John Dangerfield Haddox

John D. Haddox, single white birth, born to John D. Haddox, soldier of Rappahannock Co., VA, & Amanda J. Haddox his wife on 13 March 1862. (Register of Births :45)

Date of marriage obtained from Ancestry World Tree entry on Ancestry.com*, authored by Iven Gene Haddix; source not given.

John D. Haddox and Amanda "Jacqueline" Smith, daughter of James W. and Catherine Smith, were married 15 Nov 1860 in Ritchie Co., VA. She was a younger sister of Sarah, the wife of Clinton B. Haddox. (Harrington* :45)

Named in father's will of 1849 (see his Notes).

Haddox to Settle. (NOTE: See mother's Notes for synopsis of deed)

- Julia Ann Haddox on 18 Aug 1855 certified her signature on deed dated 31 Jan 1853, recorded 27 Oct 1855.

- John D. Haddox on 20 Nov 1857 certified his signature on deed dated 31 Jan 1853.

- Margin note: “January 23, 1840 Delivered to C.C. Thos. W. Settle. See Book I, Page 282” (Deeds J:273, Rappahannock Co., VA)

** Federal Census schedules - Virginia

See mother’s Notes for 1850 entry.

1860 Census (1860.06.01, Recorded 1860.07.20) Rappahannock Co., VA (Flint Hill Post Office) - Pg 75 (195), Ln 7, 572/560

- John D. Haddox. 20 year old male farmer. Real property valued at $9,600, personal property at $6,885.

- Linna “ 57 year old female.

** Confederate Military Records 1006 (National Archives)

John D. Haddox enrolled for Active Service at Washington, Virginia (Rappahannock Co.), by Capt. J.S. Green on 22 April 1861. Mustered into service at Fairfax Court House on 5/20/1861 as a private in Company H, 6th Virginia Calvary: Capt. John Shac Green's Co. of Cav. (Old Guard) Va Vols. Was 23 at time of enlistment, occupation farmer. Pay due from enlistment to 6/30/1861. Noted 60 miles to rendezvous; he provided horse worth $120 and equipment worth $10.

John D. Haddox on Muster Roll of Co. H, 6th Virginia Calvary on 1 September 1861. (noted that this company subsequently became Company B, 6th Va. Calvary). Noted to be absent - "sick in Rappahannock sent by Sergon.”

John D. Haddox on Muster Roll of Company B, 6th Virginia Calvary Sept & Oct 1861, last paid 8/31/1861 by Major Ambler. Also on Muster Roll Jan & Feb 1862, last paid 11/1/1861 by Capt. Carter. Also on Muster Roll May & June 1862. Last paid by Capt. Carter 5/1/1862. "Killed in an engagement with the enemy near Front Royal on Friday the 23 day of May 1862." Signed by W.P. Jeffery.

Contains two barely legible documents which seem to relate to financial aspects of the death of John D. Haddox, such as value and disposition of belongings. (1862)

** Description of Battle, from “My Rappahannock Story Book,” by Mary Elizabeth Hite

In her book Ms. Hite quotes a passage in Major Daniel Amon Grimsley's book, “Battles in Culpeper County, Virginia (1861-1865).” Although in Grimsley’s book, the author of this particular passage is unknown. It relates the Battle of Cedar Creek, between Winchester & Front Royal.

"At Winchester, on last Saturday, Mr. John R. Rust of Warren, presented to Gen. B. F. Johnson, a flag, which was taken in a `running but hotly contested fight' between Front Royal and Winchester on May 23, 1862. Mr. Rust stated his wife, then Miss Nannie A. McKay, had been an eyewitness to this fight,- and that she had seen a soldier from the First Maryland Regiment capture the flag; that this soldier had given her the flag for safe-keeping and that now, as the soldier was dead, she presented it to the survivors of the First Maryland Confederate Regiment. Gen. Dick Taylor, in his history of the war, like the First Confederate Regiment of Maryland, has claimed the honor and glory of that fearful charge, between Front Royal and Winchester, on the 23rd day of May, 1862. Gen. Taylor claims that the charge was led by one of his own men.

