Capt. Ferdinand Osmun Claiborne was a native of Mississippi and well known among the early settlers of Alabama. During his early youth his father removed to New Orleans, where the son was educated. At the outbreak of the war he joined Capt. Gladdin's company of Cresent City Rifles, and served for a time at Pensacola, and afterward in Virginia. On 9 Sep 1861, he enlisted as a Lieutenant at Richmond, Virginia, in the Maryland 3rd Light Artillery.
"At eleven o'clock this Friday morning Capt. 'Ferd' Osman Claiborne, commanding the 3rd Maryland Battery, Reynold's Brigade, was buried in a plain black coffin, according to the forms of the Lutheran Church by Maj. Giesler of the 59th Tennessee Rifles, a licensed minister. The previous day, Ferd, who thought he glimpsed the foe approaching, borrowed a field telescope from his cousin [William H. Claiborne] and hurried to a forward artillery position. He had barely given an order to open fire when struck in the face by a shell fragment. The word was quickly brought back to an incredulous William Claiborne, who hurried to his cousin's side. Ferd died a few minutes later without regaining consciousness. That night, Captain Claiborne's body, in full uniform, lay in the commanding colonel's tent, attended by an honor guard, as mourning comrades filed past."
"I wished to have the service read by an Episcopal clergyman but we failed to find one," noted Claiborne. He was buried on a little knoll about 100 yards north of [Brigade Commander, Col. A. W.] Reynold's quarters. The place was selected by Frank and Major Phifer. "I was feeling too badly to go out. I regret there are no trees near the spot to shelter it from the sun and rains, but this was almost unavoidable. I will as soon as possible procure a stone with a suitable inscription to mark the spot."
"His burial was attended by the colonel and staff, the members of his company and a large number of devoted friends. All were more affected than I remember to have seen on former occasion. The general [Col. Reynolds] wept like a child. It was a strange sight -- while shot and shell were falling thick and fast to see strong men used to war and blood and death around them, bend the humble knee, forget their vengeful passions and by the grave of a soldier shed tears like a woman -- but so is war."
[Col. Reynold's HQ was located a few hundred yards to the West of the Salient Point on Hall's Ferry Road. His body was later disinterred and removed to Mississippi.]
