Josiah Pender
Josiah Solomon Pender (March 11, 1819 – October 25, 1864) was an American soldier in the Confederate Army. He is best known for leading the capture of Fort Macon in April 1861.
Life[edit]
Pender was born in the Tarboro area of Edgecombe County to Solomon and Mary Batts Pender.[1] Pender followed in his father's footsteps by entering the U.S. Military Academy in 1835, but left the following year due to his unwillingness to adapt to military life.[1] After leaving the academy, he studied painting in Paris and Rome before returning to the United States in 1840.[1]
Pender bought the Atlantic Hotel on the waterfront in Beaufort in 1856.[2]
Pender married twice. He fathered nine children by his first wife, Maria, who died in 1861. He married a second time to a cousin, Laura Pender on September 23, 1862 and had a son by her.[3]
Civil War[edit]
Pender joined the Confederate Army in 1861, forming the Beaufort Harbor Guards with the purpose of taking over Fort Macon before Union troops could seize it.[2]
Battle of Fort Macon[edit]
On April 14, 1861, Pender recaptured Fort Macon from Union soldiers.
Discharge[edit]
When his first wife became ill, Pender requested and was denied a leave of absence to return home to care for her; however, he decided to go home anyway. In November 1861, Pender was convicted of being absent without leave and was discharged from the army.[2]
Aftermath[edit]
After his discharge, Pender became part of a blockade running operation, smuggling goods out of Bermuda to support the Confederates. He also sailed to England to obtain goods, where he caught yellow fever.
Death[edit]
Pender died in Beaufort from yellow fever on October 25, 1864.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: Vol. 5, P-S: P-S, Volume 5 edited by William Stevens Powell
- ^ a b c "The Fascinating Story of Beaufort's Atlantic Hotel 1859-1879"
- ^ a b ""Josiah and Laura Pender lived adventurous lives"". Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
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