Bringing Back Sligo

- Long and Personal
  
  Posted at 9:09 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on March 31, 2020
  
  *sigh*
  
  I think you know what I’m saying, right? *BIG SIGH* This month hasn’t been so much a roller coaster of emotions as I’ve often attributed to the restoration of Sligo. This month has been more than that. It has been a monsoon of emotions…maybe a tsunami? This month has been a very large and destructive force of nature of emotions which I’m sure many of us are feeling right now.
  
  Where were you March 1st? A mere month ago? Personally, I was in Chicago with my mom and one of my sisters. We had gone to see Yo-Yo Ma perform at the Chicago Symphony and it came as a much needed break after Marcus had been on travel for two weeks. On March 1st, I was still planning on flying to Italy with our two girls for spring break in the next few weeks. Marcus would already be there for work and we were going to meet him and have a family adventure. It was during this trip to Chicago that I began to realize our world was about to change.
  
  One by one, travel, school, after-school activities, and work were canceled but still I didn’t worry too much. I only began to slightly panic when Marcus questioned why I hadn’t done a big grocery run. I mean, if Marcus is slightly panicking then I need to be as well. So, I soon found myself shopping two times that week. The first time it wasn’t so bad and there was hardly anyone at the store. The second time, 24 hours later, I went back to the grocery store to pick-up a few things I had forgotten and was soon swept-up into everyone’s panic, purchasing another basket full of groceries. So, in case you weren’t sure, herd mentality is real.
  
  Our girls have taken all of the changes in stride and honestly, they’re so much like their dad, that whatever feelings they are experiencing over this entire event are being tamped down. Marcus and I are doing our best to maintain a sense of a schedule and normalcy. We have split up the day with me “teaching” reading and writing and Marcus taking on science and math. We have also started basic home education lessons such as sorting laundry, cleaning, and baking. The oldest learned how to heat-up a corn dog in the microwave and that’s what she and her little sister lived on one day recently. While I personally can’t stand corn dogs and their lack of nutritional value I can totally get behind the self sufficiency. I’m not saying that it hasn’t taken my entire supply of wine to work through the emotions of being home with the girls all day every day but we’re managing.
  
  Also, during this month, my father-in-law passed away after a two year battle with small cell lung cancer. He left us just a week ago, in a time of such turmoil and uncertainty. I know we all would have been worried about his getting sick with the coronavirus. We had already started distancing ourselves from him and my mother-in-law and for the last two weeks of his life we saw either of them only from a distance.
  
  Ron was one of the best people I will ever know and the following is just a glimpse of that: He championed his sons but frequently sided with us wives; he would terrify yet amuse me when the girls were toddlers by giving them giant Altoids to suck on but I didn’t have the heart to ask him to stop so I would shadow the girls until I knew they were finished; and, as any good grandpa does, he harassed the girls with his “Tickle Monster” and would sing songs at bedtime; he had the biggest laugh and sense of humor; he shared my passion for sweets; we were never sure if the stories he told were true though we think they were at least mostly true; at our very first meeting I remember being embraced in his big, bear hug; and on the day he married Marcus and I he grabbed my face and planted a kiss right on my lips proclaiming “This will be the only time I can do this!”
  
  When Marcus purchased Sligo, Ron was, as all of us were, skeptical to say the least. However, as time went on and progress was made on both Sligo and the Cottage, Ron began to share in the vision and took delight in visiting to see the changes. On Ron’s last day one of the things he said to me as we were saying our goodbyes was how happy he was to see us “snugged up” in Sligo. He was also an avid reader of this blog and encouraged me to keep writing and I’m sorry I didn’t write anything new for him to read in the last few weeks. I’m going to miss him terribly, especially once social distancing has come to an end and we can visit with Marcus’s mom. I think that will be when we really feel his absence.
  
  Finally, the end of the month has brought my birthday. It’s not a “big one” but it’s getting closer and closer to one and I don’t know if I have it in me to accept that. Despite having to maintain social distancing I still had a nice day filled with mimosas and wine and food and honestly, that was pretty close to perfect. It’s a time for growth mentally and possibly physically (“COVID-19” instead of the “Freshmen 15” amiright?!) as we all learn to navigate this new world.
  
