AUTHOR: William Lea Palmer, Colonel, Infantry, US Army, Retired 19 April 1991
Great-Grandson of First Lieutenant / Captain David Ramsour Hoyle, C.S.A.
David Ramsour Hoyle of Lawndale, Cleveland County, North Carolina, joined the
Army of the Confederate States of America [C.S.A] commissioned a 1st Lieutenant of
Infantry, 10 October 1861, promoted to Captain, 28 June 1862, Commanding Officer
of F Company, Thirty-Fourth Regiment, North Carolina Troops, The Army of
Northern Virginia, following the death of his Commanding Officer, Captain Abraham
G. Waters, at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill, and was present at the Army of Northern
Virginia, C.S.A., surrender Appomattox Court House, Virginia, 09 April 1865.
First Lieutenant / Captain David Ramsour Hoyle’s unit major military engagements
were: The Battle at Gaines’ Mill, [also known as the 1 st Battle of Cold Harbor], one of
the several battles in the “Seven Days Battles” near Richmond, Virginia (27 June
1862); Captain Abraham G. Waters, the commanding officer of Company F,
34 th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, the Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A. was
killed on the date of the engagement, 27 June 1862. First Lieutenant David R. Hoyle,
wounded in the upper arm near the shoulder in the same engagement, was promoted to
Captain, 28 June 1862, and assumed command of Company F, 34 th Regiment, North
Carolina Troops; The Regiment was later engaged in the battles at Malvern Hill,
Virginia (01 July 1862); the Second Battle of Manassas, Virginia (27 thru 30 August
1862); Bolivar Heights at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia (14-15 September 1862); the
epic battle at Sharpsburg Antietam], Maryland (17 September 1862); Shepherdstown,
Virginia (20 September 1862); Fredericksburg, Virginia (11-15 December 1862);
Chancellorsville [a member of General “Stonewall” Jackson’s Division at the time of
the General’s death], Virginia (30 April-6 May 1863); Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (02-03
July 1863); the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, Virginia (5-7 May 1864); the Battle of
Reams’ Station, Virginia (25 August 1864) and was present at the time of General
Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A. surrender, Appomattox Court House,
Virginia, 09 April 1865.
David Ramsour Hoyle (is listed as “Daniel” in the North Carolina Civil War Roster)
returned home and married Mary Donoho Elliott one month later on 09 May 1865 – a
professional Millwright, a Magistrate and a Cleveland County Commissioner – periods
unknown for these last two positions.