Drewry's Bluff, Richmond National Battlefield

I have been a little slow with posting lately. I have been playing with my wife's video camera and have not had much luck yet. There is something wrong with the battery so I cannot get it to record the video entries that I want to make. I have not given up on it yet so keep an eye out for videos coming soon.

We went to the Chesterfield Berry Farm today and picked strawberries. We ride out there twice each year, once for strawberries and once for pumpkins. It is a long drive but we always have a good time. They have good barbecue and beans so that alone makes it worth the trip!


I was going through some old pictures tonight and came across some that we took in July of 2003 at Drewry's Bluff, part of the Richmond National Battlefield. It was a major defensive position for the Confederates, being along a critical bend in the James River. There was an earthworks, a barracks and three large artillery guns to shoot at Union vessels.

I do not pretend to be an expert on the site. My main interest is that my wife's ancestor, Ansalem Clemens / Clemmens / Clements / Clemments / Clemons / Clemmons / Clemans / Clemmans ... you get the idea, well he supposedly died at that site. Family legend (and his wife's pension application) says that he was killed in battle on May 15, 1862 at Drewry's Bluff. My wife and I, she being seen in this photo aiming a large gun, went to the site to check it out. It is quite secluded, well back into the woods, and is not well travelled. We never saw another person for the two hours or so we were there.


The Richmond Dispatch from May 19, 1862 stated that "Bowyer’s battery, from Botetourt county, lost one man killed – George Clements – and three wounded." The name is not right but Ansalem was from Botetourt County and he was serving in their artillery unit.

To give you a little background, only days before this battle, the city of Norfolk had fallen to Union forces and the Confederates made a stand against the Union Navy, right here at the Bluff. They were able to hold off the Yankees, only a few miles from the Confederate capital!

We know that Ansalem died in this time period from estate records from Boteourt County, Virginia. Ansalem left $475 in the bank at Buchanan, Virginia. His wife was given one third, $107.89, and each of his ten children received $21.57. No mention was made of any funeral expenses. That leads me to believe that he was either buried on site or near by. I recently discovered that some of the Confederates that died at Drury's Bluff were buried at a church at Fort Darling.

I found this photo on the Internet of Confederate graves at the church. Its source was cited as "View of Confederate Church at Fort Darling—Graves in the foreground—Entrance to the Fort on the right. Gardner Stereo #1069. William Frank Browne - photographer. Negative at Library of Congress (LC-B815-1135)." The site I "borrowed" my copy from is a great source for Richmond Civil War history, you should check it out by clicking here: Civil War Richmond


In short, I am pretty sure that Ansalem was killed at Drury's Bluff when he was about sixty-years old. That sounds a little strange but not impossible. He was a stone mason by trade so perhaps his skills were used to help construct some of the structures at the site or maybe he was good at math and could help aim the artillery better. Who knows but his wife claims that he was there and the newspaper supports that a Clements died there during battle.




I want to go check out the site of this Confederate church but I have not made it over there yet. If anyone knows anything about the church or if it exists today, please share what you know with all of us.

Maria Louisa Branch Drake Pettis of Chesterfield and Richmond, 1836-1915

Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 19, 1915:
"MRS. LOUISA B. PETTIS - Mrs. Louisa Branch Pettis, widow of Captain Robert B. Pettis, died at her home, 623 Holby [sic.] Street, Friday morning at 8 o'clock, aged seventy-eight years. She is survived by the following children: J. P. and G. W. Pettis, of Richmond; W. B. Pettis, of Cairo, Ill.; Mrs. N. W. Glasgow, and Mrs. M. A. Clark, of Richmond; and Mrs. L. T. Royall, of Washington, D. C."

"PETTIS - The funeral of MRS. LOUISA BRANCH PETTIS, widow of Captain Robert B. Pettis, will take place SUNDAY AFTERNOON at 4 o'clock from her residence, 623 Holly Street. Interment in Riverview."

Descendants of Andrew Loving Vass of Richmond, Virginia, 1877-1968

Descendants of Andrew Loving Vass

Generation No. 1

1. ANDREW LOVING 3 VASS (JOSEPH A. 2, HENRY 1) was born August 17, 1877 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died November 15, 1968 in Richmond, Virginia. He married BESSIE MAY JARVIS August 18, 1903 in Richmond, Virginia, daughter of WILLIAM JARVIS and ALICE SHELL. She was born September 17, 1886 in Manchester, Chesterfield County, Virginia, and died August 30, 1974 in Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia.

