* Edward "Woody" Aisquith Helm

• Edward “Woody” Aisquith Helm V K Photo: Born: August 8, 1844.[1844] Born 1841.[1845] Born 1844.[1846] Married: Died: 1 May 1863; buried Warrenton Cemetery.[1847] His headstone reads, “I know that my Redeemer [liveth],” and a C. S. A. marker stands by the footstone.[1848] He died of disease.[1849] “Helm, W. Died from disease contracted in the——.”[1850] Died 1866.[1851] Obituary: Children: He had “no known children.” [1852] Parents and Siblings: “Erasmus Helm and his first wife, Virginia….”[1853] Laura Virginia (Aisquith) (1814–1852) wed Erasmus Helm (1803–1876) on 20 September 1832. He was born in Green County, Kentucky, and died in Warrenton. Erasmus, Sr., wed second “Mary A. Hart Goodwin” ( –1880).[1854] Edward’s father married second Mary A., born 1812 and died 1882.[1855] “After Harry’s mother, Virginia, died, his father Erasmus remarried on 12 Jul 1853. I believe his second wife was a widow. Her name was Mary A. (Hart) Goodwin.… The marriage date was reported in the Baltimore Sun.… Her tombstone reads: Mary A., wife of Erasmus, Jan 29, 1812? The last digit of the year was hard to read.… My database shows her being born 29 Jan 1812 but I didn’t record where I got that…  I have no children recorded for them.”[1856]

“I have no information on Mary A’s first marriage or if she had any children during it. I have her father listed as “Robert Hart” but didn’t record where I got that info in my data base. Maybe you can find a marriage record for her in one of both of the marriages.” [1857] His father, Erasmus Helm, Sr., was “born in Kentucky [and] died in Warrenton, Aug. 2, 1876, aged 73 years.” His mother, Virginia Laura Aisquith was “born July 13, 1814 [and] died Jan. 19, 1852.”[1858] Erasmus Helm and Virginia Laura Aisquith had ten children.[1859] Edward “Woody” Aisquith and his brothers Erasmus, Jr. (BH), Robert “Harry” (BH), and William Pickett (BH), were four of their children.[1860] Another of these ten siblings was Agnes Pickett Helm Kloman.[1861] The ten siblings were: William Pickett [BH], Erasmus Helm, Jr. [BH], Virginia Aisquith, Agnes Pickett, Robert Henry [BH], Edward Aisquith [BH], Lyttleton Savage, Charles Warfield, Sarah Lyttleton, and Francis Meiggs.[1862] [NOTE:One thing to notice about is that the names are not listed in birth sequence according to the dates given beside each.]

“As for Virginia Harry’s mother’s maiden name was Virginia Laura Aisquith. Her tombstone reads ” Virginia, wife of Erasmus Helm, July 13, 1814 to Jany, 19, 1852”, according to a cousin who went to visit her grave at Westly Cemetery, Warrenton, VA cemetery on  7/28/01., She and Erasmus had 11 children that I know of.”[1863]

“Harry also had a sister named Virginia Aisquith Helm 1840-1858. She never married probably due to dying so young.”[1864]

