Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-04-12
Death Of Col. Asher v. Hartman

death Of Col. Asher v. Hartman
Col. Asher w. Hartman, whose illness at
the residence of his sOn-in-law, MI. Writ
A. Chesterman, was mentioned last
week, died there of typhoid fever
on Tuesday afternoon, in his 65th
year. The news was great shock to his
friends here, for when he was here three
weeks ago to attend the funeral of his rela-
tive, Fl. B. Niche, he looked in such
perfect health as to excite their comment.
| Col. Hartman was the last of five broth
ers all of whom were natives of and prom
inent in this county-Gen. VIM. II. Har-
man who was killed at Waynesboro in
J 1864, Mai. John A. Hartman who was
Stonewall Jackson's Quartermaster, Col.
Michael Il. Hartman SD Va. and 1t. Thos.
Hartman of the Staunton Artillery-all of
whom have passed away, and none of whom
had lived to attain the age that he had. He
entered the the Confederate service as a
captain in the 5th Va. infantry, and was
soon afterwards made Qnartermaster.
Later he was made, at the request of Stone
wall jackson, Colonel of the 18th Va. cav
airy and was such until the close of the
war.
After the close of the war he became
contractor for the construction Of rail
roads and other public works, and had a
large contract on the portion of the Valley
railroad which runs through Augusta
county. He married Miss Virginia Gala
CHAN of Allegheny, sister Of Mrs. r. M.
Ayers OF this city.
| He leaves four sons-Lt. John A. Har-
man, U. S. A., Archer, Oliver and Will
liam Hartman, and one daughter, Mrs.
Writ Chesterman. His relatives in SCaun-
ton are Capt. Lewis Hartman, and Mrs.
Caroline Y. Hartman, Mrs. Margaret S.
Hartman, Mrs. Bette V. Hartman and Mrs.
Fannie Hartman, all widows of his deceas-
ed brothers.
AN ACCURATE SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
The following sketch Of Col. Hartman s
lllC lIOlu UI1G lllCillllUlIl 1lopdlCu, ~
full and accurate, that the facts for it
must have been prepared by the Colonel
himself in health, and probably given to
some relative for use after his death. We
publish it with some emendations
Colonel Hartman was born June "a, 1880
at Waynesboro, Augusta county, from
| which place his father removed to Staun-
ton, the same year. At the age of 10young
Hartman entered the Staunton Academy,
but in 1915. owing to serious trouble with
his eyes, had to quit school and went to
work as a carpenter S apprentice on the
Virginia Hotel, then being erected. In
1919, he went to Cincinnati to work, and
from there he went to a town in Iowa,
where he clerked until the spring of 1851
in the wholesale store Of an uncle. In that
year he returned to Staunton to go into
the staging business with his brother, who
had taken the general agency and manage
ment Of the Parish stage-lines, which, in a
close connection extended through and over
the mountains of South West Virginia,
the Valley and what is now West Virginia.
His first experience as agent was with a
burg, distance of 236 miles. This he
successfully operated for several months,
and was then sent to Fincastle to manage
the liEes between that point, Wytheville,
| Lynchburg, Staunton. and the White Sui
phur Springs. The company had just con-
tracted with the Post-Office Department.
to carry the mail between Winchester and
Knoxville, Tenn, making delivery within
certain time, and the difficulty involved
in complying lay b etween Staunton and
| Wytheville. For weeks Col. Hartman did
nothing but ride over the route between
Staunton and WytheYille, until he knew
exactly what each team could do under any
and all circumstances, and the result was
that during four years he neverlost mail.
| Parish & Co., having in the spring of
1854 become involved, Col. Hartman was
directed to put Oh an opposition line be-
tween DanviIle and Burkeville and on to
Lynchburg. The competition was success
full. Col. Hartman continued in the staging
business through the great staging fight
commencing in 1856, and in 1859 sold his
interest in the business. For long while
during the fight referred to passengers
were carried from Winchester to Staunton
to the White Sulphur and to Lexington fol-
Is cents each.
TRUE TO VIRGINIA.
| Col Hartman and his brothers were
staunch Democrats before the war, and in
1860 earnestly espoused the cause OF Doug
lass. But they were also staunch Union
men, and saw nothing but disaster ahead of
secession. When, however, Virginia Sc
ceded none responded more promptly to
her call than did the Hartman brothers.
Three-John, William and Thomas-went
to Harper's Ferry on April II, 1861. Asher
the subject of this sketch, followed on the
2Sth, with a company of infantry that he
had organized, and Michael remained at
Staunton organizing the departments and
equipping the troops destined for West
Virginia. Col. Asher Hartman was with
Jackson during the movements preceding
the march to Manassas, and also with hin
in that engagement. In some notes made
by the deceased relative to the Stonewal
Brigade at Manassas, he says: "In a little
while it was discovered that the Federals
were moving by their right, and our left.
and our brigade (Jackson's) was moved
rapidly to meet them, about four OIL five