The second Rockbridge Battery. [from the Rockbridge county news, February 5, 1897.]
Its Roster and career.Compiled by W. F. Johnston. Valuable services were rendered in getting up the lists by Captains John A. M. Lusk and W. K. Donald, and Orderly-Sergeant S. W. Wilson. The Second Rockbridge Battery was called such on account of being the second battery as to date of organization in the county. The list of officers and men who served in the company is given below. Being made up chiefly from memory, after a lapse of thirty-two years, it is probable that some omissions and inaccuracies may occur. This company was organized as an infantry company, owing to the want of artillery equipments at the time, and served as Company B of the 52nd Virginia Regiment, then under Colonel Baldwin, and was a part of General Ed. Johnson's Brigade, doing service on Alleghany and Shenandoah mountains until the fall of 1861, when it was made an artillery company, and was attached to the same brigade till the artillery was made a separate command. After this it was a part of McIntosh's battalion, in General A. P. Hill's corps, until the close of the war. It was mustered into service as the ‘McDowell Guard’ in honor of Miss Lillie McDowell, then of Lexington, Va., a daughter of Governor James McDowell, now Mrs. E. P. McD. Wolff, of Georgia, who made the company a present of a pair of horses, harness and ambulance, besides furnishing a considerable amount of means for clothing equipment of the company. She also paid a bounty to a young man who was under military age, to go as her personal representative in the war. Her substitute, Alfred Sly, proved himself faithful to the trust until a few days before the fight at Gettysburg, when having been sent out with others on detached service, he was captured and held in prison until after the surrender of the army. This company was made up largely of farmers and farmers' sons and laborers. Practical knowledge of caring for and driving horses gave the battery an advantage over many others; being able to move with promptness under the most unfavorable circumstances. Quite a number of the men were from the Blue Ridge and vicinity, without the advantage of education, and nothing but principle to fight [282] for; yet none bared their bosoms more willingly to the foe nor stuck to it more faithful to the last than they. The company was organized at Fairfield July 10, 1861, with Rev. John Miller captain, and Lieutenants Samuel Wallace, J. A. M. Lusk, and J. C. Dickinson in the order named. In the reorganization May I, 1862, J. A. M. Lusk was made captain, and W. K. Donald, Samuel Wallace, and A. J. Hayslett lieutenants in order named. Captain Lusk resigned June, 1863, on account of ill health. W. K. Donald was made captain, and served as such until the end. A. J. Hayslett, previous to May 1, 1862, served as company surgeon, and in 1863 was made surgeon of the battalion, and William T. Wilson, then a member of the Danville Blues, of Eighteenth Virginia Regiment, was elected lieutenant, and served as such until the close. After the promotions in consequence of Captain Lusk's resignation, Daniel Paxton was elected lieutenant, and remained such to the last. The battery did a great deal of hard service, and certainly deserves to rank below none in the faithful discharge of duty with alacrity to the last. Owing to the capture of a large number of the members on the morning of April 2, 1865, where the Confederate line was first broken, near the P. and W. railroad, there were only about forty of the company in the surrender. List of members. W. P. Alexander, James G. Allen, William Allen, B. F. Barnett, Hugh S. Beard, William Bartley, John Bowman, M. B. Campbell, James A. Campbell, W. A. Campbell, Sr., W. A. Campbell, Jr., N. M. Campbell, W. H. Cash, William Cash, J. V. Cash, John Cash, B. D. Cash, Joseph Cash, James P. Cash, Valentine Carver, John Cave, William Chandler, W. L. Clemmer, DeWitt Cline, A. A. Cochran, P. J. Coffey, Robert Coffey, Marvel Coffey, William M. Coffey, William M. Crist, Z. J. Culton, James B. Culton, J. W. Cupp, H. W. Decker, John F. Doyle, J. E. Drayton, J. L. Drawbond, L. C. Drain, Eugene Durham, J. M. Eakin, John T. Ford, William A. Ford, James P. Ford,——Gaylor, William C. Goolsby, James Goolsby, Thomas Gordon, A. J. Griffin, W. L. Hamilton, Harvey Hamilton, John F. Hamilton, J. J. Hamilton, Henry Hamilton, George J. Hamilton, Joseph Heslep, Ed. N. Heiger, John M. Hite, Samuel Hite, W. N. Hite, W. P. Hite, W. H. Hinty, George Hoyleman, John B. Hoyleman, Jacob B. Holler,——Houchen, James A. Humphries, E. M. Hughes, J. P. Hughes, Calvin Hughes, James E. Jarvis, Churchville Jenkins, R. W. Johnston, Henry Keffer, [283] L. D. Kerr, W. D. Kerr, L. T. Leech, J. G. Leech, Preston Lawhorne, William Lawhorne, William M. Long, William Lovegrove, J. Ludwick, J. C. Lynn,—Moore, J. A. Mann, Nat. Moran, Dudley Morris, S. S. Miller, D. L. Miller, John Miller, R. S. Miller, J. P. Meeks, Thomas N. McCormick, William T. McCrory, Ed. H. McCrory, James H. McCown, Thomas P. McDowell, William W. McGuffin, S. R. McGuffin, Thomas P. McManama, Robert McNutt, David A. Ott, L. O'Brian, William Orenbaun, James H. Painter, A. J. Paul, W. D. Patterson, Wm. A. Patterson, John Patterson, S. D. Paxton, Jas. T. Paxton, Jas. P. Paxton, John Paxton, Wm. H. Paxton, James H. Paxton, Thomas Paxton, Sam. Patter, John Pearl, William Pugh, James H. Pugh, John W. Risk, James P. Risk, Dabney Ramsey, William H. Selvey, Franklin Shewey, William C. Shields, Franklin Shaver, Cooke Sloan, Alfred F. Sly, Adolphus Sly, William A. Smiley, John B. Smiley, Joseph Sorrels, Geo. Sorrels, James E. Steele, Arch. W. Strickler, J. Ed. Taylor, Joseph Taylor, George W. Taylor, William P. Templeton, Benjamin Templeton, Job Thorn, R. R. Tribbett, F. M. Tribbett, Matthew Vess, C. D. Vess, Albright Wallace, Ed. Wallace, J. W. Wallace, George White, Robert White, I. M. White, John White, J. W. Whitesel, E. M. Wiseman, James A. Wine, John A. Wilson, S. W. Wilson, Joseph M. Wilson, J. Womeldorf, George Wood and Cyrus Withers.
