MG Kenton Harper

MG Kenton Harper was born in 1801 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania to George Kenton and Nancy (McClintock) Harper. He was the first of their two sons and his father was for many years the editor of The Franklin Repository, a newspaper published in Chambersburg. Kenton worked in the newspaper office learning the trade and not long after the age of twenty-one he moved to Staunton, Virginia and in 1823 began publication of his own paper, The Spectator which he did for sixteen years. During the administration of President Millard Fillmore, Kenton became an agent to the Indian Territory and after than a "confidential" assistant to the Secretary of the Interior. He also served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Augusta County. 

Appointed as an officer of the Virginia Militia he was, in 1861, a Major General (MG) of the militia and had command of forces that captured Harpers Ferry. On reorganization of the Confederate States military he accepted a commission as Colonel of the 5th Virginia Infantry, commanding the unit at Falling Waters and First Manassas. He resigned his commission when Jackson would not give him leave to visit his dying wife but later accepted a position as Colonel in the Virginia reserves and was present at the battles of Piedmont and Waynesboro.

MG Kenton Harper died at his home, "Glen Allen", on 25 Dec 1867. He now rests forever in the Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia.

Son, Samuel Calhoun Harper, served as Quartermaster Sergeant in the 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry (CSA).

PVT John R. Adams

courtesy of Ginger Thrush

PVT John R. Adams (aka James R. Adams) was born 2 Jul 1842. We aren't sure when he enlisted but he was captured near Halltown, Virginia (now West Virginia) on 25 Sep 1864 while his unit, D Company 57th Virginia Infantry, was in the area. He may have changed units but was at one time a soldier in the 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment. He was taken to Camp Chase, Ohio where he died of disease on 15 Jun 1865. PVT Adams is buried in the Camp Chase Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

PVT James Bourne

courtesy of Forgotten Sons

PVT James Bourne was born 20 Apr 1843 in the village of Hothfield in County Kent, England. He was the 6th of the 11 children of James Attaway and Martha (Gillette) Bourne. He immigrated with his mother and 7 siblings arriving aboard the Mediator in New York harbor on 19 Jan 1848. The family was soon living in Tazewell County, Virginia where father James was working as a laborer in 1850. In the 1860 census, recorded on 18 Jun 1860, father James reported that he was farming in eastern Tazewell county and that his farm was worth $1200 and his personal estate was $360. James undoubtedly farmed with his father.

Young James was only 18 when the American Civil War began in 1861 and we believe that he enlisted soon after although it is possible that he did not enlist until 1864, mustering with H Company 5th Virginia Infantry. He would then have been present for every engagement in which the regiment participated over the next 3-years. PVT Bourne was captured with many other soldiers of the 5th Virginia on 12 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. Initially sent to the prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland he was then sent to the camp at Elmira, New York. PVT Bourne died there of an inflammation of the lungs almost exactly 1-year after his capture. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery with other Confederate dead, now Woodlawn National Cemetery, by former slave John W. Jones who kept detailed records of all the burials.

PVT Peter W. Bridges

PVT Peter W. Bridges was born about 1828 in Gloucester County, Virginia. He was the eldest of 4 children born to Thomas and Sarah J. Bridges. The family farmed near Matthews, Virginia. 

Peter enlisted on 5 Dec 1863 at Matthews mustering with F Company 5th Virginia Infantry. PVT Bridges was with the unit at The Wilderness and at Spotsylvania Court House where he was captured with many others in the 5th Virginia on 12 May 1864 and sent with them to the Prisoner of War camp at Fort Delaware. PVT Bridges contracted small pox and died at Fort Delaware on 13 Apr 1865. He was buried on the eastern shore of the river in what is now the Finn's Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, New Jersey.

Brothers, Thomas Frank Bridges and Benjamin Franklin Bridges, served as a PVTs in Armistead's Battery, Virginia Light Artillery and survived the war.

1LT Jefferson William Obet Funk

1LT Jefferson William Obet Funk was born 30 Jun 1841 near Winchester, Virginia in Frederick County. He was the second of three children born to Christopher "Christian" and and Elizabeth (Arnold) Funk. His father worked as a bricklayer and was somewhat successful with real estate valued at $3296 in 1860 but the remainder of his estate was only $75. The family likely raised most of their own food. Christian did well enough that his oldest son was able to get an education and become a physician by 1860. Jefferson was likely pursuing a similar path in life.

