What Joseph Has Seen

On a warm summer day in July of 1843, Joseph was born in Prince Williams, Virginia. He was the second child of James and Mildred having an older sister named Mary. His papa James was known to his friends as Jas, and was a sailor and farmer. Prior to the Civil War, he served in the county militia which was required by all able-bodied men in Gloucester. Jas also served in “The Gloucester Invincible for Guinea” led by Lt Col. Powhatan Robertson Page. His mother, Mildred, was the eldest child of William and Ana Hobday. Her father owned 200 acres of an estate known as “Little England” near the James River. Joseph grew up with three brothers and two sisters playing on the land of the Virginia estate.

When he was 18 years of age in 1861, the American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, began. At the age of 20, in March of 1863, Joseph enlisted in the CSA 26th VA, Infantry, Company F. He was listed in the “Ord & Circulars Guard Report” for guard duty on December 1863 to January 1864. At the age of 22, Joseph was present at the final Muster Roll which occurred on February 28, 1865 and then served at Appomattox Court House. While Joseph was serving his time at Appomattox, he had no idea what was coming next.

On the morning of April 9, 1865, the battle of Appomattox Court House was fought and ended the four year battle of the American Civil War. General Robert E. Lee abandoned the confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia after the Siege of Petersburg, headed west in hopes of joining his army in North Carolina. Joseph stood with his regiment when Lee launched an attack at the Appomattox Court House hoping to break through the Union force. He was there when Lee realized that his cavalry was surrounded by two corps of Union Infantry and there was no hope. On that historic day Lee surrendered to Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant by signing documents at the house of Wilmer McLean and officially ending the Civil War. Joseph was among the many men that were present when this battle and surrender occurred. He continued to serve at Appomattox until May of 1865 until he was paroled in Richmond, Virginia at the age of 22 years.

When he was 25 years of age, he married Catherine Alice in Norfolk, Virginia. She was 21 years old when they married on Christmas of 1867. Together they had one child named Mary Maude, and continued his career as a waterman/sailor. Joseph died at the age of 59, two years before his daughter, Mary, died from Typhoid Fever.

Joseph Fleming was my great great Grandfather on my Dad’s side. His daughter Mary was my great Grandmother and married to my great Grandpa George. They were the parents of my Grandpa Wilton whose tragic death I wrote about in my post, Will Rogers and My Grandpa.   Wilton was only two when his mother, Mary died, and my father was only two when his dad, Wilton, died in the plane crash.

There are many stories of the ghosts seen at the Appomattox Court House. Along with the sounds of battle cries, guns, cannons, horse hooves, many have claimed seeing apparitions, especially of gray ghosts. Most of the apparitions seen have the civil war uniforms on and appear to be still fighting the battle. My cousin and others have reported experiencing that eerie feeling like you are being watched by many unseen eyes. They have also mentioned the feeling of heaviness as if many souls were surrounding them. I’m not sure if my Great grandpa Joseph’s spirit is there, but I know one thing, Appomattox is on my bucket list of places I need to visit.