Bios: Winfield Scott Fletcher, 1846-1936: Bedford Twp, Bedford Co, PA

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Clipping in the possession of my grandmother, from an unnamed newspaper, 
shortly after May 20, 1935.

At 89, Recalls Stirring Days of Rebellion.

Memories of daring cavalry exploits in Civil War days are fresh in the mind of Winfield Scott
Fletcher, retired Bedford wagonmaker, who last Monday celebrated his 89th birthday with radiant
hopes of "living to have possibly 10 more birthdays."

Enlisting with other Bedford boys in July, 1863, Mr. Fletcher served two years and four months 
in Company I, 22nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, under Gen.  Phil Sheridan.  Though he was
never wounded, he had numerous close calls the most notable of them on a day when his horse
was twice wounded. That was at Berryville, W. Va.. in 1864, as a cavalry troop with which he
served was retreating under heavy fire from three sides.

"In the morning," as the venerable Bedford man tells the story, "my horse had an ear shot off; I
was close by but was not struck.  That afternoon, while I was mounted, a ball struck my horse in
the nose, deflected and inflicted a shoulder wound upon a horse on which Captain Lyon, for
whom I was an orderly, was seated. We were in a hasty retreat at the time, because of the Rebels
having a larger force and occupying strategic positions.   The  next day Captain Lyon, who was a
Bedford merchant, asked me to bring his horse, which was his private property, back to Bedford.
He was unable to get me a pass, but we decided to take a chance and I set out with a pass which
he personally wrote.  At McConnellsburg, late in the afternoon, I was stopped and placed under
technical arrest.  I war not closely watched and got away.  I spent that night at a friend's home
nearby, We were awakened early the next morning by a squad of soldiers and I was taken back to
McConnellsburg.  Again I left without interference and reached Bedford safely.  I then had to
walk 16 miles to Hagerstown to get transportation to Martinsburg, W. Va., where I reported to
Captain Lyon that I had fulfilled his mission.  Both of the wounded horses recovered."

Mr. Fletcher vividly remembers Cedar Creek, Va., where General Sheridan leaped into fame by
his ride from Winchester, for the terror which a surprise attack struck into the Union Army,
demoralizing it completely.  "Early on the morning of September 9, 1864, the Confederates drove
off our pickets and swarmed upon us. The slaughter was terrific.  We were routed and the
situation was gloomy.  Then Phil Sheridan came up on his foaming black charger, got a fresh
horse and, boy, what a fight it was from then on.  How we did cheer when he passed us, rallying
the line as he went.  It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life." Private Fletcher's
company campaigned the length and breadth of the Shenandoah Valley, fought General Early's
army for 60 days, "tangled" with cavalrymen of Jack Mosby and Jeb Stuart, two Rebel guerrilla
leaders, and in all took part in 22 scraps.  Fletcher and his comrades had a wholesome respect for
Mosby, knowing he meant full well his threat "to string up any of the Yankee lads he caught." Mr.
Fletcher enjoyed out-of-the-ordinary freedom as regimental mail carrier.  A younger brother,
Jacob, enlisting at 16, spent six months in Winfield Fletcher's company and reenlisted in the
infantry.

Winfield Scott Fletcher was born May 20, 1846, at Ray's Hill, 18 miles east of Bedford, on the
Lincoln Highway.  Working at farming as a boy, he turned to the wagon-making industry in 1868
and spent 60 years in that occupation before his retirement seven years ago.  The century-old
shop in which he toiled still stands, the business operated by his son, Ard[more] C. Fletcher.  In
the earliest part of his career as a builder only heavy road wagons were made, every part by hand.

"I had to do all the work myself, from chopping down the trees to hewing them into the proper
shapes," he recalls.  "At that time sections of Bedford, now built up, were covered by timber, butthe roads, or what they called roads, were most of the time impassable.  It took two weeks at theleast to construct one wagon.  After I was in the business some years I started to manufacture farm and lumber wagons."

Mr. Fletcher was married to Mary Miller, who died 30 years ago.  Their children are Mrs.
W[illiam]. W[allace]. Brook[e], wife of Dr. Brook[e] of Bayonne, N. J.; Mayme and Ross C.
Fletcher, who live with him in the home he built in 1881 at 210 N. Thomas Street and since has
occupied, and Ard[more] C. Fletcher, also of Bedford.  All were present. with some of his five
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, at a birthday dinner Monday.  Mr.  Fletcher was highly
pleased at receiving 15 birthday cards and chuckles over the fact that "13 of them came from
women."
Always a Democrat in politics, he served as Bedford councilman 25 years ago and was defeated
for a second term by J. Ross Stivers, who was serving as county commissioner when he died
recently.  Explaining that "I have always fought it out myself and will continue to do so," Mr.
Fletcher does not have any church affiliation but is a firm believer in God.  He boasts of
moderation in the use of tobacco and strong spirits over a long period of years, and to his
well-ordered mode of life gives credit for his excellent health today.