COL John Henry Stover Funk

COL John Henry Stover Funk was born in Frederick County, Virginia on 28 Jun 1837. He was the eldest of the four children born to Christopher and Elizabeth (Arnold) Funk. His father was a brick mason and the family lived on Market Street in Winchester, Virginia, the county seat of Frederick. Called "Stover" by his friends, John graduated from the Winchester Medical College in Winchester and began a medical practice in Farmington, Virginia (in Marion county in what is now West Virginia) in August1860.

When the Marion Rifles, a militia unit was formed in Marion County, John was elected Captain of the company. He enlisted, together with the other members of his unit, on 18 Apr 1861 and the unit was re-designated as A Company of the 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment. He and his company fought at First Manassas. In April of 1862, with the reorganization of the army, Funk was elected Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment then, after Colonel Baylor was killed leading the brigade at Second Manassas, Funk became Colonel of the regiment. When Brigadier General Paxton was killed at Chancellorsville, he temporarily commanded the brigade as the senior Colonel. He reverted to command the regiment when Brigadier James A. Walker ("Stonewall Jim") was assigned to command the brigade on 19 May. He fought at Culps Hill at Gettysburg. When the brigade was overwhelmed at the Mule Shoe on 12th May 1864, Funk was put in nominal command of the remnants of the Stonewall Brigade, while Col. William Terry (who was nearly a full year junior in seniority to Funk) was promoted to command the full brigade of the remnants of the rest of the division. Funk would serve with the "Stonewall Regiment" until he was mortally wounded at the Third Battle of Winchester, 19 Sep 1864. He died of his wound at his father's home 2 days later on 21 Sep 1864.

COL Funk is buried next to his brother, 1LT Jefferson William Obet Funk, in the Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia. 

COL William Thomas Poague

COL William Thomas Poague was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia on 20 Dec 1835. He was the first-born child of the six children of John Barclay and Elizabeth Stuart (Paxton) Poague. His father was a successful farmer in north-western Rockbridge County of Virginia owning eight slaves in 1850 and increasing that to twenty-two by 1860. His total estate was valued at $39,220 in 1860 or about $1.5-million in today's money. As the son of a wealthy family, William was educated as was common at the time. He attended school in Brownsburg, Virginia for two years before attending at Washington College for four years graduating with a BA degree in 1857. He traveled after graduation, taught school near Atlanta, attended judge Brockenbrough's law school and then moved to Saint Joseph, Missouri to practice law. 

After it became clear that war was inevitable, he returned to Lexington to enlist in the Rockbridge Artillery even though he had not supported succession. Elected 2nd Lieutenant he served at First Manassas before Captain Pendleton was reassigned to serve as chief of artillery. He was then given command of the battery and promoted to Captain. He fought at several battles before being promoted to Major on 2 Mar 1863. MAJ Poague served as Executive Officer to COL David Gregg McIntosh's artillery battalion before being assigned to command his own battalion in 3rd Corps. He commanded the battalion from Gettysburg to Cold Harbor where he was twice wounded. After recovering he participated in the defense of Petersburg and was present for the surrender at Appomattox.

Returning home after the war, William married Sara Josephine Moore in 1878 and supported his family as a farmer, teacher and lawyer. He represented Rockbridge County in the Virginia House of Delegates and was a trustee for Washington and Lee University from 1865 to 1885. He worked as Treasurer for VMI for 30 years, 1884-1914 and was on their Board of Visitors. COL Poague died on 8 Sep 1914 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia.

His 3 sons served in WW1 in France in the Field Artillery. He has several living descendants.

NOTE: This memorial was published on the 100th anniversary of his passing.

CPT Henry King Cochran

courtesy of Sassy Tazzy

CPT Henry King Cochran was born 1 Apr 1834 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 4th of 9 children of George Moffett and Maria Theresa (Boys) Cochran. George Moffett Cochran Sr was very well to do. His real estate holdings were valued at $50,000 in 1850 or about $1.7-million in today's money. In 1860 his real estate was valued at $60,000 and his personal estate at $40,000 which would be about $3.2-million today. Henry attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville as did 3 of his brothers and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Cochran was already a prominent person in Augusta County at the age of 26 working as a physician, merchant and farmer. As the election of 1860 approached, his father spoke publicly against succession and it seems from newspaper reports that Henry was of like mind in 1860 and active in at least one group politically supporting that view.

Henry joined the West Augusta Guard in 1860 and was made a Lieutenant in that unit commanded by William Smith Hanger Baylor. Elected as 1st Major when the various Augusta county units voted to form a regiment in March 1861 he was commissioned as a 2LT in L Company 5th Virginia when the unit was mustered on 17 Apr 1861. He resigned 20 May 1861 just before the unit was converted to an artillery battery but soon became an assistant surgeon at the Old Seabrook Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Henry apparently accepted an appointment as Quartermaster of the 14th Virginia Cavalry Regiment with rank effective 14 Feb 1863. He was transferred to the 13th Virginia Cavalry on 20 Dec 1863. Although some sources say that he was  transferred to the 11th Virginia Cavalry in 1864 and was Quartermaster for that regiment it appears that he may have been returned to the 14th prior to McCausland's raid into Pennsylvania in July 1864.

