Who Was Sarah "Sally" McCage's Father?

Sarah E. McCage (~1812-1860), who married William Kennedy Dickson (1811-probably 1860's), was born in Tennessee and lived in Perry County, Tennessee by 1840 (if not before). I'd seen her maiden name, McCage, on other researcher's trees, but last year is the first time I found it on a document. One of her children, Jacob Tipton Dickson, had written his mother's name as Sarah McCage on a Civil War Questionnaire in 1920.

Jacob Tipton's Civil War Questionnaire (Question #8 lists "Maiden name in full of your mother: Salley McCage.
She was the daughter of "dont know" and his wife "dont know."

I've been looking through Fold3.com's War of 1812 Pension Files lately. (The are currently posted through the letter M, and I'm "patiently" waiting for the W's for Whitwell.) Today, I came across a Samuel McCage from Tennessee who looked like a possible father or uncle for Sarah. Samuel was from Humphreys County, Tennessee which is adjacent to Perry County, Tennessee.

I found Samuel's Find-A-Grave memorial and a researcher lists Samuel's children, which did not include my Samuel. It did, however, say that Samuel McCage lived in Perry County, Tennessee until the late 1840's! But, her birth of May 1811 to April 1812 does not fit nicely with Samuel's marriage date of March 29th, 1812.

Could Samuel McCage possibly be Sarah's uncle? And, there's still a chance Samuel is her father.

I had never found Sarah and her husband, William Kennedy Dickson, on the 1840 census... until recently. I looked for Samuel McCage in the 1840 census in Perry County, Tennessee. I found him, and just 3 names down was Kennedy Dickson with his wife and three young children.

Since Sarah was born in 1811 or 1812, we are looking for a possible father who was born between 1780 to 1790. Perry County is a burned county, so I'm still looking for Sarah's elusive parents. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment with a way to contact you or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net.

George C Watson: Suffered & Died Far From Home (#15 of 52 Ancestors)

Yellow fever did not recur; one either died or survived. It came in mysterious, vicious waves, killing anywhere from 12 to 70 percent of its victims. It started with shivering, high fever, insatiable thirst, savage headaches, and severe back and leg pains. In a day or so, the restless patient would become jaundiced and turn yellow. In the terminal stages, the patient would spit up mouthfuls of dark blood, the terrifying "black vomit" (vomito negro), the body temperature would drop, the pulse fade, and the comatose patient, cold to the touch, would die in about 8 to 10 hours. So great was the terror, that the victims would be buried as quickly as possible. 

[George L Chapel in "Gorrie's Fridge", http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~ihas/gorrie/fridge.htm]

George C Watson's remains were moved to Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida
Find A Grave Memorial - photo by Chuck Cummins, 2013

George Correy Watson was about 39 years old when he enlisted in as a private in the Pennsylvania 47th Infantry Regiment on September 2nd, 1861, less than 5 months after the firing on Fort Sumter. Both of his parents, my 4th great grandparents, were deceased and he had most likely never married or had children. The year before, in 1860, he was living with one of his unmarried sisters, Nancy, and a married sister, Phebe (Watson) Vincent and her family.

By the end of September, the 47th was in Washington, D. C. to assist in defending the capital. By late January or February of 1862, they were stationed at Fort Taylor in Key West, Florida.

[Information from "Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War http://www. pacivilwar.com/regiment/47th.html]

Memorial to Company C, 47th PA Veteran Volunteers plaque erected 2004
Sunbury Cemetery, Sunbury, Northumberland Co, PA
Photo by Tiffany Stuck posted at Find A Grave 2012

At the start of the Civil War, Fort Taylor had been seized by Union soldiers and remained in their possession throughout the war. The primary purpose of this island fort was to prevent Confederate supply ships from getting to ports in the Gulf of Mexico.

From the time construction began on the fort in 1845, the men had been plagued with yellow fever. Sadly, George C Watson was another victim of "yellow jack" who suffered without his mom, a wife, or even a sister to care for him.

Memorial to Company C, 47th PA Veteran Volunteers erected in 1866
Sunbury Cemetery, Sunbury, Northumberland Co, PA
Photo by Tiffany Stuck posted at Find A Grave in 2012

A local newspaper posted letters from a member of the 47th. In a letter dated May 3, 1863, the author, H. D. W., addresses George's burial:

To rear a slab of marble in respect to the memory of a departed friend is always the first care at home - so with Capt. Gobin in the case of one of our comrades who died here last summer of yellow fever. It is gratifying to the friends to know that the last resting place of a brother or relative is marked; - so I will give it to you the fact of a monument being erected over the grave of George C. Watson, of Watsontown, Pa, that his friends may know it. The monument is of Italian marble, set in a Granite base, and bears the inscription - 

"In memory of

GEO. C. WATSON

Co. C., 47th Reg't., Pa. Vols.

