Colonel William Drayton Rutherford was the son of Dr. Thomas B. Rutherford and Mrs. Laura Adams Rutherford, his wife.  He was born on the 21st of September, 1837, in Newberry District, South Carolina.  By his father he was a descendant of Virginians, as well as of that sturdy and patriotic stock of Germans who settled what was known as the “Fork.”  By his mother he was a descendant of the New England Adams family—­what a splendid boy and man he was!  He was educated in the best schools in our State, and spent sometime abroad.  At the sound of arms he volunteered and was made Adjutant of the Third South Carolina Infantry.  At the reorganization of the regiment, in May, 1862, he was elected Major of his regiment.  When Lieutenant Colonel B. Conway Garlington was killed at Savage Station, June 29th, 1862, Rutherford became Lieutenant Colonel of his regiment.  When Colonel James D. Nance fell in the battle of the Wilderness, on the 6th day of May, 1864, he became Colonel of the Third South Carolina Regiment.  He was a gallant officer and fell in the front of his regiment at Strausburg, Va., on the 13th of October, 1864.

He married the beautiful and accomplished Miss Sallie H. Fair, only daughter of Colonel Simeon Fair, in March, 1862, and the only child of this union was “the daughter of the regiment,” Kate Stewart Rutherford, who is now Mrs. George Johnstone.

Colonel Rutherford was in the battles of First Manassas, Williamsburg, Savage Station, Malvern Hill, First Fredericksburg (12th December, 1862, where he was badly wounded), Knoxville, Wilderness, Brock’s Road (and other battles about Spottsylvania), North Anna Bridge, Second Cold Harbor, Deep Bottom, Berryville, and Strausburg.

He was a delight to his friends, by reason of his fare intelligence, warm heart, and generous impulses; to his family, because he was always so considerate of them, so affectionate, and so brimful of courtesy; but to his enemies (and he never made any except among the vicious), he was uncompromisingly fierce.

I will state here that General James Connor had been in command of the brigade for about two or three months, Colonel Kennedy, the senior officer of the brigade, being absent on account of wounds received at the Wilderness.  There is no question but what General Connor was one of the best officers that South Carolina furnished during the war.  But he was not liked by the officers of the line or the men.  He was too rigid in his discipline for volunteers.  The soldiers had become accustomed to the ways and customs of Kershaw and the officers under him, so the stringent measures General Connor took to prevent straggling and foraging or any minor misdemeanor was not calculated to gain the love of the men.  All, however, had the utmost confidence in his courage and ability, and were willing to follow where he led.  Still he was not our own Joseph Kershaw.  Below I give a short sketch of his life.

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