Newspaper Tidbit: Gold Coins (1871)

Daily State Journal
11 September 1871

The rentor of a farm belonging to the Rev. Mr. Towles, in Prince William county, while cleaning out a well on that farm a few days ago, found a jar filled with gold coins. A question has arisen as to whether the owner or the rentor of the land upon which it was found is entitled to its use.

Wedding Wednesday: Conducted by Rev. John Towles

Alexandria Gazette (Va.)
17 January 1843

MARRIED, On Wednesday, the 4th instant, by the Rev. John Towles, Dr. Cyrus C. Marsteller, of Haymarket, Prince William County, Va., to Miss Eliza Harrison, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Harrison, Chaplain United States Navy, Gosport.

Alexandria Gazette (Va.)
8 December 1843

MARRIED, On the 5th instant, in Dumfries, Prince William County, Va., by the Rev. John Towles, Dr. Francis C. Fitzhugh, of King George, to Miss Rosa Spence.

AlAlexandria Gazette
5 July 1847

MARRIED. At Lawnville, Prince William county, Va., on Tuesday, the 22d ultimo, by the Rev. Mr. Towles, John Tyler, of Upper Marlboro, Md., to Frances, daughter of Stuart Thornton of said county.

Alexandria Gazette
20 June 1848

MARRIED, On Thursday evening last, the 15th inst. by the Rev. Mr. Towles, Dr. John P. T. Fitzhugh, of Prince William county, Va., top Mrs. Elizabeth C. Stephenson, of Warrenton.

Daily National (Washington, DC)
3 May 1854

MARRIED, at Waverly (Va.) on the 27th instant, by Rev. John Towles, Dr. R. Stuart Lomax, of King George, to Jeannie, daughter of Frederick Foote, Esq., of Prince William county, Va.

Alexandria Gazette
3 August 1855

At Sudley, July 25th, by the Rev. John Towles, Dr. Thomas F. Tebbs, and Caroline M., daughter of Stuart G. Thornton, esq.

Alexandria Gazette
18 February 1857

MARRIED On Tuesday, the 27th of January, by the Rev. John Towles, Mr. Josiah Willcoxen, to Miss Julia E. Weir, all of Prince William County, Virginia.

Alexandria Gazette
25 October 1859

MARRIED. In St. Paul's Church, on Tuesday, the 11th inst., by the Rev. John Towles, Mr. Lucien A. Larkin, of this city, to Miss Sallie J., daughter of the late Capt. P. Norvill, of Prince William county, Va.

Sunday's Obituary: Rosalie C. Towles (1862)

Richmond Whig (Richmond, Va.)
18 November 1862

At Green Vale, in the county of Lancaster, Oct. 31st, 1862 after a severe illness of eleven days, Miss ROSALIE C. TOWLES, daughter to the Rev. John Towles, of Prince William county, in the 15th year of her age.

"Light be the turf of they tomb;
  May its verdure like emeralds be,
There should not be the shadow of gloom,
  In aught that reminds us of  thee!

Young flowers and an evergreen tree,
  May spring from the spot of they rest
But not cypress or yew let us see,
  For why should we mourn for the blest.

Church Record Sunday: Newspaper Tidbits

Alexandria Gazette
28 September 1860

Resignation of a Pastor. -- The Rev. Jno. Towles, rector of St. Paul's Church, Leeds Parish, Prince William County, has resigned the charge of that parish and the parish of Dettinger in the same county.  A meeting of St. Paul's vestry was held on the 10th inst., on which occasion the letter of resignation having been read, resolutions of esteem for the retiring pastor, and of regret at the severing of pastoral relations were unanimously adopted.  The vestry of Dettinger have passed similar resolutions.

Alexandria Gazette
19 October 1866

MISSIONARY APPOINTMENT. -- At a meeting of the State Mission Board of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, held Monday afternoon in Richmond, the Rev. T. W. Newman, was appointed Missionary to Prince William county.

Alexandria Gazette
9 May 1867

Prince William County. -- Rev. H. Hyde, of Independent Hill, Prince William county, writes to the Home Missionary an appeal for Puritan emigration to Virginia, as the only means that can gain and save the South.  He describes his place, "in the heart of the nation, close to the national capital -- on the borders of the Potomac, with access by water to all the markets of the world -- with a rolling, well-watered, fertile soil, abounding in all the products of the forest, and near to those of the mine." Everything is as free, and as secure from damages, as in New England.

Military Monday: Prince William Cavalry, Co. A., 4th Va. Cavalry

Manassas Journal

October 20, 1905

PRINCE WILLIAM'S HONOR ROLL

Prince William Cavalry, Co. A, 4th Va. Cavalry

[Prepared for The Journal by Mrs. Geo. W. Johnson]

