Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/684

634 States he lectured for a time upon his Mexican experience, at Baltimore and other cities, finally settling at Houston, Tex., in 1869. He died at that city, February 19, 1871.

Major-General William Mahone was born at Monroe, Southampton county, Va., December 1, 1826. His family in Virginia was descended from an Irish progenitor of the Colonial period. Both his grandfathers served in the war of 1812, and his father commanded a militia regiment during the Nat Turner insurrection. He was graduated at the Virginia military institute in 1847, after which he taught two years at the Rappahannock military academy. He then entered upon a career as civil engineer in which he became distinguished, engaging in the construction of new railroads in Virginia, notably the Orange & Alexandria and Norfolk & Petersburg lines. Overcoming obstacles that had been pronounced insuperable in the construction of the latter line, he subsequently became president of the railroad company. He then conceived his great project of consolidating various roads into a system from Norfolk to Bristol, Tenn., with the ultimate object of extending connections to the Mississippi and to the Pacific coast. But these enterprises were brought to a sudden check by the political events of 1860-61. He promptly offered his services to Virginia, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, and soon promoted colonel of the Sixth Virginia regiment. Serving first at Norfolk, he was promoted brigadier-general November 16, 1861. After serving in the defense of Drewry's bluff, he fought his brigade in Huger's division at Seven Pines, where his men and Armistead's struck the enemy a telling blow on the second day. He participated in the Seven Days' battles before Richmond, and in Anderson's division of Longstreet's corps conducted his brigade into action at the battle of Second Manassas with conspicuous gallantry, receiving a severe wound which prevented his participation in the Maryland campaign, though his famous brigade was distinguished in the valorous defense of the South mountain passes. Returning to his command, he served through the succeeding struggles on the Rappahannock and in Pennsylvania, and during the first day's fighting in the Wilderness was intrusted with the command of his own