Catesby ap Roger Jones 1821-1877
Commander of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Naval Iron Works at Selma Alabama
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
site by Com'See
