Honoring The Dead
Hoge/Howe Family Cemetery
As cows graze and bears sleep on the old bramble grown and forgotten cemetery, those who have served our country over generations lie forgotten. Decades of neglected maintenance left graves weathered and broken to the point of obsolescence. Once a father, son and soldier, these abandoned souls passed on leaving many grieving for a life lost through service or otherwise. Now abandoned to a stranger’s care, they seem almost forgotten. Only one worn and battered flag sat memorializing Dr. William E. Hoge who served in the Civil War. But it is not only who we remember, but how we remember them which expresses our values in believing the worth of a life. The neglect of this cemetery is unfathomable. My promise to the dead is to celebrate their life of accomplishments, service and commitment.
When we bought Belle-Hampton farm in 2015, we heard about the old Hoge/Howe family cemetery. Curious, we reached out to the owners of the neighboring property called Sunnyside where the graves were located. Gaining permission for access began the arduous task of clearing and cleaning the site. Succumbed to hardy and weirdly strong weeds, the cemetery slowly began to reveal itself. Graves dating back to 1794, were buried under the brush. But who were these lost souls? I was determined not only to discover the graves, but to uncover their lives.
James Mayo Hoge who died in 1812 was the original owner of the Belle-Hampton property which he named Hayfield. James left his home in Frederick County, Virginia, in search of his elder brother, John who was serving in the French Indian War. He failed to find his brother while journeying his way on up the Valley of Virginia but he finally found his home and wife, Elizabeth. James was a Patriotic Service Soldier during the Revolutionary War with the Militia of Montgomery County, Virginia from 1777-1790. His grave is located in the Howe/Hoge Cemetery next to his wife.
His son, General James Hoge was a full six feet, two inches tall; smooth shaven, full face, with piercing, though merry black eyes and heavy brows. He was magnificent in appearance and dressed accordingly. Around him on public occasions groups of admiring friends came to see him and hear him talk. He fought in the War of 1812. He married his first cousin, Eleanor Howe, which had them sharing grandfathers, Major Joseph Howe who served in the Revolutionary War. His father's small farm promised limited division among the eleven children, so he bought the interests of all the others, and from this beginning he made a large fortune, not less than a quarter of a million, which was substantial, considering the times and conditions of the country. He built the house near his father's old dwelling in 1826 and 1827 on the Hayfield property. His wife, however, died suddenly from a heart attack in 1856. The General didn’t pass until 1861 just as the Civil War began. They are buried side by side in raised tombs overlooking the land they loved.
Dr. William E. Hoge was the General’s youngest son. He enlisted as a private in Virginia Stower's Infantry Company for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Although he had four young children, he left his wife, Jane Meek to care for them while he fought with the South. Buried under an obelisk in the family cemetery, William and Jane’s graves were the last burials at this site in 1894. Pushed over by cows or some other weighty force, their rectangular pillar was toppled until 2018 when seven Hoges, descendants of the General, re-resurrected it in 2018. Ceremoniously on July 4, a fresh American Flag replaced the battered one bringing new beginnings to the lost graves.
Although it is Memorial Day weekend, I would like to honor the men in the cemetery who served in the French Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War: Major Samuel Joseph Howe, Major Daniel Howe, Major John Dunbar Howe, Samuel Shepherd Howe, General James Hoge, James Mayo Hoge, John Hoge and Dr. William Hoge. Although they are gone, their service to the nation and their contribution to building a country is honored and memorialized. However, it was only Samuel Shepherd Howe who lost his life during his service in the Civil War. We are specifically honoring him on this Memorial Day. His epitaph on his tombstone tells the sad and simple story:
Samuel Shepherd Howe
Son of Jon D. and Sarah B. Howe
Born August 20, 1844
Died at Point Lookout, Maryland, August 14, 1864
He was brought home and buried in the family
Graveyard March 2, 1866. And to his memory
This marble slab has been erected by his aged
And sorrowing father.
His father, although grieving, commemorated the gravestone to honor his son for eternity. How are you observing Memorial Day for those service members who fought and died for our country?
