Researching Your Civil War AncestryDo you have a distant relative who fought in the Civil War? Would you like to find out if you do? This is the discussion for you!
My wife a short while ago aquired a Tree Maker program which gave her access to Ancestry.com and began to search out our ancestors.
After three weeks of dedicated research, she discovered this about the Hamilton family.
My Great-great-great grandfather was Jacob Lee Hamilton (or Hambleton, depending on who was doing the spelling at the time) who was born Oct. 17, 1841, in Nelson County, Virginia.
On May 1, 1861, Jacob, (who was described as being 5'9" in height, with brown eyes and 'light' hair with a sallow complexion) at the age of 21, along with his two brothers, Peter Walker Hamilton and James Madison Hamilton, enlisted as privates into Company G, 19th Virginia Infantry Regiment, The Nelson County Grays. A third brother, Augustus H. Hamilton, enlisted in G.B. Chapman's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Monroe's Battery).
The 19th Virginia Infantry was part of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and was involved in every major battle from Bull Run to Appomattox Campaign. Jacob Lee Hamilton, along with the 19th, was with Garnett's Brigade in Picket's Charge at Gettysbug. He was captured after the attack at the stone wall near the cospe of trees on July 3, 1863 and sent to Ft. Delaware on July 7, 1863, as a prisoner of war. (It was at the Battle of Sayler's Creek where remainder of the regiment was captured. Only 1 officer and 29 men of the original unit surrendered.)
In April of 1865, Jacob took the Oath of Allegiance on June 20, 1865, at Ft. Delaware and was released. He returned to Nelson County, Virginia, where lived until his death on July 27, 1927.
Jacob owned seven slaves according to the 1850 US Census, 3 males, 3 females and one six-month old slave child.
We are intending to take a road trip this May to Gettysburg to stand at the wall where Jacob was captured and then on to Ft. Delaware to see where he was held as a POW. Hopefully, we will make the trip sometime this year to Nelson County to see if any of our kin still reside there.
One interesting fact I discovered concerning Jacob and the 19th Virginia. The 19th had been issued brand-new regimental colors in June of 1863. One month later, these very same colors were captured at Gettysburg at the stone wall by one Pvt. Ben Falls of the 19th Massachusetts Infantry. The flag is now in the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia.
More to follow, to include Union ancestors...
Sincerely,
Unionblue
PS As I understand it, I am now eligible to apply for enrollment in the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I wonder if I can get Thea to sponsor me?
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
From my wife's side, we have found one Robert B. Cooley, a Private in Company K, 16th Kentucky Infantry (US).
Robert joined the 16th on November 7, 1861, and was mustered in on January 28, 1862. He reenlisted on January 1, 1864, and then deserted on March 18, 1864, and was arrestted on July 27, 1864. He was returned to duty September 22, 1864.
It is our conclusion, based on very sketchy information, that upon Robert's reenlistment, he was entitled to veteran's leave, which was denied him for some reason, so he left anyway so he could get married.
We sent away for his service records at the National Archives and found a copy of his court-martial which reads:
Charge and Specification against Robert B. Cooley a private of Company K, 16th Infantry.
Charge - Desertion.
Specification - In this that Robert B. Cooley a private of Company K., 16th KY. Vet. Vol. Inf. who was properly reenlisted and reqularly mustered into the service of the United States to serve for the period of three years from the 1st day of January 1864, did on or about the 14th day of March 1864, desert his Company and Regiment near Maysville, KY, and did so remain so absent there from until apprehended and brought to his Regiment under guard on the 22d day of September 1864.
Recorded on Robert's Company Muster Roll's reveals his punishment for his actions with the following statement recorded there under the 'Remarks' section:
Vet. By sentence of Court Martial to forfit all pay and allowances due on the 22nd day of Sept 1864 and 5 dollars per month for one year from the 22nd day of Sept 64 & that he shall serve such a period as will make good all time lost by desertion.
Private Robert B. Cooley was musterd out on July 15, 1865. He was present for duty with his regiment at the battles of Ivy Mountain, Nov. 8-9, 1861; Mossy Creek, Dec. 29, 1863; Columbia, Nov. 24-29, 1864; Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864; Nashville, Dec. 15-16, 1864 and Willmington, Feb. 12-22, 1865.
