JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
The McClean House, Beauregard's HQ at Bull Run 1861. Civilian prisoners claimed as political prisoners were brought here before being sent on to Liggon's Prison, Richmond. The Henry House, Stone House, Sudley Church, Grigsby House and a few others remain well known at least in name. Does anyone know where was a residence call ' Mr. Floglus's house ', please?
I've posted previously about the first brother JPK's family lost in the war. Eldest brother Calvin was a politician practicing law in Rochester, NY but in Washington at the time of Bull Run 1861. He'd been staff of Seward's and recently appointed to go sort things out in Costa Rica. New York troops were quartered in Caspari's, across from the Capitol and he was, too- his brother ran the public house at the time, my grgrgrandfather.
Four New York men hired a carriage and went to the battlefield that day, two didn't come back, one forever. They'd gone there to confer with New York troops, not carrying those famous picnic baskets. Congressman Alfred Ely was one of two men in that carriage captured in the midst of Bull Run's shambles and confusion. The other was Calvin. Both were taken to Beauregard, both sent on to Richmond and Liggon's prison. Accounts of both men are different, Clavin, b 1818 and a trifle unfit to escape thought himself safe taking refuge in the home of someone named ' Floglus ', according to newspapers. Here's where we have a question- who was ' Mr. Floglus ' and which house was it? The name has to be wrong, at least the spelling because it seems not to have existed. There's a family from NY with a similar name and two of that name briefly noted as having died in Virginia but we just canNOT find the house.
Great article from August, 1861 on the civilians captured late July 1861.
Jolly, good natured soul. Love it.
This is he. Great grandmother kept this around. User icon is his sister, can't you tell?
That whole family was still funny another generation or so later. You should meet my mother.
Anyone reading this will understand why it'd be great to know. Because we want to know. Calvin's story ends in October. While in Liggons he contracted typhoid and yet more history took a hand. Elizabeth Van Lew visited Union prisoners at Liggons. noticed the older gentleman dying at the time of typhoid, talked the commandant around and took him home to the Van Lew mansion where he seemed to recover. A sudden relapse apparently killed him the day after being declared out of danger. He's unmarked in the Van Lew plot and the family never brought him home. Ely claimed he and other prisoners pooled money for his burial and achieved it but yep, cemetery records find him in the Van Lew plot at Shocktoe.
We're lucky in the ease with which he can be traced, knowing where he is and how he got there. A reporter visited Liggons to report on the civilians there and wrote a wonderful piece on how they kept themselves entertained. Described as ' fat and funny ', you can see why he made the fatal decision to seek refuge after the battle instead of trekking back to Washington. He was also born in 1818, had 5 children and led anything but an active life.
Back to that darn house. Please does anyone have any idea which it may be, or a guess? Not far from the battlefield, it's all we have. As far as any middle aged, fat and funny man wearing shoes not intended for walking could get on a hot, July day.