Gone But Not Forgotten: Remembering Union Cavalry at Mt. Zion Church Cemetery

Mt. Zion Church and the adjacent rock walled cemetery lie south of the John S. Mosby Highway (Route 50) a mile or so east of Gilbert's Corner in Loudoun County, Virginia.  I stopped there on May 10 to participate in a program sponsored by the Mosby Heritage Area Association which included visiting graves of Mosby's Rangers.

                                          Mt. Zion Church

At the back of the cemetery, nestled in the corner, are 12 U. S. Government headstones inscribed with the names of cavalrymen from the 2nd Massachusetts and the 13th New York Cavalry Regiments.  The Union soldiers were killed by Mosby's Rangers in a July 6, 1864 running skirmish near the church and on Samuel Skinners Farm east of the church.  The cavalrymen were reportedly originally buried near the Little River Church adjacent to Old Braddock Road and later disinterred and moved to Arlington National Cemetery.  In the 1990's citizens of Loudoun County obtained the headstones from the Veterans Administration and had them placed in the cemetery to honor the fallen Yankees.

   
Private Cornelius Tobin, Company I, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A shoemaker from Marlborough, Mass., Tobin was 19 when he enlisted on March 21, 1864. KIA July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Charles Oeldraiher, Company G, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A tinsmith from Boston, Mass., Oeldraiher was 22 when he enlisted on February 29, 1864.  KIA July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private John Johnson, Company I, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A bricklayer from Canajoharie, New York, Johnson was 22 when he enlisted on June 4, 1864.  KIA July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private William F. Dumaresy (Dumaresq) (Dumareso), Company K, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A sailor from Jersey Island, England, Dumaresy was 27 when he enlisted on June 1, 1864.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Owen Fox, Company H, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A laborer from East Braintree, Mass., Fox was 23 when he enlisted on October 9, 1863.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Corporal Samuel C. Hanscom (Handscom), Company A, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  Hanscom was from San Francisco, California.  He was 28 years old when he enlisted on December 10, 1862.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Corporal James McDonald, Company F, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A miner from California, McDonald was 30 when he enlisted on April 2, 1863.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Charles W. Rollins, Company I, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A farmer from Stanstead, Quebec, Canada, Rollins was 38 when he enlisted on May 27, 1864.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie. Virginia.

Private Patrick Riordan, Company I, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry.  A shoemaker from Marlborough, Mass., Riordan was 19 when he enlisted on March 31, 1864.  KIA, July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Joseph Lovely, Company K, 13th New York Cavalry.  Lovely was 20 when he enlisted on December 4, 1863 at Belmont, New York.  KIA, July 5, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Michael Hubin, Company I, 13th New York Cavalry.   Hubin was 30 when he enlisted as a private in the 13th New York on November 24, 1863.  He had previously seen service with the 4th New York Infantry, enlisting on April 27, 1861 before mustering out on May 25, 1863.  KIA July 6, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.

Private Duff Montanado, Company H, 13th New York Cavalry. Montanado was 18 when he enlisted at Watertown, New York on August 7, 1863.  KIA, July 9, 1864 near Aldie, Virginia.


For fore info see:  http://www.2mass.reunioncivilwar.com/Rosters/battle_casualties.htm & http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/cavalry/13thCavCW_Roster.pdf