By Bobby Bice
The accompanying image is taken from a tin type encased in a small walnut frame. I took the frame to Buffington Studios several years ago and had them create a high-quality copy of the image. The original tin-type is hand colored. It depicts Olliver (Oliver) Nay, a Union soldier during the Civil War.
Born in 1834, Oliver was raised near Enterprise on his father’s farm, close to the Marion County line. One of a dozen children born to Elijah and Hannah (Smith) Nay, Oliver and two of his brothers, Silas and John, were not only farmers, but carpenters and builders as well. Their shop was located on [what is today known as] lower Walnut Street in Shinnston.
In those days, the street was known as Ferry Street due to the ferry operation located there that allowed access to the west side of the river, before a bridge was constructed. Oliver and his brothers were master builders, constructing not only pieces of furniture, but houses and other structures as well.
One of the still-standing structures known to have been built by them is the building next to the current Harmer Funeral Home in Shinnston.
Built in 1860,mthe 2 story building housed one of Shinnston’s first schools. It originally fronted several lots along Pike Street, but was later turned 90 degrees to utilize the depth of the land as well as create additional space for more buildings to have access along the ‘pike’.
Oliver and his brother John married sisters, Minerva and Elizabeth, respectively. They were daughters of Dr. Jacob and Amy (Shinn) Fortney. Oliver’s brother, John Nay, did not serve during the Civil War; however, he made a mark on local history because of the war. He was a supporter for the Union cause and served as a guide for the local Union Home Guards when they attacked Peter B. Righter’s farm at Coon’s Run.
The Nay family farm, where John and Oliver grew up, adjoined Righter’s farm and John directed the group of Home Guards on their path to the Righter place. The Union Volunteers burned the Righter farm house and several outbuildings. The farm was being used as a recruiting station for
Confederate soldiers and when they fought in retaliation, John Nay was shot in the leg. He remained a cripple for the rest of his life.
Over the years, a chant was sung to add to the story that symbolizes what John Nay was saying as he led the group to the Righter place: “Come on boys, step a little lighter; We’ll go down and get Pete Righter.” When Oliver married Minerva in 1856, they established their home along present lower Walnut Street where they began a family, which completed with four children. The last two children (twins) were born after Oliver enlisted.
He enlisted as a Private on June 25 th , 1861 at Clarksburg and it was from there that he would leave on a train to defend the Union cause.
When he enlisted, he was part of Company E of the 3 rd Virginia Regiment, Volunteer Infantry. Less than a month after his enlistment was the First Battle of Bull Run, which was fought on July 21, 1861 and noted as the first major land battle of the Civil War. (Note: Philippi is known as being the first land battle, or maybe organized skirmish.) Two years later, the rending of Virginia made him part of the 3 rd West Virginia Regiment, Volunteer Infantry.
Most documentation states that Oliver was appointed Farrier on November 1, 1863, but I have found one piece of documentation which reports that as recorded erroneously. A Farrier is responsible for keeping horses hooves taken care of in terms of balancing and
trimming as well as keeping proper horse shoes on their hooves. Typically, a Farrier has blacksmithing skills.
On January 26 th , 1864, the 3 rd Infantry was changed to the 6 th Cavalry and Oliver was reassigned to Company C. Hismoriginal term of service expired so he re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer on Feb. 29, 1864 at Martinsburg, WV where the unit was stationed until April.
On June 26 th , 1864, a group of approximately 60 men in the detachment were bathing in the south branch of the Potomac River near Springfield, WV in Hampshire County. While there, they became surrounded by Confederate soldiers and were taken as prisoners without a fight.
The Confederates eventually led these prisoners to the infamous Andersonville Prison in Andersonville, Georgia.
Most people probably recognize the name ‘Andersonville Prison’ as a Civil War prison camp, but few may realize the deplorable conditions that men had to endure while imprisoned there. It had the highest mortality rate of any Civil War prison with nearly 1/3 of the men dying who were interned there. The layout of the camp was originally constructed in early 1864 on just over sixteen acres of land for a capacity of 10,000 prisoners.
However, in just six months time, the prison population swelled to more than 30,000, with Oliver Nay being one of them. It has been written that it became increasingly hard for the prisoners to find space to even lie down. In the hot Georgia summer of 1864, Oliver was just
one of over 30,000 men who were stripped of most of their clothing, covered in filth, and suffering from disease and malnutrition as the food supply was not adequate to service the over-crowded prison camp.
It also became a home to swarms of insects in the Georgia heat, which fed off of the wretched living conditions of the prisoners. The primary water supply for Andersonville Prison was from a small stream that ran through the camp, which served as the bathing and drinking water, as well as the latrine. These conditions forced a ten acres expansion in the summer of 1864 with the
Confederate Army using the skills of its prisoners to expand the camp.
Since this was the time that Oliver Nay became imprisoned there, along with the fact that he was a builder by trade, it is likely that he was one of the prisoners whose talents were put to use. I tend to never ‘assume’ history because I like to find out the facts, but with Andersonville being
in operation for just a little over a year, and Oliver being held there during its expansion period, I feel led to believe he held a part in its extension.
On October 31 st he was sent to Camp Lawton near Millen, Georgia, but the approaching Sherman’s Army forced evacuation within a few weeks. Several prisoners were exchanged (or paroled as they called it) at Savannah on Nov. 19 th .
Six days later, Oliver was taken to a Union Hospital out of Atlanta. He died in Annapolis, Maryland at the United States General Hospital, Division No.2, on December 19, 1864, exactly one month after being released from the Confederacy. He was only 30 yrs old. His body was brought back to Clarksburg by train. (Note: The Clarksburg depot at this time was located along East Pike Street near present Southern States. Also, the railroad did not come to Shinnston
until 1890).
Oliver’s body was turned over to his brother, John, and the casket was loaded onto a wagon and horses brought him to Shinnston where he was taken to the cemetery on the high hill at the north end of town, overlooking the city. His death certificate lists several causes of death: Disease contracted at Andersonville Prison, fever contracted while a prisoner, and chronic diarrhea.
Sadly, Oliver’s wife, Minerva, died in 1870 at 34 years of age. Oliver’s brother, John Nay, was appointed guardian of their children four months later.