History of Craven County North Carolina United States of America

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Gabriel James Rains, soldier, was born in Craven county, N.C., in June, 1803; son of Gabriel M. and Hester (Ambrose) Rains. He was a brother of George Washington Rains and of John Rains (1804?1834), who graduated from University of North Carolina, A.B., 1823, A.M., 1826; was a member of the general assembly, and a lawyer in Alabama. Gabriel was graduated at the U.S. military academy, West Point, in 1827; was promoted 2d lieutenant, 7th infantry; served in the West on garrison, commissary, frontier, and recruiting duty, 1827?39; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Jan. 28, 1834, and captain, Dec. 25, 1837, and engaged in the Seminole war, 1839?42, being severely wounded in the skirmish near Fort King, April 28, 1840, and brevetted major for gallantry in that action. He served in garrison in Louisiana and Florida, 1842?45; in the military occupation of Texas, 1845?46, and was engaged in the defense of Fort Brown, May 3?9, 1846, and in the battle of Resaca de la Palma, May 9, 1846. He was engaged in recruiting for General Scott's campaign, 1846?48; served in garrison at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1848 and 1851; in the Seminole war, 1849?50, and in garrison duty, 1850?52. He was promoted major and transferred to the 4th infantry, March 9, 1851; served on frontier duty on the Pacific coast, 1853?60, and took part in the expedition against the Yakama Indians in 1855. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and transferred to the 5th infantry, June 5, 1860; was on a leave of absence, 1860?61, and resigned from the U.S. army, July 31, 1861, and joined the Confederate States army, receiving the commission of brigadier-general, Sept. 23, 1861. He commanded a brigade in D. H. Hill's division at Williamsburg, May 5, 1862, and was severely wounded at the battle of Seven Pines, May 31?June l, 1862, where he received special commendation from his division commander for his rapid and successful flank movement that turned the tide of the battle in favor of the Confederates. He was placed in charge of the bureau of conscription of Richmond, Va., in December, 1862. He invented a peculiar friction primer to explode subterranean shells, which was used effectively in the retreat from Williamsburg; also organized the system of torpedo protection for southern harbors; was made chief of the torpedo service, June 17, 1864, and demonstrated that weak maritime nations could be protected against the most powerful. He was married to Mary Jane, daughter of Maj. William (U.S.A.) and Eliza Conway (Sevier) McClellan, and granddaughter of Governor John and Catherine (Sherrill) Sevier. Their daughter, Mrs. W. W. Smythe, gave data for this sketch in 1903. After the war General Rains resided first in Augusta, Ga., and subsequently in Aiken, S.C., where he died, Aug. 6, 1881, from wounds received in Florida in 1840, and considered fatal at the time.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Washington Rains, soldier, was born in Craven county, N.C., in 1817; son of Gabriel M. and Hester (Ambrose) Rains. His parents removed to Alabama, and he was appointed to the U.S. Military academy from that state in 1838, and in 1842 was graduated third in a class of 56, and promoted 2d lieutenant in the corps of engineers. He served as assistant engineer in the construction of Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, Mass., 1842?43; in garrison at Fort Monroe, Va., 1843?44, and was transferred to the 4th artillery, July 7, 1843. He was assistant professor of chemistry, mineralogy and geology in the U.S. Military academy, 1844?46; had charge of the quartermaster's depot at Point Isabel, Texas, in 1846; was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 3, 1847; took part in the siege of Vera Cruz, the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Moline del Rey, the storming of Chapultepec, and the assault and capture of the City of Mexico. He was brevetted captain, Aug. 20, 1847, for Contreras and Churubusco, and major, Sept. 13, 1847, for Chapultepec. He served as aide-de-camp to General Scott and to Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, 1847?48, and while at West Point where Pillow was being court-martialed, he arranged the model of the Valencia silver mine. He was in garrison in New Orleans and on recruiting service, 1848?49; in the Seminole war, Florida, 1849?50; in garrison at Forts Lafayette and Columbus, N.Y. harbor, Fort Mackinac, Mich., and Fort Independence, Mass., 1850?54, and on recruiting service at Fort Columbus, 1854?56. He was promoted captain, Feb. 14, 1856, resigned from the service, Oct. 31, 1856, and became part owner and president of the Washington iron works and the Highland iron works at Newburg, N.Y. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of artillery in the Confederate army in 1861, and assigned to the equipment of powder mills at Augusta, Ga., and had charge of these works, producing most of the powder used by the Confederate army, until the war ended. He was professor of chemistry and pharmacy in the medical department of the University of Georgia, 1867?84, dean of the faculty, 1884, and professor emeritus, 1884?94, and resumed business in Newburg, N.Y., in 1894. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Georgia in 1880, and that of M.D. elsewhere. He obtained three patents for improvements in portable steam engines, and is the author of: Steam Portable Engines, a treatise (1860); Rudimentary Course of Analytical and Applied Chemistry (1872); Chemical Qualitative Analysis (1879); History of the Confederate Powder Works (1882); and numerous essays. He died at Newburg, N.Y., March 21, 1898.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Craven County North Carolina

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