Olin M. Dantzler, Class of 1846

Olin Miller Dantzler was a wealthy planter serving in the S.C. legislature at the outbreak of the war. Though he strongly opposed the war and had proposed several compromise measures in the legislature, he enlisted  on April 11, 1861 as a private. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 20th South Carolina Infantry on Jan. 11, 1862. Dantzler was promoted to Colonel of the 22nd SC Infantry in April, 1864 shortly before he was killed on June 2, 1864 while leading his men in an effort to take Fort Dutton during the Bermuda Hundred campaign. A promotion to brigadier general did not reach  him before his death. He is buried in South Carolina at Tabernacle Cemetery in Saint Matthews, Calhoun County.

The earthworks at Battery Dantzler (originally called Fort Howlett), the battery located on the northern end of the Howlett Line named for him on June 13, 1864, are preserved in a Chesterfield County park (see map and directions at http://www.chesterfield.gov/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=16243).

Abel T. Ashby, Student 1858-1861

Abel Thomas Ashby of Northumberland County, VA, enlisted on June 22, 1861 at Franktown, VA as a private in Company C of the 39th VA Infantry. He was taken prisoner of war on November 15, 1861 on the Eastern Shore of VA. After the war, Ashby became a prominent citizen in Northumberland County until his death on October 5, 1901, including serving on the first Board of Directors of the Eastern Shore Historical Society organized in 1890. He is buried in Belle Haven Cemetery in Accomack County, VA.

Joseph D. Arnold, Class of 1860

Joseph David Arnold, one of 3 sons of Methodist minister Hartwell Arnold to attend Randolph-Macon College (see Benjamin W. and Peterson H. Arnold), was a teacher when he joined his brother in enlisting in Company G of the 14th Virginia Infantry on May 9, 1861.  Arnold was wounded at Malvern Hill, VA on June 1, 1862 and his right arm was amputated. He was discharged on April 23, 1864. He became a Methodist minister after the war and died in 1920 in Waynesville, NC. he is buried in Walnut Grove Union Church Cemetary in Bedford, County, VA.

Benjamin W. Arnold, Class of 1860 (A.M.)

Benjamin W. Arnold was the older brother of Peterson H. Arnold and a son of Methodist minister Hartwell Arnold. He enlisted on May 12, 1861, as a private in Co. E of the 14th VA Infantry. Arnold was promoted to Adjutant on September 10, 1863 and to 1st Lieutenant on December 14, 1863. His record indicates a numebr of absences due to illness in 1862 and 1863. he was wounded at Drewry's Bluff, VA, on May 16, 1864 and returned to his unit a month later. He was taken Prisoner of War at Sailor's Creek, VA, on April 6, 1865 and sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington. He was transferred to Johnson's Island, OH, on April 17, 1865 where he remianed for two months until his release on June 17, 1865. he died in 1920 in and is buried in Walnut Grove Union Church Cemetary in Bedford, County, VA, where his tombstone indicates his final rank was major.

Peterson Hartwell. Arnold, Student 1859-1862

Arnold, son of a Methodist minister in Mecklenburg County, VA, joined the Boydton Cavalry, Co. A of the 3rd VA Cavalry, as a private in Winchester,VA on August 20, 1862. He was listed as missing on July 3, 1863 in Gettysburg, PA and disappears from the historical record. The 1906 "Catalog of the Members of the Fraternity of Delta Psi" lists him as killed at Gettysburg. He was the younger brother of Benjamin W. Arnold and Joseph D. Arnold, all sons of Methodist minister Hartwell Arnold.

W. Townes Boyd, Student 1858-1860

W. Townes Boyd, born in 1844 into the Boyd family of Boydton, enlisted as a private in company A of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry, the "Boydton Cavalry," on August 8, 1862 in Hanover County, VA.  On August 6, 1864, he transferred to the 1st Company Virginia Howitzers Light Artillery, where he remained until he took the oath of allegiance at Farmville, VA, on April 14, 1865.

After the war, W. Townes Boyd moved to Covington, TN, where he was the longtime publisher of the Tipton Weekly Record newspaper.He died June 2, 1932 and is buried in Munford Cemetery in Covington, Tipton County, TN.

W. Townes should not be confused with a second cousin with the same name (Captain William Townes Boyd, 1837-1916) who joined the Boydton Cavalry in 1861 and also moved to Covington, TN after the war.

