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Colonel Stephen Stanley Crittenden, of
Greenville, a prominent Confederate veteran who has held the rank of brigadier-general and of major-general commanding the
South Carolina division, U. C. V., was born at
Greenville, February 22, 1829, the son of
Dr. John Crittenden, a native of
Connecticut, and his wife,
Sarah Stanley, a descendant of a prominent
North Carolina family.
He was educated at
Greenville and at
Elizabeth City, N. J., and then engaged in agriculture.
In 1854 he was captain of the
Greenville Riflemen, and later was lieutenant-colonel of the Third South Carolina regiment of militia.
Upon the secession of the
State he was elected first lieutenant of Company G, Fourth South Carolina volunteers, and as soon as
Fort Sumter fell they went into camp at
Columbia two months. Then being ordered to
Virginia they took a conspicuous part in the great victory at
First Manassas.
On the day following
Lieutenant Crittenden was appointed adjutant of the regiment, to succeed
Samuel Wilkes, killed in battle.
In this capacity he participated in the battles of
Williamsburg and
Seven Pines, and in the latter battle received a wound which disabled him for some time.
Two months later, when returning from furlough, he was commissioned by
Governor Pickens lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth regiment, State troops, for coast defense.
After three months of this service he joined
General Gary's independent command and served with him twelve months as a staff officer.
The end of the war found him still with
Gary's command, at
Greensboro.
Since the war
Colonel Crittenden has served ten years in the legislature, and five years as postmaster at
Greenville.
He has four children living by his first marriage, in 1855, to
Eliza J. Lynch, of
Virginia descent To his present wife,
Sarah Bedell, he was married in 1871.
Colonel Edward Croft, the eldest son of
Dr. Theodore G. Croft, was born at
Greenville, S. C., January 4, 1835.
His mother was Eliza W., eldest daughter of
Col. Charles W. D'Oyley, of
Charleston, S. C. Colonel Croft received his early education in the local schools at
Greenville, and at seventeen years of age he entered the
South Carolina military academy at
Charleston, S. C., from which institute he was graduated with honor in the class of 1856.
Colonel Croft then engaged in planting in that part of
