He, again, made a note in the following publication:

ANNALS OF THE WAR – CHAPTERS OF UNWRITTEN HISTORY by: General J.D. Imboden (ref. #163)
WARE – “I was in this raid on the side of the South.  I was Surgeon with McLanahan’s Battery.”

     In addition to the notes he made himself, there is an excellent accounting of his activity in one of the letters his father wrote to James Alexander Ware, Charles’ older brother.  The letter is dated January 7, 1863 and states that “then came the flight and pursuit after the battle of Slaughter Mountain, in which they were awfully slaughtered, across to Washington City.  Charles was actively in this, and after being in the saddle night and day for some time, they stopped in the streets of Warrenton and he dismounted to rest and Vista (his mare) went to sleep.  He was in the raid at Catlett’s Station and while getting the good things there, they were fired on by the Yankee infantry and narrowly escaped.  They fed for some days on apples, peaches, & green corn - not allowed fire to cook it, what with the cavalry constantly being on close picket.  They were near catching Pope – he had just time to get in the car & steam off.” (ref. #41)    

       Josiah was a renowned horse breeder in the Shenandoah Valley and was very well respected for the blooded stock he raised.  In an excerpt from the book Boots and Saddles, Captain Stevenson of the Union army wrote: “Col. J.W. Ware, who resided on a fine old plantation near the Shenandoah, was a true type of the old Virginia gentleman. He had some of the best blooded stock in Virginia and had spent a great deal of money in importing horses and sheep.”(ref.#181)   Josiah’s horses won many races and he was well established in the racing community both here and abroad.  He even gave one of his fine stallions from the Skylark line as a gift to J.E.B. Stuart who rode him throughout the war. Having been raised around such fine horses, it was only natural that Charles would have first entered the cavalry.  

     After the war, in an article called PANOLA! (written by his father, Josiah William Ware,) Charles also made some notes in the margins concerning the horses he rode during the war.  In Panola!, it states that “Maygo was by Cosmo out of Virginia Johnson, by imported Skylark, his dam by imported Priam, out of Sophia by Red Gauntlett, out of Col. Singleton’s (of South Carolina,) celebrated 4 mile mare, Clara Fisher.”  Charles confirms in his own handwriting that “Maygo was my mare.”

     The article went on to state that “Vista combines singularly enough immediately, the blood of the Champion of the North, with the two famed brood and 4 mile mares in the South, Bet Bounce and Lady Lightfoot; whose families for generations brought capital 4 mile horses in great numbers, and were the two mares relied upon, by the racers North and South for their great produce matches.”  Charles Ware expands on this with the following information, “I rode Vista in the Civil War – while in General J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry.”  He later added, “I rode Maygo during the War Between North and South, through the whole war, she and her sister, Vista, for four years.  [I also rode] Decca Singleton (all daughters of Skylark) and was very much envied by General J.E.B. Stuart though he was also mounted on a son of Skylark.  My father used to say the worst blood in Vista was that of old English Eclipse and that was not bad.” (ref.# 210)

    With humor and forthrightness, Dr. Ware was not hesitant to express his personal opinions in some of these writings as well.  In the preface to a book entitled MOSBY, he wrote simply “Col. Mosby was first a private in our J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry and never could be kept in line; always persisted in riding off from the column.”(ref. # 158)

     Mosby gained quite a bit of attention with his famous Mosby’s Rangers who raided the Union troops that were harassing the families in the Shenandoah area.

     In 1990, there were five books left outside the Clarke County museum in Berryville, Virginia that had other notations in the margins from Charles.  The titles of these books were Surry of Eagle’s Nest, Hammer & Rapier, Hilt to Hilt, Out of the Foam, and Robert E. Lee and were written by John Esten Cooke.(ref. #34)  Once again, CA Ware’s written comments offer great insight into the man himself and the times in which he lived.  In one book he mentioned that he had an “appointment as Captain of the Provisional Army of Virginia, with orders to report to Col. Jackson, commanding at Harper's Ferry."  He also added later that it was at Harper’s Ferry where he “for the first time saw dead men lying in the streets--afterwards I saw Brown's men hung." (ref. #34) 

