David Van Buskirk

David van Buskirk, the eldest of ten children, served as an officer in F company, 27th Indiana Infantry regiment during the Civil War. After he was captured at the battle of Winchester in May, 1862, some Confederates dubbed him "the World's Biggest Yankee"- which was a fair description. In a day when President Lincoln was considered a giant at 6'4", van Buskirk was 6' 10 1/2" and weighted well in excess of 300 pounds. An enterprizing Confederate businessman worked out a deal with the prison camp commander- and charged people admission to see him. That must have been rough on van Buskirk's pride- but he did get extra rations in the deal, so he might have been the only POW of the war who *gained* weight during his time as a POW. After being exchanged, van Buskirk did serve creditably as a captain- although he was *awfully* rough on his horses- until he resigned his commission due to ill health in 1864. (He managed to live til just short of his 60th birthday in 1886).

Captain van Buskirk did manage to keep a sense of humor, even in difficult times. While a POW, van Buskirk got a visit from Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who asked about his family. Van Buskirk said, "When we shipped out, my six sisters all came to see me. They all bent down, and kissed me on the top of my head."

Hmmmm....I can't be certain, but I very much suspect that that is a tall tale.