Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/229

This page needs to be proofread.

Met His Death In Last Ficjht. 221

Virginia Regiment, Pegram's Brigade, Gordon's Division, and William A. Compton, of Company D, Forty-ninth, led his (Gen- eral Lee's) horse to the rear; and history knows the rest. And it is a pleasure to me always to assist in having all of the brave Confederates, and more especially the names of those who lost their lives in the struggle of '6i-'65 for constitutional liberty and State's rights, placed upon the Confederate roster, so that the histories may duly record their deeds on the brightest pages of chivalry and heroism in the world's history. This is my rea- son for giving the foregoing information as regards William Ashby.

Yours truly,

R. D. FUNKHOUSER.

[The following from the Baltimore American of January 6, 1907, gives not only an account of the last man killed on the Federal side in 1865, but includes also some other facts of interest. ED.]

Last Man Killed in Civil War.

(Anderson Cor. Indianapolis News.}

Capt. B. B. Campbell and Daniel F. Mustard, of this city, mem- bers of the Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry in the Civil War, have obtained the last photograph of the last man killed in the Civil War John Jefferson Williams, ot" Jay county.

"It is on record that the last battle of the Civil War was the one in which Jeff. Williams was killed," said Mr. Mustard. "It was fought on May 13, 1865, almost a month after the surrender of Lee to Grant. The prolonged campaign of our regiment was accounted for because of delay in getting word to us to lay down arms. We got into that last battle when we went to the relief of some colored troops who were foraging- for beef cattle, and were charged on by Confederates. Jeff Williams was the only man killed.

"The boys carried his body to near Brownsville, Tex., where it was buried. About 10 days afterward our regiment was marching into Brownsville, Tex., to take that town when we met Confeder- ates who did not oppose us and explained that the war was over. We then occupied Fort Brown and other camps near Brownsville until ordered home for our discharge."