BEST, J.S. (1832 ~ 1909). Confederate veteran J.S. Best was born in Georgia in 1832.
During the Civil War, Best belonged to Company A, Philip's Legion, Hampton's Brigade, Longstreet's Division. The unit was organized on June 11, 1861 in and around South Georgia and Best joined the unit in July at Camp McDonald. The unit served under Robert E. Lee in the Army of Northern Virginia.
Best appears on a roll of prisoners of war at DeCamp General Hospital, David's Island, New York Harbor in the summer of 1863. He was captured at the battle of Gettysburg but was paroled sometime later as he appears on a muster roll for Philips' Legion in 1864.
After moving to Texas, Best lived in Wise County where he was member of the Methodist Church. He was a widowed farmer who suffered from deafness and blindness when he was admitted to the Confederate Men's Home on August 8, 1899.
He died November 7, 1909 and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery.
Information taken from Texas State Cemetery file materials. |