Left : George ( 1816-1866 ) and Elenora ( 1821-1893 ) Hickman homestead ; below : fallen barn on Bolington Road , three miles from Lovettsville .
tossed into Richmond prisons . What a heartfelt moment it must have been when , at war ’ s end , a Hickman son returned , walking along old Bolington Road , stones sharp under his worn boots . He would finally spot his home through dappling trees and quicken his pace .
Each gravel road in Loudoun County leads to stories ; Grace church and the loyal Hickman family are just two of the many waiting to be discovered . But each gravel road will disappear , taking their stories with them , if we don ’ t slow down and listen to what they have to tell us .
Nine children , in those little rooms ! Imagine Elenora ’ s world : preparing continuous meals , sewing clothes , stitching quilts ,
George H . C . Hickman in his Union army uniform . This young man was a cousin or nephew to George and Elenora Hickman . teaching children to care for the animals and crops that sustained them . Days ended by candlelight , with shirt sleeves erasing numbers on a chalky slate , or a daughter ’ s stuttered reading of Bible verses . All those young minds had to be educated — the future was coming toward them fast .
The Hickmans were part of an extended family of German immigrants . Typical of Lovettsville folk , they held no brief for disunion from a nation their families had crossed an ocean to join . When Civil War came in 1861 , the Hickman sons and cousins enlisted in Union Regiments , including the Loudoun Rangers . According to war records , several Hickmans were wounded or captured — damned as Virginia traitors — and
Loudoun resident , Lee Lawrence , enjoys researching and writing about local history , in particular , the uncommon lives of common people .
wander I fall • winter 2020 17