Notes & Queries

Notes & Queries EDITED BY BOYD B. STUTLER 517 Main Street Charleston, West Virginia this department is designed as an open forum for researchers into Civil War themes and for readers of Civil War History in general. It is open for questions on and discussions of phases of tiie Great Conflict and its personnel. Also, we welcome notes on newly discovered, little known, or other sidelights on the war. Contributions are invited; address Notes and Queries Editor. QUERIES No. 56—Colonel Chew's History of the Horse Artillery: In my miscellaneous collection of material on the Confederate artillery I have the following letter written by Lieut. Colonel Roger Preston Chew, CSA: Charles Town, W. Va., Nov. 22, 1918 Mr. John R. Zimmerman Alexandria, Va. Dear Sir: I have your interesting favor of Nov. 16 and am sorry to say in reply I have not made any headway in writing the history of the Horse Artillery. I have been sick a good part of the time this year, and my business engagements are such that it is almost impossible for me to give any time or thought to this matter, but I have the material and hope to set to work on it in the near future. And I appreciate the importance of someone giving an account of the career of the several batteries that belonged to diat remarkable branch of the service. Yours very truly R. P. Chew I have no record of any such book ever appearing in print, though perhaps I am not too well informed here in England. If published, I would like to have details; if not, was a manuscript ever in existence, or has tiie material mentioned in tiie letter been preserved? 309 310BOYD B. STUTLEH Query: Can anyreader of CivilWarHistoryfurnish information about Colonel Chew's history, printed or in manuscript? Patrick C. Courtney. Answer in part: So far as known, Colonel Chew's history of the horse artillery of Stuart's cavalry and the Army of Northern Virginiawas never completed. It is possible that his notes and manuscript, so far as written, have been preserved. Colonel Chew published one small booklet: Stonewall Jackson: Address delivered at Virginia Military Institute on the unveiling of Ezekiets Statue of General T. J. Jackson, (Lexington, 1912). Roger Preston Chew was born April 9, 1843; graduated from Virginia Müitary Institute, 1861; with classmates organized a battery of horse artillery, CSA service, known as "Chew's Battery"; elected captain; after hard service promoted to lieutenant colonel and made Chief of Artillery, Stuart's cavalry command; later in command of all the horse artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia. Returned to his home near Charles Town, West Virginia, at end of war; married Louise Fontaine Washington, 1871, daughter of Colonel John Augustine Washington, last of the name to own and reside at Mount Vernon, historic Washington home (Washington, as Lee's aide-de-camp, was kdled early in the war). Colonel Chew represented his country in the West Virginia Legislature ; led an active business life. Died March 15, 1921. No. 57—Major Henry Zarah Curtis, Baxter Springs Massacre: In October of 1863, Major Henry Zarah Curtis was killed in a surprise attack by Quantrill and his guerrillas on General James G. Blunt's train enroute from Fort Scott to Baxter Springs, Kansas. Major Curtis was a son of General S. R. Curtis, of Keokuk, Iowa, and was Assistant Adjutant General to General Blunt. His father, General Curtis, commander of the Kansas MUitary District, established a small fort at the Walnut crossing of the Santa Fe Trad, and named it Fort Zarah in honor of his son. I understand Major Curtis was in the banking business in Keokuk about 1856, then moved to Nebraska, probably entering the Army for Civd War service from that state. Query: Can any one tell me about Major Curtis' civil and müitary life? Also, where can I obtain a copy of a picture of this officer? Ray S. Schulz. No. 58—Civil War Records Stored in Hawaii: Recently I was discussing the Civd War in a casualway with a former member of the 21st Infantry, R.A., who was stationed in Honolulu just prior to...