TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY Spitler Family Saga, Augusta Co., VA, Part 1

My earliest introduction to the Spitler family came from my grandfather’s cousin, Rachel Joseph.  I recall the family gathered around the kitchen table listening to Rachel’s letter. I must have been about 11 or 12 years old.

‘Cousin Ray’ was the Joseph family historian and included a few tidbits about the Spitler’s in her research notes. My grandfather and Rachel were the great grandchildren of Jacob Spitler and Margaret Dunlap. 

My Spitler line begins with 2^nd Great Grandmother Eliza Jane Spitler. She married William Wilson Joseph Oct. 26, 1848. You can see a photograph of Eliza Jane and William Wilson by clicking here. This will link you to my earlier post titled “William Wilson Joseph and Eliza Jane Spitler of Augusta Co., VA”

I’ll begin with Cousin Ray’s family lore:

   “Grandmother Joseph’s mother was a Miss Dunlap. Her father was Jacob Spitler. There was a large family but have no records.

   Uncle Henry Spitlar was a confederate soldier as was Uncle Thomas Spitlar who was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. He wasn’t married.

   Uncle Henry Spitler married Nancy Dodson. They had no children. Aunt Susan (Sis) Livick was grandmother’s sister. She had two children but they died without heirs.

   I do not know Jacob Spitlar’s father name but he married an Irish girl, her name unknown to us. She came from Ireland with others who were to bind themselves out to farmers or anyone that would hire them and would work until their passage was paid. The young women would marry if the men would pay their passage. My father & Aunt Annie told me that she never told anyone of her past or anything about her people. She would never attend church so they thought she must have been a Catholic and the Spitlars were Lutherins.  The Spitlars came from Scotland. They were farmers and owned farms near Middlebrook, Va. Grandfather Spitlar took great pride in his horses and had fine teams. He would take the cured meat in covered wagons to Richmond, Va. where they traded for coffee, sugar, and such items that were hard to buy in those days.”

‘Grandmother Joseph’ was Eliza Jane (Spitler) Joseph. Her parents were Jacob Spitler and Margaret Dunlap.

Uncle Henry and Uncle Thomas mentioned above were Eliza Jane’s brothers. They both fought for the Confederacy but Uncle Thomas wasn’t killed at Gettysburg. He survived the War and married Jennie Virginia Bishop.

Recently I found Uncle Henry’s obituary published in the Staunton Spectator Friday, Nov. 1, 1905 describing his service and his brothers.

   Mr. Henry Spitler of Augusta county, died on November 10, 1905, at the home of his niece, Mrs. James A. Wagner, near Swoope's aged 75 years. Mr. Spitler was one of the fine soldiers of Augusta county, and with his four brothers, all members of Company F, 5th Virginia Infantry, commanded at the outbreak of the war by Capt. St. F. C. Roberts, and later by Capt. P. E. Wilson, went from West View in this county to Harper's Ferry in April, 1861. Of these Spitler boys, John was killed at Chancellorsville; Thomas S. was wounded in the same fight; Samuel died of fever in the army, and Jacob survived the war, but died some years ago.

Jacob Spitler’s father was named John Spitler and his mother Mary Eccord. Ray thought Mary Eccord was born in Ireland but I’m not certain about this. The 1850 federal census enumeration states she was born in Virginia. It’s well known census records can be right or they can be wrong. More research needs to be done.

To add to Ray’s research, I hired the late Katherine G. Bushman, an Augusta County genealogist, in 1992. Just this past month a Salt Lake City genealogist provided me with estate papers for two of my Spitler grandfathers. I’ll tell you about it soon. Consider today’s post Part 1.