& resident of North'd County, Pa.

Died, Aug. 26, 1862.

My Line of Descent

• George Watson (1783-1856) m Elizabeth "Betsy" Vincent (1789-1846) 
• George C Watson (1822-1862) is a brother of Sarah Jane Watson (1826-1853) m John Quiggle Stewart (1825-1922) 
• Alexander Stewart (1852-1922) m Catharine Jane McClintock (1852-1929) 
• Andrew "Andy" McClinock Stewart (1882-1954) m. Bessie Waldron Merrill (1879-1959) 
• James Edward Stewart (1910-1972) m. Hazel Lucille Peters (1910-1975) (my paternal grandparents) 

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Adam Close: Dependent on Only Son (#8 of 52 Ancestors)

My 4th great grandfather, Adam Close, wrote his will on February 1st, 1865. He stated he wanted his debts and "funded expenses" to be taken care of, and then he proceeded to give money to his heirs. He bequeathed five dollars to each of his daughters: Catharine intermarried with M P Crosthwaite, Julia Ann intermarried with John W. McClintock, Jane relict of David W. McKay, and Harriet intermarried with Doctor John W. Riddle. And then he gives five dollars to his "son, James M Close (if living)."

From Adam Close's Will in Mercer County, Pennsylvania 1865

When I first came across this will, I was saddened to think that Adam didn't even know if his son was still alive. Was James off fighting in the Civil War? And, did he survive?

When I found James' death date, I became confused. James did fight in the Civil War and was killed on May 8th, 1864, about 9 months before Adam wrote his will. Why didn't Adam know his son had been killed? And did Adam learn of his son's death before he died nine months after writing his will?

Just a few days ago, I got more insight into this family. I was surprised to find that Adam's widow, Catharine, had applied for a pension for her son's service. But, after reading through forty-four pages, I understood why. I guess it was somewhat unusual, but a dependent father or mother could also apply for a pension. And, from this file, it appears that James' parents had been dependent on him.

Adam Close suffered from Phthesis Pulmonalis, also known as consumption, for at least five years and possibly for fifteen or more years. Now known as tuberculosis (TB), this bacterial infection can attack any organ in the body though it most commonly is found in the lungs. It was also called "consumption" because it basically consumed a body causing a severe weight loss. Besides weight loss, patients often suffered from weakness, fever, and night sweats. When TB attacked lungs, patients would suffer from coughing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. [From CDC site.]

Although this disease was contagious, at this time people thought it was hereditary. Many people with a TB infection don't suffer from the affects of it but can still spread the disease.

For the last three years of his life, Adam was confined to his "room and bed." One affidavit states that Adam "was so reduced by the disease that he was a charge and care to his wife and family instead of a support for them..."  It goes on to say that Adam refused prescriptions that an elderly doctor gave him which left James "soley and entirely" in support of his family... by his labor with all the necessaries of life for a period of five years previous to [James'] death. 

James took on the responsibility of caring for his parents. By the age of 16, he worked as a farmer and gave his parents all of his money "except so much as was necessary for his own clothing." While in the army, he sent money home in his letters.James registered for the draft in 1863 at the age of 21, but he actually joined Company H of the 150th Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers on February 13th, 1864. Less than 3 months later, he took place in what I believe was his first battle, the battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. At the age of 23, James was shot "by a ball passing through from the back and coming out at the breast." [Widow's Pension Application]

Although James died less than three months after leaving to join the fighting, his parents evidently didn't know of his death for presumably many months. Some friends said that Adam and Catharine "could not maintain themselves but it became necessary for the neighbors to assist them in order to keep them from suffering." Catharine, who was only 62, was described as "old and feeble." "She has no means else of support and cannot possibly live without aid from some source having lost her husband and given her only son and support to her country."

So, Adam Close lived dependent on his only son for the last three to five years of his life. He suffered from a dreadful disease and had to watch his "feeble" wife depend on their son, and later their neighbors, too. As Adam approached death, it appears he held out hope that his only son was still living.

