Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 10.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

Lieutenant Lane was a handsome, brave, chivalrous, dashing young officer. His humor, fine manners and generous impulses made him universally popular. He was the life of our Headquarters, where he was beloved by everybody.

My boy brother, J. Rooker Lane, entered the service as a private in the “Chesapeake guards,” a volunteer infantry company from Mathews county, Va., and was wounded at Yorktown. After the evacuation of that place he served as a private in Company E, Fifth Virginia Cavalry, until the winter of 1863, when, at my request, and on account of his youth, General Lee ordered him to report to me for duty. As my “acting aid” he was always ready for any duty, and behaved very gallantly at Chancellorsville, where he was killed in the charge on the morning of the 3d of May.

He was a boy of fine disposition, and by his attractive manners soon made friends wherever he went. He was a great pet at our Headquarters, especially with my first Adjutant-General, Captain G. B. Johnston.

My last aid was Captain Everard B. Meade, of Richmond, Va., who first volunteered and afterwards enlisted for the war as a private in Company F, Twenty-first Virginia Regiment. At the time of his promotion he was a Second Lieutenant in the First Engineer Regiment of the Army of Northern Virginia.

He was an intelligent, high-toned gentleman, and a prompt, efficient, and very gallant officer. In the battle at Jones's farm he was conspicuously gallant; and from the time our lines were attacked at Petersburg to the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse he acted with great bravery, and was of great assistance.