William Henry White, student 1862-1863

White entered R-MC under the military curriculum in place in 1862.  He was the son of Major William White of the 14th VA Infantry (later lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the regiment), and entered VMI as a member of the class of 1867 after Randolph-Macon closed for the duration of the war in early 1863. He served in Co. A of VMI's Corps of Cadets and fought at the Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864 just a month after his seventeenth birthday.

After the war, White became a lawyer in Norfolk, VA. He served as president of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac Railroad from 1907-1920, residing in Richmond, VA. White died on August 5, 1920 and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA.

Thomas Scott West, student 1860-1861

West enlisted as a private on May 22, 1861 in Co. A of the 2nd VA Cavalry. He was promoted to corporal on December 15, 1861 and to lieutenant on November 29, 1864. West surrendered and was paroled at Appomattox Court House, VA on April 9, 1865.

After the war, he returned to Bedford, VA, where he farmed for the rest of his life. West died on November 4, 1923 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Bedford, VA.

Samuel A. West, student 1861-1862

West enlisted as a corporal in Co. C of the 25th Battalion VA Infantry on August 6, 1862. he was discharged on February 9, 1863 upon completion of his 6 months of service when the unit was reorganized and he became a lieutenant in Co. H of the battalion. West was captured at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, VA on April 6, 1865 and sent first to Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. and then sent on April 21, 1865 to the prison camp at Johnson's Island, OH, where he remained until he took the oath of allegiance on June 20, 1865.

By 1880, West had moved to Bedford County, VA where he became a farmer. In the summer of 1916, he entered the Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers’ Home in Richmond, VA. He was discharged from the home in December 1916 due to his deteriorating mental condition.

William Walter White, student 1857-1861

White enlisted as a private in Co. D of the 3rd VA Infantry on August 1, 1861. He was a corporal at the time of his election to the rank of junior second lieutenant on October 3, 1863. On May 12, 1863, he was promoted to second lieutenant.

He was hospitalized in May of 1862 with an unknown ailment and then again that year in late October and early November. White was wounded slightly and taken prisoner at the Battle of Gettysburg during Pickett's Charge. He was sent to the prison at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD and on July 7, 1863 was sent to the prison camp at Fort Delaware, DE.  On July 18, 1863, since he was an officer, White was sent to the prison camp at Johnson's Island, OH, where he remained from July 20, 1863 until March 21, 1865, when he was transferred to the prison at Point Lookout, MD. On April 28, 1865, he was sent again to Fort Delaware, where he was released on June 12, 1865 upon taking the oath of allegiance.

After the war, White was a teacher for 47 years in private schools and later in public schools. He was superintendent of the Southampton County public schools from 1905 until his retirement in 1913. White died from Bright's disease on May 2, 1918 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Courtland in Southampton County, VA.

Albert Burton Wooldridge, student 1861-1862

Wooldridge enlisted as a private in Co. C of the 9th VA Infantry on September 9, 1861, and is listed as a substitute for Edwin S. Wooldridge, who was his older brother. He was discharged on December 10, 1861 upon furnishing a substitute. He enlisted as a private in Parker's Virginia Battery of Huger's Artillery on August 24, 1863 and it is unclear when he reported for duty, although he was paroled at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865 and his older brother Edwin was commanding the unit at that time.

After the war, he moved to Manchester, VA (now part of Richmond) and was a coal merchant in 1870 and a farmer in 1880. Wooldridge died in July 1896 and is buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.

Robert T. Wilson, student 1841-1842

Wilson, a farmer in Norfolk county, VA, enlisted as a private in Co. B of the 5th VA Cavalry. he was discharged for disability on December 7, 1861. The surgeon's certificate states that he had suffered from chronic diarrhea and "is now suffering from 'anthrax' and will not be able to resume the active duties of a soldier..."

He returned to farming in Norfolk County. In the 1877 Norfolk city directory and in the 1880 census, he is listed as teaching school.

William Old, student 1856-1857

William, a farmer in St. Brides Parish, Norfolk County (now Chesapeake), VA, enlisted as a private on February 16, 1862, in Co. I of the 5th VA Cavalry, the company which his uncle John F. Old had also joined. This later became the 14th Battalion VA Cavalry and then Co. F of the 15th VA Cavalry, the St. Brides Cavalry.

In 1870, he had returned to farming in Norfolk County, VA. His fate after that is unknown at this time.

