Capt. Asher Waterman Garber, CSA

Elected Brevet 2nd Lieutenant of the Staunton Artillery when it was formed in December 1859. A machinist, he enlisted for Confederate service as 2nd Lieutenant of the Staunton Artillery battery in April 1861. He was wounded at First Manassas. He commanded the Battery in action on the 7 Days Campaign and at 2nd Manassas. He remained in command of the Battery on the Maryland Campaign, serving in the bombardment and capture of Harpers Ferry and at Sharpsburg. He was promoted to Captain and permanent command of the Battery 12 December 1862, and led them at Fredericksburg. He was present with the battery, including action at Gettysburg, until he was captured at Spottyslvania in May 1864, but he escaped and returned to duty. He was wounded again at Leetown. He was assigned to Battalion command from November 1864 until wounded by a 'spent ball' at Sailor's Creek on 6 April 1865. He surrendered at Appomatox on 9 April 1865.

"May 10, 1864, during heavy fighting at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, General Robert E. Lee sought out the nearest battery to him and instructed its commander, Captain Asher W. Garber, to leave his guns and to take his men forward to serve the guns of the captured Richmond Howitzers, which he was sure the Confederates would recover in a few minutes." - Douglas Southall Freeman

Submitted by Dabney Denbrock;

Asher Waterman Garber, who married V. S. Armistead, is descended on his great-grandmother's side from the sturdy Scotch-Irish clan of Cunningham; on the grandfather's side from German stock; both of which settled in Augusta County early in the eighteenth century. His mother, Frances Hancock, of Princess Anne County, was a descendant of one of two brothers — Nathaniel Hancock settled in Massachusetts, from whom came Governor Hancock ; the other, Simon, settled in Princess Anne County, Va., from whom came Frances H., daughter of Simon Hancock and Susan Singleton, his wife. He was born at "Lebanon," September 15, 1834, an estate near Staunton that descended to his family through his grandmother, Margaret Smith, a daughter of Capt. Thomas Smith, of the Revolutionary War.

He was educated at the Staunton Acadgmy and was engaged in the foundry business with his father, who owned a foundry near Staunton which was destroyed by the Yankees. He belonged to the Staunton Artillery before the war broke out. The day that Virginia seceded he left Staunton for Harper's Ferry as second lieutenant of Staunton Artillery, and from that day to the surrender at Appomattox, was at the front. John D. Imboden was captain ; afterwards made general of cavalry. The Staunton Artillery was organized and equipped several months previous to the war. A. W. Garber was captain in 1862. Quoting the words of Senator John W. Daniel : "This famous battery wdiich made its mark from Manassas to Appomattox on many of the greatest fields of the Civil War — First and Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, at Bloody Angle, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor. In the Valley, at Cedar Creek, it joined in holding the enemy at baywhen the lines were broken. It fought as infantry from Petersburg to Appomattox, and there, with its ' gallant and battle-smeared commander, closed a career full of honorable service ." He was wounded at First Manassas while fighting on Jackson's line ; in the same battle a younger brother, Edward Valentine Garber, was killed while leading a charge — he was captain of Company A, Fifty-second Virginia' Regiment. In the battle of Berryville A. W. Garber was shot through his thigh, his horse had been shot under him about half hour before. At Second Manassas he received an order in person from General Stonewall Jackson. At Spotsylvania, May loth, he received an order in person from General Lee.

He had two other brothers in the war, Michael Garber, a lieutenant in Staunton Artillery, and Thomas Michie Garber, who was killed at Upperville just as he mounted a stone wall with the colors in his hand. The following is from the pen of Governor O'Ferrell :

"For some time prior to the battle of Upperville the color- bearer of the Twelfth Cavalry was Tom Garber, a member of my company. It did not take me long to determine of what metal he was made. In a fight he was in his element, and the hotter it was the better he liked it. He was only seventeen years of age, yet he was over six feet in height, splendidly built, and much more mature every way than most boys of his age. He had been raised in the saddle and was a superb rider. A vacancy occurred in the color sergeancy of the regiment— how it occurred I do not now remember — and Tom applied for the position, and it was given him, and never in any war, on any field, were the colors of an army more grandly and heroically borne.

