Elijah Roberts 43rd Tennessee infantry company e

Thepatriot223

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May 29, 2013
This is another one of my ggg grandfathers. Elijah Roberts from the 43rd Tennessee infantry company e. I joined fold3 and found some of his papers, but got confused. He supposedly died during the war from fever according to family word of mouth. I did find a Elijah Roberts in the 42 Tennessee that died and was buried in Mississippi but I cannot tie the 2 Elijah's as being the same person. Is it safe to say they are not one in the same? Where would I go to find death records during the war? Also what are some sites I can use too look up pictures of the different units if that's possible? Sorry for being a total newbie I'm just starting to get into this and it seems the more I uncover the more questions I have. Thanks for your time.
 
This is another one of my ggg grandfathers. Elijah Roberts from the 43rd Tennessee infantry company e. I joined fold3 and found some of his papers, but got confused. He supposedly died during the war from fever according to family word of mouth. I did find a Elijah Roberts in the 42 Tennessee that died and was buried in Mississippi but I cannot tie the 2 Elijah's as being the same person. Is it safe to say they are not one in the same? Where would I go to find death records during the war? Also what are some sites I can use too look up pictures of the different units if that's possible? Sorry for being a total newbie I'm just starting to get into this and it seems the more I uncover the more questions I have. Thanks for your time.

Where did your ancestor call home ? If your ancestor was a east Tennessean, he was probably in the 43rd Tennessee. A number of the men from east Tennessee died of " fever " while in Mississippi. Here's a overview of both regiments :




CONFEDERATE TENNESSEE TROOPS

43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennessee Volunteers)

OVERVIEW:43rd Infantry Regiment [also called 5th East Tennessee Volunteer Regiment] was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, during December, 1861. Its members were recruited in the counties of Polk, Rhea, Meigs, Bledsoe, Hawkins, Roane, Jefferson, McMinn, Bradley, and Hamilton. It moved to Virginia, Kentucky, then Mississippi where it was assigned to A.W. Reynolds' Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The unit fought at Champion's Hill and Big Black River Bridge, then was captured in the fight for Vicksburg. After being exchanged and reorganized as mounted infantry, it was attached to General Vaughn's Brigade and during April, 1864, contained 215 effectives. It joined General Early in the Valley of Virginia and was active in the battles and skirmishes of his campaign. Later the regiment fought at Russellville in Tennessee, returned to Virginia, moved to North Carolina where it joined President Davis' escort, and ended the war at Washington, Georgia, in May, 1865, with a force of 123 men. The field officers were Colonel James W. Gillespie, Lieutenant Colonel David M. Key, and Majors Lawson Guthrie and William H. McKamy.

CONFEDERATE TENNESSEE TROOPS

42nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry

OVERVIEW:42nd Infantry Regiment was formed at Camp Cheatham, Tennessee, in November, 1861, with five Tennessee and five Alabama companies. At the reorganization in 1862, the five Alabama companies were transferred to the 6th (Norwood's) Alabama Infantry Battalion which later merged into the 55th Alabama Regiment. Four Tennessee companies from the 1st Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi Regiment and one Florida company then joined the 42nd. The unit was captured in the fight at Fort Donelson and after the exchange became part of Maxey's Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. It was stationed at Port Hudson, moved to Jackson, and in September, 1863, assigned to Quarles' Brigade, Department of the Gulf. During the spring of 1864 the regiment joined the Army of Tennessee at Dalton with 169 effectives. It went on to participate in the Atlanta Campaign, Hood's Tennessee operations, and the North Carolina Campaign. Very few were included in the surrender on April 26, 1865. The field officers were Colonels Isaac N. Hulme and William A. Quarles; Lieutenant Colonels Levi McCollum, John H. Norwood, and Isaac B. Walton; and Major Josiah R. Hubbard.
 
My Ancestors were in the 43rd Regiment from Meigs Decatur County. My ancestors died at Bakers Creek near Vicksburg. I had a friend that did a book on the unit. Alos check ou the Civil Wart Quaestionirre of Civil War Soldiers. Hezikia Genmoe was in the unit and he mentiones the soldiers he fought with
 
My mom says either Hancock or Hawkins county. Someplace called war gap Tennessee. I'm sure he enlisted in Hawkins, the Elijah from the 42nd would have been from west Tennessee. What I'm wondering is if my Elijah was transferred to the 42nd? I haven't found any muster rolls saying he was transferred though. So many questions lol.
 
