Reynolds Homestead Remembers Stoneman's Raid of 1865
April 2, 2015
A military campaign during the Civil War, Stoneman’s Raid was led by cavalry troops under the command of General George Stoneman. In 1865 they were charged with the duty of destroying the southern regions without fighting battles.
Through North Carolina, into Virginia and Tennessee,
Stoneman’s raiders covered 600 miles and dismantled train and military depots
and inspired the classic song “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
Gen.
Stoneman and his raiders arrived in Patrick County on April 8, at that time in
Taylorsville (now Stuart). According to Chris J. Hartley, author of “Stoneman’s
Raid 1865,” “many Patrick County residents lost possessions to the raiders.
Among the victims was Hardin Reynolds, the county’s wealthiest planter. One of
Reynolds’s sons was future tobacco tycoon Richard Joshua Reynolds.
Fifteen-year-old ‘Dick’ saved the plantation’s horses by hiding them in the
woods, but he could not prevent the raiders from looting Rock Spring.”
In
remembrance of the 150th anniversary of Stoneman’s Raid at the Rock
Spring Plantation, the Reynolds Homestead will be hosting a Confederate History
Day on Saturday, April 4, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
This
free event will host Chris Hartley to talk about the famous raid that helped
end the war and salvage the career of Gen. Stoneman. Also speaking will be
David Minter and Tom Perry; Perry wrote “Extraordinary Service,” the story of
his friend Minter’s life and family whose military service spanned from the
Revolutionary War to the present war in Iraq. On exhibition will also be
Minter’s collection of Civil War memorabilia. Minter is a Martinsville
resident.
Life
long Civil War enthusiast and longtime preservation activist Chris Owens of
Stuart, will present a talk about the current fight to save and preserve the historic
Civil War battlefields in Virginia. Development and modernization has
threatened battlefields across the country, where nearly 20 percent have
already been destroyed. Find out more about the effort to save this important
part of American history.
Also
on display will be an exhibition on loan from the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace
Preservation Trust, a series of 10 panels outlining the life and history of
Patrick County’s own J.E.B. Stuart.
“This
will be a great afternoon devoted to the history of Patrick County and the
Reynolds Homestead,” said program manager Lisa Martin. “It also gives us a
chance to honor David Minter, whose life has been devoted to preserving
America’s military history.”
