1862 RECTORTOWN, VA SCRIP NOTE ON RECYCLED BANK CHECK

Here's something I wrote up when I first got the note about eight or so years ago, plus a photo of the railroad depot at Rectortown. As far as I know, there are only four of these known, one of each of the 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $5.

This highly unusual issue of scrip actually comprises of checks from Stover, Hutchison & Co. that were painstakingly “overprinted” by hand in neat block letters to change the check to scrip. Each note bears handwritten dates, so far all in January or February of 1862. The notes are signed by several different people acting as cashier.

The 25¢ note is signed by James G. Bell, the 50¢ note by John G. Hammond, the $1 by John M. Orr, and the $5 note is signed by Samuel H. Brown. John M. Orr signs the note as mayor, who was mayor of Leesburg and signs that town’s scrip (see above). Each note bears the imprint of Robert Bell, a stationer located in Alexandria who provided most of the checks for the Bank of the Old Dominion. It is uncertain if these notes were issued by a Rectortown associate of the bank or by Stover, Hutchison & Co.

The railroad depot at Rectortown has been witness to several important events in Civil War history. It was at the depot that Union Major General George B. McClellan received notice that he was relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac in November 1862 after the Antietam campaign. In November 1864, Confederate Col. John S. Mosby captured and detained 27 Union prisoners in the depot, where soldier’s graffiti may still be seen. Mosby forced the prisoners to participate in a lottery where 7 of whom would be executed in retaliation for George Custer’s executions of seven of Mosby’s Rangers at Front Royal. The depot still stands along the Norfolk Southern Rail line.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MAY 19, 2013 (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n20a17.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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