Cary Franklin Grimes

He was elected Town Sergeant of Portsmouth, VA in 1856 and Captain of the Portsmouth Artillery (organized 1809) in 1858. In 1860 he was a 30 year old livery stable keeper in Portsmouth. He enrolled for war service there on 20 April 1861 and mustered as Captain of his battery, also designated Company A of Major Saunders' Battalion of field artillery.

He was in command of the artillery Battalion (Saunders') of Anderson's Division at the start of the battle at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862. He was relieved in command of his battery by Lt. John H Thompson. He was mortally wounded, shot from his horse as he directed the Battalion on Piper's Farm, and died that evening. Major Saunders returned to duty earlier that day and resumed command of his Battalion after Captain Grimes was hit.

Thanks to (retired) CSM Bill Facenda for supplying Captain Grimes' photograph as published by Crew and Trask1 - originally from the Portsmouth Public Library - and for correcting his burial place. His service from his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3, as Carey F Grimes. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860. His gravesite is on Findagrave; his stone also has him as Carey.

He married Mary Ann Kellum (1836-) in July 1850 and they had two daughters.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum has a uniform jacket of Captain Grimes' in their collection.

02/15/1829; Norfolk, VA

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD; burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Portsmouth, Va