More to follow,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
A man who was at Franklin Nov 30, 1864 and walked away had some Divine intervention on his side. Thanks very much for sharing some of your family and if Thea refused to 'sponor' you, I certainly would. Alas sponsorship is not needed and we would welcome another yankee to our midst in the SCV. We had a member join our camp from New York a couple of months ago. Can I list you as a recruit?
Neil, my wife's ancestor James Ratliff Whaley (51st Georgia) from Quitman County, Georgia and later Dale County, Alabama was offered and accepted residence at Fort Delaware from July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg until war's end. I guess you could say our ancestors did time together. There are some awesome photos on the Ft. Delaware website.
Neil:
You might want to recheck a few of the dates. Jacob would have been 19, going on 20 when he enlisted. He would have been 9 when he was listed as owning 7 slaves in 1850; 19 if the census was 1860 instead of 1850.
Fascinating tale of the ancestors. Although they had little to do with who you are today, knowledge of roots is vital.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
From my research on Jacob, the slaves were willed to him by his father or grandfather so that is why he is listed as the 'owner' on the 1850 census.
As for the mix-up in his age at recruitment, that's what his records have him down as. I wonder if he lied about his age or if it was just a mistake in record-keeping?
Larry, I'll let you know on the SCV application. I'm still hoping for Thea to put me up for membership and I want her to have 'first crack' as it were.
Small world, isn't it, that we might have had ancestors that shared a prison hut together at Ft. Delaware. Can't wait for the month of May to visit there. I'll email you any pics I take while touring the place.
As for Robert B. Cooley, he was my wife's great-great-great grandfather. Now it looks like I can apply to the SUV too!
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
My bad, it looks as though you were right about Jacob Lee Hamilton being a bit young to own seven slaves in 1850. They may have been owned by his Father, James Hamilton, but the 1850 census, schedule 2 - Slave Inhabitants in - list the seven slaves under the name Jacob Hamilton. So I wonder what gives?
Looks like Jacob (or Jacob's dad?) came upon some hard times or got a very good deal, as he is listed as only having one slave on the 1860's census.
More to follow...
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
One interesting fact I discovered concerning Jacob and the 19th Virginia. The 19th had been issued brand-new regimental colors in June of 1863. One month later, these very same colors were captured at Gettysburg at the stone wall by one Pvt. Ben Falls of the 19th Massachusetts Infantry. The flag is now in the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia.
Neil- this might interest you. Catton in Glory Road has this to say about the 19th Mass at the stone wall: 'The 19th Massachusetts was squarely before the clump of trees, and the Confederate mass kept crowding forward, and for a time the file closers in the rear of the Massachusetts regiment joined hands and held the thin line in place by sheer strength.'
I had never heard of this kind of thing before. Pretty desparate.
And also caught my eye was your mention of Ben Falls. He is mentioned in Catton's A Stillness at Appomattox. Catton is talking about the problem in the Army of the Potomac of getting the invaluable time expiring veterans to reenlist for the coming '64 campaign: 'The men signed up without illusions. A company in the 19th Massachusetts was called together to talk things over. The regiment had left most of its' men on various battlefields, in hospitals, and in Southern prison camps, and this company now mustered just thirteen men and one wounded officer. These considered the matter, and one man finally said: 'They use a man here just the same as a turkey at a shooting match, fire at it all day and if they don't kill it raffle it off in the evening; so with us, if they can't kill you in three years they want you for three more- but I will stay.' And a comrade spoke up: 'Well, if new men won't finish the job, old men must, and as long as Uncle Sam wants a man, here is Ben Falls.'
The regiment's historian, recording this remark, pointed out that Ben Falls was killed two months later in battle at Spotsylvania Court House.'
Catton lists as his source: Reminiscences of the 19th Massachusetts Regiment, by Captain John G B Adams. This is the mettle of men who took on your kin in Armistead's brigade, Neil.
Well, here's hoping you'll make as fine a Reb as you do a Yank, Neil, in your societies. regards, ed
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
I have the Catton books and I remembered reading the very same story you mentioned in your post above.
I have never doubted the bravery of the men on both sides of the war. Now that I have a direct link to that bravery, I am even more in awe of them.
Thanks for sharing and helping me to remember.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
I Found Them 
regards, ed
Linear Mode
