The museum’s commitment to engaging and educational experiences ensures that visitors can explore Bedford’s fascinating past, including its connection to the American Civil War
Whenever our country is drawn into war, Bedford answers the call to arms
The third floor houses our War Between the States Museum, where visitors can explore artifacts and exhibits highlighting both the battlefront and the homefront in Bedford during the Civil War era.
Michael Townsend Mattox, born February 12, 1831, in Bedford, Virginia, served in Company H of the 13th Virginia Infantry in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and lost his left leg at the Battle of Winchester after previously breaking his right arm.
Though he returned home poor and disabled, his determination and resilience enabled him to provide for his family and rebuild his life, living to the age of 94 and leaving behind artifacts that reflect his perseverance.
This display highlights several touching artifacts that reflect the lives of children during the Civil War era.
One featured piece is a Star (Album) Patch Quilt. The quilt is composed of twelve blocks, each carefully crafted by a different quilter. Upon completing her block, each woman signed her name in the center, making the quilt not only a beautiful textile but also a lasting record of community and shared effort during a time of national conflict.
Also featured is a Civil War–era doll dressed in a long white gown. The doll’s body is filled with sawdust and was manufactured between 1850 and 1880. According to family history, it was brought home from the war by James H. Keatts for his young daughter, Ida Belle Keatts, who was born during the war. Keatts served with Company B, 10th Battalion, Heavy Artillery, and presented the doll to his little girl upon returning home—an enduring symbol of a father’s love amid the hardships of war.
Pictured above is a portrait of Civil War–era nurse Mary Oney Fizer. This portrait was created by a Union soldier whom she had nursed back to health—an enduring tribute to her compassion and dedication.
Peter Lee Huddleston – Confederate Veteran, Longest Serving Sheriff of Bedford, and Surveyor
Peter Lee Huddleston. For nearly a quarter of a century Peter Lee Huddleston has been the honored sheriff of Bedford county, Virginia, his re-elections every four years being a matter of course, no opposition being offered to the retention in office of an old tried and true veteran of the Confederate army and veteran of the public service.
His years, seventy-seven, set lightly upon his shoulders and, while they have cooled the blood of the man who half a century ago dragged himself from beneath his wounded horse on the bloody field of Gettysburg, they have also ripened his judgement and clarified his vision, so that they veteran of 1915 stands on a higher plane and as civil officer of the government renders service to his fellow-men valuable and well appreciated…”
~Page 483
