Captain Owington G. Delk, of Smithfield, Va., a veteran of the Third Virginia infantry, was born in Southampton county, August 14, 1838, the son of Josiah D. M. and Emily A. (Harvey) Delk, both natives of the same county. After the father's death, in 1844, the mother with her two children removed to Isle of Wight county, where Captain Delk was reared and educated in the old field schools. At the age of twenty-one he embarked in business as proprietor of a country store, but closed this in the spring of 1861 to enter the Confederate service. He was mustered in at Smithfield, in June, 1861, as second sergeant of a company organized for the heavy artillery, with which he served a month on the Nansemond river and a few months at Fort Boykin, after which the company was transferred to infantry and became Company I of the Third Virginia. Sergeant Delk was detached for service in a signal corps, with which he was connected until a few days after the battle of Williamsburg, when he rejoined his company and was soon promoted second lieutenant, in which rank he participated in the battles of Seven Pines and Second Manassas. He was then promoted captain and, in command of his company, he took part in the subsequent operations of Pickett's division in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, including the famous charge at Gettysburg. On January 8, 1865, while on duty before Dutch Gap, he was taken with a severe attack of rheumatism which compelled his retirement from the army, and disabled him for a year afterward. Upon his recovery he farmed for two years, and then entered nautical life as manager of a sail packet between Smithfield and Norfolk. Since 1871 he has been connected with the Old Dominion Steamship company, passing through the grades of mate, purser and pilot to that of captain, having held the latter office fifteen years. He is now in charge of the Luray, plying between Smithfield and Norfolk, and is trusted by the company and very popular with the public. Captain Delk was married in December, 1871, to Anna M., daughter of Albert G. and Lavinia (Wheedon) Spratley, and they have three children: Owington Gordon, Anna Cary, and Emily Wheedon.
Lewis C. Dey, who, at the beginning of the war of the Confederacy, enlisted as a member of the Norfolk Home Guard, commanded by Captain Warren, was born in Princess Anne county, in 1824, but has resided in Norfolk since 1830. In 1861, soon after the commencement of the war, he was detailed to manufacture uniforms for the Confederate officers and soldiers, and continued this work until after the evacuation of Richmond. His wife, Lucy C., daughter of George Armistead, who was a wealthy and influential planter of Matthews county prior to the war, died in 189S. William Walter Dey, a son of this couple, was born at Norfolk February 28, 1862, and was reared in his native city, completing his education under the supervision of Professor James H. Dillard, now noted as the president of Tulane university, of New Orleans. At seventeen years of age he became connected with the great transportation business of the city as a clerk in the office of the Norfolk & Western railroad company. Subsequently he was engaged with the Old Dominion steamship company for a period of eight years, leaving that employment in 1888, on account of his
