The American civil war, 1860 to 1865. My great, great, grandfather was in the Union army. The family story is, he had an arm broken by a southern woman that slammed a barn door shut on his arm while he was leading a horse out. He died of typhoid fever, and never returned home. We have a Seith Thomas clock his wife bought with money he sent to her.
Any "Fire" members have ancestors that served on either side?
On my dad's side, his name was John and he served for the Union Army and lived in Bedford County, PA. After the war, he moved to Virginia and bought a farm. I always thought I was southern, but I guess I am the direct descendant of a carpetbagger
My great grandfather Jacob Gregg, and his brother, Capt. William H Gregg my great uncle, served with distinction in CSA guerrilla band of Quantrills Raiders.That group had several men of later notoriety, Jesse and Frank James and the Younger brothers among them. Both survived and prospered after the war becoming Sheriffs of various counties in Mo and Texas.
I have a Confederate forge cap that reportedly belonged to a great uncle on my father's side. Supposedly he came home on leave, and forgot it. What little information I've been able to dig up indicates he was a standard bearer who was killed at the battle of Reseca, GA.
I have a copy of the diary kept by a relative of my Mom's uncle's wife. He was a "joiner, artificer, and Blacksmith" who joined Battery "C" of Busteed's Chicago Light Artillery in September of 1861 and was assigned to Company "G" of the 1st New York Light Artillery in November of that year.
July 2, 1863 " took up the march at 5 AM-halted just south of Getsburg - then we was attached to the 3RD Corps -thare has not been much fighting so far - the Art. is getting into position in the heights - the Battery left a 3 o'clock this afternoon for the front - 5 o'clock the ball has opened prety brisk - all the baggage and battery wagons are moving to the rear - the Battery came out at 7 o'clock - 5 men wounded 3 of them very badly - 7 horses kiled - thare was the whole of the regular Battery K o the 4th. taken whare we was (Peach Orchard) - they releaved our Battery.
July 3: the fight has just comenced - the first gun was fired at 5 minutes of 4 o'clock - the canonading is very hevy -9 o'clock the Battery has gone to the front - the firing on our left-just now 1 o'clock the heaviest cononadering that was every known - Malvern Hill is left fare in the shade - 2 o'clock the canonadoing is not quite so hevy - the fighting is very sevear on our left - the infantry is engaged - tonight our Artilery is coming back after being releaved - most of it is badly used up. "A" of the 4th. is used up - only go B? 8? 13? guns left - Pettists (Pickets) lost all their men."
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
Yep but all my kin fought for the north. Many from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. One of my kin, Matthew Thornton, signed the Declaration of Independence and his signature is the last signature on the document. As I am from Irish (and German) ancestry many of them fought for a measly paycheck and some stale food. The German part of my family also fought for the north and I believe they fought for the same reason that my Irish kin did, to eat. We assign a lot of political ideology to the reason for fighting for the north and south but the reality is that many just needed a job so they could support their families and serving their new home was an honorable and expected show of loyalty to this new nation. The Irish were treated poorly in their new home so going into the military was probably several steps up in treatment than what they were used to.
�Politicians are the lowest form of life on earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.� �General George S. Patton, Jr.
I would imagine that the ones who fought for those reasons, as well as for adventure or just to satisfy their lust to fight, far out-numbered those who fought for some ideal.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
Many “northerners” had no choice....they were “drafted”! At least that is what I understand! memtb
Last edited by memtb; 03/03/18.
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
There are two tombstones in our family cemetery with CSA engraved on them, from the Douglas County Cavalry. Douglas County is a heckuva long ways from Chariton County, where the cemetery is, so I don't have any idea how they buried there. Both of them died in late '65, WAY after the war was over, so I wonder if they were murdered by locals on their way home, or just by the murdering bastards of Macon County, which abuts Chariton, and was of Union bent (Chariton County was predominantly disposed to the South).
Since northern Missouri was so split, there's no telling what happened to them. They might not even be kinfolk, but it's our family's cemetery, with the same surnames, so it's a mystery. Next time I'm out that way, I'll see if I can look into it.
You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.
I found a copy of the discharge papers of my relative on line. I believe he was my great-grandfather's great-uncle. They shared the same name. He served in Co D Woods Reg MO Cav CSA. His discharge papers showed his rank as Pvt but the muster rolls showed his rank as Sgt. He was captured at Mound City Kans. on 10/25/64 and was paroled from Alton Military Prison for exchange on 6/7/65. It is fascinating what you can find on the internet.
