Col. George S.Patton

[CSA Today]

"Colonel George S. Patton grandfather of W.W.II General George S. Patton He was the commander of the 22nd Virginia and KIA 19 September 1864 in the Battle of Winchester."

 

[truthckr]

Good info, thanks for posting.

 

[TinCan]

Looks alot like his grandson don't he.

 

[ErnieMac]

After the war (1870) Patton's widow, Susan married Colonel George Hugh Smith (25th VA Infantry & 62nd VA Mounted Infantry). Smith was a cousin to Patton. The family moved to California after the marriage and Smith made a fortune with a law firm dealing in California real estate.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

It's not entirely accurate to say he was KIA. He was, indeed, mortally wounded at Third Winchester, but he lingered for a while before dying.

George Patton was a VMI graduate and a pretty good soldier. He often commanded a brigade as a colonel due to the poor health of its regular commander, John Echols. Patton fought a masterful battle at White Sulphur Springs on August 25-26, 1863 where his brigade defeated Brig. Gen. William Woods Averell's cavalrymen in a pitched and bloody battle.

 

[16thVA]

It is often repeated in biographies that his promotion to Brig. Gen. was confirmed by the Confederate congress, but apparently there is no record of it. Anyone know of a verification of this statement? Aside from Wikipedia, which says so but provides no source.

 

[Billy Yank]

Not to be confused w/his brother, Walter Taswell Patton who was killed on the 3rd. day at Gettysburg while leading a regiment of Maj. Gen. Geo. Pickett on the approach to Cemetary Ridge.

 

[redbob]

It's not entirely accurate to say he was KIA. He was, indeed, mortally wounded at Third Winchester, but he lingered for a while before dying.

George Patton was a VMI graduate and a pretty good soldier. He often commanded a brigade as a colonel due to the poor health of its regular commander, John Echols. Patton fought a masterful battle at White Sulphur Springs on August 25-26, 1863 where his brigade defeated Brig. Gen. William Woods Averell's cavalrymen in a pitched and bloody battle.

His grandson George also attended VMI in order to get his grades up before he went to West Point. His name is listed on the memorial to the VMI fallen in WWII.

 

[AUG]

Col. George S. Patton's brother, Lt. Col. Waller T. Patton, was born in Fredericksburg, VA. He was named after Governor of Virginia, Littleton Waller Taswell. His father, John Mercer Patton, a member of the Council of State, served as Acting Governor in March 1841. An ancestor, Hugh Mercer, served as a general during the American Revolution. He graduated from VMI in 1855, 2nd in a class of 16. Following his graduation, Patton was hired as an instructor of tactics, and as assistant professor of mathematics and assistant instructor of tactics. He studied law and passed the bar exam, then established a profitable law practice in Culpeper, VA and commanded a local militia, The Culpeper Minute Men.

Waller Patton enlisted in the Confederate Army in the spring of 1861 and was elected to serve as Major in the 7th Virginia Infantry. He was promoted to Lieutenant on April 27, 1862. Patton took command of the regiment in June 1862 following the promotion of the previous colonel, James L. Kemper, to the command of the Brigade. He was badly wounded at Second Manassas on August 30, 1862, and spent the remainder of the year back home in Fredericksburg recuperating. Patton was elected to the Virginia Senate in 1863, but chose instead to return to his regiment. His regiment served in North Carolina in the spring of 1863, then Patton led it northward during the Gettysburg Campaign. On July 3, the 7th Virginia was in Pickett's Division, and as part of Kemper's Brigade, formed the right of the Confederate line during Pickett's Charge. Colonel Patton was mortally wounded while leading his men towards the Union positions on Cemetery ridge. Part of his jaw had been ripped away by an artillery shell fragment. He died in a makeshift hospital at Pennsylvania College several weeks later. His first cousin, Lewis B. Williams Jr., commanded another Virginia regiment in Pickett's Division and was also mortally wounded.