04/01/1840 - Born, "Beaver Dam", Hanover Co., VA [Father: Col. Edmund Fontaine (1801-1869); Mother: Maria Louisa Shackleford (1807-1876)
12/16/1850 - Lived with parents and sibs, West District, Hanover Co., VA (indexed in the 1850 U. S. Census as Jno. B. Fontaine)
- Attended Hanover Academy, north of Ashland, VA, for three years
1860 - M.D. degree, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA (from: VA) [Note: He may have attended The University of the City of New York, Medical Department first, but he did not receive a degree from this school.]
07/04/1860 - Practiced medicine, Upper Revenue District, Hanover Co., VA (lived with parents and sibs (indexed in the 1860 U. S. Census as "John V. Fontaine")
05/09/1861 - Enlisted as a Pvt., Capt. William C. Wickham's Co., (Hanover Dragoons),
Virginia Volunteers [Note: This company subsequently became Co. G, 4th VA Cavalry.]
05/16/1861 - Served as Asst. Surgeon, Col. Harrison's Cavalry, Volunteer Forces of Virginia, Manassas, VA
05/21/1861 - Appointed, Asst Surgeon, Volunteer Forces of Virginia
06/30/1861 - Asst. Surgeon, Lt. Col. W. H. Jenifer's Detachment of Cavalry, Sangster's Cross Roads, VA
07/01/1861 - Appointed Asst. Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States
07/01/1861 - Ordered to report to Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard
10/20/1861 - Asst. Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, Leesburg, VA
10/31/1861 - Asst. Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, near Sangster's Station, VA
11/04/1861 - "I CERTIFY, that I have carefully examined the said Milton Lynn of Captain Thornton's 'A' Company [4th VA Infantry], and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of extensive tubercular disease of the upper portion of the right lung. John B. Fontaine, Asst. Surgeon, 4th Va Regt. Cavalry"
11/30/1861 - Asst. Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, Army of the Potomac, Fairfax Co., VA
12/31/1861 - Asst. Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, Camp Frontier, VA
01/31/1862 - Asst. Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, near Centreville, VA
02/07/1862 - In a letter written from Camp "Ewell" to Medical Director T. H. Williams, "Sir, Please find enclosed the Monthly Report of Sick in the Fourth Regiment of Virginia Cavalry for the month of January with corrections made according to our directive. Very Respectfully, your obt. Servt. J .B. Fontaine, Asst. Surg, Act: Surg:, 4th Regt Va Cavalry"
08/15/1862 - "Surgeon J. B. Fontain [sic] will report to Major Genl. T. J. Jackson, Commanding Valley District, for duty with the 4th Regiment Virginia Cavalry" [S. O. 190/19]
09/26/1862 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from 02/24/1862
10/07/1862 - Confirmed as Surgeon from VA by the Confederate States Senate
10/24/1862 - "Special Orders No. 190 Current Series, Assigning Surgeon J. B. Fontaine to duty with the 4th Regt Virginia Cavalry will take effect from February 14th, 1862." [S. O. 249/30]
12/31/1862 - Absent on detached service as Acting Brigade Surgeon
01/20/1863 - Married, Elizabeth Winston "Lizzie" Price (1843-1919), Hanover Co., VA
02/00/1863 - Assigned to duty at Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
03/17/1863 - Physician on the staff of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee
03/27/1863 - In an order by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, "Headquarters, Lee's Cav Brigade, Surgeon J. B. Fontaine, Senior Surgeon, Lee's Cavalry Brigade, will proceed immediately to Head quarters Cavalry Division with Requisition for ambulances for the Brigade, thence to Hd. Qtrs A. N. V. and will take such steps as will enable him to procure the requisite number of ambulances so greatly needed in this Brigade. Fitz Lee, Comdg."
