ancestor profile

Corporal Thomas Benjamin Traynham was a member of the Black Walnut Dragoons, Company C, 3rd Virginia Cavalry. During his service as a courier for General Robert E. Lee, tradition holds that Traynham was detailed to deliver an important message to General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The incident probably took place in May 1863, during the Chancellorsville campaign. Traynham lost a leg due to wounds sustained in 1864 during the Spotsylvania campaign. He died in Halifax County, Virginia, in 1910. This poem appears in The 3rd Virginia Cavalry, written by Thomas P. Nanzig in 1989 as part of the Virginia Regimental Histories Series. Corporal Traynham is an ancestral cousin of McGowan Camp Compatriot, Scott Barker.

TOM TRAYNHAM'S RIDE by Rev. S. H. Thompson	An' did Traynham finch, sah? Ef he did nobody knows; He's allus ready in sunshine. Or in rain, or hail, or snows.	"An' Traynham, I wouldn' deceive you As you ride to Jackson's tent, In that woods, ten thousand Yankees Upon your destruction are bent."	An' that's a Confederate soljah, Back thah in sixty-three - I hold him up 'san example Fo' our nabers and you an' me.
An' you don' know Tom Traynham? I cert'ly wish you did, For nevah a bravah soljar Behin' ole Stuart rid.	Why, lemme tell you a story Of what that fellah done - Him an' the little ole sorrel, An' that ole carbine gun.	He shook the Corporal's hand, sah, While a teah 'stole from his eye; "I know you'll do yo' duty -" Tom simply said, "I'll try."	He's jes a Halifax farmer And lives ovah south o'Dan - But you' have to live a life-time To find a bravah man.
Belonged to Easley's comp'ny Made up ovah south o'Dan; A little bit of a body - But a powerful great big man.	Mars Bob, he wanted a message Carried to ole Stonewall - Traynham an' the mare was ready To answer his every call.	He mounted the mare'n saluted - Rode straight fo' Jackson's tent, Although ten thousand Yankees Was in the road he went.	An' on the greatah battle Of this heah thing called life, With all its care an' burdens, In all its toils an' strife.
'Twas back thah in the sixties, I don' remembah the yeah - When Lee, he needed a couriah, What want acquainted with feah.	"Attention, Corporal Traynham, "An' Tom saluted an' faced; Then into the hands of the couriah, The papers, the Gen'ral placed.	I only know he got thah, I don' know the how nor why; But the fate of Lee's whole army Was in Tom Traynham's "Try."	This heah one-legged soljah, Who never asked the why, Could give us all a lesson, In his simple words, "I'll try."
The Captain detailed Traynham, To answer the Gen'ral's call, "An' Traynham," he writ in the lettah, "Aint afeahed of a minnie ball."	"I want the dispatch delivered To Jackson," An' tenderly laid His hand on Traynham's shouldah. "I'll try," was all Tom said.	An' when he reported nex' mornin', Why, Gen'ral Lee, he cried, An' said, "You done yo' duty. "Tom answered, "Yes, I tried."

TOM TRAYNHAM'S RIDE

by Rev. S. H. Thompson

An' did Traynham finch, sah?
Ef he did nobody knows;
He's allus ready in sunshine.
Or in rain, or hail, or snows.

"An' Traynham, I wouldn' deceive you
As you ride to Jackson's tent,
In that woods, ten thousand Yankees
Upon your destruction are bent."

An' that's a Confederate soljah,
Back thah in sixty-three -
I hold him up 'san example
Fo' our nabers and you an' me.

An' you don' know Tom Traynham?
I cert'ly wish you did,
For nevah a bravah soljar
Behin' ole Stuart rid.

Why, lemme tell you a story
Of what that fellah done -
Him an' the little ole sorrel,
An' that ole carbine gun.

He shook the Corporal's hand, sah,
While a teah 'stole from his eye;
"I know you'll do yo' duty -"
Tom simply said, "I'll try."

He's jes a Halifax farmer
And lives ovah south o'Dan -
But you' have to live a life-time
To find a bravah man.

Belonged to Easley's comp'ny
Made up ovah south o'Dan;
A little bit of a body -
But a powerful great big man.

Mars Bob, he wanted a message
Carried to ole Stonewall -
Traynham an' the mare was ready
To answer his every call.

He mounted the mare'n saluted -
Rode straight fo' Jackson's tent,
Although ten thousand Yankees
Was in the road he went.

An' on the greatah battle
Of this heah thing called life,
With all its care an' burdens,
In all its toils an' strife.

'Twas back thah in the sixties,
I don' remembah the yeah -
When Lee, he needed a couriah,
What want acquainted with feah.

"Attention, Corporal Traynham,
"An' Tom saluted an' faced;
Then into the hands of the couriah,
The papers, the Gen'ral placed.

I only know he got thah,
I don' know the how nor why;
But the fate of Lee's whole army
Was in Tom Traynham's "Try."

This heah one-legged soljah,
Who never asked the why,
Could give us all a lesson,
In his simple words, "I'll try."

The Captain detailed Traynham,
To answer the Gen'ral's call,
"An' Traynham," he writ in the lettah,
"Aint afeahed of a minnie ball."

"I want the dispatch delivered
To Jackson," An' tenderly laid
His hand on Traynham's shouldah.
"I'll try," was all Tom said.

An' when he reported nex' mornin',
Why, Gen'ral Lee, he cried,
An' said, "You done yo' duty.
"Tom answered, "Yes, I tried."