USA > Tennessee > Shelby County > Memphis > The Old Guard in Gray. Researches in the Annals of the Confederate Historical Association. Sketches of Memphis veterans who upheld her standards in the war, and of other Confederate worthies.. > Part 14
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POSTON, JAMES, entered the service as a private in the Bluff City Grays, McDonald's Battalion, May, 1861; served throughout the war and paroled May, 1865. Proposed for membership by W. D. Stratton and elected January 20, 1870.
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POSTON, WM. K., private in Company A, Fourth Ten- nessee ; was born in Shelby county, Tenn., October 2, 1844; enlisted May 15, 1861; served through the entire war in the same command; was wounded twice-once at the battle of Shiloh once at Missionary Ridge; paroled May 23, 1865.
POWEL, JOIIN A., born in Winchester, Tenn., March 31, 1844, and was reared in Memphis; enlisted in the Bluff City Grays, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee, under Captain J. H. Edmondson, about May 1, 1861; was in the battles of Belmont and Shilob. His brother Benjamin was wounded at Shiloh, and he dragged him off the field under heavy fire ; on the retreat he found a four-mule team without a driver, mounted himself, drove to a field hospital and loaded up with wounded men, including his brother, Louis Vaccaro, Fred Woller, Wm. Linsted and Billie Fleshart, and hauled them thirty miles to Corinth over terrible roads. This took two days and nights, without food or attention given to the wounded. Linsted only lives out of the five. John and Ben Powel fought side by side both days at Shiloh; assisted in capturing a battery ; got into the " hornets' nest" and carried Ollie Patterson out of it mortally wounded; Patterson died the same evening. John Powel was in the battle of Rich- mond, which he describes yet as the fairest and squarest fight he ever saw. There he saw General Pat Cleburne shot through the jaws as he gave the command " Forward !" It was there Preston Smith, Colonel of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee, made a flank movement which, John says, whipped the fight and made him a brigadier-general. Mr. Powel's next battle was at Murfreesboro, where his com- pany again had a hand in capturing a battery; they had seven men killed, including Lieutenants Creighton and Burch, and six men badly wounded. After that the company was mounted, and he took part in the battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. There he was rejoined by his brother Ben, who had been absent on account of his wound received at Shiloh. They were both with General Forrest on his memorable raid when he captured Colonel Streight and 1800 men near Rome, Ga. He was with General Forrest on his
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raid into West Tennessee in 1863, and was severely wounded by a shot through his right lung at Jack's Creek, and was confined to his bed for two years. He has since been a great sufferer, but hopes to live to a green old age. He was a lieu- tenant in McDonald's Battalion, and his name appears con- spicuously in Lindsley's Military Annals. His brother Ben, who died only a year or two ago, followed Forrest to the end of the war. John A. Powel became a member of the C. H. A. September 9, 1884; his brother Benjamin was also a member.
PRESCOTT, J. A., private in Company F, Second Regi- ment; enlisted in October, 1861; was in the Army of North- ern Virginia ; was captured at Bolivar, Tenn., and discharged in 1863; released from prison in 1865. Recommended in ap- plication to this Association by J. J. Brown and J. P. Young.
PULLEN, BENJ. K., enlisted in 1861; was a member of Captain J. T. Begbie's Confederate Guards Home Regiment ; afterward served with Colonel J. G. Ballentine's Cavalry Regiment, with the rank of captain, up to January, 1864; transferred to post duty at Grenada, Miss., under Major J. S. Mellon, Chief of Subsistence, until the surrender in 1865. Admitted to C. H. A. October 8, 1895.