Jefferson enlisted as a SGT in A Company 5th Virginia Infantry at Winchester on 18 Apr 1861, the day after Virginia voted for succession. He was commissioned as a 2LT a year later, on 23 Apr 1862. He fought with the unit until captured at Spotsylvania Court House on 10 May 1864. Sent to Morris Island, South Carolina on 15 Aug 1864 then to Fort Pulaski, Georgia (he was one of the "Immortal 600") on 15 Dec 1864 and then to Fort Delaware on 12 Mar 1865. 1LT Funk died there on 26 May 1865 of chronic dysentery. His body was recovered and he now rests forever in the Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia.

Brother of COL John Henry Stover Funk.

PVT John E. Clemmer

PVT John E. Clemmer was born in 1835 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 9th of the 14 children born to John Cyrus and Diannah Virginia (Crick or Creek) Clemmer. His father farmed in Rockbridge County in what is referred to District 51 on the 1850 census but is actually Disctrict 6 (VI in the Roman numerals on maps of the time) that is in the area of Steele's Tavern just south of the Augusta County line. John Cyrus Clemmer died 29 Oct 1857. With his father dead and many of his older siblings married and having moved away from the family farm, John apparently made the decision to live with and farm for his brother William near to Staunton, Virginia. 

The whole country was moving towards war and, after the events at Fort Sumpter Virginia voted to succeed on 17 Apr 1861 and John and several of his brothers enlisted on that same day and mustered with D Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 25 May 1861. John was with the unit until 3 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg where he was wounded in the head. PVT Clemmer recovered from his wound and rejoined his unit in April 1864. It was not long before he was again involved in combat in the Battle of The Wilderness. Soon after the unit was caught in the Mule Shoe salient in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House and PVT Clemmer was captured with many other men from the 5th Virginia. Sent to Fort Delaware which was on Pea Patch Island in the middle of the Delaware River along the Delaware and New Jersey border, PVT Clemmer was held there until he succumbed to dysentery and died on 19 Mar 1865. As with many of those prisoners who died there he was taken across the river and buried in an unmarked grave at what is now Finn's Point National Cemetery in Pennsville, New Jersey.

Other family members served during the American Civil War as well. Brothers, Jacob Franklin Clemmer, George Lewis Clemmer, William Letcher Clemmer and Henry Clay Clemmer, also served as PVTs in D Company 5th Virginia Infantry. Brother Joseph Alexander Clemmer served as a PVT in H Company 14th Virginia Cavalry.

COL William Henry Harman

COL William Henry Harman was born 17 Feb 1828 in Waynesboro, Virginia. He was the second of the five brothers born to Lewis and Sarah Jane (Garber) Harman, all of whom would serve as officers in the Confederate States army during the Civil War. His father farmed in Augusta County. Like his brothers, William was given a private education. 

William left home to serve as a 2LT in the 1st Virginia Infantry Regiment during the Mexican American War. After his return he studied law and married Margaret Susan Garber on 26 Dec 1848. He began work as a lawyer and was elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Augusta County, Virginia in 1851 and held the position until the Civil War. 

William and Margaret had eight children. Their second child, Frances, died at the age of 2 of an undisclosed (or unknown) cause in 1850. Their eldest child, Kenton, died of a "sore throat" at the age of 7 in 1857. 

William was appointed Brigadier General of the 13th Brigade of Virginia Militia by Governor John Letcher on 10 Apr 1861. As such he was part of the plot initiated by former governor Henry Wise to preemptively seize the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry (now in West Virginia). After Virginia voted for succession on 17 Apr 1861, Governor Letcher approved the plan and BG Harman's troops under MG Kenton Harper captured the post on 18 Apr 1861. 

The 5th Virginia Regiment was organized there with COL Kenton Harper commanding and LTC William Harman as what would now be referred to as the executive officer. The regiment was assigned to BG Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's brigade (1st Virginia Brigade) and William's brother, COL Michael Garber Harman was initially the brigade's quartermaster and he was soon succeeded by their brother MAJ John Harman. The unit fought at First Manassas on 21 Jul 1861 where General Jackson received his nickname. William succeeded as commander of the 5th Virginia in September 1861 when COL Harper resigned. COL Harman commanded the regiment at the First Battle of Kernstown on 23 Mar 1862. He was not elected as Colonel of the regiment in the April 1862 reorganization of the Confederate army. Instead he served as an aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Edward "Alleghany" Johnson in the Valley Campaign in April 1862 and then returned home. 

He was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on 19 Feb 1864. He commanded a regiment of militia/reservists/home guard at the Battle of Piedmont on 5 Jun 1864. He survived that defeat and continued to serve. He was present to command CSA soldiers at the Battle of Waynesboro and was killed in action while attempting to rally his soldiers on 2 Mar 1865.

COL Harman's body was recovered and interred in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. He is survived by numerous descendants. His brothers worked towards economic recovery for the region.

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. 

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.

* * * * * * 

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.

