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SSlater · 05-10-2016, 07:41 PM

Question -- Where did we learn that Thomas F. Summers was to be Harney's guide? I have been searching this, and I now Question that thought. We were also told that Summers was captured when Harney was captured at Fairfax Station.
I have found that is not so.
I did find that a guy named Edward L Hefflebower was arrested with Harney and they went to Old Capitol and on to Elmira -together. I have "Official Records" , that support that information.
I have 27 pages of Mosby's Roster of men, Including his Artillery Unit, and anyone who rode with him for a short time, including Stringfellow, - ( and one named "Peachy").but there is NO SUMMERS.

PS A small story for your entertainment. My stepson is Thomas Benton Gayle V. Mosby shows a Thomas Benton Gayle 1. in his Co. H. I married Betty Jo Gayle and she had tons of Mosby stuff including two pistols handed to TBG 1. by Mosby. I didn't know TBG 1 or TBG 2, but 3 was called Benton, 4 was called Tommy,, and 5 is called Ben. (so, if you mention TBG, I have to ask Which one?)

This whole story is messed up with incorrect spelling and untrue facts. The OR says that Harvey, was arrested. I also believe the man arrested with Harney might have been Edward Heiflebower , who was in the 12th VA Cav, but I can't prove it.

RJNorton · 05-11-2016, 03:57 AM

(05-10-2016 07:41 PM)SSlater Wrote: Question -- Where did we learn that Thomas F. Summers was to be Harney's guide? I have been searching this, and I now Question that thought.

Maybe we need to contact Jane Singer on this, John. Here is what she writes in her book titled The Confederate Dirty War: Arson, Bombings, Assassination and Plots for Chemical and Germ Attacks on the Union:

"Thomas F. Summers guided Harney to the headquarters of the guerrilla fighter and superstar hero of the behind-the-scenes Confederacy, Colonel John Singleton Mosby."

She writes about this here.

L Verge · 05-11-2016, 11:11 AM

(05-10-2016 07:41 PM)SSlater Wrote: Question -- Where did we learn that Thomas F. Summers was to be Harney's guide? I have been searching this, and I now Question that thought. We were also told that Summers was captured when Harney was captured at Fairfax Station.
I have found that is not so.
I did find that a guy named Edward L Hefflebower was arrested with Harney and they went to Old Capitol and on to Elmira -together. I have "Official Records" , that support that information.
I have 27 pages of Mosby's Roster of men, Including his Artillery Unit, and anyone who rode with him for a short time, including Stringfellow, - ( and one named "Peachy").but there is NO SUMMERS.

PS A small story for your entertainment. My stepson is Thomas Benton Gayle V. Mosby shows a Thomas Benton Gayle 1. in his Co. H. I married Betty Jo Gayle and she had tons of Mosby stuff including two pistols handed to TBG 1. by Mosby. I didn't know TBG 1 or TBG 2, but 3 was called Benton, 4 was called Tommy,, and 5 is called Ben. (so, if you mention TBG, I have to ask Which one?)

This whole story is messed up with incorrect spelling and untrue facts. The OR says that Harvey, was arrested. I also believe the man arrested with Harney might have been Edward Heiflebower , who was in the 12th VA Cav, but I can't prove it.

I an throwing a very wild card into the mix here. "Summers" was/is a familiar name in early Prince George's County, Maryland, history (i.e. home county of the Surratts and other "civilian" freedom fighters who served the Confederacy). They also intermarried with another strong Confederate family named the Gwynns (as in the Surratts' neighbor, Bennett Gwynn).

The chairman of the citizens group that saved and restored Surratt House in the 1960s and early-70s was Assistant Superintendent of Schools for our county -- Thomas Summers Gwynn. His son and namesake is a Life Member of Surratt Society, but not active in the group.

Could Harney's proposed guide be an ancestor of "our" Summers and Gwynn families? I'm just guessing, not doing the research...

