An Appalachian Community in the Midst of War

This valley was one of the most fertile and prosperous in the region during the Civil War. Turkey
Cove contained farms large and small, prosperous and failing, and men who weighed their
southern-facing economic interests with their
traditional loyalty to the Union. When the Civil
War came, each local resident had to
make an important decision.

The Slemp and Richmond families
were among the most successful farmers
in the cove. Each owned large farms and slaves,
and each supported the Confederacy when Virginia seceded. Early in September 1861, Campbell Slemp and James Buchanan Richmond
organized some local men and drilled them in
fields near the present-day community church.

They then marched to
Camp Lane at the
Methodist campground
near Jonesville. On
September 16, 146
men enlisted there in
the 21st Battalion Virginia Infantry, with
Slemp as captain of
Company A. In
November 1862, the unit merged with the 29th
Virginia Infantry to form the 64th Virginia
Mounted Infantry under Col. Slemp and Lt. Col.
Richmond. On September 9, 1863, most of the
men were captured at Cumberland Gap. Afterward, 79 of the original 146 enlistees were confined at Camp Douglas, Illinois. A total of 31 died
in prison camps, while 9 chose to end their
imprisonment by joining the U.S. Army or Navy.
Of those not captured,
7 deserted
and 4 died otherwise. Although no
battles were fought
in Turkey Cove itself,
the Civil War stung
here just the same.

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Show me all markers in:  Big Stone Gap, VA  |  Lee County  |  24219  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Seminary United Methodist Church
Members of Congress
Donelson's Indian Line
Southwest Virginia Museum
Carl Martin
Big Stone Gap
Big Stone Gap
Origins of Big Stone Gap
Appalachia
Scott County / Lee County

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