“There were two Robert Henry Helm’s in that family. He was born in 1846 and died an infant. Later his parents had another son they named the same but was called “Harry”. Harry  tombstone reads “Robert H. Helm, Mar 25, 1845 to Jun 26, 1864.”  Other info I got indicates he died of a gunshot received at Trevellian Station while in Blackhorse Calvary, CSA. I did not record where I got that info from but maybe it was from Maureen.”[1865] [Editor writes:]… I’m not quite following the dates below. Was the first Robert born in 1846, and the second, called Harry, born after him in 1845? “This has to be a typo in my data base. The first Robert had to have been born before the one called Harry… What I believe is the the second one called Harry was named for his dead brother.” [1866] “The death and birth dates [that] I got from Maureen on William, Sr., differ somewhat from that found on the tombstone. Since the old stones are hard to read I don’t know which is right. Maureen said he was born May 25, 1835 and died 8 Jan 1921 but tombstone inscription gives birth as May 26th, 1836 and death as Jan 8, 1922 (according to what Don sent I think). Sometimes also I find the records confusing because one lists the death date and the other the burial date.” [1867] “He got most of his info on the Helm’s  from Maureen and she wrote and told me there were some factual errors that although she pointed out when given a proof, were published without correction. I don’t remember most of them but I do know that he called Agnes Pickett, wife of William Helm ” Agatha” although Maureen said she proved to him that it was Agnes. Maybe it doesn’t matter. She was called Aga which could have led to the confusion. [1868] Other Family: Edward’s maternal grandmother was Sarah Lyttleton Moore (1788–1831). Edward’s maternal grandfather was Edward Aisquith (1778–1815). His parents were Judge William Aisquith (17??–1807) and his second wife, Tabitha (17??–1814). His father’s first wife was Elizabeth Connell.[1869] Edward’s paternal grandmother was Agatha Pickett. She “died in Warrenton in 1825.” Her parents were “Capt. William Picket and his wife Lucy.”[1870] Edward’s paternal grandfather was Capt. William Helm. His parents were Thomas Helm, who died in 1778 in Frederick County, Kentucky, and Margaret Neill.[1871] Go to source; verify what material is quoted here above. “Capt. William Helm [was] the grandfather of the men in the unit.”[1872] “Willam Helm was married twice. His first wife had three children. He married Agnes Pickett after her [the first wife’s] death in 1789 and had 6 children with her.  They had migrated to Kentucky. William drowned about 1806/1807 and Agnes returned to Virginia to live with her father and family.” [1873] Agatha Pickett died 1825. Her husband, William Helm (1760–1806), was son of Thomas Helm (1727–1778) and Margaret Neill (1723–1813). Thomas was grandson of Leonard Helmes, immigrant, 1660–1745.[1874] The cavalrymen’s paternal uncle, “William Helm was a Justice of the Peace in Warrenton, a position of considerable importance in that era.”[1875] “In the 1860 slave schedule, the census of slave holders, Erasmus Helm was reported to own 22 slaves …. Many other local families … owned significantly larger numbers of slaves. But Erasmus Helm, because of his ownership of the general store, was either the wealthiest or one of the wealthiest citizens of Warrenton.”[1876] The Helm brothers’ father, Erasmus Helm, Sr., is described as having been “one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest,” man in Warrenton of his time. He built, owned and operated the general store that, after his death, became Joseph Arthur Jeffries’s pharmacy.[1877] [NOTE:verify verbatim or paraphrase.] “In 1832, the year after he had erected the building on Main Street, Erasmus Helm married Virginia Laura Aisquith of Leesburg.” This was the year following her mother’s death. She was 17 when her mother passed away and 18 when she wed.[1878] Of the couple’s ten children, at least six did not survive to age thirty.