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors (CWSS) database shows three Elijah Roberts (all Privates) who fought in TN units: one in Co H, 42nd TN Infantry, a mixed state unit organized at Fort Cheatham; one in Co E, 43rd TN Infantry (also known as Gillespie's or the 5th East TN Volunteers) organized at Knoxville; and Co A, 3rd TN Cavalry (Forrest's), with the trooper also known as Elijah Robards.

I took a look at the Fold3 records and I see that the Elijah Roberts in Co E, 43rd TN (Mounted) enlisted from Rogersville, TN, on Nov 1, 1861 at age 35. He was shown absent, on sick furlough, from Jan-Apr 1862, present May-Oct, then absent without leave (AWOL) starting Oct 22 1862, then present Nov/Dec 1862 to Mar/Apr 1863, when the records end. No indication if he mustered out or died in service. According to the Family Search webpage for this unit, Co E was formed with men from Hawkins County. Here's a website entitled The Blue and Gray from Hawkins County, TN, 1861-1865.

The Elijah Roberts in Co H, 42nd TN Infantry enlisted at Camp Cheatham, TN, on Oct 24, 1861 at about age 25. He died on 28 Aug 1863 at Lauderdale (?) Springs Hospital, MS.

They don't appear to be the same person. If your relative came from East Tennessee--especially Hawkins County--he's likely the one listed in the 43rd TN. You might try going through that website for Hawkins County to see if you can find anything on Elijah Roberts.

Unfortunately, there isn't any good place to check for death records. If the records aren't in the soldier's service file (as on Fold3) or his gravesite listed on the FindAGrave site, or somewhere on Ancestry.com, you might have a hard time finding them. The fact that the Elijah Roberts from 43rd TN has no records after Apr '63 might indicate that he didn't survive the war, or possibly just that the records for the later period of the war didn't survive. (i.e. were lost or destroyed.)
 
My mom says either Hancock or Hawkins county. Someplace called war gap Tennessee. I'm sure he enlisted in Hawkins, the Elijah from the 42nd would have been from west Tennessee. What I'm wondering is if my Elijah was transferred to the 42nd? I haven't found any muster rolls saying he was transferred though. So many questions lol.


That's east Tennessee ! I wouldn't think there'd be any reason for him to transfer. Toward the end of the war several Tennessee units merged to form " consolidated " regiments due to lack of manpower. I'd say the Elijah in the 43rd is yours.
 
I'd say so too east tenn. I'm just hoping to find more about him. I know that there is no grave for him and also that his wife didnt receive a pension after the war. She did live with a woman named Elizabeth Anderson who did get one for having a husband killed in the war. Elijah had I think 3 or 4 kids when he enlisted. I have to say I never thought researching my own family would be so interesting. I knew that my ancestors were in it, just never knew it was my ggg grandfathers. And there's still 2 more ancestors to go.lol
 
This is another one of my ggg grandfathers. Elijah Roberts from the 43rd Tennessee infantry company e. I joined fold3 and found some of his papers, but got confused. He supposedly died during the war from fever according to family word of mouth. I did find a Elijah Roberts in the 42 Tennessee that died and was buried in Mississippi but I cannot tie the 2 Elijah's as being the same person. Is it safe to say they are not one in the same? Where would I go to find death records during the war? Also what are some sites I can use too look up pictures of the different units if that's possible? Sorry for being a total newbie I'm just starting to get into this and it seems the more I uncover the more questions I have. Thanks for your time.

I just checked the list of Confederates paroled at Vicksburg. The Elijah Roberts in the 42nd TN had a middle initial of ' S '
There is listed an Elijah Roberts in the 26th Miss. that was hospitalized at the time of the surrender. There is also listed two Elijah Roberts in the U.S. Regulars. !st U.S. Regulars ( Sharpshooters ) and 1st U.S. Cavalry. Could he have been captured or voluntarily surrendered, took the oath and galvanized ? I'm just saying it did happen. Especially with men from east Tennessee who weren't ardent Confederates to begin with. Had a couple of men in my family tree that did that. But they joined Union Tennessee units. If you have fold3, you could check for Elijah Roberts in the U.S. Regular Army. If you find one whose record begins after April 1863, it may be him. If he served out west, he may have just not returned to Tennessee.
 
