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Flag Hill Farmhouse (Site)

GPS Coordinates: 38.7805974, -77.1331517
Closest Address: 5805 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310

Flag Hill Farmhouse (Site)

These coordinates mark the exact spot where the house used to be until it was torn down in 1958. No remains are visible here.


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Flag Hill was located behind Edison High School on the east side of the football field. This was the home of George William Triplett, a Mosby Ranger during the American Civil War and a vestryman at nearby Olivet Episcopal Church on Beulah Street.


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Some of the identified family members residing at Flag Hill include:

Effie Wheat TRIPLETT
Francis Asbury TRIPLETT
Francis Frederick TRIPLETT (1812-1889)
Frederick Osion TRIPLETT
George TRIPLETT
Harriet Edith TRIPLETT
Irving Everett TRIPLETT
Katherine Lindsay TRIPLETT
Mary Florence TRIPLETT
Walter Jones TRIPLETT
William Wallace TRIPLETT


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Here is an excerpt about George William Triplett from Donald Hakenson's "This Forgotten Land" tour book:

George W. Triplett was born August 10, 1845. Triplett was the son of George W. and Jane Triplett. He married Katharine L. Triplett at Olivet Church on November 29, 1892. George enlisted as a Private in Company F (the old Fairfax Company), Sixth Virginia Cavalry at a date and place unknown and served as a courier for General Lee. On September 5, 1863, riding with Mosby's Rangers, Private Triplett was involved in an attack on a picket at Gaskin's Mill near Waterloo in Fauquier County. Shortly after that skirmish on October 1, 1863, Private Triplett enlisted for the duration of the war with his brother Richard Triplett in Company B, Forty-third Battalion of Virginia Cavalry. Both brothers were mustered into the unit by John S. Mosby at Scuffleburg in Fauquier County. Triplett died Monday evening at his home of Flag Hill on May 8, 1929 following a brief battle with pneumonia that he contracted while working in his strawberry field.

George Triplett is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Alexandria. Private Triplett was a gallant and brave scout who was involved in countless skirmishes and fights while he served with the Forty-third battalion of Virginia Cavalry. Listed below are the combat engagements Private Triplett was involved in while a member of Mosby's command.

On October 12, 1863, Private Triplett was involved in an attack on the rear guard of a Federal patrol at Upperville. On October 17, 1863, he was involved in a fight near Chantilly. On January 20, 1864, he was involved in a fight at Blakeley's Grove School House near Upperville. On March 10, 1864, he was involved in an attack on a picket post at Chew's house between Kabletown and Charles Town, West Virginia. On April 19, 1864, he was sent on a scout to the Piedmont area. On May 21, 1864, he was involved in an attack at Duffield Station, Jefferson County, West Virginia. On July 10, 1864, he was involved in a skirmish near Union Mills, Fairfax County. On July 20, 1864, he was involved in an attack on a wagon train camp near Snickersville and was involved in a combat action on July 30, 1864 at Adamstown, Maryland. He was also involved in the Berryville wagon raid on August 13, 1864.

In addition, he was involved in an attack on the Reserve Brigade of Merritt's Cavalry Division near the Chester Gap. On October 5, 1864, he was involved in an attack on a construction camp at Salem (now Marshall) and a fight near Rectortown. On October 29, 1864, he was involved in a fight at Dulany's near Upperville. On February 19, 1865, he was involved in the fight at Mount Carmel Church and on March 28, 1865, he was sent on a scout to Loudoun County to obtain corn for the horses.

Furthermore, Private Triplett accompanied Colonel Mosby and his negotiating team to Millwood on April 4, 1865, to negotiate surrender terms with the Union Army. Finally, he was paroled on April 22, 1865 in Winchester, Virginia.. During his tenure with Mosby's Rangers Private Triplett boarded at "Belle Grove" the home of Betsy Edmonds near Paris in Fauquier County.

After the war, George married his cousin Katherine, daughter of F.F. Triplett, on November 29, 1892 at Mount Olivet Church. George and his wife lived at Flag Hill after the war. He died May 6, 1929 and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia.


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Here follows an excerpt from Donald Hakenson's "This Forgotten Land" tour guide that shows Union troops were stationed here at the Flag Hill house:

The site of the Old Franconia Elementary School is across the street from Potters Lane on Old Franconia Road. According to Mr. Robert Potter, whose family lived in the area before the Civil War, the school was built in 1863. The Old Franconia School was the location where Ranger Joe Nelson attacked a Union outpost on August 8, 1864.

MOSBY'S RANGERS ON FRANCONIA ROAD.

Early in the morning on August 8, 1864, Lieutenant Colonel John S. Mosby came into Fairfax County with fifty rangers looking for a fight. A little after five o'clock in the morning, Mosby sent Walter Whaley and a few other rangers on a scouting mission looking for potential targets.

While Whaley was out scouting he was able to surround a picket about three miles southeast of Annandale on the Old Braddock Road. A corporal and three men from the Sixteenth New York Cavalry comprised the outpost. The rangers captured all the men and horses, except the corporal. He had gone to a nearby spring to et some water and escaped when the Southerners attacked. Whaley reported back to Mosby that there were two other picket posts on the Braddock road. Mosby wanted those picket posts because he wanted those horses.

After receiving this intelligence from Whaley, Mosby sent Lieutenant Joe Nelson, and fifteen or twenty rangers, to capture those two Union picket posts. One of the posts, suspecting an attack, moved off, but the second party posted near the Triplett house (behind where Edison High School is today), had taken refuge in a school house, situated on the Old Fairfax Road, today's Old Franconia Road. Nelson after arriving near the school house unseen, concealed their horses in the pines, and charged the building on foot, causing the Union pickets to flee.

