Samuel Zenas Ammen

Samuel Zenas Ammen was born on October 23, 1843 in Fincastle, Virginia.[1][2] His father was Benjamin Ammen and his mother, Naomi (Cross) Ammen.[1][2]

During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, Ammen served in the Confederate States Army.[3] He enlisted in Company D ("Finchester Rifles") of the 11th Virginia Infantry on August 31, 1861 for 1 year of service and was discharged May 15, 1863 or May 18, 1862.[4] He then served with Captain William Andrew McCue's Fincastle Cavalry Company, Burks' Regiment Virginia Local Defense to do cavalry service with the Confederate Home Guard in Botetourt County.[5]

Following the war, Ammen attended Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee was President.[6] While there, he founded the Kappa Alpha Order.[2][6] He designed its ritual, accolade and prayer.[2] He served as its second Knight Commander after John Francis Rogers for six terms.[1] During his tenure, he helped establish twenty-two active chapters and four alumni chapters.[1]

Ammen became the literary editor of The Baltimore Sun from 1881 to 1911.[1][2][3] He was also the author of three books.[1]

Ammen died on January 5, 1929 in Daytona Beach, Florida.[1] He was buried at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia.[1]

• Ammen, Samuel Zenas (1876). A Latin grammar for beginners combining the analytic and synthetic methods, containing the inflections, the more important principles of syntax, ... parsing and analysis, and vocabulary. New York: Lange, Little & Co.[1]
• Ammen, Samuel Zenas (1886). The caverns of Luray : an illustrated guide-book to the caverns, explaining the manner of their formation, their peculiar growths, their geology, chemistry, etc. Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott's Printing House.[1]
• History of Maryland Commands in the Confederate Service.[1]

• Doty, William Kavanaugh (1922). Samuel Zenas Ammen and the Kappa Alpha Order. Charlottesville, Virginia: Surber-Arundale Co.[7]