The Evening Star Thursday, July 6, 1922
Woman Civil War Figure Dies At 85
Mrs. Annie Chesley Last Survivor of Fort Moultrie Incident
Mrs. Annie Rebecca Chesley, believed to be the last survivor of those who occupied Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina, at the outbreak of the Civil War and a resident of Washington for the last fifty years, died at her home, 2800 13th Street Northwest, yesterday morning shortly after 6 o’clock.
Mrs. Chesley was born at Drum Point, Calvert County, Maryland, July 3, 1837 and was left an orphan, together with her late sister, at the age of three. The two girls were reaised by an uncle, Rev. Mathias Harris, a chaplain of the United States Army, who was appointed guardian at the time of their parents’ death.
Mrs. Chesley, then Miss Tolly, was with her uncle at Fort Moultrie at the outbreak of the Civil War. As the breach between the north and south became wider, Major Anderson, with all the officers and men, slipped out to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and occupied the stronghold, leaving behind a corporal’s guard and the women members of the post.
Saw Fort Confiscated
Mrs. Chesley witnessed the work of the guard in rendering Fort Moultrie as ineffective as possible, including the spiking and destruction of all the guns that could be trained on Fort Sumter.
When Governor Pickens of South Carolina heard of the confiscation of the harbor fort, he immediately ordered all the women and children of Fort Moultrie out of the state. They were placed on a boat and sent to Fort Washington on the Potomac, where Miss Tolly met and married John Francis Chesley. Mr. Chesley was born in Georgetown and was a planter, living in southern Maryland. After a short residence in that section the Chesleys moved to Washington.
Mrs. Chesley, when a very young woman, was the owner of several slaves, whom she had hired out on contract. Word reached her one day that the slaves were being mistreated and without demanding an explanation from those who were accused of cruelty to the Negroes, she herded them together, placed them aboard a boat at Baltimore and accompanied them to Charleston, South Carolina.
Felt Action Justified
This was in direct violation of her contract, but Mrs. Chesley believed her action in protecting the slaves from further mistreatment was justified. She found places of employment for them at Charleston, where she herself, remained until the order of the South Carolina governor was received.
Mrs. Chesley is survived by four sons, John T., Willoughby S. and Thornton, all of this city and Harry W. Chesley of Chicago. The sons were at the bedside when the end came.
Funeral services will be held at Rock Creek Church chapel at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning and interment will be in Rock Creek Cemetery.
Woman Civil War Figure Dies At 85
Mrs. Annie Chesley Last Survivor of Fort Moultrie Incident
Mrs. Annie Rebecca Chesley, believed to be the last survivor of those who occupied Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina, at the outbreak of the Civil War and a resident of Washington for the last fifty years, died at her home, 2800 13th Street Northwest, yesterday morning shortly after 6 o’clock.
Mrs. Chesley was born at Drum Point, Calvert County, Maryland, July 3, 1837 and was left an orphan, together with her late sister, at the age of three. The two girls were reaised by an uncle, Rev. Mathias Harris, a chaplain of the United States Army, who was appointed guardian at the time of their parents’ death.
Mrs. Chesley, then Miss Tolly, was with her uncle at Fort Moultrie at the outbreak of the Civil War. As the breach between the north and south became wider, Major Anderson, with all the officers and men, slipped out to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and occupied the stronghold, leaving behind a corporal’s guard and the women members of the post.
Saw Fort Confiscated
Mrs. Chesley witnessed the work of the guard in rendering Fort Moultrie as ineffective as possible, including the spiking and destruction of all the guns that could be trained on Fort Sumter.
When Governor Pickens of South Carolina heard of the confiscation of the harbor fort, he immediately ordered all the women and children of Fort Moultrie out of the state. They were placed on a boat and sent to Fort Washington on the Potomac, where Miss Tolly met and married John Francis Chesley. Mr. Chesley was born in Georgetown and was a planter, living in southern Maryland. After a short residence in that section the Chesleys moved to Washington.
Mrs. Chesley, when a very young woman, was the owner of several slaves, whom she had hired out on contract. Word reached her one day that the slaves were being mistreated and without demanding an explanation from those who were accused of cruelty to the Negroes, she herded them together, placed them aboard a boat at Baltimore and accompanied them to Charleston, South Carolina.
Felt Action Justified
This was in direct violation of her contract, but Mrs. Chesley believed her action in protecting the slaves from further mistreatment was justified. She found places of employment for them at Charleston, where she herself, remained until the order of the South Carolina governor was received.
Mrs. Chesley is survived by four sons, John T., Willoughby S. and Thornton, all of this city and Harry W. Chesley of Chicago. The sons were at the bedside when the end came.
Funeral services will be held at Rock Creek Church chapel at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning and interment will be in Rock Creek Cemetery.
