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Edwin Cushing

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Edwin Cushing
Born(1830-09-07)September 7, 1830
Staunton, Virginia, United States
DiedDecember 7, 1903(1903-12-07) (aged 73)
Staunton, Virginia

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]

Early years

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Cushing 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

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David Drake and Cushing helped found the Stonewall Brigade Band, recruiting A. J. Turner as its first director.[7][8]

Civil War

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Before 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

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Cushing died of acute pneumonia on December 7, 1903. He is buried in Thornrose Cemetery.

References

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  1. ^ "Treasure Coast". The News Leader.
  2. ^ "Forgotten folks: Staunton's Edwin Cushing was a living encyclopedia of local history". The News Leader.
  3. ^ a b "E. M. Cushing Dead". Staunton Spectator and Vindicator. December 11, 1903 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ [1] [dead link]
  5. ^ a b c Brice, Stonewall Brigade Band, p. 176
  6. ^ "E. M. Cushing Dead". News-Leader. December 11, 1903 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "The Stonewall Brigade Band A Historical Overview". Stonewallbrigadeband.com.
  8. ^ "Valley of the Shadow: Civil War-Era Newspapers". Valley.lib.virginia.edu.
  9. ^ "A Guide to the Cushing Family Papers, 1843-1894:SC 0263". Ead.lib.virginia.edu.
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