Figure of the Week

Addison Borst (c.1837-1882) was the son of Peter I. Borst of New York.  Some years prior to the War Between the States, Addison and his brother moved from New York to Page County, Virginia.  Both were Southern sympathizers.  During the war, Addison served with the 10th Virginia Infantry, having enlisted at Luray, Virginia.  He spent much of the war in the hospital, was imprisoned in Elmira, New York, and was exchanged in October 1864.  By 1870, he was a resident of King George County, Virginia.  Addison was the uncle of Cornelia Rebecca Borst (1880-1949) who married Dr. John Churchill Gordon (1871-1949) of Albemarle and Stafford Counties.  Addison married Bettie Garnett Taliaferro (1829-1895), the daughter of James Garnett Taliaferro (c.1772-1840) of King George.  In 1870 the Commonwealth of Virginia established the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction.  This was a state-level appointment and the counties selected their own Superintendent of Schools.  From 1870 to 1872 Addison Borst was responsible for the schools in both Stafford and King George Counties.