Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/664

616 the department of Western Virginia, with headquarters at Dublin, Va., and in general charge of the operations in defense of the Virginia & Tennessee railroad and the salt mines. Subsequently he was in command of the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida until succeeded by General Hardee in October. During this period Charleston harbor was defended, and the Federal expedition in Florida was defeated at Olustee. He commanded the district of South Carolina until January, 1865, and the department of South Georgia and Florida until May 10, 1865, when he surrendered at Tallahassee. Then retiring to private life he was engaged in farming, with his residence at Mattoax, Va., from 1866 until 1880, when he was appointed to a position in the office of the adjutant-general at Washington. In 1885 he was transferred to the office of the judge-advocate-general. His death occurred at Bedford Springs, Va., July 31, 1887.

Brigadier-General William E. Jones was born near Glade Spring, Washington county, Va., in May, 1824. He was educated at Emory and Henry college and at West Point, and began service in the United States army with the rank of brevet second lieutenant in the class of 1848. In 1847 he had received from Emory and Henry college the degree of master of arts. His connection with the old army continued until his resignation in 1857, he then having the rank of first lieutenant, mounted rifles. During this period he first served in Missouri and Kansas, marched to Oregon in 1849, remained there and in Washington Territory until 1851, and after that was mainly on duty in Texas. After his retirement he was engaged in farming in his native county until 1861. Upon the passage of the ordinance of secession he had ready a company of cavalry, the Washington Mounted Rifles, with which he joined Stuart in the Valley and took part in the First Manassas campaign. At this time Gen. J. E. Johnston declared that his company was the strongest in the First Virginia cavalry regiment, "not surpassed in discipline and spirit by any in the army," and recommended that Stuart be given brigade command and that Jones, "skillful, brave and zealous in a very high degree," should succeed to the colonelcy, with Fitzhugh Lee as lieutenant-colonel. Consequently he became colonel of the First, upon the