Samuel Saunders Hale, Jr.

Samuel had attended the University of Virginia before the War, and entered service as Captain, Company K--the Franklin Invincibles--of the 42nd Virginia Infantry regiment on 17 June 1862. He and his company unsuccessfully petitioned the Secretary of War to transfer to the 24th Virginia on 5 July. Captain Hale was not re-elected in the Army reorganization of April 1862, and was dropped from the rolls of the 42nd.

He soon after obtained appointment as acting Adjutant of the 48th Virginia Infantry and assumed command as senior officer on 8 May after Major Campbell was wounded and two senior Captains refused the post. He was wounded at Winchester about two weeks later, and left the Regiment to accept the post of Major and Commissary on the staff of his uncle General Jubal Early (to date from 1 May). He was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on Early's staff to date from August 1862.

In January 1863 he was appointed Assistant Inspector General.

Early later reported

... my Inspector General, Major Samuel Hale, had been mortally wounded at Spottsylvania Court-House on the 12th [May, 1864] while serving with the division and acting with great gallantry during the disorder which ensued after Ewell's line was broken...

The photograph above and some details of Major Hale's service are from Early's Autobiographical Sketch1. Further staff service information and his family relationship to General Early from Krick2, with roster data from John Chapla's 42nd Virginia3 and 48th Virginia4 histories. Thanks to relative Coy Hale for correcting Samuel's middle name and pointing me to the right branch of the Hale family tree.

3/25/1839; Rocky Mount, VA

05/12/1864; Spottyslvania CH, VA; burial in Spring Hill Cemetery, Lynchburg, VA