John C. Carter
John C. Featherston
Fri Apr 27 15:49:15 2001


John C. Featherston had an interesting career with the 9th Alabama. Originally from Lynchburg, Virginia, he had moved to Alabama before the war. In 1862 he served as the Adjutant for the 9th, and also led a detachment (Company F) that served with Maj. Archibald Gracie during the action on the Warwick River. At Fredericksburg in 1862/1863 he is Captain of the Provost Guard. He is still in the Provost Guard at Petersburg in 1864. He does, however, manage to get into a few battles, as he is wounded several times, including at Gettysburg. He is Capt. of CO F of the 9th in their part of the attack at the Crater. He is mentioned often in my ancestor's letters as being sick "again" and off in Lynchburg. Sometimes his absence is prolonged (as much as 70 days) and it is mentioned that the Provost Guard is managing without him. He did have a "sweetheart" in Lynchburg whom he later married.

A lot of men started drifting away from the 9th Alabama in tha fall of 1864. Some deserted, others just found a way to go home. I have read several letters and journals of members of the 9th who were home on leave during those months, and ended up staying at home and joining cavalry units. It got so bad that Robert E. Lee had to put out orders that cavalry commanders in the Tennessee theatre could not enroll men on leave from Virginia who were expected to be back at their posts after their leave was up.

When Featherston resigned,the Provost Guard was being broken up at Petersburg, so it may have been good timing. The cavalry must have looked pretty good in 1864 to the men in the trenches at Petersburg. After the war he served as a state representative from Campbell Co. (Lynchburg), VA and headed up efforts for the Virginia State Grange.

John