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From: "Craig O'Donnell" <>
Subject: [LDR] Bonnewell
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 22:08:58 -0500
In-Reply-To: <200012041657.eB4Gvqd24498@lists5.rootsweb.com>


>Hi,
>My name is John Bonnewell. I am new to the list, I live in Kent England.
>I believe I am the last Bonnewell family left in England as most emigrated
>to Accomac Eastern Shore Virginia in the 1650s
>.Does anyone on the list have any knowledge or any information on how I can
>find out if any Bonnewells fought for the Confederacy in The Civil War? I am
>told that there may be some that may have fought for the Union. Which I am
>surprised at as Its Virginia! And after seeing the film 'Gettysburg' it
>seems Virginians only fought for the CSA!
>Regards from England
>John Bonnewell


Hi John,

I can't helop directly but I'm sure that you will find plenty of help from
the nice folks on this list.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia had a strange status in the Civil War, as it
was never really controlled by the Confederacy. In fact (though I can't
tell you where I read this) fishermen and farmers were given special
permits to ship to cities in the North, despite being "Rebs", because
otherwise they would have starved. This trade was all by water.

Of course there were also shenanigans with goods smuggled into the
Confederate States via the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. It is
also true that many from the southern part of Delaware were rebels at heart
and many snuck off to serve in the CSA armies.

For some reason, although the western counties of Virginia became West
Virginia after the War, the Eastern Shore remained part of Virginia. In
many ways it would have made more sense for it to have been annexed to
Maryland at that time, but that of course is all in retrospect.

The original division, after all, goes back to King Charles I or some such
date and was completely arbitrary, just an east-west line. I believe the
motivation at the time, based on Mr Lincoln's policies, was that there
should be forgiveness and no sense of "punishing" the defeated states.


Craig O'Donnell
Sinepuxent Ancestors & Boats
<http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fassitt/>;
The Proa FAQ <http://www.cyber-dyne.com/~jkohnen/proafaq.html>;
The Cheap Pages <http://www.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/>;
Sailing Canoes, Polytarp Sails, Bamboo, Chinese Junks,
American Proas, the Bolger Boat Honor Roll,
Plywood Boats, Bamboo Rafts, &c.
_________________________________

-- Professor of Boatology -- Junkomologist
-- Macintosh kinda guy
Friend of Wanda the Wonder Cat, 1991-1997.
_________________________________


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