Leroy Augustus Stafford

Biography

Leroy Augustus Stafford was born in 1822 in Amite County, Mississippi, and raised in Louisiana, where he studied law before turning to military service. When war came, he became a respected leader of the 9th Louisiana Infantry, earning admiration for steady command and the loyalty of the men who served under him.

Stafford was mortally wounded on May 1, 1864, during the Wilderness Campaign. His body was returned to Richmond, and he was laid to rest in Hollywood Cemetery, where a large marble tomb honors the officer whose courage was celebrated by both comrades and adversaries.