Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-05-23
History of the Henry Kyd Douglas Camp,
With Sketch of Its Efficient Commander and the
Work Done by Him Along His Fasorits Lines.
BY DIR. W. l.. BYERs, HISTORIAN.

With Sketch of Its Efficient Commander and the
Work Done by Him Along His Fasorits Lines.
BYpR. W. L. BYERs, HISTORIAN.
Nesting among the green hills OF
West Virginia, on the banks OF the beau
tiful Potomac, in the extreme northern
end of the Shenandoah Valley, is the
typical old Virginia town of Shepherds
town. with a population OF only 2,OOO
This town had the very great honor 10
send into the Confederate States army
more soldiers in proportion to her popu-
lation than any town in the entire South.
Ii was also here that the first Southern
Soldiers Memorial Association in the
South after the war was formed. Ihey
bought the first Confederate cemetery
and erected and dedicated the first
monument to Confederate dead, within
sound two niles of the guns on Ante.
tam battlefield, September II, 1868, and
one mile from the old Indian ford where
General Hill drove oyer the cliffs and
so nearly completely annihilated the
Philadelphia Corn Exchange Brigade,
many of whose Enfield rifles now deco
rate the walls of the room at headquar-
tiers in the Register Building OF the
Henry Kyd Douglas Camp United Sons
of Confederate Veterans. Is it there
fore to be wondered at that the very
finest camp of the Sons in West Nir--
ginia, and all things considered, one OF
the finest in the entire confederation In
the South. should be located at Shep-
herdstown This Camp organized on
March s, 1900, less than fifteen months
ago was the second organized in the
State, now has a handsome headquar-
tiers room in the finest and most modern
building in the town, the Register Build
ing. owned by II. l.. Snyder, editor OF
the Shepherdstown Register, who is
one of the uniformed members OF the
Camp. The boys now have their room
handsomely decorated with valuable
relics, pictures, the Confederate colors,
etc. have done some work of charity,
have all debts paid and a little money
in the treasury.
The Camp owns handsome stand OF
Confederate colors, hand embroidered
on solid piece of silk by 6 feet; uni
formed fife and drum corps, with IN
struments, fife, snare drum, bass drum
and bugie uniformed hospital corps,
of which DR.. Hopkins Gibson, son of
the late DR.. J. G. Gibson, is Hospital
Steward. There is an enrolment OF
1872 men. of which IS are uniformed 81
of these are Sons and members OF the
U. S. C. v, 60 are nephewS, consequent
" only honorary members in the L. 3.
G.. V; IS per cent are over 30 years OF
age, some whose own locks are now
turning grey, but all are proud to be
privileged to wear the grey their fathers
wore. The roster shows men from all
the walks in life-farmers, lawyers, ply
sicianS, newspaper men, druggists, doc
tors of divinity and college professors.
The motto adopted at the organization
was the motto of General Stonewall
Jackson, Push Forward and this
has ever been closely adhered TO, as this
report shows. The members Of this
camp are mainly sons of men who fought
in the Virginia cavalry and infantry,
First and Twelfth Cavalry and Second
Infantry.
Captain w. H. Kearfott is the only
child of John p KearfOtt, one of JEFF
ferson county's most prominent and
prosperous business men. Mr.. kearfott
enlisted in the Confederate States Army
at the age of eighteen and served until
the surrender at AppomattoX, April .,
1865, the entire time with Company b,
First Regiment Virginia Cavalry, First
Brigade, commanded by Gems. FitZ-
hugh Lee and j. E. B. Stuart. lie was
wounded at Kennon's Landing, on the
James river, below Richmond, in June,
entirely through his left breast. He
was taken to the Chin borazo Hospital
at Richmond, and after recovering re-
Joined his command. Captain kear-
fott also had four uncles in the Confed-
crate army: James Kearfott, Company
"B," First Virginia Cavalry, killed in
a fight at Stannardsville, Va. ; d. NJ.
and j. w. Deck. in Chew's Battery,
Stuarts Light Horse Artillery and
Johnathan Miller, in Company I'D, Sec
ond Regiment Virginia Infantry, Stone
wall Brigade, who was taken a prisoner
IN 1868, conveyed to Elmira, New York,
and closely confined until after the sur
render.
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget lestwe forget"
Captain Kearfott's early ancestors
(the Lemen family formerly lived in
Scotland, but in 1856 Robert and Will
liam Lemen (who were soldiers under
CromwelD removed to the north of Ire
land. Nicholas Lemen, the great-great-
grandfather OF Captain Kearfott, was
married in Virginia in l747, and settled
on the farm which has descended by in
heritance and purchase to John p.
Kearfott, and where Captain kearfott
now lives with his father. This tract
of land was granted by patent to Mich
Olas Lemen from Lord Thomas Fairfax,
under seal of the crown bearing date
September 3. 1856. Lord Fairfax was
then lord proprietor of the northern
part of Virginia, and under the crown
had the power Of granting and dispos-
ing of the lands there.
Captain Kearfott was for three years
a United States officer, and stationed in
Philadelphia and Pittsburg. He re-
ceived his military training in the First
Regiment of Pennsylvania Infantry.
Today he is one of the most prominent
politicians in the county and has fol-
lowing Especially among the young
men) second to none in the county.
He. is popular alike with young and old,
rich and poor, and in 1904 will yield a
mighty influence in jefferson county.
Last year he was spoken of for the State
Senate and was offered a place on the
sheritfalty ticket, but declined all hon
ors.
He is the pioneer of the United S. c.
Y. movement in Eastern West Virginia.
At first unaided, he worked zealously
till he secured the present organization
in Shepherdstown, was elected its first
commander and reelected year later;
has been appointed the State member Of
the general relief committee Ito provide
relief for INDECENT and disabled ex-cOn-
federates) by COMMANDMENT. chief Bis
coe Hindman, of Louisville, Ky, and as
one of the delegates from his camp he
starts for the reunion at Memphis,
Tenn, on Saturday, the 25th inst
Captain Kearfott is considered by
those who know him and are acquaint-
ed with the facts to be one Of the hard
est workers in the Sons of Confederate
Veterans movement in the Army Of
NnrtbarD Airrinia pnpSictinc Of ho