Wednesday, September 12, 2012

General William E. Starke.

William E. Starke.

Birth: 1814
Death: Sep. 17, 1862

Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was a successful cotton broker when commissioned Colonel of the 60th Virginia Infantry in 1861. For his conduct during the Battles of the Seven Days, he was promoted Brigadier General on August 6, 1862 and commanded a division at the Second Manassas. On September 17, 1862, at the Battle of Anti(etam, Starke was shot three times and died as a result of his wounds.
Burial: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia.

September 17, 1862.

Brigadier-General Starke, who a half an hour afterward advanced his lines to meet the infantry of the enemy, which was approaching. The infantry became at once engaged, and the gallant and generous Starke fell, pierced by three balls, and survived but a few moments. His fall cast a gloom over the troops. They never for a moment faltered, but rushed upon the enemy and drove him back. The struggle continued for several hours, the enemy all the while receiving re-enforcements, and the division, not numbering over 1,600 men at the beginning of the fight, having no support, was finally compelled to tune moment, Colonel Grigsby, commanding the division, rallied its shattered columns and joined General Early, and drove the enemy half a mile from the field, capturing many prisoners and covering the field with the dead and wounded of the enemy. After this repulse, the division was order back to a grove to rest and get ammunition, when in the evening it again advanced to the support of a battery, but did not again become engaged with the enemy.

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