James Boggs ( general ) James Boggs ( April 8 , 1796 – January 28 , 1862 ) was a brigadier general in the Virginia militia , who served along with the Confederate States Army in northwestern Virginia at various times during 1861 and early 1862 in the American Civil War . Boggs ' s men participated in Stonewall Jackson ' s attacks on the towns of Romney and Bath , later Berkeley Springs , now in West Virginia in early January 1862 . Debilitated from his responsibilities and the harsh winter weather at his advanced age , Boggs ' s health failed and he died on January 28 , 1862 . Prior to the civil war , Boggs had been a farmer and slave owner , county justice , county sheriff , merchant and a member of the Virginia General Assembly in 1861 – 1862 . Early life . James Boggs was born in County Down , Ireland on April 8 , 1796 . His parents were John and Margaret ( Kee ) Boggs . He was the oldest of seven children . The Boggs family moved to western Virginia in 1807 . Boggs owned a large farm in Pendleton County , Virginia , now West Virginia , and had seventeen slaves to operate it . He was engaged in politics over the years , holding the office of county sheriff in 1843 , being a justice of the county in 1842 and again from 1852 to 1862 and being a state representative in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1861 to 1862 . He became a prosperous merchant in Franklin , Virginia , now West Virginia , mainly occupied in that business by 1860 . American Civil War service . Boggs was a brigadier general of the 18th Brigade in the Virginia militia at the outbreak of the civil war . As Virginia forces were organized into the Provisional Army of Virginia prior to their incorporation in the Confederate States Army , Boggs became a brigadier general in that force between April 27 , 1861 and June 8 , 1861 when it was incorporated into the Confederate Army . Boggs remained with the Virginia militia forces , commanding a brigade in the Valley District in May 1861 . After a quiet period , Boggs ' s men were called for duty in November 1861 . The call was met with some resistance because of the divided loyalties of the population in western Virginia . Boggs himself had a brother who became a captain in the Union Army . Boggs had to request help from the Confederate Army to get the men from the area to report for militia duty . As troops gathered , Boggs was once again in command of the small brigade in the Valley District . Stonewall Jackson then ordered the local militia , including Boggs ' s brigade and those of James Harvey Carson and Gilbert S . Meem , to report to Winchester , Virginia for training . After a short time , parts of the brigade went to Moorefield , Virginia , now West Virginia , to fight Union home guard militia units . In early January , Jackson moved against the Union held towns of Romney and Bath ( Berkeley Springs ) and occupied those towns . Boggs ' s men protected Jackson ' s left flank along the Potomac River south of Romney . After Jackson took possession of the area , Boggs ' s men were split into smaller units which took shelter and were placed on guard duty in the South Branch Valley area . On February 3 , 1862 , under orders of January 30 , 1862 from the Confederate States Secretary of War Judah P . Benjamin , the garrison left by Jackson to hold Romney departed for Winchester , Virginia because of its vulnerable location and a build - up of Union troops intent on retaking the town . The Union force re - entered the town without opposition on February 6 , 1862 . Death . By the end of 1861 , the 65 - year old Boggs was worn out by his responsibilities , campaigning and harsh winter weather . After his troops were deployed for the winter guard duty and shelter after the capture of Romney , Boggs returned to his home in Pendleton County , where he died on January 28 , 1862 . He was buried in Mount Hiser Cemetery in Franklin , West Virginia .