Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1922-06-27
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY.


(From Book Published by the JEFF
ferson County Camp of confederat,
Veterans, extracts from which We
will give from time to tims.)
There were Ten Companies Of
Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery
raised in Jefferson County, Virginia
A large majority of the people il
Jefferson County were in sympath,
with the movement to separate from
the Union, and the flower of hel
men took up arms in defense of the
Southern cause. Five of the Com
panies raised in the County belong
ed to the Second Virginia Infantry
''Stonewall' Brigade. They were
Company "A" Of Charles Town
Capt. John w. Rowan; Company "B'
OF Shepherdstown, Capt. Vincent
Butler; Company "G", Charles
Town, Capt. Lawson Bolts, Company
N of Dufield's Depot, Capt. ]. H
L. Hunter, and Company 'K"s
Harpers Ferry. Capt. Geo. W.
Chambers.
There were Four Companies OF
Cavalry; Company "F'' of Shep-
herdstown, Capt. VIM. A. Morgan
This Company was attached to the
First Virginia Cavalry. Capt.
Morgan was promoted until he be-
came the Colonel of the Regiment.
This gallant officer served with the
cavalry with great distinction
throughout the entire war.
Capt. Bolts was promoted until he
aF h.
Virginia Regiment. He was killed
in the second battle of Manassas
Col. Bolts was an officer of great
courage and capacity.
The other three companies OF
Cavalry belonged to the 18th Vir.
ginia. They were Company "a" OF
Charles Town, Capt. John Hender,
son; Company "B" Capt. R. w
Baylor; Company sd" Moler's Gross
Roads, Capt. John S. Knott. This
gallant officer was killed at High
Bridge, April z, 1865.
Chew's Battery was raised mainly
in Jefferson County, and was com
manded by r. P. Chew as Captain
and Milton Rouss as First Lieuten.
ant; James w. Thomson, End Lieu.
tenant; John w. Carter, End Lieu
tenant. Lieutenant Rouss was
elected a Lieutenant in Co. B 18th
Va. in 1862, where he served with
great skill and gallantry. The
men of this battery were all mount.
ed, being the first battery in the
Confederate army to be thus orga-
nized and equipped. 1t served with
Ashby's Cavalry until his death, and
throughout the famous campaign in
the Valley took part in all the
battles fought by Jackson. With
four other companies, it formed
what was known as Stuarts Horse
Artillery. Capt. r. P. Chew was
promoted to the rank of Major in the
winter Of 1864. Later upon the
Reorganization of the Horse Artille.
ry into five battlions, Chew was pro.
NOTED to the command of the whole
with the rank of 1t. Colonel. Thorn.
son was promoted to Major OF
Artillery with Rosser's Division OF
Cavalry, and John w. Carter sue
ceeded Thomson as Captain of the
Company. Major Thomson was kill
ed at High Bridge 7th April, 1866.
This Company served with the
army of Northern Virginia, in many
of its great battles, and perhaps was
under fire oftener than any battery
in the Confederate Army.
No soldiers in any cause ever
fought better than those that went
out from jefferson County to fight
the battles of the South. Their
reputation is interviewer with that of
Turner Ashby, "Stonewall Jackson"
Jeb. Stuart, Wade Hampton and
Robert E. Lee, the matchless lead
ers of the armies of the South.
Company X, Second Virginia
Infantry.
There was a Volunteer Company
at Harpers Ferry at the beginning
of the war, of 1906, called the
''Floyd Guards. This company was
mustered into the Confederate Ser
vice, as Company K, Second Vir-
ginia Infantry regiment, in the
Spring of 1861. The officers at the
beginning Of the war were: Geo. w.
Chambers, Captain; William Engle,
First Lieutenant; John B. Davis,
Second Lieutenant. Lieut.. Davis
had been a non-commissioned officer
in the IT. s. ARMY He was killed