"I could not hear of any Confederate troops this side of the river, and heard that General Whose forces were still at the Salt Springs, beyond Union.

"Respectfully yours,

J. J. Hoffman Major, Second Battalion, Second Virginia Cavalry"

(From Vol. 12, Chapter 24, Page 814) From Colonel George Crook, Commanding Brigade, to Captain G. M. Balszcom, Assistant Adjutant General: "Headquarters Third Brigade Meadow Bluff, July 12, 1862

"Capt. G. M. Bascom, Assistant Adjutant General:

"I sent two companies of cavalry with Captain Harrison. They met the rebel cavalry at Alderson’s Ferry; had a skirmish, killed and wounded 7 rebels, got some 10 or 12 horses; only got two of his children; others scattered about the country near Union, and the oldest rebels have in prison. Do you wish me to get the children for him? I would like, if possible, to have Captain Harrison’s Company here since he is so familiar with the Country.

"Very Respectfully,

George Crook, Colonel, Commanding Brigade."

This is a puzzling report. Who was Captain Harrison? Whose children were held captive by whom in Alderson’s Ferry?

William Taylor Reed, 97, died January 14, 1951. He was the last Confederate Veteran in Alderson. He had served 3 years, 6 months, in Co. F, 46th Virginia Cavalry, and fought at Cold Harbor, Gettysburg and Winchester.

Following the collapse of the Confederacy the defeated soldiers came home, embittered, sick or wounded, penniless, to a bankrupt homeland. They could not vote, hold public office, practice law, teach school, or bring a suit in court. Then the carpetbaggers like a plague descended upon the land. The head of this infamous gang was Nathaniel Harrison, an attorney before the Civil War in Monroe County, who became the Circuit Judge of Mercer, Greenbrier, and Monroe Counties. He was as corrupt and vena] a man as can be imagined. Harrison imported another crook to come to this area to practice law, Major Cyrus Newlin, and together they plundered the whole section. The judge finally was forced to resign when articles of impeachment were preferred against him in 1866. It was not until April 1871, that former Confederate soldiers were granted the voting franchise. Some idea of how few could vote is shown in the election of 1868 when the polls were guarded by Federal troops. In Monroe County but 326 men voted; 1511 were not allowed to vote. Ref: War of the Rebellion, Series One, Volume l2, Part 3, Page 470  

The carpetbaggers who plundered the local area were composed of local bands of trash who traveled about, frequently masked, stealing and plundering. They claimed they were collecting "government property". A company of supposedly Union retainers known as "Home Guards" under Captain Lorenzo D. Garten also hounded anyone they desired by saying they were collecting government property for the Federal Government. In April 1871, an amendment to the State Constitution was adopted known as the Flick Amendment which enfranchised the Southern sympathizers, and this area began a good recovery.

The Spanish-American War in 1898 lasted but a short time. It is known that four men from Alderson served. As far as is known, none were killed or wounded. They were William E. Keadle, Ross Henderson, Charlie Mann and Charlie Hudson. Hudson is reputed to be the man who carried the flag up San Juan Hill in the famous charge by Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.

By 1917 when World War I commenced, Alderson had increased in population to about 1400. A roster of 47 World War I veterans’ names has been compiled from memory of several persons. Walter B. Rogers, Jr., and E. R. Fletcher, Jr., have been the best sources for names. This list is not complete.

Three men were killed in France. Lt. Lee C. Tait was wounded November 2, and died November 12, 1917. Sterling Baker was also killed there. Asa Charles Moffet, son of Jean B. Modet, was killed in France while serving with a Cincinnati Ambulance Company. One man, White Holt, died in service. Among those wounded were: Tommy Knapp, Everett Roach, Carl Eades, Carl Clark, L. H. Basham, and Charles Nash.

By far the greatest number of men who have served in the nation’s wars were in World War II. That war began on the "date that will live in infamy", December 7, 1941, and ended in August 1945. Alderson, along with the rest of the country, was drained of able-bodied men of military age. A list was compiled several years ago of the veterans of the war from Alderson. Two hundred and fifty-two men and six women served. Of these, sixteen lost their lives. They were:

At least thirty men were wounded. Of those who served in World War II, the fighting sons of three Alderson families should be mentioned especially and their illustrious record reported. E. R. and Bess Huddleston Fletcher, at one time in World War II, had six sons in uniform; three in the Army, and three in the Navy. Edwin R. (Pike) Fletcher, Jr., Army, in Europe won the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart when he lost part of a foot. James J. (Jack) Fletcher, Army, killed in France, won the Silver Star awarded posthumously. Richard, Army, Joseph L. and William G., both Navy, were in the Pacific Theatre. Charles B., Navy, won the Navy Cross at Anzio.

Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Burdette had four sons in service during World War II, and another in the Merchant Marine. Four of the Burdette boys served in Army Infantry in Europe: Ralph was killed in France; Herbert was wounded in Belgium; Fred C. had frozen feet; and Paul who retired after 25 years service. Robert was in the Merchant Marine, and after the war joined the Air Force. Fred C. was killed after 19 years service, in an automobile wreck in France in 1959. Two other Burdette sons worked in Radford Arsenal during the war making powder.

Probably the most remarkable record of a family’s participation in World War II in or near Alderson was that of the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Aubra Russell Perry of Alderson and Riffe’s Crossing.

Six of the Perry boys simultaneously served, and three were killed in action:

Aubra Russell Perry, Jr., Navy, was killed June 16, 1943, near Australia.

Herbert Newton Perry, Army, was killed in North Africa, 1944 (?).

Robert Calvin Perry, Navy, lost his life on a submarine at an unknown location in the Pacific in 1944 (?).

William Lacy Perry served in the Navy. Samuel Richard Perry and Theodore (Ted) B. Perry served in the Army.

Ref: History of Summers County, Miller History of Monroe County, Morton Records, Dept. of Veter¤n's Affairs, E. R. Feltcher, Jr., representative

Next, the Roads of Alderson