John William Middleton (1835 - 1907)

Born 27 Aug 1835 in Lacey Spring, Rockingham, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Sara Virginia (Figgatt) Middleton — married 3 Aug 1869 in Rockbridge, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 18 Mar 1907 at age 71 in Limestone, Washington, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

John Middleton was born in Virginia.

John Middleton has English ancestors.

This profile is part of the Middleton Name Study.

John William Middleton was born August 27, 1835 In Lacey Spring, Rockingham County, Virginia, the son of William Middleton and Ann Zimmerman, and was twin to Eleanor Middleton. He was named for his Uncle John and his father. In 1840 his father took the family to a farm in Washington County, Tennessee, where John lived and attended Washington College, preparing for a career in civil engineering. ^[1][2]

Birth

John was born August 27, 1835 In Lacey Spring, Rockingham County, Virginia,

The find-a-grave memorial shows his birth in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Life Events

In 1855 he moved to Lexington, Virginia with his Uncle John where his uncle had a blacksmith shop, a store, a bakery, and a livery stable, and where John William clerked in the store most of the time. ^[1]

Private John Middleton served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Apr 1861
Mustered out: 1865
Side: Confederacy
Regiment(s): 27th Virginia Infantry, Stonewall Brigade

When the war clouds began to grow larger the young men of Lexington began to drill on the Virginia Military Institute parade grounds under Thomas J. Jackson, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Artillery Tactics at V. M. I. John enlisted on April 18, 1861 in Company H, 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, and they marched to Harper's Ferry with Jackson in command. John served with General "Stonewall" Jackson until Jackson was struck down at Chancellorsville. The regiment went on to Gettysburg where John was captured while carrying a wounded comrade off the battlefield. John was then imprisoned at Fort McHenry near Baltimore. After the surrender by the Confederate Army at Appomattox, the prisoners of war were released and John went to Ironton, Ohio to visit his Uncle James and family. From there he went to Tennessee to see his father and family before returning to Lexington, Virginia to resume his life. ^[1]

John married Sara Virginia "Jennie" Figgatt at her home in Lexington on August 3, 1869. ^[3]They went to Tennessee and returned to Lexington in November 1871 with their two little girls, where they lived until 1877. They then lived on a farm near Lexington until 1879 when they sold their farm and moved to a farm near Limestone, Washington County, Tennessee in the hope that the climate would be better for Jennie's health. They had fifteen children during the years of their marriage.

John died March 18, 1907 in Limestone, Tennessee, at the age of 71, was buried in Limestone where Jennie was buried, and his and Jennie's bodies were later moved to Middleton Square near the burial plot and statue of General Stonewall Jackson in Lexington, Virginia.^[4]

Jones Genealogies

The book, PETER JONES AND RICHARD JONES GENEALOGIES, published in 1924, was written by his daughter, Augusta B. Middleton Fothergill.

John William Middleton was the son of William and Ann Middleton and was born in Rockingham County ; served in Company I , 27th Virginia Infantry , Stonewall Brigade , with which he served until he was captured while carrying a wounded comrade from the battlefield of Gettysburg . He was placed in a temporary prison near the battlefield until carried to Fort McHenry , where he remained until May, 1865, as no prisoners were exchanged after that battle. His many attempts to make his escape were frustrated , and once he was one of those who cut through a stone wall, dug a tunnel from which they carried the dirt in their pockets and dumped it into the river, but all were captured just as they gained the fence around the fort. He whiled away many a weary hour by making rings, watch chains and other trinkets, of rubber rulers and mother of pearl, which were sold by the ladies of Baltimore who visited the prison, and the proceeds used for the purchase of better food than prison fare for all in his bunk house. He was a civil engineer and lived on a farm until his death March 18, 1907.^[5]

Children

• Sara Ann b. 1870 m. John Martin Byer d. 1952
• Harriet Ellen (Nellie) b.1871 m. 1. James Biddle 2. H.W. Desler d. 1903
• Ida Lee b. 1873 m. Rev Chas Schad d. 1936
• Augusta Bridgland b. 1876 m. Robt B. Fothergill d. 1965
• Rutherford Houston b. 1877 NOTE: died in infancy
• John Wm Jr. b. 1878 m. 1. Catherine Hoffman 2. Jennie LeMay d. 1939
• Sara Jane b. 1880 m. Will Klepper d. 1972
• Rowena S. b. 1882 m. James B. Williams d. 1969
• Thornton b. 1884 NOTE: died in infancy
• Burgess Figgatt b. 1885 m. Allie Ripley d. 1950
• Evora Virginia b. 1886 m. Rev. Clarence Hall d. 1987
• Stanley b. 1889 NOTE: died in infancy
• Katherine b. 1891 m. William G. Gwinn d. 1996
• Dorothy b. 1893 NOTE: died in infancy
• Florence Purdem b. 1895 m. Robert O Crockett d.1986

Obituary

Corrections to the Obituary published by the Lexington Gazette^[6]

John's wife's name is Sarah Virginia Figgatt, not Jane Figgatt, and she died in 1902, only 5 years before he died, not 20 years. He was 16 years older than she was.

He didn't marry again; he was already almost 70 when Jennie died, and the two youngest children were taken into the homes of their older married sisters.

He was raised on his family's farm in Tennessee and moved to his uncle's home in Lexington when he was 20 years old.

During the Civil War, he was a member of General "Stonewall Jackson's brigade. Further notes on his enlisting are in the biography

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Middleton, Robert Arthur and Arnold, Katherine Hall. Robert Middleton (1651 - 1708) of Maryland and Some of His Descendants. Compiled from papers and notes of Augusta B. Middleton Fothergill and additional research. Private Printing 1990. Pages 21-24. Copy in files of Donna Harris,
2. ↑ United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch.(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC63-3C3 : 12 April 2016), John W Middleton in household of Wm Middleton, Washington county, Washington, Tennessee, United States; citing family 790, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRH9-N5H : 11 February 2018), Jno. W. Middleton and S. Virginia Figgat, 03 Aug 1869; citing Rockbridge County, Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 33,797.
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18988685. Includes photos of gravestone.
5. ↑ Forthergill, Augusta B. PETER JONES and RICHARD JONES GENEALOGIES, Old Dominion Press, Richmond, Virginia, 1924. Available from libraries: https://www.worldcat.org/title/peter-jones-and-richard-jones-genealogies/oclc/1748087. Online at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066176595&view=1up&seq=9.
6. ↑ Lexington Gazette. April 3, 1907.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024716/1907-04-03/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1900&index=11&rows=20&words=J