The Evening Star Thursday, July 6, 1922
Woman Civil War Figure Dies At 85
Mrs. Annie Chesley Last Survivor of Fort Moultrie Incident
Mrs. Annie Rebecca Chesley, believed to be the last survivor of those who occupied Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina, at the outbreak of the Civil War and a resident of Washington for the last fifty years, died at her home, 2800 13th Street Northwest, yesterday morning shortly after 6 o’clock.
Mrs. Chesley was born at Drum Point, Calvert County, Maryland, July 3, 1837 and was left an orphan, together with her late sister, at the age of three. The two girls were reaised by an uncle, Rev. Mathias Harris, a chaplain of the United States Army, who was appointed guardian at the time of their parents’ death.
Mrs. Chesley, then Miss Tolly, was with her uncle at Fort Moultrie at the outbreak of the Civil War. As the breach between the north and south became wider, Major Anderson, with all the officers and men, slipped out to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and occupied the stronghold, leaving behind a corporal’s guard and the women members of the post.
Saw Fort Confiscated
Mrs. Chesley witnessed the work of the guard in rendering Fort Moultrie as ineffective as possible, including the spiking and destruction of all the guns that could be trained on Fort Sumter.
When Governor Pickens of South Carolina heard of the confiscation of the harbor fort, he immediately ordered all the women and children of Fort Moultrie out of the state. They were placed on a boat and sent to Fort Washington on the Potomac, where Miss Tolly met and married John Francis Chesley. Mr. Chesley was born in Georgetown and was a planter, living in southern Maryland. After a short residence in that section the Chesleys moved to Washington.
Mrs. Chesley, when a very young woman, was the owner of several slaves, whom she had hired out on contract. Word reached her one day that the slaves were being mistreated and without demanding an explanation from those who were accused of cruelty to the Negroes, she herded them together, placed them aboard a boat at Baltimore and accompanied them to Charleston, South Carolina.
Felt Action Justified
This was in direct violation of her contract, but Mrs. Chesley believed her action in protecting the slaves from further mistreatment was justified. She found places of employment for them at Charleston, where she herself, remained until the order of the South Carolina governor was received.
Mrs. Chesley is survived by four sons, John T., Willoughby S. and Thornton, all of this city and Harry W. Chesley of Chicago. The sons were at the bedside when the end came.
Funeral services will be held at Rock Creek Church chapel at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning and interment will be in Rock Creek Cemetery.
Woman Civil War Figure Dies At 85
Mrs. Annie Chesley Last Survivor of Fort Moultrie Incident
Mrs. Annie Rebecca Chesley, believed to be the last survivor of those who occupied Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina, at the outbreak of the Civil War and a resident of Washington for the last fifty years, died at her home, 2800 13th Street Northwest, yesterday morning shortly after 6 o’clock.
Mrs. Chesley was born at Drum Point, Calvert County, Maryland, July 3, 1837 and was left an orphan, together with her late sister, at the age of three. The two girls were reaised by an uncle, Rev. Mathias Harris, a chaplain of the United States Army, who was appointed guardian at the time of their parents’ death.
Mrs. Chesley, then Miss Tolly, was with her uncle at Fort Moultrie at the outbreak of the Civil War. As the breach between the north and south became wider, Major Anderson, with all the officers and men, slipped out to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and occupied the stronghold, leaving behind a corporal’s guard and the women members of the post.
Saw Fort Confiscated
Mrs. Chesley witnessed the work of the guard in rendering Fort Moultrie as ineffective as possible, including the spiking and destruction of all the guns that could be trained on Fort Sumter.
When Governor Pickens of South Carolina heard of the confiscation of the harbor fort, he immediately ordered all the women and children of Fort Moultrie out of the state. They were placed on a boat and sent to Fort Washington on the Potomac, where Miss Tolly met and married John Francis Chesley. Mr. Chesley was born in Georgetown and was a planter, living in southern Maryland. After a short residence in that section the Chesleys moved to Washington.
Mrs. Chesley, when a very young woman, was the owner of several slaves, whom she had hired out on contract. Word reached her one day that the slaves were being mistreated and without demanding an explanation from those who were accused of cruelty to the Negroes, she herded them together, placed them aboard a boat at Baltimore and accompanied them to Charleston, South Carolina.
Felt Action Justified
This was in direct violation of her contract, but Mrs. Chesley believed her action in protecting the slaves from further mistreatment was justified. She found places of employment for them at Charleston, where she herself, remained until the order of the South Carolina governor was received.
Mrs. Chesley is survived by four sons, John T., Willoughby S. and Thornton, all of this city and Harry W. Chesley of Chicago. The sons were at the bedside when the end came.
Funeral services will be held at Rock Creek Church chapel at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning and interment will be in Rock Creek Cemetery.
Inscription
No Marker.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
