Updated October 11, 2010.
OSWALD A. and WALTER V. DUDLEY as remembered by Jack Dudley
Back years ago when I was working on my Family Tree I called Oswald A. Dudley just to see how we might be related. In our first conversation he told about family get togethers and he remembered that his grandfather and Great-uncle would be laughing about the time they got up one morning, went to the kitchen to eat breakfast and saw a man sleeping in their mothers bed and asked who the man was? And she told them that he was their father home from the war {Civil War}. So I ask Oswald if he knew who his Great Grandfather fought with, other than the Confederates. He didn`t know. Well a year or so went by and I was at Petersburg, Va. at the site of the Battle Of The Crater. and there I found out that Walter V. Dudley, Oswalds Gr-Grandfather fought there with the 6th Virginia Infantry 2nd Company B. and was wounded and captured on July 30,1864. So when I got home I called Oswald to give him the info I had found out. Then he told me after he retired from Merchant Marines he would go around to different Elem. Schools and tell the kids about the Civil War and some of the battles and often go on fieldtrips with them as guide and one of the places they would go was Petersburg battle field and he would tell them about the Battle Of The Crater not realizing his Great Grandfather was there. Oswald A. Dudley was the son of Linwood Lee Dudley and Ella J. Willis. Also his great uncle Lee Dudley was named after Robert E. Lee. I never met Oswald but I did spend many hours on the phone with him. He was a great guy. Oswald's Brothers were Garland Walter and James Leon.
Comment - Melinda Lukei: I have Walter V. Dudley and Elizabeth "Lizzie" West had 3 children. Leonard Virginius Dudley and Delon Lee Dudley both born 9 Jan 1860 and a sister Amy born 1858 (from census records). I don't have anything else on Amy. Of course Delon was called Lee Dudley. Lee died 21 Sept 1942 and his brother Leonard Virginius died in 17 Sept 1932. Walter and Lizzie are buried on a dirt road before the marsh causeway to Knotts Island. Dudley Cemetery is on Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge. This is the "old" dirt road to the headquarters, the cemetery is on the right side in the field of that road. Walter's tombstone says he was born 9 Jan 1836 and died 19 Aug 1908. and Lizzie West Dudley was born 20 Sept 1838 and died 7 Nov 1902. Oswald A. Dudley is a great grand child and he did have brothers Garland Walter and James Leon. He fought in Petersburg but he didn't die there. (Kenny Harris does have him listed in his book as being wounded on page 115.)