We cannot say with authority when the first of our line of Tweedys came to America. We can't even be certain whether they came directly from the family's ancestral homeland in Scotland or whether they stayed over in Ireland for a generation or two before crossing to the New World. No record of their passage has ever been found.

There is a long-held family tradition that the Tweedys who settled in Virginia were Scotch-Irish, Scots who established themselves in Ulster in the 17th century after the native Irish had been driven out by the armies of James I. This seems likely, based on known immigration patterns.

The earliest known reference to a Tweedy in Virginia is dated 25 October 1695. One Thomas Tweedy is listed among 270 persons granted a patent on 13,500 acres of land in Pamunkey Neck in King and Queen County. [27] The relationship, if any, of this Thomas Tweedy to the Tweedys who came later is unknown.

There were no large colonies of Scots from North Britain in Virginia during the early colonial period, but multitudes of Scottish families emigrated during the 17th and 18th centuries, and their descendants became numerous in almost every one of the tidewater counties. Most of the early comers seem to have settled along the Elizabeth River, in the vicinity of Norfolk, where they were sufficiently numerous to form three or four congregations of the Church of Scotland.

It was not long after the first Scots arrived that they began to establish other settlements, some as far to the west as the Valley of Virginia. A record of the Presbyterian Synod dated May 26, 1738, noted application by one John Caldwell "in behalf of himself and many families of our persuasion" to petition the Royal Governor and Council of Virginia for their "favor and countenance" is establishing a settlement "in the back parts of Virginia." [28]

On May 30, the Synod approved the following letter:

"To the honourable William Gooch, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Virginia, the humble address of the Presbyterian ministers convened in Synod, May 28, 1738, etc. May it please your Honour, we take leave to address you in behalf of a considerable number of our brethren who are meditating a settlement in the remote parts of your government, and are of the same persuasion with the Church of Scotland. We thought it our duty to acquaint your Honour with their design, and to ask your favour in allowing them the liberty of their consciences, and of worshipping God in a way agreeable to the principles of their education. Your Honour is sensible that those of our profession in Europe have been remarkable for their inviolable attachment to the Protestant succession in the illustrious house of Hanover, and have upon all occasions manifested an unspotted fidelity to our gracious sovereign King George, and we doubt not but these our brethren will carry the same loyal principles to the most distant settlements where their lot may be cast, which will ever influence them to the most dutiful submission to the government which is placed over them. This, we trust, will recommend them to your Honour's countenance and protection, and merit the free enjoyment of their civil and religious liberties. We pray for the Divine blessing upon your person and government, and beg leave to subscribe ourselves your Honor's most humble and obedient servants." [29]

On Nov. 4 from the Colonial Capitol in Williamsburg, Lt. Gov. William Gooch sent his response:

"...you may be assured, that no interruption shall be given to any minister of your profession who shall come among them, so as they conform themselves to the rules prescribed by the act of toleration in England, by taking the oaths enjoyed thereby, and registering the places of their meeting, and behave themselves peaceably towards the government.''

This correspondence is of interest to those of us curious about the origins of the Tweedys in Virginia because the same John Caldwell mentioned as leader of the western settlement was later involved in the establishment of Presbyterian congregations at Concord and Hat Creek in Campbell County.

This leads to speculation that the Tweedys may have come to Campbell County as part of the great influx of Scots to that area in the mid-18th century, who came seeking religious liberty and the other blessings of this new land.

We do know that the ancestors of the present Campbell County Tweedy family settled near Falling River at about the same time that another Presbyterian settlement was being established at Little Falling River in 1755.

If the Tweedys arrived in Virginia as Presbyterians, over time they were surrounded and assimilated by Baptists, because most present-day members of the family are of that faith.

The earliest known reference to a Tweedy in what is now Campbell County but was then the eastern part of Bedford, is of a William Tweedy (Twiddy, Twedey), who is mentioned several times in a schedule attached to an act of the House of Burgesses passed on Sept. 14, 1758, for the defense of the frontier of the colony during the French and Indian War. On one occasion, William Tweedy was paid 8 shillings, on another 7 shillings, on another 12 shillings, apparently for service in the frontier militia. [30]

Unfortunately, there is no known record which would define the relationship between this William Tweedy and Joseph Tweedy, who followed him. There is, however, reason to believe that they were related, possibly as father and son. The 1758 schedule from the House of Burgesses also contains the names of men, including David Rosser and James McReynolds, who later were closely linked to Joseph Tweedy and his family. The line from Joseph to present-day Tweedys is unbroken and fully documented.

By the 1770s, Joseph Tweedy was established in Bedford County as a farmer of substantial means and standing in the community.

