Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1111

Rh ironclads Savannah, Charleston, and Wilmington, took part in the defense of Fort Fisher, N. C., during both of the Federal bombardments, and the assault, and afterward served in the batteries below Wilmington until the evacuation of that post. He then joined the army of Northern Virginia, and participating in the battle at Sailor's Creek, was captured April 6, 1865, and taken to Johnson's island, Ohio. Upon his release at the close of hostilities, he promptly returned to civil life and shipped before the mast in the merchant service, where his abilities were soon recognized by promotion to mate and subsequently to master. In 1874 he was happily married to a daughter of Commodore Stephen Decatur, of the United States navy, at Boston, Mass., and in the following year he left the sea, and in 1877 settled at Norfolk, his native city. Establishing at that time steam brick works on the James river he has since continued in that business with much success. He has taken a prominent part in social, business and political life, has frequently participated in various conventions of the Democratic party, has served as collector of customs for the ports of Norfolk and Portsmouth under the first administration of Mr. Cleveland, and was elected mayor of the city in May, 1896. Mr. Mayo has three children: Stephen Decatur, Wyndham Robertson Jr. and Maria Ten Eyck Decatur.

John Gaw Meem, Jr., of Shenandoah, Va., was born at Lynchburg in 1833. Becoming a student at the Virginia military institute, he was graduated in 1852, and subsequently for four years was engaged with his father in the dry goods business. He then went to Brazil as assistant engineer to Charles Fentor Mercer Garnett, in the building of the Dom Pedro Segunda railroad. After three years' stay in South America he returned to his native State and for some time acted as surveyor of streets and alleys at Lynchburg. In April, 1861, he entered the Confederate service as second lieutenant of the Lynchburg Home Guard, which became Company G of the Eleventh Virginia infantry regiment. With this command he participated in the affair at Blackburn's Ford, the battle of Bull Run, and the fight at Dranesville. In the fall of 1861 he was appointed aide-de-camp upon the staff of Gen. E. Kirby Smith, with whom he served in the actions at Richmond, Ky., and Jenkins' Ferry, Ark., and continued with the commander of the Trans-Mississippi department until the close of the war, surrendering at Galveston, Tex. Then returning to Virginia, he was engaged in farming in Shenandoah county until 1884, at the same time taking an active part in public affairs, and in 1869 received the honor of election as brigadier-general of militia. During the following two years he served as State statistician in the agricultural department of Virginia, and, from 1886 to 1889, held the office of chief computer in the supervising architect's office at Washington, D. C. In 1893 he was appointed, by the secretary of the treasury, superintendent of public buildings, and in this capacity he supervised the building of the bureau of engraving and printing.

Fleming Meredith, of Richmond, a gallant Confederate veteran, who in 1892 was appointed to the office of deputy sheriff at Richmond, was born in King William county, October 10, 1836. He was reared and educated there and at Richmond college. In April, 1861, with the first to enlist in the defense of the State, he entered