Cpt. Walter Frankland, Co. F,
b. April 10, 1839
m. ?
d. February 9, 1897Walter Frankland was born in Warrenton, but his family moved to Washington DC prior to the War. As the threat of War became imminent in 1861, he enlisted in the Warrenton Rifles, Company K of the 17th Virginia Infantry, on April 22, a month before Virginia passed the secession ordinance. He was enrolled by Capt. John Quincy Marr himself. Capt. Marr later became the first battle casualty on Virginia soil, killed at a skirmish at Fairfax Courthouse a few weeks prior to First Manassas.
Frankland saw action at Manassas and served out his one one year enlistment, but was discharged on May 19, 1862 in Richmond due to ill health. As a legal resident of Washington, DC he was exempt from the new conscription law, but as a native-born son of Virginia, he continued to volunteer his services.
After regaining his health, he enlisted in the First Virginia Cavalry, in Company E. In October 1862, he applied for a clerk's position in the Confederate Treasury Department, but withdrew his application on January, 1863.
He joined Mosby's command around February 11, 1863, having travelled back to Northern Virginia with the initial objective of joining Capt. E.V. "Lige" White's command. However, locals told him about Mosby's operations and he decided to join him instead. Joe Nelson, Frank Williams and George Whitescarver joined the command at the same time.
Frankland's immediate problem was that he did not have a horse. With James "Big Yankee" Ames, a recent defector from the 5th New York Cavalry, he walked 25 miles to Germantown to the Federal cavalry camp, where the two managed to make off with mounts, undetected by the Yankees.
He took part in the famed Fairfax Courthouse raid and Stoughton kidnapping, and all other major engagements of the command until he was captured on April 25 at Charles Utterback's near Warrenton. He was sent to the Old Captiol Prison and was paroled on May 10. Having a run of bad luck, he was then captured again on May 23 or 24 following the Catlett Station raid. He was against sent to the Old Capitol Prison, but was paroled prior to June 10, as he was present when Mosby formally enrolled the command as the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry on that date at Rector's Cross Roads.
He was promoted in October of '63 to Assistant Quartermaster of the battalion and in September of the following year, he was promoted to Captain of Company F.
Actions in which he was involved include the September 23, 1863 attack on Merritt's Cavalry Division near Chester Gap, the October 17, 1863 fight near Chantilly, the October 25, 1864 attack on a wagon train and capture of General Duffie on the Valley Pike.
He led the October 29, 1864 fight at Dulany's near Upperville. An extremely competent and brave Ranger, he was not a very effective commander, and Mosby releived him of his command after this fight. After being involved in several other operations, including the December 17, 1864 fight near Millwood, he was part of the detachment which were sent to the Northern Neck under Lt. Col. Chapman during the winter.
He was part of Mosby's negotiating team for the April 14-20 talks regarding surrender terms for the Battalion, following Lee's surrender. When talks collapsed on the 20th, he was present the following day when Col. Mosby disbanded the command at Salem, and took his paroel the following day at Winchester.
In his parole documentation he was described as age 26, dark complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes. During the war he boarded at the houseof Mr. Jameson Ashby near Scuffleburg.
A clerk by profession before the War, Frankland was one of the many beneficiaries of Col. Mosby's efforts to secure Federal patronage appointments for his men from the Grant and Hayes administrations. He was appointed Postmaster at Stephens City, Virginia. (Which during Wartime was called Newtown). While in this job, he corresponded with his former comrade James J. Williamson while the latter was writing his history of the battalion. Prior to its publication in 1896, Williamson sent a proof for comments to Frankland. (This correspondence was sold on eBay in early 2000)
Frankland joined the Turner Ashby Camp fo the UCV at Winchester and attended the Mosby's Rangers reunion in 1895 in Marshall (the former Salem, site of the battalion's disbandment on April 21, 1865).
He died on February 9, 1897 and is buried in the Green Hill Cemetery in Stephens City.
Mentions in various references:
(incomplete, more to be added)Virgil Carrington Jones, Ranger Mosby (1944)
Pages 83-84, 88, 92, 207-208, 221Links Online:
Descendants / Researcher Contacts:
Kathryn Coombs writes: I knew a Walter Frankland who served as a member of the Arlington County Board in the 1970's - early 1980's and assisted in his campaign. He worked as a senior Government Relations representative at the Industrial Silver Users Association (basically, the trade association for the photographic industry). When I moved to England, I lost touch with him.
Given that Frankland is not a common name, I'm assuming that he is a descendant. Walter, if you're out there, drop us an email!
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