First Lieutenant James Woolfolk
and First Sergeant E.T. Woolfolk
Ashland Light Artillery, Alexander’s-Huger’s Battalion, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Assignments:
January-March 1862: Reserve Artillery, Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia
March-June 1862: Reserve Artillery, Army of Northern Virginia
June-July 1862:Richardson’s Battalion, Reserve Artillery,Army of Northern Virginia
September 1862 u y 1863: Lee’s-Alexander’s Battalion,Reserve Artillery, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
July-September1.863: Alexander’s Battalion, Artillery, 1st Corps
September-November 1863: Alexander’s Artillery Battalion,Longstreet’s Corps,Army of Tennessee
November 1863-April1864:Alexander’s Arti!Jery Battalion, Department of East Tennessee
April 1864-April1865: Atexander’s-Huger’s Battal on, Artillery, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Battles:
| Yorktown Siege | April-May 1862 |
| Seven Days Battles | June 25 July 1, 1862 |
| Antietam | September 17, 1862 |
| Fredericksburg | December 13, 1862 |
| Chancellorsville | May 1-4, 1863 |
| Gettysburg | July 1-3, 1863 |
| Chattanooga Siege | September-November 1863 |
| Knoxville Siege | November 1863 |
| Campbell’s Station | November 16, 1863 |
| The Wilderness | May 5-6, 1864 |
| Spotsylvania Court House | May 8-21, 1864 |
| North Anna | May 23-26, 1864 |
| Cold Harbor | June 1-3, 1864 |
| Petersburg Siege | June 1864-April 1865 |
| Appomattox Court House | April 9, 1865 |
First Lieutenant James Woolfolk was a member of the Ashland Light Artillery from the time of its inception . He commanded the Ashland Light Artillery at the time of the Battle of the Wilderness. The engagement took place May 5, 1864. His older brother, Captain Pichegru Woolfolk Jr., was absent from duty due to wounds received from 11-12-1863 until 9-12-64. Part of that time he was a prisoner of war, having been captured near Bowling Green, Va. on 6-1-1864. Lt. James Woolfolk commanded the company during the entire time that his brother was out wounded or captured. He signed most of the paperwork during that time as “Acting Captain”, thus insuring that his brother would not be replaced. James was not only a dedicated soldier, but a dedicated and loyal family member .
Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander wrote of the Woolfolk boys in his memoirs:
“Three of Mrs. Wwlfolk’s sons were in one of my batteries, Capt, Pichegru Woolfolk was a fine, handsome, black-haired and eyed six footer, good natured and full of fun and joke but high-strung and fearless in face of any danger. James, somewhat small, with a queer old face, and a defect in his palate which gave him a remarkable sort of pirated voice and great quaintness to his dry humor, was first lieut.; and Ned, a younger and blond six footer, was a sergeant. Still another brother, Clarence, was a lieut. of infantry in Jackson’s corps. . .”
All four Woolfolk brothers are buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond VA.
