Confederate Military History/Volume 3/Biographical/T

by Clement Anselm Evans

Major-General William Booth Taliaferro, a representative of an old and famous Virginia family, was born at Belleville, Gloucester county, Va., December 28, 1822. He was educated at Harvard college and William and Mary, being graduated at the latter institution in 1841. His activity was directed to a military channel by the Mexican war, and on April 9, 1847, he became captain of a company of the Eleventh United States infantry. He was promoted major August 12th, and held this rank during the following year, his command being disbanded August, 1848. He then returned to the pursuits of civil life, and was one of the Democratic presidential electors in 1856, but continued to be prominent in military affairs and commanded the State forces at the time of John Brown's raid. As major-general of Virginia militia, he took command at Norfolk on April 18, 1861, and later with the rank of colonel was assigned to the post and troops at Gloucester point, opposite Yorktown. Subsequently he marched with the Twenty-third Virginia regiment to reinforce General Garnett in West Virginia. During the retreat from Laurel hill, Colonel Taliaferro was in command of the rear guard which gallantly contested the enemy's pursuit at Carrick's ford, just before Garnett was killed. At the battle on Greenbrier river, October 3d, he commanded a brigade, consisting of his own regiment, the Twenty-fifth and Forty-fourth Virginia regiments, and contributed largely to the victory by his cool and gallant conduct. On March 4, 1862, he was promoted brigadier-general. He joined Jackson in the Valley early in December, and with a brigade composed of the Tenth, Twenty-third and Thirty-seventh Virginia, took a prominent part in the defeat of the Federals at McDowell, where he was in immediate command on the field after Edward Johnson was wounded, and participated in the victories at Cross Keys and Port Republic. Continuing in command of Jackson's Third brigade, he fought at Cedar mountain, August 9th, and after the death of General Winder was given charge of Jackson's division. In this command he continued during the subsequent operations about Manassas, participated in the maneuvers around Pope's army, and on August 28th, when Jackson determined to strike the enemy as he moved along the Warrenton pike, he immediately ordered Taliaferro to take his division and attack. In the fierce fight which followed, sustained on the Confederate side by Taliaferro and Ewell, both those commanders were seriously wounded. He was able to return to the field in time to participate in the battle of Fredericksburg, where he rendered efficient service in repelling the Federal force which secured temporary lodgment in the Confederate lines. His subsequent military career was in the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, to which he was assigned in March, 1863, as commander of the district of Savannah. During the famous assault on Battery Wagner, July, 1863, he had charge of the defenses and troops on Morris island, and next month he took command of a division on James island. February 20, 1864, he was given temporary command of all troops, in the district of East Florida, which embraced the forces that day engaged at Olustee. Returning March 5th to James island, in May he was assigned to the Seventh district of South Carolina, and the entire State was put under his military charge in December of that year. When Sherman's army reached Savannah, he exercised command to the north of that city, with the forces of Jenkins, Harrison and Chestnut, at Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo, guarding the route of escape for Hardee. In the latter part of December he was given command of a division made up of Elliott's, Rhett's and Anderson's brigades, with which he participated in the subsequent movements, being promoted on January 1, 1865, to the rank of major-general. After the surrender of Johnston's army, he returned to Gloucester, Va., where he completed his long career of honor and usefulness. He served ten years in the State legislature, and rendered good service in the cause of education as a member of the board of visitors of the Virginia military institute, William and Mary college and other State institutions. His death occurred at his home in Gloucester county, February 27, 1898.

 

Brigadier-General James B. Terrill, a brave Virginia soldier, never wore the title which is here given him, but won it by his bravery and devotion, and fell in battle upon the day his promotion was confirmed by the Congress of the Confederate States. He was born at Warm Springs, Bath county, February 20, 1838, and was educated at the Virginia military institute. In 1858 he began the study of law with Judge Brockenbrough at Lexington, and two years later entered upon the practice of his profession at his native town. He was among the first to enter the military service in 1861, and in May was elected major of the Thirteenth Virginia infantry regiment, of which A. P. Hill was colonel. He served with his regiment under Jackson in the lower Shenandoah valley and at First Manassas, and at Lewinsville commanded the infantry in the gallant fight under Col. J. E. B. Stuart. Promoted lieutenant-colonel he served with credit in the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, winning honorable mention at Cross Keys and Port Republic. He was commended in general orders for gallantry at Cedar Mountain and Second Manassas. At Fredericksburg he commanded his regiment, and took an active part in driving back the column of Federals which succeeded in penetrating the first line on the right. He continued in command of his regiment, sharing the operations of Early's division, until his death, contributing in no slight degree to the remarkable efficiency of his command, of which it was said that "the Thirteenth was never required to take a position that they did not take it, nor to hold one that they did not hold it." After participating in the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania he was killed in an encounter with Warren's corps, near Bethesda church, May 30, 1864, and was buried by the enemy.