John F. Old, student 1842-1843

Old, a farmer in Norfolk, VA, enlisted as a private in Co. I of the 5th VA Cavalry on June 20, 1861. He was promoted to corporal on July 15, 1861. On April 5, 1862, he was transferred to the 14th Battalion VA Cavalry, where he appears on rolls as a sergeant. This later became Co. F of the 15th VA Cavalry, the St. Brides Cavalry. Old was wounded on December 13, 1862 near Fredericksburg, VA. He was hospitalized in Richmond, VA at Chimborazo Hospital with typhoid fever for most of the month of July 1863.

After the war, he returned to farming in Norfolk. He died sometime before 1880, when his wife is listed as a widow in the census.

Daniel McKendree Carmines, student 1852-1853

Carmines, known as Kenny, was a school teacher in York County, VA in the 1860 census. He joined Co. I of the 32nd VA Infantry as a private on January 28, 1862, transferring from Co. C of the 115th VA Militia, which he had joined on an unknown date. Carmines was promoted to corporal on January 1, 1863. In June of 1864, he spent a week in Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, VA suffering from dysentery. On April 10, 1865, he appears on a list of prisoners held by the Union Army at Libby Prison in Richmond, VA. His date of release is not known at this time.

In 1870, he was a merchant in Elizabeth City, VA. By 1880, he had returned to teaching in York County, VA. He died sometime around 1900.

James R. Carroll, student 1850-1851

Carroll was a farmer in Warren County, NC when he enlisted as a private in Co. C of the 12th NC Infantry on May 4, 1861. He was promoted to sergeant on November 1, 1862. He applied to join the CS Signal Corps on October 31, 1862 and a letter supporting his application was written by the captain of his company, William S. Davis, R-MC Class of 1859.  On November 14, 1863, he joined Milligan's Independent Signal Corps as a private. On August 2, 1864, he was detailed to serve on a blockade runner out of Wilmington, NC. By April 10, 1865, he was back with his unit.

After the war, he returned to farming in Warren County, NC, where he resided at least through 1880. At the time of his death in 1899, he was living in Vance County, NC, where he is buried in the Hawkins-Carroll Family Cemetery in Middleburg.

William K. Woodson, student 1859-1861

Woodson enlisted as a private in Co. E of the 15th VA Infantry on June 14, 1861. He was wounded and taken prisoner on September 17, 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD during the Battle of Antietam. He was sent to Fort McHenry, MD, from which he was sent to Fort Monroe, VA for exchange in October.  Woodson was promoted to sergeant on May 17, 1864. He was taken prisoner at Farmville, VA on April 6, 1865 and sent to the prison camp at Point Lookout, MD. He was released on June 22, 1865 after taking the oath of allegiance.

Woodson had moved to Falls County, TX by 1880 where he was a clerk. He died on December 6, 1890 and is buried in Covington Cemetery in Falls County, TX.

Thomas R. Spencer, student 1835-1836

Spencer was a wealthy farmer in Greensville County, VA when the war began. In the 1850s, a classical school had been established in Spencer's home with RMC alumnus William Merritt as the first teacher.

He enlisted in July 1863 as a private in Co. A of the Greensville Home Guard, a local defense unit. He is listed on September 11, 1864 as exempted from further service due to his status as a farmer.He remained farming in Greensville County until his death in 1868.

Robert H. Spencer, student 1861-1862

Spencer, brother of Richard Parham Spencer 1861-1862 and son of Thomas R. Spencer 1835-1836, enlisted as a private in Epes' Co. of the Chesterfield (also Johnston) Artillery, a company in which his brother Richard also served. No further record of his service has been found after June 1863 and he disappears from the historical record.

Richard Parham Spencer, student 1861-1862

Spencer enlisted as a private in Co. F of the 12th VA Infantry on June 8, 1861. As he was only 16 years old, he was discharged on April 28, 1861 at the rank of corporal. He was then sent with his brother, Robert H. Spencer, to attend Randolph-Macon, which their father, Thomas R. Spencer, had attended from 1835-1836.  On March 29, 1863, he enlisted as a private in Epes' Co. of the Chesterfield (also Johnston) Artillery, a company in which his brother Robert also served. In December 1863, he was transferred to Major Mulligan's Co. of the C.S. Signal Corps. He was captured on January 25, 1864 at the signal station at Point Pleasant, VA and sent to the prison camp at Point Lookout, MD, from which he was paroled and exchanged on September 18, 1864. He spent some time at Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond VA, where his diagnosis was debilitas. Spencer surrendered with his company at Appomattox Court House, VA.