On August 26, 1771, Joseph purchased from William Markham and Mary, his wife, "in consideration of four pounds Current Money of Virginia" a tract of "fifty acres more or less" of land on the south side of Button Creek adjacent to property owned by his father-in-law, Robert Williamson. An indenture recorded in the Bedford County Courthouse describes the parcel in this way:

"...Begining at a Corner White Hickory on David Rossers line on the north side of the said Creek thence southward on Rossers line to corner scrub white oak thence nearing that line westward to a corner pine of Robert Williamson thence northward along this line of Robert Williamsons a (illegible) of Two hundred and Ten (illegible) thence along a line eastward to a corner pine thence the corner white Hickory with all woods and such Meadows and all other profits and commodities to the same Belonging..." [31]

Joseph was to add to these holdings later by purchase and by inheritance, but the land on Button Creek was to be retained by his descendants until the present day.

One major addition to his holdings came on Aug. 28, 1780, when he purchased 200 acres adjacent to his original parcel from Absolam Melton. This time the land cost him 200 pounds, attesting to the high inflation rate following the War for Independence.

This deed [32] describes the parcel in this way:

"...a Certain Tract...at Lying and being in Bedford County on Both sides of a small branch which empties into Button Creek Beginning at the said Joseph Tweedys Corner Red Oak on David Rossers Line thence along David Rossers Line to Joseph Macmurtrees Line thence along Joseph MacMurtrees Line to a Corner Scrub white Oak Thence walk a new line to Two White Oaks Thence South to Robert Williamsons Line..."

On these lands along Button Creek, Joseph Tweedy operated a small but successful plantation. His primary money crop was tobacco, which he cultivated with the labor of black slaves.

Figure V -- Joseph Tweedy's runaway slave advertisement

On Nov. 1, 1770, the year before Joseph purchased the Button Creek property, he took out an advertisement [33] in The Virginia Gazette, the colony's primary newspaper, published in Williamsburg, to offer a bounty of five English pounds for the return of a runaway slave named America (See Figure V).

We have no way of knowing whether the fellow found his way safely north to freedom, but inasmuch as it was almost four months between the date the notice was written and the date it appeared in print, there was certainly ample time for him to make good his escape. That Joseph was willing to offer a reward of five pounds for the slave's return, demonstrates the monetary value of slaves. Consider that Joseph was to pay only four pounds for the 50 acres of land he purchased from the Markhams. It is proof of Joseph's considerable wealth that he was known to have owned at least a score of slaves.

Joseph Tweedy must have been a long-time subscriber of The Virginia Gazette because he used the newspaper's advertising services on several occasions. On Nov. 14, 1771, the following notice appeared in the paper: [34]

"TAKEN up, in Bedford, a black HORSE about six or seven Years old, four Feet seven or eight Inches high, a natural Pacer, with a Wart on his Breast, both hind Feet white, short Switch Tail, some Saddle Spots, and branded on the near Shoulder F.G. Posted, and appraised to ten Pounds. -- JOSEPH TWEEDY."

Several years later, on Aug. 29, 1977, Joseph advertised for the owner of another horse that had wandered onto his Button Creek farm: [35]

"TAKEN up in Bedford, a black horse, 4 feet, 8 inches and a half high, 8 years old, appears to be hipshot, and walks a little lame, has a hard knot on his near shoulder, three white feet, some small white spots on his face, some saddle spots, and had on a small bell. Posted, and appraised to 15. -- Joseph Tweedy"

The law permitted a citizen to keep any animal that strayed onto his property, provided the animal remained unclaimed after a good faith attempt was made to locate its owner. What Scotsman could resist the chance to acquire a horse -- even a hipshot nag -- for the price of a newspaper advertisement?

Joseph Tweedy was often called upon to conduct appraisals, inventories and estate sales, and so his name frequently appears in Bedford County records of the 1770s and 1780s. His neighbors and kinsmen David and Jonathan Rosser, often were partners in these enterprises. For example, Joseph Tweedy, Jonathan Rosser and Thomas Martin conducted an appraisement of the estate of James McMurtree on Aug. 25, 1977, [36] and Joseph Tweedy, Jonathan Rosser and David Rosser conducted an inventory of the estate of Hugh Hairston on Sept. 28, 1778. [37]

A 1787 personal property tax record for Campbell County [38] shows that "Joseph Tweddy" was assessed taxes for seven "horses, mares, colts & mules" and thirteen cattle. At that time, according to the assessor's records, there was one white male between the ages of 16 and 21 living on the Tweedy farm (presumably one of his sons -- Abednego, perhaps) along with two blacks over the age of 16 and three blacks under the age of 16.

