Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1053

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CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY.
987

of Philadelphia. His son, Rev. Drury Lacy, A. M., D. D., was born in Prince Edward county, August 3, 1802, was a graduate of Hampden-Sidney college, pastor of the Presbyterian church at New Bern, N. C., 1833-1837; pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Raleigh, N. C., 1837-1855; president of Davidson college, 1855-1861; served as chaplain in the Confederate service, 1862-1865; and died at the residence of his son, William Sterling, at Jonesboro, N. C., in 1884. One of his sisters married Rev. Samuel Davies Hoge, son of Rev. Moses Hoge, D. D., president of Hampden-Sidney college, and the father of Rev. Moses Drury Hoge, D. D., LL.D., of Richmond, Va. The mother of Dr. Wm. Sterling Lacy was Williana, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Smith) Wilkinson, was related to the Hawes family of Richmond and to the Rev. B. M. Smith, D. D., professor in the Union theological seminary at Hampden-Sidney. William Sterling Lacy was born at Raleigh, N. C., March 25, 1842. At thirteen years of age, when his father became president of Davidson college, he entered that institution as a student and was graduated in 1859, after which he studied in preparation for the ministry at the Union theological seminary, Virginia. When the Virginia troops were called out in 1861 he was anxious to enlist, but his father opposed such a step until after the fall of Fort Donelson, when he gave his assent, and young Lacy became a member of the Rockbridge artillery, in February, 1862. Early in April he and a comrade, George H. Gilmer, a son of Governor Gilmer, of Virginia who had been a fellow student, were summoned to Gen. Stonewall Jackson's headquarters and were granted by him a sixteen days' furlough to obtain their ministerial licenses, after which they rejoined the command just before the battle of McDowell. Here he was transferred to the Danville battery, under Captain Wooding, and with this command he participated in all the actions of the memorable Valley campaign of Gen. Stonewall Jackson from McDowell to Port Republic. During the Seven Days' fight before Richmond he was on duty at Ashland in the signal service, but later in the summer was again with the Rockbridge artillery, and participated in the engagements of Cedar Run, Second Manassas, Ox Hill, Chantilly, and afterward took part in the Maryland campaign of 1862, fighting at Harper's Ferry and Sharpsburg. During the latter memorable battle his command was ordered to draw the fire of the enemy during an important infantry movement, and was soon the object of a storm of shot and shell, and here he was in extreme peril, the horse on which he was leaning during a pause in firing being killed by a solid shot. His exposure and hard service in this campaign brought on an attack of rheumatism and lumbago, and he was sent back to the hospital. Thence he was subsequently detailed as assistant chaplain to Rev. Dr. Hoge at Camp Lee, and, after other service of this nature, was commissioned chaplain of the Forty-seventh North Carolina regiment, in August, 1863, with which he served throughout the remainder of the war. Then, returning to North Carolina, he taught at Raleigh until 1868, and. being ordained in 1869, served as pastor of Anchor-of-Hope and Cove churches, Wythe county, Va., 1869-1873; of Buffalo and Euphronia churches, Moore county, N. C., 1873-1888; was assistant editor of Davidson college semi-centennial catalogue, and,