How will Confederate soldier’s tombstone read?

Name debate may be finalized in February

By Jim Lisk, Editor

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 — During the early morning hours of April 9, 1865, Confederate forces from North Carolina charged Union cannon positions at Appomattox in an attempt to open an escape route for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Northern Army of Virginia.

As the Confederate forces moved forward, Gen. William Cox’s Brigade encountered deadly Union artillery fire.

“The enemy from our left, opened a battery of artillery upon us, firing right up our line, as we went across the open field ... shells burst about 12-15 feet to my left, killing Sgt. Ivy Ritchie and wounding five others,” wrote one member of Cox’s Brigade in his diary.

Later that day, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, bringing to an end the bloodiest war in American history.

As the sun set on Appomattox that April 9, Stanly County native Ivy Ritchie, a member of the 14th N.C. Regiment, became the last of over 40,000 North Carolinians to give their lives in this horrific war.

Days later, the 14th Regiment chaplain and two soldiers from the 14th told Ritchie’s younger brother Marvel, a member of the 28th N.C. Regiment, that Ivy had been killed.

In his efforts to have Ivy properly remembered in history, Marvel wrote in a 1923 letter of the actions he took when he first learned of his brother’s death.

“We went to the freshly dug grave, opened the grave and found it was Ivy.... It has been 58 years since and no one has ever disputed this statement,” Marvel wrote.

Ivy’s body was later exhumed and reinterred in grave No. 4824 of Poplar Grove National Cemetery near Petersburg, Va.

His tombstone reads: “J. RICHIE, SGT. CO. H. 14TH N.Y. INF. DIED APRIL 9, 1865.”

Since he first learned of Ivy Ritchie’s life over 12 years ago, Albemarle businessman Jim Harwood, a Wake Forest history major and self-proclaimed history buff, led efforts to form the Ivy Ritchie Camp 1734 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

“Our unit is interested in the history of the Civil War. We put Southern Crosses of Honor on the graves of those that served in the war,” Harwood said.

“We started with seven members and have grown to over 180 members today.”

Back in March 1996, Harwood’s request to have Ivy Ritchie’s homeplace be designated with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker was denied.

Efforts to have Ivy Ritchie’s tombstone replaced and to show that he was from North Carolina, not New York, has been a long, arduous task.

But with the help of Anthony Way of Indian Trail, who solicited the assistance of Sen. Elizabeth Dole in February 2006, a 10-year effort recently received long awaited good news.

In a letter to Dole dated May 9, 2006, Bob Kirby, superintendent of Petersburg National Cemetery wrote: “We were advised that the National Parks Service (NPS) has received funding for a major renovation project that will begin in FY 2010, which will involve the replacement of several headstones. NPS has agreed to replace the headstone for Sgt. Ritchie once the renovations project begins.”

Harwood was especially appreciative of the efforts of Debbie King in Dole’s Raleigh office for her tireless efforts.

“She was a delight to work with and a great help in getting our request approved,” Harwood said.

Now, finally after all the efforts of Harwood and his supporters, a mock trial will be held in the court room of the original pre-Civil War Dinwiddie Courthouse on Feb. 13 at 10 a.m.

Three judges — A. Wilson Greene, president of Pamplin Historical and The National Museum of the Civil War; John Latschar, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park; and Patrick Schroeder, historian of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park — will hear both sides present evidence to determine whether it is beyond a “reasonable doubt” which Richie or Ritchie is actually in grave No. 4824.

Park superintendent Bob Kirby will act as moderator while Chief of Interpretation Chris Calkins will perform the role of lawyer for the defense. Anthony Way of the Ivy Ritchie Camp 1734 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, along with other members of the camp, will represent that organization as plaintiffs.

After a determination is made, the headstone will be appropriately marked when Poplar Grove National Cemetery is rehabilitated in 2013.

If all goes as hoped for and the name on headstone is changed, Harwood and other members of the Ivy Ritchie Chapter will travel to Petersburg for a memorial service and will sprinkle Stanly County red clay on the grave of this American hero.

Ivy Ritchie’s Life

• Born 1839 to Charles and Margaret Ritchie in Montgomery County (now Stanly County after its division from Montgomery) in 1841.

• Was a farmer prior to 1861.

• Enlisted as a private in the Stanly Marksmen, the first unit in Stanly County, May 5, 1861.

• Marched out of Albemarle as young women stood on a second-floor hotel balcony, singing the state song, “The Old North State,” May 23, 1861.

• Assigned to the 14th N.C. Regiment Company H and remained in that unit for the duration of the Civil War.

• Captured at Sharpsburg. Md., Sept. 17, 1862.

• Confined at Fort Delaware, then exchanged at Aiken’s Landing, Va., Nov. 10, 1862.

• Married Clara Sophia Christina Ridenhour in Stanly County while on leave, Dec. 14, 1862.

• Wounded at Chancellorsville, May 10, 1863 and promoted to Corporal two days later.

• Rejoined Company H, July-August 1863.

• Participated in every major engagement of the Army of Northern Virginia, including the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor in 1864.

• Promoted to Sergeant July 1, 1864.

• Killed at Appomattox Apr. 9, 1865.

• Buried at Appomattox Station.

• Body moved to Poplar Grove National Cemetery and interred in Grave 4824 as Ivy Ritchie from New York state.



Contact Jim Lisk at (704) 982-2121 ext. 28.

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