War Between the States Museum 

    This Museum within the Museum was opened in May of 2019 with a two-day reenactment celebration. It is located on the third floor and features several displays that tell the story of Bedford during the War Between the States.

   It features items from the Northern perspective including a general’s trunk and a portfolio that was damaged in the war. It also tells the story of African American’s that served in the Confederacy. A display on General William R. Terry, featuring a set of his spurs, telling his story from local youth to Brigadier General. Artifacts of Peter Lee Huddleston, show how after his time in the War, he was elected as Bedford County Sheriff and became the longest serving Sheriff in Bedford’s history. There is a collection of weapons and artifacts from soldiers, including the wooden leg of Michael Townsend Mattox.

  Home Front artifacts show the picture of life away from the War. These artifacts include several pieces of furniture, spinning wheels, clothing and more. A display featuring doctors’ tools, artifacts of local nurse Mary Oney Fizer as well as the Carder Funeral Home, shows the medical side of the War. There are displays for mourning, as well as the United Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

  There is one last artifact that needs a special mention. That is the flag that was made by local deaf/mute Samuel Hoffman, Jr and given to the ladies to give to the Bedford Southside Dragoons. This flag was captured by troops from New Jersey shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg. In the early 1900’s Major William Fountain Graves found that it was in New Jersey and began the quest to get the flag returned. He finally received the flag around 1918 and in 1920, he donated the flag to the General William R. Terry United Daughters of the Confederacy. In 1932, that UDC chapter and the Peaks of Otter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution started the Bedford City/ County Museum. The flag was one of the first pieces in the Museums.