Adam's own father, Peter Close, had died when Adam was only about 12 years old. Though Adam lived with an older brother, I imagine he had to 'grow up' and take care of himself at a fairly young age. Adam was only 68 when he died and, though evidently quite ill, it must have been hard for him to depend on his own son for not only his welfare, but his wife's, also.

Source: All quotes are from Catharine Close's pension application for the service of James M Close (WC136993) found on Fold3

My Line of Descent

• Adam Close (1797-1865) m. Catharine [Longwell?] (1804-1889) 
• Julia Ann "July" Close (1826-1905) m. John W McClintock (1825-1890) 
• Catharine Jane McClintock (1852-1929) m. Alexander Stewart (1852-1922) 
• Andrew "Andy" McClinock Stewart (1882-1954) m. Bessie Waldron Merrill (1879-1959) 
• James Edward Stewart (1910-1972) m. Hazel Lucille Peters (1910-1975) (my paternal grandparents) 

(Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small" for creating "52 Ancestors" where we can share our ancestors stories, one week at a time.)

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Finding A Sailor on a Mississippi River Steamboat in the Civil War

Last week I read "Shiloh" by James Reasoner about the Battle of Shiloh in the Civil War. I was particularly interested in this book of the series because one of my relatives fought as a Confederate soldier in this battle. This book of historical fiction, however, focused on a character who fought in the battle from a steamboat.

Yes, my history background is weak, though I am actively making it stronger. But, I didn't know that steamboats played a part in the Civil War. As I read about the character's experience on the steamboat and then fighting in the battle, I wished that I had a relative who'd worked on a steamboat on the Mississippi River.

Lookout Steamer on the Tennessee River ca. 1860-1865
public domain image by Mathew Brady found on Wikipedia

That was only days ago, and today I stumbled upon a newspaper article that ties my family not only to a steamboat, but to a steamboat which was an 'active participant' in the Battle of Shiloh! How amazing!

According to "Tennessee Online," the "Union Naval Fleet deployed to the Battle of Shiloh was the largest assembled and said to exceed the Spanish Armada in number. It included 14 armed river boats and 153 steamboats."

C. R. Viney was married to Augusta "Gussie" Viney who was a daughter of my great, great, great grandfather, Guenther Werther. Gussie was born in Germany and came to America as a young girl. (Her brother, Kenny, is the father of Ollie (Werther) Crockett whose murder I wrote about in my last post.)

According to his obituary in The Wichita Beacon dated March 15, 1902, "Mr. Viney was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1839. He moved to the United States when still a young man and secured a position as a sailor on a Mississippi river steamboat.... When the civil war broke out, the boat on which [he was] working was purchased by the government for a dispatch boat and [he] remained with it throughout the war. The vessel took an active part in the battles of Vicksburg and Shilo and in several others of historical importance."

I can't wait to uncover more of C. R.'s interesting life! I am looking for his military records and seeing if I can find any more newspaper clippings. Newspapers.com is my favorite genealogical tool lately. You never know what you'll discover!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Source:
Another Pioneer, The Wichita Beacon, 15 Mar 1902, page 5, column 1, digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com; accessed 30 Oct 2014)

Civil War Soldier Struck by Lightning!

Here's an excerpt from an interesting letter I found in a relative's Civil War service record today. It appears to be written by a Captain Hogle and is dated February 21st, 1865. It starts by explaining when and where he enlisted and that he had served faithfully for a year and was experiencing good health. But, that changed on the night of August 3rd, 1864... when he was struck by lightning!

...since which time, he has been wholly unable for duty. The lightning struck the right side of the head, face and shoulder extending down the arm, side, thigh, leg and foot. the side and thigh is still black. the leg and arm is to some extent paralyzed and rendered partially useless. the said George W. Ward has has spasms as often as every month since Aug. 3rd, 1864. and in my opinion will never recover or be of any benefit to the Government. He received his Disability while in the service of the United States. Disability in my opinion amounts to at least one half. [the letter continues]

Letter from Civil War Service Record of George W Ward, Union Records, Tennessee,
Second Mounted Infantry, image 20 of 21 on Fold3 (accessed 05 Oct 2014)

I guess these young men were truly exposed to the elements! How frustrating this must have been! Not only the injuries and the pain, but also to have to sop fighting the enemy because of being struck by lightning!

The young man who was struck by lightning was George W Ward (b abt 1837 in Perry County, Tennessee - d bet 1800-1810 in Bollinger County, Missouri) who is my 1st cousin five times removed. The ancestor we have in common is my 5th times great grandfather, Nathan Ward Senior (b abt 1750 in Virginia - d abt 1854 in Perry County, Tennessee).

