William Cunningham VAN METER

                   age = 11


Olivet Cemetery Records, Moorefield, Hardy County, West Virgina (as reported at www.vanmetre.com) states: "William Cunningham VanMeter, b. December 22, 1838, d. January 31, 1916. Husband of Margaret Chamber. Civil War Veteran."

1870 U.S. Census, Mahomet P. O., Blue Ridge Twp, Piatt County, Illinois: William VanMeter, age 30 M W, farmer, $8,000 real estate, $550 personal estate, born VA;  Margaret, age 28 F W, keeping house, born VA; Nora, age 1 F W, born VA.

1880 U.S. Census, Blue Ridge Twp, Piatt County, Illinois:   William VanMeter, age 39 M W, farmer, born VA;  Margaret, age 34 F W, wife, keeping house, born VA; Norah, age 11 F W, born IL; Kenny C., age 8, W M, born IL; Lena H., age W F, age 6, born IL; Tabitha V., W F age 1.  Household also includes George E. Chambers, brother-in-law, W M, age 39, farm labor, born VA, and William W. Sherrard, boarder (2nd cousin), W M, age 28, farm labor, born VA.

Benjamin F. VanMeter, Genealogies and Biographical Sketches, p. 144 (Louisville, 1901):  "William C. Van Meter, third son of Garrett Van Meter, was born at his father's homestead in the Old Fields of hardy County, and educated along with his brothers at the best schools of that vicinity.

"He says: 'When the war came on I enlisted under Captain J. C. B. Mullen, who was very soon taken prisoner, and we then had for our Captain, William McCoy, of Pendleton County, who died with typhoid fever the first autumn after the war commenced, and after his death we elected for our Captain, Edd Boggs, of Pendleton County, who finally resigned, and Lieutenant John Johnson was made captain.  I belonged to Company E, Tewenty-fifth Regiment of Virginia Infantry, General Johnson's Brigade, Ewell's division of Jackson's corps.

"'The greater part of my army lofe was spent in a corps of 20,000 to 30,000 infantry, and unlike the cavalry, we made no dashing raids or performed any great feat single handed.  I was in twenty-seven engagements, the most important of which were: Battle of Rich Mountain, Allegheny Mountain, McDowell, Winchester, Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, second battle of Manasses, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, three days in the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Courthouse.

"'I was wounded through the right shoulder at the battle of Rich mountain, and struck in the side in the second day's battle in the Wilderness; was taken a prisoner at the battle of Sharpsburg, having been left by order of our Brigade Commander to take charge of the wounded who could not be moved.'

"William C. appears to have not thought a wound in his hand of sufficient consequence to evben mention it in his letter to me, but as I have it authentic, I will give it anyway.  While he was leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets, conversing with an officer and waiting for orders, a spent ball or piece of shell struck his hand in his pocket and gave it a bruise, which left him only one hand fit for service for some time.

"There are very few men hale and hearty to-day as is William C. VanMeter, who experienced as much severe and dangerous military service as he did.  He followed Stonewall Jackson as long as he lived through the war, and then followed his successor to the close of the struggle.

"He is now a successful farmer of Grant County, West Virginia; married in 1868, Margaret Chambers, daughter of Dr. Jacob Kenny Chambers, of Grant County, West Virginia, and has raised to be grown three daughters and two son [sic], viz: Norah, who married Howard Cunningham; Kenny; Tabitha Vernon, who married John Harness, Jr., of Hardy County, West Virginia; Virginia Seymour, and William C. Jr., 'the child of his old age.'"

Hardy County Family History to 1990:    William C. VanMeter and his wife Margaret Chambers "spent about 12 years in Illinois before returning to W. Va. around 1801 [sic][must mean 1881].  They lived one mile east of Petersburg going toward Moorefield.  Since he raised and sold purebred cattle, VanMeter was active in promoting the county fair held in Moorefield.  The annual cattle shows were an opportunity for stockraisers to compare their herds.

"William and Margaret had five children: Nora married Howard Cunningham and moved to Illinois, Kenny Chambers married Elizabeth Harness and continued the farming tradition, Virginia married Seymour Fisher, Vernon married Harry Harness and lived in Hardy County, and William C., Jr. married Carrie Grove and lived in Petersburg where he was a dentist.

"Margaret and family members joined the Daughters of the Confederacy and played active roles in Moorefield's annual celebration of Confederate memorial day which continued until World War I.

"Virginia VanMeter (1881-1947) was born in Piatt County, Illinois, raised in Hardy County, and returned to Illinois for her schooling.  She came back to Hardy County and married Seymour Fisher in 1901.  Known as an excellent cook and a welcome hostess, her door was always open to friends and relatives.  Virginia and Seymour had five children: VanMeter, Margaret, Adam, George, and Virginia Lee.

"Descendants in Grant and Hardy Counties continue a 10-generation legacy begun by 'John the Indian trader' over 250 years ago when he explored the beautiful South Branch Valley."  Submitted by Jane Fisher.