Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1048

982, in the Virginia division of the army of Northern Virginia society. He is also a comrade of Pickett-Buchanan camp, Confederate Veterans. For twenty-seven years he has been connected with the Norfolk office of the Old Dominion steamship company. He has served the city as president of the board of fire commissioners. Mr. Kevin was married October 3, 1883, to Hatton Shields, daughter of Henry G. Thomas, who was connected with the United States and Confederate navies, and they have three children: John Thomas, William Clifford, and George Folsom.

Captain Thomas Kevill, of Norfolk, distinguished in the artillery service in Virginia, is a native of Sligo, Ireland, born April 5, 1826. He emigrated to Canada when a lad, was educated at Lowell, Mass., received his business training at Boston, and in 1848 became a citizen of Norfolk, where he soon became proprietor of the clothing establishment which he first entered as a clerk, and conducted this enterprise successfully until the outbreak of the war. During his residence at Norfolk he had been prominent in the fire department, attaining the rank of captain, and when the Virginia troops were called out, he closed his business and organized the United Artillery, mainly composed of the brave Norfolk firemen. The command was recognized as one of the finest in the service, and its members were in frequent demand for hazardous service, for which it is due them to say they volunteered with great readiness. In command of this battery Captain Kevill was first assigned to duty in capturing the government magazine at Fort Norfolk, where he erected a battery, of which he was in command when the Virginia was ready for action. The crew of the ironclad being short thirty-one men, Captain Kevill was applied to for volunteers. His entire company tendered their services as soon as they were assured that he would command them, and he selected the requisite number from the ranks. During the famous battle of the Virginia with the Cumberland and Congress on March 8, 1862, and with the Monitor on the following day, he commanded one of the nine-inch broadside guns of the Virginia, and served in the same capacity in the next trip of the ironclad to Hampton Roads, when the Monitor declined to risk another encounter. Upon the evacuation of Norfolk in May, 1862, Captain Kevill and his company were ordered to Dunn's Hill and thence reported to Colonel Rhett, at Richmond. General Lee, stating that he understood Kevill's was one of the best artillery companies in the service, recommended that it be stationed at the important post of Drewry's Bluff. The company was assigned to two two-gun batteries on the Virginia Central railroad during the Seven Days' battles, and a detachment under Lieut. James E. Barry operated a gun upon an ironclad flat-car, which was an interesting feature of the campaign. Captain Kevill was subsequently assigned to the battalion of Maj. Frank Smith, at Drewry's bluff, and remained there in command of his company until May 16, 1864, when he and his men fought as infantry in the battle of that day. He subsequently served in command of Battery Dantzler, near the Howlett House, and at Battery Wood, where he was for a long time constantly engaged in shelling Butler's Dutch Gap canal. Upon the evacuation of Richmond he marched with General Ewell's corps, and took part in the battle of Sailor's Creek, and finally was