William Dickey Jones
Rank: Private, Co. K, 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
Descendants: Joseph C.
William is described in military record as a farmer, five foot ten inches in height with brown hair, blue eyes, and a blonde complexion. He enlisted at age 36 in 1861 as a Private in Company K 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment (hereafter referred to as the 37th).
Company K was named the Alleghany Tigers. The 37th was organized by Colonel C C Lee and assembled at High Point, NC in November 1861. The men were raised in the counties of Buncombe, Watauga, Mecklenberg, Wake, Ashe (changed to Alleghany) Alexander, and Gaston. The 37th first engaged in New Bern, NC in March 1862, and soon after, it was assigned to General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, General A P Hill’s Light Division, and General Lawrence O’Byran’s Brigade (later succeeded by General James Henry Lane), Army of Virginia. The 37th regiment commander was Colonel William M Barber who succeeded Colonel Charles C Lee.
William and his unit participated in some of the major battles of the war, and he was captured twice, surviving two prisoner of war interments. The first capture was at Hanover Court House on May 27, 1862.. After his capture, he was initially taken to Fort Monroe, VA before being sent north to Fort Columbus, NY, June 4, 1862. Although William was part of a prisoner exchange in Virginia August 5, 1862, it is not known if he was able to get back to the 37th at Cedar Mountain by August 9, 1862. He was listed as “Present” on the Muster Rolls of the 37th for such battles as Second Manassas, Harpers Ferry, Sharpsburg, 1st Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Mine Run. It is most likely that he participated in the Battle of Wilderness since he was captured for a second time at Spotsylvania CH, VA May 12, 1864. Colonel Lane’s Brigade was located at the eastern face of the Muleshoe Salient at Spotsylvania. Upon William’s capture, he was sent to Belle Plain, VA (near present day Triangle, VA on Potomac Creek) before being sent to Point Lookout, MD and then transferred to Elmira, NY on August 8, 1864. He was paroled at Elmira October 11, 1864. He was mustered out of the CSA on January 30, 1865.
He returned to Alleghany County, NC, where he resumed farming and raised a son, William L. He died May 19, 1908 and is buried in Cranberry Primitive Baptist Church, Ashe County, NC.