William Drayton Rutherford Annals of Newberry, by John A. Chapman, page 584-85 Col. William Drayton Rutherford was the son of Dr. Rutherford of Newberry County and a descendant, a great-grandson, of Colonel Robert Rutherford of Revolutionary fame, who removed from Virginia to Newberry about the year 1780 or perhaps just before the American Revolutionary War. Young Drayton was a man of fine promise and liberal education; read law at Newberry; married in 1862, a daughter of Colonel Simeon Fair, and life was opening before him bright and beautiful, with every promise of a prosperous and happy career. But the trouble between the States having brought on war, he volunteered at an early day, before his marriage, entered the service as a private in the Quitman Rifles; was made 2nd Sergeant, afterwards Adjutant, and finally, after the death of Colonel Nance, was promoted to the rank of Colonel of the regiment, the Third, which position in the service he was holding when he was killed in the battle of Strasburg,. Va., October 13th, 1864. He was a brave and gallant youth, and gave his life for his beloved South. I had not the pleasure of knowing Colonel Rutherford personally, never having met him at any time that I.can remember now. He was in Europe pursuing his legal studies when the war began. But I knew his father, and I knew of him as one not likely, by any act of his, to dim tbe lustre that clung around the name of his illustrious ancestors. He left a widow and one daughter, who still survive. An incident in the military life of Colonel Rutherford and the history of the Third Regiment has been told me by an eyewitness. It is here given, as nearly as can be remembered, in the words of the witness and narrator: Colonel Rutherford was promoted Colonel from Lieutenant Colonel upon the death of Colonel James D. Nance on the 6th of May, 1864 - the battle of the W ilderness. On the night of the 7th of May General Grant began his famous flank movement. The rival forces first encountered each other on the "Brock road," leading to Spottsylvania Court House. The cavalry, under General J. E. B. Stuart, held that road. While on the march early in the morning of the 8th of May, an old Virginia gentleman, bare-headed, rode up to General Kershaw and told him that if the Brock road was to be held his troops must do it, as the cavalry under Stuart were being forced to give way by the approach of the United States infantry. General Kershaw responded to this call by directing his old brigade to hurry to the scene. At the double-quick, Rutherford soon had his regiment at the point of danger. He threw his whole soul into the movement, and war enabled to take possession of the rail piles, which had been thrown up by the cavalry as a breastwork, just in time to prevent a strong force of United States infantry from taking the place. Gen. Stuart remained on the ground after his cavalry had retired and assisted, with hat in hand, to stimulate the Third Regiment to stand firm. A very hot fight ensued. The young Colonel was all along his line, giving direction and energy to the fight. The result was a victory over the assaulting forces. The line thus established was the identical line upon which the battles around Spottsylvania Court House were fought on the 8th, 10th and 12th of May. Late in the afternoon of the 8th Lieutenent-General Stuart and Lieutenant-General Ewell rode up to the Third and called for Colonel Rutherford. After introducing him to Genera1 Ewell, General Stuart said: "Colonel Rutherford, I have brought General Ewell down here to show him how you brave South Carolinians can fight." Then turning to General Ewell and pointing with his finger to the piles of Federal dead in the front of the Third Regiment, he said: "General, all these dead are their work."