"He entered the charge at Upperville in the van, with his colors streaming in the breeze above his head as he charged down the field to the stone fence. There under the rain of lead he stood waving the stars and bars until just as I was shot, when he reeled in his saddle, and still clinging to his flag staff he fell to the ground dead. He was a brother of Major A. W. Garber, of Richmond, whose record as the commander of Garber's Battery is too- well known to require any enconiums from me. Of all the brave and intrepid boys whom it was my pleasure and privilege to observe during the four years of strife, I never saw one who was the superior of Tom Garber ; and as brave and dashing as our cavalrymen were generally. I do not detract from them when I declare that I recall comparatively few who were his equals, taking them all in all. He rests in Thornrose Cemetery at Staunton beneath the sod of old Augusta, and while she can boast of many gallant sons, she has none more gallant than the young color-bearer of the Twelfth Cavalry, who yielded up his life at Upperville."

Shortly after the war A. W. Garbqr established the Richmond Transfer business and a Railroad and Steamship Ticket Office, which he built up to great success, being, after some years, the owner and proprietor. Later it was made into a joint stock company, and finally passed out of his hands. Now, in old 'ago, he is as game, as brave, as heroic as he was on the battlefield. He is a devout member of Grace Episcopal Church

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 5 2020, 23:33:24 UTC

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Asher Waterman Garber

Born: September 15, 1834

Birthplace: Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia

Father: Albert Jefferson Garber 1803 – 1885 (Buried: Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia)​

Mother: Frances S. Hancock 1806 -

Wife: Virginia Savage Armistead 1846 – 1933 (Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​

Education:

Attended Staunton Academy in Staunton, Virginia​

Occupation before War:

Worked for family Foundry Business in Staunton, Virginia​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: Lt. in Staunton Virginia Artillery​ ​
1861: Wounded during the First Battle of Manassas, Virginia​ ​
1862 – 1865: Captain of Staunton Virginia Artillery​ ​
1864: Captured & Escaped at Spotsylvania, Virginia​ ​
1864: Wounded during the Battle of Leestown, Virginia​ ​
1865: Wounded during the Battle of Sayler's Creek by a spent ball​

Occupation after War:

Established Richmond Transfer Business​ ​
Established Railroad and Steamship Ticket Office​

Died: April 21, 1912

Place of Death: Richmond, Virginia

Age at time of Death: 77 years old

Burial Place: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/captain-asher-waterman-garber-arti...

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Before Sharpsburg

From Staunton, Asher was elected Brevet 2nd Lieutenant of the Staunton Artillery when it was formed in December 1859 - one of many units created in Virginia in response to the events at Harpers Ferry of that year.1 In the 1860 census he was a 25 year old machinist, and he enlisted for Confederate service as 2nd Lieutenant of the Staunton Artillery battery in April 1861. He was wounded at First Manassas in July but was back in service by September. He was elected 1st Lieutenant in April 1862, then commanded the Battery in action on the 7 Days Campaign and at 2nd Manassas.

On the Campaign

He remained in command of the Battery on the Maryland Campaign, serving in the bombardment and capture of Harpers Ferry (10-15 September) and at Sharpsburg (17 September).

The rest of the War

He was promoted to Captain and permanent command of the Battery 12 December 1862, and led them at Fredericksburg. He was off procuring horses at Staunton in the summer of 1862. He was present with the battery, including action at Gettysburg, until he was captured at Spottyslvania in May 1864, but he escaped and returned to duty. He was wounded at Leetown (Va) in September 1864 and spent a month in a Lynchburg hospital. He was assigned to Battalion command from November 1864 until wounded by a 'spent ball' at Sailor's Creek on 6 April 1865. He surrendered at Appomatox on 9 April 1865.

References & notes

Service and census notes from the compilation at the Valley of the Shadow site. 2 His photograph above from Goolrick3, contributed by Bill Turner.

