CAPT. Z. A. BLANTON
Was born in Cumberland county, Virginia, on August 1, 1833. He is
the son of Elisha Blanton, who was born in Cumberland county, and
who died in February, 1853, aged fifty-three years. His mother was
Elizabeth A. Sanders, died in 1875, aged seventy-seven years. His wife
is Ida F., daughter of W. T. Rice, of Farmville, who married Mary V.
Williams. Mrs. Blanton was born in Farmville, and they were married
there, on December 9, 1868. Their children are one daughter, Lizzie S.,
and two sons, William B. and Samuel E. In April, 1861, Mr. Blanton
entered the Confederate States Army, sergeant Company F, 18th Virginia
Infantry. He received promotion to first lieutenant, then captain,
and was in command of his company when severely wounded and
captured in the third day's fighting at Gettysburg. He was held a
prisoner at Baltimore one month, then ten months at Johnson's
Island, in Lake Erie. After exchange he was placed on the retired list
and did local duty at Farmville a time, then was appointed clerk in the
Farmer's Bank, at Farmville. In this position he was serving when
the war ended, and at the time of Lee's surrender he took charge of the
bank funds, escaped with them, and kept them safely until he was
enabled, in due time, to restore them to the bank again. While in
active service he took part in battles of: First Manassas, Williamsburg,
Seven Pines, Gaines Mills, Malvern Hill, Frazier's Farm, the seven
days fighting around Richmond, Petersburg, Gettysburg, and others.
Both before and since the war, Mr. Blanton has been extensively
engaged in a tobacco business, in which he still continues. He also
carried on a mercantile business for six years after the war.
