Fri May 1 01:49 PM  by William Samuel Poulton

Samuel Poulton enlisted in Colonel Hunton's 8th Virginia Volunteers in 1861, he deserted in July of 1826, was captured and returned to his unit in early October. Unit muster rolls show him awaiting court martial 2 December 1862. The same muster rolls show him as awaiting sentencing until 28 February, 1863 (he was fined $37.00). Records show him as "absent, sick at hospital" on April 30, 1863. Samuel died of diphtheria in the hospital at Wilson, North Carolina, in June of 1863. At the time of his death, his personal effects were .25 cash, and $17.50 of clothing. Samuel had not been paid since 31 August 1861. He was due (in addition to his meager pay of .14 a day) a $50.00 enlistment bounty. His father fought an administrative nightmare of paperwork and appeals to claim Samuel's back pay ($344.23). Confederate records recovered from the National Archives indicate the account was settled on 17 October 1864. Oddly enough, while assorted powers of attorney and many other items of correspondence are in the files, no mention is made of either his date of birth or place of burial. Samuel rests in the main cemetery in Wilson, North Carolina. He is buried along with five other men who died in the hospital. They were first buried in a small cemetery near the hospital then moved to a mass grave holding all of their remains. A large monument marks their resting place. Samuel’s father, Captain Reed Poulton, fought in the War of 1812 as a Private in the 56th Virginia Militia (Loudoun Rifles). Captain Poulton rests next to his wife, Anzy, in the Grove Meeting House Cemetery, Woodburn, and Loudoun County. Samuel's cousins Elial Marion Poulton, John William Poulton (and fifteen others) fought for the Union. His Leesburg kinsmen, cousin William Poulton and brother John Francis Poulton both fought for the Commonwealth of Virginia.