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Following a Confederate Soldier Through the Civil War: Battle #4 The Battle of Perryville

William Porter Dickson enlisted in September of 1861 to fight as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. In the supplement to his 1911 Civil War Questionnaire he listed eight battles in which his company, Company D of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, took place. I am going to learn more about his company's role in the Civil War by researching these eight battles.

from William Porter Dickson's 1911 Questionnaire

The fourth battle on his list is The Battle of Perryville in Kentucky. Along with battle #3 in Richmond, Kentucky, this was a part of the Kentucky Invasion.

Kentucky, as a border state, had an unusual role in the Civil War. Kentuckians owned slaves, but they also wanted to preserve the Union. In 1861, they declared themselves a neutral state. But, both Union and Confederate armies were raised there. The capital in Frankfurt then declared itself loyal to the Union, but others in the town of Russell voted to secede.

On this map, you can see William's 3rd battle, Richmond, on Aug 30th, 1862
You can also see the 4th battle, Perryville, Oct 8th, 1862 (images from Wikipedia, public domain)

I've already discussed one of the battles that took place during the Kentucky Invasion: the Confederate win at the Battle of Richmond. But, the next battle William fought in was at Perryville, the bloodiest and largest battle fought in Kentucky.

Battle of Perryville - the extreme left - Stwarkweather's bridage
Associated name on shelfist card: Middleton, Strobridge & Co.
Source: Library of Congress (image from Wikipedia)

Led by General Braxton Bragg, about 16,000 Confederates met approximately 20,000 Union soldiers. Partly because many of the Union troops had never fought before, the Confederates had a tactical victory at Perryville. However, the Confederates had thousands of casualties: 532 killed, 2,651 wounded, & 228 missing or captured. With this huge loss, General Bragg retreated to Tennessee and the Union would control Kentucky for the rest of the war.

Abraham Lincoln had said, "'I think to lose Kentucky is to lose the whole game." The war might have ended a lot different if the Union had lost Kentucky.

One last note of interest: the Emancipation Proclamation, which took affect January 1st, 1863, did not apply to the slaves of Kentucky as they were a part of the Union! The slaves of Kentucky were freed with the 13th amendment which was adopted almost 3 years later on December 6, 1865.

Resources:

• video "The Civil War in Kentucky" at the Perryville Battlefield site
• video "Perryville Maney's Attack Tour Part 1 150th Anniversary" 
• The Civil War Trust site on Perryville
• wikipedia (for images) 

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Was Your Ancestor Paroled at Appomattox Courthouse with Lee's Surrender?

On April 9th, 1865, General Robert E Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia after his 28,000 troops were surrounded by Grant's men. Lee and Grant met at the home of Wilber McLean in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. In the terms for surrender, all of the Confederate men and officers were pardoned. The very hungry men were also given food rations and allowed to keep their private property including horses to help in the late spring planting. Officers were even allowed to keep their side arms.

U.S. Postage Stamp, 1965 issue, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the
Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House (image from Wikipedia)

On April 12th, the formal surrender ceremony took place. The Confederate soldiers marched forward and stacked their weapons in pyramid formation (as in the stamp above) and laid down their flags. General Joshua L Chamberlain was the Union officer in charge of the ceremony.

Chamberlain, out of respect, ordered the Union army to salute their defeated countrymen as they came forward. Here are Chamberlain's words from his book, "Passing of the Armies":

Before us in proud humiliation stood the embodiment of manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond;—was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured? Instructions had been given; and when the head of each division column comes opposite our group, our bugle sounds the signal and instantly our whole line from right to left, regiment by regiment in succession, gives the soldier's salutation, from the "order arms" to the old "carry"—the marching salute....On our part not a sound of trumpet more, nor roll of drum; not a cheer, nor word nor whisper of vain-glorying, nor motion of man standing again at the order, but an awed stillness rather, and breath-holding, as if it were the passing of the dead!

http://www.fold3.com/image/50986634/

My husband's great, great, great grandfather, James Franklin Stewart (1840-1910) was a part of the Army of Northern Virginia, but he was either absent or already mustered out by this date. But, his wife's brother, Davault M Sigman (1838-1887), was present and must have took place in this end-of-the-war ceremony and laid down his weapons to the Union army. But he also would have received much needed food rations and been allowed to return home to his family.

