North in Mathews County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Civil War In Mathews County

Confederate Units and Leaders

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014

1. Civil War In Mathews County CWT Marker

Inscription. Fort Nonsense is a conspicuous reminder of Mathews County's Civil War history. When war broke out, men between the ages of 21 and 45 were mustered for service in the 61st Virginia Militia Regiment. Company H became known as the Mathews Light Artillery. This unit, commanded by Capt. Andrew Armistead, was assigned to Starke's Battery on the Piankatank River. Company E, under Capt. Robert E. Hudgins, was mustered on October 31, 1861, and was sent to Gloucester Point. Both units disbanded when the Confederates abandoned Gloucester Point on May 4, 1862. Many other Mathews County men served in the 5th Virginia Cavalry, the 26th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and the Confederate Navy.

Two Mathews County natives rose to prominence during the war. James Henry Lane (1833-1907) was born at Mathews Court House. Upon graduation from Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia, he taught mathematics and tactics at VMI. After leading North Carolina regiments, Lane was promoted to brigadier general in 1862. His brigade saw action from Fredericksburg to Appomattox.

Sally Louisa Tompkins (1833-1916) of Mathews County was known as the “Angel of the Confederacy." She operated Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Va., from July 1861 until the end of the war. Tompkins, who was the only woman to hold a position as a commissioned

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ofﬁcer in the Confederate army, was appointed captain of cavalry on September 9, 1861.

(captions)
(lower left) Last Mathews Confederate veterans, March 31, 1931. Top left to right: Elkanah Diggs and William S. Burroughs. Front left to right: John A. Lewis, Walter R. Stoakes, Major Giles B. Cooke, and John Wesley Minter. Courtesy Mathews County Historical Society
(upper right) Gen. James Henry Lane Courtesy VMI Archives; Capt. Sally Louisa Tompkins Courtesy Virginia Historical Society

Erected 2014 by Virginia Civil WarTrails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 31, 1862.

Location. 37° 27.948′ N, 76° 26.659′ W. Marker is in North, Virginia, in Mathews County. It can be reached from Windsor Road (Virginia Route 3) 0.2 miles north of John Clayton Memorial Highway ( Route 14), on the right when traveling north. Located along the walking trail in Fort Nonsense Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: North VA 23128, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Middle Peninsula

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Civil War In Mathews County (within shouting distance of this marker); a different

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014

2. Civil War In Mathews County CWT Marker

marker also named Civil War In Mathews County (within shouting distance of this marker); John Clayton, Botanist (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Nonsense (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Field Fortifications (about 300 feet away); By Land And By Sea (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Fort Nonsense (about 400 feet away); Mathews County (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in North.

Fort Nonsense Viewing Platform image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014

3. Fort Nonsense Viewing Platform

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014

4. Fort Nonsense Viewing Platform

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,718 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.