William T. Poague

Infobox Military Person
name=William T. Poague
born= birth date|1835|12|20
died= death date and age|1914|9|8|1835|12|20
placeofbirth= Rockbridge County, Virginia
placeofdeath= Lexington, Virginia
placeofburial= Stonewall Jackson Cemetery Lexington, Virginia


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=Confederate States of America
branch= Confederate States Army Artillery
serviceyears=1861-1865
rank= Colonel
commands=
unit=
battles=American Civil War *First Manassas *Romney Expedition *1862 Valley Campaign *Peninsula Campaign
*Northern Virginia Campaign *Maryland Campaign *Battle of Fredericksburg] *Battle of Chancellorsville *Battle of Gettysburg *Battle of Mine Run *Battle of Bristoe Station *Overland Campaign *Siege of Petersburg *Appomattox Campaign
awards=
laterwork= Farmer Teacher Politician Treasurer of Virginia Military Institute

William Thomas Poague (December 20, 1835-September 8, 1914) was a Confederate States Army officer serving in the Artillery during the American Civil War. He later served as Treasurer of Virginia Military Institute.

Early life

Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia to John Barclay and Elizabeth Stuart Paxton Poague, Poague attended and graduated from Washington College. Poague was practicing law in Missouri when the Civil War began. [http://www.aphillcsa.com/poague.html And Then A.P. Hill Came Up - Biography of William Thomas Poague ] at www.aphillcsa.com]

Civil War

Poague returned to Virginia, and entered the Confederate Army as a second lieutenant in the famous Rockbridge Virginia Artillery. Poague was promoted to be that unit's captain by April 1862. With the battery, Poague fought at the battles of First Manassas, Romney, Kernstown, McDowell, and later with the Army of Northern Virginia in the Seven Days Battles, the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, the Battle of Harper's Ferry, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Poague was promoted to major on March 2, 1863. He served as an executive officer to David G. McIntosh at the Battle of Chancellorsville, then was given his own battalion upon the formation of the Third Corps.

Poague commanded the battalion at Gettysburg, the Battle of Mine Run, Bristoe Station, the Wilderness, the Spotsylvania, the North Anna, and Cold Harbor. Poague's best service to the Confederacy probably occurred at the Wilderness. Poague's battalion was able to hold off Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps on the morning of the second day, firing over the heads of wounded Confederates, long enough for Lt. Gen. James Longstreet to arrive and "save the day." Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill turned to Poague, firing double charges, because things were so desperate that it could not be even delayed to allow wounded Confederates to get out of the way. Hill himself helped man Poague's guns. He was wounded twice at the Battle of Cold Harbor. Poague later took part in the defense of Petersburg, finally surrendering at the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

Post War career, death and legacy

After the War, Poague worked as a farmer, teacher, Virginia state legislator, and the treasurer of the Virginia Military Institute under superintendents Francis H. Smith and Battle of New Market hero Scott Shipp from 1884 until his death in 1914. He wrote a set of memoirs entitled "Gunner With Stonewall." Poague's papers are collected at VMI. Poague was buried at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia.

References

* [http://www.aphillcsa.com/poague.html Web biography from And Then A.P. Hill Came Up.]
*Poague, William Thomas. "Gunner with Stonewall:Reminiscences of William Thomas Poague," Bison Books, 1991, ISBN 978-0-8032-8753-2

Notes

External links

findagrave|10287566 Retrieved 2008-07-02