A mystery Semmes

[Story]

Found elsewhere on the interwebz and reposted with the permissions of the Original Poster.
BLUF - I suspect this may have been written by Charles W Semmes, 1st Sergeant Brander's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Letcher Artillery).

The letter and address block

Found by the OP in Temora (Ellicot City MD), while helping a friend clean out when he was a teenager in the 1970s (probably right before being placed on the historic register in 1976).

Temora (Ellicott City, Maryland) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The letter as transcribed by the OP.

"Fort McHenry July 10th, '63

My Dear Mother
I am a prisoner at this fort at present but expect to be sent to fort Delaware to-day. Should like very much to see you all but that is impossible. I was captured in the battle of the third day - at Gettysburgh (sic). Give my love to all at home. Your affect son G W Semmes (?)"

All I can make out of the address is

Semmes
or

Hartford Road,
Baltimore

I believe that signature is actually C(harles) W(orthington) Semmes, who was the 1SG for Brander's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Letcher Artillery) when they were at Gettysburg. Soldier Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Another source notes that "losses not reported in detail" for this unit when at Gettysburg.

If so, I believe he lived until July 6th, 1897 and was buried in Reisterstown, Baltimore County MD.
Charles Worthington Semmes (1834-1897) - Find a Grave Memorial

So -

Anyone make out the address, so we can figure out who his mother was?
Any obituaries for C W Semmes confirming service and captivity?
Any FOLD3 entries?
Any Brander's Artillery experts have a unit history or detailed roster?

Thanks for playing.​

 

[lupaglupa]

Mrs M P? T Semmes
or Mrs Melnor
Hartford Rd
Baltimore

1860 Census for Baltimore shoes a Mary J. T. Semmes, age 45, Robert Semmes 22, clerk. Mary owned property worth $8,000. The household also includes a young woman with three children, possibly a daughter and grandchildren.

The 1860 Census does give street addresses but says she lived in Baltimore City. I could not find a Hartford Rd on a current day map but that's not unusual. Street names change a lot.

I did not find a Mrs Melnor.

 

[Story]

I could not find a Hartford Rd on a current day map but that's not unusual. Street names change a lot.

Nice. Probably this cowpath

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Harford_Road

I suspect our man will puzzle into this (incomplete?) tree in some way.

Semmes Family (Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia)

The Semmes family was founded in America by Marmaduke Semme, who settled in southern Maryland before 1662. He was a carpenter by trade and had paid for his own passage to the New World. (Humphreys)…

uvastudents.wordpress.com

Note - if he died in captivity at Fort Delaware, he'd have been buried at Finn's Point most likely. No Semmes found

New Jersey Civil War Gravestones - All New Jersey

Memorials in Finn's Point National Cemetery - Find a Grave

The World’s largest gravesite collection. Contribute, create and discover gravesites from all over the world. Memorials in Finn's Point National Cemetery, a Find a Grave.

www.findagrave.com

 

[lupaglupa]

Fold3 has Charles W. Semmes captured July 5, 1863 at Gettysburg. He was transferred from Fort McHenry to Fort Delaware, arriving at Ft. Delaware July 7/12, 1863. Semmes was paroled May 18, 1865 at Richmond. Records say he was a former resident of Baltimore, MD. At the time of his capture he was 3rd Sgt. Letcher's Artillery of Virginia.

 

[Story]

Fold3 has Charles W. Semmes captured July 5, 1863 at Gettysburg. He was transferred from Fort McHenry to Fort Delaware, arriving at Ft. Delaware July 7/12, 1863. Semmes was paroled May 18, 1865 at Richmond. Records say he was a former resident of Baltimore, MD. At the time of his capture he was 3rd Sgt. Letcher's Artillery of Virginia.

Those sound like Federal PoW cards. Where there any cards for Brander's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Letcher Artillery)?

 

[lupaglupa]

Yes, all his cards are together. I was confirming the information in the letter. As I recall he enlisted at Richmond, VA.

