Francis Warrington Dawson 1861-1865

Francis Warrington Dawson 1861-1865

Francis Warrington Dawson , born in London, May 20, 1840, was christened Austin John Reeks. His father and mother were reduced to near poverty by his father's financial speculations. Through the assistance of a widowed aunt, he got a good preparatory education, but he didn't go to college. He toured the continent as a youth, & before he was twenty he showed considerable promise as a playwright. He was fair complexioned, curly haired, and handsome.

He changed his name to Francis Warrington Dawson in late 1861, after deciding to emigrate to America to enter Confederate service. His choice of a name was influenced by his admiration of an uncle, William A. Dawson, an English army captain killed in India, whose widow had helped finance the youth's education.

With the assistance of A. Dudley Mann, Confederate agent in England, Dawson persuaded Captain Robert B. Pegram, commanding officer of the Confederate States steamer the Nashville, then at Southampton obtaining supplies for the South, to let him join the Nashville's crew as a common sailor. During the voyage from Southampton, to Beaufort, North Carolina, in Jan.-Feb., 1862, Dawson ingratiated himself with Pegram and other officers. Shortly after arriving in the South, Pegram had Dawson commissioned as a master's mate in the Confederate Navy. In the spring of 1862, Pegram was appointed to command the ironclad Louisiana, then nearing completion at New Orleans. He and Dawson started to New Orleans in April, but just before they reached their destination they learned of the fall of New Orleans and the destruction of the Louisiana.

Dawson was convinced that shortage of war vessels and surplus of personnel would make it difficult for him to see active service as a naval officer, so on his return to Richmond he attached himself as a volunteer to Purcell's battallion of field artillery commanded by Captain Willie B. Pegram, nephew of Robt. B. Pegram.

In the battle of Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862, while bravely serving as a member of the gun crew, he was wounded in the leg. Reports of his gallantry came to the attention of Mrs. G. W. Randolph, wife of the Confederate secretary of War, and a cousin of Robt. B. Pegram. Through the good offices of Robert Pegram and Mrs. Randolph and on the recommendation of Captain Willie Pegram, Dawson was commissioned first lieutenant of artillery and assigned to duty as an assistant ordnance officer on the staff of General James Longstreet. Just before the battle of Antietam he was captured and sent to Fort Delaware. After three weeks he was released on parole. He visited friends in the Petersburg area until he was exchanged late in November, 1862. He rejoined Longstreet's staff on December 6, 1862, at Fredericksburg.

I have been telling portions of the introduction of Reminiscences of Confederate Service, 1861-1865 by Francis W. Dawson, Edited by Bell I. Wiley, with an introduction, appendix and notes, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge and London, Copyright 1980 Louisiana State University Press, Second printing (October, 1985)

More to come later as he begins his memoirs.

PIE