One of the most interesting existing records relating to Joseph Tweedy is a list of "Citizens furnishing Supplies, Arms, Teams etc. or rendering other service to the Continental Army, who received certificates calling for payments account thereof, at various sessions of the County Court of Campbell County between 7th Mch. 1782 and 4th April 1783."

This remarkable document [39] contains not only the names of Joseph Tweedy and several other direct ancestors of present-day Tweedys -- Jonathan Rosser, Owen Franklin, Andrew Mann and John Cock -- but it also contains the name of another Central Virginia farmer of some note -- Thomas Jefferson, Esq., who had written the new Declaration of Independence and would become the third president of the United States.

The record does not say what contribution Joseph Tweedy may have made to the cause of American independence, whether he might have given a side of beef to feed the hungry Continental Army or perhaps a team to pull a military supply wagon, but the document is proof that he did his part.

Joseph and his wife, Frances Williamson Tweedy, were the parents of four sons and four daughters. Most of the children married members of nearby families and settled in Campbell County.

When Joseph dictated his will [40] on Oct. 30, 1810, he was already gravely ill. He named his wife and two oldest sons as executors. He left most of his belongings to Frances, whom he affectionately referred to as "Fanny," but also took care to provide for his children:

In the name of God amen. I Joseph Twedy Senr. being of sound mind but weak of body do make and constitute this my last will and testament. It is my will and desire that in the first place all my just debts shall be paid. I lend to my beloved wife Fanny for and during her natural life for her use the tract of land whereon I live with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging, together with all my stock of every kind, also all my furniture of every sort and the following slaves, to wit, Ned, Tom, Kate, Rener, Nancy and old Sall. At the death of my wife I give to my son Abednego the tract of land whereon I now live to him and his heirs. also at my desease three negro boys, to wit, Lee, Daniel and Jack. I give at my wife's death to my son John and his heirs my negro man Tom in addition to what he has received. It is my wish and desire to aid and support my daughter Elizabeth Coleman and her children. I therefore leave for their use in the hands of my son John Twedy whom I hereby appoint and constitute trustee for that purpose the following negroes, to wit, Rose and her children Anderson and Julia and Rose's future increase. Also I leave at the death of my wife in the same manner for the use of my daughter Eliza(be)th and her children my negro woman Kate and her increase all which negroes with their increase at the death of my daughter Eliza Coleman shall be equally divided among her children. I give to my daughter Caziah the following negroes, to wit, Isbell, Bill and Frank and Isbell's future issue at my decease. I also give to my said daughter at the death of my wife my negro girl Rener and her increas also a gray mare saddle and bridle together with a bed and furniture which has been called her own, also one hundred acres of land called Sutts tract. I give to my son Joseph Twedy the debt he owes me of forty or fifty pounds in addition to what he has received. I give to my daughter Nancy Rosser the sum of six shillings in addition to what she has received. I desire that my wife as soon as is convenient after my decease purchase and deliver to my granddaughter Caroline coleman a negro girl at about fifty pounds price which girl I give to my said granddaughter and her heirs. I give to my daughter Polly cocke at the death of my wife my negro girl Nancy in addition to what she has received. In order to carry this my foregoing will into effect I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife my Executrix and two sons Rob. and John my Exr. to this my last will and testament revokeing others, as witness my hand and sel this 30th Day of October 1810. -- Joseph Twedy (sl)

Soon after signing this instrument, Joseph Tweedy died. On Dec. 9, 1810, Frances and her son, John, qualified as executors for his estate.

An account [41] filed at the courthouse at Rustburg on April 13, 1818, notes that Frances and three of her children, Abednego, Kaziah (called "Cuzie") and John Tweedy, met at the homeplace to take care of some business of the estate. The record shows "special legacies paid to legatees," apparently a sum of money paid for the upkeep of Elizabeth Coleman and her children.

Joseph's oldest son, Robert, continued to work the land along Button Creek. He and his wife, Susana Rosser, reared five children and accumulated more property.

Susana, who grew up on the farm next door to the Tweedy place, was the daughter of David Rosser, an immigrant to Virginia from France. She and Robert applied for a marriage license in 1794 and set up housekeeping shortly afterward, but did not actually marry until almost 11 years later. During this time they had four children and bought a considerable quantity of land under the names of Robert Tweedy and Susana Rosser.

We can only speculate about the reason for the delay in nuptials. Perhaps there was no minister available. Perhaps, as one writer has suggested,. there was "a stubborn streak involved." [42] In 1805, when Robert and Susana decided to join the church, the minister refused to baptize them until they had solemnized their union. And so they were joined together as husband and wife in the presence of four of their children.