I don't know. I have another relative Martin d collier who was supposedly in the union but I only find the 1860 census from letcher county kentucky that had his name. I checked fold3 but that's the only one. Eveline Roberts was Elijah's wife but I have not found anything where she was drawing a pension. Maybe I'm coming to a dead end with these 2 ancestors?
 
I don't know. I have another relative Martin d collier who was supposedly in the union but I only find the 1860 census from letcher county kentucky that had his name. I checked fold3 but that's the only one. Eveline Roberts was Elijah's wife but I have not found anything where she was drawing a pension. Maybe I'm coming to a dead end with these 2 ancestors?


Like ExNavyPilot said, he probably didn't survive the war. I've always assumed the National Archives ( fold3 records ) has the same thing as the State Archives ( Nashville ) if not, maybe the State of Tennessee would have more. but I doubt it. Here's something more to add to your research : ! http://civilwar.morganco.freeservers.com/Harlan County Battalion.htm

Martin D. Collier

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted on 10/13/1862 as a Private.

On 10/13/1862 he mustered into "B" Co. KY Harlan Co. Battn ( must have been a Union home guard unit. )
He was Mustered Out on 1/13/1863
- Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky
 
East Tennessee how did you find Martin? I couldn't find anything on fold3 and was surprised and discouraged because he was from the union and I had thought I would find the most information about him. I'm not giving up on any of my ancestors until I feel I have uncovered everything I possibly can. For the hezikia genome questionar re is that something that I have to contact the state of Tennessees website to get or do they mail you a copy?
 
East Tennessee how did you find Martin? I couldn't find anything on fold3 and was surprised and discouraged because he was from the union and I had thought I would find the most information about him. I'm not giving up on any of my ancestors until I feel I have uncovered everything I possibly can. For the hezikia genome questionar re is that something that I have to contact the state of Tennessees website to get or do they mail you a copy?


Found him here : http://civilwardata.com/ It's basically what ancestry.com offers. They supposedly continually add to it. I find a lot of the info and photos here I post for people researching their ancestors. It really depends on what side & state your soldier was from. For instance, the link I gave you earlier, has the muster rolls for all the companies in the Harlan County Battalion except B. This site has the men of Co.B listed but not a lot of info on individual soldiers. It's $25.00 for a year, but to me it's well worth it ! A good deal more individual soldier info for Union than Confederate. It does have the North Carolina Confederate Rosters and Virginia Regimental Series I use quite often. A good deal of photos and Regimental histories, stuff from the OR etc.
 
Well, I haven't really found anything new yet, I just can't understand that if he was sick, according to a family word of mouth, why wasn't there at least a grave in a cemetery. He would of been in the vicinity of Vicksburg at the time of his death. I researched the popular diseases they suffered from in Vicksburg and most didnt kill right away. So in my way of thinking, wouldn't he have been under some sort of care when he passed, then being buried? The more I get into this the more I think it could be possible my family is wrong. I really hope I get to the bottom of this somehow. I don't have the time to sit down and read every day, but when I do it seems more doors get opened up. I'm planning to join ancestry and try their system out, I'm totally new to family research, but I feel my ggg granddaddy would want me to. I can't even imagine walking all over the south like them guys did.
 
This is another one of my ggg grandfathers. Elijah Roberts from the 43rd Tennessee infantry company e. I joined fold3 and found some of his papers, but got confused. He supposedly died during the war from fever according to family word of mouth. I did find a Elijah Roberts in the 42 Tennessee that died and was buried in Mississippi but I cannot tie the 2 Elijah's as being the same person. Is it safe to say they are not one in the same? Where would I go to find death records during the war? Also what are some sites I can use too look up pictures of the different units if that's possible? Sorry for being a total newbie I'm just starting to get into this and it seems the more I uncover the more questions I have. Thanks for your time.

Elijah is also my GGG Grandfather, and I'm also trying to find out more about what happened to him... Jefferson, his son, is my GG and his son, William is my G Grandfather... I've found records of Elijah in books and that his brother Andrew J Roberts was also a Capt in another Co. Have you found out how he died or where yet?
 
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