William Daniel Schoolfield was born on September 1, 1843 in Bracken County, Kentucky. He enlisted on April 28, 1863. Private Schoolfield served during Brigadier General Morgan’s final Kentucky raid of June, 1864. The Confederate troops marched from Abingdon, Virginia. The march over the Appalachian mountains was notable as many of the Confederates’ uniforms were ragged and boots were worn out. Soldiers were forced to use blankets to cover themselves.  It was estimated that five hundred of the Confederate soldiers on the march were without boots. On June 7, 1864, Brigadier General Morgan wrote that the soldiers’ “feet were nearly worn out, having to wade streams for seven days and climb very precipitous mountains.” Morgan’s troops captured Mount Sterling, Lexington and Cynthiana, Kentucky. Private Schoolfield fought in the Second Battle of Cynthiana, Kentucky on June 11-12, 1864. The 4th Kentucky Cavalry fought Union troops east of Cynthiana. Due to the overwhelming Union forces, Confederate troops were dispersed and forced to retreat. Private Schoolfield was captured by Union forces on July 29, 1864 in Grant County, Kentucky. He was taken to Carrollton, Kentucky. On August 6, 1864 he was transferred to a military prison in Louisville, Kentucky. On August 10, 1864 he was moved to Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. 2,260 Confederate soldiers died of malnutrition, cold and disease and are buried on the grounds of Camp Chase. The Camp Chase cemetery has marked graves which include the names and regiments of the deceased. Multiple solders of the 4th Kentucky Cavalry did not survive incarceration and are buried there. On February 12, 1865 Private Schoolfield was transferred to Point Lookout in St. Mary’s county, Maryland. Despite the freezing winters, Point Lookout provided only tents for the Prisoners of War. It has been estimated that 3,639 Confederates died of malnutrition, cold and disease at Point Lookout and were buried in mass graves. On February 23, 1865, Private Schoolfield was exchanged to Camp Lee in Richmond, Virginia.  In 1873, he moved to Colorado and became the sheriff of Rosita, Colorado. He died on August 13, 1909 and is buried in Rosita, Colorado.

Descendants of the Prisoners of War at Point Lookout have created a memorial on land near the mass graves. They have erected a monument of a barefoot Prisoner of War with a ragged uniform. Family members have inscribed bricks listing the name, rank and regiment of their ancestor and if he died while at Point Lookout or survived.  Of the many bricks at Point Lookout, one brick is dedicated to Private William D. Schoolfield, 4th Kentucky Cavalry.