He was named to honor his grandfather, Major Stapleton Crutchfield (1776-1818), also an artillery officer and hero in the War of 1812 for his valiant but unsuccessful defense of Hampton.

[3] On July 7, 1861, Crutchfield accepted an appointment as major in the 9th and began training troops on Craney Island, near his grandfather's heroics, but which proved to be mostly garrisoning artillery batteries protecting the Hampton Roads area.

[4] During the reorganization following the First Battle of Manassas, Crutchfield secured a transfer (with the same rank) for more active campaigning with the 58th Virginia Infantry Regiments, eventually being promoted to lieutenant colonel, but failed to win re-election on May 1, 1862.

[8] He and his assistant, Edward Willis, were briefly captured on June 8, when a Federal raiding party got into the rear of the Confederate position at Port Republic.

Lt. Col. Crutchfield was back on duty the next day at the Battle of Port Republic, directing the guns, having escaped during a melee between his captors and troops from the 37th Virginia Infantry.

He was wounded on May 2, 1863, when he brought up guns to fire on the Union batteries at Hazel Grove, losing a leg as a result.

When the southern army vacated and set fire to the capital city, his gunners became an infantry brigade in the division of Maj. Gen. George Washington Custis Lee.

Crutchfield died at the Battle of Sayler's Creek on April 6, 1865, shot in the head while leading an attack on the Union VI Corps.