Patrick Henry Nelson (July 26, 1824 – June 24, 1864) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

officer and militia general from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Biography

Patrick Henry Nelson was born in

Clarendon County, South Carolina Clarendon County is a county located below the fall line in the Coastal Plain region of U.S. state of South Carolina. As of 2020 census, its population was 31,144. Its county seat is Manning. This area was developed for lumber and mills, incl ...

to Samuel Edgar Nelson and Amarintha Carson McCaulay. He graduated from the South Carolina College as a member of the class of 1844. Later he married Emma Sarah Cantey (daughter of General

James Willis Cantey General James Willis Cantey (November 30, 1794 – August 20, 1860) was a brigadier general in the South Carolina Militia, and a member of the South Carolina Legislature. He was born in Camden, South Carolina, to James Cantey and Martha Whitaker. ...

, cousin to General

James Cantey James Cantey (December 30, 1818 – June 30, 1874) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was a lawyer, slave owner, state legislator in South Carolina and officer in the Mexican–American War, and a s ...

, and great granddaughter of General

Richard Richardson (general) Richard Richardson (1704-1780) was an American planter and military officer from Clarendon County, South Carolina who served as a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War. Career Richardson was born in Jamestown, Virginia in the ear ...

), and had three children (including

Patrick Henry Nelson II Patrick Henry Nelson II (October 3, 1856 - June 20, 1914) was born in Camden, South Carolina to General Patrick Henry Nelson, of the Confederate States Army, and Emma Sarah Cantey. After attending The University of the South, Nelson went to read ...

). Nelson was a Major General in the South Carolina Militia and a Brigadier General in command of the 2nd Brigade of South Carolina Volunteers during the engagement with Union troops during the

Battle of Fort Sumter The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War. Follo ...

. With the reorganization and enlargement of the Confederate Army, Nelson was made Lt. Colonel of the 7th South Carolina Infantry Battalion in 1862. In 1864, Nelson was assigned to Brigadier General Johnson Hagood's Brigade when the battalion was ordered to Virginia in the spring. On June 24th, 1864, in the

Battle of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

, Nelson led an attack of 400 men on the extreme right of the Union lines near the Appomattox River. When other Confederate units did not support Colonel Nelson's force, they suffered heavy casualties. Colonel Nelson was never seen again. Last reports of Nelson were that he was seen leading his men into the Union rifle pits. Upon hearing the news of the death of Nelson, his commanding officer Brigadier General Hagood lamented "Thus fell a devoted patriot, a gallant soldier, a courteous gentleman." Nelson's son,

, founded the Nelson Law Firm, was a member of the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

, and was the Fifth Circuit Solicitor and the President of the

South Carolina Bar The South Carolina Bar (SC Bar) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Organization The South Carolina Bar began in 1884 as the South Carolina Bar Association, a professional organization of approximat ...

Association (1911-1912). General Nelson is buried in the Quaker Cemetery in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Patrick Henry 1824 births 1864 deaths People from Camden, South Carolina People from Clarendon County, South Carolina University of South Carolina alumni People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers Confederate militia generals Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War