Catesby ap Roger Jones

Catesby ap Roger Jones was born in Fredrick County Virginia (Now Clarke Co). His father, Roger Jones was the Adjutant General of the United States from 1824 until his death in 1852. His uncle, Thomas ap Catesby Jones was an influential USN Commodore. His maternal uncle, Richard Page was a Captain in the USN and then General in the CSA. Catesby's mother was a first cousin to Robert E. Lee. Gatsby's family can be traced through several knights to Sir William Catesby who served in the court of King Henry VI of England. Gatsby's Naval career started early when he was a midshipman aboard the Macedonian by age 15. He had a promising career in the U.S. Navy before the beginning of the civil War and had attained the rank of commissioned lieutenant. As a US Navy Officer, he sailed around the world several times and served on several ships including the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). While assigned to the Navy Yard at Washington, D.C. As ordinance officer he worked with John Dahlgren to introduce the Dahlgren gun. The Dehlgren was a heavily reinforced smooth bore cannon capable of firing a 170-pound solid shot. It proved to be effective against the new ironclad ships of the Civil War. Catesby resigned his commission from the U.S. Navy April 17, 1861. He was appointed Captain of the Virginia Navy the following day. On June 11, 1861 he transferred with the Virginia Navy to the Confederate States Navy. Catesby was in commanded the CSS Virginia (a rebuilt USS Merrimack) in the famous battle of the first Ironclads against the USS Monitor on March 9, 1862 at Hampton Roads. He also served on the CSS Chattahoochee and at the Naval Works at Charlotte South Carolina. On April 9, 1863 Catesby was appointed to command the Naval Foundry and Ordnance Works at Selma Alabama. In March of 1865 he disassembled the machinery of the foundry and took it away just days before Selma was captured. Along with his wife of less than one month he left Selma aboard the Black Diamond. At the end of the war he surrendered and was paroled on May 9. Catesby settled in Selma with his wife Gertrude Thomas Tartt who he married on March 23, 1865. Catesby ap Roger Jones was shot down on the streets of Selma, Alabama, June 29th, 1877, as a result of a feud among his and other children. Note: "ap" is a Welsh indication for "son of". Catesby ap Rogers Jones is Catesby, son of Roger Jones. bibliography: Mabry Tyson's Genealogy Collection http://cssvirginia.org/tyson/jones/carjcar.htm Selma times Journal Sons of the Confederate Veterans