  Posted in Life | 1 Comment
- Ol’ Gus
  
  Posted at 10:13 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on February 27, 2020
  
  I’m frequently inspired to write about the galoots in my life. While Marcus tends to be my muse most of the time, occasionally I find inspiration elsewhere. Today, that inspiration is drawn from ol’ Gus the dog.
  
  Gus is the peeping hound dog that lives at the Cottage with his people: My brother-in-law and his wife and son. Gus is a fan of sun bathing, barking at seemingly nothing, sniffing the entire acre and a half, and peeping through our kitchen windows at dinner time (I think he likes to pretend he’s living his old, orphan life to remind himself how good he has it now). He also will romp for about 10 seconds with Axel and then he’s good for the rest of the day.
  
  Another favorite past time ol’ Gus has is escaping through the front gate every chance he gets. He has an uncanny ability to be across the yard and know that the gate has been opened. While our ultimate goal is for the gate to be mechanized it isn’t as of yet and that has proven to be a challenge for keeping Gus contained. Frequently what happens is, a person unfamiliar with Gus will drive through the gate and fail to close it behind them. Also, because we like to channel the Clampetts, the gate has to be bungeed closed so that the wind does not blow it open and this is often forgotten which results in an escape.
  
  If you are not familiar with our area we live off of a fairly busy, four lane road. We chose to fence-in the entire acre and half in order to be able to enjoy it completely and feel that our children and animals are protected. It turns out, though, that it isn’t our own children or animal that needs protecting because they are trained to stay within their boundaries. Gus, on the other hand, is just an old boy who was rescued not even knowing how to eat out of a bowl let alone know what a boundary is.
  
  Somehow, he has managed to walk out of the gate and make it across all four lanes of traffic; he’s walked about a mile away to the Bowman Center; I found him one time leading the way for a gentleman through the neighborhood across the street; he’s been found hanging out at Dixon Park; plus, he’s received at least one or two rides home with kind strangers. It helps that he is a slow mover so I suppose the few times he has crossed in front of traffic it’s like having to stop for a family of geese crossing which gives motorists time to react.
  
  This is all to say that we are working on a solution for containing Gus. Until then, keep an eye out for a old, plodding hound dog on Dixon.
  
  Gus, the escape artist
  
  Posted in Animals, Grounds, Life | 0 Comments
- Silver Linings
  
  Posted at 9:53 am by Lauren Tepaske, on February 23, 2020
  
  The other night I had a dream that left was right and right was left. The next day I got in the car and turned on Waze and as Cookie Monster told me to “turn left” I, for a split second, wasn’t sure which direction that was. I think my sister-in-law was correct when she surmised that it was a metaphor for my life right now. I am feeling very frazzled and very much not myself but it will fade; it isn’t an altogether alien feeling as it happens every time we move.
  
  The house is slowly coming together but it’s taking time to get through 12 crates worth of household goods. How is it possible that a family of four accumulated so much crap that it took 12 crates to store it all? I’ve been going room by room and donating, consigning, recycling, throwing away, or putting aside for a future yard sale. All of this has to be done while the girls are in school because A. They would want to reclaim the things I’m trying to get rid of and B. They would stress me out with their mere presence and having to parent.
  
  As I go through our boxes I realize the biggest hoarder is Marcus which is funny because he’s always giving me flack for buying “stuff.” The difference is, I consign or donate the things I no longer want whereas he keeps EV-ERY-THING and just stashes it. I’m talking things from high school and college. I asked him to go through his stuff and set aside whatever he might not want anymore and he gave me three items. So, he has two giant boxes of clothes and another, slim box stashed under the bed to my one box of clothes in need of a dresser. This doesn’t even touch on the random cords, CDs, and documents that accounted for the last few boxes I opened.
  