Later, the couple's lack of legal formality caused trouble in the family. Some of the heirs of Smith Payne Tweedy, the only one of their five children to be born after the actual marriage, claimed after Robert's death that they were his only legitimate heirs. Robert's will, however, clearly shows that he considered all of his children to be of equal standing.

When Susana Rosser Tweedy died in 1844 of injuries sustained in a horse-and-buggy accident, it was a great personal tragedy for Robert. A newspaper obituary [43]
described something of the esteem with which the couple was held in the community.

Died, on Thursday, the 29th of August, at the residence of her husband in Campbell county, Mrs. Susan Tweedy, consort of Robert Tweedy, Esq. in the 68th year of her age.

This excellent mother in Israel had been for upwards of 40 years an exemplary member of the Baptist Church, and has left the brightest evidence behind her of her perfect readiness to depart and be at rest with her Saviour in Heaven. Her disease was long and painful, which she bore with the patience and resignation only possessed by the true christian.

Too much could hardly be said for her. In her character were combined all those pure and ennobling qualities which so highly and beautifully adorn the Lady, the Christian, the Wife, the Mother, and the Mistress.

Well may her death be much lamented by all those who knew her; but no one has so great a cause for sorrow as her heart-rent husband. the writer of this obituary will never forget his deep drawn sighs and sobs, and streaming tears, when he looked for the last time on the pale remains of the dear idol of his heart. It was more than fail humanity could bear, unsupported by the tender hand of Mercy's meek angel. But he should not sorrow as those who have no hope. He shall see her again in immortal loveliness. Then, O ye disconsolate one, dry up your tears and weep no more. and you, her children, grandchildren and friends, remember her admonition, when she said to you, "Grieve not for me," but prepare to join her in Heaven, where parting will be no more.

The sorrowing widower lived on alone until his own death six years later in early 1851. Robert's will describes some of his earthly belongings and provides some insight into the things he thought important. [44]

In the name of God, Amen. I, Robert Tweedy, of the County of Campbell and State of Virginia being advanced in years but of sound and disposing mind and memory, do constitute and ordain this my last will and testament and hereby revoke all other wills that I have made.

In the first place: I give and bequeath to my son Bennet Tweedy all the land that I own on the south side of Golloway's Creek, including the one hundred acres called Suts tract, also the fifty acres of land lying on the south side of button Creek that I bought of Matthew Thompson: I also give and bequeath to my son Bennet the following slaves, to wit., Jack, Wyatt, Jordan, Charlotte, Edy and Sam;

2ndly I give and bequeath to my son Smith P. tweedy all the tract of land on which I reside except the fifty acres lying on the south side of button Creek, which I have devised to my son Bennet; also the following slaves, to wit., Elizabeth, Betty, Haden, Zadock and Bartlett -- the boy Bartlett I give him under condition that he shall give up a boy named Walker which he holds by virtue of a deed of gift which I have executed to him: to be disposed of as I shall hereinafter direct; I also bequeath to my son Smith P. Tweedy one walnut cupboard, one looking glass, two folding tables, one bureau, all the chairs in my house, one bed, bedstead and clothing, and all the money that I may have on hand at the time of my death; it is my will and desire that my sons Bennet and Smith shall have all the future increase of the female slaves that I have bequeathed to them respectively both before and after my death.

3dly, I devise to and bequeath to Bennet Tweedy, my executor hereinafter appointed, the following property, to wit., the tract of land lying on the north side of Golloway's Creek, supposed to contain about one hundred acres, and known as Lewellyn's tract, also the following slaves, to wit., Henry, Tom, Mary and her child Sally together with the future increase of the females either before or after my death, in trust and for the following purposes, that is to say, it is my will and desire that the said Bennet Tweedy shall hold the said property and manage it according to his own judgment, and pay and appropriate the yearly proceeds and profits thereof as he may think best towards the maintenance and support of my son Allen Tweedy and his family, so long as he, the said, Allen, shall live, and if he should died leaving a widow, so long after his death as she (his widow) shall remain unmarried, and upon the death of the said Allen Tweedy and his wife, or in the event of his dying and leaving a widow, upon her subsequent marriage, it is my will and desire that the said Bennet Tweedy shall transfer and convey the said property absolutely to the children of the said Allen Tweedy, such as may be living, dividing it equally among them, and if either or any of the said children should at any time before the said property is directed to be transferred and conveyed to them by the said Bennet Tweedy, die and leave children, it is my desire that such children shall have the portion or portions to which his, her of their parents would, if living, have been entitled, it is my intention in the division of said property to include any children that the said Allen Tweedy may hereafter have.

4thly: I give to the children of my deceased daughter Thirza Rosser a bond for the sum of four hundred dollars executed to me by John Rosser Jr.

