Civil War Grafitti?

[MarionRifles]

There's a Gentleman on Ebay thats posting a list of Civil War soldiers who wrote their names and unit information in an attic of a home in Fairfax Virginia.Most of the soldiers listed were from Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, and Michigan.Over 100 have been listed, and more are being recorded.The names and unit info are listed for FREE. The auction number is 2991775136, and if I were more computer savvy, I'd post a link.


Ron Moen

Co.A, First Texas Infantry

[79th N.Y.S.M.]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Here is the link to the list of names:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2991775136

[58 lorenz]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

It is actually not an auction-it is being posted by a Fairfax,Va. group looking for info. the list of names is quite lengthy and detailed. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see your ancestor's name on that wall?

Doug Price

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

POSTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE SELLER:

PLEASE DO NOT BID, this information is being provided completely FREE hoping the right persons and families will contact us at the City of Fairfax. -- BACKGROUND -- You are here because your search included a name, listed below, and it may be your Civil War soldier ancestor. We are the Blenheim Research Group and, as part of an ongoing historical project, we are researching the large number of Civil War soldiers who passed through Fairfax, Virginia. Over 100 of those soldiers signed their names, regimental designations, and much more on the walls of what is now called the Blenheim House in the City of Fairfax. The actual soldier’s signatures are still on the walls, and it is considered one of the largest Civil War graffiti collections in the United States. Our historical group works with the City of Fairfax to help preserve Blenheim House, along with the entire collection, and to research their signatures and families. The building itself was used both as a military headquarters and as a hospital during the war, and is now a historical property owned by the City of Fairfax. We are offering the free exchange of historical information on those soldiers, and asking interested parties to contact us directly. Where possible, we are contacting their descendents to learn more of their stories. If you have any information or questions regarding the below listed soldiers, their families, or their regiments, please contact us through e-bay’s “ask a question” above, or at historicfairfax@aol.com. Again, this is a free service, no charges are involved, and we will be happy to share our information. Hopefully, you can find your ancestors name below, and we will be able to add to each other's data. HISTORY OF THE BLENHEIM HOUSE -- Only twenty miles west of the White House, the town of Fairfax Court House, Virginia, changed hands twice during the early part of the Civil War. Centrally located, the town was where both Union and Confederate military leaders planned strategic movements. Close to 100,000 soldiers passed through this major crossroads. Some stayed only overnight; others stayed on for two to three months. By the winter and early spring of 1862, Fairfax was securely in the Union’s hands. It was a staging ground for the advance on Manassas, and part of the outer perimeter of the Defenses of Washington. The Wilcoxon family had just finished their sizeable brick farm home by the onset of the Civil War. Due to its size and location, the home was seized and used as a temporary Union headquarters by March of 1862. From September of that year and into 1863, the house served as a Union Hospital. By June of 1863, prior to the advance to Gettysburg, troops again occupied the house. Approximately 100 individual soldiers' signed names are still visible on the attic walls of what is now called Blenheim House, as well as drawings, prose and other scribbling. More names are still to be uncovered under layers of wallpaper on the other two floors. The result is the largest collection of Civil War graffiti in the United States. The estate is owned by the City of Fairfax, and research has been underway for several years to identify and create a full file on each named soldier. The goal is to learn more about the individual soldiers who left their mark at Blenheim. What was their life like before and, if they survived, after the war? Where did they go, and what did they do for the remainder of their lives. Of all those who signed the walls, 88 soldiers have been positively identified to date. They represent 19 regiments from New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and West Virginia; including units of the Baxters Philadelphia Fire Zouaves, 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Perhaps your ancestor was one of those soldiers, listed below, who signed their name at Blenheim. Please do a search for your name and let us know. THE BLENHEIM SOLDIERS LIST (as of Jun 2003)-- ABEL, Jeremiah, Bugler, Co C, 4th New York Cavalry; BARGER, Jackson, L., Co. C, 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry; BARNED, Numa, Sgt., Co B, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; BECK, John, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; BOLTON, Marvin, Pvt., Co G, 1st Michigan Cavalry; BOWMAN, Thomas J., Pvt., Co H, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, BROADWAY, Gilbert T., Pvt., Co B, 44th New York Infantry; BUSCH, Christoph, Pvt., Co E, 74th Pennsylvania Infantry; BUTTERFIELD, Hamilton, Pvt., Co B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; CLARK, Daniel W., 2nd Lt., Co G, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; CLARK, Henry C. Cpl., Co F, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; CLOW, Benjamin, Pvt., Co B, 136th New York Infantry; COATS, Morris, H. Pvt., Co A, 136th New York Infantry; COLTON, Spencer, Pvt., Co B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; CONANT, Charles H., Cpl., Co D, 16th New York Infantry; DAILINGER, John L., Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; DIPPY, George, Cpl., Co B, 136th New York Infantry; DOWD, Samuel W., Pvt., Co F, 1st Michigan Cavalry; DOWSEY, Richard H., Pvt., Co D, 16th New York Infantry; DURRETT, Henry C., Capt., Co. A, 1st West Virginia Cavalry; FERNEKES, Peter, Capt., Co E, 26th Wisconsin Infantry, FISCHER, Moses, Pvt., Co I, 74th Pennsylvania Infantry; FISHBECK, Charles A., Drummer, Co A, 44th New York Infantry; FISHER, Henry J, Pvt., Co B, 44th New York Infantry, FLOWER, Consider E., Pvt., Co. F, 1st Michigan Cavalry; FREEMAN, Asa, Sgt., Co D, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, FROELICH, Julius, Cpl., Co B, 26th Wisconsin Infantry, GOODWIN, Samuel W., Sgt., Co H, I, C, 95th Pennsylvania Infantry, GREELEY, Joseph M., Pvt., Co D, 95th Pennsylvania Infantry; GREENAWALT, Henry, Pvt., Co G, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; GROGER, Charles Watson, Pvt., Co D, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; GRUENNAGEL, Frederick, Sgt., Co I, 74th Pennsylvania Infantry; GUNDERMANN, Ferdinand H., Sgt. Co G, 29th New York Infantry; HAINGARTNER, John L., Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; HARMS, Charles (Carl), Pvt., 54th New York Infantry; HERENDEN, George B., Lt., Adjutant, Co B, 44th New York Infantry; HOENE, Julius W.F., Pvt., Co I, 26th Wisconsin Infantry; HOOK, Lewis F., Pvt., Co G, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; HOYT, Samuel, Pvt., Co G, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; JOHNSON, Charles H., Sgt., Co M, 1st Michigan Cavalry; JOHNSON, George H. Pvt., Co B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; JUDSON, Hiram A., Pvt., Co B, 44th New York Infantry; KAHLER, Conrad, Lt., Co G, 29th New York Infantry; KARN, George, Pvt., Co. G, 1st Michigan Cavalry; KNAPP, John, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; KUNZE, Julius, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; KURZ, Wilhelm, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; LUST, John, Pvt., Co H, 75th Pennsylvania Infantry; LUTHER, Bruce, Lt., Co B, C, 136th New York Infantry; MARSHALL, Matthew Mead, Pvt. Co F, 13th New York Infantry; MCCRACKEN, William, Cpl., CO B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; MCELHENY, John, Pvt. Co A, 136th New York Infantry, MEYER, Adam, Cpl., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; MILLS, Walter, P.C., Pvt., B, C, 95th Pennsylvania Infantry, MOORE, Amos R., Drummer, Co B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry, MULLER, Henry, Co E, 54th New York Infantry, MUSE, Addison, Pvt., Co B, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; PERINE, Thomas, Pvt., Co B, 136th New York Infantry; PHILLIPS, Amos, Pvt., Co B, 44th New York Infantry; PROUDFIT, Robert H., Sgt., Co D, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; PUTNAM, William H., Pvt., Co C, 1st Michigan Cavalry; RAEFLE, Theodor, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; REED, William, Sgt., Co F, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; REIFENSTUHL, Frederick, Pvt., Co A, 26th Wisconsin Infantry; REYNOLDS, Samuel W., Pvt., Co F, 1st Michigan Cavalry; ROBINSON, Milon O., Cpl., Co F, 136th New York Infantry; ROOK, Peter, Sgt., Co C , 26th Wisconsin Infantry; RUGAR, Jacob W., Pvt., Co C, 16th New York Infantry; SCHAUMBERGER, Carl, Pvt., Co D, 29th New York Infantry; SCHLAICH, John, Pvt., CO I, 75th Pennsylvania Infantry; SCHLINGERMANN, Charles, Pvt., H, 58th New York Infantry; SCHLOSSER, Philip J., Adjutant, 26th Wisconsin Infantry; SCHOLZ, W. Joseph, Sgt., Co A, 26th Wisconsin Infantry; SEEBER, August, Cpl., Co I, 54th New York Infantry; SHELDON, Arthur, Pvt., Co. K, 136th New York Infantry; SPIEGEL, Christian, Cpl., Co I, 74th Pennsylvania Infantry; STRAUBE, Frederich, Pvt., Co D, 29th New York Infantry; TAPPHORN, Theodor G., Pvt. Co. A, 54th New York Infantry; TAYLOR, Robert, Pvt., Co G, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; THAYER, Alfred, Pvt., Co C, 16th New York Infantry; THOMPSON, Henry W., Drummer, Co C, 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry; TRETBAR, Clemens, Pvt., Co K, 29th New York Infantry; VAN EWEYK, Henry, Cpl. Co A, 26th Wisconsin Infantry; WALTER, Lewis, Capt., Co G, 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry; WELTE, Joseph S., Pvt., Co. C, 65th New York Infantry; WILLIAM PENN HOSE CO. #18, 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry, WOOLHISER, George W., Pvt., Co K, 136th New York Infantry WRIGHT, John S., Pvt., Co E, 95th Pennsylvania Infantry