The Parole of Gen. Lee and His Army, The Times Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana, 10 Apr 1865, page 3, column 4;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 13 Sep 2014)

The newspaper clipping above gives the wording that was issued on a parole to the nearly 28,000 members of the Army of Northern Virginia who were being paroled:

I, the undersigned, commanding officer of ______, do, for the within named prisoners of war belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, who have been this day surrendered by Gen. Robert E. Lee, Confederate States Army, commanding said army, to Lieut. Gen. Grant, commanding armies of the United States, hereby give my solemn parole of honor that the within named shall not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in military or any capacity whatever against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities.

Done at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia, this 9th day of April, 1865.

The within named will not be disturbed by the United States authorities, so long as they observe their parole and the laws in force where they may reside.

The National Park Service has a website with an "alphabetical listing of parole passes" which can be searched online to see if your ancestor was paroled at Appomattox!

Other websites used:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Appomattox_Court_House
http://civilwarwomenblog.com/fanny-chamberlain/
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/the-last-salute-of-the-army.html

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Following a Confederate Soldier Through the Civil War: Battle #3 Battle of Richmond

William Porter Dickson enlisted in September of 1861 to fight as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. In the supplement to his 1911 Civil War Questionnaire he listed eight battles in which his company, Company D of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, took place. I am going to learn more about his company's role in the Civil War by researching these eight battles.

from William Porter Dickson's 1911 Questionnaire

William Porter Dickson's third battle was the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, which took place on August 29th & 30th, 1862. This was a battle over the state of Kentucky. Kentucky, a border state, started the war officially neutral. The Confederates wanted to gain control of the state and get more men to fight for the cause of the South.

About 6,000 Confederate soldiers met approximately 6,500 Union soldiers near Richmond, Kentucky. Fortunately for the South, most of the soldiers for the North were new recruits. The South won this battle and captured more then 4,000 men.

Fifty-one Years Ago, The Richmond Climax, Richmond, Kentucky, 02 Sep 1913, 

page 3, column 6; digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: 

accessed 12 Sep 2014)

Fifty-One Years Ago

The Bloody Battle of Richmond Fought, Aug. 30, '62

Saturday was the 51st anniversary of the Battle of Richmond, one of the bloodiest in the Civil War. [I think this is an exaggeration - I checked a few "top 10 bloodiest" lists and it isn't on there.] It was also Saturday and a beautiful summer day. Gen. E. Kirby Smith, with 6,000 Confederates was en route from Kirksville to Lexington. He reached Kingston late in the afternoon of the 29th. Gen. William Nelson was in command of the Union forces, with headquarters at Lexington and had 9,000 men. with Gens. Manson and Craft in charge of brigades. Gen. Manson moved out the Big Hill pike and found the trouble he was looking for, being repulsed and forced to retreat, with heavy loss. Gen. Nelson had arrived by this time and rallying his disheartened men, made a stand at Rogersville, when the federals were again routed, falling back to Richmond in wild disorder. Gen. Nelson again rallied the thoroughly dispirited men, and they took position in the Cemetery. They only fired three volleys before flying in panic rout. Gen. Nelson was wounded, but continued to try to stem the tide of retreat, and is said to have killed several of his men with his sword in his efforts. The rout was complete, however, and the terror-stricken army rushed pell-mell along the Lexington pike and other routes eager to seek safety. The Confederate loss in the battle was 78 killed and 272 wounded, the Union loss 206 killed and 844 wounded, with 4,650 taken prisoners. In addition, the Confederates captured nine pieces of artillery, 10,000 stands of arms, 378 supply wagons, the teams and many supplies.

Gen. Nelson and a remnant of his men finally reached Louisville, where a few days afterwards the General was killed in the Galt House by Gen. Jeff C. Davis whom he mortally insulted. He was a brave man, but had and ungovernable temper, which was finally his undoing.

The number of citizens who remember the famous battle are very few, showing the ravages of time. The generation that has been born since know very little of the battle, which was one of the bloodiest and most decisive of the Civil War.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Following a Confederate Soldier Through the Civil War: Battle #2 The Battle of Shiloh

William Porter Dickson enlisted in September of 1861 to fight as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. In the supplement to his 1911 Civil War Questionnaire he listed eight battles in which his company, Company D of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, took place. I am going to learn more about his company's role in the Civil War by researching these eight battles.

from William Porter Dickson's 1911 Questionnaire

The second battle listed on William Porter Dickson's 1911 Questionnaire is the Battle of Shiloh. Approximately 100,000 soldiers met in Shiloh, Tennessee as they fought over the train depot at Corinth, Mississippi. This station had tracks leading north, south, east and west, so it was an important piece of land. The two-day battle, on April 6th & 7th 1862, would see almost 24,000 casualties. These casualties amounted to more men than had been lost in all wars since the United States became a nation! It was a startling battle to both the North and the South.