SSlater · 05-11-2016, 11:07 PM

Roger, Thanx for the print out in Jane's book. You are more convincing when you show the source.
I have contacted Jane but she is real busy getting ready to give a talk, so she could not give me much time. I understand that. Also I have contacted the Librarian at the Surratt Museum - she is sending some stuff.
I read your print-out more carefully and see that the story is not all based on hard facts. Parts are "the best info available." which leaves some room to ask questions..
Since Summers does not show up after their arrival in Upperville, I think he was only to guide Harney TO Mosby. After that this guy Hefflebower takes over. If we look at the events of that night - Co. H starts to move and the Union attacks. Harney and his Guide escape, and are captured later - but its Harney and Hefflebower that are arrested. I need to resolve this. Incidentally, I was searching the Union Prisoner Records again and another guy by the name of Samuel E. Rogers , was arrested that same night at Fairfax Station and ended up in Elmira with Harney and Hefflebower. This Rogers guy shows up as a member of Co A of the Rangers.
I'm not "pushing" this info, you can accept it or not - all I ask is tell me where I am wrong. Join me if you can add something we are missing.
Laurie.For now I want to concentrate on Harney,, but I will research the Summers/Gwynn family tree - later.

SSlater · 06-04-2016, 10:36 PM

Progress Report: I am in the process of searching to determine if Harney had any contact in later life, with the people, he was arrested with at Fairfax Station. (Rogers, McVeigh, or Heffelbower). No GOOD LUCK, yet, but if any one else is working on this - watch out, the names are misspelled. I have Heflebower, Hellybower, Hefflybower, AND MORE - all from his prison records. Sometimes, a first name of EDWIN. I have chosen to use the name on his tombstone Heflybower. (b 17 April 1845 -d 3 April 1913) burial Rockland Cemetery, Front Royal, VA.
I did find a "Theme" that may pan out. Two of the other arrestees, each on his own, started a Flour Mill, in Mosby's Confederacy. There are several Mills still working today. AND descendants of all of the arrestees have worked in Four Mills.
PS I conclude that Heflybower pronounced his name HEFF-LEE-BOWER

SSlater · 06-10-2016, 02:33 PM

One of the men captured with Harney at Fairfax Station, was Richard Newton McVeigh, so I am researching him (as well as Harney, Heflybower, and Rogers.)
In the category of "You never know what you might find". Elsewhere, in the daily news, I spotted an ad for a house For Sale in Alexandria, VA. (Believe it or not!)
The house was built in 1850, "Greek Revival", 7 fireplaces. etc.
(I am amused by the coincidence of finding that Ad, at exactly the same time, I was "looking for that Guy". (Spooky!).

SSlater · 06-13-2016, 10:32 PM

(06-10-2016 02:33 PM)SSlater Wrote: One of the men captured with Harney at Fairfax Station, was Richard Newton McVeigh, so I am researching him (as well as Harney, Heflybower, and Rogers.)
In the category of "You never know what you might find". Elsewhere, in the daily news, I spotted an ad for a house For Sale in Alexandria, VA. (Believe it or not!)
The house was built in 1850, "Greek Revival", 7 fireplaces. etc.
(I am amused by the coincidence of finding that Ad, at exactly the same time, I was "looking for that Guy". (Spooky!).

I just reread my post and It didn't make sense. I was trying to say that I finished researching McVeigh, after learning his father's name, etc.and picked up the newspaper and saw an ad for a house for sale in Alexandria - it was the house that his father had built in 1850. I guess that the coincidence rattled me.

SSlater · 06-20-2016, 11:51 PM

Here is an interesting story, that was prepared by Virgil Carrington Jones for his book "Ranger Mosby" but it didn't make it to the book. I happened to run across it - The Arundel Family home is the same "Arundel Tavern" where Harney parted with Mosby's Co. H and headed for Washington on April 10, 1865 and was captured.

"But tragedy would strike the Arundel Family when John Arundel and Frank Stringfellow, the Scout, were sent out to set up a spy network. On their way to Alexandria, they stopped at Arundel's Tavern to visit John's family. While en route they captured two Yankee "would be engineers". Stringfellow would leave John to guard the prisoners in a makeshift fort that was located in the woods behind Arundel's Tavern. While Stringfellow was in Alexandria, the prisoners overpowered John and struck him in the head with an ax killing him instantly. John Arundel would be killed in the woods directly behind his own home and would be buried very close to where he fell.

This happened on Feb. 7, 1864. This shows me that the "Arundel Tavern" was a "Safe House" for Rebs. It also gives us some clues to the activities that Stringfellow got mixed up in. Stringfellow was in Washington when Harney was headed there, but left before Harney got there. I'm guessing that Harney was to meet Stringfellow, if he hadn't been caught.
I have more of this type information, that I plan to share.

