Josiah Wise, 25th Alabama Inf Regiment

rickvox79

First Sergeant
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Location
Pace, FL
Thought I would get some opinions on this. My 3rd generation great-grandfather Josiah Wise shows up on a census of Confederate soldiers residing in the state of Alabama in 1907. It says he served in in the 25th Alabama but I don't see anything in the NPS Civil War database for him. He was from Coffee county, Alabama and company K came out of Coffee county. I also had a 3rd gen great uncle named William Donaldson (his niece married Josiah's son Peter Wise my 2nd gen grandfather) that fought in company K out of Coffee. Any reason why he wouldn't show up in the NPS database if he really fought in the 25th? Lost records? Or maybe he didn't really serve?

Here is the document below, he is listed in the middle:

Josiah Wise.jpg
 
There are half a dozen reasons the records could be missing. Alabama doesn't seem to have pension records online but there are a couple other places I can look. I'll see what I can find.
 
Ancestry.com shows a pension application filed in July, 1899, for a Josiah Wise from Ella, Coffee County, Alabama. A request for a pension was filed by M. J. Wise, widow of Josiah, in 1914. Both were recommended for approval. Josiah's pension request indicates he served in Company H, 53rd Alabama Cavalry, under Captain Flournoy.
 
I believe the issue is that his documents are incorrectly filed under GC Wise. That's the name on all the transcribed documents except one that says JC Wise. But take a look at these two originals.
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This guy is in company B of the 25th, not H of the 53rd, but there could be other reasons for that. That sure looks like a J to me and not a G.
 
There are several Wises in company H of the 53rd in compiled service records, but no Josiah. These guys were partisan rangers, it says, so I'm wondering if we have a situation similar to another one discussed today where he joined the regular military after the rangers ceased to operate?
 
Ancestry.com shows a pension application filed in July, 1899, for a Josiah Wise from Ella, Coffee County, Alabama. A request for a pension was filed by M. J. Wise, widow of Josiah, in 1914. Both were recommended for approval. Josiah's pension request indicates he served in Company H, 53rd Alabama Cavalry, under Captain Flournoy.

Very well could be he was in the 53rd Alabama Partisan Rangers. I had 6 relatives from the Wise family, my 3rd gen great-grandfather Isaiah Boles and uncle Jasper Boles were in the 53rd and then 3 other uncles from the Sanders and Phillips family in the 53rd. This document that I have throws me off though. The 53rd went to the end of the war pretty much unless he left it after a short time and joined the 25th.
 
Very well could be he was in the 53rd Alabama Partisan Rangers. I had 6 relatives from the Wise family, my 3rd gen great-grandfather Isaiah Boles and uncle Jasper Boles were in the 53rd and then 3 other uncles from the Sanders and Phillips family in the 53rd. This document that I have throws me off though. The 53rd went to the end of the war pretty much unless he left it after a short time and joined the 25th.
http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/soldier.cfm?id=224313

THE TWENTY-FIFTH ALABAMA INFANTRY.


This regiment, made up of Loomis' and McClellan's battalions, was
organized at Mobile, December, 1861.

It was engaged at Shiloh, April 6th and 7th, at Farmington, May
9th, and at Bridge creek, May 28th and 29th. A1though with
General Bragg in Kentucky, it did not take part in any serious
action.

At Murfreesboro, December 31st to January 2, 1863, it was
distinguished and suffered severe losses in both officers and
men. It was at Chickamauga, September 19th to 20th, and at
Missionary Ridge, November 23 to 25, 1863; fought with Johnston
in the Georgia campaign in 1864, and was particularly noted for
its brilliant record at New Hope, May 25th to June 4th,
especially in the battle of the 25th.

In Hood's first sortie from Atlanta, July 22nd, and the second
sortie at Ezra Chapel, July 28th, the regiment lost half its
force. It was engaged in the battles at Columbia, November 29th;
at Franklin, November 30th, and at Nashville, December 15th to
16th.

Fought at Kinston, March 14th, and Bentonville, N. C., March 19
and 21, 1865. It was consolidated about April 9th with the
Twenty-second, Thirty- ninth and Fiftieth Alabama under Colonel
Toulmin, and was surrendered at Greensboro, N. C.

Among its killed and wounded were Captain Harper, who fell at
Shiloh; Capts. Archibald A. Patterson an D. P. Costello, and
Lieuts. W. C. Gibson and H. B. Schofield, who were killed at
Murfreesboro.

Its commanders were Cols. John Q. Loomis and George D. Johnston,
afterward brigadier-general, and Lieut.Col. William B. McClellan.
Maj. Daniel E. Huger, at one time in command, was killed at
Chickamauga while serving as assistant inspector-general on
General Manigault's staff.

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. VIII, p. 134

********************************************************************************

Shiloh after battle report:

Report of Col. J. Q. Loomis, Twenty-fifth Alabama Infantry.

CORINTH, MISS., April 13, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the annexed report of the losses
sustained by the Twenty-fifth Alabama Regt. in the battle of the 6th
and 7th instant.

Owing to the prevalence of the measles and mumps I was able to take
but 305 men into the action. Of this number-were lost in killed and
wounded.

This regiment formed a part of the First Brigade, Withers' division,
under command of Gen. Gladden.

This report not being intended as a eulogy on the regiment, I will only
say it did its duty, fighting side by side with the other regiments of the
brigade, charging promptly when ordered and in good order, and only
falling back when commanded. With the brigade, it was engaged in
every charge and attack on the 6th, and on the 7th, the brigade being
disorganized, the regiment fell in with a Missouri regiment and fought
until the conclusion of the engagement.