Captain, William Willis Thornton

1^st Lieut., P. D. Williams

2^nd Lieut., A. D. Wroe

3^rd Lieut., James M. Barbee

Orderly Sergeant, Thomas O. Thornton

Privates

J. T. Arundell	J. C. Lynn
Amos Benson	A. T. Lynn
Heywood Bridwell	John H. Lee
Albert Bridwell	C. H. Lambert
Monroe Bridwell	Ned Larkin
Lang Bridwell	George W. Larkin
_____ Bruffey	Charles Lewis
Chas. H. Brawner	T. W. Marders
Hammitt Claggett	Benj. D. Merchant
Alvah Cass	Frank Merchant
E. J.T. Clark	Philo Mitchell
James F. Clark	John Miner
Henry Carter	Reuben Miner
Charles L. Cushing	R. B. Lee McCrea [Macrae]
Thomas Cushing	Robert Manuel
Robert B. Cushing	Adolphus Marsteller
J. P. Cross	Y. H. Marsteller
Ham. Cross	Felix Muldoon
William Cockrell	George W. Nutt
George M. Colvin	Horatio Nelson
Clinton C. Colvin	Andrew Norman
Richard Colvin	Fielding Norman
George Colvin	Thadeus Newman
Lucien A. Davis	Lucien L. O’mera
S. S. F. Davis	James M. Peters
J. W. Davis	John S. Powell
R. M. Davis	B. L. Pridmore
Joseph Davis	Benjamin Pridmore
Charles E. Davis	Levi Pridmore
W. H. Dewy	J. D. Payne
Caleb S. Deats	Wm. L. Robertson
John C. Deats	Richard Shirley
Ellis A. Deats	Thomas S. Shirley
C. E. Donehoe	J. M. Shirley
C. W. Dunnington	J. R. Shirley
T. P. Elliott	Sidney Shirley
Maurice Evans	Samuel Sisson
Henry Evans	W. M. Simms
Hiram Eastman	G. A. Selectman
Madison Finch	George Selectman
John W. Fewell	T. B. Selectman
A. H. Finchsel	R. Selectman
Mathew Finegan	William Stone
N. B. Guy	Marshall Stone
J. M. Graham	R. H. Shephard
J. P. Gaines	Joseph Shepherd
Charles A. Graham	Carys Smith
W. S. George	Charles Smith
Adison George	J. M. Sinclair
F. W. Holmes	J. L. Sinclair
M. C. Holmes	W. H. Simms
Monroe Holmes	Robert Towles
John M. Herndon	Vivian Towles
Geo. W. Herndon	William Towles
Haywood Herndon	James Towles
Henry M. Holland	John G. Taylor
Robert W. Holland	Garland Taylor
R. E. Horton	J. N. Tolson
M. W. Horton	J. T. Williams
R. H. Haislip	John Williams
James Hulfish	J. F. Williams
John L. Hamet[t]	Wm. F. Williams
G. H. Hooe	Frank Williams
Ashley Holmes	William Wilkins
Robert Jewell	Jeff. Woodyard
George Jewell	E. V. Weir
Robert King	Robert W. Weedon
C. W. Keys	P. T. Weedon
Henry F. Lynn	Marshall B. Weedon
W. M. Lynn	C. H. A. Weedon
A. A. Lynn	Geo. M. Weedon
J[ohn] H[enry] Lynn	J. F. Wheat
L. W. Lynn	Luther Windsor
George Lynn	W. T. Washington
Benjamin Lynn
J. A. Lynn
Milton Lynn
Luther Lynn
Albert Lynn

At the reorganization of the army in ’62 and election of officers took place resulting as follows:

Captain, P. D. Williams

1^st Lieut., Lucien A. Davis

2^nd Lieut., Benjamin D. Merchant

3^rd Lieut., Goerge Colvin

Orderly Sergeant, P. T. Weedon

2^nd Sergenat, J. Taylor Williams

3^rd Sergeant, Robert Towles

Soon after the reorganization, in the spring of ’63, Geo. Colvin died and officers under him advanced a step, and other elected, as follows:

2^nd Lieut., Robert W. Weedon

3^rd Sergeant, Absolam Lynn

4^th Sergeant, Vivian Towles

1^st Corporal, J. P. Gaines

2^nd Corporal, R. H. Haislip

3^rd Corporal, Amos Benson

4^th Corporal, Andrew Norman

J. Taylor Williams was made Sergeant major of the Regiment by Col. Wickham and served through the Gettysburg Campaign.

William Willis Thornton (the first Captain) was made Major in the Commissary Department of Ewell’s forces and noted in that capacity until the close of the war.

Many members of Co. A were severely wounded.  John W. Fewell lost a leg at Five Forks. Lieut. B. D. Merchant had a long experience of prison live, and was one of those who were sent to Morris Island in Charleston Harbor.  Three died at Point Lookout and several others suffered long terms of prison life:  Charles H. Brawner, at Fort Delaware, and Luther Windsor, twenty months at Elmyra).

List of Dead of Co. A., 4^th Virginia Cavlary

Captain P. D. Williams, killed at Raccoon Ford

George Colvin died of disease

J. T. Arundel, killed near Dumfries, by two negro prisoners

S. S. T. Davis, killed near Dumfries, by two negro prisoners

L. Bridwell, died of disease

W. S. Robinson, died of disease

Henry Evans, died of disease

Mathew Inegan, died of disease

D. C. Norman, died of disease

Thomas Cushing, killed near Warrenton

C. L. Cushing, killed at Appomattox

William H. Cockrell, killed at Raccoon Ford

Ellis A. Deats, killed at Aldie

T. P. Elliott, killed at Travillyan Station

A. A. George, died of disease

L. Lynn, died of disease

John H. Lee, killed at Fairfax

J. P. Monroe, died in prison

Thomas W. Marders, killed at White

W. S. Moore, killed at Spotsylvania

Horace Nelson, killed at Jack’s Shop

W. H. Selectman, killed at Jack’s Shop

Thomas S. Shirley, died in prison

William Stone, died in prison

Frank Williams, killed

Vivian Towles, killed at Travillyan Station

James Towles, killed at Spotsylvania C.H.