The Berkeley brothers from the Richmond News-leader, January 21, 1907.
Of the Eighth Virginia Regiment, C. S. A.
Colonel C. Edmund Berkeley, of
Prince William County, Va., spoke at the banquet Saturday night, January 19, 1907, at the
Hotel Kernan, of the Society of the Army and Navy of the
Confederate States in
Maryland, in
Baltimore.
The
Sun tells these interesting facts about the distinguished guest:
Colonel Berkeley is one of the most interesting survivors of the
Confederacy.
He was born February 29, and, while his birthday comes only once in every four years, he will be eighty-three when February 28, 1907, shall have come and gone.
On that day the average age of his two brothers and himself will be eighty-one years—a remarkable coincidence.
Colonel Berkeley was lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth Virginia Regiment, ‘The Bloody Eighth.’
His brother,
Colonel Norborne Berkeley, who lives with him in
Prince William County, was colonel
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of that regiment.
A third brother,
Major William Berkeley, who lives in
Richmond, was major of the regiment.
Still a fourth brother, the late
Captain Charles Berkeley, was a senior captain in the Eighth.
Famous for its heroism.
This remarkable organization, that became known throughout the Confederate army for its heroism, was composed of five companies from
Loudoun County, three companies from
Fauquier County, one company from
Prince William County, and one from
Fairfax County.
It was under the command of
Colonel Eppa Hunton, who was made brigadier-general after the death of
General Richard Garnett at
Gettysburg.
Pickett, in his immortal charge at
Gettysburg, had three brigades, commanded, respectively, by
General Garnett,
General Armistead and
General Kemper, who afterward became Governor of
Virginia.
General Garnett was killed in the battle,
General Armistead was mortally wounded, and
General Kemper was crippled for life.
In the Eighth Virginia the three
Berkeley brothers—Edmund, Norborne and William—were field officers.
Colonel Berkeley said yesterday he did not believe there was another regiment in either army that had three brothers as field officers.
All the Berkeley brothers were wounded during the war and all were imprisoned, except
Colonel Edmund Berkeley.
After lead for bullets.
Toward the close of the war, when bullets became scarce in the Confederate army,
Colonel Berkeley was commissioned to penetrate the
Union lines and go in search of lead.
When the close of the conflict came, he was busy collecting old lead pipe and leaden ware of every sort with which to mold bullets for his comrades.
While nearly eighty-three years old,
Colonel Berkeley is as hale and hearty as a strong man of fifty-five or sixty.
He takes long walks every day and can ride horseback like a youngster.
He does not wear glasses, and is ready to engage in a shooting contest with anybody at any time.
Colonel Berkeley has many friends in
Baltimore.