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Looks at my first glance to be a lot of 11th Corps units.

[markj]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Greetings,

Something else of possible interest is a fairly well-known wartime image made inside a ransacked Virginia church, circa 1862. This clearly shows many names inscribed on a wall. Under magnification, I'm sure many names would be legible. I'm pretty sure this photograph appears in one or more "coffee-table books" about the CW.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[BrianHicks]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Another surviving example of Civil War graffiti is on the wall in what is now the bathroom on the 2d floor of the Masonic Lodge in Franklin, Tn.

Mr. Craddock is more familiar with what is on the wall than I, perhaps he'll post here and provide some info in what was written there.

(I simply dont recall what units were repesented int he writing that was left by the Union soldiers, in about twoo weeks, I'll have another look at the graffiti, and this time I'll pay closer to attention to what I'm reading ),

[PogueMahone]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Brian,

The pews of the Wilson Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Triune are covered with CW graffiti - names, dates, comments, etc. I think the church retired the pews, but still has them stored. The church was used as a hospital after Stones River AND Franklin.

Also, Ft. Granger has, somewhere hidden in the undergrowth, a handcarved eagle in a rock near a rifle pit outside the wall. The eagle is the same as the button. Somebody had a lot of time on their hands.

[BrianHicks]

Re: Civil War Grafitti?

Joe,

Looks as though it's time to do some relic hunitng. I wouldn't mind searching for the carved rock at Ft. Granger and getting a picture of it. And the pews in the church in Triune? Sounds like it's time for a short road trip.