General John Seashole Witcher

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General John Seashole Witcher spent his boyhood in Hamlin before
heading off to fight in the Civil War, He joins World War General Chuck
Yeager, who also grew up on Hamlin.

It turns out that Hamlin has more than one famous general. Everbody
knows about Chuck Yeager. But what about Civil War
General John Seashole Witcher?

According to the1860, John was living with his family in Hamlin.
He was 21 and his occupation was listed as a farmer. In the 1860,
he attended school at Salmons Branch near Hamlin.

His father, Jeremiah "Jerry" Witcher, his mother, Polly, and sisters,
Emily and Valena, are all buried at Fairview Memory
Gardens in Hamlin.

Jerry appears in Cabell County census as early as 1840. Lincoln
County was not formed until after the Civic War. Jerry was the
contractor for the Lincoln County Jail which was built in 1867.
The jail was a large two-story building about 40 feet square.

On December 13, 1862, John enlisted in the Union Army as a first
lieutenant in the 3rd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.
He was promoted to captain on September 8, 1863, major on
May 23, 1864, and lieutenant colonel on May 6, 1865, before being
honorably musteed out on June 30, 1865. General Witcher was
  reported to be with General Grant at Appomattox when
Lee surrendered.

President Andrew Johnson nominated Witcher for appointment
to the grad of brevet brigadier general, to rank from March 13,
1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the
appointment on March 28, 1867.

He was elected to Congress and is buried in
Arlingyon National Cemetery.

Many of his recruiting efforys took place in Ceredo. John won
his brevets for the Shenandoah campaign, Richmond and
Petersburg in 1865, and Ford's Station.

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