5th I give to my granddaughter Susan Rosser one hundred dollars to be paid to her by my executor out of the proceeds of the sale of my personal property, and my executor is also directed to pay to her out of the same fund the price of one featherbed, if she should died before the payment of this legacy without having children, it is my desire that it shall go to the children of my granddaughter Thirza Butler;

6thly I give to my granddaughter Thirza Butler fifty dollars to be paid to her by my executor out of the proceeds of the sale of my personal property;

7thly I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Ann Sears my negro girl Flora and if she should die without leaving children, it is my will that the said girl Flora shall go along with the property advised and bequeathed to Bennet Tweedy, my executor, in the third clause of this will;

8thly: I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Ann G. Tweedy, daughter of Bennet, my negro girl Victory with her future increase;

9" I give and bequeath to my grandson Emmett Fillmore Tweedy, son of Smith, the negro boy Walker mentioned in the second clause of this will;

10thly: I hereby manumit my negro man Stephen and leave him under the care and direction of my son Bennet and it is my desire that the said Stephen shall live at Suts Spring and have during his life my set of Blacksmith's tools. I also give the said Stephen one milch cow. After the death of said Stephen the twenty acres of land devised to him for his life is to revert to Bennet Tweedy and the Blacksmith's tools are to be sold by my executor and the proceeds divided into three equal portions, one for my son Bennet, one for my son Smith, and the remaining third I desire my executor to appropriate in the same manner with the property lift to him in the third clause of this will. The residue of my estate I desire to be divided into three equal parts, one of them I give to my son Bennet, one to my son Smith, and the third part I bequeath in the same manner and subject to the same trusts and conditions as the property devised and bequeathed in the third clause of this will; it is my desire that the pecuniary legacies herein bequeathed shall not be payable by my executor until the expiration of eighteen months from the time at which the money from the sale of my personal property shall become due to him;

Lastly: I constitute and appoint my son Bennet my sole executor and desire and request that the Court will not require him to give any surety in his executorial bond.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 26" day of March 1850.
-- Robert Tweedy (seal)
Witnessed by
Thomas H. Rosser
Anderson Boothe

Two days before the following Christmas, Robert dictated a codicil to his will, which gave his son Bennet rights to the slave Tom mentioned in the third clause and substituted for him another slave named Bob, who had been purchased since the original will was written.

We can only guess why it was necessary to place Allen's share of the estate under the control of his brother. It appears he was somehow incapacitated and unable to manage his own affairs.

The slave Stephen, mentioned in the 10th clause of the will, was obviously a favored retainer. His manumission in Robert's will gained him his freedom 12 years before Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation would do the same for his fellows. It is quite a testament to the man's service, as well as his skill as a craftsman, that Robert wanted him to have use of his tools during his lifetime. It was thoughtful of Robert to consider that, once free, Stephen would require the means to support himself, which the blacksmith's trade would provide.

At emancipation, Stephen and many other slaves in the household adopted the Tweedy name and became the forebears of a large number of African-American Tweedys that reside to this day in Campbell County and elsewhere.

It was about this time that the old rock house beside Button Creek was built. William Rayford Tweedy, who lived near the property in 1988 said the house was purchased by Bennet Tweedy after the man who built it, Tommie Thompson, was unable to pay the labor costs of $50. This story has not been verified. but it is known that the house was occupied for several generations by the descendants of Bennet Tweedy.

The last to have been born there was Carol Evelyn Tweedy (later "Dixie" Caldwell) on 16 January 1926. She recalled in 1988 that, as a very young child, she had fallen down a long stairway leading from the kitchen door in the back of the house.

The house is now in ruins. One end of the structure collapsed about 1963 or 1964, according to Mrs. Caldwell.

Not far from the old house, on a ridge 1.2 kilometers southwest of the confluence of Button Creek and the south fork of the Falling River, the family cemetery can still be found amid the trees and brush.

Bennet Tweedy is listed in the 1860 United States. Census as a farmer living near Mt. Zion in Campbell County, Va. His net worth is estimated to be $30,250, a considerable sum for that time. His brothers, no doubt, were equally prosperous.

But within a few years of Robert Tweedy's death, the country was divided by civil war. Life along Button Creek, like life throughout the South, would never again be the same.

Several of Robert's grandchildren would go to war to defend Virginia and the Confederacy. Three of them would die for the cause, and others would be wounded or captured and imprisoned at federal prisoner-of-war camps.

Secession fervor swept the South during the weeks following the bombardment of Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861. On April 17, a headline in a Lynchburg newspaper screamed "War! War!! War!!!" Within a month, Gen. Jubal Early began to organize several infantry regiments in and near Lynchburg.

