Last updated: March 30, 2026
Article
Southern Claims Commission
Courtesy of Library of Congress
When armies moved across the country during the Civil War, local civilian communities paid the price. Large armies had the population of massive mobile cities. Sometimes, soldiers needed more supplies than the army provided. Armies, both United States and Confederate, would take food and goods from civilians. Sometimes they paid while sometimes they only provided receipts or promises of future payment.
Home Front to Front Lines
Few communities suffered as much loss as those in the Shenandoah Valley. From 1862 to 1865, there was almost always one army encamped here. In both 1862 and 1864 residents were caught in the middle of large campaigns and battles.
On March 3, 1871, Congress created the Southern Claims Commission. The Commission could review claims and recommend them to Congress for payment, or not. Claimants, regardless of their race or gender, had the ability to compile lists of property lost during the war and provide testimony and witnesses to support the claim.
To receive payment, claimants needed to prove they owned the property, that United States soldiers (not Confederates) took the property, and the property was used for official purposes. Finally, they had to prove that they were loyal to the United States throughout the war. Claimants often proved this by showing they helped Federal soldiers evade capture, fed them, had not voted for secession, or were threatened by neighbors and local officials for their support of the Union.
Claims Near Middletown
Park staff compiled dozens of records of civilians who lived in and around Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park who applied for repayment. Some were successful. Some were not. Some had very detailed records of what regiments or officers were camped on their property on specific dates, and others did not. Many of these claims were approved, resulting in hundreds of dollars in repayment. Several other claims were denied. In a few cases, approved claims were not paid until 1880 or even later after continued legal disputes. Even the quickest payment was long after the property had been taken during the war.
Local residents said that United States soldiers had taken a variety of property for army use. Sometimes it was hay, corn, or wheat to feed the military horses. Sometimes it was horses themselves, taken for army service. Other times it was cattle, sheep, hogs, bacon, apples, or flour to be eaten by soldiers when they had little food.
There are many powerful stories that can be found within these cases, attesting both to unionism in the Shenandoah Valley as well as the personal cost paid by civilians during the war:
Elias Andrews submitted a claim that included 400 bushels of corn. Commissioners doubted the amount and noted that since he grew those crops on shares for his landlord he was entitled to less than full value. They noted that claim amounts were “fruitful of exaggeration, as to quantity and quality. Estimates by the family [who provided testimony] are rarely reliable.”
Mary filed a claim following her husband David’s death. Most of the claim related to luxury items lost by the family when they moved north as refugees. Due to David’s service in a local militia and vague testimony, the claim was denied.
George Foster was enslaved by Joseph McKay. He stated that he had attained property “by hiring my time before the war and by saving up any wages, and by working land on shares during the war.” Despite testimonies from individuals that had successfully defended their own claims, George Foster’s sizeable $806 claim was denied. Commissioners doubted that he actually owned the property.
James Foster was enslaved during the war but worked extra hours as a skilled shoemaker to obtain property and support his free family. He helped United States soldiers escape capture, though the army took his horse, several hogs, and a cow from him during the war. When asked about his loyalty, he stated, “I sympathized with the Union cause all the time. I could not be any other way. I was a slave and I wanted to be free and was confident if the Union cause was successful I would be free; and my race too.”
In 1862, Franz Sigel’s United States army took supplies from Emanuel Garmong’s Warren County farm. Displaced by the war and threatened by Confederates, he left with his family for Ohio. They never moved back to Virginia.
Caroline Heater’s claim for an astounding $12,993 generated decades of depositions and paperwork. It was first approved, then denied due to local community accusations of lying about her loyalty, and finally appealed under a later law. The case was settled by her son in 1901 for $5,480.
Farmer Jacob Hockman applied for $764 in payment for horses, hay, corn, oats, hogs, and sheep. He was denied as he often brought supplies to the Confederate army, voted for secession, and invested money in Confederate bonds.
John Hockman’s claim was denied when commissioners learned he voted in for secession. They wrote: “We regard the fact of voting for the dissolution of the Union and the overthrow of the Government as inconsistent with loyal adherence to it … not to be outweighed erased or condoned in view of the provisions of the statute under which we act by sentiments or acts of loyalty at a subsequent date.”
Samuel Hottle fled in 1862 with a retreating US army, spending the rest of the war in exile. After the war he returned to home stripped bare of all provisions.
Middletown resident Daniel Huff requested reimbursement for a horse, hogs, hay, corn, and corn fodder at a total of $242.50. Though Huff claimed he had only voted in favor of secession under duress, he also provided a horse to his son in the Confederate army. His claim was denied.
Kenner was enslaved by Elizabeth Ashe until he, “was freed by the Presidents proclamation.” Even before freedom he was allowed to harvest one of Ashe’s two farms. Multiple white witnesses attested that Kenner operated that farm on his own, praised his work ethic, and affirmed he had ownership of the crops and other goods he bought with his earnings. He received partial payment.
Ester McKay’s husband died in July 1861. Some of the property that passed to her in his will was later taken by United States soldiers. She presented wartime papers from officers protecting her property and claimed she had relatives who joined the US army. However, she also admitted she had been glad when the Confederate army won battles and was sad to hear of Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Her claim was denied.
Elizabeth Mummaw was a member of the pacifist United Brethren Church, sometimes known as the Dunkers. Her husband Jacob died after the war. Their daughter Alice testified that “he was always kind and allgiving to the northern soldiers and would do any-thing for them. They were fed at our house many times. My father had gone with them on several occasions to point out the way when in danger of being taken by the rebels.” Elizabeth claimed $468 for supplies taken from her, and received $268.
Living near Newtown (modern-day Stephens City), Leroy Newcombe's three sons served in the 15th West Virginia Infantry. He sometimes saw them during the war as the army passed by. Newcombe received payment for a horse, hay, corn, flour, pork, and oats.
Pitman lived near Cedar Creek. He unsuccessfully sought payment for a horse taken by Major Augustus Haurand of the 4th NY Cavalry.
Pacifist Dunker George Rinker received partial payment. Although he admitted that the Confederate army had taken food from him, the commissioners considered him loyal. Rinker was awarded over $1,000. He agreed to pay his attorney 25% of the claim.
Dr. Henry Shipley rented a farm near Middletown that would be caught in the middle of the Battle of Cedar Creek. Despite threats as Confederate soldiers swarmed his property, Shipley hid and treated United States soldiers wounded during the morning surprise attack. He received $1,105 for various property taken during the war.
James Simpson of Warren County purchased his freedom in 1850. He worked at a grist mill during the war. Simpson received some payment for corn taken in 1862.
George Sonner said that his neighbors, “threatened to have me arrested by the rebels if I did not stop expressing my Union sentiments.” When David Hunter’s United States army came to his farm in 1864, they confiscated his horses for their use.
Samuel Sonner ran a store in Strasburg. His claim was denied. An investigator found his name in a voter book as having voted in favor of secession. His testimony and witnesses were deemed untrustworthy. Commissioners believed he was pro-secession until it became clear that the United States would win the war.
A Confederate officer once threatened to, "shoot him if he did not tell where some yankees were hiding.” Washington Wells had been mistreated by US soldiers, too. His statements included emotional accounts pleading to retain his horse, hay, corn, and hogs before they were taken. He was particularly well known in the area for helping found a Black community postwar.
Living near Strasburg, Woodard often relied on other Unionists to hide him from Confederate searches. He filed for nearly $2,000 in damages but was denied.