History of Ashland, (Hanover County) Virginia United States of America

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Local History Notes:

Ashland, VA., June 25, 1862. Detachment of the 8th Illinois Cavalry. Lieut.-Col. Martin, commanding the Jeff Davis Legion (Miss.) and the 4th Va. cavalry, had a line of pickets from Wooding's Shop on the Ashland Road, Along that road to Ashland and thence Toward Hanover Court House, to the residence of Col. Wickham. In the afternoon After Gen. Jackson's advance guard had reached the neighborhood of Ashland, A Company of the 8th Ill. cavalry drove in Martin's videttes from the intersection of the Ashcake and Telegraph roads and cut the telegraph line. Under orders from Martin, Lieut. Smith, with 17 men of the 4th Va., charged on the Federals, driving them back with a loss of 1 man killed and 1 wounded, after which the telegraph line was repaired. The Confederate loss was 2 men wounded.

SOURCE: The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.

Ashland, VA., March 15, 1865. 1st Brigade, 3d Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, Sheridan's Raid. Gen. Custer reached Ashland Early in the Day and learned that Gens. Longstreet and Pickett were advancing upon that point with a heavy force composed of all arms. The 1st brigade commanded by Col. Pennington and consisting of the 2nd Ohio, 2nd N. Y., 3d N. J. and 1st Conn., was sent forward to hold the enemy in check until the rest of the command could pass toward the railroad bridge over the South Anna. The enemy made several attempts to Force Pennington Back, but was repulsed each time. The 1st Conn. Sent out a reconnaissance of one squadron, Under Lieut.-Col. E. W. Whitaker, from the right of Pennington's line toward the enemy, while a battalion of the 2nd N. Y. moved down the telegraph road. Whitaker's squadron was ambushed by infantry and cavalry and lost a lieutenant killed and 2 men missing. The most determined movement of the enemy, made just before dark, when Pennington was about to obey orders and retire, was a complete failure. A spirited attack was made on the line of the 2nd N. Y. by infantry, but it was resisted effectively till the regiment, which was to bring up the rear, retired. The Confederates did not follow as Pennington Fell Back. The 2nd N. Y. lost 1 man killed, 3 wounded, and had 22 horses so badly wounded that it was necessary to abandon them on the march.

SOURCE: The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.

Biographies:

William Wallace Duncan, M.E. bishop, was born in Ashland, near Richmond, Va., Dec. 20, 1839; son of Prof. David and Alice (Piemont) Duncan, and a brother of James Armstrong Duncan, president of Randolph-Macon college. He was graduated from Wofford college in 1858 and became a member of the Virginia conference of the M.E. church south. In 1861 he joined the Confederate army as chaplain and served throughout the civil war. In 1875 he was transferred to the South Carolina conference and became professor of mental and moral philosophy at Wofford college. In May, 1886, he was elected bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church south. He received the degree of D.D. from Emory college in 1882 and from Central college, Missouri, in 1882. He was married to Medora, daughter of B. H. and Caroline (Wallace) Rice, and their son Thomas Carey Duncan became an extensive manufacturer of cotton, successfully conducting the mills at Union, S.C., for many years.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor