Country Zest & Style Winter 2020 Edition

A Middleburg Mystery: The Stone Grave Marker

By Childs Burden

Has anyone noticed the mysterious stone grave marker located on the

south side of Route 50 just off the old roadbed and a few hundred yards east of Atoka? It’s just under a tree and along the side of the stone wall.

I noticed it there some 30 years ago and, naturally curious, I asked longtime residents whether they thought the marker was a grave stone. Most thought so, but didn’t know much more.

Imagine my delight when I found a book, “The Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion,” edited by Robert Trout, widely considered the leading historian of the horse artillery both North and South.

Trout has given us the complete journals of three Confederate artillery soldiers who fought under Confederate General JEB Stuart in the Civil War.

One journal was written by Lieutenant Lewis T. Nunnelee, who enlisted in Captain Marcellus Moorman’s Beauregard Rifles in Lynchburg on May 10, 1861. He joined up at 41 as a private but survived the war and later donated his journal to The Museum of the Confederacy.

The Middleburg area was inundated by large-scale actions twice during the Civil War—after the Battle of Antietam in late October and early November of 1862 and just before Gettysburg, in June, 1863. Cavalry battles raged up The Ashby Gap Turnpike (Route 50) from Aldie on June 17 to Middleburg on June 19 and to Upperville on June 21.

There were 21,000 troopers fighting stirrup to stirrup on two fronts. By the end of the day, the Federal troopers returned to their bases across the Rappahannock River. Soon, Stuart’s men began drifting up across the Rappahannock in a wide arc to cover

The fallen soldier’s grave is just feet away from route 50 near Atoka.

Photos by Leonard Shapiro

General Lee’s infantry as it headed west and north down the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland. Stuart was ordered to protect the Confederate infantry by keeping the Federal infantry and cavalry from crossing the Blue Ridge and intercepting the Confederate army in route.

Lieutenant Nunnerly was in Marcellus Moorman’s battery, which came up from Brandy Station, passed by Orlean and into Salem (Marshall) on June 16. The next day, they moved to Rector’s Crossroads (Atoka). Here Nunnerly’s words speak for themselves:

June 17, 1863—We left Rectortown at 6 p.m. and marched in double quick time past Rector’s Crossroads and took the Ashby Gap Turnpike arriving in Middleburg after night. We found that the enemy had been driven back so we returned by the same road and camped for the night at the farm of Alexander Elgin. Roads very dry and dusty. We had a most disagreeable march both day and night.

June 19, 1863 – Early in the a.m. the enemy were reported advancing. Our battery was put into position, waiting the approach of the enemy. At 9 a.m. our battery, except one piece, fell back to Rector’s Crossroads to cook our rations. During that time, we remained in position. Picket firing was going on and occasionally cannon firing which continued to 1 p.m. At that time our battery was again ordered to the front where we remained until dark when we returned to Rector’s Crossroads where we parked for the night.

June 21, 1863 – At 7 a.m., cannonading was heard in front which was being carried on by Hart’s Battery and the enemy. Our battery was soon moved forward with McGregor’s Battery. Our cavalry and

It was actually the Battle of Upperville and this marker will eventually be replaced.

Hart’s Battery were pressed back by a large force of sharpshooters and infantry. As soon as the enemy made their appearance on the opposite heights, we opened fire.

A small column of infantry charged down to a stone fence and halted there. Their sharpshooters then advanced and drove ours back and we fell back to the heights of Rector’s Crossroads. In a short time, they opened fire on us with a battery of artillery and, after heavy fire on both sides, we were again ordered to fall back. A shot struck John Edmundson and literally tore him into pieces and at the same time took off the leg of Charles D. Saunders just above the knee. He died in a short time.

(Lieutenant Nunnerly described the rest of the Battle of Upperville. By the end of the day, the Confederate cavalry and batteries had been pushed back to Paris, where infantry under Confederate General Longstreet had taken up strong positions.)

June 22, 1863 - We learned at Upperville that Charles Saunders, who was wounded yesterday and left there at the house of Reverend George Harris, was shown every kindness by that gentlemen until his death, had his body nicely prepared for burial and his remains were finally sent to his home in Lynchburg. His faithful beloved slave, John, remained with him until he died and then passed himself off as free to prevent the enemy from taking him away with them. We also found that the mangled remains of poor John T. Edmundson had been interred by the side of the stone wall where he fell.

June 24, 1863 – I visited the grave of John T. Edmondson and learned from Misses Gibson that the enemy had buried him on Sunday (June 21) as they passed by but that their father, Mr. Nelson Gibson, had him disinterred and a neat pine coffin made into which he put the mangled remains and then had him buried a short distance from where he was first interred.

Never did I see so much interest taken in a stranger as did the four sweet young Gibson girls. They testified their sympathy by placing at the head of the grave a bouquet of beautiful flowers and may their path through life ever be strewn with these. At night we had our orders to be ready to march at a moment’s notice.

And so the story is now told. When driving past Atoka, please salute the brave young soldier, John T. Edmonson, who rests beside The Mosby Highway.

Historian and Middleburg resident Childs Burden is a founding member of the Mosby Heritage Area Association and its Chairman Emeritus.