of the army he belonged to." "I don't belong to the army, I belong to the cavalry." "That's a fact," says [the general], "you can pass on." Silas Grisamore, 18th Louisiana

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    • #3
      Re: Turin, Virginia?

      Could it be that they accidentally left out the letter p, and meant to write "Turpin, VA"? There's a Turpin to the northeast of Richmond.

      -Julie Herczeg
      Julie Herczeg

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      • #4
        Re: Turin, Virginia?

        Both good directions to explore! Thank you!

        By the way, thought I'd add, he may have been a member of the 1st Virginia Cavalry rather than the 12th, at the time of his capture. I just found him in the Fort McHenry records, and that's what their records have him listed as.

        Hank Trent
        hanktrent@voyager.net
        Hank Trent

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