Pvt. Henry "Harry" Heaton, Co. B
b. 1834
d. May 15, 1890
Buried in the Cacoctin Church Cemetery near Round Hill.Harry Heaton originally enlisted in in Loudoun Artillery in 1861, where he was promoted to 1st Lieutentant. He later served (December 1862) as a volunteer aide on Gen. Jubal Early's staff. He joined Mosby in January of 1864 and participated in several of the Command's well-known exploits, including the Greenback Raid.
As a former aid to Gen. Early, Heaton was chosen, along with Fount Beattie to deliver a message from Mosby to Early after the Command's successful July 4, 1865 raid on Point of Rocks, Maryland, offering support for Early's operations. After the War, Early in his memoirs criticized Mosby for not coming to his aid. This caused Col. Mosby to write a clarification explaining that he had indeed offered aid. The Early book came out shortly before the publication of Ranger John Scott's memoirs in 1867, and Scott added this clarification as an appendix at Mosby's request.
Relations, if any to other Rangers: Two other Heatons appear on the rosters, Pvt. Lonnie and Private Townsend "Tiny", both of Company D. As it is an uncommon surname and Harry Heaton was from a local family, it is probable that they were some relation.
Mentions in various references:
(incomplete, more to be added)Keen / Mewborn: p. 329 (gives list of major operations in which he partipated.
Williamson, p. 228, (notes that he was sent to Myers Ford with Captain Kennon to bring back Lt. Joseph Nelson (Co. A) and the rest of his squadron after Nelson's wounding in hs unsuccessful operation against Capt. Richard Blazer. Page 260 calls Heaton "one of our valley scouts" and mentions that he played a key role in identifying the gap in the B&O Railroad's defenses preparatory to the Greenback Raid.
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