QUINTARD, CHAS. TODD, is of Huguenot descent and came of a noted family. He was born December 22, 1824, at Stamford, Conn., in the room in which his father first saw the light, and the father lived to be 90 years old. He became a physician in early life, but took a course of theological studies under Bishop Hervey Otey, D. D .; was ordained deacon in Calvary Church, Memphis, in 1854, and in 1865 succeeded Bishop Otey. During the war he was chaplain of the First Tennessee Regiment and served at Valley Mountain, Cheat Mountain and Big Sewell in Virginia, holding daily services as often as practicable. He was at the battles of Perryville, Murfreesboro and Chickamauga; was in the Georgia cam- paign from Dalton to Atlanta, and was at the battle of Frank- lin, as well as other engagements. He was a practical, work- ing chaplain, and it was through his zeal and labors that sev- eral generals and other soldiers became devout christians at
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Dalton while the army was in winter quarters there. He became a member of this Association May 12, 1870.
RADCLIFF, T. D., private Company A, Seventh Tennes- see Cavalry ; enlisted May, 1861, and served through the war. Recommended for membership in this Association by T. P. Adams and Henry Moode, and elected March 3, 1869.
RAINEY, I. N., born April 6, 1845; enlisted in Company A, Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, at Columbia, Tenn., March 20, 1863; the company was known as " Memphis Light Dra- goons " and was on special service as escort for General W. H. Jackson ; went from Columbia to Spring Hill and contin- ually raided and were raided by the Federals who held Franklin until about June 1, 1863; then with General Jack- son's Division, joined J. E. Johnston's army in rear of Vicks- burg ; after the fall of Vicksburg, was at the siege of Jackson by Sherman, and in all the maneuvers in Mississippi at that time and until the command went to take part in the Georgia campaign; joined Johnston's army at Dalton ; was on retreat to Atlanta, and at fall of that place; was with Hood on his advance to Nashville and during the campaign in Tennessee; retreated with army into Mississippi ; at Corinth, in January, 1865, got a thirty days furlough, which was spent with friends in Kemper county, Miss .; followed Wilson in his raid through Alabama to Selma; was near Selma at its capture by Wilson ; shortly after, surrendered at Gainesville, Ala., May 11, 1865 ; the number of his parole is 52. Was never wounded, but had three horses killed under him. Joined the Confederate His- torical Association June 13, 1894.
RAMBAUT, G. V., entered the Confederate States Army as a private in Company H, McDonald's Battalion, Forrest's old regiment ; was promoted from private to major July 20, 1862, and served on the staff of General Forrest through all his different promotions ; was wounded twice-once at Shiloh and again on the march from Pontotoc, Miss., to Harrisburg and Tupelo. He enjoyed the full confidence of General For- rest and was with him " from start to finish." Major Ram- baut was a very busy, active man, and only began to write
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his recollections of Forrest's campaigns in the spring of 1896, and soon after was taken suddenly ill and died in a few days, an irreparable loss to his family, and to his old comrades and many friends. He was peculiarly fitted for the work he had begun, and no one else can finish it for him as he would have done. He was one of the early members of this Association.
RAWLINGS, R. J., private Company B, Forrest's old reg- iment ; enlisted May, 1861, in Welby Armstrong's Company, Second Tennessee Regiment Infantry, and was afterward transferred to Forrest's Regiment Cavalry; meantime had served in the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee ; was captured sick just before the battle of Perryville, paroled and came home, but subsequently escaped and rejoined his com- mand at Como, Miss., and served from that date, December, 1863, to the end of the war ; paroled May 11, 1865. Admitted to this Association October, 1895.
REAVES, BEN. T., enlisted as a private May 15, 1861 ; served in Cheatham's Division to the end of the war; paroled April 26, 1865. Entered this Association upon the recom- mendation of C. W. Frazer July 1, 1869; lived at Bartlett ; taught school and practiced law. Died some years ago.
RENIG, CHAS., private in Company I, Fifteenth Tennes- see ; served through the war. Recommended for member- ship by Captain F. Wolf and elected in this Association Jan- uary 20, 1870. Died several years ago.
RHEA, W. H., entered the service in April, 1861; was a Captain in the Second Tennessee Regiment; paroled May, 1865. After the war became one of the editors of the Ara- lanche, and afterward was connected with the Board of Un- derwriters of Memphis. Became a member of this Associa- tion April 28, 1870; name proposed by Dr. John H. Erskine. Died several years ago.