James Land Hite, student 1842-1843

James L. Hite enlisted as a private in Company C of the 20th Virginia Infantry in May, 1861. He transferred to Company G of the 9th Virginia Cavalry on September 1, 1863. His two nephews, Robert M. and William O. Hite were in Company A of the 3rd VA Cavalry. He is listed as absent due to illness on July 7, 1864 and died of typhoid fever a month later on August 15, 1864. He is buried near his nephew William O. Hite, who died a few months earlier, in the Edmund Mitchell Hite family cemetery in Mecklenburg County.

William Olin Hite, student 1858-1861

William O. Hite was a student at Randolph-Macon when he and his older brother, Robert M. Hite, enlisted in Boydton, VA on May 14, 1861 as privates in Company A of the 3^rdVirginia Cavalry. William did not survive the war and died May 15, 1864, and is buried in the Edmund Mitchell Hite family cemetery in Mecklenburg County.

Robert M. Hite, student 1858-1861

Robert M. Hite was a student when he and his younger brother, William O. Hite, enlisted in Boydton, VA on May 14, 1861 as privates in Company A of the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry. He was promoted to sergeant in July 1863 and to 2^nd lieutenant in December 1864. He was apparently pretty lucky – he had two horses killed, one at Sharpsburg, MD (Antietam) on Sept. 17, 1862 and the other in Jan. 1865. There are no indications he was wounded and he did survive the war.

Otis Allan Glazebrook, student 1860-1861

Otis Allan Glazebrook left Randolph-Macon in 1861 after the college trustees had announced the school would close for the duration of the war. Although that decision was reversed and R-MC reopened in the fall of 1861, Glazebrook had joined the student cadet corps at the Virginia Military Institute. He was part of the VMI cadet corps that distinguished itself at the Battle of New Market. He graduated from VMI in 1866, co-founded the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and served a number of years as an Episcopalian minister before entering the U.S. Consular Service in 1914.

Adolphus Williamson (A.W.) Mangum, class of 1854 (A.B.) and 1857 (A.M.)

A.W. Mangum was a 27 year old Methodist minister in Salisbury, N.C., when he enlisted as a private in the 6th North Carolina Infantry in 1861. He served as chaplain for the unit but left the unit after the Battle of First Manassas, resigning on October 31, 1861. He returned to Salisbury, where he spent considerable time working with the Union prisoners at Salisbury Prison. In 1863, he moved to a church in Goldsboro, N.C., wher he remained for the duration of the war. After the war he served a number of churches and taught at the University of North Carolina from 1875-1890.

Dabney Jordan Waller, student 1859-1861

 Dabney Waller enlisted as a private in the 9th Virginia Cavalry, Company B, on July 25, 1861, soon after the college year ended. He was promoted to corporal in March, 1863 and then to sergeant in November 1863. After the war he was a farmer in Caroline County, VA. He applied for and received a Confederate pension in 1923, not long before his death in 1925.

Arthur Lee Wynne, student 1857-1861

Arthur Lee Wynne joined the Richmond Howitzers, the 1st Co. Howitzers VA Light Artillery Battery, in June 1862 as a private. He was hospitalized and then furloghed in 1863 due to illness. He was transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps. in the summer of 1864, dying of disease on December 2, 1864.

Tazewell Hargrove, class of 1848

Hargrove, a lawyer in Granville County, NC, was a delegate in North Carolina's secession convention. He enlisted on March 10, 1862 in Company A of the 44th NC Infantry and was immediately made captain. He was promoted to major shortly afterward, on May 3, 1862, and was a lieutenant colonel by June 26, 1863, when he was wounded and captured at a skirmish in Virginia at the Battle of the South Anna Bridge. He spent the rest of the war in prison, first at Fort Delaware, DE; then at Johnson's Island, OH; then at Point Lookout, MD; back to Fort Delaware; on to Hilton Head, SC; then to Fort Pulaski, GA; back to Hilton Head; and finally back to Fort Delaware, where he refused to take the oath of allegiance until late July, 1865, when he was finally released.

Oscar Wiley, Medical Department class of 1851

Oscar Wiley graduated from the Medical Department of Randolph-Macon College in 1851 and Pennsylvania's Jefferson Medical College in 1852.

Randolph-Macon's medical school was located in Prince Edward Court House, several miles from the Boydton campus. He enlisted in Pulaski County, VA, as a private in the 2nd Cavalry, Company I. On September 3, 1862, Dr. Wiley was commissioned into Co. F of the 54th Virginia Infantry, with a promotion to the Medical Staff. He practiced medicine until his death in 1904.

