Edwin Merrill "Ned" Cushing (September 7, 1830 – December 7, 1903) was an American tenor horn player, auctioneer, and coroner in Staunton, Virginia. Cushing was a charter member and first president of the Stonewall Brigade Band.[1][2] He was considered a "veritable encyclopedia" of Staunton's town history.[3] He was a town alderman in 1853, 1854, and 1856.[4] His gavel is still kept.[5]
Edwin Cushing | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 7, 1830 Staunton, Virginia, United States |
| Died | December 7, 1903 (aged 73) Staunton, Virginia |
Early years
editCushing was born on September 7, 1830, to Merrill Cushing and Anne Barnes.[6] He married Betty McCoy, daughter of Judson McCoy.[3]
Stonewall Brigade Band
editDavid Drake and Cushing helped found the Stonewall Brigade Band, recruiting A. J. Turner as its first director.[7][8]
Civil War
editBefore the war, Cushing was sergeant major of the One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment, Virginia.[5] He enlisted at the start of war in the quartermaster department. He was released and took part in iron-making in 1863.[5] He later resumed his position as quartermaster. He reportedly served as a "most efficient member" of the Confederate commissary department and, at one point, was appointed as an overseer of the poor.[9] The band was in the 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment.
Death
editCushing died of acute pneumonia on December 7, 1903. He is buried in Thornrose Cemetery.
References
edit- ^ "Treasure Coast". The News Leader.
- ^ "Forgotten folks: Staunton's Edwin Cushing was a living encyclopedia of local history". The News Leader.
- ^ a b "E. M. Cushing Dead". Staunton Spectator and Vindicator. December 11, 1903 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ a b c Brice, Stonewall Brigade Band, p. 176
- ^ "E. M. Cushing Dead". News-Leader. December 11, 1903 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Stonewall Brigade Band A Historical Overview". Stonewallbrigadeband.com.
- ^ "Valley of the Shadow: Civil War-Era Newspapers". Valley.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ "A Guide to the Cushing Family Papers, 1843-1894:SC 0263". Ead.lib.virginia.edu.