CPL Lafayette Campbell

courtesy of Lynda Davis

CPL Lafayette Campbell was born about 1834 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 2nd of the 10 children of Howard and Clarissa (Hurt) Campbell. His father worked as a laborer and the family moved quite a bit apparently living in Rappahannock, Madison and Augusta counties in Virginia before some members of the family moved to Taylor County. Layfayette was apparently also working as a laborer by the time he was 16. He married Sarah M. Talley in Staunton, Virginia on 20 Sep 1859. The couple had a son on 16 Jun 1860 probably at their home along Back Creek in Augusta County. 

Virginia voted to succeed from the union on 17 Apr 1861 and Lafayette enlisted on 18 Apr 1861 mustering with E Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 19 May 1861. He would have participated in the destructive raid on the B&O Rail Road in June and the Battle of Falling Waters on 2 Jul 1861 before the unit moved to Manassas, Virginia on 19 Jul 1861. CPL Campbell was wounded in action on 21 Jul 1861. Neither army had prepared for the casualties they experienced and it seems that he was ultimately evacuated to Greenville, Virginia where he died of his wound on 5 Sep 1861. CPL Campbell was buried in the Greenville United Methodist Church Cemetery in Greenville, Virginia.

Lafayette's father enlisted in H Company 12th West Virginia Infantry (USA) in 1862 and was killed on or near Misener's Farm near Stephen's City, Virginia on 17 Oct 1864 and is buried in the Winchester National Cemetery.