 

[Tom Elmore]

If Semmes had been wounded, he likely would not be sent to Fort McHenry. That's where most of the Confederate doctors wound up. His service record also states that he was "detailed," so my guess is that he was left behind as a nurse for the wounded of his battery and taken prisoner in a Confederate field hospital on July 5, or alternatively, was tending to the wounded in the wagon train and captured on the night of July 4/5 or else on July 5. Two wounded men from his battery were captured with the wagon train near Greencastle, Pennsylvania on July 5.

 

[Story]

Thanks to @Sanderella, this passage from p. 167 of Peter Carmichael's "The Purcell, Crenshaw and Letcher Artillery".

"Semmes, Charles W."

"Resided in Baltimore County, Maryland before the war. Enlisted 2/17/62 at Richmond 3/62, listed as a corporal. 7/1/62, wounded slightly at Malvern Hill. 1/1/63, promoted to sergeant.

7/5/63, captured at Gettysburg. 9-10/63 absent without leave, must have been paroled or exchanged, but it is not stated when that occurred. He appears present on the records again for 11-12/63. 5/1865, took oath at Richmond.

In 1894, in Maryland Line Soldiers Home, Pikesville."


In 1888 Maryland's branch of the Society of the Army and Navy of the Confederate States, with the help of Maryland lawmakers who revered the Southern veterans, established a home for Southern soldiers at the site. The Society, which would not admit any deserters or "unworthy soldiers" to join its ranks, was formed in 1871 to "preserve the material for a truthful history of the late war between the Confederate States and the United States of America" and to honor those who had died in defense of the South and those Southern veterans who had come upon hard times (from the Confederate Veteran February 1893)."

Old Soldiers Home; Once a Proud Maryland Landmark

So much for kissing and making up in the Old Line State after the cannonade smoke had cleared.

www.the-chesapeake.com

 

[Story]

Two wounded men from his battery were captured with the wagon train near Greencastle, Pennsylvania on July 5.

Cool. Source?

 

[Story]

Since the OP is following along in his 50 yard line seat, should he want to slam-dunk nail things down (like getting our suspect's mother's name in writing), here's where it can be found -

The facility that became the Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home in Pikesville, Maryland dates back to 1818, when it was a Federal Arsenal. In 1888 it was converted into a residence for soldiers who served the Confederacy during the Civil War, remaining in operation until 1932. This collection contains items from the Home such as account books, admission applications, death records, visitors' registers, and receipt books.

Collection: Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home collection | Maryland Center for History and Culture

mdhistory.libraryhost.com

At the time of its opening, the Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home was a prominent feature of Pikesville, which otherwise had only two dozen houses. The population of the home reached 139 after the first five and a half years of operation. A place of special pride at the home was the relic room, where trophies and memorabilia were displayed along with portraits of Confederate military leaders including Harry Gilmor, Henry Little, Lloyd Tilghman, Isaac Trimble, William Murray, and Raphael Semmes.

Collection: Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers' Home photograph collection | Maryland Center for History and Culture

mdhistory.libraryhost.com

No hits in the VA Confederate Veteran pension applications here

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

archive.org

 

[R. Porter]

I can't really add much but here it is. If you look up the 1860 U.S. Census entry for Mary J.T. Semmes you get the following information. You may notice a number of people with the last name Milnoef. If you look at the address on the letter, it appears to be Mrs. M. J. T. Semmes or Mrs. Milnor. There are no initials for the second person listed so perhaps that person was not well known to the letter writer and he got the name wrong.



