The three other Deatherages in Co K, of the 50th VA are Sampson's older brother, Matthew Henry Deatherage (my great grandfather) and cousins Emery D. Deatherage & Lebon H. Deatherage. They were all from Patrick County, Virginia - living near the present day town of Ararat.

Sampson's body was not returned home. As I mentioned in the original email, the family has a letter from Chaplain George H. Denny of the 50th Virginia Infantry, written September 13, 1862 at the "Camp near Charleston", to the friends and family of Sampson Deatherage, describing how Sampson had been mortally wounded and that Chaplain Denny was with him from the time he was brought in from the field until he died. The Chaplain advised that he procured a coffin, had conducted "burial services at the grave which is near the town of Charleston".

At the time of the battle, Charleston, WV was a small town comprised of a few blocks of residences, buildings, and warehouses located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers in the west-central area of present day West Virginia. Colonel John McCausland's report in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Vol. XIX, Part I, page 1090 - Report #13) describes how he directed the brigade under his command in the attack on Union forces in the town of Charleston. McCausland states that they continued their attack until halted by darkness and that after leaving "strong pickets and support for the (artillery) batteries", "the troops were sent back to the wagons to get rations, &c., and sleep".

Presumably, the wagons were standing by in a reserve area - described in McCausland's report - on the road near the Kanawha river, upstream from the town of Charleston; this is probably the location of the "camp near Charleston" identified by Chaplain Denny in his letter. I'm sure Sampson is buried at or near the location of this camp on the evening of September 13th - where ever that location may be - I just can't pinpoint this site.

Dave Deatherage