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PARKERSBURG - Two Civil War historians looking for paw paws made a discovery atop Fort Boreman Hill.

Brian Kesterson and Terry McVey on Oct. 26 were walking in the woods next to Fort Boreman Historical Park when they spotted a sandstone rock, unearthed it and discovered a carving by a Union soldier.

"I said "Oh my Lord, Terry, check this out,'" said Kesterson, an award-winning author recognized for his histories of the Civil War.

Carved into the stone was "A.P. Jones 1861." Under the inscription is a soldier on a horse, denoting that Jones was a member of a cavalry unit, Kesterson said.

Specifically, Company A, 2nd W.Va. Cavalry, said Kesterson, who researched the unit's roster and found Andrew P. Jones served in the unit throughout the war.

Such artifacts that were signed by a soldier have rarely been found in West Virginia, Kesterson said

"Its significance is quite important," Kesterson said.

This is the first of its kind to be found at Fort Boreman, Kesterson said. Fort Boreman was a Union encampment during the Civil War to guard the B&O Railroad and the Ohio River from Confederate infiltration. While the town was of lesser strategic importance than the the river and the railroad, Parkersburg was a major embarkation point for thousands of Union troops, he said.

The stone shows how a soldier spent his free time, Kesterson said. Many Civil War soldiers to prevent boredom carved, many using bullets, he said.

Jones enlisted in Parkersburg on Nov. 8, 1861, and re-enlisted on Nov. 20, 1863, Kesterson said. He served from the formation of the unit until the end of the war, at which time the regiment, known for its voracity in battle, was at the front of the Grand Review Parade in 1865 in Washington, D.C., Kesterson said.

The 1870 census lists Jones, who was mustered out of the army on July 8, 1865, as living in Wirt County in Spring Creek Township at Burning Springs. In the 1880 census, Jones was listed in the Reedy District in Roane County, Kesterson said.

The special census of 1890 showed Jones lived in the Cooper District at Letart in Mason County where he was listed as suffering from several gunshot wounds he received while in the war, Kesterson said.

When Jones died has not been determined, Kesterson said.

"We're trying to find his grave site," Kesterson said.

The carving is difficult to see because of time and weather upon the sandstone rock.

McVey, who has found numerous artifacts at Fort Boreman, first thought the stone might have been part of a hearth, the corner of a cabin, or a colonial-era grave marker. Generally, someone who died on a journey or was killed by Indians was buried on the trail where they died, he said.

The stone was found near a trail used by ATV riders on what appeared to be an old walking path, he said.

"We were out there looking for paw paws," McVey said.

Plans are for the stone to be placed on display, McVey said. Among the possibilities, the county commission may be asked to allow the stone be put on display at the courthouse annex, he said.

Displaying the stone at Fort Boreman Historical Park is not favored because of security issues, Kesterson said. The stone could be stolen or vandalized, he said.

Among the battles of which the 2nd W.Va. fought were the Battle of Lewisburg in 1861, the capture of part of Gen. Jenkins' cavalry camp in 1862, Hunter's Raid in 1863 at Wytheville, Va., and Sheridan's Campaign in 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley, Kesterson said.

The regiment served under generals Phillip Sheridan, George Custer, William Averell, William Powell, Alfred Torbert, Jacob Cox, David Hunter and George Crook, Kesterson said. The commanders were so impressed with the fighting ability of the unit, it was placed at the front of the Grand Review and led by Custer, Kesterson said.

This is the year's second major discovery of archaeological and historical importance in Parkersburg. Bob Enoch, president of the Wood County Historical Society, this summer unearthed the original grave cover of Capt. James Neal, who founded Parkersburg in 1785, at Tavenner Cemetery in south Parkersburg.