  With all that said, there have been a few silver linings within the last few weeks, my favorite being Mr. White (hi, Mr. White!). Mr. White is the grandson of Tonstal and Annie Scott who worked for the Shannon family at Sligo. He was the first person who contacted me when I asked the Shannon Airport to please pass on my information and who gave me Mrs. Scott-Johnson’s (his cousin) information. Anyway, long story short, Mr. White contacted me about a week after we moved in because he had read my previous blog lamenting our lack of mirrors. He had two, door length mirrors in his basement that were never used and he wanted to give them to us because “A woman needs a mirror!” Mr. White, I hope you’re reading this because your kindness filled my heart with such joy and I’m once again astounded at how this crazy thing called the Internet has put me in touch with some of the nicest, most genuine people. Along with the mirrors, Mr. White also gave me a picture of his grandfather that I plan to frame and put in a bookcase along with my other Sligo memorabilia.
  
  Mr. Tonstal Scott, circa 1950s.
  
  Posted in Life, Main House | 0 Comments
- The Big Move
  
  Posted at 9:39 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on February 13, 2020
  
  We are finally living at Sligo. It’s hard to believe that approximately 18 months ago we walked through a house that was absolutely unlivable. I, and my girls, had a hard time seeing what Marcus saw in the house. All we could see were the vines growing through the broken windows, the graffiti, and the piles of things left behind. But, it turns out, after 18 months of not having a home of our own the change was easier than we expected.
  
  Both of the girls have been enjoying having their own room. I already knew this about the two of them but, it turns out the oldest is a bit of a slob and the youngest is neat and particular about her things. It’s almost as if they’re miniature versions of Marcus and me. Almost.
  
  Axel is feeling a bit neglected because I have been so focused on unpacking the house that we haven’t been for a run together. With that said, he has one and a half acres to romp on and an old hound dog buddy to keep him company so he isn’t too bad off. Lasagna the kitty seems to be doing well and I’m secretly hoping that she may lose a little weight going up and down the stairs. You can frequently find her sitting next to the girls at the kitchen table, sleeping in random comfy spots around the house, or bird watching. She even seems to have accepted Axel as her frenemy and while she still lets him know who’s boss she doesn’t run away as frequently.
  
  Marcus is stressed only because I have a “Honey-do” list and he’s set to go on travel for two weeks soon. I don’t think it’s asking too much that he hang curtains before he leaves so that we have a little more privacy. With that said, I’m trying to really prepare him for the cost of curtains for roughly 9 foot high windows. That will probably be what causes him to really regret this whole adventure; the cost of curtains.
  
  My stress levels are slowly dwindling as the house becomes unpacked. This hasn’t been without it’s share of mishaps such as leaving my purse and purchases at random places and doing laundry with fabric softener (which I thought was detergent) for the past two weeks. Today, I had some errands to run and decided to pretend like I cared about my appearance and did my makeup using a little handheld mirror (because we don’t have mirrors yet and I think we’ll definitely have curtains before we have mirrors). After speaking with our general contractor I got in the car and took a look in the rear view mirror. Much to my dismay I realized I had applied my lipstick like a five-year old and looked an absolute fright. So, lessons learned here are check for my belongings before leaving, check the labels on laundry detergent, and care less about what I look like when I run errands because at this moment there’s either just rolled out of bed chic or crazy spinster/cat lady chic and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in between.
  
  Posted in Life | 0 Comments
- The Battle of Fredericksburg at Sligo Part II
  
  Posted at 5:02 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on January 3, 2020
  
  Here it is folks, how Sligo and the Ferneyhough family were affected by the Battle of Fredericksburg. I know, I know. You all have been waiting with baited breath for this installment. I, too, have been waiting for it.
  
  So, for a refresher the Fredericksburg Campaign took place during December 1862, the Chancellorsville Campaign which took place during May 1863, and a third battle in June 1863 which was the beginning of the Battle of Fairfax. All of these battles affected Sligo. You can also check out Part I of this post which gives a little bit more detail (just a little). At this point in time Sligo was occupied by Eliza Ferneyhough, widow of John R Ferneyhough Jr who had died in 1860, and their children: Thomas Gilbert (John Ferneyhough Jr’s adult son from his first marriage to Mary Frances Gilbert), George (as in George Thrift who would later build our Sligo), Sallie, and Fannie Chesley (a granddaughter).
  
