Edward Sims Ready is the son of Aaron Ready of Tennessee. Aaron Ready came to Autauga County sometime before 1850 and established a mercantile business in the city of Wetumpka. Aaron Ready died sometime around 1852, and Edward took over the family business. Several of Edward's siblings are living with him and his family in 1860.

Members of the Wetumpka Light Guard mustered on January 9, 1861, under Captain John Q. Loomis of Coosa County. After serving at Pensacola, Florida, they reenlisted in state service on February 21, 1861, and enrolling in Confederate service at Wetumpka, Alabama, April 27, 1861 with Edward Sims Ready as Captain.

The following plaque honoring the Wetumpka Light Guard is set within a large stone of granite on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church, AL State Hwy 14 near Bibb Graves Bridge which spans the Coosa River at Wetumpka. It was from this area that the Wetumpka Light Guard departed home & families for War.

Wetumpka Light Guard Monument

First Presbyterian Church

Captain Loomis was assigned command of Company E, 1st Alabama Artillery Regiment, and later promoted to Lt. Colonel of the Regiment which was subsequently combined with McClellan's 6th Infantry Battalion to form the 25th Alabama Infantry Regiment in December of 1861.

Captain Ready was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines, VA. He was severely wounded a second time and captured at Boonsboro, MD. Ready was cited in Brigadier General Rodes' report for South Montain (Boonsboro) as deserving special notice for his gallantry. He was appointed Major on May 30, 1863. Upon his appointment to Major, 1st Lt. Lewis H. Hill became Captain of the Wetumpka Light Guard.

Major Ready was assigned to command Camp Watts near Notasulga, AL. Camp Watts was primarily a training camp for conscripts. There was also a hospital located at the camp. Ready included both junior and senior reserves in his command. Called Ready’s Battalion, aka Battalion of Conscripts and Reserves, it was only Battalion size in April 1864 with at least 3 companies.

The primary objective of Rousseau's Union Raid through Alabama was the destruction of the West Point & Montgomery Railroad. As part of a force of only 500 Confederates including eight companies of H.C. Lockhart's Battalion, a small detachment from Roddey's 4th Alabama Cavalry, and 54 University of Alabama Cadets, Major Ready's Battalion, about 100 strong, met two thirds of Rousseau's 2500 seasoned veterans, the 5th Iowa, the 8th Indiana, and the 4th Tennessee Union Cavalry. The battle took place at Chehaw Station in Macon County, AL on July 18, 1864. Losses were reported from Ready's Battalion.

General Rousseau with a mounted force numbering 2,500 men, and two pieces of artillery, gives the result of his expedition as follows:

"The whole length of railroad destroyed was over thirty miles, including a number of trestle bridges, a water-tank at Notasulga, the station buildings, & ect., at Opelika, Auburn, Loachapoka, Notasulga, and considerable supplies and materials at each of those points.
The enemy, under General Clanton, was met at Ten Island Ford, on the Coosa River, where he endeavored to dispute the passage of the expedition, but after a spirited skirmish was driven off with some loss. Again, near Chehaw Station, the enemy made an effort to prevent the disablement of the railroad, but after a stubborn resistance was obliged to retire, leaving in our hands about 40 of his dead and a large number of wounded."

Survivors of Ready's Battalion surrendered at Montgomery during May of 1865. Ready was paroled at Montgomery, May 18, 1865.

Major Ready remained in Wetumpka after the war. He died on June 30, 1875 and is buried at the Wetumpka City Cemetery.

Wetumpka City Cemetery, Wetumpka, AL