After the war, Spencer returned to Greensville County, VA, where he is listed in the 1870 census as farmer and physician. He died in 1876.

Jonathan C. Shearer, student 1852-1853

Shearer, brother of Peter A. Shearer who was also a student in 1852-1853, attended the University of Virginia in 1855-1856, and was a merchant in Lynchburg, VA in 1860. On February 16, 1864, he was drafted and was assigned on February 19, 1864 as a private to Co. B of the 2nd VA Cavalry. Shearer was wounded at the Battle of Meadow Bridge in Henrico County, VA on May 12, 1864. He died on May 14, 1864 at General Hospital No. 9 in Richmond, VA, the day after he was admitted. Shearer was buried in Campbell County, VA in the cemetery at the old Bethlehem Methodist Church at Concord Depot, VA.

Peter Akers Shearer, student 1852-1853

Shearer, brother of Jonathan C. Shearer who was also a student in 1852-1853, attended Emory and Henry College in 1854-1855 and was dismissed from that school. He then joined his brother Jonathan at the University of Virginia in 1856. He was a farmer in Appomattox County, VA in 1860. Shearer enlisted as a private in Co. B of the 2nd VA Cavalry on May 30, 1861 and was detailed to serve in Lynchburg but was listed as absent without leave by 1862 and may have never reported for duty. By 1864, several receipts from the CS Nitre and Mining Bureau indicate he was providing nails, horseshoes and other materials forged at Concord Deport in Campbell County, VA to the Confederate government.

After the war, Shearer was a hotel keeper in Lynchburg, VA in 1870. By 1880, he had moved to Tishomingo, MS where he is listed as an inventor and machinist. He died August 23, 1885 in Georgia.

Richard Henry Sharp, Jr., student 1861-1863

Sharp was drafted into the army and joined Co. G of the 59th VA Infantry on October 21, 1864.    In early 1865, he was detailed as a clerk in the paymaster's office. Sharp surrendered and was paroled on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Court House, VA.

Sharp attended the University of Virginia in 1867-1868, and received an M.A. from the university in 1879. He taught Latin at Wesleyan Female College in Murfreesboro, NC from 1873-1877, then became Professor of Ancient Languages at Emory and Henry College (VA) from 1879-1881. He taught Latin at Farmville College (VA) in 1881-1882, leaving to become Principal of Danville College for Young Ladies (VA), serving from 1883-1893. He then became Professor of Ancient Languages at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, VA, retiring in 1909. He died in 1917 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, VA.

Benjamin Hartwell Motley, studnet 1855-1857

Motley studied law at the University of VA after leaving R-MC. He was a lawyer in Danville, VA in 1860. In March of 1861, Motley raised an artillery company, Motley's Company of VA Light Artillery, also known as the Pittsylvania Artillery, and became captain.

After the war, he became a teacher in Pittsylvania County, VA in 1870.

James Williams Morton, student 1861-1863

Morton enlisted on March 24, 1863 as a private in Co. K of the 2nd VA Cavalry less than 2 months after the college trustees announced that the school would close for the duration of the war.  Morton's horse was killed near Aldie, VA, on June 17, 1863. He was wounded in the left arm at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 8, 1864 and sent to Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, VA. He recuperated in private quarters in Richmond, located at the corner of Grace St. near Fourth St., and returned to his regiment later that fall.

After the war, Morton studied medicine at the University of Virginia in 1866-1867. He practiced medicine in Culpeper County, VA, then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1869, practicing in Culpeper Count, serving for several years as Commonwealth's Attorney. He moved to Orange County, VA, where he is listed in the 1880 census as a farmer.  Morton was elected to the VA House of Delegates in 1887, serving one term. In 1891, he was elected county court judge and served from 1892-1904. The 1900 census lists him as county judge, while the 1910 census states he is a lawyer. He died June 18, 1913 and is buried in Graham Cemetery in Orange, VA.

Emmet Mitchell, student 1860-1861

Mitchell enlisted as a private on March 9, 1862 in Co. K of the 5th VA Cavalry, later Co. D of the 13th VA Cavalry. He was killed on October 25, 1862 at Catlett Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad while on picket duty.