From the Confederate Historical Association 1897
STRATTON, W. D,, was born in Smith county, Tenn., on
January 12, 1836 ; his parents were Virginians, and in 1852
moved to Shelby county and settled near the Mississippi State
line. He entered the service as Lieutenant of the Memphis
Rangers, Ninth Tennessee Regiment, Hal Rogers captain, and
commanded the first detail to work on the fortifications of
Columbus, Ky. ; was promoted to the rank of captain on the
battlefield of Shiloh, and at his request commissioned in the
Cavalry, which he received at Tupelo, Miss.; with his brother,
T. T. Stratton, crossed the Mississippi river with a train of
ordnance for General Hindman at Little Rock, which con-
sisted of one hundred and six wagonloads, and was the first
and only successful expedition that ever reached that depart-
ment; returning he joined General R. V. Richardson in organ-
izing a brigade of cavalry inside the enemy's lines, and served
on his staff until General Forrest took charge in Mississippi
and West Tennessee, when he was put in command of the
provost guard in January, 1864, and served in this capacity
until a few weeks before the battle of Harrisburg, Miss., when
he was transferred to the Nineteenth Tennessee, Colonel New-
som commanding, and was acting major of this regiment when
he lost his leg, leading it in a charge on a battery at the battle
of Harrisburg. After the war he returned to Memphis, his
old home, and was one of the active members of the C. R.
and H. Association ; was a member of the first committee on
entertainment, together with Dr. Robert Mitchell, Captain
Tom Johnson, Captain Steinkuhl and Colonel Dawson. He
had six brothers in the service — one was killed at the battle
of Atlanta, two were maimed for life, and three came out
unscathed. He now lives in Atlanta, Ga.
________________________
David Upton