Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/936

872 of renown in that historic land. From that family have descended all the Flemings in the United States, and no name is more common, perhaps, in the rolls of the old Continental army. In the civil service it is distinguished as well. Of this family was that Col. William Fleming, who was the hero of the battle of Point Pleasants, in September, 1774. The mother of Robert I. Fleming was Eliza A. Robertson, a descendant of an old Virginia family, which is believed on the evidence of ancient documents, recently discovered, to be lineally descended from Duncan, king of Scotland. Ancestral influences, no doubt, combined with loyalty to his State to lead young Fleming, when Virginia called her men to arms, to offer his services in the field of war. He enlisted on April 25, 1861, in the Fayette artillery, organized at Richmond May 29, 1824, and christened in compliment to the Marquis de La Fayette, at that date visiting the city. In acknowledgment General Lafayette presented the company two brass cannon which he had brought to America during the war of the Revolution. In this historic command Private Fleming soon demonstrated his worthiness to serve, and he was promoted corporal, then sergeant and sergeant-major at the battle of Suffolk, and on June 3, 1864, at the field of Cold Harbor, he was promoted lieutenant for gallant and meritorious conduct. In August, 1864, he was detailed to command Bogg's battalion of four companies of artillery, but upon the death of General Gracie, of Alabama, who commanded the brigade to which that battalion was attached, he returned to the Fayette artillery, with which he served until the close of the war. A simple enumeration of the actions in which he participated will indicate the arduous and intrepid character of his service: In 1861—Action with the U. S. steamer Pawnee on James river, April 10; battle of Big Bethel, June 10. In 1862—Engagement at Harrod's Mill, April 3; Wynne's Mill, Va., April 5; under fire guarding the retreat from Yorktown to Warwick river, April 5 to May 3; battle of Williamsburg, Va., May 5; Seven Pines, May 31 and June 1; battles of Gaines' Mill, Frayser's Farm, Malvern Hill, in the Seven Days' battles before Richmond, June and July; night attack at Harrison's Landing, July 8; Second Manassas, August 30; Crampton's Gap, Md., and Sharpsburg, Md., September 17; battles at Fredericksburg, Va., December 11, 12, 13. In 1863—Suffolk, April 12; Gettysburg, supporting Pickett's charge, July 3. In 1864—Battles of Bachelor's Creek, N. C., New Bern and Beech Grove, February; Plymouth, N. C., April 20; New Bern, N. C., April 20; Drewry's Bluff, Va., May 14; Drewry's Farm, May 16; Cold Harbor, June 1 and 3; around Petersburg, June 16, 17, 18; the Crater (Fort Elliott), Petersburg, September 6; attack on Fort Harrison, before Richmond, September 29; Burgess' Mill, October 20; and all engagements during the siege of Petersburg. In 1865 Lieutenant Fleming commanded picked detachments of artillery in the capture of Fort Stedman, in the Federal lines before Petersburg, March 25, where he turned and worked the guns upon the enemy until a retreat was ordered. Here a piece of shell tore the top of his cap from his head. In the following month he was in command of a section of artillery, of General Walker's division of Gordon's corps, composing the rear guard of the army during the retreat to Appomattox, and was