Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/783

Rh in numberless engagements, prominent among which were the actions at Williamsburg, Catlett's Station, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, the Shenandoah Valley fights, Fredericksburg, Kelly's Ford, Brandy Station, Aldie, Upperville, Snicker's Gap, Boonsboro, Hanover, Carlisle, Westminster, Gettysburg, Spottsylvania, Yellow Tavern, Chickahominy and Trevilian Station. He was first wounded at Kelly's ford, being cut from his horse by a saber blow, and at Trevilian's he was shot through the body. The latter injury caused his confinement in the hospital at Richmond for eight months. Immediately after the death of General Stuart he was appointed by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee chief of scouts for the cavalry, and the duty of this position he performed from the time of his recovery until the close of the war, finally being paroled at Appomattox. He then for six years gave his attention to farming in Hanover county, after which he became connected with the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, with which he has remained to the present, except two years as a passenger conductor on the Richmond & Alexandria road. He entered the employment of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad company in 1871, and a few months later was promoted freight conductor. In 1880, on the recommendation of General Wickham, he became a passenger conductor, and since 1882 he has served as freight and passenger conductor. Both as a railroad man and an active and influential politician he has a wide acquaintance. For twenty years he has served in State and national conventions, and in 1893-94 he represented Henrico county in the legislature of Virginia. He was married in early manhood to Miss Virginia Morment, who died in 1892, and in 1897 he married Miss Laura, daughter of James C. Mitchell, of Richmond. Six children are living, five of whom are promising young men. One of these, Jesse H. Binford, graduated with first honors at Richmond college, and is engaged in the, practice of law at Hot Springs, Ark. Wirt Binford, a younger brother of the foregoing, served in the command of Colonel Mosby, and met his death in the fight at Hominy church, March 17, 1865. Another younger brother, James, a member of the second company of Richmond Howitzers, was killed at Sailor's Creek.

Charles H. Binns, Jr., a Confederate veteran and a pioneer of the thriving young city of Newport News, Va., was born at Providence Forge, New Kent county, Va., August 1, 1843. His father, Charles H. Binns, senior, born in Surry county, January 4, 1812, was a merchant and farmer by occupation, and died in 1890. His mother, Adelaide B. Colgin, was a native of Charles City county; Mr. Binns passed his childhood upon his father's farm, and was educated in the school at Lexington, taught by William N. Pendleton, afterward chief of artillery of the army of Northern Virginia, and in the Virginia military institute, which he entered in March, 1862. He remained at the latter institution as a cadet, receiving a military training, until the fall of 1863, and at the time of the burial of Gen. T. J. Jackson at Lexington had the honor of serving in the military escort. Upon leaving the institute he enlisted as a private in the Fourth battery, heavy artillery, Richmond defenses, and was subsequently attached to Custis Lee's division of Ewell's corps. He participated in the defense of Fort Harrison and the bombardment of Dutch Gap, and was in the retreat of the army from Richmond as far as Sailor's Creek, where his corps of the army