offered his services to the State in May, 1861, desiring to become a member of the Governor's Mounted Guards, but he was rejected on account of physical disability. Subsequently, in October, 1863, he enlisted as a private in Company H of the Ninth Virginia cavalry, and in this capacity served during the remainder of the war. His military record embraces honorable and devoted service in the battles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, on the last named field participating in two desperate charges upon the enemy; the Charles City fight with Sheridan; the engagements in August, 1864, in defense of the Petersburg lines on the Boydton plank road, and at Sappony church, Jetersville and Reams' Station; the affair on November 22, 1864, at Wyatt's Farm, ten miles south of Petersburg, where he was badly wounded in the head and disabled for two or three weeks afterward; and in the battle of Five Forks in the spring of 1865. During the famous Dahlgren raid, in February, 1864, his company, under command of Captain Pollard, was the nucleus of the small force which was organized to meet the daring raid. They overtook Dahlgren's men at Bruington Female seminary, and, attacking the rear guard, one Federal was killed by a shot fired by Dr. Crouch. The chase was kept up until Dahlgren fell and his men surrendered. At the time of the surrender of the army, in April, 1865, Dr. Crouch was stationed near High Bridge, and thence he went to Richmond where he was paroled. Since the war Dr. Crouch has resided at Richmond, where he occupies an honored position among the best people of the Virginia capital. He is a warm friend of the veterans of the army of Northern Virginia and maintains a membership in Pickett camp of Confederate Veterans.
John Thomas M. Crowder, a veteran of the army of Northern Virginia, and a member of A. P. Hill camp, United Confederate Veterans, of Petersburg, was born at that city in 1838. His father, James Crowder, was a business man of Petersburg, previous to the war. He was educated in the public schools of the city and when the crisis of 1860-61 arrived was engaged in mercantile pursuits, which he promptly abandoned to enter the military service of the State and the Confederacy. On May 4, 1861, he enlisted in Archer's Rifles, of Petersburg, afterward Company K of the Twelfth Virginia infantry, Mahone's brigade. His service was first rendered at Craney island, before Norfolk, until the abandonment of that region. He subsequently served at Drewry's bluff, and being transferred to the army before Richmond, participated in the battle of Seven Pines. He was disabled by illness during the remainder of the Peninsular campaign, but participated in the battle of Second Manassas, during that campaign being detailed as sergeant, and took part in the Maryland campaign, serving under Major Wingfield at Harper's Ferry. He was subsequently on special detail until December, 1864, continuing during that time with the army in all its campaigns, and then returned to the ranks of his regiment and shared its operations until taken prisoner early in 1865. He was held as a prisoner at Washington until April, 1865, subsequent to the surrender at Appomattox. Since his return to his native city he has been engaged mainly in mercantile business, up to the last eight years, during which he has served as magistrate. His life has been an industrious and honorable one, and worthy of commemoration.