     One experience at Catlett’s Station, when he was still a private in Stuart’s Cavalry, caused CA Ware to remember vividly that “the enemy rallied in the edge of the woods and fired on us.  Singular to say, though we were in front of a fire and they not over 100 feet from us, they failed to hit any of us—or any of our horses that we were holding.  We heard the bullets whir by, though—several of them!” (ref.#34)

        It was after the 2^nd Battle of Manassas that Charles left the cavalry and joined the Medical Corps.  He wrote that “I left Stuart after the 2^nd Battle of Manassas and went into the Medical Department as Surgeon-in-charge, in Dr. Boyd’s church at Winchester.” (ref. #34)  Sadly, Dr. Ware wrote little about his experiences as a surgeon.  With his participation in so many important engagements, it would be of great interest to read his personal views during that phase of his service.

      It would seem that, with the end of the war, Charles wanted to remove himself from the area that held so many memories for him.  He decided to move to St. Louis, Missouri and set up a very lucrative medical practice there.  Dr. Ware practiced medicine in St. Louis for 46 years.  He was not, however, overly fond of the heat so he would spend the summers in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  In a letter to his nephew, Somerville Ware, dated May 27, 1913, he wrote “. . .  plan to go to Virginia in June, returning here in October.  Of course, will be at the Chalmonte [Hotel], Atlantic City all of August.” (ref. #42)  Another letter was written on stationary from the Moser Hotel, and it was humorously written to his nephew that “whenever I stop at these high priced hostels, I always (as you can see) help myself plentifully to the stationary.  Your Aunt Key (Elizabeth Alexander Ware McGuire) says it looks bad, but you must pardon it – as done during a brainstorm.” (ref. #214)  A third letter written to his niece stated “your letter received but it has been so hot it has been beyond me to write.  Will make the amends honorable by sending you postals from dear old Atlantic City.” (ref. #87)

     It can also be gleaned from his letters, that CA Ware was quite a “clotheshorse.”  He bought very expensive suits that he had especially tailored, and he would very generously pass them on to his nephew Somerville.  In one of the many letters written to Somerville, he stated that “the ‘Boardwalk’ suit went today by express – prepaid.  What fine times we had together (meaning he and the suit) at the seashore; 5 years of it.  I fear your aged Uncle looked like a sport but your aunt (Elizabeth) thought not.” (ref. #87)

    Whether writing opinions about the war, suits, or the weather, Charles wrote with great wit in all of his correspondence.  He stayed in close contact with all his extended family, especially his nephew Somerville, by his brother James.  In later years, he once laughing wrote of his sister “she is so visionary and impractical - just like Pa [Josiah] and your father [James] were . . . both of whom I believe should have had guardians.” (ref. #43)

     Charles also showed his humorous side in his letters referring to love and marriage.  He remained a bachelor all of his life but a few years before his death at the age of 74, Charles wrote to his nephew Somerville that “were I not afraid my wife would poison me, [I] believe I would marry some 30 year old today, but wives do seem now to poison or shoot their husbands until I am afraid of them.  This retiring business is growing irksome.” (ref. # 42)  He also teasingly wrote in another letter, “I see Glassell is like all the Wares;  marrying for that myth ‘love.’  I am the only one who has had a level head, and I have been considered the sport of my family.” (ref.#87)

     After his long career practicing medicine, Dr. Ware finally retired in St. Louis, Missouri.  He still continued to do small cases on the side for as long as he could.  In a letter dated in 1913 he wrote that patients “find me way out here, one or two every day - thereby enabling me to make enough for expenses.” (ref. #42) 

      In October of 1915, however, this changed.  He wrote his sister that the doctors in St. Louis had informed him that he “had arterial sclerosis of the heart and coronary artery.” (ref. #346)  His letter showed exceptionally weak handwriting, and it was obvious that his health was failing.  He somehow managed to travel back to Virginia to be with his sister though, and died on December 23, 1915 at her home.

      A newspaper article reported that “upon his death, Dr. Charles A. Ware left bequests of $30,500.00 in cash.  Since he was a bachelor, the money was given to sisters, half-brothers, nieces and nephews; with the residue of his estate (valued at more than $50,000.00) being given to his sister, Elizabeth Alexander Ware McGuire.” (ref. #59)  His funeral services were held at Grace Episcopal Church in Berryville and he is buried in the family cemetery there.

 

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