Warwick in Newport News, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lt. Col. Charles D. Dreux
"In the highest glee”
Early in the war, few officers and even fewer soldiers were combat veterans. Massed in large camps, suffering from heat and mosquitoes, the young men grew bored with daily drills and routine. Inspired to prove their manhood and impress young women—and sometimes inspired by liquor—they yearned to fight. In his last letter to his wife, Dreux wrote on June 18, "The boys are delighted with the prospects before them, and we all are in the highest glee."
On July 4, Dreux's men gave him a jug of whiskey at the battalion barbecue, and he gave the men "a most exciting, stirring speech." Dreux learned that Union cavalry patrolled present-day Cedar Lane, and left camp early on July 5 without informing Magruder. In the woods around you, 100 men and a cannon waited here to ambush the Union troopers. As Dreux's men anxiously waited, someone shot a snake, alerting the approaching Union cavalry. Just as Dreux stepped into the road, Union troopers fired, killing him. In the dawn mêlée, the artillery horses bolted, both the Federals and Confederates fled with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
"A gun was fired to our left, on the main road, and was immediately followed by another, and with a short pause, the firing again commenced ... the balls cutting around very near myself and men.”
—Confederate Capt. William Collins
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Mourned throughout the South as a hero, Dreux was given an enormous funeral in New Orleans on July 16 after his body lay in repose in the mayor’s reception room at City Hall. Late in the afternoon, a long column marched through the streets to St. Louis Cemetery. The participants numbered an estimated 8,000-10,000, including 3,000-4,000 Confederate soldiers and sailors. Theodore Schoenheit, a local orchestra leader and composer, wrote the funeral march and sold the sheet music to benefit Dreux’s widow and orphan.
To listen to Dreux's Funeral March navigate to: http://civil war.travel/trails/audio
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Lt. Col. Charles D. Dreux, from The Life and Military Services of Col. Charles D. Dreux (1883)
Title page, Dreux Funeral March
Courtesy Rubenstein Library, Duke University
Erected 2016 by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 5, 1861.
Location. 37° 2.593′ N, 76° 28.433′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in Warwick. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Warwick Boulevard (U.S. 60) and Cedar Lane, on the right when traveling east. Located in the rear parking lot of the TowneBank. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11001 Warwick Blvd, Newport News VA 23601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Hilton Village Trolley Roundabout (approx. half a mile away); Skirmish at Cedar Lane (approx. 0.7 miles away); Morrison (approx. 0.7 miles away); Skirmish at Waters Creek (approx. 0.7 miles away); Capture of the 'Patriot' (approx. 0.8 miles away); Hilton Village (approx. one mile away); Sloop La Nube (approx. 1.1 miles away); Admiralty Pattern Anchor (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.
Also see . . . Dreux, Charles Didier 1832-1861. (Submitted on August 10, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 292 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 10, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.