  Noel Harrison states that Sligo was situated “behind the Union front line during…December 1862 and May 1863 Battles of Fredericksburg and between the opposing front lines during the June 1863 engagement near Fredericksburg” (1995, Fredericksburg Civil War Sites, Vol 2, p. 102). I like how succinctly he wrote that because I have spent literally hours looking cross-eyed at all of the documentation I have and not comprehending a word. In the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of Virginia Historical Inventory of Sligo (Site) it is reported that the Federals used the house in 1862 as a hospital and drilled and were quartered around the property (Deaderick, 2 June 1937). With that being said, the WPA of Sligo (Home Site) states that Confederate soldiers were quartered in the house during December 1862 (Deaderick, 14 June 1937). So, I guess no matter which way you look at it, Sligo was in the thick of it.
  
  Sketch of the Battle of Fredericksburg, 13 December 1862 (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/109182787) which shows the Union lines in blue and Confederate lines in red. The “Ferryhough” house is depicted and I drew a red circle around it for easier detection.
  
  The WPA of Sligo (Home Site) gives an account of how George (remember George, the son of Eliza) listened-in on the plans of the Confederate soldiers quartered in his home and ran to tell his mother. The family quickly gathered their belongings and left. After the Battle of Fredericksburg they returned to discover the house ransacked and a threat from the Union soldiers that they would hang George who was a 2nd Lieutenant in the boys Military Company of Fredericksburg. After this the Ferneyhough family moved to Richmond and did not return to Sligo until 1865. Unfortunately, they returned to find the house in disrepair. All but one secondary building had been burned and much of the farming equipment thrown into the well. (Deaderick, 14 June 1937)
  
  I was having a conversation with my girls the other day about what it might be like to have to leave everything behind because soldiers were coming and it wasn’t safe anymore. Their eyes grew big and they had many questions including who was the good guy and who was the bad guy (good question with many implications and I explained it as best as I could at an eight and seven year old level), how many lovies could a person bring, and (most importantly) what about the farm animals and pets? We decided that the soldiers probably used or took the farm animals and we hoped the Ferneyhoughs were able to bring their pets.
  
  I want to remind everyone that the WPAs weren’t exactly thoroughly researched and a lot of the information was conjecture or word-of-mouth. We do, however, have accounts of soldiers who write of Sligo. One particularly interesting letter written by a soldier of the 122nd New York Infantry during the June 1863 battle describes how Confederate sharpshooters used Sligo as a “den” and shot at the Union lines (Harrison, 1995, Fredericksburg Civil War Sites, Vol 2, p. 103). I imagine anyone with a metal detector reading this right now is probably salivating; there’s surely something left in the ground.
  
  So, there it is. The Civil War at Sligo. It took me a while to sit down and write this because 1. Every time I write about the Ferneyhough family I have to log into my Ancestry.com account and look at my previous emails between myself and our Dovetail consultant in an effort to piece together who was who (and in an effort to be as accurate as possible). and 2. The information is in pieces and scattered about and it took a minute to organize myself. Lucky for you the children are out for the day and it’s raining so what else did I have to do?
  
  Posted in Ferneyhough, Grounds, History, Main House, Wars | 2 Comments
- Happy New Year, 2020!
  
  Posted at 9:44 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on January 1, 2020
  
  Yes, I owe a second part to the story of the Civil War at Sligo. The folder with the information has been sitting next to the bed for the past month and all I’ve done with it is move it to various other places next to the bed. First, though, I wanted to say a little something about 2019 and the hopes for 2020.
  
  This past year has been one big stress ball for us. I have no qualms with sharing any of this because for me, writing about it is therapeutic. So, where to begin? I’m pretty sure I’ve gained at least 10 pounds due to an insatiable sweet tooth that appeared out of nowhere, not to mention I’ve changed my hair more times than I can count and I’m pretty sure both of those things are coping mechanisms. We have two little girls who barely know how to brush their teeth let alone express their emotions appropriately which causes stress and as a result Marcus’s and my relationship experiences it’s own stress (though I haven’t drafted up those divorce papers yet so we’re good).
  
