Civil War History Surrounding Edgewood Manor ~ Circa 1839

West Virginia, Civil War homes, are rich in American history, sharing its place with many historical events especially during the Civil War.

West Virginia bed and breakfasts were built in 1839 and prior by Generals and countrymen. Some bed and breakfasts played different roles throughout history.

The Boyd families were members of the FFV (founding families of Virginia). The General was an excellent attorney and statesman serving on the Virginia State Legislation. Boyd was a soldier in the Civil War of 1812 and later became a Brigadier General in the Virginia Militia. Gen. Boyd owned the majority of the Bunker Hill area during the 1800's. The Boyd family also owned and operated a General Store on their property, pre-Civil War. The brick structure still stands today on the corner of U.S. 11 and Giles Mill Road.

During the Civil War stores were used as hotels. General Boyd's son, John E. Boyd operated the store up until he joined forces with the Confederacy. On John's return from battle, the store had been taken over by the Union forces. A young slave girl told the union army that there was a confederate soldier hiding in the house. There is a trap door in the parlor that was frequently used by the slaves. This trap door leads to the basement and was used for traveling to and from the kitchen and the slaves living quarters. The Union army rushed in and captured John Boyd; he had been hiding in a bottomless armoire. He was sent to Winchester, Virginia and ordered to be hung on January 14, 1865. He had been quoted saying that he sat on his pine coffin and his last request was to have "oysters for his Last Supper". John Boyd's cousin, Mrs. Betty Dainbridge, whose father was President Zachary Taylor went to Winchester, Virginia to plead for her cousin's life. A reprieve order was given by Gen. Sheridan minutes before his execution.

July 1861: Methodist Church: General Paterson's forces Double Day's the Battle of Bull Run.

December 1861 - June 1862: Campaign of the Shenandoah Valley. Furious marching and countermarching up and down the length of the valley. Narrowly losing a battle in Kearnstown, Jackson drove back Fremont's Calvary that was under the command of General Robert Milroy.

May 1862: Methodist Church: General Nathaniel Banks division - Banks a successful politician who had governed the state of Massachusetts and was speaker of the House of Representatives. Gen. Banks began the main campaign by bringing his 38,000-man army across the Potomac in Feb of 1862. He met with Stonewall Jackson's troops several times.

September 17, 1862: McClellan's Army of the Potomac squared off against Lee on the banks of Antietiam Creek. The bloodiest battle of the day, causing Lee to abandon his invasion.

[Following the battle of Antietiam] "After remaining in Martinsburg about a week, we moved nearer to Winchester and the rest of the army, and General Jackson established his headquarters near Bunker Hill on the lawn of Mr. Boyd. Here he rested and his army also, gaining strength and vigor, depleting the thin ranks by the accession of stragglers and wounded men returning to duty".

October 7, 1862: The bivouac was called “Camp Baylor” after the fallen comrade. General Lee came to visit Jackson to discuss Civil War strategy. The general resided in the manor home and Jackson resided in the camp on the grounds.

October 11, 1862: Jackson the former professor was promoted to Lieutenant General while at "Camp Baylor". General Lee chose to stay at Edgewood partly because of Boyd's affiliation with the FFV.

January 1 through June 12, 1862: Methodist Church: The church was used during the winter for stabling one to two companies of General Milroy's Cavalry after being wounded in Kearnstown and up and down the Shenandoah Valley.

June 13, 1863: Methodist Church: Used against General Jenkin's Rebel forces.

July 3, 1863: PICKETT'S CHARGE
After two days of fighting, the confederates retained the initiative, but the costly attacks against the Federal flanks had failed to dislodge Meade's army. Still grimly determined to force the issue at Gettysburg, Lee deployed his forces on the third day. Making the attack would be fresh troops of General George Pickett's division along with already battered units from Hill's corps, including the wounded Henry Heth's division, now led by James Pettigrew, plus two other brigades. Despite dreadful losses, Pettigrew's men rushed the Federal line defended by Hay's division and were staggered by musket and cannon fire. Most of the survivors of Picketts brigades attacked the stone wall where they were pulverized by fire from Gibbon's division. The rebels flooded over the wall but were blasted back by Union reserves. With that repulse, the Confederates began streaming to the rear. The charge - and the Battle of Gettysburg - was over. Although wounded during the charge he was on of the last men to leave the field. Upon retreat from the Battle of Gettysburg, General James Johnston Pettigrew of North Carolina was mortally wounded in Falling Waters, West Virginia, while commanding a portion of the rear guard during the retreat to the Potomac.

July 14, 1863: General Pettigrew had fallen very ill and could no longer make the trip to the hospital in Winchester, VA. He was taken by wagon to the Civil War home, Edgewood Manor, and died in the second floor bedroom. The North Carolina Historical Commission in his honor has erected a monument off the main drive.

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