Thursday, August 21, 2014

John McKendree Jeffries, student 1856-1857

Jeffries (variantly spelled Jefferies), was the son of a wealthy farmer in Cumberland County, VA when he enlisted on May 14, 1861 as a private in Co. G of the 3rd VA Cavalry, the Cumberland Light Dragoons. He was promoted to corporal on March 20, 1862, and by July 1863, he is listed on company rolls as a sergeant. Jeffries was wounded in the hand and his horse was killed by artillery fire at Funkstown, MD on July 10, 1863. He was taken first to the General Hospital in Charlottesville, VA on July 15, 1863 and then sent to the General Hospital in Scottsville, VA, where he was admitted on July 16, 1863. He applied for an extension to his medical leave and was examined at the General Hospital in Farmville, VA on Jan. 2, 1864, but the extension was denied. On March 22, 1864, he applied for an examination for retirement and after examination was listed on April 4, 1864 as "fit for light duty in field." He was paroled on April 28, 1865 at Farmville, VA.

After the war, Jeffries returned to Cumberland County, VA, where he was a farmer in the 1870 and 1880 censuses. He died November 9, 1891.

No comments:

Post a Comment