Updated January 30, 2011.
September 27, 2010. John H Whitehurst, born October 13,
1834 at Knotts Island. Enlisted in the Virginia Confederate Army
on March 27, 1862 at Ocean View, VA. for three years. He was a
Private in Unit Company C, 15th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry.
Commanding Officer was Captain Edward W. Capps. Captured at
Ashland, VA on May 11, 1864. Imprisoned at Point Lookout, MD and
Elmira, NY. Released June 16, 1865. Returned to Knotts Island and
married Lydia Waterfield on March 1, 1869 and they had six
children including our grandmother, Lydia Estelle Whitehurst
Beasley. The five other children and his wife Lydia all died of
smallpox in 1881 and 1883. In 1890, he married Lydia Simpson and
they had no children. He died November 10, 1916 and was buried in
the family cemetery beside his parents, Levin and Charlotte, on
what was Curtis Fentress' land behind Clarence's house. Curtis
plowed up the cemetery and pieces of the gravestones are now in
the White family cemetery on White's Neck Lane.
This picture is a copy of the original small painting he brought
back with him along with the confederate bills from the civil war.
"B", our grandmother, kept this painting in a small box along with
the bills and the buttons from his uniform.
Dale Beasley December 1988.
November 8, 2010. Comment - Jack Dudley: John Hardy Whitehurst was captured at the Battle of Yellow Tavern. His Regiment was riding with JEB Stuart. This is the Battle in which JEB Stuart was wounded and died.
January 30, 2011. This gravestone was donated by a Confederate organization and is located at the original gravesite on Wards Road, Knotts Island. (Note: It appears that CAV was cemented over with INF).
