Alumni Article: Ken Fisher, ’65
Article submitted to FMS by Ken Fisher, Class of ’65
As a youngster, every summer my family visited my Uncle Tazwell, Aunt Louise and my 3 cousins, Gail, Ann and Sharon. My Uncle owned a large dairy farm on the outskirts of Waynesboro in Lyndhurst, a few miles from Fishburne. My sister and I recall many delightful memories of those times we spent on the farm – milking the cows, sneaking down to the hay barn to see the massive bull imprisoned in a dark and musty corral, and picking grapes outside our bedrooms from the ancient vines entwined in white pickets of the large porch overlooking the pasture where new born calves and their mothers grazed away the days.
My cousins all attended Fairfax Hall, and I recall being impressed by the Fishburne cadets I would see occasionally downtown at the Wayne Theatre, the Fishburne Drug Store, or marching on the drill field. I don’t know what exactly sparked me as a ten-year old to attend FMS, but it happened to me none the less. I had never talked to a cadet or recall even seeing one outside of Waynesboro, but for the next three years, I was relentless in my pursuit to convince my parents to let me become a cadet. Looking back, I’ve often wondered why I felt so strongly about it. Certainly, at ten years old, I had not yet had the benefit of the Fishburne “experience” that I now share with fellow alumni – the respect for life’s lessons learned as impressionable boys becoming young men, the self-respect, confidence, discipline, work ethic – the list goes on and on. Almost universally, my fellow alumni have said that the Fishburne “experience” played an important role in forming who they are today. Simply put, the framework of our collective lives took shape at Fishburne as young teenagers and influenced our personal relationships, academic successes and professional careers.
One particular relationship in my family ancestry leads me to explain how I developed such a devotion to the school that began at the age of ten, even if it only to a small degree explains the connection. I recently learned of a particularly amazing event that bonded me more than I could ever imagine to Fishburne. Deep down, I don’t really believe it could have influenced my steadfast loyalty to FMS, but I like to think so. It certainly makes an interesting story which began 150 years ago in rural Augusta County, Virginia…
“Elliott” grew up in Waynesboro, and in 1859 enrolled in Washington College, later to become Washington and Lee University. He took the typical courses of the day at this liberal arts school and likely studied chemistry and biology until, at the age of 19; he took up arms against Northern aggression on May 2, 1861, two months before the 1st Battle of Manassas. He enlisted as a private in the Valley Rangers, Company “E”, 1st Virginia Cavalry and was led by none other than J.E.B. Stuart. The Valley Rangers’ recruits were all volunteers from Augusta County, who brought their own horses and firearms (if they had them) to fight in the Confederate Army. Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee, was soon to become the Brigade Commander under J.E.B. Stuart.
“Calvin” also was born and raised near Waynesboro and like many young men in Augusta County worked as a farm hand. On March 10, 1862, at the age of 19, ten months after Elliott joined the Confederate Army, he also enlisted as a private in Company “E”, 1st Virginia Cavalry, along with two other Augusta County recruits—blacksmiths Tom and William Montgomery.
As the Civil War intensified, the 1st Virginia Cavalry, led by their celebrated and audacious commander, J.E.B. Stuart, indelibly left its mark on American history. Elliott and Calvin became friends, as only comrades in arms can when fighting together for over three years. They fought together in every major battle and over 50 lesser engagements throughout their native Shenandoah Valley and Virginia. Undoubtedly, they shared the same deprivations, fears and concerns soldiers had, missed their loved ones and anguished over the rising casualty list of comrades who died as much from infection and disease than from the mini-ball and cannon shot of the Union armies. By war’s end, Elliott ultimately rose in rank to become 4th Sergeant of Company E. He notably distinguished himself at the 2nd Battle of Manassas, August 29, 1862, by capturing 43 Union soldiers of the 5th New York Cavalry. Corporal Elliott and two privates from Company E persuaded the confused Union cavalry captain to follow them into the camp of the 12th Virginia Cavalry, where they were subsequently disarmed and taken prisoner by the astonished Confederates. Calvin fought, no doubt, with similar resolve, all be it less remarkable than his friend Elliott’s encounter with the 5th New York Cavalry. Both men were wounded in the Fall of 1863—Calvin at Waynesboro, Pa. and Elliott at Raccoon Ford, Virginia. Both recovered from their wounds and returned to Company E as the tide of war was slowly turning in the Union’s favor. On May 7, 1864, they were both again wounded, this time at the Battle of Todd’s Tavern, while protecting General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia as it marched to Spotsylvania Court House after the Battle of the Wilderness. Elliott suffered only a slight wound, while Calvin returned to Waynesboro to convalesce.
