COLONEL JOHN BOWIE MAGRUDER.

Historical Sketch of His Life.

By Col. WM. H. STEWART, Portsmouth, Va.

John Bowie Magruder was born on the 24th day of November, 1839, at Scottsville, in Albemarle county, Virginia. He was the oldest son of Benjamin H. Magruder and Maria Minor, daughter of Dr. James Minor, and great-grandson of Garrett Minor, of "Sunning Hill," who was a member of the Committee of Safety in 1775 for Louisa county, and represented it in the Legislature in 1793. The family removed to "Glenmore," about seven miles from Charlottesville, Va., when John was five years old. He first attended private schools in the neighborhood; went to Colonel John Bowie Strange's "Albemarle Military Academy," at Charlottesville, one session, then matriculated at the University of Virginia in 1856, and took the degree of Mater of Arts in June, 1860. He was a teacher in Nelson's Academy, in Culpeper county, at the outbreak of the Confederate war, which position he at once relinquished and west to the Virginia Military Institute to take a two months' course in military tactics.

On his return home, he organized a military company, called the "Rivanna Guards;" was elected and commissioned captain July 22, 1861. The gray cloth for their uniforms was furnished by the county, and the ladies of the three families at "Glenmore," "Edge Hill," and "Gale Hill" made them.

The "Rivanna Guards," under Special Order No. 276, Adjutant and Inspector-General's Office, Richmond, Va., dated September 12, 1861, was assigned to the 32d Virginia regiment infantry, Colonel B. Stoddert Ewell, commanding; and on the 23d day of September, 1861, it was transferred to the 57th Virginia regiment, constituted by Special Order No. 285, under command of Major E. F. Keen,

Page206           Southern Historical Society Papers.

and designated as Company "H." Colonel Lewis A. Armistead was subsequently assigned to its command, and on February 14, 1862, ordered to report to General Huger at Suffolk, Va. Colonel Armistead continued in command of the 57th Virginia regiment until April, 1862, when he was promoted to brigadier-general.

On the 20th of February, 1862, Brigadier-General A. G. Blanchard, commanding at Portsmouth, Va., moved Colonel Armistead's 57th Virginia regiment, and one section of Girardy's battery to defend the Blackwater river and cause its blockade. This force garrisoned Fort Dillard at the confluence of the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers, in North Carolina, until May 12th, when it was evacuated. Captain Magruder was directed to embark his company on an old steamboat and proceed up the river to Franklin. It had in tow a large schooner, which Captain Magruder was ordered to sink in the channel about seven miles below Franklin, to prevent pursuit by the enemy's gunboats, which might attempt t come up the river from Edenton. This work, after considerable trouble with the leaking steamboat, was successfully accomplished, and Captain Magruder's command disembarked at Franklin about 1 o'clock P. M., and rejoined the rest of the regiment, which, by a forced march, reached there about the same time. The artillery, ammunition, etc., were shipped to Raleigh, N. C., by the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad. After burning the county road bridge and railroad bridge over the Blackwater, they moved on and bivouacked for the night within two miles of Jerusalem. As the soldiers marched into the village next morning, the whole population turned out and treated them in the most hospitable manner.

John Tyler, Jr., son of ex-President John Tyler, was remarkably kind to Captain Magruder's company. He had a cart hitched up, loaded it with the knapsacks of the men, and directed the driver to go along with the company until encamped for the night and then return. Only those who have borne the burden of a knapsack strapped to the back on a hot day can fully appreciate such a kindness. Besides, Mr. Tyler had every man's haversack filled with deliciously cooked corn bread, which must have required fully six bushels of meal.

The camp for the night of the 13th was in a woods near Mr. Urquhart's farm, and about 11 o'clock A. M. of the 14th of May, the command arrived at Littletown where it rejoined the brigade which came up from Suffolk, and all moved to a point about two and a half miles north and east of Petersburg, where they encamped.
 

Page207             Colonel John Bowie Magruder.

On the 28th of May, Armistead's brigade was engaged in obstructing the Appomattox river at Point of Rocks, and soon after this date was ordered to the north side of James river. On the 25th of June, it was posted about five miles from Richmond, between the York River Railroad and the Williamsburg road, occupying rifle pits in the margin of a woods from the railroad to the Williamsburg road. There was constant skirmishing along the line. On 29th it moved to the Charles City road; on 30th moved down the road and engaged the enemy, losing one man killed and one wounded. On July 1st, in the celebrated charge on Malvern Hill, Captain Magruder's  company lost twenty-seven men, killed and wounded, in about forty minutes - one-half of the company present.

On July 3d, Armistead's brigade reported to General Longstreet, near Temperance Hall, about three miles from "Shirley," nearly opposite the mouth of the Appomattox, and was put under the command of General A. P. Hill until the 11th of July. Captain Magruder was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, July 31st, 1862.

On the 23d of July, Armistead's brigade was assigned to General R. H. Anderson's division, and on August 16, 1862, proceeded to Louisa, and from thence on the first Maryland campaign. Armistead's brigade was in reserve at the second battle of Manassas, and at the capture of Harper's Ferry from Maryland Heights; but it was engaged in the battle of Sharpsburg.

At Martinsburg, in September, 1862, it was transferred from Anderson's to Pickett's division, which was at the battle of Fredericksburg, December 11-15, but not actively engaged. It remained with the army on the Rappahannock until early in February, 1863, when it marched to Richmond, thence to Petersburg, thence by the line of the railroad towards Suffolk on a foraging expedition.

Lieutenant-Colonel Magruder was promoted to Colonel, January 12, 1863, and soon after Lieutenant John D. Watson, was appointed adjutant of the 57th Virginia regiment. Colonel John B. Magruder was assigned to an independent command and posted on the White Marsh road leading from Edenton, N. C., to Sullolk, Va., about four miles from the latter place. General Pickett with the remainder of the division was on the Sumerton road. Colonel Magruder's force was made up of the 11th, 17th and 57th Virginia infantry regiments and Macon's battery of four pieces.