  I won’t even go into the financial stress of a project like this because I am sure you can assume what it might take to bring a 130 year old home up to current standards but we have high hopes that once we move-in and are able to start generating an income from the basement apartment and the Cottage that it won’t be too bad. Although I keep telling folks that we’ll be living in a gorgeous house sitting on bean bags and everyone laughs but I’m being quite serious. Actually, I take that back. Bean bags and milk crates will be what we use.
  
  Another big stressor is the amount of time we’ve not been in our own place. Two Christmases have come and gone as we occupy two rooms and in an attempt to not completely overtake my mom’s house Marcus’s and my bedroom is, well, stressful especially for someone like me who can’t stand clutter and disorganization. Marcus hasn’t helped that situation much because somehow two giant TVs have appeared along with a few more cardboard boxes that I don’t recognize nor understand their purpose. He would probably tell you about my oh so slight furniture hoarding problem that has taken over my mom’s garage but in my defense I got those things at a bargain.
  
  In the end though we’re doing OK. We’re all looking forward to being able to move into the house (although I still go to bed with random worries like whether or not my girls will be too scared to use the potty in the middle of the night because I know I will be). For the year 2020 I can only hope that we are able to make the transition out of my mom’s house without having left too much of a mark on her belongings (because we’ve caused a little bit of damage here and there). I hope the girls will be able to settle-in to their new home and enjoy the property. As it stands they’ve already been having a grand time running around the 1.5 acres plus the adjoining park. I hope Marcus will be less stressed and we can get back to our random Sundays of accidentally getting drunk while working on a project. I hope I can make the transition of not living with my mom and having her help for the days when the girls have after-school activities and Marcus is on travel. Most importantly, I hope the house herself is ready for us because we bring two active and creative children, an especially active dog, an especially lazy cat, and of course, Marcus and I.
  
  Rey on the left and Princess Leia on the right (in case you couldn’t tell). I think Sligo will be happy to keep these two entertained.
  
  Posted in Holidays, Life | 0 Comments
- The Battle of Fredericksburg at Sligo Part I
  
  Posted at 9:55 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on December 15, 2019
  
  As we all know writing about military battles, people, etc. is not my forté. There’s something about reading the specifics of battles that make my eyes go cross and I quickly lose interest. This is not to say that I don’t love history because clearly I do. I think it has to do with the abundant use of cardinal directions and military terms such as “flank” which I think means rear because that’s what it means in most other circumstances but I could be wrong. I digress. The point is, I’m going to make an attempt to write about the Battle(s) of Fredericksburg at Sligo and the Ferneyhough family who would have been the occupants at that time.
  
  The Battle of Fredericksburg took place from the 11th through the 15th of December, 1862 and I made the judicious decision to go ahead and skip to the end because you all who are Civil War history buffs will absolutely scream in rage if I try and write anything more. So, in the end it was a decidedly Confederate victory as the Union faced problems almost from the beginning when the pontoon bridges necessary to cross the Rappahannock did not arrive in time. One interesting tidbit related to the Battle of Fredericksburg is that it was the first battle to take place in an urban environment in the history of the United States and, despite the urban setting (and the looting by the Union), there were only four civilian deaths reported during this time.
  
  A few years back we lived on Sunken Road and planned a Christmas party to introduce our friends to our second newly born and to say “good bye” as we were getting ready to move to Jacksonville, North Carolina (aka, the “Armpit of America” but ask me how I really feel). Without realizing it we had planned our party for the same day as the 150th anniversary as the Battle of Fredericksburg. Let me tell you, you know you live in a special town when you look out your window and can witness an entire reenactment taking place as you down your wine in a red solo cup (because we keep it classy).
  
