Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1363

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CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY.
1277

and in July, 1861, at the age of eighteen years, enlisted as a private in the First Richmond Howitzers. Stationed on the line of the Potomac, after the battle of Manassas, he served with his command in the effective repulse of the Federal sortie into Virginia at Ball's Bluff, and subsequently when the battery moved southward to meet the advance of McClellan upon Richmond, and was placed in position at Dam No. 1, he shared in the dangerous service of the command under the enemy's guns for five or six days. When Johnston fell back to Williamsburg the battery was again warmly engaged at that place, and subsequently fell back to the lines around Richmond. In the advance which followed, and the effective attacks upon the Federal positions at Frayser's farm and Malvern Hill, Private Wingo did faithful service, and then, the "on to Richmond" movement having been entirely abandoned, he enjoyed with his command a season of rest and recuperation, until the Maryland campaign. Accompanying a section of his battery he moved to the Potomac, crossed at Leesburg into Maryland, and moved over the Catoctin mountains into Pleasant valley, opposite Harper's Ferry, where they lay for twenty-four hours hemmed in by the enemy, but finally crossed without inconvenience into Virginia, and participated in the attack on Harper's Ferry and the capture of the Federal army at that post. Thence he moved to Sharpsburg, Md., and participated in the desperate fighting of September 17, 1862, receiving severe wounds in the leg and arm, which disabled him for further active service. Returning home when he was sufficiently recovered, he was detailed as enrolling officer for Amelia county, and served in that capacity until the army of General Lee passed through that county on its retreat from Richmond, when he joined in the movement to Appomattox and there participated in the capitulation. At the return of peace Mr. Wingo removed to Richmond and has ever since been occupied in mercantile affairs at that city. He is a member of R. E. Lee camp, Confederate Veterans, and of the Howitzer association. In 1894 he received from Governor O'Ferrall the high compliment of appointment to the staff, with rank of colonel, in the Virginia militia.

George Wise, of Alexandria, Va., was born at that city in 1840, and there became a member, in the fall of 1860, of the Old Dominion Rifles, subsequently part of a battalion commanded by Maj. M. D. Corse. In the spring of 1861 the Rifles became Company H of the Seventeenth Virginia infantry, and he entered the active service as a corporal and was soon promoted sergeant. Upon the organization of Corse's brigade in November, 1862, Sergeant Wise became ordnance-sergeant of the Seventeenth regiment. In December, 1863, he was transferred to the First regiment, engineer troops. Col. T. M. R. Talcott commanding, as sergeant of Company G. In this capacity he was in charge of the engineering work and location of guns on that part of the Petersburg lines including Colquitt's, Grade's and Elliott's salients, during a large part of the fall of 1864, and superintended the countermining against the Federals. Under orders from General Lee he mapped a large section including Fort Clifton and the Howlett line, also, one month before the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond, copied the various orders prepared by General Lee in contemplation of such an emergency. On Friday preceding the