Skirmishers were of frequent occurrence for three weeks. The enemy made an attack on the 21st of March, with force about equal to our, and were summarily repulsed by Colonel Magruder, with
 

Page208           Southern Historical Society Papers.

little loss to his command; but, on the 24th, an expedition in overwhelming numbers made an assault upon Colonel Magruder's command, and again retired ingloriously. At the same time another force attacked General Pickett on the Sumerton road. The force sent against Colonel Magruder was under command of General Michael Corcoran, of the noted Irish brigade. The Federal reports say it consisted of about 5,000 infantry commanded by Colonel R. S. Foster, under whom were Colonel J. C. Drake, Colonel Francis Beal, Colonel Clarance Buel and Colonel Mathew Murphey, commanding the Irish brigade, with 500 cavalry under command of Colonel Samuel P. Spier, and ten pieces of artillery under Captain John G. Simpson. Colonel Buel, of the 169th New York infantry was severely wounded, and his lieutenant-colonel reported that his regiment was placed far in advance of all others in support of battery D, 4th U. S. artillery, commanded by Captain Follet, and unflinchingly faced a continuous and unabating shower of shell, grape and cannister, from the well directed fire of the enemy until orders were received to retire. This is a high compliment to Colonel Magruder from the enemy, whose loss in men and equipment was greater than they were willing to admit. It did not take long to find out that Colonel Magruder was terribly in earnest with all work assigned to him, and it was known throughout the whole division that he was a man of fine courage and ability, and he was held in high esteem by his superiors, as well as those under him. The splendid management of Colonel Magruder and the gallant conduct of his troops were duty appreciated and acknowledged in order from headquarters, as follows:

HEADQUARTERS PICKETT'S DIVISION,
April 25th, 1863.

COL., - The Maj. - Gen'l commanding directs me to say that it affords him great pleasure to acknowledge the important services of yourself and command during the time that you held the important position on the White Marsh Road. All of the dispositions you made to receive the enemy, and especially the manner in which you received them, and notwithstanding their greatly superior numbers, repulsed them, meets with special approval. He desires you to express his approval in orders to Macon's battery, the 11th Virginia infantry, Kemper's brigade. The 17th Virginia infantry, Corse's brigade, and your own gallant regiment, the 57th.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. JOHNSTON, A. A. A. G.
 

Page209            Colonel John Bowie Magruder.

To Col. J. B. Magruder, 57th Virginia regiment,
Commanding, White Marsh Road.

Thereupon the colonel commanding issued congratulatory orders to his troops. General Longstreet ordered his troops to withdraw from the siege of Suffolk on the night of the 4th of May, and Colonel Magruder's regiment marched from thence to Richmond, where it remained about a week; thence it moved to encamp within two miles of Hanover Junction, where preparations were made for the advance into Pennsylvania.

On June 24th, Pickett's division crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and bivouacked on the Maryland shore. It entered Chambersburg on the 27th of June, marched directly through the town, and encamped on the York road about four miles out. The division was detained here three or four days, destroying railroad depots, workshops and public machinery. On the morning of the 2d day of July, 1863, at 2 o'clock, it took up the march to Gettysburg, marching 23 miles, and within three miles of that place, before it was halted to rest. Early next morning it moved towards the line of battle, and in the afternoon made the great charge which shattered and immortalized Pickett's splendid division. Colonel John Bowie Magruder fell mortally wounded within twenty steps of the enemy's cannon, shouting: "They are ours." He was struck by two shots - one in the left breast and the other under the right arm, which crossed the wound in his breast.
On the spot where he thus gloriously fell mortally wounded, Colonel Magruder was made prisoner and carried to the hospital in Gettysburg. Here he languished until July 5th, 1863, when his spirit took its flight. He was a member of the "Epsilon Alpha Fraternity," and a frater caused his remains to the encased in a metallic coffin, and, with all his personal effects, sent to his father by flag of truce to Richmond, in October, 1863. He was buried at "Glenmore," in Albemarle county.

His cousin, James Watson Magruder, himself afterward killed on the battlefield at Meadow Bridge, May 11th, 1864, writing from camp near Fredericksburg, August 8, 1863, said: "From last information, John now sleeps among those gallant spirits who that day bore our banner so nobly against the ramparts of the enemy on the battlefield in a foreign land. If so, he died with his laurels thick around him. I saw him in Loudoun [county] a short while before the army left Virginia, looking better and in better spirits than I

14
 

Page210             Southern Historical Society Papers.

ever knew him. It almost disposes me to quarrel with the decrees of heaven when he, the noblest of us all, in the flower of his youth, is thus untimely cut off. Why could not other men, who might be better spared, be taken in his stead? But our country demands the noblest for her altars. Our grief is increased by the fact that our country cannot afford to lose such men."

The spirit of this letter exhibits in every line the unselfish patriotism of the Southern youth. Their sacrifices made glorious the history of the Confederate States. The proud record is so close to us that we should see it at every mental glance, feel it at every move, and touch it at every step. It is a fadeless essence, beautiful and brilliant. Its stars, like diamonds in the tomb of royalty, will rest undimmed by the dust and lapse of ages.

John Bowie Magruder, in the flower of his manhood, in the 24th year of his age, fell for the glory of his country in the great battle which turned the destiny of the South. His name is enrolled amongst the heroes of his Alma Mater, the University of Virginia, and listed with the dead on the field of battle, whose courage and chivalry made the fame of the Army of Northern Virginia.

[From the Richmond, Va., Times, May 28, 1899.]