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In September, 1862 a Confederate Army under Gen. Wm. Wing Loring sortied from their camp at the Narrows of New River toward Charleston and attacked Federal forces commanded by Col. Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn.
Mr. Richard Andre’ has provided a concise description of this campaign under the title, “Loring’s Raid” on this web site.
An ancestor of mine, Sampson H. Deatherage, a private in the 50th Virginia Infantry, was mortally wounded and died in Charleston during the Condederate attack of 13 September 1862.
I have a copy of a letter written by Chaplain George H. Denny of the 50th Va to Sampson’s family notifying them of his death and describing how the reverend had stayed with Sampson until he passed away from his wounds and then procured a coffin and provided “burial services at the grave which is near the town of Charleston”.
I have visited Charleston and searched for Sampson’s grave but did not find any marked burial. Several people, including Mr. Andre’, Terry Lowry, and the historians of the West Virginia State archive have provided information and various educated theories as to where Sampson’s grave may be but, as yet, there is no definite location.
Mr. Andre’ described a group of ten or more unknown Civil War graves were discovered in Spring Hill cemetery a few years ago but, it is unclear if these are Union or Confederate or even if these were casualties from the 1862 battle.
There is a possibility that Sampson may have been buried in the original town graveyard, now occupied by Kanawha Riflemen’s Memorial Park however, his name does not show on a list of burials compiled in the 1800s.
My guess is that Sampson was buried very near where the 50th Virginia and its brigade set up camp on the night of September 13th. Col. John McCausland (promoted to General later in the War) was commanding the brigade during the attack and wrote a short report about the action that day; he seems to indicate that when hostilities ceased due to darkness, he sent most of his force back to a reserve area for rations and rest.
In McCausland’s report he described how he had placed the 36th VA Infantry, some of his artillery, and his cavalry in reserve in an area on the road next to the river upon his approach to Charleston from the East. This area could very well be in the vicinity of the current Kanawha Riflemen’s Park.
If anyone has any ideas of where Confederate burials may have ocurred on the night of September 13, 1862; please drop me a few lines.
Thanx.
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