Five Tweedy men -- three of Allen's sons and two of Bennet's -- decided immediately to do their part. On Friday, May 16, they rode to nearby Pigeon Run and enlisted in The Clifton Grays, a militia company under the command of Capt. Adam Clement. The new company held its first drills on the grounds of St. John's Church near present-day Gladys. [45]

The soldiers from Pigeon Run were assigned at first to the 28th Infantry Regiment, where they lost their colorful sobriquet and became simply "Co. E." But before the 28th was ready to enter service with the Army of Northern Virginia, Co. E was reassigned. It became Co. C of the 11th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. It was here that its members would serve with such distinction from First Manassas to the Confederacy's "high-water mark'' at Gettysburg to the bitter end at Appomattox.

The farm boys said good-bye to their families and reported for duty as soldiers. Their regimental commander, Capt. Samuel Garland Jr., had provided them with a list of equipment and materials they were expected to bring with them: [46]

• two stout blankets
• two woolen under-shirts, very heavy
• two pair thick cotton drawers
• four pair stout shoes or boots
• three towels
• four handkerchiefs, silk comb, brush and toothbrush, stout linen threat needles, wax, buttons, pins and thimble in a small bag
• knife, fork and spoon
• one canvas bedcover per two men
• one day's cooked rations in a tin box or knapsack

By the time the Tweedy boys enlisted, most of the 11th Virginia had already traveled by train to Culpeper, where they had received orders to continue on to Manassas Junction. The new recruits caught up with them there. They took up quarters in a tent city at Camp Pickens and began to prepare for the trials that were before them, drilling daily, taking their turn at picket duty and laboring with pick and shovel to construct breastworks.

Later in the war, two more of Bennet's sons would join their kinsmen in the 11th Virginia Infantry. In addition, two more of Allen's sons entered service in other units, Robert William Tweedy in the 13th Virginia Infantry and Ralph Eldridge Tweedy in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

Confederate military records describe the wartime service of the Tweedys as follows:

Edmund Alexander Tweedy -- (Born 23 May 1840, the son of Allen Tweedy.) Enlisted 16 May 1861 in Co. C, 11th Virginia Infantry. Occupation: farmer. Promoted to corporal, 1 January 1864. Captured at Milford Station, Va., 21 May 1864 and exchanged for a Union prisoner of war at Point Lookout in Maryland on 11 October 1864. He was captured again on 1 April 1865 and released from Point Lookout Prison on 20 June 1865. He was described as 5 feet, 8 1/4 inches tall. His twin brother, Smith Payne Tweedy, was also a member of Co. C.

Fayette Bennet Tweedy -- (Born c. 1836, the son of Bennet Tweedy.) Enlisted 16 May 1861 in Co. C, 11th Virginia Infantry. Occupation: farmer. Wounded in action outside Williamsburg on 5 May 1862. He recovered from his wounds and rejoined his unit, but died in April 1864 at Plymouth, N.C., presumably in battle.

Ferdinand Tweedy -- (Born c. 1838, the son of Bennet Tweedy.) Enlisted 16 May 1861 in Co. C., 11th Virginia Infantry. Occupation: farmer. Absent due to sickness from September 1861 to May 1862 and again from June 1863 to the end of the war. He was paroled at Campbell Courthouse on 25 May 1865.

George Dabney Tweedy -- (Born c. 1842, the son of Allen Tweedy.) Enlisted 16 May 1861 in Co. C, 11th Virginia Infantry. Occupation: farmer. Wounded in action outside Williamsburg on 5 May 1862. He recovered and rejoined his unit, but was killed in action on 3 July 1863 at Gettysburg, Pa. He fell under extremely heavy fire as he charged the enemy line from a position on the extreme right of the Confederate line, where the fighting was most intense.

Joseph B. Tweedy -- (Born c. 1834, the son of Bennet Tweedy). Enlisted 10 February 1864 in Co. H, (The Jeff Davis Guards), 11th Virginia Infantry. Detailed from July to November 1864. Paroled 27 May 1865 at Campbell Courthouse.

Ralph Eldridge Tweedy -- (Born 1845, the son of Allen Tweedy) Conscripted 9 June 1862 in Campbell County, Va., into Co. I (The Campbell Rangers), 2nd Regiment of Virginia Cavalry. He was the only one of the Campbell County Tweedys to surrender at Appomattox on 9 April 1865. He was separated from his company at the time. [47]

Robert Clinton Tweedy -- (Born 1824, the oldest child of Bennet Tweedy.) Enlisted 18 March 1862 in Co. C, 11th Virginia Infantry. Detailed to the regimental ordinance department in March and April 1963. Absent sick from 4 June 1863 to late 1864 due to "cataract of right eye and chronic rheumatism." Detailed 4 December 1863 for "hospital or other light duty" at General Hospital No. 1 in Lynchburg. [48] (The hospital was located originally at Lynchburg College in the square between 10th and 11th streets and Floyd and Wise streets, and later at Langhorne's tobacco factory at 8th and Clay streets in Lynchburg.) [49] Robert Clinton Tweedy was paroled 31 May 1865 at Campbell Courthouse.

