Lee's Officers

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McDONALD, Craig Woodrow Born on 28th May 1837. Son of Angus W. McDonald & Leacy Anne Naylor. Attended V.M.I. & U.Va. Schoolteacher in Winchester, Va. Pvt., Co.E, 13th Va. Inf.: 17th April 1861. Lieut. & A.D.C. to Elzey in June 1861. Served very briefly on Stonewall’s staff after 1st Manassas. Lieut. & acting A.D.C. to Elzey: April-June 1862. Lieut. & A.A.I.G. to Elzey in June 1862. Edward H. McDonald described the action at Cross keys on 8th June 1862:- "This bridge was fired by my brother Wood, and won him a promotion to captain. I met him during the fight and saw blood on his clothes from a ball which had gone through his ear. I asked if he was much wounded. 'Not even a furlough,' he said. We parted, never to meet again, for he was killed a few days later at Gaines Mill. He had the greatest military talent and dash in the family. The brightest and youngest of the brothers was the first to die." He returned home to visit his family after Port Republic, and his step-mother wrote that “he showed me a cut on his left ear made by a passing bullet. His horse had been killed under him there, the pretty blooded Kate that had been the family pet. Wood looked so hopeful and bright, much more so than when he had left the autumn before to join Elzey as aide-de-camp.” Buried in Hollywood Cemetery. Campbell Brown left a graphic description of McDonald’s behaviour just before his death at Gaines Mill on 27th June 1862: “As we passed thro’ the edge of an orchard, poor Wood McDonald of Elzey’s Staff rode up to Trimble, his face flushed, his sword drawn, in the wildest excitement, begging him to come and support Elzey. Trimble was perfectly cool and quiet – and told him he would do so, but must take advantage of the ground etc – and continued his march. Wood, poor fellow, in too great exaltation to stand Trimble’s slow speech & motion rode away with a reproach for his inertness. As he went back to his command, he was killed just on the edge of the road. It seems even now uncharitable to write it, but it is true – he was drunk! – the first time I ever saw him so!” A more romantic description of his death is the following: "He had a presentiment that he would be killed in this battle, yet the feeling did not dampen the ardor of his zeal. He saw a portion of the lines wavering, and with quick perception realized that disaster was imminent. Without waiting for orders he hurriedly rode back for the reinforcements he knew to be coming. General Walker gave the command to 'double quick'. The column swept forward to the rescue, McDonald at the head, waving his cap high in the air, and, with clarion voice, shouting: 'Rescue!' A grapeshot struck him in the breast, and he fell dead." [Krick, Staff Officers In Gray, p.208; Jones, Campbell Brown’s Civil War, p.117; McDonald, A Woman’s Civil War, p.54.]

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ADAMS, Stephen Born in Fulton, Schoharie Co., N.Y., on 28 February 1829. Son of John L. Adams. Graduated from Yale in 1850. Studied law at Lynchburg, was admitted to the bar in 1854 or 1855 [sources differ] and practiced in Raleigh Co, Va. Was also a schoolteacher. Married Emma C. Saunders on 26 April 1854, and had 6 children. Opposed secession publicly and privately. On 6 September 1861 a group of Federal prisoners at White Sulphur Springs wrote to Jefferson Davis:- "We are at present at White Sulphur Springs in custody and charge of Captain Adams, commanding a company of artillery named Gauley Artillery, who has by his gentlemanly deportment and many kindnesses alleviated the evils incident to being a prisoner." Prior to being placed in command at W.S.S. he had raised a Co. which had been incorporated into the 22nd Va. Inf. They rejoined the regiment at Big Sewell Mountain in August 1861. They were soon assigned to 30 Bn. Va Sharpshooters, with whom Adams served for the rest of the war. Wounded and captured at Winchester on 19 September 1864. Exchanged and paroled just before the surrender. Became lawyer in Lynchburg, as the laws of West Virginia excluded former Confederates from practicing at its bar; also state legislator and county court judge. Alive in 1899. He wrote: “With a little cork skillfully inserted in my boot you would scarcely observe in me any effect of the late little unpleasantness.” [Hotchkiss, Confederate Military History of Virginia, p.695.]

