Person:John Moffett (20)

John Stuart Moffett is the son of John Moffett and Margaret Gilleland. John and his brother William both signed up for the Rockbridge Grays on 20 Apr 1861. The company was renamed Co. H, 4th Virginia Infantry.

John was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). John Stuart Moffett was a Cadet Drillmaster in the 4th Virginia Infancy. He accompanied Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson to Harper's Ferry to assist in training. Several VMI Cadets, including John Stuart Moffett and Charles Norris would escort Colonel Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to Harper's Ferry to assist in instructing the future Stonewall Brigade.

The company was supplied with the very light Cadet Muskets, used for training. Prior to this time the 4th Virginia Infantry had not been involved in any battles. John Stuart Moffett was the 3rd Sergeant under Capt. Updike. John's cousin Alexander McNutt Hamilton was 1st Lieutenant.

Brigadier General Irvin McDowell had gathered his forces, the Federal Army of N.E. Virginia at Manassas on 18 Jul 1861 in wait for General Pierre G. T. Beauregard's troops.

Captain James G. Updike would start with 64 soldiers in Co. H, 4th Va Infantry at Manassas. Five would die and fourteen were wounded. They won the battle at First Manassas or Bull Run.

On 21 Jul 1861 he became one of the first cadets to die in action at the first battle of Bull Run, also called the first battle of Manassas. His Confederate company under General (Pierre Gustave Toutant) Beauregard was fighting Brigadier General Irvin McDowell's Union Army. He was shot in the brain.

In the 1 Aug 1861 Lexington Gazette and General Advertiser, under list of killed and wounded: of the Rockbridge Greys, 4th Regiment, Va. Volunteers: Killed - Sergeant J.S. Moffett; privates J.T. McCorkle.... Then two columns over is a private letter from, R.A. Glasgow dated 22 July 1861, Manassas. It begins "Dear Father: Yesterday we had a great battle, and won a glorious victory, but it was dearly fought for many of our brave men were killed..... General Jackson, too, was riding along the front, urging our men to their duty, -- his whole appearance was that of a man determined to conquer or die. At this moment our regiment was ordered to charge upon this battery of the enemy, which was supported by their brag regiment, the New York Zouaves. In this charge, James McCorkle, Samuel Wilson, Goolsby and McNanamy were killed. Sergeant John Moffett was shot through the head, close upon the enemy's battery."

Col. Jackson, a professor at VMI, received his nickname "Stonewall" at this battle. It was a Confederate victory at the cost of so much blood.

John is a cousin of General J.E.B. Stuart. He was only 19 years, 1 month and 9 days old.