Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1037

Rh of Jefferson Davis," and a school history of the United States. His miscellaneous contributions to newspapers and magazines would make a series of volumes still more extensive.

Walter N. Jones, of Petersburg, a boy soldier of the army of Northern Virginia, was born in Manchester, Va., in the year 1850, the son of Rev. Thomas H. Jones. He is a member of one of the oldest Virginia families, distinguished alike in war and peace, and is connected with the Taliaferro, Nelson and other families of historic importance. The founder of the Virginia line was Thomas Jones, son of Capt Roger Jones, of the British army, who came from England. Thomas married the daughter of Dr. William Cocke, who was secretary of the colony and subsequently judge, during the administration of Governor Spottswood. One of the sons of Thomas Jones was Dr. Walter Jones, who served in the United States Congress. Another, William, was the father of Thomas Jones, a wealthy planter of Gloucester county, two of whose brothers served in the war of 1812. Thomas married a Miss Roy, a direct descendant of the McGregors of Scotland, and connected with famous French families. Their son. Rev. Thomas H. Jones, married Rosa, daughter of Walter and Frances T. (Nelson) Day. Walter N. Jones was a student in Smith & Cone's classical school at Richmond during the early part of the war, being far below military age, but on June 16, 1864, being about fourteen years of age, he had his first experience as a soldier of the Confederacy, serving with the heroic little command of General Beauregard which manfully confronted Grant's army and saved Petersburg from immediate capture. He remained with the army at Petersburg until winter, which he spent with his cousin. Dr. Francis Jones, in Dinwiddie county. Returning to Petersburg in the spring of 1865, narrowly escaping capture en route, he was assigned to the commissary department, and served in charge of wagons during the retreat as far as Sailor's Creek, where his train was burned by the Yankees. He surrendered at Appomattox, being perhaps the youngest soldier on that field. After the war he resided with his cousin. Dr. Jones, his parents having died before he reached the age of twelve years, and at the age of nineteen years he went into business at Richmond and subsequently moved to Petersburg. He is now connected with two prominent firms of the latter city and is an influential and enterprising citizen. He was married in 1875 to Miss Ada Virginia, daughter of Benjamin Boisseau Vaughan, of Petersburg, and five children are living: Walter N. Jr., Benjamin Vaughan, Thomas Catesby, Lemuel Roy, and Robert Francis Jones. Mr. Jones is active in church and fraternal work, and has served on the city school board.

William Atkinson Jones, of Warsaw, representative in Congress from the First Virginia district, was born in Warsaw, Richmond county, Va., March 21, 1849. In the winter of 1864-65 he entered the Virginia military institute, where he remained until the evacuation of Richmond, serving, as occasion required, with the cadets in the defense of that city. After the close of the war he studied at Coleman's school in Fredericksburg until October, 1868, when he entered the academic department of the university of Virginia, from which institution he graduated with the degree of B. L., in 1870. He was admitted to the bar in July, 1870, and has continued