RITTENHOUSE, DAN. G., private in the West Rangers, McCulloch's Regiment ; enlisted January 1, 1862. Filed a certificate of discharge from the army on account of chronic illness with application for membership in this Association.
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RICHARDSON, W. G., Second Sergeant in Company A, Seventh Tennessee Cavalry : enlisted May 16, 1861, and went all through the war; was paroled at Gainesville, Ala., May 11, 1865. Became a member of this Association May 12, 1870, upon the recommendation of Colonel T. H. Logwood and Dr. R. W. Mitchell. Died several years ago.
ROBERTSON, W. M., enlisted May 1, 1861, as a private in Company A, First Mississippi Regiment, Pillow's Brigade; was wounded at Fort Donelson and captured ; released July, 1862; also captured at Nashville under General Hood; was in all the battles of the Army of Tennessee from Fort Don- elson to Nashville; paroled June 12, 1865. Admitted to this Association October 9, 1894.
ROBSON, B. P., enlisted as a member of Company B, Logwood's Battalion, May 15, 1861, and was detached as Quartermaster's Sergeant in Jackson's Division of Cavalry, and was with the command during the entire four years of the war; paroled in May, 1865. Admitted to the C. H. A. October 8, 1895.
RODEN, GEORGE, born in County Cavin, Ireland, in 1842; grew up in the city of Toronto, Canada; came south in 1859; enlisted June 13, 1861, in Company A, Captain F. A. Montgomery, First Mississippi Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Dick Pinson, and served with that command three years; was in Forrest's command nearly all of the war; was in the battles of Belmont, Shiloh, Franklin and many battles and innumerable skirmishes. In the winter of '63 the com- pany was furloughed to go home and re-equip. Private Roder was cut off by Sherman's raid up the Yazoo, reported to General Wirt Adams and assigned to headquarters of scouts under Captain W. A. Montgomery; served with him to the end of the war and was surrendered at Gainesville, Ala .; paroled May 12, 1865. Lived in Washington county, Miss., until four years ago, when he came to Memphis. Joined the C. H. A. in 1893 and became a member of Company A. Con- federate Veterans. When he applied for membership in this Association he presented very flattering testimonials from his
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former captain, W. A. Montgomery, R. N. Miller, prosecut- ing attorney of Hinds county, Miss., and other comrades. He is an active member of Company A, and was on its visits to Chattanooga, Richmond, Little Rock and elsewhere.
RODGERS, W. S., enlisted May 1, 1861, as a private in Company K, First Tennessee Cavalry, Humes' Brigade; pa- roled May 3, 1865. Joined this Association May 14, 1889.
ROGAN, H. A., Major in the Ninth Tennessee Infantry ; entered the service in May, 1861; paroled May, 1865; occu- pation, lawyer. Proposed for membership by L. B. MeFar- land, and elected January 20, 1870. Died many years ago.
ROSSER, ISAAC, entered the service April 21, 1861, and was Second Lieutenant in Tobin's Battery, and paroled May 10, 1865. Proposed for membership by Colonel Jno. W. Daw- son, and elected July 1, 1869. Died several years ago.
RUCKER, Colonel commanding brigade in Forrest's Cav- alry corps ; lost one arm in the war. Proposed for member- ship in this Association by W. S. Pickett, and elected January 20, 1870. Now lives in Alabama ; occupation, civil engineer; was a conspicuous figure in nearly all of Forrest's campaigns.
RUST, J. W., private Company K, First Kentucky ; en- listed May 18, 1861; released from service May 18, 1863, on account of ill health ; served in the Army of Virginia. His discharge was regularly signed by General Joseph E. Johnston.
