52
\'IRGL\IA BIOGRAPHY
commanded the division at Sharpsburg
and at Fredericksburg. In January', 1863,
he was promoted to major-general. He es-
pecially distinguished himself in the Penn-
sylvania campaign and at Gettysburg. In
the opening engagement in the Wilderness,
he temporarily commanded Hill's corps, to
the saving of Lee's flank, and defeated
Burnside at Spottsylvania Court House on
May 31, 1863, he was promoted to lieuten-
ant-general. He defeated Hunter at Lynch-
burg, and Wallace at Alonocacy. March-
ing upon Washington, he was just about
to assault when the city was reinforced by
two Federal army corps. He was then en-
gaged in the valley, where he made a stub-
born resistance against Sheridan in a series
or desperate engagements. When Lee sur-
rendered, he rode on horseback to Texas,
hoping to find a Confederate force still hold-
ing out, then he went to Mexico, and then
to Canada. Returning home, he resumed
his law practice, but in his later years lived
most of the time in New Orleans. He died
at Lynchburg, \'irginia, March 2, 1894.
Echols, John, born at Lynchburg, Vir- ginia, March 20, 1823, son of Joseph Echols, a native of Halifax county, Virginia, and of Elizabeth F. Lambeth, his wife, daugh- ter of Meredith Lambeth ; educated at Vir- ginia Military Institute, Washington Col- lege, and Hars^ard College. He studied law and practiced with much success in Monroe county. West Virginia. He took a promi- nent part in the Virginia convention of 1861, but on the passage of the ordinance of secession, resigned, and was appointed by the convention colonel of volunteers and re- el uited forces in the vicinity of Staunton. As lieutenant-colonel of the Confederate
army he commanded the Twenty-seventh
Virginia Regiment at the first Manassas,
iii the Stonewall brigade ; promoted to colo-
nel, and served under Jackson in Shenan-
doah Valley. He was wounded at Kerns-
town, was promoted to brigadier-general,
and commanded a brigade in the army of
W^estern Virginia. In 1864 his service was
in the Shenandoah Valley; in April, 1805,
in southwest Virginia, he received news of
the surrender at Appomattox, and at once
set out to join Johnston's army. Subse-
quently he accompanied President Davis to
Augusta, Georgia ; after the war he re-
sumed law practice in Staunton, bore a
useful part m restoring Virginia to its
proper relations with the general govern-
ment, and as a member of the Virginia leg-
islature. He died at the residence of his
son. State Senator Echols, in Staunton,
May 24, 1896.
Ewell, Richard Stoddert, born at George- town, D. C, February 8, 1817, son of Dr. Thomas Ewell and Elizabeth Stoddert, his wife. He was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1840, and as lieutenant served on the frontier until 1845, and was then on coast duty for a year. In the Mexican war he took part in the battles of Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Cherubusco. ]\Iolino del Rey and Chapul- tepec. He was brevetted captain of dragoons, and after the Mexican war was on frontier duty until May 7, 1861, when he resigned. He was made lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, and promoted to brigadier-gen- eral, June 17. At the first battle of Manas- sas he commanded a brigade. In October he was promoted to major-general, and commanded a division under lackson in the
