Brothers Elias Fairfax and John Fairfax enlisted at ages 36 and 38

Elias Fairfax was born in 1826. He enlisted in the Confederate Army from Brunswick County at age 36 on April 24, 1862 and served as a private with Battalion A of North Carolina’s 2nd Light Artillery. Terms of the enlistment state the period of service was “for the war.” He saw combat action at Fort Caswell, Fort Anderson, Bentonville, and Goldsboro Bridge. His last official records show him present and accounted for in August, 1864. It is not known if he survived the War. His brother, John Fairfax, had enlisted earlier on October 21, 1861 at the age of 38. His term of enlistment was stated as “for the war.” The English name Fairfax has a long pedigree and can be traced back 500 years to Gilling Castle in Yorkshire, England. The brothers’ ancestors can be found in the United States in the early 1700’s. They fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Fairfax County in Virginia was named for the family.