  I wasn’t sure if I should tell them I had a GPS that might help them find their way…
  
  I digress, again. You guys need to help me stay on track. Anyway, it turns out, December 1862 was not the first, or last, time Fredericksburg would be witness to the horrors of war. In the spring of 1863, the Chancellorsville Campaign began (“campaign” meaning something different from “battle” and which I have yet to figure out) and which encompassed a second battle at Fredericksburg. Considering the location of Sligo (just south of the city and directly on the Rappahannock) it should come as no surprise that the Ferneyhoughs were in the thick of the fighting from the first battle of Fredericksburg and on…
  
  Posted in Ferneyhough, History, Life, Wars | 1 Comment
- A Progress Report
  
  Posted at 1:43 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on December 13, 2019
  
  Yikes! Why didn’t someone tell me it has been six weeks since I last wrote a blog post…and even then it wasn’t much of a post. I was planning on writing something about the Civil War in Fredericksburg and how it affected the Ferneyhough family at Sligo but maybe I’ll take a minute to catch everyone up on how things are progressing at the house.
  
  In November we had an open house tour given by the Historical Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI). About 100 people showed up and, I think, all were delighted with the tour and the state of the house. My mother-in-law went on the tour hoping to go “incognito” which she was for all of two seconds and then she was accosted by my girls screaming “Grammy! Grammy!” Regardless, she was absolutely thrilled with the tour given by HFFI which included historical aspects of the home and surrounding area, the families that have lived in it, and our plans for the future of the house. I enjoyed meeting some of the folks at the end of the tour and even learned some new information about Sligo. For instance, the property wasn’t on city water until the early 1980s. I was surprised at that. I also learned that General Thomas Posey and his second wife, Mary Alexander, likely might have lived at the property as when Mary Alexander’s first husband passed away he would have left his estates to the children.
  
  Over these last few months the progress on the top two floors of the house has progressed rapidly. The bathrooms are all but complete and the bedrooms have been painted and light fixtures installed. On the first floor the kitchen still has some work until completion but that is because one cabinet was damaged in transit and one cabinet not delivered at all. We have made decisions on just about everything else such as light fixtures for the downstairs rooms and the appliances for the kitchen.
  
  In the basement the apartment is starting to take shape. The walls for the bathroom are up and the windows are being repaired. The brick has been repointed and where there were dirt floors is now cement. The HVAC system, which is the same mini split system as on the top two floors, has been installed and electrical wiring is run. The addition of insulation in the ceiling has given the basement a more cozy feeling and while its still a little dark and scary it won’t be for long.
  
  The grounds are in desperate need of work but until the trucks are done driving in and out it seems rather pointless to try and do anything. Also, its cold and currently its raining and I have a sleeping pooch next to me so the last thing that sounds like fun to me right now is yard work. Also, did I mention how many times I got poison ivy this past summer just by looking at the yard? No less than five times and all of varying degrees of intensity.
  
  We are hoping to move into the house by January which we are all ready for. I never would have guessed we would still be living with my mom nearly 1.5 years later. She probably didn’t expect that either. Sorry, mom.
  
  Posted in Basement, Contractors, Grounds, Life, Main House | 1 Comment
- Tour Sligo with HFFI
  
  Posted at 5:07 pm by Lauren Tepaske, on October 31, 2019
  
  If you’re local (or not) and read the blog you may be interested in an event the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI) is hosting at Sligo on November 16th. A few months ago I was approached by a member of the foundation to see if we would be interested in allowing folks to see Sligo during the renovation process. As it is, most will only ever see an old home after it has been renovated and this is a rare opportunity to get a “behind-the-scenes” look.
  
  I try to be forthcoming with information on this blog about the trials and tribulations we have faced with restoring Sligo and the tour will give even more insight into those trials and tribulations as well as the history of the house. Maybe, if you’re currently pondering an attempt at restoring an old home, this tour will help make or break that decision! If you are thinking about restoring an old home I have one I’d be willing to sell…it’s on Dixon Street. You may know it…
  
  Anyway, here is the link to the event: https://hffi.org/product/bringing-back-sligo/
  
  We hope to see you there!
  
  Posted in History, Life, Main House | 0 Comments
- General Thomas Posey
  
  Posted at 7:22 am by Lauren Tepaske, on October 26, 2019
  
  Alright, here’s a post I started writing at least three months ago but it got away from me. Lately I have been waking up at 5:00 in the morning and I blame getting older on that. Apparently as we age we need less sleep? Is that a thing? Why is that a thing? Can it not be a thing? I really like to sleep. It also doesn’t help that afternoon crash I inevitably succumb to every day. I digress. Because I have been waking up at 5:00 in the morning I now find myself with a little bit more free time to write. Yay for you! Unless otherwise noted, all of my information was retrieved from Wikipedia (again, totally aware that is not a reliable source of information but I was just looking for a succinct description of Posey).
  
