William Thomas Poague (December 20, 1835 – September 8, 1914) 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 serving in the

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

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 ...

. He later served as Treasurer of the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

Early life

Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, to John Barclay and Elizabeth Stuart Paxton Poague, Poague attended and graduated from Washington College where he was a member of the Virginia Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi. Poague was practicing law in

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

when the Civil War began.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 Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the famous Rockbridge Virginia Artillery. Poague was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the unit 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 and at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, the Harper's Ferry, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Poague was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on March 2, 1863. He served as an executive officer to David G. McIntosh at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

, then was given his own battalion upon the formation of the Third Corps. Poague commanded the battalion at Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Mine Run, the

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

, Spotsylvania, North Anna, and

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

. Poague's greatest service to the Confederacy probably occurred at the Wilderness, where he was able to hold off

Winfield S. Hancock Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a United States Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service ...

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

on the morning of the second day, firing over the heads of wounded Confederates, long enough for

Lt. Gen. Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps ...

to arrive and "save the day". Lt. Gen.

A.P. Hill Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (November 9, 1825April 2, 1865) was a Confederate general who was killed in the American Civil War. He is usually referred to as A. P. Hill to differentiate him from another, unrelated Confederate general, Daniel Harvey Hi ...

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. Poague was wounded twice at the Battle of Cold Harbor and later took part in the defense of Petersburg, before finally surrendering at the

Battle of Appomattox Court House The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the American Civil War (1861–1865). It was the final engagement of Confederate General in Chief, Rober ...

Post-war career, death and legacy

After the War, Poague worked as a farmer, teacher, and lawyer. He represented Rockbridge County in the Virginia House of Delegates. He served Washington College, later Washington and Lee University as a Trustee from 1865 to 1885. He served as the treasurer of the

under superintendents

Francis H. Smith Francis Henney Smith (October 18, 1812 – March 21, 1890) was an American military officer, mathematician and educator. After graduating from West Point and a brief service in the United States Army, he became the first Superintendent of the ...

and Battle of New Market hero

Scott Shipp Scott Shipp (also spelled Ship, born Charles Robert Scott Ship) (August 2, 1839 – December 4, 1917) was an American military figure, Confederate States Army officer, educator and educational administrator born in Warrenton, Virginia. He was the ...

from 1884 until his death on September 8, 1914. He also served as Secretary of the Board of Visitors for VMI. He wrote a set of memoirs entitled ''Gunner With Stonewall.'' Poague's papers are collected at VMI. A home Poague built in 1885 is still structurally sound and remains in private use as a residence to this day, on Main Street in Lexington, Virginia. Poague is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Lexington.

Notes

References

Web biography from And Then A.P. Hill Came Up.
*Poague, William Thomas. ''Gunner with Stonewall:Reminiscences of William Thomas Poague,'' Bison Books, 1991,

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poague, William T. Confederate States Army officers 1835 births 1914 deaths People of Virginia in the American Civil War Washington and Lee University alumni