Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/872

812 of Norfolk, Va., and a nephew of Robert Wilson, was born on a farm in Norfolk county, July 24, 1860. His father, Dr. Martin L. Cornick, who died in 1865, was a native of Princess Anne county and well known as a physician. His mother, Margaret F. (Wilson) Cornick, who is still living, is a native of Norfolk county. Mr. Cornick was educated in the county and city schools, attending for three years the school of Robert Gatewood, in Norfolk. He embarked in business life as a clerk in the grain business at Norfolk, and, at twenty-one years of age, engaged in the boot and shoe business, which he followed for about four years, with satisfactory results, but finding that his health was failing on account of the confinement, he abandoned that trade to enter the real estate business, in 1884. In this line of enterprise, for which the growing city of Norfolk offers an excellent field, he has met with conspicuous success. He has attained a worthy place in the social life of the community as well as in its business circles, and has before him a promising future. As a member of the Business Men's association he is watchful for the opportunities for advancement of the city. His fraternal associations are with the Masonic order and the Odd Fellows.

Major Ellison L. Costin, of recent years a resident of the city of Washington, served with distinction in McLaws' command and in Longstreet's corps of the army of Northern Virginia. He is a native of the Old Dominion, born in Northampton county, November 14, 1834. He was reared in his native county and received his academic education at the Concord academy in Caroline county. Having determined to enter the profession of law, he matriculated at the university of Virginia for legal study and was graduated there in 1859. He embarked in the practice at once in his native county in the peaceful days, which were soon disturbed by the threatened insurrection at Harper's Ferry and the exciting events which followed the presidential campaign of 1860. When Virginia decided to ally herself with the seceding States he was among her most earnest supporters. In September, 1861, he entered the service of the Confederacy as aide-de-camp upon the staff of Brig.-Gen. Richard Griffith, of Mississippi, with the rank of captain. In this position he participated in the operations of McLaws' command in the Peninsular campaign of 1862. At the battle of Savage Station, June 29th, General Griffith was killed and Captain Costin subsequently served upon the staff of his successor, Gen. William Barksdale, in McLaws' division, until Barksdale was killed at Gettysburg. He was then transferred to the staff of Maj.-Gen. Lafayette McLaws, with whom he served in Virginia, and in the Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Knoxville campaigns, until McLaws was superseded by Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw as division commander. Upon the staff of the latter he served until the end of the war, being promoted on September 17, 1864, to the rank of major, on account of gallant and meritorious service. Among the important battles in which Major Costin participated, were those of Williamsburg, the Seven Days' fighting before Richmond, Cedar Run, the Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Knoxville, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, the engagements from Spottsylvania to Petersburg and the defense of Petersburg. During the retreat from Richmond he participated in the battle at