Today, the amazing story of Aeneas Armstrong of Georgia, brave captain of a Confederate gunboat, who drowned saving the life of one of his crew in the James River, Virginia, in the dead of winter, and whose body washed up hundreds of miles away near the shore of Bermuda! The account is found in a letter in the collection of Armstrong family papers of Mrs. W. D. Stribling in the archives of the state of Georgia. The account is said to have been written by Aeneas' mother, although in the letter she refers to herself in the third person. Aeneas was the son of the respected Gen. James W. Armstrong, head of the mid 1800's Georgia militia and later a prominent state legislator, and his wife Jane Fielder Armstrong. He was a graduate of the Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Navy aboard several ships. When the South seceded, he resigned his commision in the US navy and subsequently served on several Confederate ships before he was placed in command of his own ship. That's where we pick up the story: "A most melancholy collision occurred in the James River, a short distance from Rocketts, between seven and eight o'clock on Thursday night. As the flag of truce steamer "William Allison" was returning to the city, she ran into the "Torpedo" , a one gun boat, engaged in taking torpedoes down the river, sinking her in few minutes.... (Note; information at the Ga. Archives indicate the boat referred to as the "Torpedo" in this account was the steam picket boat "Hornet."-J.A.) As soon as the collision occurred, every effort was made by the those on board the Allison to save the lives of those on the Torpedo. Boats were immediate manned and shoved off in the dark, but not until four of her crew were picked up was anything known of her commander, (Captain Armstrong), when the remark was heard, "For God's sake, captain, let me go, or both of us will be lost", and immediately thereupon, another voice was heard, to the effect that,- "Well if either is to be drowned, let it be me. Save yourself if you can." Proceeding in the direction of the voices, the fifth seaman was found, who had hardly been drawn into the boat before, about twenty steps distant, the voice of Commander Armstrong was again heard, exclaiming "I'm numb for God's sake, be quick." And thereupon he sank again. Before his rescuers could reach him, however, he arose once more, a few yards off, and sank for the last time with the remark on his lips "It is too late, I'm gone." The boat from the Allison rowed about the river for sometime afterwards, in hope of recovering the body of Captain Armstrong, but finding all efforts fruitless, returned to the steamer.....All hope of discovering the body was given up as the river was frozen over that night. ....When the state seceded he gave up his commission and joined the confederacy. He first went to Savannah, on his leaving home he requested that if he should fall in battle he did not wish his remains to be brought home; rather that he should be buried at sea. After his death his body lay beneath the cold waters of the James River. (In the) Spring, his body was recovered (in the ocean) near Bermuda, hundreds of miles away. He was identified by his clothing. Someone wrote to his father, about it he replied immediately, but received no answer. None of his family have visited his final resting place, no marble marks the spot. Whether his grave is adorned with flowers we do not know. But every 26th day of April his mother weaves a wreath of her sweetest and most beautiful flowers to be placed at the family burying ground at Rosehill (Note: Rosehill Cemetery in Bibb County, GA.) as a token of affection and love for her first born. Jeff Armstrong Tallahassee, FL, USA