Map from Wikipedia

This map helps me to visualize where the brother of my great, great grandfather was during the early part of the Civil War. On November 7th, 1861, he had fought in Belmont which you see in Missouri along the Mississippi River. Then, you can follow the red arrow down to Corinth, the site of the railroad depot. I wonder if this is where they spent the winter. On April 6th and 7th, he fought in Shiloh, Tennessee, which is just a short (red arrow) up into Tennessee.

Battle of Shiloh by Thure de Thulstrup
public domain image from Wikipedia

I watched a wonderful documentary about the battle on the PBS site. It's called "Shiloh: The Devil's Own Day and it shows what the fighting was like at this bloody battle. William remained a soldier throughout the war and I can't even imagine the horrors he saw.

This hauntingly beautiful version of "Shiloh Hill" was played during the PBS movie listed above

I will finish with a contemporary newspaper account from a North Carolina newspaper. In it, the author writes that the projected number of Confederates killed will be about 1,017. According to this Thomas' Legion site, the actual number of deaths was 1,728. Also, over 8,000 were wounded and 959 missing or captured for a total of 10,699 casualties.

Confederate Loss at Shiloh, The Milton Chronicle, Milton, North Carolina, 16 May 1862, page 1, column 2;
digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 28 Aug 2014)

Confederate Loss at Shiloh - The Memphis Argus of Thursday, April 24th, gives the following concerning the loses at Shiloh.

Our table, giving a list as far as possible of the casualties sustained by the Confederates at Shiloh, to-day takes in 38 regiments of infantry and one cavalry, in which the killed, wounded and missing amounts to 5,759. A sufficient number of regiments yet remain unreturned which will probably swell the list to 7,000. We do not think the full official reports will show a greater list of casualties. Already we have killed outright 927, and wounded 4,471. Of the latter perhaps one fiftieth have died since the publication of the lists, or will die which will increase the number of killed thus far to about 1,017. Of missing there is a list of 361, of whom, of course, the greater portion are either prisoners, wounded, or will return unhurt. Probably very few of them have fallen.

Considering the immense number of wounded, the proportion receiving mortal injuries, is much smaller than usual, and assuming the entire list of casualties to be 7,000, as above mentioned, we do not think that the number of soldiers killed or permanently disabled from Shiloh will much exceed 1,300. Our force upon engaging the enemy on Sunday could not have exceeded thirty thousand, and it fought fresh troops each day. When it is remembered that, after participating in a general engagement from daylight until dark on Sunday, and, without reinforcement or food, our forces held the field another day against a superior body of fresh troops, and that nearly one-forth of the entire number of Confederates engaged were either killed or wounded, a spectacle of heroism and valor is presented which would do credit to any age and people. Should we meet with nothing but reverses in future, the stern heroism displayed on the bloody field of Shiloh would be enough to establish Southern prowess forever.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Following a Confederate Soldier through the Civil War: Battle #1 The Battle of Belmont

William Porter Dickson enlisted in September of 1861 to fight as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. In the supplement to his 1911 Civil War Questionnaire he listed eight battles in which his company, Company D of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, took place. I am going to learn more about his company's role in the Civil War by researching these eight battles.

from William Porter Dickson's 1911 Questionnaire

Battle #1: The Battle of Belmont, November 7, 1861

Map of the Battle of Belomt
Image from Wikipedia - public domain

This battle is important as it was the first conflict for Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant who would later become the General of the Union army. He brought about 3,000 troops down the Mississippi to attack the Confederate fortress at Columbus, Kentucky which was across the river from Belmont, Missouri. After learning that Confederate troops had crossed over to Belmont, Grant followed and surprised the Confederate army and destroyed their camp. They were quickly reinforced by troops still in Columbus and Grant took his men and left. (Information from Wikipedia.)

I'm sharing articles from two newspapers which wrote about this battle in 1861. The first is a series of articles from a newspaper in Tennessee, the state where William's family lived, to show how the battle was reported in the South. The second is from the North in Cleveland, an article that includes a portion of a letter written by Grant to his father the day after this battle.

