Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/825

Rh Gap, and encountered a heavy force at Blue Springs. Here a considerable fight occurred, lasting all the day of September 10th, in which the Confederates held their own and severely repulsed an attack of the enemy. Then learning of a strong flank movement of the Federals, Williams' command marched to the rear all night, and in the morning cut their way through Foster's Federal brigade, an action in which the cavalry was distinguished for gallantry. Another fight followed at Rheatown, but the command finally escaped to Abingdon. In the fight of the 11th Mr. Brown was painfully wounded in the left knee, but he managed to return to Abingdon upon his horse. After his recovery he enlisted in the Forty-fifth Virginia infantry, McCausland's brigade, and on May 9th shared the gallant action of his command in the battle of Cloyd's Mountain. The Forty-fifth sustained the heaviest loss, 174 men, and Lieut-Col. E. H. Harman was killed. Immediately after this battle Private Brown was promoted sergeant. His next battle was at Piedmont on June 5th, against Hunter's army in which many gallant Confederates were killed, including Gen. William E. Jones and Col. William H. Browne, of the Forty-fifth. Most of the regiment was captured, including Sergeant Brown, and during the next eight months he was a prisoner of war at Camp Morton, Ind. Since the conclusion of the war he has been engaged in business at Wytheville, a part of the time as a druggist, and at present as cashier of the Bank of Wytheville. He was married in 1876 to Miss Minnie Noel, and they have six children: Leila, Noel, Fairfax, Walker, Elise and Virginia.

Colonel John Willcox Brown, president of the Maryland Trust company, of Baltimore, and a resident of that city during the past three decades, is a native of Virginia, born at Petersburg in 1833. At the latter place he was reared and received his education preparatory to entering the university of Virginia, where he was graduated in 1853, receiving the degree A. M. There he also studied law, and continued the study at home, but on account of failing eyesight was compelled to relinquish his efforts and travel in Europe, where he spent two years. After his return home the State of Virginia was agitated by the "John Brown raid," and the forebodings of evil to come led to the organization of companies to meet the emergencies that might arise. At Petersburg representatives of the best families were enrolled in the Petersburg Riflemen, which Colonel Wilcox assisted in organizing and drilling, and of which he became orderly sergeant. When Virginia withdrew from the Union and allied herself with the Confederate States, he proceeded, with his company, to Norfolk, Va., where the "Richmond Grays" and the Petersburg companies were mustered in as the Twelfth Virginia infantry, in the service of the State, Colonel Brown's company being entitled Company E. With this command, the colonel of which was D. A. Weisiger, afterward brigadier-general, Colonel Brown served in the occupation of Norfolk, in the movement to Richmond, and participated in the battle of Seven Pines, the campaign against Pope, and the second battle of Manassas. When mustered in he was elected junior second lieutenant, and was promoted successively to the rank of first lieutenant, which he held when the year of enlistment expired. At the reorganization of the army in the spring of 1862 he declined to be re-elected first lieutenant, though urged to