The Graffiti
A Place Where the Walls Talk
The walls of the museum are littered with Civil War graffiti from soldiers and prisoners of war that were held temporarily at the Frederick County Courthouse. These names, doodles, and other graffiti offer us a direct window into the lives of these soliders and because they often left their regiment or date of capture, we have been able to identify many of them. Their stories and connection to the very walls of the museum itself makes for a moving visitor experience.
One anonymous soldier left a curse to Confederate President Jefferson Davis which stands as one of the most unique and fascinating pieces of Civil War graffiti that exists today.
The Curse to Jeff Davis
Nobody knows who left these scathing words damning Confederate President Jefferson Davis. However, it is a testament to the degree of anger and animosity held by soldiers of both sides. Whether Union or Confederate, this soldier went to great lengths to chisel each letter into the wall which is why it remains so clearly visible to this day. While we don’t know his name, the voice of this soldier still speaks to us through these chilling words.
Examples of Soldier’s Drawings at the courthouse
We Were Here
Prisoners of war were especially desperate to leave some kind of record behind showing that they were here. This way, their friends and family would hopefully have some evidence of their fate should the worst happen and they didn’t return home. These men not only left their names but the military unit they served with and some included the date and location where they were captured. Today, this information is critical to identifying these soldiers and learning their stories.
John F. Richards
Company C 16th Massachusetts
Union Pvt. John F. Richards was twice a prisoner of war. He was first captured at the Second Battle of Manassas in August of 1862 and paroled that December. Richards survived the Battle of Gettysburg but went missing later that month. He was initially presumed to have deserted. However, a post-war record removed the charge of desertion. The record explained that he fell behind on the march and was captured by Confederates in nearby Loudon County on July 20, 1863. He was likely brought and held here at the courthouse in Winchester soon after that date. The record says that he was imprisoned at the Belle Island prison in Richmond, Virginia on July 28. John Richards died of pneumonia in prison on October 13, 1863 but his name written on the wall has ensured that his true story is not forgotten.
Post-war record that exonerated John Richards of desertion (Sep. 28, 1887)
The Gettysburg Officers
One section of the wall contains the names of many Union officers that were captured and held prisoner at the Frederick County Courthouse in the weeks following the Battle of Gettysburg. Union cavalry pursued the retreating Confederates and engaged in many small skirmishes and charges in the area surrounding Winchester. These men were held here before being exchanged or moved to prisons in Richmond, Virginia as well as in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. For more details, scroll down to watch our video “Remember Me”.
Major Charles Farnsworth
Charles Farnsworth was born on January 30, 1836 in Norwich, Connecticut. Farnsworth was a Major in Company B of the 1st Connecticut Cavalry. On July 14 in Halltown, West Virginia, he led a charge that overran the picket line of the 13th Virginia Cavalry. Farnsworth was surrounded by the Confederates and shot off his horse. He then fought hand-to-hand with his sabre before being captured along with 24 of his men.
Farnsworth was severely wounded and, likely due to this, was taken to the Frederick County Courthouse. While held on the second floor of the courthouse, Farnsworth left not only his name on the wall, but also a drawing we believe depicts his capture.
In the graffiti below we can see a horse with a leg in the air behind it. Broken plaster obscures much of the area around the doodle but to the right of the leg there is a figure. This figure appears to have its arm raised in the air holding a sabre. This strongly suggests that the graffiti depicts Major Farnsworth.
Farnsworth was paroled on March 14, 1864 and resigned from the army due to poor health. He died on April 15, 1867 and is buried in Norwich, Connecticut.
Graffiti we believe was left by Maj Farnsworth
Soldiers often left their name along with their regiment, date and place of capture
Lieutenant John C. Norcross
John Norcross fought with the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry yet he was part of group called the “California 100” who were a group of men from California who wanted to fight in the eastern theater.
Norcross was captured south of Winchester, at Ashby Gap, on July 12, 1863. He was held prisoner here and was later moved to Libby Prison in Richmond. He managed to escape in March of 1865.
Click here to learn more about California soldiers in the Shenandoah Valley
Lieutenant James Kellog
James Kellog served with the 6th Michigan Cavalry which was George Custer’s old regiment. He was shot in the side and captured near Falling Waters, West Virginia on July 14, 1863. Below is a newspaper sketch that depicts the charge which was described as “the most gallant ever made”. However, Captain James Kidd who witnessed the charge wrote,
“The little band of less than 100 men charged right into the midst of ten times their number of veteran troops. The first onset surprised and astonished the enemy who has mistaken Weber’s force for a squadron of their own cavalry. The audacity of the thing dazed them for a minute and for a minute only. The Union forces were able to pierce the first line, but there could be but one result. Recovering from their surprise, the Confederate infantry rallied and seizing their arms, made short work of the daring assailants. The two brave troops were more than decimated.”
Charge of the 6th Michigan Cavalry near Falling Waters, West Virginia on July 14, 1863 — Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, Library of Congress
Kellog was one of a group of Union officers that spent time at prisons in Danville, Virginia - Macon, Georgia - Columbia, South Carolina - and Charlotte, North Carolina. It was in Charlotte in February of 1865, that Kellog and others were able to bribe the guards at the train station and escaped to Knoxville, Tennessee. For more about the Gettysburg Officers, see below to watch the video Remember Me.
Videos
“Remember Me”
Remember Me is a video created by Trish Ridgeway and Jay Richardson which details the individual stories of six Union officers that were held prisoner at the Frederick County Courthouse in the weeks following the Battle of Gettysburg. In the video Trish describes not only where they came from and how they got here to the museum, but also the details of what happened to them after they left Winchester. Many of the Union soldiers held at the courthouse were taken to prisons in Richmond but some spent time at prisons in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
“A Thousand Words”
A Thousand Words is a video created by Park Ranger Jay Richardson provides an interpretation of a soldier’s doodle preserved in the courtroom on the first floor. This doodle appears to depict a Yankee soldier performing guard duty but drawn in a uniquely demeaning manner.