Civil War Persons - Union and Confederate, both military and civilian. This section contains biographies of 66 major personalities from West Virginia (40 Union, 26 Confederate) and about 90 common soldier biographical sketches (at least one per military unit), plus about 90 other Civil War personalities.

Major Martin R. Delany

Delany, born in Charles Town, Virginia in May 1812, became the first African-American Commander of an all African-American regiment –the 102nd U.S. Colored Troops- and was essentially a legend in his own time. In a letter of introduction sent by Abraham Lincoln to Secretary of War Stanton, the President wrote "Do not fail to have an interview with this most extraordinary and intelligent black man."

Photo: Credit – Civil War Photo Collection, USAMHI

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Colonel George Smith Patton

Mortally wounded at the Battle of Opequon Creek (or 3rd Battle of Winchester), leaving a widow and 9-year-old son, Colonel `Patton was the grandfather of Lt. Gen. George S. Patton III, World War II 3rd Army Commander, who "… often credited his grandfather –the brave Colonel of the 22nd Virginia— as the inspiration for his military career."

Photo: Credit – Civil War Photo Collection, USAMHI

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Sergeant Major David E. Johnston, 7th Virginia Infantry

As a 16-year-old, David Johnston enlisted as a private at the outbreak of the Civil War (May 1861); during the course of the war, he was twice wounded in action – at Williamsburg, VA, and at Gettysburg, PA, was taken prisoner twice --at Gettysburg, and at Sayler’s Creek, VA; and rose to the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major. In his post-Civil War years, he served as State Senator from Raleigh County (1878-80), Judge of West Virginia’s 9th Circuit Court (1880-88,; and U.S. Congressman from West Virginia (1899- 1901).

Photo: Credit - Commonwealth Press, Radford, VA

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