▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy , ▁gradu ating ▁ 3 1 st ▁of ▁ 5 2 ▁in ▁the ▁Class ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁distinguished ▁by ▁having ▁ 1 5 ▁future ▁Civil ▁War ▁gener als ▁in ▁it , ▁including ▁fellow ▁Confeder ates ▁John ▁S . ▁Bow en , ▁John ▁Bell ▁H ood , ▁and ▁Henry ▁B . ▁David son . ▁ ▁An te bell um ▁military ▁career ▁Ch amb l iss ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁bre vet ▁second ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁mounted ▁inf antry , ▁and ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁caval ry ▁school ▁at ▁Carl is le , ▁Pennsylvania ▁until ▁the ▁following ▁spring , ▁when ▁he ▁res igned . ▁He ▁then ▁returned ▁home ▁to ▁H icks ford , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁wealth y ▁plan ter , ▁and ▁was ▁engaged ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁until ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁T aking ▁advantage ▁of ▁his ▁military ▁education , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ide - de - camp ▁to ▁Governor ▁Henry ▁A . ▁W ise , ▁with ▁the ▁initial ▁rank ▁of ▁major , ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 6 – 6 1 . ▁Ch amb l iss ▁was ▁colon el ▁of ▁a ▁regiment ▁of ▁Virginia ▁milit ia ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 8 – 6 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁brig ade ▁inspect or ▁general ▁for ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁se cess ion ▁convention ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁younger ▁Ch amb l iss