Mary J T Semmes
in the 1860 United States Federal Census

Name	Mary J T Semmes
Age	45
Birth Year	abt 1815
Gender	Female
Race	White
Birth Place	Maryland
Home in 1860	Baltimore Ward 8, Baltimore, Maryland
Post Office	Baltimore
Dwelling Number	2981
Family Number	3457
Real Estate Value	8000
Personal Estate Value	1500
Inferred Child	Robert Semmes
Household Members (Name) Age​ Mary Milnoef 6​ Lloyd Milnoef 4​ Kirkbride Milnoef 2​ Mary J T Semmes 45​ Robert Semmes 22​ Susan J Milnoef 23​

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The military stuff on Ancestry for C. W. Semmes:

Charles W Semmes
in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865

Name	Charles W Semmes
Enlistment Rank	Orderly Sergt
Muster Place	Maryland
Muster Company	C
Muster Regiment	13th Battn LA
Muster Regiment Type	Artillery
Muster Information	Enlisted
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	Yes
Residence Place	Baltimore, Maryland
Additional Notes	Member of Maryland Line Association.
Title	The Virginia Regimental Histories Series

Charles W Semmes
in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865

Name	Charles W Semmes
Enlistment Date	17 Feb 1862
Enlistment Place	Richmond, Virginia
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	17 Feb 1862
Muster Place	Maryland
Muster Regiment	Letcher LA
Muster Regiment Type	Artillery
Muster Information	Enlisted
Rank Change Date	15 Mar 1862
Rank Change Rank	Corpl
Rank Change Information	Estimated day
Imprisonment Date	5 Jul 1863
Imprisonment Place	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Imprisonment Information	Paroled or exchanged
Casualty Date	1 Jul 1862
Casualty Place	Malvern Hill, Virginia
Type of Casualty	Wounded
Casualty Information	Slightly wounded
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	Yes
Residence Place	Baltimore County, Maryland
Notes	1863-09-15 AWOL; 1863-11-15 Returned, Estimated day; 1865-05-18 Oath Allegiance, (Richmond, VA)
Additional Notes	Living in Maryland Line Soldier's Home, Pikesville, MD in 1894.
Additional Notes 2	Rank Change 2 Date: 01 Jan 1863; Rank Change 2 Rank: Sergeant;
Title	The Virginia Regimental Histories Series

Charles W. Semmes
in the U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865

Name	Charles W. Semmes
Side	Confederate
Regiment State/Origin	Virginia
Regiment	Brander's Company, Virginia Light Artillery (Letcher Artillery)
Rank In	Private
Rank Out	First Sergeant
Film Number	M382 roll 49

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Tom Elmore]

Cool. Source?

Source is Peter Carmichael's "The Purcell, Crenshaw and Letcher Artillery," The Virginia Regimental Histories Series:

5th Sergeant Benjamin K. Schaeffer (wounded), captured near Greencastle, Pennsylvania on July 5. (Also noted in his service records, Fold3).

Private Opie Staite, captured near Greencastle, Pennsylvania on July 5. (Also noted in his service records, Fold3).

Private Timothy Curran, wounded, captured on the retreat.

----

Wagons of CSA artillery batteries were among those attacked on July 5 near Greencastle during a raid by Federal cavalry.

From Ulric Dahlgren's memoir: July 5, attacked Jenkin's cavalry in Greencastle, attacked and destroyed 176 wagons, captured 200 prisoners and 300 horses, and one piece of artillery, which was retaken (from McClanahan's battery). Made our way to near Boonsboro.

From account of Frederic C. Newhall, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Pennsylvania at Gettysburg: Merritt gave Dahlgren 100 men from our own regiment, with Capt. Treichel of Company A in command, and Lts. Morrow, Whiteford, White and Herkness. Near Greencastle they came upon enemy's supply train, amply guarded by infantry, but Dahlgren ordered a charge. Lt. Herkness of our regiment was severely wounded and captured, with ten or more of the men. Treichel and others with him evaded capture.

Imboden, Battles and Leaders: The 18th Virginia Cavalry in advance, about a mile west of town when 30-40 citizens attacked the train with axes, cutting the spokes out of 10-12 wheels and dropping the wagons in the streets. Detachment sent back to deal with it, but Union cavalry began swarming. Imboden narrowly escaped capture by about 50 cavalrymen that he tried to drive off with a section of McClanahan's battery. Col. Imboden with the 18th came back and repulsed them.

