Josiah Solomon Pender (March 11, 1819 – October 25, 1864) was an American soldier in the Confederate Army. He is best known for leading the capture of Fort Macon in April 1861.

Life

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Pender was born in the Tarboro area of Edgecombe County to Solomon and Mary Batts Pender.[1] Pender followed in his father's footsteps by entering the U.S. Military Academy in 1835, but left the following year due to his unwillingness to adapt to military life.[1] After leaving the academy, he studied painting in Paris and Rome before returning to the United States in 1840.[1]

Pender bought the Atlantic Hotel on the waterfront in Beaufort in 1856.[2]

Pender married twice. He fathered nine children by his first wife, Maria, who died in 1861. He married a second time to a cousin, Laura Pender on September 23, 1862 and had a son by her.[3]

Civil War

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Pender joined the Confederate Army in 1861, forming the Beaufort Harbor Guards with the purpose of taking over Fort Macon before Union troops could seize it.[2]

Battle of Fort Macon

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On April 14, 1861, Pender recaptured Fort Macon from Union soldiers.

Discharge

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When his first wife became ill, Pender requested and was denied a leave of absence to return home to care for her; however, he decided to go home anyway. In November 1861, Pender was convicted of being absent without leave and was discharged from the army.[2]

Aftermath

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After his discharge, Pender became part of a blockade running operation, smuggling goods out of Bermuda to support the Confederates. He also sailed to England to obtain goods, where he caught yellow fever.

Death

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Pender died in Beaufort from yellow fever on October 25, 1864.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: Vol. 5, P-S: P-S, Volume 5 edited by William Stevens Powell
  2. ^ a b c "The Fascinating Story of Beaufort's Atlantic Hotel 1859-1879"
  3. ^ a b ""Josiah and Laura Pender lived adventurous lives"". Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-11.