PVT William Crist Anderson

PVT William Crist Anderson was born 25 Jan 1841 at Burnt Cabin Place in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 3rd of 9 children born to Alexander and Sarah Francis (Livick) Anderson although some records indicate that his father was Charles Anderson

William was not among the first to enlist, perhaps because of his age, and did not join D Company 5th Virginia Infantry until 21 Mar 1862 when he was drafted.  It is possible that he was present for the 1st Battle of Kernstown but was most certainly with the unit in the remainder of General Jackson's Valley Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, Cedar Mountain, Groveton, 2nd Manassas, Chantilly, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, 

PVT Anderson died at Alton Military Prison on 15 Dec 1863 and is buried in the Confederate Cemetery in Alton, Illinois.

Brothers served as well. Edward Manor Anderson served as a PVT in C Company 14th Virginia Cavalry as did Andrew Perry Anderson and John A. Anderson. John died of disease at home in April 1863.

CPT Lycurgus Grills

CPT Lycurgus Grills was born in 1839 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 3rd of the 5 children of Charles F. and Isabella (Abney) Grills. His mother died age 36 in 1845 and his father died at about age 45 just 5-years later. In 1850 Lycurgus and his siblings were living with their grandmother, Elizabeth Parks (McClanahan) Abney on her farm near Mint Springs, Virginia. Valued at $1800, Lycurgus' oldest brother John farmed it for the family. The younger children undoubtedly helped with the farm work. Another brother, Byrd, moved with some Abney cousins to Morgan County, Missouri and had built up an estate of $3912 by 1860 but he died in 1861. Lycurgus went to Charlottesville, Virginia and enrolled at the University of Virginia attending 1859-1861. 

Lycurgus enlisted on 30 Aug 1861 at Centerville, Virginia serving as a PVT in E Company 5th Virginia Infantry with younger brother Charles. Commissioned as a 2LT in that same company where his younger brother ranked him. He was present at the 2nd Battle of Manassas when his brother was wounded and was also wounded there. Nevertheless he was promoted to Captain on 30 Aug 1862 and now commanded the company although he didn't return until 2 Oct 1862. CPT Grills became so ill on 20 Jul 1863 that he was sent to a hospital in Culpeper, Virginia. He was then sent nearer to home to a hospital in Staunton, Virginia. He died there on 15 Nov 1863. 

CPT Grills was buried in the Abney Family Cemetery in Mint Springs, Virginia. 

Lycurgus brother Charles Washington Grills served as a 1LT in E Company 5th Virginia Infantry until he was wounded and later died of his wound.

 

CPL John Armentrout

CPL John Armentrout was born 26 Aug 1832 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the first born of 9 children of Thomas Hamilton and Barbara (Burkholder) Armentrout. The family farmed near Staunton, Virginia.  Thomas valued his farm at $1,100 in 1850 and in 1860 he valued his farm at $10,300 and reported his personal estate as being worth $2,800. These were very prosperous farmers and John was still farming with his father at that time.

John enlisted as the Commonwealth prepared for war, signing up for the Augusta Greys on 18 Apr 1861 in Greenville, Virginia. The unit was actually mustered into service as E Company 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment on 19 May 1861. John would then have been with the unit when it fought at First Manassas, First  Kernstown, First Winchester, Port Republic, Seven Days Battles, Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, Groveton and 2nd Manassas where he was wounded on 30 Aug 1862. CPL Armentrout apparently returned to the unit on or before 30 Jun 1863 just in time for the Battle of Gettysburg where he was wounded in the head on 3 Jul 1863 and captured. Sent to the Federal hospital facility on David's Island in New York, and he died of his wound there on 5 Aug 1863. 

CPL Armentrout's body was eventually returned home and he is now interred in the Pilson Cemetery in Stuart's Draft, Virginia. 

Brother Jacob Christian Armentrout served as a SGT in E Company 5th Virginia, was captured at Winchester in 1862 and spent the rest of the war in the POW camp at Camp Chase, Ohio. John had a 1st cousin 4-times removed  who served as a MSG in Afghanistan in 2004 with the 3rd battalion 116th Infantry.. 

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.

PVT John T. A. Beard

PVT John T. A. Beard was born about 1844 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 3rd of 11 children born to John Link and Martha Margaret (Shields) Beard. His father was a chair maker whose personal estate was valued at $200. The younger John traveled to Mount Jackson and enlisted in I Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 23 Mary 1862. He was with the company all through the Valley Campaign and then the 2nd Battle of Manassas. It wasn't long after the Battle of Fredericksburg when he became ill and was sent to Howard's Grove Hospital in Richmond, Virginia where he died of disease on 24 Jan 1863. PVT Beard was buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

Father, John Link Beard, served as a PVT in I Company 14th Virginia Cavalry. Brother, William Sumpter Beard, served as a PVT in D Company 5th Virginia and was wounded at First Kernstown.

