Rufus Pierce Kelly started out as a Private in the Civil War on the Confederate side. He first joined the 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry as a Private in about 1861. He then resigned in early 1862. He rejoined in 12 July 1862 as a 1st Sergeant in the 62nd Regiment, North Carolina infantry. He died in the Cumberland Gap August 18th 1863. The Confederacy had held the Cumberland Gap for one year up to September 9th, 1863 when the Battle of the Cumberland Gap was won by the Union army. Since Rufus Pierce Kelly died before the Battle, it is assumed that he died from an accident or disease. There was some evidence of Tyfoid Fever in the camp and at the time, this disease was quite fatal. The end of the battle came when Brigadier General John W. Frazer surrendered to Major General Ambrose Burnside of the Union army. The surrender came with no loss of life on either side. The reason for the surrender by General Frazer was that their supplies and water access had been captured by the Union Army and also the reported number of Union Soldiers was exaggerated by General Burnside. Twenty three hundred Confederate soldiers were captured, including four hundred and forty two members of the 62nd Regiment, and then incarcerated in Union prisons. There is no record of burial of Rufus Pierce Kelly and no record of any transport of the body away from the battlefield so I am assuming that he was buried there in the camp at the Cumberland Gap.
Before he entered the military, he married Dorothy (Dollie) Independence Edmonston on October 11th 1855. They had 4 children, James Pinkney Kelly, born 1857; Mary Ann Kelly, born 1859; Samuel Tresillian Kelly, born 1860; and Rufus Alice Florence Kelly, born April 23rd 1863.
Rufus Kelly had 8 siblings. Adaline Amanda Kelly Addington, Elizabeth Siler Kelly, Adoniram Judson, Sarah Leonorah Kelly, Marcus Lafayette Kelly, Mary Rozetta Kelly, Nimrod Jackson Kelly, and Manuel Ransom Kelly.
His parents were Samuel Kelly 1799 - 1851 and Mary Harry Kelly 1802 - 1886.
Recently i found several letters from Rufus to his wife Dorothy, and also, sadly, a report of his death that was sent to a Reverend, presumably for him to notify the family. I found a hand drawn map of the camp at Cumberland Gap, i assume that this map was of the Confederate Army encampment. It shows that there are various buildings and also a graveyard. I am assuming that rufus was buried there in the Cumberland Gap because they were within 3 weeks of the Union Army showing up. Sadly, he wrote a letter to his wife, Dorothy on July 21st, about 3 weeks before he died. He finished the newsy letter with ....I remain yourse till Death. R.P. Kelly.
The letter to Rev. Mr. Atkins was written by B.G. Mc Dowell, Maj. 62nd N. C. Regiment, relating that he died of a sickness, and never complained. His letters always remarked on how much he loved his wife and their children.