04/18/1863 - In a certification of the death of his horse., "Headquarters, Lee's Cavalry Brigade, I certify that my horse appraised at $175 in April 1862 was so wounded and disabled in the fight near Kelly's Ford on the 17th March, 1863, by shot from the enemy that he had to be abandoned and killed immediately to relieve suffering - his left fore leg being broken just below the shoulder joint - so that he could not get up after being shot down. J. B. Fontaine, Senr. Surg, Lee's Cav Brigade"
04/18/1863 - As Senior Surgeon, Lee's Cavalry Brigade, Sperryville, VA, signs a receipt for $175 for a horse that was killed on March 17, 1863
07/17/1863 - Brigade Surgeon, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry Brigade
10/09/1863 - Medical Director, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia under Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart according to Gen. Stuart
10/24/1863 - "An incident that I must not fail to chronicle took place on the arrival of our cavalry at Hazel River. This stream was very much swollen by heavy rains; several ambulances containing the wounded broke down in the river, andthe drivers found it impossible to get them out without aid. Dr. J. B. Fontaine observing, the dilemma of the wounded dismounted and plunged into the stream up to his neck; he was soon followed by Gen. Stuart and others, and with great exertions they succeeded in getting all the wounded across safe. Gen. Stuart was in the river for an hour or more, and did not hesitate to put his shoulder to the wheel in ambulances and artillery across the Hazel - signed DYKE." (Richmond Daily Dispatch, Richmond,
A Oct. 27, 1863)
12/17/1863 - In a letter written from Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General, Confederate States, "General, I have the honor to request that Surgeon J. B. Fontaine, 4th Va Cav., be assigned to duty at these Headquarters, as Medical Director of the Cavalry Corps. Although not the Senior Surgeon of the Corps, he was senior in Gen. Fitz. Lee's Brigade - afterwards, Chief Surgeon of his Division, and has now been for nearly three months acting as Chief Surgeon of the Cav. Corps. I can recommend him as an officer of high character and attainments, and bear my testimony to the fact that his official duties in this laborious and responsible position, have been discharged with zeal, intelligence and efficiency. His appointment would I am sure prove an excellent one, and highly beneficial to the service. I am, General, Most Respy Your Ob Servt., J. E. B. Stuart, Maj. Genl."
12/31/1863 - Brigade Surgeon and Surgeon, 4th VA Cavalry, Caroline Co., VA
01/08/1864 - "Surgeon J. B. Fontaine, P. A. C. S., is assigned to duty as Medical Director of the Cavalry Corps Army of Northern Virginia and will report accordingly." [S. O. 6/15]
04/27/1864 - Birth of daughter, Ellen Stuart Fontaine (1864-1934)
05/11/1864 - Attended the mortally wounded Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart at Yellow Tavern on the outskirts of Richmond, VA [Note: Maj. Gen. Stuart was taken by ambulance to the home of his brother-in-law, Dr. Charles Brewer, where he died on May 12, 1864.]
08/11/1864 - Ordered to report to Gen. Wade Hampton, Commanding Cavalry, Army of Northern Virginia, as Medical Director [S. O. 189 Headquarters, A.N.V.]
09/14/1864 - Medical Director, Gen. Wade Hampton's Cavalry Corps
10/01/1864 - Mortally wounded by a shell fragment in his neck while ministering to the mortally wounded General John Dunovant, Battle of Peebles' Farm (a.k.a. Battle of Poplar Springs), Dinwiddie Co., VA (buried: Beaverdam Cemetery, Hanover, Hanover Co., VA; FindAGrave #31270335)
06/26/1869 - Father, Edmund, died in Hanover Co., VA (buried: Beaverdam Cemetery, Hanover, Hanover Co., VA; FindAGrave #31270627)
1874 - Widow, Elizabeth, married George Pitman Haw
05/30/1876 - Mother, Maria Louisa, died in Hanover Co., VA (buried: Beaverdam Cemetery, Hanover, Hanover Co., VA; FindAGrave #31270307)
05/09/1919 - Widow, Elizabeth Winston "Lizzie" Price Fontaine Haw, died (buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA; FindAGrave #6632648)
Sandy Satterwhite, Brian Nilsson, and Bob Krick provided input to this biography. Thanks.

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F. T. & Koste, J. L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
10/15/2022. Unpublished database.