Taking Care of the Soldiers’ Families
An interesting court document reveals Stafford community intentions to assist Confederate soldiers’ families:
The Stafford County Court, on May 15, 1861, ordered a committee of three “judicious Citizens of the county” from each Magisterial district “whose duty it shall be to ascertain and supply the pressing wants of families of such citizens of said County as have enlisted in the service of the Country during the present war & who have left their family needy and dependent.” Citizens named were: (District No. 1) William Pollock, Wm. H. Hasbrough, and Walker P. Conway; (District No. 2) John C. Shelton, G. W. Wallace, and Thos J. Skinker; (District No. 3) C. A. Tackett, Wm. T. Patton, and James Tolson; and (District No. 4) William E. Moncure, Saml. S. Brooke, and Albert Clift. Families of some soldiers were listed: they included the wives of John DeShazo, R. T. Brown, B. Brooks, George Dye, Wallace Heflin, George Lightner, Sr., John Suthard, George Payne, William Buxton, Murray West, William A. Jett, Newton Turner and Henry Pollard.