RYAN, CHARLES ROSCOE, born in Monticello, Jasper county, Ga., January 31, 1845; in 1859 the family removed to Des Arc, Ark., and in 1861 he joined the Twenty-fifth Arkansas Infantry at Corinth, Miss. ; participated in the bat- tles of Corinth and Iuka; his regiment was sent to Port Hudson ; he was there during the whole siege, and was under fire for forty days continuously when the place fell. After he was exchanged he went to Georgia and became connected with the medical department, his chief being Dr. Bateman, formerly of Memphis; he continued until May, 1865, when he volunteered, against the expostulations of his chief, to go into the fort at West Point, Ga., to try and repel the invasion
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of the Federal cavalry under General Wilson. They were forced to surrender, but were not long detained. After the war he came to Memphis and engaged in the grocery business successfully. In 1884 he contracted a severe attack of pneu- monia ; after lingering for one year he died in Manitou, Col , November 24, 1885. His remains were brought back to Mem- phis, and now lie in Elmwood Cemetery. He was one of the early members of the old Confederate Historical Association.
SANFORD, G. W., private Company B, Seventh Missis- sippi Cavalry; enlisted in 1862; paroled May 16, 1865. Was recommended for membership in the C. H. A. by J. P. Young and C. W. Frazer, and admitted February 11, 1896.
SCALES, DABNEY M., Midshipman in the Confederate States Navy ; enlisted May, 1861; was a midshipman in the United States Navy, but resigned when his native State Mis- sissippi seceded; reported for duty at Savannah, Ga., under John N. Maffitt, on steamers Savannah and Charleston, and cruised along the coasts of Georgia and Florida; also served under J. N. Brown, commanding the steamer Arkansas, on Yazoo and Mississippi rivers; was engaged at Port Royal, Old River, and on Mississippi river at Vicksburg, with fleets of Farragut and Davis, and with Envoy and consorts under Com- modore Porter; was sent by C. S. Government to Europe to join the cruiser Shenandoah, which played havoc with the United States merchant marine on the Pacific coast, and was never captured, but returned to Liverpool in 1866. Midship- man Scales was not paroled. He returned to this country long after the war, and married a daughter of the late Major Geo. W. Winchester; has practiced law successfully, and was a member of the last State Senate. He became a member of this Association August 12, 1884.
SCOTT, WM. L., came from Knoxville, Tenn., and prac- ticed law and married in Memphis before the war; was chosen Second Lieutenant of Bankhead's Battery of Light Artillery ; his brother-in-law, W. Y. C. Humes, was first lieutenant, and Smith P. Bankhead captain ; the other second lieutenants were James Clare MeDavitt and W. B. Greenlaw, Jr .; the
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battery spent the winter of 1861-2 at Columbus, Ky. Lieu- tenant Humes was promoted to captain and assigned to com- mand a heavy battery, and Lieutenants Scott and MeDavitt . were promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. At Shiloh, Lieut. Scott had a horse killed under him, and was severely wounded in the neck by a musket ball. When the battery was reorganized, May 14, 1862, he became junior first lieuten- ant; Captain Bankhead was promoted to the rank of major and was made chief of artillery, and was afterward advanced to the rank of brigadier-general; Lieutenant Scott became captain of the battery, known afterward as "Scott's Battery ; " it engaged in the battles of Perryville, Murfreesboro and Chick- amauga where a number of the men were killed and wounded ; at the battle of Missionary Ridge most of the men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners ; those who escaped were assigned to other commands. Captain Scott returned to Memphis after the war and resumed the practice of law ; became chancellor of the Second Chancery Court of Shelby county, at Memphis; at the end of his term he resumed practice, and in 1875 re- moved to St. Louis and followed his profession there. Joined this Association September 9, 1869. Died several years ago.
SEARCY, MARK W., enlisted early in the war in Com- pany A, Fifth Arkansas Regiment, Hardee's First Brigade, and served until May 1, 1862. His health was failing from hard service, and he was discharged at the suggestion of Gen- eral Hardee, and then joined what was known as Saunders' Confederate Scouts. This company was organized for the purpose of acting as headquarters scouts for General Albert Sidney Johnston, and was merged with Saunders' Battalion. After General Van Dorn's death the command reported to General Joseph E. Johnston, and was attached to his army until the end of the war. Joined the Confederate Historical Association November 4, 1869.
