Captain Claudius Simonton Alexander
Dublin Core
Title
Captain Claudius Simonton Alexander
Subject
Company C, 4th Regiment N.C. State Troops
Description
At the conclusion of the Chancellorsville campaign in spring of 1863, despite a Confederate victory, the 4th North Carolina State Troops was a shadow of its former self. The 4th brought 327 officers and enlisted men into action on May 1. Just days later, the regiment’s losses included 46 killed, 157 wounded, and 58 captured – nearly 80% total casualties. Of that number was Captain Claudius Simonton Alexander of Company C.
Claudius Alexander began the war as a Private, enlisting with the “Saltillo Boys” at Statesville, North Carolina, on June 7, 1861. A month later he was promoted to 4th Sergeant, and continued his rise through the ranks reaching 1st Sergeant by September, and 2nd Lieutenant in November.
Alexander served with distinction throughout the 4th’s engagements during the Seven Days battles around Richmond, and in defense of the “Bloody Lane” at Sharpsburg in 1862. Additionally, in July he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and performed double duty as the regiment’s acting Quartermaster for much of the year.
When the Captain of Company C (William A. Kerr) resigned in February of 1863, Alexander succeeded him in command. It was under the leadership of now Captain Alexander, who was a mere twenty years old, that the Saltillo Boys went into the Chancellorsville campaign. The 4th regiment fought courageously as a part of Ramseur’s Brigade in Stonewall Jackson’s successful flank march on May 2nd, and the renewed engagement on May 3rd. During this attack, the 4th regiment was on the right of the Brigade, and General Ramseur noted in his report that after repulsing several assaults:
“The enemy still held his strong position in the ravine on my right, so that the 14th [regiment] and the … 2nd could not advance. The enemy discovered this situation of affairs and pushed a brigade to the right and rear of Colonel Grimes [4th North Carolina]… with the intention of capturing their commands. This advance was made under a terrible direct fire of musketry and artillery. The move necessitated a retrograde movement… which was executed in order…”
It was during this action that Captain Alexander was wounded in the right leg. Surgeons determined the leg could not be saved, and were forced to amputate it above the knee. Unfortunately, that course of treatment was not enough to save Captain Alexander, and he died just three days later on May 6. His body was returned to his home, and he was interred in a family plot at the cemetery of the Fourth Creek Presbyterian Church in Statesville.
Claudius Alexander began the war as a Private, enlisting with the “Saltillo Boys” at Statesville, North Carolina, on June 7, 1861. A month later he was promoted to 4th Sergeant, and continued his rise through the ranks reaching 1st Sergeant by September, and 2nd Lieutenant in November.
Alexander served with distinction throughout the 4th’s engagements during the Seven Days battles around Richmond, and in defense of the “Bloody Lane” at Sharpsburg in 1862. Additionally, in July he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and performed double duty as the regiment’s acting Quartermaster for much of the year.
When the Captain of Company C (William A. Kerr) resigned in February of 1863, Alexander succeeded him in command. It was under the leadership of now Captain Alexander, who was a mere twenty years old, that the Saltillo Boys went into the Chancellorsville campaign. The 4th regiment fought courageously as a part of Ramseur’s Brigade in Stonewall Jackson’s successful flank march on May 2nd, and the renewed engagement on May 3rd. During this attack, the 4th regiment was on the right of the Brigade, and General Ramseur noted in his report that after repulsing several assaults:
“The enemy still held his strong position in the ravine on my right, so that the 14th [regiment] and the … 2nd could not advance. The enemy discovered this situation of affairs and pushed a brigade to the right and rear of Colonel Grimes [4th North Carolina]… with the intention of capturing their commands. This advance was made under a terrible direct fire of musketry and artillery. The move necessitated a retrograde movement… which was executed in order…”
It was during this action that Captain Alexander was wounded in the right leg. Surgeons determined the leg could not be saved, and were forced to amputate it above the knee. Unfortunately, that course of treatment was not enough to save Captain Alexander, and he died just three days later on May 6. His body was returned to his home, and he was interred in a family plot at the cemetery of the Fourth Creek Presbyterian Church in Statesville.
Creator
C.R. Rees, Richmond, Virginia
Contributor
Fred D. Taylor Collection
Format
Half plate ruby ambrotype.
Files
Collection
Citation
C.R. Rees, Richmond, Virginia, “Captain Claudius Simonton Alexander,” Tar Heel Faces, accessed April 29, 2024, https://tarheelfaces.omeka.net/items/show/143.
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