(Message edited by Bill_torrens on February 19, 2005)

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CASH, Ellerbe Boggan Crawford

Born near Wadesboro, Anson Co., N.C., on 1 July 1823. Son of Boggan Cash & Elizabeth Ellerbe. Educated at Mount Zion Institute & S.C. College. Read law under Gnl. Blakeney at Cheraw, S.C. Practiced for a brief period before retiring to manage his widowed mother’s large plantation. In 1847 he married his cousin, Miss Alan Ellerbe. State legislator. Colonel, 8th S.C. Inf.: 1861. At 1st Manassas he did his best to shoot the captured U.S. Congressman Ely: “at that time the colonel was a tall, stalwart fellow, apparently 35 or 40, red headed, red faced, light grey eyed, strong-featured &, as I approached him that afternoon, his face was as angry looking as a storm cloud, & he had drawn his revolver & was trying to shoot the little citizen who was dodging behind the big sergeant major as Cash turned his horse about & tried to get at him, poking at him with the pistol & swearing with a fluency which would have been creditable to a wagon master. ‘You infernal s. of a b.! You came to see the fun did you? God **** your dirty soul I’ll show you,’ & he spurred his horse to get around the sergeant major. ‘What’s the matter, Colonel,’ said I. ‘What are you trying to shoot that man for?’ ‘He’s a member of Congress, God **** him,’ said the colonel. ‘Came out here to see the fun! Came to see us whipped & killed! God **** him! If it was not for such as he there would be no war. They’ve made it & then come to gloat over it! God **** him. I’ll show him,’ and again he tried to get at the poor little fellow who was evidently scared almost into a fit.” Refused to stand at the 1862 reorganization. Post-war farmer and active Democrat. In 1881 he killed Col. William M. Shannon in a notorious duel. Died on 10 March 1888. Buried in the family plot at his home in Cash’s Depot, S.C. “He was charitable to the extreme, and was the soul of honour, and while he had many enemies, being a fearless man and a good hater, he had such qualities as inspired the respect and admiration of his fellow men.” [Dickert, History of Kershaw’s Brigade, p.103; Krick, Lee’s Colonels; Alexander, Fighting For The Confederacy, p.55.]

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PARK, Robert Emory

Born at La Grange, Ga., on 13th January 1844. Son of Major John Park & Sarah T. Robertson. Educated at Emory College, Oxford, Ga., & East Alabama College, Auburn, Ala. Student when war began. Pvt., Co.F, 12th Ala Inf.: 12th June 1861. On 3rd February 1862 Martha Cassandra Smith wrote to her sister: “You wished to know who my sweetheart is: Robert E. Park of Greenville, Georgia. He is in Virginia, near Manassas. I received a letter from him the other day[;] he wants to marry me when his time expires next June. I haven’t told him I would, I have no objection to him, he is younger than I am. He was going to school in Auburn and would have graduated in June if he had continued going. He is a brother of John Park who used to teach school here [;] you remember he boarded at Dr. Thomas’ ” Elected 2nd Lieut. at 1862 reorganization. 1st Lieut.: June 1862. Wounded at Gettysburg on 1st July 1863. The destruction of property during the 1864 Valley campaign provoked him to write: “Such warfare is a disgrace to civilization, but I suppose that Irish-Yankee Sheridan and that drunken butcher and tanner, Grant, have little comprehension of sentiments of humanity or Christianity.” Seriously wounded in leg, and captured, at Winchester on 19th September 1864. P.O.W. in Old Capitol, Point Lookout & Fort Delaware. Released on 14th June 1865. Had been promoted Captain while in captivity. On his return home he studied law and taught school. From 1872 onwards he worked in the publishing business. Married Ella H. Holt (d.1890) on 9th February 1875, and had two children. Married Mrs Emily Hendree Stewart on 27th April 1893. Elected Treasurer of the State in 1900. Died in Atlanta on 7th May 1909. Extracts from his wartime diary, covering his imprisonment in Fort Delaware in 1865, are in S.H.S.P. vols. 3-4. [Power, Lee’s Miserables, p.143.]