SELDEN, M. L, enlisted February, 1862, as a private in Company A, Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, and remained with this company, known as the " Memphis Light Dragoons," until the close of the war, and was paroled in May, 1865. Joined this Association May 29, 1884.
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SEMMES, B. J., was born June 15, 1823. in County Charles, Maryland, and was a member of the Maynard Rifles, an inde- pendent company organized in Memphis before the war. This (Company F) became a part of the One Hundred and Fifty- fourth Senior Tennessee Regiment, and served in the Army of Tennessee under Generals Bragg, Johnston and Hood. B. J. Semmes was for a time sergeant of his company, but was soon promoted to the rank of major in the commissary department, and served with marked fidelity and credit until paroled May 16, 1865. He has since been a highly successful merchant in Memphis, and reared a family occupying the highest social position. From a reference to the books of this Association it appears that he became a member in 1866.
SEMMES, P. W., was born in Washington, D. C., March 12, 1841 ; enlisted May 28, 1861, in Company C, Louisiana Guards, First Louisiana Regiment ; became lieutenant and adjutant, and served in the Army of Northern Virginia ; was transferred to the Army of Tennessee in 1862, and served under Bragg, Johnston and Hood with the engineer corps, and remained until the close of the war; was wounded in a skirmish at Warfield, Ky .; paroled May, 25, 1865.
SEMMES, RAPHAEL, JR., Second Lieutenant in Semmes' Brigade, Johnston's army ; entered the service November 3, 1863; paroled April, 1865 ; son of Admiral Raphael Semmes. Proposed for membership in this Association by Colonel Jno. W. Dawson, and elected September, 1869, and was for several years an active member. Lives now in Mobile.
SEMMES, S. S., eldest son of Admiral Semmes ; was Sec- ond Lieutenant Company E, First Louisiana Infantry. This regiment went to Pensacola, thence to Corinth, Miss., where it formed the nucleus of the Army of Tennessee ; remained in that regiment until the close of the war ; paroled May -20, 1865. Joined the Confederate Historical Association Sep- tember 13, 1894.
SHAW, THOS. J. W., private in Company D, Sixth Ten- nessee Infantry ; entered early and remained to the end. Pro-
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posed for membership in this Association by J. E. Beasley and elected February 3, 1870.
SHELBY, J. M., private Company D, Fourth Tennessee ; enlisted May 1, 1861 ; was captured at Shiloh April 7, 1862, and released the 11th of that month ; was wounded at Perry- ville and Franklin; paroled May 1, 1865. Admitted to this Association January 8, 1895.
SHICK, JOHN, private in Company I, Fifteenth Tennes- see, Tyler's Brigade, Bate's Division; entered the service May, 1861, and remained four years. Proposed for member- ship by F. May and R. Semmes, Jr., and elected May 12, 1870. Has been dead several years.
SHIPPEY, W. F., enlisted April, 1861, and was First Ser- geant of Company A, First Virginia Cavalry, Stuart's Regi- ment, during the first year of the war; was transferred to Company D, Eighth Virginia Infantry, Hilton's Brigade, Pickett's Division, Army Northern Virginia, in June, 1863; commissioned in Confederate States Navy in the autumn of same year and served in James River Squadron until evacua- tion of Richmond; fell back with naval brigade and surrend- ered with it at Greensboro, N. C., April 26, 1865 ; was wounded nine times.
SHOUP, FRANCIS A., was a graduate of West Point; entered the service in May, 1861, and served four years; served as chief of artillery under Generals Hardee and Joseph E. Johnston and was promoted to rank of Brigadier General and commanded department of Alabama and Florida. After the war he lived in Memphis; was professor of mathematics in the University of Mississippi for several years and was the author of several books; he became an Episcopal minister and for many years filled a chair in the University at Sewanee; died at Columbia, Tenn., September 4, 1896, aged 63 years. His military career was brilliant and his subsequent life full of good work.s. He was proposed for membership in this Association by Hon. Jefferson Davis and General Gideon J. Pillow and was elected April 28, 1870.