I remained in command of the regiment until 4 o'clock on the 6th,
assisted greatly by my major, George D. Johnston, and Adjutant Stout,
whose coolness and intrepidity upon the field are worthy of all praise.

About 4 o'clock I received a wound upon the head from a musketball,
doing very slight external injury, but producing a concussion of the
brain and rendering me unfit for commanding during the rest of the
engagement. Maj. Johnston then took command and led the regiment
gallantly through the fight.

Three stands of colors were captured from the enemy; one was
presented by Maj. Johnston to Gen. Hardee upon the field, the other
two were thoughtlessly torn up by the men and taken as mementos of
the battle.

The officers, most of them, bore themselves gallantly upon the field.
Capt. Pierre D. Costello and Lieuts. P. H. Smith and Thomas G. Slaughter
deserve especial mention. Sergeant Scofield captured two flags, and
Private Vann was the first at a battery, and took the color-bearer's
horse. Numbers of such incidents might be mentioned if necessary, but
all did well. A noble rivalry existed as to who should do most, and the
whole brigade acquitted themselves as men should who were fighting for
their homes and firesides.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. Q. LOOMIS,
Col., Twenty-fifth Alabama Regt., Provisional Army.

Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 10. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 10

***********************************************************************************

Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Col. George D. Johnston, Twenty-fifth Alabama
Infantry.

HDQRS. TWENTY-FIFTH ALABAMA REGT.,
In Front of Chattanooga, Tenn., October 6, 1863.

SIR:I have the honor to submit the following as my report of the
part borne by the Twenty-fifth Alabama Regt. in the battle of
Chickamauga:

The regiment went into the engagement with the brigade (Gen.
Deas') of which it is a part, continued in its place with the same
during the entire action, bearing its share of the duty and danger.

It bore itself to my satisfaction. Where there was such general
good conduct, with but few exceptions, it is hard to discriminate
and particularize. I shall refrain from it.

The regiment carried into the engagement about 330
officers and men. Its loss was: Killed, 1 officer, 14 men;
wounded, 5 officers, 90 men; missing, 2 men. Total killed,
wounded, and missing, 6 officers, 106 men.

Very respectfully,

GEO. D. JOHNSTON,
Col., Comdg. Regt.

Capt. E. F. TRAVIS,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 337-51 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII.
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]

**************************************************************************************

Report of Capt. Napoleon B. Rouse, Twenty-fifth Alabama Infantry,
of operations July 22 and 28.

IN THE FIELD, August 1, 1864.
CAPT.: On the 22d [July] the regiment with the brigade upon
the front line advanced to the attack, with orders to keep the left flank
within twenty paces of the railroad (Augusta), but owing to buildings,
impassable fences, and slight curves of the road, when the regiment
arrived at the breast-works of the picket reserve of the enemy
the left was about 150 yards from the railroad. The works were
carried at a heavy loss to the left wing of the regiment, as there
were no troops between our left and the railroad, and the fire received
being both from the front and oblique. Two elegant stand
of colors and a large number of prisoners captured. The regiment
continued the advance some distance farther and halted, reformed,
and [was] placed in the second line with the balance of the brigade.
It then advanced again and assisted in carrying the second line of
works.

Carried into the fight, 273 men. Killed, wounded, and missing,
113, including 2 color-bearers.

On the 28th the regiment with the brigade having commenced
the advance, after passing the road in its front and getting into the
field beyond the road, was halted, lines rectified, and again moved
forward. With the exception of the two left companies, the regiment
had to advance through dense woods and undergrowth almost
an abatis by nature. It succeeded in getting within about fifty or
sixty yards of the enemy's works, when the left commenced giving
way, and a general giving way of the lines commenced in some confusion.
The regiment was reformed with the brigade as soon as
could be done, and went forward with the brigade, taking part in
all that the rest of the brigade was ordered to do.

Carried into the fight, 173 men. Killed, wounded, and missing,
23, including 2 color-bearers.

N. B. ROUSE,
Capt., Cmdg. Regt.

Capt. R. H. WILLIAMS,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. L.] REPORTS, ETC.--CONFEDERATE. PAGE 778-74
 
I notice that his witness is H Wise - do you know who that would be?

It does seem definite he served with the 53rd, and there could be all kinds of odd reasons for brief service with the 25th as stated on the enumeration.
 
I notice that his witness is H Wise - do you know who that would be?

It does seem definite he served with the 53rd, and there could be all kinds of odd reasons for brief service with the 25th as stated on the enumeration.

H Wise would probably be his brother Herron Wise. He was also in company H of the 53rd.
 
One possibility is suggested by the fact that his wife on the pension states she doesn't know his name or regiment. Maybe she answered the census taker wrong. I've also seen a case of a scout who was carrying false papers, and a picket who wasn't with his regiment when they surrendered so he surrendered with a different one. People's records can end up in strange places.
 
Pulling on another thread with Josiah Wise if I can (my ancestry.com account is not currently subscribed) would someone have a moment to check on Ancestry for Josiah Wise's wife, my 3rd gen great-grandmother Nancy Davis Wise (1826-1882). I found some other Davis' in the cemetery there where many Wise family members are buried. I'm thinking some of them might have served but I would need to know who her father was and if she had any brothers. If she did they may have been old enough to serve. No hurry on this, I know that is a little more research involved with that. I just haven't gotten any info on her in my past research.
 
Well to further the mystery on this. I found Josiah Wise in the Alabama Archives and they have him with the 25th Alabama. Could be that is coming from the other pension form I posted above but it also has muster date etc.

Josiah Wise2.JPG
 
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