John Wesley Hilldrup

A devout man, he was licensed by the Methodist Church at age 17 (1857) as an exhorter, and, in 1861, to preach. He enlisted as Private in Company K, 30th Virginia Infantry on 22 May 1861. He was sick at home August 1861 through March 1862.

He was wounded in action and captured at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862. His wound was presumed mortal, but he recovered.

He was paroled home by the end of September to await exchange, and returned to his Company on 1 December 1862. He was detached for duty January - June 1864 in the CS Medical Department, but back with his unit by September 1864. He surrendered on 9 April 1865 at Appomattox Court House, VA.

He returned to preaching and was assigned circuits around Virginia. He died while engaged in that work in Scottsville two days before his 55th birthday.

Burial and basic information from service records posted on his gravesite on Findagrave. The photograph here from descendant Cindy Abbott, posted by John Banks to accompany an excellent blog post on Hilldrup. Biographical details from J.J. Lafferty's Sketches and Portraits of the Virginia Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South (1890), also referenced by Mr Banks.

06/30/1840; Port Royal, VA

06/28/1895; Scottsville, VA; burial in Scottsville Cemetery, Scottsville, VA