www.RatchfordFamily.webs.com

Here is a collection of various stories about members of the Ratchford Family: 

Captain George B. Wallace -- U.S. Cavalry Officer

Captain George B. Wallace was a descendant from William Ratchford ( See  Ratchfords...I Reckon  ID# 1667).  He went out west with the U.S. Cavalry in the 1870s and served with General George Custer.  He survived the Battle of Little Big Horn  (Custer's Last Stand) only to be killed at Wounded Knee, during the last roundup of Plains Indians.  Wounded Knee was originally referred to as the battle of Wounded Knee, but later became known as the Massacre at Wounded Knee because of the numbers of unarmed Indians who were killed, including women and children.  Captain Wallace was the subject of a biography entitled,  Custer's Southern Officer  by  historian John D. Mackintosh, from York County, SC.  See the links page for further information on this book.

 This is a newspaper account of the funeral for Captain Wallace.

Major James Ratchford's reminiscences, unrevealed for more than one hundred years, provide a different perspective on the generals he served and the more than thirty battle engagements he survived.   As adjutant general to Daniel Harvey Hill, John B. Hood, and Stephen D. Lee, Ratchford participated in major battles in the East, such as Fredericksburg and the Seven Days, witnessed the siege of Atlanta, and finally surrendered with Joseph E. Johnston's army at Greensboro, North Carolina, in April 1865.   Professor Evelyn Sieburg, Ratchford's granddaughter, has edited her ancestor's accounts of his close contacts with such Confederate leaders as Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, as well as his descriptions of the combat soldier's life. Ratchford's job as a courier enabled him to shed new light on the famous "lost dispatch," which some believe led to the Confederate defeat at Antietam (Sharpsburg). Major Ratchford claimed little knowledge of the larger military picture, but describes in a simple, straightforward style, the humor, heroism, and honor, which were part of that epic conflict.

   For his work on the rebuilding of Germany after World War II and for helping the US War Department with German war reparations, Dr. Benjamin Ulysses Ratchford received the US MEDAL OF FREEDOM, America's highest award given to civilians.  Dr. Ratchford was a professor of economics at Duke University. 

In 1936, Dr. Ratchford and his wife, Laura, drove a car from Durham, NC to California and back again, which must have been a logistical feat in those days before the construction of any major highways.  There was no such thing as an Interstate, remember?  Laura Ratchford collected postcards and maps from the road trip, along with snapshots and notes.  These items are now part of the Dr. Benjamin Ratchford papers, housed in the Special Collections and Manuscripts Library at Duke University.

 Hugh Ratchford was a flight engineer on B-24 Liberator bombers, stationed in England during World War II.  He was part of the 564th Bomber Squadron, in the 389th Bomb Group (Heavy).   On March 9, 1945 Hugh was flying his 25th mission over Munster, Germany, which was a major railway marshalling yard, when his ship was hit by anti-aircraft fire.  A witness in another aircraft saw Hugh's ship nose downward, spiral two times, then disintegrate.  5 or 6 parachutes were seen coming out of the ship, but only 2 out of the 12 aircrew survived. Hugh was one of those killed.

The 389th Bomb Group was known as the "SKY SCORPIONS".  Prior to Hugh's deployment, the group participated in the famous PLOESTI bombing raids on the oil fields in Romania.  The group was then redeployed to England for the Air War over Europe. 

 ABOVE:  B-24 Liberator Bombers, similar to that in which Hugh Ratchford flew missions as a flight engineer.

 Hugh Ratchford is buried in the Netherlands American cemetery in the village of Margraten, Holland. 

 ABOVE:  Netherlands American cemetery,  Margraten, Holland.