Robert William Tweedy -- (Born c. 1833, the son of Allen Tweedy) Enlisted 22 April 1862 at Gordonsville, Va., as a private in Co. B, 13th Virginia Infantry. Promoted to sergeant 1 January 1865. Detailed at hospital from 28 to 30 June 1862. No record from July to October 1862. Wounded at Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862, suffering a "severe contusion of left elbow caused by shell." Returned to duty 11 February 1863. Present at final company muster on 28 February 1865. He is believed to have been killed in action shortly after dawn on 25 March 1865 at Fort Stedman during the Confederate Army's last great counterpunch at the encroaching federal forces. Zephaniah T. Ross, his company captain, described him in a notation in the company ledger book as an "excellent soldier."

Smith Payne Tweedy Jr. -- (Born 23 May 1840, the son of Allen Tweedy and twin brother of Edmund Alexander Tweedy, above.) Enlisted 16 May 1861 in Co. C, 11th Virginia Infantry. Occupation: farmer. Absent sick from October to December 1861. Wounded in action outside Williamsburg on 5 May 1861. Recovered from his injury and was counted present in July 1863. Wounded in the left leg and captured at Milford Station, Va., on 21 May 1864. Released at Point Lookout Prison in Maryland on 7 June 1865. Described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall (a quarter-inch shorter than his twin brother).

The 11th Virginia was an extremely active regiment and repeatedly suffered heavy losses throughout the war. Fayette Bennet Tweedy and George Dabney Tweedy were among 129 men and officers of the 11th who were killed during the course of the four-year conflict. [50]

The regiment's most glorious moment occurred at Gettysburg. As part of Kemper's Brigade, Pickett's Division, the 11th Virginia was positioned at the fiercest part of the fighting during the brave but ill-fated attempt to storm the Union line at Gettysburg. Because of their position at the extreme right of the Confederate line, the men of the 11th were forced to march at an oblique angle toward the enemy. This maneuver required the units on the right to walk almost parallel to the federal line, coming under intense fire from both muskets and cannon loaded with canister shot. Eighteen men of the 11th, including George Dabney Tweedy, [51] sacrificed their lives to the valiant but futile effort which came to be known as "Pickett's Charge."

Throughout the war, the regiment served with distinction in the following major engagements and numerous other skirmishes. At each battle, we can assume there were Tweedys in the thick of the fight:

1861
July 21 -- First Manassas
December 20 -- Dranesville


1862
May 5-7 -- Williamsburg
May 31 -- Seven Pines
June 25-July 1 -- Seven Days
August 30 -- Second Manassas
September 11-14 -- Boonesboro, South Mt., Md.
September 17 -- Sharpsburg
December 13 -- Fredericksburg


1863
July 3 -- Gettysburg, Pa.


1864
April 18 -- Plymouth, N.C.
May 16 -- Drewry's Bluff
May 21 -- Milford Station


1865
March -- Petersburg
April 1 -- Five Forks
April 2 -- Ford's Depot
April 3 -- Dinwiddie Court House
April 4 -- Deep Creek
April 5 -- Amelia Court House
April 6 -- Farmville, Sayler's Creek

The 13th Virginia Infantry, of which Robert William Tweedy was a member, was called "a splendid body of men,'' by Gen. Robert E. Lee. [52] At Gaines Mill, the regiment suffered casualties higher than 40 percent. From then on, the 13th was in the thick of most battles. The men referred to Cedar Mountain as "pre-eminently our fight," plugged a crucial gap at Fredericksburg (where Robert was wounded), and charged valiantly in the Chancellorsville campaign. Despite heavy losses at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House and Winchester, the regiment persevered through to Appomattox. Robert William Tweedy did not. Just two weeks before the surrender he was killed in action at Fort Stedman near Richmond.

It is not our purpose here to recount Civil War history. There are many good books that describe the battles in which the 11th and 13th Virginia regiments participated, as well as the life of a typical Confederate infantryman. From them, we can extrapolate what life must have been like for the young farm boys from Button Creek.