Here is my great grandfathers brother second from the left LT Atanacio Vidaurri...on either side are 2 Capts Benavides (brothers) and far right is Capt Leyndecker all from the 33rd Calv Laredo texas my home town.
Lucio
" It's the nut behind the butt that makes the difference"
Here is my great grandfathers brother second from the left LT Atanacio Vidaurri...on either side are 2 Capts Benavides (brothers) and far right is Capt Leyndecker all from the 33rd Calv Laredo texas my home town.
Lucio
Santos Benavides was quite the soldier in south Texas back in those days!!! A great man!
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
i know i have some from the war of northern aggression and some from the revolutionary war. i'm just started digging into all this.
God bless Texas----------------------- Old 300 I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull Its not how you pick the booger.. but where you put it !! Roger V Hunter
My great uncle was in the 1st. Minnesota. He fought at Battles of First Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg. He received a Metal of Honor after Gettysburg . After surviving the Civil War he came home but decided farming wasn't for him so he joined up with the 7th Cavalry as a saddler. He survive the Battle of Little Big Horn and received another Metal of Honor. He died from pneumonia in the Black Hills at age 76.
Music washes away the dust of everyday life Some people wait a lifetime to meet their favorite hunting and shooting buddy. Mine calls me dad
Had many in the CSA, 1st SC regulars, heavy artillery, protecting Charleston, SC Calvary and several in GA calvary on my Mom's side.GA folks were from Social Circle and Covington, GA.
CO School of Trades, Gunsmithing, '76 Clemson University '74 Go Tigers
While all your kin were annihilating each other, my Kraut ancestors were happily making rope back in Marburg. Good old Great Grandpa Georg had a sinecure from the government. He was the appointed church bell pull rope maker for the district. With that sort of stilted societal pigeon-holing, you can see why his youngest son emigrated here.
On Mom's side, there were three civil war veterans. Two were officers that served in Pennsylvania regiments. One was in the cavalry. We're still in the process of tracking them down. The one we know most about is Lewis Davidson Williams. He'd only recently arrived in America from Wales, where he'd been a harness maker. When Elmer Ellsworth was assassinated in May of '61. Lewis left his wife, 8 months pregnant, and enlisted. He probably went in at Camp Dennison, outside Cincinnati. We're still tracking down his story, but it would appear he was an Ohio Artilleryman. If so, he would have arrived by boat at Pittsburg Landing in April of 1862 and been in on Shiloh.
We do know for sure that upon leaving. His wife, Letitia, asked him what to name the child when it was born. He said, "If it's a boy, name him Elmer Ellsworth!" He came home after the end of hosilities in 1865 and met little Elmer for the first time. Elmer was my great grandfather. Ellsworth is my middle name.
We have hit a bit of a snag in getting his whole story. The only Lewis Davidson Williams on any roll died at camp in February 1862. I was beginning to despair, until I found this in Leander Stillwell's memoir.
Quote
There was a battery of light artillery on this line, about a quarter of a mile to our right, on a slight elevation of the ground. It was right flush up with the infantry line of battle, and oh, how those artillery men handled their guns! It seemed to me that there was the roar of a cannon from that battery about every other second. When ramming cartridge, I sometimes glanced in that direction. The men were big fellows, stripped to the waist, their white skins flashing in the sunlight, and they were working like I have seen men doing when fighting a big fire in the woods. I fairly gloated over the fire of that battery. "Give it to them, my sons of thunder!" I would say to myself; "Knock the ever-lastin' stuffin' out of 'em!" And, as I ascertained after the battle, they did do frightful execution.
Stillwell was in an Illinois voluteer infantry unit and had been on the flank of the salient at the Hornets Nest. He had been withdrawn from that position and been moved to a couple other when in the late forenoon, he'd been placed to defend an artillery battery. It drew my attention, because it describes white skins flashing in the sunlight. My mothers father, Ellsworth, was nicknamed "Whitey." Men of his bloodline had nearly translucent white skin and platinum blond hair. When I read judge Stillwell's description, I could not help but think of Lewis Davidson Williams. In April, he would have been as white as a sheet.
My great-great- great grandfather on my Dad’s side fought for the South, was captured at Shiloh, and was released in a prisoner exchange, according to a book about my family. He survived the war and died from a snakebite in 1879, not quite 38 years old.
On my Mom’s side we are related to Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. My grandmother was born in 1896 and told us her Mother knew him. He also fought for the South.
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/ZCL8Ws2r/JohnGult.jpg)