Notes for ANDREW LOVING VASS:
Andrew was tall and slender with blue eyes, dark brown hair and a soft voice. He was devoted to his mother and sisters, walking around with the license in his pocket for a long time before marrying. He worked for Trediger Iron Works as a puddler and drank heavily until the birth of his last child, commenting that he could have bought the finest house in Richmond if he had back all of the money he spent on booze. Andrew injured his hand and become a trash man, walking through the streets of Richmond with his mule and cart, collecting garbage until his retirement.

More About ANDREW LOVING VASS:
Burial: November 18, 1968, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia
Cause of Death: acute myelogenous leukemia

Notes for BESSIE MAY JARVIS:
Bessie’s first pregnancy resulted in a fetal demise. She had three young children die and slammed her breast in a car door, leading to its removal. As an older woman, Bessie was taking off her gown and bent over, lowering herself onto a bedpost and punctured her eyeball. Bessie’s heart hardened, becoming so strict that she would not allow her teenage children to leave their front yard. She was not sociable and did not care for small children. Bessie became so stingy that if she had a piece of fruit, she would let it go bad before she shared it with you.

More About BESSIE MAY JARVIS:
Burial: September 2, 1974, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia
Cause of Death: arteriosclerosis cardiovascular disease
Medical Information: cardiovascular accident

More About ANDREW VASS and BESSIE JARVIS:
Marriage: August 18, 1903, Richmond, Virginia

Children of ANDREW VASS and BESSIE JARVIS are:

i. JOSEPH ANDREW4 VASS, b. November 2, 1906, Richmond, Virginia; d. July 30, 1984, Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia; m. (1) HILLARY ESTELLE WALTON, February 12, 1926, Richmond, Virginia; b. Bet. 1909 - 1910, Richmond, Virginia; m. (2) PRIVATE, 1933, King and Queen County, Virginia.

More About JOSEPH ANDREW VASS:
Burial: August 2, 1984, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia

More About JOSEPH VASS and HILLARY WALTON:
Divorce: Bef. 1933
Marriage: February 12, 1926, Richmond, Virginia

More About JOSEPH VASS and PRIVATE:
Marriage: 1933, King and Queen County, Virginia

ii. RAYMOND ELMORE VASS, b. April 16, 1908, Richmond, Virginia; d. April 18, 1990, Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia; m. SETHELLE MORRISON, September 2, 1933, Richmond, Virginia; b. August 19, 1902, Statesville, Southampton County, Virginia; d. September 22, 1991, Newport News, Virginia.

More About RAYMOND ELMORE VASS:
Burial: April 20, 1990, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia

More About SETHELLE MORRISON:
Burial: September 25, 1991, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia

More About RAYMOND VASS and SETHELLE MORRISON:
Marriage: September 2, 1933, Richmond, Virginia

iii. HERBERT ELTON VASS, b. November 5, 1909, Richmond, Virginia; d. April 7, 2003, Ashland, Hanover County, Virginia; m. PRIVATE, November 11, 1929, Richmond, Virginia; b. Bet. 1910 - 1911, Richmond, Virginia.

More About HERBERT ELTON VASS:
Burial: April 10, 2003, Westhampton Memorial Park, Henrico County, Virginia

More About HERBERT VASS and PRIVATE:
Marriage: November 11, 1929, Richmond, Virginia

iv. LOUISE E. VASS, b. January 26, 1911, Richmond, Virginia; d. March 19, 1912, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia.

Notes for LOUISE E. VASS:
According to Hazel Vass Hargrove, Louise was in her highchair while her brother, Herbert, was climbing on its rails. The chair fell backwards and Louise hit her head on the floor. The baby went into convulsions and died from the trauma. This is contrary to the cause of death as pneumonia listed on her death certificate.

More About LOUISE E. VASS:
Burial: March 20, 1912, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: broncho pneumonia

v. HAZEL VIRGINIA VASS, b. February 23, 1914, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia; d. October 28, 2001, Glen Allen, Hanover County, Virginia; m. (1) CARLTON EDWARD BROCK, May 27, 1932, Richmond, Virginia; b. September 30, 1912, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia; d. July 27, 1958, Richmond, Virginia; m. (2) CARLETON PERNELL HARGROVE, August 4, 1959, Dillon, South Carolina; b. October 15, 1920, North Carolina; d. December 1975.

Notes for HAZEL VIRGINIA VASS:
Hazel attended school until the fifth grade. At the age of fifteen, she left home and went to live with her best friend and future sister-in-law, Mattie Brock. Hazel worked at the Southern Dog Biscuit Company for a few years but later opted to stay home with her children and babysat others. She loved animals, raised African violets and lived alone during her widowhood.