By the first week in April 1865 there were only 29 men left in the 11th Virginia Infantry to surrender at Appomattox Court House. As far as we know, only one of the Tweedys actually participated in the surrender. Ralph Eldridge Tweedy was separated from the 2nd Virginia Cavalry and surrendered as part of a provisional command. [53]

The Tweedy homeplace was only a few miles west of the surrender ground. Knowing that their cause was lost, the rest of the men probably chose to skip the sad formalities and return directly to their families. Who could blame them if they did?

Robert William Tweedy, who was born nine years after the war ended, often repeated a story told to him by his elders that seems to confirm this theory. It seems that on the day of the surrender, one of the Tweedy boys happened to be watering his horse at the Appomattox River when a Negro led a Union general's mount to the riverbank. The man ordered the weary, heartsick Reb to move aside so the officer's animal could drink. Out of fury and frustration, the vanquished soldier pulled a pistol and shot the man where he stood, then dug his heels into his own mount and did not stop until he was well within sight of home. [54]

Once they were safely back at Button Creek, the Tweedys set about to repair the damage that the war had brought to their farms and their lives. Though the southern way of life had changed forever, the Tweedys made the necessary adjustments. They married, raised families and continued to make their living tilling the soil.

An 1864 map of the Confederate Engineer's Bureau shows two Tweedy homes on the north side of Button Creek.. One was 0.6 kilometers upstream from the confluence of Button Creek and Jones Branch at north 37 degrees, 15 minutes, 52 seconds and west 79 degrees, 00 minutes, 27 seconds. The second home was 1.2 kilometers upstream at north 37 degrees, 15 minutes, 50 seconds and west 70 degrees, 00 minutes, 47 seconds.

From 1888 to 1904, there was an official United States post office in Campbell County called "Twedys." This post office was located a few miles north of Gladys, between Morris Church to the east and Mt. Zion to the west. [55]

Like other Southerners, the Tweedy family never fully recovered economically from the war. They had their land, but their slaves were gone and the market for tobacco and other crops produced on their farms was not what it had been before the war. For the next three or four generations, only hard work and perseverance kept the family going.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the family's vast holdings were almost gone. Some branches of the family, including that of Robert William Tweedy (1874-1953) were reduced to scraping out a hard living on land that belonged to someone else.

Robert William Tweedy married his first cousin, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, in 1896 and had five children, the youngest of whom died in infancy. Mary Elizabeth died in 1907 at the young age of 31 of complications arising from childbirth.

Figure VI -- Robert William Tweedy and Veda Wilkerson

In 1912, Robert William Tweedy married Veda May Wilkerson, a young woman almost 14 years his junior. The marriage took place on her 24th birthday. Veda May became the mother of Robert's second family of eight children.

Throughout most of his life Robert William farmed tobacco, wheat and corn, just as his ancestors had for generations before him. In about 1926, he moved from a rented farm of several hundred acres called the White Rock Place to a place of his own on the opposite bank of the James River. He built a tobacco barn for his landlord in exchange for enough lumber to construct a barn and stable for himself. He used some of the lumber to construct a flatboat large enough to carry a loaded wagon drawn by two horses. He used the boat to transport all the worldly possessions of his large family across the river.

Though he had arranged to buy the property at a cost of only about $3,000, he was never able to make enough money to own it outright. He lost the place during the lean years of The Great Depression and lived on rented property for the remainder of his life.

Though Robert William Tweedy had only three or four years of formal schooling, he regularly read The Lynchburg News and often read his Bible in the evenings after his work was done. Though he seldom discussed politics, he voted regularly -- invariably for Democratic candidates. He had little use for Republicans, believing their policies favored the wealthy and did little for the poor man.

He was a faithful member of the Baptist Church, and served as superintendent of Sunday School at Oakdale Baptist Church for a number of years. He taught Sunday School and enjoyed singing hymns.

His religious convictions were reflected in his daily life. His children could not remember him ever losing his temper or using profane language. The minister at his funeral in 1953 said of him, "If ever there was a saint, this was one.''

Yet, despite his mild, gentlemanly manner, he spoke with great authority in his voice. It is said that he had to speak to children and animals only once in order to be obeyed. Rex Tweedy said he would rather be soundly switched by his mother for some youthful transgression than to suffer a rebuke from his father.

The descendants of Robert William Tweedy have for a number of years gathered on the weekend of Labor Day for a family reunion at the home of one of the children or, in inclement weather, at Oakdale Baptist Church.

A complete genealogy of the descendants to date of Robert William Tweedy appears in Part 4 of this document. As of this writing, there are 13 children, 34 grandchildren, 80 great-grandchildren, 50 great-great-grand-children and 6 great-great-great-grandchildren, for a total of 183 descendants.

These people, like those who went before them, are writing their own chapters of the Tweedy family history.