of that county, was a son of David Nelms, a soldier of the war of 1812. His mother was Martha, daughter of John Butler, of the same county. Previous to the outbreak of the war, having received an education in the schools of his native county, he was employed as a clerk in the mercantile business. On April 17, 1861, he enlisted in Company A of the Sixteenth Virginia infantry, and during the subsequent year he was with his company on duty near Norfolk, until he was transferred to Company A of Cahoon's battalion, with which he served in fortifying the Appomattox river, from the rifle-pits to Petersburg. Of this battalion he had attained the rank of sergeant-major, when it was ordered to Camp Lee at Richmond and disbanded. He then returned to his former company, in the Sixteenth regiment, and served with them in the second battle of Manassas and the famous fight which they made in defense of Crampton's Gap, on South Mountain, Md. Escaping the capture which befell most of the regiment at that point, he took part in the battle of Sharpsburg, and subsequently returned to Virginia with his command and went into camp at Winchester. He was then detailed in the commissary department, and in this capacity accompanied his brigade through the Gettysburg campaign, the campaign from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, the defense of Richmond and Petersburg, and the retreat to Appomattox, where he surrendered and was paroled. Subsequently he was engaged in mercantile pursuits at various places, either as clerk or partner, or traveling salesman, until he became employed as lumber inspector in the Suffolk & Carolina railroad shops. From this position he rose to the superintendency of the Southern lumber company, a position he held until the company retired from business in 1895. Since then he has been bookkeeper for the R. G. Dennis lumber company at Suffolk. He is a member of Tom Smith camp, United Confederate Veterans. In 1867 he was married to Anna Mary, daughter of Soloman Hodges, of Suffolk, and they have four children: J. C. Nelms, Jr., and S. C. Nelms, both holding responsible positions with the Norfolk & Western railroad company; R. E. Nelms, and Martha Eliza Nelms.
Lieutenant Edwin Nelson, of Manassas, Va., was born in Prince William county, July 5, 1831. He was reared and educated in his native county, and at an early age gaining attention by his ability in public business, was appointed deputy sheriff. At the time of the beginning of the war of the Confederacy he was acting deputy sheriff of the county. He was enrolled among the members of the Prince William cavalry in the early days of the war, but, as his duties demanded his presence at home, he furnished a substitute during the first year of the conflict. In August, 1862, relieved of the responsibilities that had kept him from the front, he rendered important service by organizing a company of cavalry, which was mustered in as Company H of the Fifteenth Virginia cavalry. With this company he held the rank of second lieutenant and did faithful duty in that capacity during the succeeding campaigns and engagements, participating in the December battles at Fredericksburg, and many skirmishes, until June, 1863, when he was captured while on a scouting expedition. A long imprisonment followed, at Johnson's island, Ohio, where he suffered the hardships and deprivations of the prison camp until he was released,
