#treasuremap

How Junkyu reacts to Jaehyuk's kiss

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 By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

While many people are drawn to Dumfries to check our extensive genealogical records, Allan L. Davidson came with a map from his deceased father. The clues: “From Dumfries follow the bed of an old narrow gauge railroad-rails and ties removed to an old mine dump cross brook and follow dirt road back past two shacks until it fords creek and find tree in right opposite corner.”

During WWI, Allan Davidson’s father, H.F. Davidson, served as in the U.S. Marine Corps, spending a few months at Quantico before deployment to France. He used the opportunity at Quantico to look for a tree that J.R. Hoy (Allan Davidson’s great-grandfather) and J. Murray carved their names into during the Civil War. Once located, H.F. Davidson drew a map and carved his own initials into it, relating the story to his family and saving this precious map. Let’s  join Allan Davidson in 1997 as he headed to Dumfries police station meeting with then Lt. Charles Reid.

“He wanted to go with me on the search but couldn’t get away. He sent me to see Joe Calpin who has a “tourist trap” – Old Mine Ranch, an Old Mine Road; Petting Zoo for the kids and horseback trail rides.” In fact, one of his trails follows the old railroad bed. He, too, showed great interest and took me by foot – not horseback – to the old road bed. We followed this for about half a mile to the old mine dump, and crossed Quantico Creek on stepping stones without getting our feet wet…

We headed back downstream. The old road and two shacks my father referred to are no longer in existence. In a hundred yards we came to a spring run into Quantico Creek. I couldn’t decide whether this was the second creek referred to or not. In crossing this “creek” all we could find was a stand of old pine trees and almost impossible briar bushes. Not a beech tree in sight.

I was about to give up, conceding to time and nature, but Joe encouraged me on, telling me that we were then on Prince William Forest National Park land; and to go talk to the Park Rangers. This I did, Jacque LaVelle, a park ranger, found an old topographical made early in this century, which showed the old dirt road and two shacks; and more importantly, the South Fork of Quantico Creek about four hundred yards downstream from the bramble bushes I had been in earlier. The park rangers graciously took me in a four-wheel-drive vehicle down a private park road to near the confluence of the South Fork and Quantico Creek. At a point about seventy-five yards upstream on the South Fork where there was a faint semblance of an old road, we forded the South Fork – again on stepping stones. And there was “the tree” in front of us; right where my father’s map said it was! Nothing succeeds like success! My ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.

Time has made the carvings all but illegible. You can pick out a letter here and there by stretching the imagination to see what you want to see. After all the carvings are 135 years and eighty years old. But I am confident that we found the right tree. At least I will always think we did.”

The family researched the movements of J.R. Hoy knowing that he enlisted in the 144th Regiment NY Volunteers Infantry relying on James Harvey McKee’s Civil War Record book and research. They could place Hoy near Dumfries. They also tracked the movements of  three other family members serving in the Union Army: George Davidson (72nd Regiment of the NY Volunteers), John Davidson (89th Regiment of NY Volunteers), and Thomas Davidson (144th Regiment of the NY Volunteers). The Davidson family have faithfully served the country throughout their history. While George survived the war, John died from injuries suffered during the Siege of Suffolk (04/11/1863 – 05/04/1863) and Thomas died at the battle of Honey Hill, S.C. (11/30/1864). H. Fletcher Davidson served in WWI in the Verdun sector receiving the Good Conduct Medal, Silver Star, and the French Croix de Guerre. (Side-note: Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon, also received the French Croix de Guerre after delivering numerous crucial messages, despite significant wounds from gunfire). Allan Davidson served in the Air Force during WWII and the Korean War. 

So, did Davidson add his name to the tree? “My response “Not very likely with two park rangers standing behind me. They take a dim view of people carving up their trees!”

Note: Starting your holiday shopping early? Consider purchasing an HDVI membership for your family and/or friends! Memberships come with free use of our Lee Lansing Research Library and alerts to our programs, such as our free virtual November Member Cookie Swap (prospective members welcome)!

BANGYEDAM

I can still heard Mashiho's voice; "Kimchi!~" hahaha so cute. ♡