Four days later, on May 11, 1864, General J.E.B. Stuart was killed at the Battle of Yellow Tavern. Elliott and Company E (sans Calvin) were there. Elliott recalled: “He (General Stuart) received his death wound—the ball entered into his left side of his body through the top of his breaches pocket—passing through the kidney and body and out above and behind the right hip.” Thus he became an eyewitness to the mortal wounds of one of the South’s most revered generals.
Calvin returned to duty with Company E shortly afterward, and the two comrades remained steadfast in the fighting as the Confederate cause crumbled and the war headed to its inevitable conclusion. One last gasp remained. In what was to become the final cavalry battle of the American Civil War, the 2,400 surviving soldiers of the 1st Virginia Cavalry attacked Union General Phil Sheridan’s mounted troops at daybreak on April 9, 1865 and drove the enemy from the field. However, it was clear there was no chance to unseat the Union infantry. Private Benjamin Weller, a courier from Company E, delivered the fatal report to General Robert E. Lee—“Then General Lee turned to me and said ‘Weller’, give General Fitz Lee my compliments and say to him that there are no further orders”. With that, the war was over for Calvin and Elliott and their comrades of the famous 1st Virginia Cavalry.
“Calvin” was Calvin Lysurgus Swink, my maternal great grandfather. He returned to farming in Augusta County for the next 65 years and died in 1930 at the age of 86, one of the few remaining Confederate veterans. Elliott’s son, Pleny was a pallbearer at his funeral. (Pleny was the owner of Fishburne until 1950.) My Aunt Louise recalled to my son Lance that as a young girl she was regaled by Grandpa Swink while she sat on his lap and told her stories about his time fighting with J.E.B. Stuart and the 1st Virginia Cavalry in the bloody and terrible ordeal of the Civil War. How much I regret not recording her words!
“Elliott” was Elliott Guthrie Fishburne, older brother of James E. Fishburne, our founder. After the Civil War, he too returned to the Shenandoah Valley and spent the next ten years as a merchant in Millboro, Virginia, about 40 miles from Waynesboro.
In 1875, he moved back to Waynesboro where he owned and operated a drug store until his death in 1906 at the age of 64. He remains are interred near his younger brother James, at Riverview Cemetery, about a mile from the school, and within view of the grave of his friend Calvin. They both became members of the Stonewall Jackson Camp, Confederate Veterans, one of many such groups formed by Southern Civil War soldiers after the war. The Stonewall Jackson Camp vets were all from Augusta County and members of the former 1st Virginia Cavalry, Company “E”.
By 1911, James still ran Fishburne Military School, now in its 32nd year. That year, members of the Stonewall Jackson Camp gathered for a reunion at the school. Private William E. Kerr of the 1st Virginia Cavalry reported that Fishburne cadets were lined up en masse to greet them on that rainy day, and shouted themselves hoarse, cheering the fallen comrades and the 28 attending survivors of Company “E”, including my great grandfather.
Something about my connection with my ancestors and relatives who either knew or at least crossed paths with characters who played a part in Virginia’s history gives me a great sense of pride. To be able to tell my grandchildren that my great grandfather served in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of Fitzhugh Lee, the great Southern general’s nephew, and fought under J.E.B. Stuart at that pivotal time in American history for principles he felt were worth defending is humbling. The fact that he became friends with Elliott and James Fishburne, and their families for over 50 years made a mark on the local history of Waynesboro and Augusta County. History becomes poignant and alive and so much more than just places and dates when you can say that your people were there. And with the unique tie to Fishburne, it makes for a great story!
All quotes and references to dates and locations were compiled from:
1st Virginia Cavalry, 2nd edition, Robert J. Driver, Jr. Copyright 1991 H .E. Howard, Inc.
The Staunton News Leader, February 25, 1930,
The Waynesboro News Virginian, February 26, 1930