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McKIM, William Duncan

Born in Baltimore, Md., on 27th June 1832. Cousin of Randolph H. McKim. Attended Harvard. Pre-war banker. Captain & A.A.G. to Isaac Trimble in November 1861. In April 1862 cousin Randolph wrote home: “He is, you know, on General Trimble’s staff, his aide-de-camp. You never saw such a change in a man in your life. When he returned from Richmond with his sunburnt hair cut off, his beard shaven, except mustache and imperial, ‘staff’ boots replacing his old ‘regulations’, and his dirty uniform exchanged for a nice new suit, it was hard to recognize him.” Major: 2nd February 1863. Killed at Chancellorsville. "I was told afterwards that he was the only officer in the division who remained mounted in the midst of that frightful hail of bullets, there in the thick woods. An officer of the Stonewall brigade went to him and besought him to dismount - indeed remonstrated with him seriously upon the foolhardiness and uselessness of his keeping the saddle under the circ umstances; and when he could not prevail upon him to take his advice, returned to his company saying, ‘Well, it is only a question of minutes when he will fall.’ And so it was - very soon he was seen to reel in the saddle and fall to the ground. His death must have been almost instantaneous. But in fact it was not, I believe, foolhardiness that made him thus sacrifice his life. It appears that the day before he had received a severe contusion on the leg from a grapeshot, and the brigade surgeon told him he was unfit to go into the battle on the 3rd. But Duncan could not be restrained. He got into the saddle somehow, and marched with his command. Then, when Capt. Wm. Randolph begged him to dismount, he refused because he knew he could not walk. He had been ever a gallant soldier, cool and fearless on the field of battle. At Sharpsburg he had been shot through both thighs and was taken to the residence of Rev. R.H. Phillips, in Staunton, where he was tenderly nursed for months by Mrs Phillips and her daughter Agnes. It was, I think, about the 1st of February, 1863, that Duncan returned to the field, though even then his wound had not entirely healed." Buried in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore. [McKim, A Soldier’s Recollections, pp.80, 131-132.]

Bill

I must confess I love this thread. I am very impressed by the work you have put into it. I mean that very much. I'm also surprised by just how many men you are doing bios on that I actually know of. Now I can know more about them. Very Cool.

YMOS
tommy

[felinelady]

These are extremely interesting. Thanks for the great posts!

Kat

[bill_torrens]

Tommy & Kat,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Having worked on this stuff for a quarter of a century it would be kind of demoralizing if nobody was interested in it. Here's another Alabamian for Thea:

RICHARDSON, William N.

Born in c.1826. Captain, Co.H, 15th Alabama Infantry. "He was a bachelor and wealthy farmer residing near Glennville. He was very eccentric; was an officer of great courage, but very little disciplinary power. In November 1862, when we were crossing the Blue Ridge....some of the men found a distillery and obtained whiskey. Captain Richardson was fond of it, and got full. Several officers and men fell by the roadside. The captain came staggering into camp that night, and to prove his sobriety he looked at me and said 'The drunken man falleth by the wayside; the sober man passeth over the mountain and sleepeth in the valley beneath.' In the battle of Wauhatchie, in Lookout Valley, on the night of October 28th 1863, he was taken prisoner and was not exchanged during the war. When he returned home and found all of his slaves free, his plantation sadly out of repair, and everything so changed it made him sad and lonely. He continued on his plantation for a few years, when he became insane and was sent to the asylum at Tuscaloosa, and was still there in 1904. In 1896, as Governor, I visited and closely inspected the inmates of that institution. I endeavored to make myself known to the old captain; but he did not recognize me; his mind seemed to be entirely gone. He is of good family and his old friends and comrades were made sad by learning of his condition." – William C. Oates. Oates also described Richardson's capture in detail:- "The eccentric captain, whose organ of locality was so deficient that he had but little idea of places or directions, got lost from his company in the woods, and hearing the voices of men went to them, and walking up among them remarked 'Well, boys, that was a devil of a fright we got a while ago.' One placed his hand upon Richardson's shoulder, and said 'You are my prisoner.' The Captain enquired 'What command is this?' A response came in the nasal twang of the down-easter 'Eighty-second New York.' The Captain just then awoke to a realization of his condition. He said 'Look here, gentlemen, I am most egregiously mistaken. I thought this was the Fifteeenth Alabama. By heavens, this ought not to count.' They laughed and sent him to a military prison."

Lmao.....I want a 'Do Over!" Oh that is funny. I'm glad the story ended that way.

[unionblue]

Bill,

This thread is DEFINATELY appreciated! Please continue to share with us.

Sincerely,
Unionblue