Starke Hunter Oliver was the youngest of six children born to Samuel White Oliver and Elizabeth C. Hunter. He was born the year his family moved from Conecuh County to Dallas County, and three months before the death of his father. His mother married Alphonso Sprague in Dallas County in 1840, and the family soon moved to Mobile, where Starke and his siblings were raised.
When the Civil War began, Starke enlisted as a private but soon resigned and raised a group of volunteers in Mobile. He married Catherine (Kate) Hopkins in Nov. 1861, just before receiving his commission as a Lt. in the 24th AL Infantry. He was later promoted to Capt., and after various light skirmishes was in the battle at Chickamauga, GA. His regiment was in the left flank of the group that broke through the Northern lines, and as they advanced were harrassed by Northern cavalry with the only repeating rifles used in that war. Starke was noted for bravery during that battle.
Starke continued with the 24th until the battle of Atlanta, where he was wounded in the leg. He returned to Mobile to recuperate, and escaped that city as it was taken by the Northern forces. He returned to his unit in South Carolina, just before the surrender. The AL 24th was combined with two other regiments to present a full regiment at the surrender. Starke, as the 2nd ranking surviving officer, was promoted to Lt. Col. for that occasion. In his book "A Carolinian Goes to War," Gen. Arthur Manigault, on p. 230, stated that Captain Oliver was "a gentleman and a soldier, every inch of him."
Starke and Kate raised six sons and a daughter to adulthood (one son died as a child). He worked as a buyer for a grocery, and was a tax assessor for some time. He tried several business ventures with little success.
When the Civil War began, Starke enlisted as a private but soon resigned and raised a group of volunteers in Mobile. He married Catherine (Kate) Hopkins in Nov. 1861, just before receiving his commission as a Lt. in the 24th AL Infantry. He was later promoted to Capt., and after various light skirmishes was in the battle at Chickamauga, GA. His regiment was in the left flank of the group that broke through the Northern lines, and as they advanced were harrassed by Northern cavalry with the only repeating rifles used in that war. Starke was noted for bravery during that battle.
Starke continued with the 24th until the battle of Atlanta, where he was wounded in the leg. He returned to Mobile to recuperate, and escaped that city as it was taken by the Northern forces. He returned to his unit in South Carolina, just before the surrender. The AL 24th was combined with two other regiments to present a full regiment at the surrender. Starke, as the 2nd ranking surviving officer, was promoted to Lt. Col. for that occasion. In his book "A Carolinian Goes to War," Gen. Arthur Manigault, on p. 230, stated that Captain Oliver was "a gentleman and a soldier, every inch of him."
Starke and Kate raised six sons and a daughter to adulthood (one son died as a child). He worked as a buyer for a grocery, and was a tax assessor for some time. He tried several business ventures with little success.
Starke Hunter Oliver was the youngest of six children born to Samuel White Oliver and Elizabeth C. Hunter. He was born the year his family moved from Conecuh County to Dallas County, and three months before the death of his father. His mother married Alphonso Sprague in Dallas County in 1840, and the family soon moved to Mobile, where Starke and his siblings were raised.
When the Civil War began, Starke enlisted as a private but soon resigned and raised a group of volunteers in Mobile. He married Catherine (Kate) Hopkins in Nov. 1861, just before receiving his commission as a Lt. in the 24th AL Infantry. He was later promoted to Capt., and after various light skirmishes was in the battle at Chickamauga, GA. His regiment was in the left flank of the group that broke through the Northern lines, and as they advanced were harrassed by Northern cavalry with the only repeating rifles used in that war. Starke was noted for bravery during that battle.
Starke continued with the 24th until the battle of Atlanta, where he was wounded in the leg. He returned to Mobile to recuperate, and escaped that city as it was taken by the Northern forces. He returned to his unit in South Carolina, just before the surrender. The AL 24th was combined with two other regiments to present a full regiment at the surrender. Starke, as the 2nd ranking surviving officer, was promoted to Lt. Col. for that occasion. In his book "A Carolinian Goes to War," Gen. Arthur Manigault, on p. 230, stated that Captain Oliver was "a gentleman and a soldier, every inch of him."
Starke and Kate raised six sons and a daughter to adulthood (one son died as a child). He worked as a buyer for a grocery, and was a tax assessor for some time. He tried several business ventures with little success.
When the Civil War began, Starke enlisted as a private but soon resigned and raised a group of volunteers in Mobile. He married Catherine (Kate) Hopkins in Nov. 1861, just before receiving his commission as a Lt. in the 24th AL Infantry. He was later promoted to Capt., and after various light skirmishes was in the battle at Chickamauga, GA. His regiment was in the left flank of the group that broke through the Northern lines, and as they advanced were harrassed by Northern cavalry with the only repeating rifles used in that war. Starke was noted for bravery during that battle.
Starke continued with the 24th until the battle of Atlanta, where he was wounded in the leg. He returned to Mobile to recuperate, and escaped that city as it was taken by the Northern forces. He returned to his unit in South Carolina, just before the surrender. The AL 24th was combined with two other regiments to present a full regiment at the surrender. Starke, as the 2nd ranking surviving officer, was promoted to Lt. Col. for that occasion. In his book "A Carolinian Goes to War," Gen. Arthur Manigault, on p. 230, stated that Captain Oliver was "a gentleman and a soldier, every inch of him."
Starke and Kate raised six sons and a daughter to adulthood (one son died as a child). He worked as a buyer for a grocery, and was a tax assessor for some time. He tried several business ventures with little success.
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