Their daughter, Agnes Pickett Helm, was born 25 January 1835, wed Edward Felix Kloman 6 November 1866, bore eleven children and lived until 2 May 1907. Their son, William Pickett Helm [BH] lived until 1921. See his entry for more about his life. Years of death are not given for their daughter Sarah Lyttleton Helm or for their son Charles Warfield Helm, who wed Helen Hanson.[1879] “There were 6 Helm soldiers all together. One of them, the eldest, Charles Warfield Helm, … moved to Kansas, then Dallas, Tex after the war and practiced law there …. Chas had children.”[1880] Four Helm brothers, Erasmus, Jr., Edward, and Robert, are buried side-by- side-by-side in the family plot at Warrenton Cemetery. Erasmus died in 1862 at age 23. Edward died in 1863 at age 18. Robert died in 1864 at age 21. “Francis M. Helm,” (7 April 1848–24 March 1872), is buried beside Robert. His stone reads, “ “In the midst of life we are in death.” ” He died at age 23; he would have been 24 in about two more weeks. The next people to be buried there were the cavalrymen’s father, “Erasmus Helm,/ Born in Kentucky,” and “Lyttleton S. Helm,/ Born … 1850”. Both died in 1876: Erasmus on 2 August, “Aged 73 years”, and Lyttleton on 27 December, age 26. Erasmus, Sr., lays on the far side of Erasmus, Jr., opposite from the brothers. Two large flat slabs lay between them. Lyttleton lays directly in front of Erasmus, Jr., in a new row. At the far end of the first (back) row, beside the elder Erasmus, the next person buried was “Mary A./ Wife of/ Erasmus Helm./ Born/ Jan. 29, 1812:/ Died/ July 11, 1882.” Ten years later, in the second (front) row at the diagonal corner of the plot from Mary A., was buried “Mammy./ Mary Barcus,/ Died/ Feb. 7, 1892./ Faithful Unto Death.”[1881] She was placed in front of Robert and Francis, leaving space between her grave and Lyttleton’s. In that space, in front of Edward, William Pickett Helm was buried thirty years after Mary Barcus. At his death, he was 85 years of age. Two large slabs at the center of the plot mark the resting places of two women named Virginia. They were the first people to be buried there. The one nearer to the elder Erasmus is carved, “Sacred/ to the memory of/ Virginia/ wife of/ Erasmus Helm,/ Born July 13, 1814:/ Died Jany. 19, 1852./“Therefore be y—— ——— ——— [ye also ready:] for in such an hour/ as ye ——– [think] not the son of man cometh.””[1882] The other, belonging to the boys’ sister, is carved, “Sacred/ to the memory of/ Virginia Aisquith Helm,/ who was born 16th May 1811,/ and departed this life/ 6th December 1858,/ in the 18th year/ of her age.[1883]/ The sacrifice[s] of ——— [God are] a broken spirit:/ a broken and a contrite heart, O God/ Thou will [wilt] not despise./ Psalm — [51].17 in —se.”[1884] Her stone’s dates are incorrect; she was born 1840 and died 1858.[1885] Four Klomans are buried at the Helm plot. One of these is Agnes P. Kloman (1843–1907), the cavalrymen’s sister. She and Edward F. Kloman (1838–1917) share a headstone. On either side of this couple are their son, Erasmus H. Kloman, (1867–1882), and daughter Agnes Pickett Kloman (1874–1952). Their son was age 15; their daughter, 78. From the elder Virginia’s in 1852 until the younger Agnes’s in 1952, the family’s graves there span exactly 100 years.[1886] “Littleton Savage Helm (1850-1876)… was alive on 7/1876. And Francis Meiggs (1848-1872) whom I assume is Frank. Did either have children I wonder?” [1887] [Obituary of Charles] “From a Dallas newspaper dated 1/27/1888-” “Maj. Charles W Helm, born 1834 in Fauquier Co., Va,; was a member of the Kentucky Brigade of Gen. Roger Hanson; married in 1859 Gen Hanson’s sister (Helen); served under Gen Ben Hardin Helm, then under Gen Lewis after Hanson’s death; was educated at UVA; his death leaves 2 of 9 children of Erasmus Helm- Wm P Helm & Agnes Kloman; was a newspaper writer; eldest son of Erasmus Helm’s 6 sons; was a lawyer in Leavenworth Kansas; moved to Dallas in 1874 and practiced law there; edited Democratic newspaper in Dallas; Confederate service 1861–1864.”[1888] In 1909, a local newspaper ran the following announcement. “Edward Helm, of Fauquier county, and Miss Eva Curtis, daughter of Mrs. William Curtis, of Stafford county, were married Thursday night [date in 1909] at the home of the bride, Rev. J. C. Cummings officiating. Mrs Gordon Montague was the matron of honor.”[1889] Ask corresp if this is a son, or other relative. [# Arnold Helm of Remington gives following contacts for Helm family info: Mrs. Ester Peters (age 90 ), Morrisville, on Rt 17 near “The Store” (driveway before), 11 W. of Opal. 439-3143. Mrs. Helen Green (age 70s), Elk Run (Catlett address, 788-4059.) [These three in db, mid-Nov 05] “…[O]ur family is one of those that was divided by the war. My ancestor, another Erasmus Helm, and Irene’s, William Helm, fought for the Union in the Mississippi [V]alley theater. They’re first cousins of the Warrenton Helm family. Another distant cousin was a Confederate general and brother- in-law of A. Lincoln.”[1890] Stories, Letters & Biographies: “…Major (Charles W. Helm) was the oldest of six sons of Erasmus Helm of Fauquier county, Virginia who went into the Confederate service. Of the other five…”[1891] See Stories Chapter under William Pickett Helm. See Stories Chapter for an anecdote about A. D. Payne, Lyttleton Helm and John Singleton Mosby. CSR: N.B. Both of the below CSR entries are likely this cavalryman. The Black Horse man was called “Woody,” which was a common nickname for “Edward.” He died on 1 May 63. Since “Edward Heth’s” birth and death dates and causes of death are similar to Edward Helm’s, the man listed here as “Edward A. Heth” is probably actually Edward Aisquith Helm. “Woody Helm”; Company H, “post-war roll”. Edward A. Heth, Company A. “[B]orn 8 August 1844; enlisted 15 May 1862; died 3 May 1863 Dysentery; died 1 May 1866; buried Warrenton Cemetery.”[1892] Additional Information: “Another son of Erasmus and Virginia was Edward Aisquith Helm. He was also in the Blackhorse Calvary. Information in my data base says he died of dysentery contracted while in Blackhorse Calvary, CSA. and that he enlisted May 15, 1862. Birth and death dates I have for him are 8 Aug 1844 - 1 May 1866. He is buried at the same cemetery as his parents. His tombstone as copied by our cousin same date as above reads “Edward A. Helm, Aug 8, 1844 to May 1, 1863.”[1893] See his brother William under “Additional Info” for a timeline of the brothers’ service in the Company. Listed as “W. Helm.”[1894]