Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/884

824 city of Newport News, of which he became a citizen in 1891. He also has extensive business and manufacturing interests, as president of the Newport News building and loan association, director of the Citizens' and Marine bank, and the Newport News gas company, and president of the Newport News knitting mill. He is also president of the business men's association, treasurer of the Young Men's Christian association and a trustee of the Female seminary. His activity in these various channels of influence has made him one of the most popular and leading men of his county. In his youth he was married to Miss Mary McKennie, who died eighteen months later, leaving one child, Roberta Power, now a teacher in the Newport News schools. In October, 1877, he married Miss Blanch Power, and they have five children living: Henry, Abbie, Bessie, Frank and Lucy.

Captain John Cussons, of Glen Allen,, Va., who has been honored by his comrades of the United Confederate Veterans with the rank of grand commander of the Virginia division, was born at Horncastle, England, in 1837. Manifesting in youth the adventurous spirit which characterized his subsequent military career, he came to America in 1855, and, going to the wild Northwest, spent four years enlivened by hunting adventures and experiences among the Sioux Indians. In 1859 he made his home at Selma, Ala., and purchased a half interest in the Selma Reporter. In the conduct of this journal he was a prominent supporter of the Bell and Everett ticket in 1860. As soon as the secession of the State was decided upon he entered heartily into the movement for independence and, as a member of the Governor's Guard, took part in the occupation of Fort Morgan. The Guard became a part of the Fourth Alabama infantry, and, with the rank of lieutenant, he accompanied the command to Virginia in April, 1861. The regiment was brigaded under command of Gen. Barnard E. Bee, with whom Cussons served as a scout until that lamented officer fell at Manassas, July 21, 1861. Cussons was in physique an ideal soldier, and his dashing manner was fully sustained by his daring and cool intrepidity. Such a man was invaluable for leading desperate enterprises or for obtaining reliable information concerning the movements of the enemy, and he was in constant demand for such service during his connection with the army. General Whiting, who succeeded Bee, retained him as a scout until, at the battle of Seven Pines he was promoted captain and appointed to the staff of Gen. E. M. Law, who succeeded to the command of the brigade. Thenceforward he was frequently assigned to outpost, flank rear guard and detached service. During Longstreet's Suffolk campaign he surprised and captured Fort Stribling by a night attack, with a handful of picked men, suffering little loss. In the campaign against Pope, at the crisis when Longstreet must join Jackson through Thoroughfare Gap to effect a defeat of the enemy, the gap being held by the Federals under General Ricketts, Captain Cussons, with a hundred riflemen, climbed over the mountain and attacked Rickett's outposts so suddenly as to cause a stampede of the enemy, which resulted in the Federals abandoning their important position and beating a precipitate retreat. At 9 o'clock the next morning, August 29, 1862, Captain Cussons found Stonewall Jackson and delivered the welcome intelligence that Longstreet was through the gap and the head of