Hill, Ambrose Powell

Strongly attached to his native state and convinced that civil war was inevitable, Hill resigned from the army on 1 March 1861 to await Virginia's call. It soon came with the colonelcy of the Thirteenth Virginia Infantry Regiment. From the moment he entered Confederate service, "Little Powell" was a familiar figure. He stood five feet, nine inches tall but weighed only 145 pounds. His chestnut hair was wavy and worn long. Catching immediate attention were his hazel eyes, which stared intently and assumed a steely glint in anger or in battle. Hill disdained uniforms and ornaments. He customarily wore calico shirts made by his wife; one, bright red in color, was his favorite battle attire. Trousers stuffed into boots, a shapeless, black hat, sword, revolver, and field glasses completed his dress. Hill regularly smoked a pipe.