Official Report of General Grant, Clarksville Weekly Chronicle; Clarksville, 

Tennesse, 22 Nov 1861, page 2, column 3; digital image newspapers.com,

 (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 27 Aug 2014) 

Gen. Grant, the Hessian commander at Cairo, in his official report of the battle of Belmont, near Columbus, with all the cool assurance of a practiced liar, says he met the enemy and drove them, step by step, across the river, burnt all their tents, and started back with all their artillery four pieces of which they had to leave behind for want of transportation --- and that the rebels recrossed the river and followed in his rear to the boats. Such a slurring over a most disastrous defeat never disgraced any commander in Christendom, and yet the poor fools whom he intends to bull, will swallow the falsehood with unquestioning credulity.

Belmont Fight, Clarksville Weekly Chronicle; Clarksville, Tennesse, 22 Nov 1861,

page 2, column 3; digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com:

 accessed 27 Aug 2014) 

In the late fight at Belmont, the Shawneetown Regiment, alone, lost four hundred in killed, wounded and missing, and yet the lieing [sic] miscreant, Grant, speaks of the battle as a mere skirmish.

Battle of Belmont List of Casualties, Clarksville Weekly Chronicle; Clarksville, 

Tennessee,  22 Nov 1861, page 2, column 3; digital image newspapers.com, 

(http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 27 Aug 2014) 

Battle of Belmont --- Official List of Casualties. 

The following is the official recapitulation of the casualties in killed, wounded and missing of the battle of Belmont...  [Hopefully, you can read the clipping. I will point out the William's regiment, the 12th, is not listed. However, the TNGenWeb site I mentioned yesterday about this regiment says that the 12th, 13th & 21st Tennessee were together with the 13th Arkansas Infantry.]

Official Dispatch of the Federal Commander at Belmont, Clarksville Weekly Chronicle;Clarksville, Tennessee, 22 Nov 1861, page 2, column 5; digital image newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 27 Aug 2014) 

Official Dispatch of the Federal Commander at Belmont.

The St. Louis Republican gives the following as the official report of General Grant, announcing the result of the fight at Belmont:

CAIRO, Nov. 7,

To Capt. C. McKeever, St. Louis:

     We met the rebels about 9 o'clock this morning, two and a half miles from Belmont. We drove them step by step into their camp and across the river.

     We burnt their tents and started on our return with all their artillery; for want of transportation had to leave four pieces in the woods.

     The rebels re-crossed the river and followed in our rear to our place of debarkation.

     The loss is heavy on both sides.

                                                              U. S. GRANT, Brig. Gen.

And now for news from the North printed in the "Cleveland Daily Leader"... this one is large so I'll just share a few pieces. Again, this is actually from a letter written by Grant to his father the day after the battle.

General Grant's Account of the Battle of Belmont, Cleveland Daily Leader; 

Cleveland,  Ohio, 14 Nov 1861, page 1, column 1;digital image 

newspapers.com, (http://www.newspapers.com: accessed 27 Aug 2014) 

From here we fought our way from tree to tree through the woods to Belmont, about two and a half miles, the enemy contesting every foot of ground. Here the enemy had strengthened their position by felling the trees for two or three hundred yards, and sharpening their limbs, forming a sort of abatis [?]. Our men charged through, making the victory complete, giving us possession of their camp and garrison equipage, artillery and everything else.

We got a great many prisoners. The majority, however, succeeded in getting on board their steamers and pushing across the river. We burned everything possible and started back, having accomplished all that we went for, and even more. Belmont is entirely covered by the batteries from Columbus, and is worth nothing as a military position --- cannot be held without Columbus.

Besides being fortified at Columbus, their number far exceeded ours, and it would have been folly to have attacked them. We found the Confederates well-armed and brave. On our return, stragglers that had been left in our rear (now front) fired into us, and more recrossed the river and gave us battle for a full mile, and afterwards at the boats when we were embarking.

There was no hasty retreating or running away. Taking into account the object of the expedition, the victory was most complete. It has given us confidence in the officers and men of this command, that will enable us to lead them in any future engagement without fear of the result. Gen. McClernand (who by the way acted with great coolness and courage throughout, and proved that he is a soldier as well as statesman,) and myself each had our horses shot under us. Most of the field officers met with the same loss, beside nearly one-third of them begin themselves killed or wounded. As near as I can ascertain, our loss was about 250 killed, wounded and missing.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Do you know the difference between a company and a regiment?

