Martinsburg Noted in Research on Civil War

Jonathan R. Stayer, historian in York, uncovered an intriguing note while on a recent foray to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., about Martinsburg in the Registers of Letters Received by the Provost Marshal General.

Apparently, in late 1864 two Martinsburg men – David Keaggy and Samuel McFadden – were drafted for the Union army and hired substitutes to serve in their places. They paid their substitutes $600 each, after which the substitutes promptly (“the same day”) deserted. The borough of Martinsburg was offering a $300 bounty for enlistment at that time, and Keaggy and...