Gilbert S . Meem Gilbert Simrall Meem ( October 5 , 1824 – June 10 , 1908 ) 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 . Meem ' 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 . After the brigade went into winter quarters in Martinsburg , now West Virginia , Meem resigned his commission on February 1 , 1862 , apparently under pressure . He served in the government in Shenandoah County , Virginia during the war . Meem served two years in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1852 to 1854 and four years in the Virginia Senate between 1871 and 1875 . He was a noted breeder of livestock before and after the war . In 1892 , he moved to Seattle , Washington , where he was appointed postmaster by President Grover Cleveland . Early life . Gilbert S . Meem was born in Abingdon , Virginia on October 5 , 1824 . His parents were John Gaw Meem , a Lynchburg , Virginia banker , and Eliza ( Russell ) Meem . Gilbert Meem attended Edgehill Seminary , a prep school for Princeton University , but quit school to manage the Steenbergen estate near Mount Airy , Virginia , which his father had purchased in 1841 . He became an accomplished lifestock breeder as well as a planter . He married Nannie Rose Garland , which resulted in future Confederate States Army Brigadier General Samuel Garland and Lieutenant General James Longstreet becoming relatives . Meem served in the Virginia House of Delegates as a Democrat in 1852 – 1854 . American Civil War service . Gilbert S . Meem was a brigadier general of the 7th Brigade in the 3rd Division of Brigadier General James Harvey Carson in the Virginia militia at the outbreak of the Civil War . Along with Carson ' s men , Meem ' s brigade was part of the garrison at Harpers Ferry after it was captured by the pro - Confederate Virginia force in April 1861 . Meem ' s brigade guarded Winchester , Virginia when then Brigadier General Joseph E . Johnston ' s men moved to support Confederate forces at the First Battle of Bull Run . At least part of Meem ' s brigade remained on duty throughout 1861 . In November 1861 , Meem ' s men were called by Stonewall Jackson for training at Winchester , Virginia and duty in the Valley District . In early January , Jackson moved against the Union held towns of Romney and Bath ( Berkeley Springs ) and occupied those towns . Meem ' s men advanced with Jackson ' s main body . They performed poorly at Bath , falling back under fire and failing to block the Union force ' s route of retreat as Jackson drove them out of town from the other side . After Jackson took possession of the two main towns in the area , which overextended him and which he could not maintain after a few weeks , Meem ' s men were sent south and east to Martinsburg , Virginia , now West Virginia , to guard the rear of Jackson ' s army and to go into winter quarters . On February 1 , 1862 , Meem resigned his commission . The resignation appears to have been under pressure after General Robert E . Lee received reports that Meem ' s habits and daily condition , apparently alcohol abuse , made him unfit for command . Meem returned to his estate and also held various positions in the Shenandoah County , Virginia government for the remainder of the war . Later life . After the war , Meem continued to manage his estate in the Mount Airy area of Shenandoah County , Virginia . He received recognition for his breeding operations which helped introduce and improve fine cattle and sheep into the Shenandoah Valley . Meem served in the Virginia State Senate from 1871 to 1875 . He published a booklet titled : " Catalogue of short horned cattle , on exhibition and for sale at the National Fair , Washington , D . C . " New Market , Henkel and Co . , printers , 1888 , . In 1892 , Meem sold his Mount Airy property and moved to Seattle , Washington . President Grover Cleveland appointed him postmaster of Seattle after his move . Meem served in that office until 1899 , becoming a well - known citizen of the city . Gilbert S . Meem died on June 10 , 1908 at Seattle , Washington . He is buried in Lake View Cemetery at Seattle . His son , Gilbert S . Meem , Jr . , had died no later than May 29 , 1909 and was buried in the same cemetery .