I didn't enjoy history class when I was growing up and have only grown to appreciate it in the past decade or so. Now, I love watching war movies and visiting war sites. But, I was really confused as I read over a 1911 Civil War Questionnaire today. This one is for a brother of my great, great grandfather, James B Dickson (1840-1902). James didn't live long enough to participate in some questionnaires that went out for the 50th anniversary of the start of the war, but two of his brothers did.

Photo of Pointe du Hoc from our visit to the beaches of Normandy, France

Yesterday, I received the questionnaire for his brother, William Porter Dickson (1842-1926). I was disappointed that the biographical memoranda was almost empty. The military supplement, however, had a lot of information. But, as I read it, I was confused!

William Porter Dickson's 1911 Confederate Military Service Memoranda Supplement Form

Above you'll find the first page of this military supplement. So, he signed up in Kentucky and evidently fought with people from Tennessee. And he says at one point he's part of "Company D" under Jno. Hill and in another that he's a part of the 12th Tennessee Infantry. I was confused. Who did he fight with? And, where can I find more information about them? 

Then I understood.... this document was saying that he was a part of company D and that he was part of the 12th regiment. So, what's a company? And what's a regiment? (Maybe I haven't watched enough war movies!) For me, the next step was to Google the answers.

I found a page called "Army Organization" at Shotgun's Home of the Civil War page. Basically, the company is the smallest unit with the head of the company being a captain. William P Dickson reported that there were 108 men in his company, which is within the normal size.

A regiment is usually comprised of ten companies, though some have twelve. The head of a regiment is a colonel. There are also lieutenant colonels and majors. 

The regiments join together to form brigades, and the brigades join together to form divisions. According to the site: "Theoretically, company strength was 100; regiment, 1,000; brigade, 4,000; and division, 12,000." Of course, these numbers were just 'in theory', but it gives you a framework for how they fit together and an idea of how many men were in each organization.

After figuring out that I needed to look for the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, I was able to find a webpage which gave me more information. It lists the ten companies that form his regiment, including company D from Gibson County. It lists each company's captain along with the colonel in charge of the regiment. The information lined up fairly well with the information William had given nearly fifty years later.

To me, the most interesting part of this questionnaire was second page which lists the battles in which his company was engaged. He listed eight battles and my next step is to learn more about each of these!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Discovering Civil War Questionnaires & Reunions

I mentioned on my "inmates" post that I had an ancestors who was an inmate in an "old soldier's home" but I couldn't remember which ancestors. So, to find out more about these types of homes, I randomly looked at the Arkansas "Confederate Home Records" site. They have a search engine where you can look for ancestors who might have lived here. And, if you find a match, you can fill out a form and send off for their records!

Pretty neat, right? Except I don't have confederate soldiers from Arkansas. However, I was playing around and typed in three family names I did have who served as Confederate soldiers from Perry County, Tennessee. I didn't find any names I recognized.

But, then I noticed some of the other military records. One is titled "1911 Confederate Veterans Questionnaires." Well, that sounds interesting! (I now realize these questionnaires were just for Arkansas, but I thought they were for all Confederates at first.) I tried the same three surnames: Whitwell, Ward & Dickson.

public domain - image from wikipedia

When I typed in Dickson, I got a match! William Porter DICKSON who served in Company D of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. He's a brother to my James B DICKSON who served in the same company. Wow! I went to my family tree and saw that he did live in Arkansas later in his life. Wonderful!

I clicked on his name and got additional information which I can use to send off for his file. His file is marked "average" rather than "poor" or "excellent" which means that "most of the information requested was provided". Great!

So, what might I expect in this file? There is a Biographical Memoranda Form which asks for full name, mailing address, date and place of birth, and family information. And, there is a Confederate Military Service Memoranda. I'm particularly interested in the Biographical Form as I don't know the maiden name of William P (& James B) Dickson's mother, Sarah!

image from Wikipedia

I thought I'd look at more military records on this site, Arkansas History Commission. The other place I found William Porter Dickson was on the 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion Registration Forms! (By the way, when you click on these military links it takes you to another site: Arkansas Civil War.)

What was this reunion and what might I find in these records? This was the 21st annual Civil War union which was held in Little Rock, Arkansas, fifty years after the start of the Civil War. Approximately 15,000 veterans attended! Most of the veterans filled out the questionnaires; but other people filled them out, too! Who knows who you might find in these forms?

I'm excited to learn more about my Dickson family & their Civil War service. But, this also opens up another research possibility for other Civil War veterans. I need to look for both questionnaires & reunions in whatever state they lived in! And also check out the national reunions!

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net