"One of Taylor's men was in the charge, but the leader of the charge and the men, who followed him. were not those of Mary-land or Louisiana. The facts are these: The First Maryland Regiment (Confederate) drove the First Maryland Regiment (Federal) from Front Royal across the river. The bridge was burned after the enemy. Jackson commanded the cavalry to charge the retreating regiment, Grimsley's Company, with thirty-eight men, led on by Daniel A. Grimsley, Robert Duncan, William Browning and Ben Wigginton, in the first file, drove the enemy some distance until the McKay house, which is several miles towards Winches-ter, was reached. Here the Rappahannock Cavalry, assisted by no other detachment, made one of the most gallant records, chronicled in any way. The fight here was fearful, the carnage was very great. In the McKay yard, John Haddox of Rappahannock, and Philip Field of Culpeper, both members of Grimsley's company, were killed. James M. Wood, Dabney Eastham and A. B. Heaton of Rappahannock and members of Grimsley's company, were dangerously wounded and left in the yard. As stated above there was no other company in this fight. There were perhaps a few adventurers from other portions of the army, with Grimsley's company, but they were very few. From the charge, of thirty-eight who entered, only three came out mounted and sound. The percentage of loss, compared with Wagram is greater. Of the thirty-eight members of the Rappahannock Cavalry, who entered the charge ten were killed, viz: John Haddox, Suwanow Kendall, Frank Duncan, William Stark, Samuel Yates, Tony Burke, Dallas Brown, Joseph Pullman and Washington Nicholson of Rappahannock and Philip Field of Culpeper. Dallas Brown, who bore the colors, was shot with twenty-one balls. Nineteen of the thirty-eight were wounded. Col. Kenly of the retreating Federal Regiment, was captured not far from the McKay house by Thomas Slaughter of the Rappahannock Cavalry and a native of Rappahannock, but who now resides in Culpeper. These facts can be substantiated by gentlemen of Rappahannock, who were in the fight and whose statements cannot be questioned. The evidence and statement of Mrs. Rust is true, but the honor and glory of that fight justly belongs to Grimsley's Rappahannock cavalry, who spilt their blood and lost their lives in achieving the victory.

"Gen. Dick Taylor can justly claim no part and lot in the victory, simply from having one man of his command in the charge. The First Maryland Confederate Regiment can, with no propriety, receive the credit because one of their men, detached from his regiment and joined to Grimsley, captured the flag. Honor is due the dead Marylander, who captured the flag, for going with the Rappahannock Cavalry, and though that honor is boundless as the vast ocean, it is not sufficient to place the laurel wreath upon the brow of the First Maryland Regiment, which 'was not in action. From these facts, which are certainly true, the Rappahannock Cavalry are entitled, not only to the flag, but to be cherished by their countrymen, state and nation, until daring and brilliant achievements cease to be creditable.”

** Battle of Front Royal, 23 May 1862.(www.frontroyalbattle.us) - CAPTURE OF THE FLAG

During the retreat toward Winchester of the portion of Bank's army driven from Front Royal by a detachment of Jackson's advancing forces, consisting principally of the First Maryland Infantry and Wheat's Louisiana Battalion, on May 23d, 1862, there occurred in front of the stone house of Mr. Joshua A. McKay, on the Winchester pike, about five miles north of Front Royal, a spirited combat between Confederates and Federals, which was witnessed by Miss Nannie A. McKay, and of which that young lady (now Mrs. John R. Rust), until recently possessed an interesting memorial in the shape of a captured Federal flag. The series of events that led to its capture, and its subsequent history, are of such interest as to merit record.

