David Hart and the Hart family in the American Civil... -
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Published on: 2/23/2007
Last Visited: 9/28/2008
The lumber on the grounds was used to make coffins, and rails were taken for fires, On December 5, 1861, Joseph Hart made a sworn statement of his losses by General Rosecrans' army as follows:
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"When the battle of Rich Mountain took place, Joseph Hart had on his farm both hogs and cattle as well as lumber, rails, and garden vegetables, all of which from necessity were taken for the use of our army.
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We had no funds on hand at the time with which to make payments and Mr. Hart was not paid for his property. There was then in the beginning of the war no system of receipts or other records.I do not know the exact value of the property of Joseph Hart used by our army, but I believe that the property including live stork, lumber, rails, injury to building and occupation of same for army purposes was worth at least $2,000 or $2,500."
Blake said that although Joseph Hart was an avowed Union man, he was rather protected by the Confederate Army and had not lost much property or stock from southern occupancy.
Joseph Hart was sixty-four years old a few days after the battle.The loss of property was a blow to him.He made some effort to collect damages from the government, but never received any compensation.Of course, this was a small beginning of what the American people would pay for the Civil War.In 1862, Joseph Hart was made prosecuting attorney of Randolph County, probably appointed by Pierpont's Reorganized Government.He must not have served long for this same year it is believed he went to his sister's home in Illinois.How long he remained there is not known but -his youngest son, Alexander, enlisted in Company E, Fourth West Virginia Cavalry on July 7, 1863, when he was barely seventeen.His father likely returned to West Virginia with him, as he was a delegate from Randolph County to the First State Convention of Union men, held at Parkersburg, (West) Virginia on May 6, 1863.