2nd Lt. Joseph Henry Nelson, Co. A,
b. Nov. 23 1838, Warrenton
m. ???
d. Nov. 28, 1904, Washington DC(buried in Warrenton Cemetery)
Description: (from parole) 5'9", fair complexion, black hair, hazel eyes. Age 26 at time of parole.
Joseph Nelson joined Mosby's command sometime around February 6, 1863, with his cousin George Whitescarver and comrade from the 17th Virginia Infantry, Walter Frankland.
Prior to joining Mosby's command, he was a private in Company K of the 17th Virginia (The Warrenton Rifles) at Warrenton, serving initially under Capt. John Quincy Marr, the first battle casualty on Virginia soil. He saw action at First Manassas, and was wounded in action at 2nd Manassas. After recuperating at the Petersburg General Hospital, where he met up with Frankland and Whitescarver, the three headed back to Northern Virginia to find another unit to link up with. Near Rector's Cross Roads, they heard about Mosby's recent exploits in the area and decided to join his efforts.
Nelson is documented as having taken part in the Feburary 11 1863 scout to the Herndon Station area, the February 26 attack on a picket post at Thompson's Corner northeast of Chantilly and the famous March 9, 1863 Fairfax Courthouse Raid and may be presumed to have also taken part in other major engagements during this period, including the Aldie Mill fight and the Herndon Station Raid.
He was captured May 16, 1863 at the Berryt's Ferry fight, sent to Martinsburg and transferred to Fort McHenry. On May 20, he was paroled and sent to Fortress Monroe for exchange.
He was present when the 43rd Battalion formally was established on June 10, and enlisted with Mosby for the duration of the War.,
Other raids he's documented as participating in include the June 11, 1863 Srneca Mills Maryland raid and the June 18, 1863 capture of Hooker's dispatches at the Almond Birch home near Arcola.
On October 1, 1863, he was promoted to 3rd Lt. of company A and subsequently to 2nd Lt. on March 28, 1864. On April 22, 1864, he was wounded near Aldie after an attack on pickets at Hunter's Mill in Fairfax County.
He was involved ina number of Mosby's more famous exploits including the Berryville Wagon Raid, and led several maneuvers, including an attack on pickets on the Braddock Road near Alexandria (8/8/64) and the fight at Myer's Ford, (9/4/64) where he was wounded in the leg.
He was present when Mosby disbanded the command on April 21, 1865, and was part of the group that went to Winchester the following day to obtain their paroles.
After the war, he returned to his native Warrenton where he became Mayor. He attened many of the Mosby Rangers Reunions (1895, 1897, 1899 and 1904).
In 1895, he moved o Washington DC where he died in 1904 and is buried in Warrenton Cemetery, not far from Colonel Mosby's grave.
Related to (cousin??) Ranger George H. Whitescarver, Jr.
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