Late in the evening of the 23d, after the brush at Front Royal, a squad of some twenty of the retreating Federal First Maryland regiment having rallied in McKay's yard, were captured by two men of the Rappahannock company of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, named Haddox and Field, who, undaunted by the disparity of numbers, boldly charged the enemy and demanded their surrender. The guns of their prisoners had hardly been stacked, when a force of about one hundred Federals, with the regimental flag, came up from the left, while at the same time a Federal officer with more men came charging down the pike from the direction of Winchester, calling out: "Rally round the flag, boys!" Haddox seized one of the stacked guns and knocked the Federal officer from his horse, but was shot and killed a moment later by some of his prisoners, who seeing their opportunity, seized their muskets and opened fire. (Reference: Southern Historical Society Papers. Vol. XIII. Richmond, Va., January-December. 1885. An Incident of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign--Capture of a Flag by Maryland Confederates. -Compiled from original data by S. Z. AMMEN.)

McKay Home as it looks today on Route 522 North--Winchester Road.

Field was also killed. Both he and Haddox, it is stated, were killed while endeavoring to make the enemy understand that they yielded to overwhelming numbers. The remainder of the Rappahannock company, led by the gallant Grimsley, having worsted four or five times their numbers at Judge Robert McKay's, a half mile distant, now appeared on the scene, accompanied by Captain Baxter's Rocking-ham company of the same regiment of cavalry, and a portion of the Confederate First Maryland Infantry. They found the Federals drawn up in a strong line extending across the McKay orchard. Grimsley and Baxter charged them twice, and for a while the fighting was very bitter. The Rappahannock company alone in these two charges lost nineteen in killed and wounded, including Captain Baxter killed. The Maryland Federals were, however, at length driven from the orchard in great confusion. They were followed in hot pursuit by the Maryland Confederates, who captured their flag. Miss McKay had witnessed the bloody struggle from her father's front porch. She saw the Federal flag carried off by the retreating enemy, and was agreeably surprised when, soon afterwards, it was brought back and given to her by a soldier of the Maryland Confederate regiment, with the request that she would keep it, and also his portfolio, which he took from his knapsack, until his return, or, should he not come back, would send his portfolio home to Maryland, and retain the flag, all of which Miss McKay agreed to do. He was accompanied by a comrade of the same command. Not many days afterward, and as Stonewall Jackson's army retreated up the Valley (to avoid being cut off by Fremont's and Shields' armies), the comrade of the soldier, who left the flag with Miss McKay, reappeared, and informed her that his companion.

Who he said was his brother, had been killed, and that he had come to claim the portfolio, offering the custody of the flag to Miss McKay, in accordance with his brother's wish. The arrangement being concluded, the soldier took his departure, but as neither of the brothers gave his name, Miss McKay (the present Mrs. Rust) has not since learned anything further concerning the identity of the two soldiers. This particular flag was the regulation flag of the First Maryland Federal regiment, and had been presented to that command at the Relay House (B. & O. R. R.) near Baltimore, as coming from certain ladies of Baltimore. Prior to the combat described above, the State flag carried by the Federal regiment had been taken by the First Maryland Confederate regiment at Front Royal, and divided up piecemeal among the captors. The flag entrusted to Miss McKay's hands in 1862, was in June, 1880, presented to General Bradley T. Johnson, on the occasion of the unveiling of the statue of the Maryland Confederate Soldier in the Stonewall Cemetery at Winchester, Virginia, and is now kept by the Association of the Maryland Line (Confederates) as an invaluable trophy.

 ** Grave Marker & estate

An appraisement of the estate of John D. Haddox dec'd of the County of Rappahannock made by the undersigned appraisers appointed by the County Court of said County.  The said appraisers first being sworn according to law this the 18th day of January 1876.

Returned Jany 20th 1876, Examined and approved.  Returned to Clerk 21 Jan 1876 for recording.  (Wills E:369, Rappahannock Co., Recorded 1876.07.20)

John D. Haddox, Sr.
1838 - 1862

Grave Marker, Haddox Family Plot, Rappahannock Co., VA)