SouthernGraveyards

Private William P Robinette(1844-1862), Private John C Robinette(1843-1862), Private Joel B Robinette(1840-1862), Private Brinsley Barnes(1844-1862), and Private Elisha Chapman(1840-1862) all served in the 37th North Carolina Infantry Company G CSA during the War Between the States. All of them, with the exception of PVT Elisha Chapman, were killed in action on May 27th, 1862 during the Battle of Hanover Courthouse, aka the battle of Slash Church, in Hanover County, VA. PVT Elisha Chapman died two days later from disease. This company was fielded by young men from Alexander County, NC and would go on to serve in the Army of Northern Virginia until the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. By all accounts, the Robinette boys were not brothers but likely cousins. They were all farmers. Joel Robinette left behind a widow named Sarah. The Civil War drew over 3,000,000 combatants and over 600,000 of them died. All of the states were touched by tragedy and grief but this small corner of the nation lost 5 of their young men in the span of two days. They are buried together in the same corner of the graveyard.

J. Rivers Pennell(1884-1933) lost his wife Margaret Josie Pennell(1887-1918) as well as 6 children: a daughter named Jamie(birth/death date unknown), infant twin sons Henry and Horace(death/birth date unknown), an unnamed infant son in 1918, and twin daughters named Elva and Velva(died in 1932). His second wife, Grace Barnes Pennell(1894-1934), died 10 months after her husband, while their daughter Irene Pennell(1923-1935) died nearly 2 years to the day after her father. What loss this family experienced in such a short amount of time. Unimaginable.