Hanging Rock Rebel

I guess the story of Lt. Blue is something that I have been acquainted with ever since I entered my eighth grade West Virginia class under Mrs. Catherine Long in 1964. The story has always ingratiated with much heroism, but it wasn t until I stumbled onto the complete story that I became fully intrigued by this multi-faceted man. In 1989, I was contacted by a writer from Virginia, Richard Armstrong, who was completing his research on the regimental history of the 11th Virginia Cavalry of the Confederate States of America. Armstrong needed information on the post-war activities of many of the soldiers of this regiment. In assisting him with his research, I came upon the experience , as Blue titled his memoirs, in The Hampshire Review. Further research revealed that the account of John Blue s Civil War experience had not been made public since its original printing at the turn of the century. The Hampshire Review began publishing Blue s accounts in the spring of 1898, and the last installment was printed approximately three years later in 1901. During that time Blue took numerous leaves from writing. One break came on June 18, 1898 after the first sixteen installments. Blue writes, ...as soon as the dog days are over, if living and in health, you will hear from me again. He continued in the fall of 1898 for 51 weeks before stopping again after November 15, 1899. His last writings began April 18, 1900 and ended somewhat abruptly April 17, 1901. John Monroe Blue was born March 25, 1834, four miles north of Romney, Virginia, now West Virginia, along the banks of the South Branch of the Potomac River. The area, then and now, is referred to as Hanging Rocks. The rock cliff extends over three hundred feet at a point where the South Branch slices through Mill Creek Mountain. Railroad tracks and a narrow road hug the edge of the river at the bottom of the Rocks. His parents were Garret I. and Sarah (Long) Blue, both of whom he mentions numerous times in his writings. His education was not like school as we know today. I feel certain he attended school until the eighth grade and then, probably, attended the Potomac Seminary in Romney for higher education. The amount of knowledge needed to write his memoirs would certainly lead one to believe he was highly educated for his time. At the outbreak of the war, he had four sisters and one younger brother, age 11. Being the oldest son of the family, John s farming duties were obvious. Hunting and other survival skills were part of his everyday life. These skills, mixed with a keen intellect, created the perfect mix for a soldier and scout during the Civil War. The importance of a soldier with Blue s skills was immeasurable. Romney and its surrounding territories was a stronghold due to its location to the railroad, Northwestern Turnpike (present day U.S. Route 50). Northern and southern troops alternated in and out of Romney, so much that historians have documented 56 times that Romney had changed hands.