Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1051

Thomas S., Samuel G., Alexander B., and Douglas H. All went through the war without injury except Alexander, who was wounded at Dinwiddie Court House, and died from the effects of the injury soon after the close of the war. Robert T. Knox was educated at Hanson's academy at Fredericksburg, and the Episcopal high school at Alexandria, and then found employment as a bookkeeper. He was a member of the company organized at Fredericksburg, under Capt. William S. Barton, at the time of the John Brown affair in 1859, and he still treasures among his relics a piece of the scaffold upon which Brown expiated his attempt at insurrection, and recalls the singular circumstance that the first victim of the foolhardy scheme in behalf of the colored people was the shooting by Brown's men of a negro servant of Colonel Beckham, who ran to warn his master of the invasion. With his company, Mr. Knox was mustered into active service April 19, 1861, and was sent to Aquia creek, where the company was assigned to the Thirtieth Virginia infantry, of which he was appointed sergeant-major. At the reorganization, in 1862, he was elected second lieutenant of Company C, and during the last fourteen months of the war he commanded the company in the absence on detail of Capt. C. Wister Wallace. He was identified throughout the war with the record of Corse's brigade of Pickett's division, army of Northern Virginia, and was on duty in the battles of First Manassas, Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Frayser's Farm, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, First and Second Cold Harbor, Gaines' Mill, Drewry's Bluff, Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks and Sailor's Creek. In the latter disaster he was captured and subsequently was imprisoned at Johnson's island until June, 1865. He is now the senior member of the firm of Robert T. Knox & Brother, of Fredericksburg, one of the leading business houses of the city. He has also held the office of city treasurer since 1890. On November 10, 1868, he was married to Miss Mary G. Brockenbrough, daughter of Col. Moore F. Brockenbrough, of the war of 1812, and sister of Col. John M. Brockenbrough, who commanded a brigade in the opening fight of the battle of Gettysburg. Three children of Lieutenant Knox are living: Robert S., Austina B. and William U. Capt. James S. Knox, another son of Thomas Fitzhugh Knox, who was in the Confederate service, was born at Fredericksburg, February 2, 1842. He was educated at Hanson's academy and the Episcopal high school at Alexandria, and two days before the passage of the ordinance of secession of Virginia, enlisted in the volunteer company which was subsequently assigned as Company B to the Thirtieth regiment Virginia infantry. He served in the rank of orderly-sergeant until the reorganization, when he was elected first lieutenant of Company B, and when Capt. Hugh S. Doggett was disabled by wounds received at Sharpsburg, he took command of the company. He received the commission of captain early in 1865. Captain Knox was one of the first to leave Fredericksburg for the Confederate service, and one of the last to return home. He was in all the battles of the Thirtieth regiment from the beginning of the war, and his service was closed at the disaster to Ewell's corps at Sailor's Creek. After his capture in this battle he was imprisoned at Johnson's island, Ohio, until June, 1865.