BG Elisha Franklin Paxton

BG Elisha Franklin Paxton was born on 4 Mar 1828 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was the sixth of seven children of Elisha Hays and Margaret (McNutt) Paxton. He was descended from the Paxton family which had immigrated to America from northern Ireland in 1730 and settled in Pennsylvania. His father farmed and owned a mill a few miles southeast of Lexington, Virginia. The younger Elisha attended local schools before graduating Washington College in 1846. He then attended Yale University and graduating from there in 1847. He next attended the University of Virginia where he graduated with a law degree in 1848. He had attended the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington but didn't graduate. Elisha married Elizabeth Hannah White in 1854 and the couple had their first child, a daughter, who died in infancy in June of 1856. They would go on to have three more children, all sons. Elisha became president of a bank in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Paxton enlisted in April 1861 as a First Lieutenant (1LT) in H Company 27th Virginia Infantry. 1LT Paxton fought at First Manassas and was commended for gallantry in bearing the colors of a Georgia unit after their color bearer was shot down. He was detailed an Aide-de-Camp on Lieutenant General (LTG) Stonewall Jackson's staff in August 1861. He was then promoted to Major on 14 Oct 1861. In August 1862, he was appointed Major and Quartermaster on Jackson's staff and served as Assistant Adjutant General. On 1 Nov 1862 he was promoted to Brigadier General (BG). Paxton died on 3 May 1863 from a wound received while leading a charge of the Stonewall Brigade at Chancellorsville. Paxton's body was brought back to Lexington and buried at the Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia. He has a number of living descendants. 

Elisha's grandfather, William Paxton served as a Major of militia during the Revolution.

PVT Flemming B. Carroll

courtesy of BigFrench

PVT Flemming B. Carroll was born in 1844 in Augusta County, Virginia probably near the community of West View. He was the 6th of the 9 children of Flemming Solomon and Margaret (Welch or Welsh) Carroll. His father was a fairly prosperous farmer who owned over 500 acres of land in Augusta County. The younger Flemming and his brothers undoubtedly grew up helping their parents with the farming. Margaret died in 1849 or early 1850. The elder Flemming married Sarah Ann Miller in Feb 1851. Sarah was about 24-years younger than her husband and the couple would have several children.Young Flemming grew up to also work as a farm hand. 

Then, when he was just 17-years old, the Civil War began with the shelling of Fort Sumter in South Carolina and Virginia voted for succession about 1-month later. Flemming enlisted in F Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 15 Mar 1862. PVT Carroll was wounded at the 2nd battle of Manassas onn 30 Aug 1862 but recovered by February 1863 and was again with his unit until he was killed in action at Chancellorsville on 3 May 1863.

Originally buried near the Van Wort house at Chancellorsville, PVT Carroll's remains were recovered and re-interred in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery through the efforts of the Ladies Memorial Association of Fredericksburg.

Some of Flemming's brothers also served. Samuel Woodward Carrol served as a PVT in F Company 5th Virginia Infantry and was captured in 1863 serving out the war as a POW at Camp Chase and Rock Island. George Franklin Carrol served as a CPL in D Company 5th Virginia Infantry, was captured 11 Jun 1864 near Fairfield, Pennsylvania and spent the rest of the war as a POW at City Point.