The Union troopers fled out the back of the school house, mounted their steeds and fled down the Old Fairfax Road. Lieutenant Nelson and his rangers raced back to the pines, mounted their horses and pursued the fleeing troopers. Nelson actually chased the fleeing Union cavalrymen to within three miles of Alexandria (which would have put them somewhere near where Mark Twain Middle School is located today). Nelson's raid was successful because the rangers were able to capture at least three of the Union cavalrymen and their horses.

Although successful, Joe Nelson now had a problem. They were deep in enemy territory, close to the city of Alexandria where large numbers of Union troops could be sent to search for them. But, Nelson already had a plan. Assigned to his little unit was ranged Ab Minor, who had lived in the surrounding area before the war, and knew the land like the back of his hand. Unfortunately, it was late in the day and Minor became confused in the deep forests and completely lost his way. The farther the little band moved, the more disoriented Ab Minor became concerning his whereabouts.

At certain intervals, in the midst of ranger Minor's confusion, he would draw up his horse and could be repeatedly heard saying, "If I could only find 'Bone Mill,' it will be all right." Over and over the men could hear him make this statement. Bone Mill was a mill located on Accotink Creek between where Keene Mill Road and the Franconia/Springfield Parkway is today in Springfield. Everyone in the command was now looking and hoping desperately to find the now famous "Bone Mill."

Unfortunately, for ranger Minor, "Bone Mill" was nowhere to be found. The patrol spent the night in the pines, somewhere in the Kingstowne and Springfield area and finally linked up with Mosby and his men the very next day.

Normally that would be the end of the story, but it wasn't. Now everyone is Mosby's command was calling Ab Minor "Bone Mill Minor" and Ab Minor didn't like it. Finally a young ranger with a sharp tongue named Bill Trammell called him "Bone Mill" and Ab Minor, a man in his forties who had also served in the Mexican War, became enraged by the young man's lack of respect, pulled out his revolver and shot him. Fortunately for Trammell, it didn't kill him, but no other ranger ever called him "Bone Mill" ever again!


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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2009 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

Civil War Artifacts Return to Franconia
written by Don Hakenson

The Franconia Museum has added a new Civil War display that highlights artifacts and other items belonging to Mosby Rangers, that lived in the Franconia area. Don Hakenson has loaned the museum a Confederate kepi and saber belt that belonged to Private George W. Triplett. In addition, Don loaned a rifle musket used by his brother Private Richard C. Triplett. Both were Confederate rangers that served with the Confederate guerilla chieftain Colonel John Singleton Mosby, and his Forty-third Battalion Virginia Cavalry. These partisan rangers were considered one of the most feared Confederate cavalry units that served in the war.

Both George and Richard Triplett were born at Round Hill Farm, on Telegraph Road, which is known today as the U.S. Army Humphries Engineer Center. The center is located directly across the street from the Seven/Eleven store beside Hayfield High School. Ranger George Triplett lived after the war at Flag Hill, which was situated behind Edison High School.

Don was able to purchase these items from a Mosby collection belonging to the late Bob Daily. Daily’s Mosby artifacts and historical documents were auctioned off in April at Quinn’s Auction House, in Falls Church. Don was aware of the Franconia connections because he had visited Bob Daily’s Middleburg, Virginia home many times before with his friend Tom Evans to see his exhibits. Don felt strongly that George Triplett’s kepi and saber belt, especially Richard Triplett’s rifle musket had to be returned to Franconia where it belonged.

The Franconia Museum is pleased to now have authenticated museum quality Civil War artifacts on display in its facility. Make sure you visit and take a look at the Confederate kepi and all the other items displayed that chronicle the history of our beloved Franconia.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Fall 2013 edition of the "Franconia Legacies" newsletter published by the Franconia Museum:

THE FACCHINA FAMILY
An article published in the Springfield-Franconia Lions Club Directory about 1957 stated that Francis Triplett, a member of Col. George Washington’s regiment in the French and Indian War of 1756, left his land to his son, Walter, whose family later sold the property to a man named Facchina. This 147 acre tract was on Franconia Road where Edison High School now stands, extending east to the Rose Hill Dairy Farm which Victor Facchina eventually bought in 1914 from Mr. Triplett. Later, Uncle John and he formed a partnership of the property and in 1926 ran a dairy farm, which was lost during the Depression years. A Dr. Yates was the original occupant of the ten-room frame house which they believe he was renting. He held his practice in the big part of the house; had a room for his pharmacy and another room set-up to deliver babies. This house had two gunshot holes, one in the wall and another in the fireplace, remnants of the Civil War. There was a trap door above the kitchen that was used to hide prisoners. The frame house was eventually replaced by Elizabeth with a brick rambler in 1958 and still stands behind Edison High School on the exact spot of the original house and has been used as Adult Education and Cosmetology classrooms. Victor died in 1936.

Editor’s Note: The Facchina House which became known as the Edison House was torn down in 2010 as part of the major reconstruction of Edison completed. The house was also used for special needs students at one point and during the mid to late 1970’s for food preparation for the football concession stands during
football season for the Edison Boosters.

ABOUT ME

Award-winning local historian and tour guide in Franconia and the greater Alexandria area of Virginia.

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ADDRESS

Nathaniel Lee

c/o Franconia Museum

6121 Franconia Road

Alexandria, VA 22310

franconiahistory@gmail.com

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