David Robinson Duncan, class of 1855

David R. Duncan was born at Randolph-Macon College, where his father served as a professor.After graduation, he moved to South Carolina where he studied law while teaching high school for one year. He then practiced law until enlisting in August 1861 as first lieutenant in Company C of the 13th South Carolina Infantry. He was made captain, then was promoted to Major in the spring of 1864. After the war he served in the S.C. Legislature and Senate, practiced law, and was a prominent businessman.

Thomas Taylor Boswell, class of 1845

Thomas Taylor Boswell, Randolph-Macon class of 1845, enlisted as the captain of Company A of the 56th Virginia Infantry in July 1861. He would have seen action throughout Lee’s campaigns in Virginia, as well as Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg. He is most notable for his defense of the Staunton River Bridge on June 25, 1864. The January 1920 issue of Confederate Veteran mentioned his efforts.

“It was Maj. Thomas Taylor Bowell, who with scarcely twelve hundred men … defended and held Staunton River Bridge against a Federal raiding force of more some ten thousand picked cavalry. Over this bridge the food for General Lee’s army had to pass, and when late in the day word was flashed to Richmond that the Federal force was retreating, there came back to order promoting Major Boswell to the rank of colonel ere the smoke of battle had blended with the darkness of the night.”

Colonel Boswell survived the war and died in 1887.

Contributed by Matthew Guillen '14

Robert W. Bailey, student 1858 - 1861

Robert W. Bailey attended Randolph-Macon College from 1858 to 1861 and enlisted as a private in Company H of the 44th Virginia Infantry when he was 21. On May 1, 1862 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and saw action during the Seven Days campaign. He was wounded at Chancellorsville and again on the second day of the fighting at Gettysburg. He would die as a result of his wounds on the same day. He is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Benjamin Lee Arnold, class of 1862

Benjamin Lee Arnold, Randolph-Macon class of 1862, enlisted as captain on November 18, 1862 at Drewry's Bluff overlooking the James River south of Richmond, Virginia. Serving in the 14th Virginia Infantry, Arnold survived Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, along with his classmate, Benjamin James Hawthorne who attended Randolph-Macon College from 1858 to 1861. The two survived the War and went west to Oregon in 1874. There, Arnold served as President of Corvallis College, what is today Oregon State University.

-Contributed by Matthew Guillen '14

Thomas Wiley Branch, class of 1859

He enlisted in the 12th VA Infantry, Co. C on April 19, 1861 as a corporal, and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant on May 20, 1862. He was taken prisoner on May 2, 1863 at Chancellorsville and imprisoned at Old Capitol Prison, Washington, D.C. on May 15, 1863. Branch was discharged January 15, 1864. After the war, he was a Life Insurance Agent in Asheville, NC.

John W. Jones, class of 1859 (A.B.) and 1894 (A.M.)

He enlisted in the 56th VA Infantry, Co. B (the “Mecklenburg Spartans”) on July 29, 1861 in Richmond.  He was wounded at Frazier’s Farm, VA on June 30, 1862.  Jones was promoted to Captain on January 9, 1863, and participated in Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg on July 3. 1863. By the time of the surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Jones was commander of what was left of his regiment.

He moved to Arkansas where he taught in a female college and served in the state legislature. In 1885, Jones moved to Idaho where he became a newspaper editor, establishing the Blackfoot News in 1887. He received his A.M. degree from R-MC in 1894. It is indicated as having been received "under the old law existing when his A.B. was taken." This meant that the recipient had graduated with honors and pursued a rigorous independent study for at least three years, demonstrating proficiency to the faculty. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel by the Idaho governor in 1898 and served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. He died November 21, 1901 and is buried in Blackfoot, ID in Grove City Cemetery.

William S. Davis, class of 1859

In May 1861, he left classes at the University of VA and enlisted in the 12th NC Infantry, 2nd Co. C (the “Warren Rifles”). He was elected 1st Lieutenant in 1861, promoted to Captain in 1862, and promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1863.  He was wounded at The Battle of Belle Grove (Cedar Creek), VA, on October 19, 1864 and his arm was amputated. Davis resigned due to disability on February 10, 1865.

William Hoomes Davis, class of 1859

He enlisted in the 12th VA Infantry, Co. E on April 19, 1861 in Petersburg as a private with his friend Leroy Edwards. Davis died of a fever in a field hospital at Chancellorsville, VA on May 7, 1863 shortly after being promoted from corporal to sergeant on April 1, 1863.