PVT Jacob Carper

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

Jacob was only 17-years old and unmarried when the Civil War began. He enlisted in K Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 10 Oct 1862, probably to be with his brother. PVT Carper's first battle may have been in a skirmish at Kearneysville, Virginia just 17-days later. He was likely then present with his unit for the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 December. However, he fell ill with typhoid fever and was sent to General Hospital #8 also known as the Saint Charles Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. He died there on 30 Dec 1862.  

We believe that it is likely that PVT Carper is among the thousands of Confederate dead interred at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Jacob had 3 brothers of whom 2 served in the war. William Harvey Carper served as a PVT in H Company 7th Virginia Cavalry Regiment and was wounded in the arm at Sappony Church, Virginia. George M Carper also served as a PVT in K Company 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment and was killed in action at Spotsylvania Court House on 12 May 1864.

PVT Ovid L. Abney

PVT Ovid L. Abney was born in 1844 near Mint Spring in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 7th of the 8 children of William Austin and Virginia Lewis (Kinsolving) Abney. His father was a prosperous farmer with real estate valued at over $11,400 in 1850 and and $19,700 in 1860. His father was the head of a household of 11 which included Ovid's sister Cornelia and her husband John Grills who was the brother of Lycurgus and Charles Washington Grills. The Grills were also first cousins! The country was drifting towards war in 1860. 

Ovid enlisted at Staunton, Virginia in E Company 5th Virginia Infantry (CSA) on 1 May 1862. The regiment left Staunton and marched to McDowell where PVT Abney was present for the battle although the regiment wasn't engaged. He would have then marched with the unit up and down the valley until the 5th Virginia was present for the Battle of Front Royal on 23 May 1862 although, again, it was not engaged. This would have given PVT Abney time to be drilled and to prepare for battle. He was present for the First Battle of Winchester on 25 May 1862. He then moved with the regiment to ultimately arrive at Port Republic for the last battle of Jackson's Valley Campaign. Surviving that, he marched east with the unit over the Blue Ridge mountains to participate in the Seven Days Battles, 25 Jun to 1 Jul 1862, and fought at Gaine's Mill and Malvern Hill. He was then with the regiment for more than a month of movement before fighting at Cedar Mountain on 8 Aug 1962. He would then fight with the 5th Virginia at the Battle of Groveton and at 2nd Manassas (28 Aug to 30 Aug 1862). PVT Abney was at the Battle of Chantilly where the regiment was in reserve and in the capture of Harpers Ferry on 15 Sep 1862. He may have fought at Antietam on 17 Sep 1862 but he might already have been sick with typhoid as he was sent home with the fever to recuperate on 20 Sep 1862. He apparently lingered for quite a while and died on 11 Nov 1862.

PVT Abney is buried with other family including Lycurgus and Charles Washington Grills in the Abney Family Cemetery near Mint Spring, Virginia. 

 

PVT James H. Argenbright

PVT James H. Argenbright was born in 1841 near Arbor Hill in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the 3rd of the 13 children of John Augustus and Jane (Dunlap) Argenbright. His father farmed there and may have worked as a distiller of rye whiskey but in 1860 was primarily working as a cooper together with James' older brother, David. 

James enlisted at nearby West View, Virginia on 29 Apr 1861 just 12 days after Virginia voted for succession. He then mustered with F Company 5th Virginia Infantry on 17 May 1861. He was with the unit at Harper's Ferry, the Battle of Falling Waters and, on 21 Jul 1861, the First Battle of Manassas. He was wounded at Manassas but recovered to the point that he returned to F Company on 15 Oct 1861. James was present with the unit as it fought in Jackson's Valley Campaign in the spring and summer of 1862. PVT Argenbright was with his unit at Seven Days, Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar Mountain, Groveton, Second Manassas, and the Siege of Harper's Ferry. Then the army moved into Maryland and met the Federal units at Sharpsburg, the deadliest battle to that date. PVT James Argenbright was wounded there and evacuated to J. H. Groves farm where he died of his wound(s) on 6 Oct 1862. 

It is believed that PVT Argenbright was ultimately buried in the Washington Confederate Cemetery at Hagerstown, Maryland.

An uncle and 2 brothers also served in F Company 5th Virginia. Uncle Andrew Jackson Argenbright served as a PVT from 1861 until captured at Spottsylvania Court House in May 1864 and imprisoned at Fort Delaware. Brothers, CPL David Francis Argenbright and PVT Levi Argenbright also served, David enlisting in 1861 and Levi in 1864.