Robert Aurelius Waller

Raised on his family's large plantation near Greenwood, SC, he was living in Bainbridge, GA when he enlisted as a Private in Company G, 1st Georgia Infantry on 18 March 1861. He mustered out on 18 March 1862 in Augusta, GA and was commissioned Captain, Company B, 8th Florida Infantry to date from 10 May.

He relieved Lieutenant Colonel Coppens at his death in command of the Regiment on 17 September 1862 at Sharpsburg as the senior Captain. He was killed shortly thereafter in combat near the Sunken Road "with the colors of the regiment draped over his shoulders."

Service information from Studnicki 1, source also of the "shoulders" quote from his transcription of an 1896 letter from Captain Lang to General Ezra Carman, and from Henderson.2 Carman3 has him as Richard A. Walker in the Order of Battle and Captain Waller in the text. Personal details from family genealogists. His memorial is on Findagrave; he may be buried in Hagerstown as an unknown.

His brother James L. Waller, Private in the Palmetto Light Artillery, was mortally wounded at Sharpsburg and another brother Creswell A.C. Waller was a Private in the 2nd South Carolina Infantry there.

1837; Greenwood, SC

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD