Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1264

1184 the country, since his connection with the ministry. He has also served as president of the board of trustees of Rutherford college, North Carolina, the institution which conferred upon him, on his fifty-second birthday, the degree of doctor of divinity. Dr. Speight was married in April, 1865, to Elizabeth, daughter of John Williams, of North Carolina, and they have three children: J. R. Speight, M. D., of Norfolk; Willie Etta, wife of C. T. Peal, of North Carolina; and Clara Augusta, wife of E. M. Drake, of Sunbeam, Va.

E. Leslie Spence, of Richmond, who served gallantly in the army of Northern Virginia during the war of the Confederacy, and since that period has taken a prominent part in the military organizations of the State, was born at the city of Richmond in November, 1841. He was reared and educated at his native city and on April 19, 1861, enlisted in the defense of the State as a private in the Richmond Grays, a famous military organization which was mustered into the service as Company G of the Twelfth Virginia infantry regiment. He served with honor in the actions and campaigns of this regiment, fighting at Seven Pines, French's Farm, Malvern Hill, White Oak Swamp, Second Manassas and Crampton's Gap, Maryland. In the latter gallant action he was wounded September 14, 1862, and his injuries were so severe that upon his convalescence in the spring of 1863, he was unable to return to the active service of his regiment, but was detailed for duty with the general court martial department of Henrico. He continued in this capacity until January, 1865, when he rejoined his regiment near Petersburg and participated in the subsequent action at Hatcher's Run, where he was again slightly wounded. On February 22, 1865, he was transferred to the Twenty-fifth Virginia battalion, with which he served until Appomattox. After the surrender he returned to Richmond upon a mule, which he was able to sell on his arrival for $120. He at once embarked in business at Richmond, and during the subsequent years has met with notable success. In 1871 he was prominent in the reorganization of the Richmond Grays, and in 1886 was elected captain. He commanded this noted organization during its participation in the funeral of General Grant at New York in 1883, in the parade at the first inauguration of President Cleveland, and during a riot at Newport News in 1887. In the latter year he resigned his rank in the Grays, and in 1890 he was elected captain of Company E of the First Virginia regiment of infantry, a command he has held for several years. He is a member of R. E. Lee camp, No. 1, Confederate Veterans, and held the position of commander in 1894. A brother of Captain Spence, George A. Spence, was a private in Company H of the Twelfth Virginia regiment, and was killed at Hatcher's Run, at the age of thirty-four years.

Thomas W. Spindle, of Roanoke, was born in Spottsylvania county in 1835, of an old and worthy family of English descent. He entered the service of Virginia from Montgomery county April 17, 1861, as a private in the Fourth regiment of infantry, which was assigned to the brigade under command of T. J. Jackson, soon to be famous as the Stonewall brigade. He served with this command, with promotion to sergeant in the fall of 1861, until the battle of Kernstown, at the outset of Jackson's campaign in the valley, when he was wounded and captured while carrying the