CPT Cochran was present for the burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania by GEN McCausland's troops on 30 Jul 1864 when he was killed. This is the account of his death by a local witness.

Captain Cochran, quartermaster of the 11th Virginia Cavalry, was caught by Thomas H. Doyle, of Loudon, and at the point of his pistol was given just fifteen minutes to live. Cochran begged piteously for his life but Doyle, on the very second, shot him dead; and there was found on his person $815 in greenbacks, all stolen from citizens, and $1,750 of Confederate currency.

CPT Cochran was initially buried in Franklin County, Pennsylvania but his body was recovered after the war and returned to Staunton and buried near his family in the Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. 

5 of the 7 Cochran brothers served in Virginia units during the American Civil War. George Moffett Cochran Jr. served as Quartermaster of the 52nd Virginia Infantry and later of J. Pegram's Brigade. Alexander Boys Cochran was a 1LT in G Company 5th Virginia Infantry captured at Spotsylvania Court House and sent to Fort Delaware. John Lynn Cochran was a 2LT in A Company 52nd Virginia Infantry and died of disease 30 Jan 1862. James Addison Cochran served as a PVT in I Company 14th Virginia Cavalry and was wounded in action.

PVT Luther Argenbright

PVT Luther Argenbright enlisted in D Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 11 Jan 1864. His first combat experience was likely at Morton's Ford, Virginia on 6 Feb 1864. His next experience was in the fighting in The Wilderness on 5 and 6 May 1864. PVT Argenbright was certainly with his company in the battle at Spotsylvania Court House and he was reported killed in action there on 12 May 1864. 

It is probable that PVT Argenbright was buried on the battlefield. We do not believe that he was moved to the Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery.

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The above is all that we know for certain about PVT Luther Argenbright. Other researchers, including the author of the Virginia Regimental Series volume on the 5th Virginia, have apparently confused PVT Argenbright with Luther Asberry Argenbright, born 17 Sep 1830 died 17 Mar 1854, and buried in the Middlebrook Cemetery in Middlebrook, Virginia. We do not believe that is correct because there is both a contemporary stone marker with a different date of death and a contemporary government record of the date of death on the Luther Asberry Argenbright's headstone.

PVT George M. Carper

PVT George M. Carper was born in 1830 or 1832 in Frederick County, Virginia. He was the 4th of 8 children of Jacob and Eliza (Keller) Carper. The family had been in Frederick County since at least 1790 and originated in Germany. George's father farmed for himself before he began working for others to support his family. George also became a farmer, working first for others and then for himself. 

Still unmarried when the Civil War began, George enlisted in K Company 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment on 7 Mar 1862. George would have fought with the unit at the First Battle of Kernstown, been at McDowell and Front Royal, fought at the First Battle of Winchester, Port Republic, Sevens Days, Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, Grovetown, 2nd Manassas, Chantilly, Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, 2nd Winchester, Stephensons Depot, Gettysburg, Mine Run, and The Wilderness. PVT Carper was killed in action on 12 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. 

We believe that PVT Carper is buried at the Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery but is among those who were not identified and are not named on the roster.

George had 3 brothers. William Harvey Carper served as a PVT in H Company 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment and was wounded in the arm at Sappony Church, Virginia. Jacob Carper served as a PVT in K Company 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment and died of typhoid in 1862 at Saint Charles Hospital, Richmond, Virginia. 

1SG James M Doom

courtesy of JMB

1SG James M Doom was born 9 Mar 1841 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 4th of 10 children born to Madison and Margaret (McAleer) Doom. Madison would support his family in several ways over the years working as a shoemaker in 1850 and as a gardener in 1860. Madison's total estate was reportedly worth $400 in 1860. By that date only 7 of Madison and Margaret's 10 children were still living. James was working as a marble cutter.

James enlisted as James F Doom, on 9 Jun 1861 in L Company 5th Virginia Infantry in Shepherdstown in what is now West Virginia. He then fought with the unit at First Manassas, through the Valley Campaign until wounded at Second Manassas on 28 Aug 1862. He recovered from his wound, possibly at home, and returned to his unit about the middle of October that year. SGT Doom served with L Company until killed in action as the unit fought northeast of the Germanna Plank Road at The Wilderness on 5 May 1864. 

1SG Doom's body was returned to Staunton and buried with family in Thornrose Cemetery.

Brother of CPL John F Doom of  L Company 5th Virginia Infantry killed in action at Port Republic on 9 Jun 1862.