Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/633

sion lost at Chancellorsville 1,860 men out of about 6,000, including 8 brigade commanders, 3 of whom were killed. General Colston rendered especially valuable services in rallying the men under the terrific fire of the enemy's artillery, after Jackson fell, and again on Sunday morning after the Federal forces had reoccupied their intrenchments. In the latter part of May, on account of the objection of the colonels of North Carolina regiments to service under a Virginia brigade commander, General Lee put a Marylander, George H. Steuart, in command, and General Colston was ordered to report to General Cooper at Richmond. In October he was assigned to command at Savannah, Ga. In April, 1864, he returned to Virginia, and was assigned by General Wise to provisional command at Petersburg. On the night of June 8th-9th the lines were threatened by the Federal cavalry, and the alarm bells called out the home guards, old men and boys, the regular troops having been transferred to Lee's army. Immediately offering his services to General Wise he was ordered to take command on the line of lunettes, which then constituted the major part of the defenses, with the injunction to hold out until Wise could bring up his reserves. Colston joined Major Archer, who had less than 200 at the point attacked, and skillfully directed the desperate defense, holding his position until almost surrounded, when he made an orderly retreat, in which he seized a musket and fought with his men. The time gained by this gallant resistance enabled Graham's battery and Bearing's cavalry to come up in time to rout the Federal column, which was about to occupy the city. In July, General Colston was assigned to command of the post at Lynchburg, where he remained until the surrender. Subsequently he was engaged in lecturing and in the conduct of a military academy at Wilmington, N. C., until 1873, when he entered the military service of the Khedive of Egypt, in which he remained until 1879, meanwhile conducting two important exploring expeditions to the Soudan. During his last expedition he was paralyzed, and was carried hundreds of miles across the desert on a litter. Returning to Virginia he engaged in literary work and lecturing, and from 1882 to 1894 held a position in the war department at Washington. He passed the remainder of his days in the Soldiers' home at Richmond, and died July 29, 1896.