July 15, 2010
Droop Mountain Battlefield “Guardian of History” featured in Wonderful West Virginia magazine
W.Va. Culture Center displays battlefield artifacts
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Hillsboro, WV (HNN) – Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park Superintendent Mike Smith has a passion for history and has shared his extensive knowledge of Civil War history with countless park visitors for the past quarter century.
Droop Mountain was featured in the June 2010 issue of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, “Guardian of History,” and in that story Smith said, “I’ve discovered many wonderful and tragic stories in various letters, diaries, and reports from park guests, as well as from public archives. New information still occasionally comes in here. You never know.”
Droop Mountain was the site of one of the largest Civil War battles in West Virginia. Occurring on Nov. 6, 1863, it was the last significant battle to take place in the state. “Confederate efforts to regain the former western counties of Virginia were abandoned after the battle at Droop Mountain,” said Smith.
Many visitors to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park have ancestors who fought in the battle. Through some of these contacts, Smith has compiled a number of personal documents and artifacts related to the war.
Artifacts Found and Interpreted
Smith explained how he received a pre-Civil War copy of Cervantes’ Don Quixote from a man in Missouri who had bought it at an estate auction about eight years ago. The front cover of the book is autographed by a 19-year-old Confederate soldier. The back cover includes an inscription written by the Union soldier who took it from the Confederate soldier during the battle at Droop Mountain. This recounting of history during this time of West Virginia history is one of the many Smith shares with reverence with anyone interested.
Among the more than 500 various artifacts received or found in his tenure at Droop Mountain, there is a brass wedding ring lined with gold. “It’s a very common type of wedding band,” said Smith. “It likely came from a wounded Confederate trying to escape down the side of the mountain. He probably died in the ravine where we found the ring.”
A Mississippi rifle is also among the artifacts. It is believed to have been found in 1948 by Allen Holbrook, the son of former Droop Mountain Superintendent Napoleon Holbrook, while he was playing in the creek.
“He saw the tip of the trigger guard sticking out of the sand at the bottom of the creek and thought it was a spoon,” says Smith. “He dug a little more and saw that it was a gun. With his mother’s help, he recovered it from the creek. About 12 to 15 years ago, Napoleon returned and donated it to the park. It’s pretty fragile.”
See the artifacts at the West Virginia Culture Center
The Don Quixote book, the brass wedding ring, and the Mississippi rifle are currently on loan and displayed at the West Virginia Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston. An exhibit, “Celebrating West Virginia State Parks and Forests,” is open to the public through August 15, 2010, and features many aspects of West Virginia’s state park system including Droop Mountain and Carnifex Ferry battlefield state parks. There is no charge to visit and view the State Culture Center exhibits and museum.
The Battle of Droop Mountain will be re-enacted October 8, 9, and 10 in 2010. Organized by the West Virginia Reenactors Association, the battle activities, schedule and Sutler guidelines, as well as other Droop Mountain information, is posted at www.droopmountainbattlefield.com. For Wonderful West Virginia Magazine information, visit www.wonderfulwv.com or call, 1-800 CALL WVA.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
Droop Mountain Battlefield “Guardian of History” featured in Wonderful West Virginia magazine
W.Va. Culture Center displays battlefield artifacts
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Hillsboro, WV (HNN) – Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park Superintendent Mike Smith has a passion for history and has shared his extensive knowledge of Civil War history with countless park visitors for the past quarter century.
Droop Mountain was featured in the June 2010 issue of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, “Guardian of History,” and in that story Smith said, “I’ve discovered many wonderful and tragic stories in various letters, diaries, and reports from park guests, as well as from public archives. New information still occasionally comes in here. You never know.”
Droop Mountain was the site of one of the largest Civil War battles in West Virginia. Occurring on Nov. 6, 1863, it was the last significant battle to take place in the state. “Confederate efforts to regain the former western counties of Virginia were abandoned after the battle at Droop Mountain,” said Smith.
Many visitors to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park have ancestors who fought in the battle. Through some of these contacts, Smith has compiled a number of personal documents and artifacts related to the war.
Artifacts Found and Interpreted
Smith explained how he received a pre-Civil War copy of Cervantes’ Don Quixote from a man in Missouri who had bought it at an estate auction about eight years ago. The front cover of the book is autographed by a 19-year-old Confederate soldier. The back cover includes an inscription written by the Union soldier who took it from the Confederate soldier during the battle at Droop Mountain. This recounting of history during this time of West Virginia history is one of the many Smith shares with reverence with anyone interested.
Among the more than 500 various artifacts received or found in his tenure at Droop Mountain, there is a brass wedding ring lined with gold. “It’s a very common type of wedding band,” said Smith. “It likely came from a wounded Confederate trying to escape down the side of the mountain. He probably died in the ravine where we found the ring.”
A Mississippi rifle is also among the artifacts. It is believed to have been found in 1948 by Allen Holbrook, the son of former Droop Mountain Superintendent Napoleon Holbrook, while he was playing in the creek.
“He saw the tip of the trigger guard sticking out of the sand at the bottom of the creek and thought it was a spoon,” says Smith. “He dug a little more and saw that it was a gun. With his mother’s help, he recovered it from the creek. About 12 to 15 years ago, Napoleon returned and donated it to the park. It’s pretty fragile.”
See the artifacts at the West Virginia Culture Center
The Don Quixote book, the brass wedding ring, and the Mississippi rifle are currently on loan and displayed at the West Virginia Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston. An exhibit, “Celebrating West Virginia State Parks and Forests,” is open to the public through August 15, 2010, and features many aspects of West Virginia’s state park system including Droop Mountain and Carnifex Ferry battlefield state parks. There is no charge to visit and view the State Culture Center exhibits and museum.
The Battle of Droop Mountain will be re-enacted October 8, 9, and 10 in 2010. Organized by the West Virginia Reenactors Association, the battle activities, schedule and Sutler guidelines, as well as other Droop Mountain information, is posted at www.droopmountainbattlefield.com. For Wonderful West Virginia Magazine information, visit www.wonderfulwv.com or call, 1-800 CALL WVA.
Share This Story:
Make HNN Your Homepage (IE Users Only)