Birth 1835; Staunton, VA

Death 04/21/1912 Richmond, VA; burial in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, V

http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=892

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Asher Waterman Garber, who married V. S. Armistead, is descended on his great-grandmother's side from the sturdy Scotch-Irish clan of Cunningham; on the grandfather's side from German stock; both of which settled in Augusta County early in the eighteenth century. His mother, Frances Hancock, of Princess Anne County, was a descendant of one of two brothers—Nathaniel Hancock settled in Massachusetts, from whom came Governor John Hancock; the other, Simon, settled in Princess Anne County, Va., from whom came Frances H., daughter of Simon Hancock and Susan Singleton, his wife. He was born at "Lebanon," September 15, 1834, an estate near Staunton that descended to his family through his grandmother, Margaret Smith, a daughter of Capt. Thomas Smith, of the Revolutionary War.

He was educated at the Staunton Academy and was engaged in the foundry business with his father, who owned a foundry near Staunton which was destroyed by the Yankees. He belonged to the Staunton Artillery before the war broke out. The day that Virginia seceded he left Staunton for HarperV Ferry as second lieutenant of Staunton Artillery, and from that day to the surrender at Appomattox, was at the front. John D. Imboden was captain; afterwards made general of cavalry. The Staunton Artillery was organized and equipped several months previous to the war. A. W. Garber was captain in 1862. Quoting the words of Senator John W. Daniel: "This famous battery which made its mark from Manassas to Appomattox on many of the greatest fields of the Civil War—First and Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, at Bloody Angle, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor. In the Valley, at Cedar Creek, it joined in holding the enemy at bay when the lines were broken. It fought as infantry from Petersburg to Appomattox, and there, with its gallant and battlesmeared commander, closed a career full of honorable service and distinction." He was wounded at First Manassas while fighting on Jackson's line; in the same battle a younger brother, Edward Valentine Garber, was killed while leading a charge—he was captain of Company A, Fifty-second Virginia Regiment. In the battle of Berryville A. W. Garber was shot through his thigh, his horse had been shot under him about half hour before. At Second Manassas he received an order in person from General Stonewall Jackson. At Spotsylvania, May 10th, he received an order in person from General Lee. For full account of the Staunton Artillery record, see Vol. XXXIII., Southern Historical Papers.

He had two other brothers in the war, Michael Garber, a lieutenant in Staunton Artillery, and Thomas Michie Garber, who was killed at Upperville just as he mounted a stone wall with the colors in his hand. The following is from the pen of Governor O'Ferrell:

"For some time prior to the battle of Upperville the colorbearer of the Twelfth Cavalry was Tom Garber, a member of my company. It did not take me long to determine of what metal he was made. In a fight he was in his element, and the hotter it was the better he liked it. He was only seventeen years of age, yet he was over six feet in height, splendidly built, and much more mature every way than most boys of his age. He had been raised in the saddle and was a superb rider. A vacancy occurred in the color sergeancy of the regiment—how it occurred I do not now remember—and Tom applied for the position, and it was given him, and never in any war, on any field, were the colors of an army more grandly and heroically borne.

"He entered the charge at Upperville in the van, with his colors streaming in the breeze above his head as he charged down the field to the stone fence. There under the rain of lead he stood waving the stars and bars until just as I was shot, when he reeled in his saddle, and still clinging to his flag staff he fell to the ground dead. He was a brother of Major A. W. Garber, of Richmond, whose record as the commander of Garber's Battery is too well known to require any enconiums from me. Of all the brave and intrepid boys whom it was my pleasure and privilege to observe during the four years of strife, I never saw one who was the superior of Tom Garber; and as brave and dashing as our cavalrymen were generally. I do not detract from them when I declare that I recall comparatively few who were his equals, taking them all in all. He rests in Thornrose Cemetery at Staunton beneath the sod of old Augusta, and while she can boast of many gallant sons, she has none more gallant than the young color-bearer of the Twelfth Cavalry, who yielded up his life at Upperville."

Shortly after the war A. W. Garber established the Richmond Transfer business and a Railroad and Steamship Ticket Office, ..vhich he built up to great success, being, after some years, the owner and proprietor. Later it was made into a joint stock company, and finally passed out of his hands. Now, in old ago, he is as game, as brave, as heroic as when on the battlefield. He is a devout member of Grace Episcopal Church.

The Armistead Family: 1635-1910