Henry Embry Merritt, Class of 1853

Merritt, brother of John Bennett Merritt and William Thomas Merritt, is listed in college records as "Embry" and attended the University of Virginia after graduating from R-MC. In the late 1850s until the outbreak of the war, he took care of family cotton plantations near Vicksburg MS and spent time in New Orleans as well. He enlisted as a private in Co C of the 28th MS Cavalry on Feb. 12, 1862, with his name variantly spelled Merrett in his records. In the autumn of 1862, he was granted a sick furlough. He was considered AWOL on December 31st, 1862 but later returned for duty with a valid excuse. Merritt is listed as having died in the hospital at Linnville (Lynnville), TN on May 17, 1863, with no cause given.

William Henry Jones, student 1835-1836

Jones, who attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1840s, was a druggist in Mecklenburg County, VA when he enlisted as a private on May 14, 1861 in the Boydton Cavalry, Co. A of the 3rd VA Cavalry. He was promoted to captain on September 15, 1861.He resigned on October 21, 1862 due to illness, chronic bronchitis and tonsilitis.

After the war, he remained in Mecklenburg County, where he farmed and practiced medicine. In the 1870s, he is listed in several advertisements for the waters of Buffalo Lithia Springs as the "resident physician." he is listed in the 1880 census as a physician.

William H. Judkins, student 1857-1861

Judkins enlisted in 1861 as a private in Co. H of the 5th VA Cavalry, which eventually became Co. A of the 13th VA Cavalry. Conflicting enlistment dates in his records of August, October, and November make it unclear as to his exact date of enrollment. He was hospitalized at Chimborazo in Richmond, VA in November 1862 with acute diarrhea, and was at Chimborazo again in December 1863 with pneumonia.

Judkins returned to Southampton County, VA where he died in mid-October 1874.

William H. Proctor, student 1851-1852

Proctor, son of a wealthy farmer in Prince George County, VA, attended the University of Virginia after leaving R-MC, graduating with an M.A. in 1857. He enlisted on April 20, 1861 as a private in the Prince George Cavalry, which was initially Co. F of the 5th VA Cavalry and in 1862 became Co. F of the 13th VA Cavalry. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on April 29, 1862. Proctor was hospitalized from Feb-Sept. 1863 with "stricture urethra." Upon his return he was listed as commanding his company. He was wounded on May 31, 1864 and lost his leg. Proctor was promoted to captain on July 19, 1864. Proctor was retired to the Invalid Corps in December, 1864, at which time he requested to be assigned to the military court, although it is unknown if his request was granted.

After the war, he became a merchant in Petersburg, VA. Proctor died on October 22, 1894 and is buried in Petersburg's Blandford Cemetery.

Peter Puryear Wyles, student 1865-1868

Wyles enlisted as a private in Co. E of the 14th VA Infantry, the Clarksville Blues, on May 12, 1861. he was badly wounded on July 1, 1862 at the Battle of Malvern Hill, necessitating the amputation of his arm. Records indicate he was on disability furlough in Mecklenburg County, VA at least through the summer of 1864 when the records end.

A resident of Mecklenburg County, Wyles attended R-MC from 1865 until the college moved to Ashland, VA in the fall of 1868. Shortly after, he moved to Harrison County, KY, where he was a teacher until 1879. In 1878, he came the county school commissioner and he became a farmer after leaving teaching. Wyles died November 2, 1902 and is buried in Beaver Baptist Cemetery in Cynthiana, KY.

Henry Sinclair Williams, student 1846-1849

Williams was a merchant in Richmond, VA when he enlisted on April 21, 1861 as a sergeant in the Richmond Howitzers (1st Co, VA Howitzers Light Artillery). He was promoted to 2nd lieutenant on November 1, 1862. In July of 1863 and again in December of 1863, he was granted a medical furlough due to chronic liver disease and hepatitis. Williams requested in February 1864 to be assigned to light duty. In June 1864, the medical examining board found that he had "enlargement of the liver and impeded aspiration of the right lung caused thereby." On June 22, 1864, he was assigned as enrolling officer in Pittsylvania County, VA. In September 1864, he was transferred to the Invalid Corps and assigned duty as enrolling officer in Danville, VA. On March 3, 1865, after an additional examination, the medical examining board rescinded the recommendation that he be retired; it is unknown whether he rejoined his company before the war ended.

By 1880, Williams was living in Aiken County, SC where he was a merchant. He moved to Martinsville, VA in 1886. Williams died on January 11, 1910 and is buried in Martinsville's Oakwood Cemetery.

Joseph B. Keeling, student 1865-1867

Keeling joined Co. A of the 1st VA Reserves as a private.  He participated in the Battle of Staunton River Bridge, also known as the the "battle of old men and young boys," under the command of Benjamin Lyons Farinholt, another Randolph-Macon alumnus.

A resident of Mecklenburg County, VA, he attended Randolph-Macon College from 1865-1867. His fate after this is unknown.

Royall Lockett, student 1865-1866

Lockett, son of a wealthy farmer, enlisted as a private in Co. G of the 56th VA Infantry on July 26, 1861. He was wounded in the right foot on June 30, 1862 at Frazier's Farm during the Seven Days Battles, and was commended for "courage and daring" in that battle. On January 14, 1863, he was discharged for disability due to "a gunshot wound of right foot with fracture of tarsal bones resulting in permanent lameness."

Lockett enrolled at R-MC in the fall of 1865, attending for one year. His matriculation record lists him as Royall Lockett, Jr., son of Col. Royall Lockett, Sr. of Oakley, VA, but he is the 3rd generation with the name. He died January 22, 1872 in Richmond, VA.

Henry Harvey Chambers, student 1859-1863

Chambers was the son of Boydton lawyer and judge Edward R. Chambers, who had been Professor of Law at RMC in 1842-1843 and was appointed to the college's Board of Trustees in 1842. He attended the preparatory department in 1859-1860 and matriculated into the college in 1860. Chambers joined Co C of the 1st Regiment VA Reserves on June 1 (presumably 1863) and was elected captain on April 20, 1864. There are discrepancies in his records, indicating he was ordered to Camp Lee on February 26, 1864 by General Kemper "to field forces" but this may have been 1865.

After the war, he attended the University of Virginia and became a lawyer in Mecklenburg County. He died of typhoid fever during a sea voyage on May 2, 1872.

John Wesley McAden, student 1845-1846

McAden was a farmer in Mecklenburg County, VA when he served as a private in Captain Featherstone's Company, Co. B of the 3rd REgimentVA Artillery (Local Defense) in 1862. This unit was in existence from March-May 1862 and was serving as a guard unit at Richmond's Libby Prison in April 1862.

McAden was still a farmer in Mecklenburg County in 1870, but had moved to Brunswick County by 1880. He died on February 13, 1890 and is buried in the McAden Family Cemetery near Diamond Grove in Brunswick County, VA.