RJNorton · 06-21-2016, 04:19 AM

John, thanks for posting that story. Very interesting!

John, I hate to be such a skeptic, but I still am not totally convinced that the Harney mission was as serious a threat as we are led to believe. I have some trouble imagining that the White House was so poorly guarded that explosives could be carried inside without attracting attention. If I recall correctly, no munitions were found with Harney (and party) when he was arrested. So perhaps they were secretly stored somewhere in Washington and Harney was to get them there? If true, wouldn't these have been discovered at some point (maybe after the war)? I don't recall reading that such discovery was ever made.(?) Despite what Atzerodt claimed in his "lost" confession I really wonder how serious this whole "Harney plan" actually was.

Wild Bill · 06-21-2016, 08:16 AM

I am not a skeptic. Keep going John!

RJNorton · 06-21-2016, 09:20 AM

(04-14-2016 12:56 PM)SSlater Wrote: Who else may have known? Atzerodt was the only one who told us. Snyder told us a bit more.

John, Bill, anyone....is it possible to post Snyder's statement regarding the Harney mission? Many thanks if possible.

L Verge · 06-21-2016, 03:23 PM

(06-21-2016 08:16 AM)Wild Bill Wrote: I am not a skeptic. Keep going John!

Agreed, Bill. And we don't know how long Harney's mission was in the planning stages. Perhaps the necessary amount of explosives had been smuggled into D.C. for months or a year. If it was discovered after the assassination, authorities like Stanton or Lamon would have egg on their faces for such lax security and would do their best to hide/destroy any evidence. We can be sure that there are many things that are kept hidden from the press and public today. Who do you think they learned it from, save our forefathers?

Gene C · 06-21-2016, 03:31 PM

I'm not a skeptic, but I think some of Harney's exploits may be over stated.
John I would love to have you find something that shows I am mistaken.

If anyone is going to find anything, it will be you.

SSlater · 06-21-2016, 04:25 PM

(06-21-2016 09:20 AM)RJNorton Wrote:
(04-14-2016 12:56 PM)SSlater Wrote: Who else may have known? Atzerodt was the only one who told us. Snyder told us a bit more.

John, Bill, anyone....is it possible to post Snyder's statement regarding the Harney mission? Many thanks if possible.

Here we go, Roger, you pushed my "start" button. I love it.
Snyder's statement, April 4, 1865 is given in C.R. pg. 420.
" he knew that a party had just been dispatched from Rains Torpedo Bureau on a secret mission, which he vaguely understood was aimed at the head of the Yankee government, and he wishes to put Mr. Lincoln on his guard and have impressed on him that just at this moment he believed him to be in great danger of violence and he should take greater care of himself. He could give no names or facts as the work of his department was secret, and no man knew what his comrade was sent to do, that the President of the United States was in grate danger."
I am particularly pleased to provide this info, since, I was the one who gave the story to Jim Hall - way back when.
I am currently working on tis story - in detail. I have always found supporting evidence of the truth, in totally separate sources.
If anyone has a specific question of doubt - please state it here in this forum, and we can work it out together. I have never found anything that could not be proven.
HOWEVER, I do not believe that their intent was to "blow up the White House". I would accept "That they were going to (LAND) mine the lawn." (Why would they send a Land-mine expert to plant "floating mines"? Some of the info we are working with came from George Atzerodt, he may not have known "mine the White House " meant other than "Blow up the White House".
(PS If I have to make a guess. about something, I will state it that way, just as I did with "Land Mines".
It appears that this Mission was a "Secret Secret Mission that was Totally supported by the participants, and they kept their Mouths Shut , so that they all lived. Not one single man broke and talked. (Other than Snyder!) If Ripley hadn't "Sold the Story" 40 years after the fact, we would never have known about it. (Even Jim Hall didn't know about it.) and big Mouth me!

RJNorton · 06-21-2016, 04:32 PM

(06-21-2016 04:25 PM)SSlater Wrote: Here we go, Roger, you pushed my "start" button. I love it.

John, thank you very much for posting Snyder's statement. I am now definitely less skeptical after reading it. Still, I am confused as to Atzerodt's statement as he implies it was the "Northern crowd" which was behind the whole idea.

Your research is terrific, John - much appreciated!