Biography of Caleb M. Bouknight

 Caleb Bouknight was not in the Confederate army, so there is no biography in the National Archives for him. Below is my biography. Entries in blue are references and my additions

   Caleb M. Bouknight was born May 16, 1816 in South Carolina and died April 22, 1892. He was married to Julia Ann Rebecca Meetze and they had at least 6 children. The family lived in Columbia, S. C. at the 1860 census, where he is shown to be a Railroad Agent and to have real property of $5,000 and personal property of $6,000. The next lot in the census is the Charlotte & South Carolina RR and within one block of him live 5 more railroad employees. The Charlotte & South Carolina RR and receipts for government payments to the Railroad show him to have been the Treasurer of the Railroad throughout the war -- despite his Government position as Transportation Agent for at least a year.
   Bouknight was appointed Transportation Agent at Columbia, S. C. in December, 1861 by Major Ashe, Chief of Railroad Transportation. At the end of March, 1862, he was paid by the Assistant Quartermaster General, in Richmond, with the notation that he worked under Major Ashe. There is no surviving voucher for his service from March 31 to June 10, at which time he begins to be paid by the senior Quartermaster in Columbia, Major Roland Rhett. The last surviving pay voucher runs through November, 1862. The next known voucher for a Transportation Agent in Columbia is for a different man, starting July 1, 1863.
   Bouknight had been with the Charlotte & South Carolina RR from its inception (about 1850) and remained with it, in various positions, as it changed form several times, until at least 1880. He was Superintendent from 1867 to at least 1869, and when the Richmond & Danville RR bought out the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta RR, in 1878, he became the Secretary of the new road. He was President of the Carolina National Bank in the 1870's and 1880's.
August 15, 1861 Asked QM General how to get paid for passengers without proper orders
NA, QMR 8-15-61
NA, QM 8-18A-61
December 16, 1861 Appointed Transportation Agent at Columbia, S. C.
January 17, 1862 Wrote QM General for instructions regarding transportation for troops and supplies
NA, QMR 1-17-62
March 31, 1862 Paid, in Richmond, for services to date
June 27, 1862 With Major Ashe's resignation, was ordered to report to the QM General
NA, QMR 6-27-62
June 30, 1862 Instructed to store clothing at Augusta until a regiment has been located
NA, QM 6-30A-62
July 31, 1862 Paid in Columbia for service from June 10 through July 31, 1862
August 31, 1862 Paid for August
October 14, 1862 Noted as Treasurer of the Charlotte & South Carolina RR. There are numerous newspaper advertisements and articles that indicate he held this position through 1862 - 1865.
November 11, 1862 Quartermaster General ordered Major Rhett, in Columbia, to pay a claim for reimbursement submitted by Bouknight
November 30, 1862 Paid for September through November, 1862
December 5, 1862 Repaired barrels
NA, RRB 12-5-62
January 21, 1863 Reported on traffic backup in Columbia
NA, QMR 1-21-63
January 27, 1863 Reported receiving letter dispensing with his services as Transportation Agent
NA, QMR 1-27A-63
February 13, 1863 Expenses paid
NA, RRB 2-13-63
November 5, 1863 Received payment in Charlotte on Charlotte & South Carolina RR bills, as Treasurer of the RR, from Maj. R. D. Echols QM (about 10 months of bills)
May 26, 1864 Certified December, 1862 bill
NA, RRB 12-5-62
February 22, 1865 Was working for the Charlotte & South Carolina RR in Charlotte to prepare for the refugees from Columbia, S. C.
March 13, 1867 Promoted to Superintendent of Charlotte & South Carolina RR
April 18, 1869 Was mentioned in a story in the Fairfield Herald, Winnsboro, SC as the Superintendent of the Columbia & Augusta RR. Described as "genial and energetic," "urbane to the last degree," "a thorough business man."
March, 1871 Had his buggy, livestock and household furniture sold at Sherriff's Auction to pay the three winners in a lawsuit against him.
April 7, 1875 With 4 other Columbia, S. C. citizens formed a partnership (Jones, Davis & Bouknight) to sell retail gods. Contributed $2,000 cash to the partnership.
August 19, 1880 Contracted to get the US military to return the South Carolina Military Academy to the State.
November 12, 1881 Transferred his contract to recover the SC Military Academy to another party

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