Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/909

Rh time disabled by severe illness. In 1864, upon the requisition of the president of the Petersburg railroad, he was assigned to service upon that road, in which he remained until the close of hostilities. Since then he has been for many years in charge of the planing mill and box factory at that city and for two years in charge of the bridge force on the Weldon railroad. In 1894 he was elected commissioner of revenue for the city. He is a valued member of A. P. Hill camp, Confederate Veterans.

Gabriel Edmonston, a citizen of Washington who rendered valuable service to the Confederate States, was born in that city in the year 1839. Early in April, 1861, he entered the Confederate service, as a member of an independent command, and participated in the Peninsular campaign with this organization, taking part in the engagement with gunboats at Drewry's Bluff, the battle of Seven Pines, and skirmishing on the river with Federal gunboats. In June he enlisted in Company F of the Forty-first Virginia regiment and fought at Malvern Hill, after which he was promoted color bearer. He was with his command and participated in the battles of Second Manassas, South Mountain and Sharpsburg. At the latter engagement he was wounded, and, after lying in field hospital about ten days, was sent to Richmond, where he remained, disabled, until the spring of 1863. He was then pronounced unfit for infantry service and he made an effort to join the cavalry, but, failing to obtain a horse, entered the naval service on Chesapeake bay, under the command of Col. Edwin G. Lee and, subsequently, of John V. Bell. He continued in this service, operating in open boats in expeditions against the Federal commerce, until he was captured and sent in irons to Fort McHenry. After he had been kept there in close confinement for two weeks, he succeeded in making his escape and, crossing the Potomac at the mouth of Monocacy creek, reported to Lieutenant Parker. By the latter he was sent to Richmond for naval supplies and while there he entered the secret service of the government. While on this duty he was again captured in the fall of 1864, in Fauquier county, and taken in irons to Alexandria and thence to Old Capitol prison and later to Elmira, N. Y., where he was held until March, 1865, when he was exchanged, but, being sick at the time, did not recover until the war had ceased. He returned to Washington in September, 1865, and resumed, his occupation as a carpenter. He has been very prominent in the organization of labor in the District of Columbia, was the first president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, in 1881, is prominent in the Carpenters' national organization, representing it in the congresses of the American Federation of Labor during eight years, and in the federation has held every office except that of president. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Washington Association of Confederate Veterans. In April, 1865, he was married in Fauquier county, Va., to Mary A. Follin, who died in 1869, leaving one daughter, now the wife of William A. Miller, of Washington. In 1875 he was married to Mary I. Barker, daughter of James W. Barker, of Virginia.

Oney H. Edwards, of Portsmouth, a survivor of the gallant organization known as Armistead's brigade, Pickett's division, army of Northern Virginia, was born at Portsmouth, June 6, 1827. His ancestors were brave and energetic men, both his father, Amos