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Yorktown, Virginia, Thomas Nelson, Jr. House During the Civil War, historic photo

Yorktown, Virginia, Thomas Nelson House During the Civil War, historic photos

An historic photo view of the Thomas Nelson, Jr. House (the building at the right) as it was being used as a field hospital during the Civil War. This was the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr. who was a prominent patriot from Virginia during the Revolutionary War. Nelson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a governor of Virginia, and was a Brigadier General and Commander of the Virginia Militia during the Yorktown siege. A wealthy man at the start of Revolution, Nelson is the perfect example of those that pledged "their Lives, their Fortunes, and their Sacred Honor." During times when funds were needed to keep the war effort going, he personally guaranteed loans to insure that troops were paid and supplies were available. As a result, Nelson lost all of his wealth and when he died in 1789 at the age of 50, he was buried in an unmarked grave, at the foot of his father's grave, in the cemetery at Grace Church, Yorktown, Virginia. His grave was finally properly marked at a later time.

Thomas Nelson, Jr. and his home are often confused with another Thomas Nelson (also known as "Secretary Nelson") and his home which was also in located in Yorktown. Thomas Nelson, Jr. is a nephew of the latter Thomas Nelson. It was the home of the elder Thomas Nelson ("Secretary Nelson") that was occupied by the British General Lord Cornwallis when he first arrived at Yorktown. As a result the American forces shelled and destroyed this home, not the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr. as seen in the above photo.

The Thomas Nelson, Jr. home, built about 1730, is now part of the National Park Service which bought the home in 1968 and has since restored it to its appearance at the time of the Revolutionary War.

This photo was taken at undetermined date during the Civil War, 1861-1865.

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