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SHOUSE, W. W., born in Woodford county, Ky., came to Memphis and engaged in business when quite young, just before the war; enlisted in the Memphis Light Dragoons, with W. F. Taylor as Captain, afterward under Captain J. Wes. Sneed; was in the Seventh Tennessee Cavalry ; was in the battle at Holly Springs, under General Van Dorn, and in the battle of Corinth ; again was under Van Dorn at the first battle of Franklin, and at Thompson's station. After Gen- eral Van Dorn's death was transferred with his regiment to General Joseph E. Johnston's army in the rear of Vicksburg, when the relief of that place was contemplated; was in the fight at Jackson, and assisted in covering the retreat to Meri- dian ; then ordered to join the army of Tennessee, and served throughout the Georgia campaign ; was at the battles of Frank- lin and Nashville, and was in winter quarters at Tupelo; had a furlough from there, and was captured near Memphis, March, 1865, and started to Camp Chase ; jumped from a train above Cairo; escaped to Union City, Tenn. ; was recaptured there, carried to Hiekman, Ky., and placed in a stockade for ten days, when news of the surrender came and he was released. Returning to Memphis in the fall he resumed business, and has been almost continuously since then connected with a large establishment, being for many years past a partner and the general manager ; was married in 1884, and has five chil- dren. Joined this Association at an early day in its history.
SIMS, W. R., enlisted as a private in Company F, Eigh- teenth Mississippi Cavalry, Starke's Brigade, Chalmer's Divis- ion, in August, 1864, and was paroled in May, 1865. Joined Confederate Historical Association June 30, 1891.
SIMMONS, J. F., Major, and acting quartermaster; served on the staff of General Robert Ransom, Army of Northern Virginia; had typhoid fever in the summer of 1862; went back to the field too soon and relapsed ; ordered from field for duty in Mississippi ; served there until he applied for field ser- vice and was ordered to report to General W. II. Jackson as chief paymaster of cavalry ; never captured, never wounded. Has since edited the Sardis, Miss., Southern Reporter. Joined this Association March 13, 1894.
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SMITH, J. N., enlisted as private in Harris' Zouave Cadets, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Tennessee, April, 1861, and was afterward transferred to Carnes' Battery; was captured at Saulsbury, N. C., April 12, 1865 ; paroled in June, 1865. Joined C. H. A. June 13, 1894.
SNOWDEN, ROBERT BOGARDUS, born in New York and came of Revolutionary stock; was brought to Nashville when three years old, his father being a leading merchant there; was educated in Nashville and at the Western Military Institute, Kentucky. He entered the war early, and became First Lieutenant and Adjutant of Maney's First Tennessee Regiment, and served the first year in the Army of West Vir- ginia, the next two years in the Army of Tennessee, and the last year in the Army of Virginia. As Adjutant of the First Tennessee he served in the campaign of West Virginia under Generals Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Loring at Cheat moun- tain, Sewell mountain, Bath and Hancock.
After the battle of Fort Donelson his command was ordered back to Tennessee, to the army of Albert Sidney Johnston, and took part in the battle of Shiloh. After this he was made adjutant-general and assigned to the staff of General Bushrod Johnson, in whose command he served until the close of the war. His next battle was at Perryville, then at the battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862, where he distinguished him- self by leading a faltering regiment into action, and was pro- moted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the Twenty-fifth Ten- nessee, the only instance of the kind in the West. He was wounded three times, once at Perryville, once at Murfreesboro, where he had a horse killed and two wounded, and once at Fort Harrison in front of Richmond. After the battle of Chickamauga the Twenty-fifth and Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiments were consolidated just before the battle of Mis- sionary Ridge, when Johnson's Brigade, of which it was a part, was ordered with Gracy's Brigade to reinforce General Longstreet at Knoxville. The command was at the storming of Fort Saunders, and fought at Bean's station. From there they were ordered to Petersburg, Va., where Johnson's Divis- ion, composed of Gracy's and his old brigade, arrived in time,
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