 

Brigadier-General William Terry, whose worthy record is identified with that of the Stonewall brigade, which he commanded in 1864 and 1865, was born in Amherst county, Va., August 14, 1824. He was educated at the university of Virginia and graduated in 1848. The next three years he devoted to teaching and the study of law. After his admission to the bar in 1851, he made his home at Wytheville, and was engaged in the practice during the succeeding decade, also for a time editing the Wytheville Telegraph. He was lieutenant of the Wythe Grays at the time of the John Brown affair at Harper's Ferry, to which point he went with his company in 1859. In April, 1861, he was again at Harper's Ferry, and was assigned to the Fourth Virginia regiment, Jackson's brigade, as first lieutenant of his company. He participated in the brilliant service of his regiment at the first battle of Manassas, and in the spring of 1862 was promoted major, in which rank he served with credit on the fields of Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill. He was with Jackson's corps in the famous campaign against Pope, was wounded in the battle of Second Manassas, July 28th, and was mentioned for gallantry in the report of General Taliaferro. In the same rank he commanded the Fourth regiment in the battle of Fredericksburg, after the wounding of Colonel Gardner; also at Chancellorsville, where his command lost 140 men out of a total of 355; and at Gettysburg and Payne's Farm. Promotion rapidly followed, to colonel of the Fourth regiment to date from September, 1863, and to brigadier-general after the Wilderness and Spottsylvania campaign, in which he participated with credit. On May 21st he was assigned to the command of a brigade formed from the survivors of the Stonewall brigade and the brigades of J. M. Jones and G. H. Steuart, who had escaped from the disaster of May 12th at the "bloody angle." In this capacity he took part in the fighting on the Cold Harbor line, and the defense of Petersburg, and commanded his brigade during Early's campaign in the Shenandoah valley, participating in the defeat of the Federals at Shepherdstown August 25th, and fighting gallantly at Winchester, where he was one of the seven distinguished Confederate generals who fell killed or wounded. He returned with his brigade to the Petersburg lines, and on March 25, 1865, was again wounded while leading his command in the sortie of Gordon's corps against Fort Stedman. During the retreat of the army to Appomattox, he was at home disabled by wounds, but when the news of the surrender reached him, he mounted his horse, with indomitable courage, and started out to join the army in North Carolina. He subsequently resumed his law practice at Wytheville, and in 1868 was nominated for Congress, but could not make the race on account of political disabilities. Upon the removal of these he was elected to the Forty-second and Forty-fourth Congresses. On September 5, 1888, he was drowned while attempting to ford a creek near his home. By his marriage to Emma, daughter of Benjamin Wigginton, of Bedford county, in 1852, there are four sons and three daughters, who survive.

 

Brigadier-General William Richard Terry was born at Liberty, Bedford county, Va., March 12, 1817. After his graduation by the Virginia military institute in 1850, he devoted himself to agricultural and commercial pursuits until the secession of Virginia, when he promptly entered the military service as captain of a company of cavalry organized in Bedford county. He led his men to Manassas, and after serving at Fairfax Court House, participated in the cavalry charge which demoralized the broken right wing of the Federal army on the night of April 21st, continuing until midnight in pursuit of the enemy. His conduct at the battle of First Manassas won the attention of his commanders, and in September following, at the request of General Early, he was promoted colonel and assigned to the command of the Twenty-fourth Virginia infantry, from which Early had been promoted to brigadier-general. In May, 1862, at the battle of Williamsburg, the Twenty-fourth Virginia and Fifth North Carolina regiments made a brilliant and heroic charge upon the enemy's position, and Terry, leading his regiment, fell severely wounded, but earned a reputation as an inspiring and irresistible leader in assault

Brig.-Gen. A. G, Jenkins.	Maj.-Gen. J. B. Magruder.	Brig.-Gen. Samuel Garland.
Maj.-Gen. John Pegram.	Maj.-Gen. D. H. Maury.	Brig.-Gen. Wm. Terry.
Brig.-Gen. J. A. Terrill.	Maj.-Gen. W. B. Talliaferro.	Maj.-Gen. Thos. L. Rosser.
Brig.-Gen. W. N. Pendleton.	Brig.-Gen. B. H. Robertson.	Brig.-Gen. J. E. Slaughter.

that he fully maintained throughout the war. Longstreet and D. H. Hill both praised the men and their gallant leaders, the latter expressing the opinion that the caution exhibited by the Federals in their subsequent movements "was due to the terror inspired by the heroism of those noble regiments. History has no example of a more daring charge." Hancock, who bore the brunt of the attack, declared that the two regiments deserved to have the name "Immortal" inscribed on their banners. Under Terry's leadership the regiment fought with the same heroism at Second Manassas, and after the wounding of Colonel Corse, then commanding Kemper's brigade. Colonel Terry succeeded him in temporary command. He was with his regiment in all its battles, and was seven times badly wounded. One of the most desperate of his wounds was received at Gettysburg, in the memorable assault of Pickett's division. He commanded Kemper's brigade from the fall of 1863 until nearly the close of the war, with promotion to brigadier-general in May, 1864. Assigned to the department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia with Pickett, he took part in the expedition against New Bern, and in May, 1864, bore a worthy part in the gallant stand made against Butler at Drewry's bluff. Throughout the long defense of Richmond and Petersburg he was one of the trusted brigadiers of Pickett's division, and finally, on March 31, 1865, just before the abandonment of the Confederate capital, he fell severely wounded near Dinwiddie Court House, leading his men in the successful fight of Pickett's division, which preceded the disaster at Five Forks. After the close of the war he served eight years in the Virginia senate, held the office of superintendent of the State penitentiary two terms, and from April, 1886, to 1893, was superintendent of the Soldiers' Home at Richmond. This office he was forced to surrender by failing health, which continued until his death, March 28, 1897, at his home in Chesterfield county. He was married in young manhood to Miss Pemberton, of Powhatan, who, with two sons and three daughters, survived him.