Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/707

Rh that Colonel Wigfall had made arrangements for surrender. Soon afterward he was assigned as colonel to the command of the Third Virginia regiment, stationed at Portsmouth and vicinity, and later in the year was elected a member of the First Confederate congress, in which he served with prominence as a member of the military committee. Continuing in military command, he moved his regiment to Yorktown in March, 1862, and engaged in battle at Yorktown and Williamsburg, after which he was promoted brigadier-general. In this rank he participated in the battle of Seven Pines, and was particularly distinguished, his men fighting bravely and with heavy loss, in the victories won at Gaines' Mill and Frayser's Farm. With Longstreet's corps he took part in the second battle of Manassas, and shared the distinction won by Anderson's corps at Harper's Ferry and Sharpsburg. In November General Lee requested Pryor to return to Richmond and organize a brigade to operate south of the James river. He rendered valuable services in that field until his resignation, August 26, 1863. In 1864 he was captured by the United States troops and for a time confined at Fort Lafayette. Upon the close of hostilities he urged a policy of quiet acquiescence in the results of the war, but did not long remain in the South, removing to New York city, and embarking in the practice of law, in which he attained great distinction. The degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by Hampden-Sidney college.

 Brigadier-General Alexander Welch Reynolds was born in Clarke county, Va., in August, 1817, and was graduated at the United States military academy in 1838, in the class of Generals Beauregard, Hardee, Edward Johnson and Stevenson. He was promoted second lieutenant First infantry on graduation, and first lieutenant a year later; served in the Florida war as adjutant of his regiment in 1838-40, and again in 1840-41; subsequently was on frontier duty in the northwest, and then on recruiting service until 1847, when he was promoted captain and assigned to quartermaster duty. In the latter capacity he served at Philadelphia, in the Mexican war, and in Indian Territory and New Mexico. He was on duty as a quartermaster at various points, mainly in Texas, from 1857, until he left the United States service 