  So, General Thomas Posey in a nutshell: He was born near Mt. Vernon in Fairfax, Virginia. As a result, he was a patron of George Washington (some even claimed he was the illegitimate son of George Washington though historians doubt that) and would eventually benefit from that patronage as the Revolutionary War approached. Prior to the war, however, he moved to Staunton, Virginia and married though his wife died while giving birth to their third child. Only one child survived into adulthood.
  
  While living in Staunton he was part of a reprisal against the Native Americans who continually led raids against the settlers. I only mention this because Posey’s experience with Native Americans becomes an asset for him later in life in 1816 when he became an “Indian agent” in Illinois. I know the word “Indian” is not correct anymore but that’s what they called it.
  
  Alright, rewinding a bit to 1775 and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Posey rises through the ranks, leads battles, and is eventually promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Army. He leaves the Continental Army but then later joins the United States Army as a Brigadier General and serves in the Northwest Indian War which to be honest, I had never heard of. I think by this point it is painfully obvious that I am not a war history buff and am quite terrible writing about it. I love history but the minute I start reading about wars and battles and how one regiment lined up here and charged forward over there while the other guys were over yonder and they fell back and…my eyes glaze over and I kind of stop remembering how to read and comprehend at the same time.
  
  Okay, so the point I’m getting at here is that Thomas Posey was an impressive guy, militarily speaking. It’s what happens between the Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War that we want to know about because that is when he moves to Fredericksburg and marries Mary Alexander Thornton, the wealthy widow of George Thornton. In my earlier days of research on Sligo it was stated that Thomas Posey owned and lived at Sligo. There was even a newspaper clipping our wonderful Dovetail consultant found that stated a brick with his name and dated “1752” had been discovered when Sligo burnt down in 1888. However, I do not believe Thomas Posey lived at Sligo nor do I believe he built the first house in 1752 and here’s why:
  
  First of all, Thomas Posey didn’t marry Mary Thornton until 1784 which is when he moved from Fincastle to Fredericksburg (Posey, p. 109). Right off the bat, the dates don’t line up even remotely. The couple settled on her estate called The Wilderness which is near Wilderness Run.
  
  Secondly, Posey (a descendant of Thomas Posey…I realize that could be confusing) writes:
  
  During their nineteen years at Greenwood, the Poseys engaged in some limited purchases and sales of real property in Spotsylvania County. From James Frazier and John Minor they acquired an improved five-acre plot just outside Fredericksburg, a segment of a larger estate called “Sligo,” which had been a hospital during the war, partially burned, and later restored. Later they sold the property to John Lewis, kinsman to George Washington, for 1250 (pounds) on 5 September 1794. (1992, p. 113, General Thomas Posey: Son of the American Revolution, Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, Michigan.)
  
  What I’m trying to prove here is that Sligo was merely an investment property for Thomas Posey and his wife. My uneducated guess as to how his name became so prominently affixed to Sligo is because he was a Revolutionary War hero and someone, somewhere along the line attributed him to the property in order to garner more interest. Also, it’s kind of like 267 years of the game “telephone” and information is going to get skewed over time.
  
  To end Thomas Posey’s story he eventually moves to Kentucky because he was awarded 7,000 acres for his military service. In Kentucky he starts a new career in politics eventually becoming Lieutenant Governor. He then moves to Louisiana and is a United States Senator for one year. In 1813, President James Madison appoints Thomas Posey as Governor of the Indiana Territory though he loses the re-election in 1816. After that loss he moves to Illinois in 1816 and becomes an Indian agent. Thomas Posey eventually passes from typhus in 1818 and is buried in Shawneetown, Illinois.
  
  John Bayless Hill, American, 1849-1874
  oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 26 3/16 (76.5 x 65.6)
  
  Posted in History, Wars | 2 Comments
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