James E. Poindexter

At the beginning of March I wrote a brief blog about the Reverend James E. Poindexter.  What I didn't have was much to say.  That has now changed as we received a comment on the blog from his great great grandson Douglas Pugh III.  After some email communication, we have some more information on the good Reverend.  Here's a brief synopsis of what we know.

James Edward Poindexter was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, the eldest son of good family.  He was well educated and highly articulate and like many before him chose a scholarly and religious vocation.  He attended the seminary in Alexandria Va. and became a minister.

As a true son of Virginia he laid aside his religious studies and answered the Confederate call to arms after the guns were fired at Ft. Sumter.  In June 1861 he was a 2nd Lieutenant of the 38th Virginia Infantry.  in 1862 he was promoted to Captain and was also wounded.  In July of 1863 he was in the battle of Gettysburg under the command of General George Pickett.

Three days after Gettysburg he was listed as confined at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore.  He was then transfered to Johnson Island in Sandusky Ohio (the same one that our interns from Heidelberg University work on!) for two years and then finally transferred to Point Lookout in St. Mary's Maryland.  *my how it is such a small world*

Not much is known of his life after the war other than he served as a minister in several parishes in Maryland and Virginia.  He married and was ordained an Episcopal minister in 1871.  James Edward Poindexter died in 1911.

I would like to sincerely thank Douglass Pugh for his help in furthering our understanding of the townsfolk of Port Tobacco.

 

- Peter