Jacob Burner Golladay

Jacob Burner Golladay
33rd Virginia Infantry
Stonewall Brigade
Major

Son of Abraham Golladay and Mary Burner

Jacob B. Golladay is of special interest because he commanded the 33rd Virginia Infantry of the Stonewall Brigade at the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg. He entered the Confederate Army as Lieutenant of Company B, 33rd Virginia Regiment, in June 1861. He was promoted to Captain on 21 Apr 1862.

Jacob was wounded at the battle of Malvern Hill on 01 July 1862, but apparently not seriously. It was noted in the Official Records:

"Considerable confusion was created necessarily in the swamp and bushes, officers and men becoming separated and regiments more or less intermingled; yet, so far as my observation extended, both officers and men behaved well. Major Holliday, Adjutant Walton, Captain Golladay, and Sergeant-Major Baldwin were particularly brought under my notice. Captain Golladay was the only captain in the regiment on the occasion."

- OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 11, Part 2 - Peninsular Campaign

One letter written by Jacob was discovered in 1994:

Letter written by Jacob B. Golladay after Chancellorsville

Jacob was present on muster rolls until 26 Nov 1863, when he was absent sick. He was admitted to General Hospital No. 4 in Richmond on 27 Nov 1863 for intermittent fever. He was furloughed on 03 Dec 1863 for 30 days and returned 14 Dec 1863.

Jacob commanded his regiment at Gettysburg and wrote the following report after the battle

Jacob B. Golladay's report after Gettysburg

On 21 March 1864, Jacob was promoted to the rank of Major. Most of the Stonewall Brigade was captured at the battle of Spotsylvania in May 1864. However, Jacob was not one of those captured. In the summer of 1864, the remnant of Jacob's regiment was ordered away from the defense of Richmond during the Union siege at Petersburg. They were placed under the command of General Jubal Early. After the battle of Fisher's Hill, the Confederate forces under Early were in retreat. General Sheridan's Union army followed in pursuit. On 23 September 1864, General Sheridan's troops captured Jacob in a skirmish at Woodstock. There is some irony in his capture here, as Woodstock was Jacob's hometown. He was then sent to a Yankee prison at Fort Delaware. He remained there for the duration of the war until he was released on 24 July 1865, after he was required to take an Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. government.

Jacob married Sarah C. Lonas in January 1869.

After the war, Jacob was deputy sheriff in Woodstock, Virginia. He then was elected County Treasurer. He died in July 1874. His obituary noted he was "a kind, gentle, gallant officer, loved by his regiment and respected by all."

Buried at: Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in Woodstock, Virginia

This page last updated on June 21, 2008