Edwin S. Hardy, class of 1859

Hardy, a school teacher, enlisted in the 20th VA Co C on May 20, 1861. He was discharged for disability (a “hepatic disorder,” or liver disease) on August 24, 1861. 

Thomas J. Overby, class of 1859 (A.B.) and 1866 (A.M.)

Overby, also spelled Overbey, was a school teacher in Granville County, NC at the outbreak of the war when he enlisted in the 23rd NC Infantry, Co I on June 17, 1861. Overby was discharged for disability August 27, 1863 due to heart and nervous disorders. He was awarded an AM degree by R-MC in 1866.

Luther Wright, class of 1859

A teacher in Caroline County at the beginning of the war, Wright enlisted in 47th Va Infantry, Co. G on August 2, 1861 as a 1st lieutenant. He was wounded on June 27, 1862 at Gaines’ Mill, VA; promoted to Captain on August 30, 1862; and wounded again on December 13, 1862 at Fredericksburg, VA. Wright resigned on April 25, 1863, citing family illness and the fact that the company had dwindled in size, and his resignation was accepted.

After the war, he was a farmer in 1870 in Caroline County, VA. In 1880 and 1900, he was a working for the railroad. By 1910, he is listed in the census as having his "own income." He died November 24, 1921 and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA. 

William Gabriel Starr, class of 1859; R-MC President 1899-1902

Starr enlisted as chaplain in the 47th Alabama Infantry on March 18, 1863. He was promoted to Captain, and then discharged for disability in 1864 at Petersburg. He was a Methodist minister and educator, serving as President of Marengo Military Institute in Alabama at the beginning of the war.  He was awarded an AM degree by R-MC in 1862, and became the 9th President of Randolph-Macon College, serving from 1899-1902. He is buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.

Tigmal J. Morton, student 1858-1859

Born in 1843 in Boydton, Virginia, Tigmal J. Morton attended Randolph-Macon from 1858 to 1859 at the age of 15. He later attended the Virginia Military Institute until he left to join the Confederate army. On May 3, 1862, when he was 19, Morton enlisted as the Captain of Company B, 56th Virginia Infantry and was described at the time of his enlistment as six feet, two inches tall, with a fair complexion, dark eyes and light hair. He saw action during Lee’s Seven Days campaign during which he was wounded at the Battle of Glendale or Frazier’s Farm on June 30, 1862. On January 9, 1863 he was dropped from command “because of prolonged absence,” presumably due to his wounding. On August 15, 1863 he was commissioned into the Field and Staff of the 53rd Tennessee Infantry with the rank of Colonel. He was again wounded on October 15, 1863 and a year later, on October 14, 1864 he was declared “permanently disabled.” After this, he married Suzanne Davis of Alabama, with whom he would have two children. On May 4, 1865 he surrendered to Federal forces at Citronelle, Alabama and on June 15, took the oath of allegiance to the government of the United States at Mobile. Morton died of tuberculosis six years later in 1871 at the age of 28.

Contributed by Matthew Guillen '14

Christopher Thrower, class of 1859

"Kit" Thrower enlisted in the 1st AR Infantry, Co C (the "Camden Knights") on May 8, 1861 and served until the end of the war.  His profession is listed as lawyer. After the war he was a lawyer, judge, and newspaper editor, and served in the Arkansas legislature. Thrower died in Camden, AR in 1882.

Henry Brown Cowles Jr., class of 1859

He enlisted in the 12th VA Infantry, Co. E on July 9, 1861 as a private, and died August 20, 1863 of typhoid fever at Virginia Hospital in Petersburg, VA. His father was a prominent Methodist minister and an agent for Randolph-Macon College.  Henry Jr. was a school teacher in Petersburg at the time he enlisted.

John W. Heartsfield, class of 1859

He enlisted in the 1st NC Infantry, Co I on July 16, 1861 as 1st sergeant. Heartsfield was killed at Ellerson’s Mill, VA on June 26, 1862. The Battle of Ellerson's Mill is also known as the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek or the Battle of Mechanicsville, and is part of the Seven Days Battles in the Peninsula Campaign.

Frank X. Miller, class of 1859

Miller enlisted in the NC 1st Light Artillery, Co. B on June 21, 1861. He was promoted to Sergeant Major on December 27, 1862 and to Ordnance Sergeant on May 17, 1863. He was taken POW at Fort Macon, NC on April 26, 1862, and exchanged on August 15, 1862. from September, 1863 through August, 1864, he was detailed as engineer in Goldsboro, N.C. After the war, Miller moved to Florida.