Russell County
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Jonathan W. VanScoyoc was one of the first settlers at Luray. His cabin's
original site was about 3/4 miles north on Coon Creek. The Luray Lions Club
moved the cabin to the park in Luray City, I believe in 1961. A stone portion
was not restored.
Jonathan W. VanScoyoc was born in Richland County,
Ohio, in 1836.
On the 30th day of November 1861, he enlisted, at
Mansfield, Ohio, in Co. A. 64 Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After serving
over two years, he re-enlisted for three years more, or duration of the war. He
served in the department of the Cumberland. He participated in the battles of
Shiloh, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta Campaign, &c. Was captured at
Franklin, Nov 30, 1864.
He was confined in Andersonville prison, Georgia,
four months, when he was paroled and put aboard the steamer "Sultana," bound for
Cairo, Illinois. He was onboard the ill-fated Sultana when it exploded April 26,
1865, killing about 1700. After passing Memphis seven miles, one of the boilers
exploded, destroying the boat, as well as the lives of nearly 1600 soldiers. He
was blown clear of the boat, into the river; secured a piece of board and
floated down the river until opposite Memphis, a distance of seven miles and was
there rescued by some parties in a skiff, where he was rescued more dead than
alive. The disaster was one of the worst in history but got little press with
the end of the war and the murder of President Lincoln
He was a faithful
soldier, serving until May 20th, 1865, when he was mustered out by reason of
Close of War. He received a pension of $8 a month, on account of malarial poison
resulting in heart disease. Like all the old veterans who endured the exposure
incident to those long campaigns in the south, he was broken in health and
constitution in his later years.
The cabin was also the site of one of
the early marriages in Russell County: the marriage of Jonathan Shull to G.A.F.
McQuist April 15, 1874.
Contributed by Bill Siemers. Photo taken July
1999 by Diane Goldhammer
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07/08/2024