Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1234

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CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY.

ever, it was impossible for the cavalry to take a very active part. From Richmond he went with his company to Chesterfield county where he was engaged in picket duty, and thence to Southampton county in August, 1862, in the same line of service, and then, in October, 1862, to Fredericksburg. Arriving there on November 8th, Company I had its first cavalry fight on the next day in the streets of the town with Federal troopers under Dahlgren, with a successful issue. The company participated in the battle of December 12th, in which the regiment lost a number of men. Mr. Scott served with his command from that time until the following May upon picket duty on the Rappahannock river, and then participated in the battle of Chancellorsville, on the extreme right of the Confederate army. On September 13th, after another term of picket duty, the company had its first important cavalry fight at Culpeper Court House, where many of its men fell. This was followed by the serious and bloody encounter at Brandy Station on October 11th. The following winter was spent on the Rapidan river, and in May, 1864, the Fifteenth regiment took part in the three days' struggle at Spottsylvania, where it suffered severely and lost its colonel, Charles Collins. Operating against Sheridan in his raid toward Richmond they fought at Yellow Tavern, May 10th, and upon the day before the battle of Cold Harbor they participated in the spirited cavalry fight for position. Called out again by Federal raids the regiment fought at Louisa Court House and Trevilian Station in June, 1864, and in July at Reams' Station. This active and creditable service was continued during the succeeding autumn as a part of the army under Early in the Shenandoah valley, fighting in many engagements, the most memorable of which were Winchester and Cedar Creek. After passing the winter near Staunton the regiment moved to Richmond and Petersburg and participated in the battles of Five Forks and Sailor's Creek, but Private Scott, having availed himself of a furlough in order to replace his horse which had been killed, missed the final struggles and the events at Appomattox. After the surrender of General Johnston at Greensboro he was paroled at Norfolk, and was ready to take up the duties of civil life. In 1866 he entered the drug business as a partner of his brother, Dr. William W. Scott, and with the exception of eight years spent in farming, he has since quite successfully conducted this business. Mr. Scott is a member of Pickett-Buchanan camp of United Confederate Veterans. He was married in 1870 to Eva Burroughs, who died in 1883, leaving four children: Edgar B., Mary B., Lilian C. and James A. By his second marriage, in 1887, to Mrs. Elizabeth Scharch, Mr. Scott has two children: Elizabeth V. and William R.

Captain R. Taylor Scott, in his lifetime a distinguished citizen of Warrenton, Va., who was twice elected to the office of attorney-general of Virginia, was born at Warrenton, Fauquier county, March 10, 1834. He completed a literary course at the university of Virginia in 1856, and was again graduated at that institution in law, in 1857, after which he was admitted to the bar. He embarked in the practice of his profession at Warrenton, but was hardly well launched in that career when there came upon him the patriotic duty of serving in the military defense of the State. He enlisted in August, 1861, and was enrolled as captain of Company K of the Eighth Virginia volunteers, the command of Col.