More About HAZEL VIRGINIA VASS:
Burial: October 31, 2001, Signal Hill Memorial Park, Hanover County, Virginia
Cause of Death: pancreatic cancer

Notes for CARLTON EDWARD BROCK:
Edward delivered messages for Western Union, worked at the Broad Street train station, drove for the Yellow Cab Company, painted for the Jefferson Hotel and worked as a janitor at the Cripple Children's Hospital. On the side, he wrote numbers and sold liquor during the prohibition period. Edward was a lady's man, so much that one woman came to his funeral and told his widow that "you may have had his children, but I loved him."

More About CARLTON EDWARD BROCK:
Burial: July 30, 1958, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: acute massive myocardial infarction, complete thrombosis of right coronary

More About CARLTON BROCK and HAZEL VASS:
Marriage: May 27, 1932, Richmond, Virginia

Notes for CARLETON PERNELL HARGROVE:
Carleton worked as a painter and general handyman. He was seriously injured after falling from a roof and spent the rest of his life in a nursing home.

More About CARLETON PERNELL HARGROVE:
Cause of Death: fall from a roof

More About CARLETON HARGROVE and HAZEL VASS:
Divorce: May 10, 1973, Richmond, Virginia
Marriage: August 4, 1959, Dillon, South Carolina

vi. LUCILLE LOTTIE VASS, b. December 29, 1915, Richmond, Virginia; d. November 29, 2004, Richmond, Virginia; m. JOHN ROGER REID, JR., April 11, 1933, Richmond, Virginia; b. May 24, 1914; d. September 16, 1996, Richmond, Virginia.

More About LUCILLE LOTTIE VASS:
Burial: December 4, 2004, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia

Notes for JOHN ROGER REID, JR.:
Buster served in the United States Army as a young man.

More About JOHN ROGER REID, JR.:
Burial: September 18, 1996, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia

More About JOHN REID and LUCILLE VASS:
Marriage: April 11, 1933, Richmond, Virginia

vii. MARGARET ALMETER VASS, b. September 5, 1918, Richmond, Virginia; d. June 28, 1920, Richmond, Virginia.

Notes for MARGARET ALMETER VASS:
Bessie was blind at the time Margaret was burned. She had just undergone surgery to remove cataracts from both eyes. Margaret was in the house and picked up a long stick match from inside the hearth. It caught her dress on fire and Margaret swallowed the flames, scorching her mouth and throat. One of the other children called for Bessie, who then desperately tried to save her child in vain.

More About MARGARET ALMETER VASS:
Burial: June 29, 1920, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: burns accidentally received from playing with matches

viii. WILLIAM WEST VASS, b. February 18, 1921, Richmond, Virginia; d. November 14, 1930, Richmond, Virginia.

Notes for WILLIAM WEST VASS:
On the morning of November 10, 1930, William missed the school bus. He ran and jumped onto the door ledge of the moving bus to get the driver's attention. William slipped and fell beneath its wheels and was crushed. He was taken to Memorial Hospital where he died four days later. It was a very painful and traumatic death.

More About WILLIAM WEST VASS:
Burial: November 16, 1930, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: auto accident - fractures of ribs, pelvis and right arm

ix. DOUGLAS LOVING VASS, b. February 27, 1926, Virginia; d. September 12, 1986, Richmond, Virginia; m. MYRTLE RAY MASKALL; b. March 9, 1929; d. May 14, 1996, Richmond, Virginia.

More About DOUGLAS LOVING VASS:
Burial: September 15, 1986, Washington Memorial Cemetery, Dutch Gap, Henrico County, Virginia

More About MYRTLE RAY MASKALL:
Burial: May 16, 1996, Washington Memorial Cemetery, Dutch Gap, Henrico County, Virginia

Melville Peterson Walker, October 02, 1868 - August 16, 1945, of Chesterfield County, Virginia

Melville Peterson Walker, October 02, 1868 - August 16, 1945, of Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 18, 1945:"MELVILLE P. WALKER - Last rites for Melville P. Walker, 76, aetired [sic.] Chesterfield County farmer, who died Thursday at a local hospital, will be held at 4:30 P. M. Saturday at Morrissett's Funeral Home, with interment in Maury Cemetery. A son of John Allen and Narcissa Harper Walker, he was born in Mecklenburg County. Mr. Walker is survived by one son, W. A. Walker; four daughters, Miss Lottie A. Walker, Mrs. A. L. High and Mrs. M. E. Griffin, all of Richmond and Mrs. C. L. Atkinson, of Balboa, Canal Zone; 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren."

Mellie was buried in section 66, division 63, grave 2 of Maury Cemetery.