W. E. Starke

Confederate (CSA)

Brigadier General

William Edwin Starke

(1814 - 1862)

Home State: Louisiana

Command Billet: Brigade Commander

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: Starke's Brigade

Before Sharpsburg

He was a stagecoach operator and cotton broker in Mobile, AL and in New Orleans, where he lived "for many years". In 1861 he was an aide to General Garnett in West Virginia and in September was appointed Colonel of the 60th Virginia Infantry, and led it at the Seven Days. In August 1862 he was appointed Brigadier General, had the Second Louisiana brigade, in Taliaferro's division, and was wounded at Second Manassas.

On the Campaign

Initially in command of his brigade in Jackson's Division he relieved Brigadier General J. R. Jones in command of the Division at Sharpsburg. The onslaught of the Union I Corps' attack early in the morning of 17 September began to drive his men back but he led a counterattack, only to be wounded three times; he died within the hour.

He was one of the 6 General Officers killed or mortally wounded at Sharpsburg.

References & notes

Basic information from Warner.1 His picture from a photograph at Tulane.2 His gravesite is on Findagrave.

Birth

1814; Brunswick County, VA

Death

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD; burial in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Notes

1 Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Gray, Lives of the Confederate Commanders, Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1959, pg. 289 [AotW citation 22294]

2 Tulane University, Images from the Civil War and Reconstruction, first accessed 01 February 2020, <https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane%3Ap16313coll41>, Source page: /islandora/object/tulane%3A [AotW citation 22295]

« Search for another Person