 

[Story]

I can't really add much but here it is. If you look up the 1860 U.S. Census entry for Mary J.T. Semmes you get the following information. You may notice a number of people with the last name Milnoef. If you look at the address on the letter, it appears to be Mrs. M. J. T. Semmes or Mrs. Milnor. There are no initials for the second person listed so perhaps that person was not well known to the letter writer and he got the name wrong.

Good snag, but the other face of that coin is that the archives transcribers got the name wrong (something we've seen before around here before).

Susan J Milnoef 23 in 1860, so born @ 1837

Susan Johns Semmes Milnor
BIRTH 26 Dec 1832 Charles County, Maryland
DEATH 29 Apr 1904 (aged 71) District of Columbia <-anyone care to fish around for an Obit?

Susan Johns Semmes Milnor (1832-1904) - Find a...

Married John Nelson Lloyd Milnor in 1853. Mother of: Mary Worthington Milnor Griffith Lloyd Milnor Joseph Kirkbride Milnor

www.findagrave.com

1) She "point shaved" five years off her age for the Census taker would be my $20 bet (something else we've seen before around here before).

2) Susan was Mary J(ohns?) Semmes' sister/half-sister, living with her children under the same roof while her husband was elsewheres.

Per FindaGrave notes
Married John Nelson Lloyd Milnor in 1853.
Mother of:
Mary Worthington Milnor Griffith
Lloyd Milnor
Joseph Kirkbride Milnor

3) When we look for that there John Milnor, we find -

John Nelson Lloyd Milnor was a leading merchant of Baltimore. He married Susan Johns Semmes, whose first cousin was Raphael Semmes the Confederate Naval hero. He is the father of Lloyd Milnor (b. at Baltimore, April 6, 1856)
-Excerpt taken from 'The Successful American'

John Nelson Lloyd Milnor (1824-1873) - Find a...

John Nelson Lloyd Milnor was a leading merchant of Baltimore. He married Susan Johns Semmes, whose first cousin was Raphael Semmes the Confederate Naval hero. He is the father of Lloyd Milnor (b. at Baltimore, April 6, 1856) -Excerpt taken from 'The Successful American'

www.findagrave.com

So that'd make Sergeant Charles W Semmes, Brander's Company, Virginia Light Artillery the nephew of the famous Raphael Semmes, CSN.
USN bio https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/s/semmes-raphael.html

4) As good as the circumstantial evidence is at this point,

we still lack a positive connection that​

Charles W Semmes is the son of Susan John Semmes.​

Show me what ya got, CWTers.​

 

[lupaglupa]

7/5/63, captured at Gettysburg. 9-10/63 absent without leave, must have been paroled or exchanged, but it is not stated when that occurred. He appears present on the records again for 11-12/63. 5/1865, took oath at Richmond.

Fold3 has a page in Charles W Semmes file where he states "I was captured and imprisoned in Fort Delaware from which place I escaped."

 

[lupaglupa]

I could not find an obituary. Semmes does show up in Baltimore papers over the decades involved in various agricultural societies. In the 1870 Charles Semmes, age 38, is a farmer in Baltimore. His household includes one other person, Mary T., age 67.

 

[Story]

In the 1870 [Federal Census?] Charles Semmes, age 38, is a farmer in Baltimore. His household includes one other person, Mary T., age 67.

If Mary was 45 in 1860 and 67 in 1870, there's another example of point-shaving.

 

[Story]

Fold3 has a page in Charles W Semmes file where he states "I was captured and imprisoned in Fort Delaware from which place I escaped."

Is that one of the pension applications?

 

[lupaglupa]

Is that one of the pension applications?

No, oddly it's on an expenses form. I've never seen that before.

 

[Story]

If he took the Oath after becoming a prisoner, how did the Confederate Home folks look so kindly upon him?

Rhetorical, given his Uncle.

 

[Package4]

He is listed as the Adjutant of the Pikesville Soldier's Home in 1894, according to Dan Toomey's wonderful The Maryland Line Soldier's Home (2001) page 24.