Andersonh1's Civil War Ancestry

Andersonh1

Brigadier General
Moderator
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Location
South Carolina
I've found three ancestors who fought as Confederates so far. Two were from NC, and one was from SC. There are probably more that will turn up as I continue my research! Sometimes there's a bit of conflicting information when it comes to dates, but hopefully the information is generally accurate.

Andrew Madison Williams was born on December 8, 1836.
My GGG Grandfather through my grandmother on my dad's side of the family. He would have been from her grandfather's (Williams) side. His grandfather was a cannoneer in the Revolutionary War.

  • Resided in Davidson County and was by occupation a farmer prior to being conscripted into the Confederate army in Rowan County at age 25, on October 10, 1862 for the war.
  • was a Private, Company B, Fifty-seventh Regiment North Carolina Infantry, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • Wounded in the left hand at Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13. Andrew was admitted for a gunshot wound to hand then furloughed between 15 Dec 1862 and 30 Dec 1862 at Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 in Richmond
  • Furloughed for 40 days on or about December 30, 1862
  • reported absent without leave on May 1, 1863.
  • Reported under arrest for desertion, in November-December, 1863.
  • Returned to duty prior to May 1, 1864
  • North Carolina pension records indicate that he was wounded in the head by a piece of shell at Lynchburg, Virginia on an unspecified date
  • Captured at Winchester, Virginia, September 19, 1864
  • Confined at Point Lookout as a POW, St Marys County Maryland, September 27, 1864.
  • Andrew paroled and released at Point Lookout on May 14, 1865 after taking oath of allegiance. on 14 May 1865 at Point Lookout
  • He lived in Holtsburg, North Carolina
  • He died on 28 Jan 1922 at the age of 85 in Tyro, Davidson County, North Carolina.1 Andrew was buried on 29 Jan 1922 at Pine Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina.1

North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster, Vol.XIV Infantry, 57-58th, 60th 61st Regiments, Page 122.
Sources: 2. Compiled service records of Conf ederate soldiers f rom North Carolina units, micropublication M270, 580 rolls (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), ), roll 15502, cards for Andrew Madison Williams, Private, Company B, Fifty-seventh Regiment North Carolina Infantry.

William Franklin "Grandpa Billy" Owen Sr
My GGG Grandfather through my grandmother on my dad's side of the family. He would have been from her grandmother's (Owen) side.
wb8ha0.jpg


  • Enlisted in Rowan County at age 22, March 6, 1862
  • He mustered into his unit on 18 Mar 1862 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • He enlisted as a Second Corporal with Captain Charles W. Bradshaw's Company A, Forty-second Regiment North Carolina Infantry on 10 May 1862 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • Captain Charles W. Bradshaw enlisted William, paid him $50 bounty for signing for 3 years or duration of the War.
  • Promoted to 1st Sergeant in January-February, 1863
  • On detached service between Mar 1863 and Apr 1863.
  • Hospitalized with chronic diarrhea between 1 Oct 1864 and 25 Nov 1864 at General Hospital Camp Winder, Second Division in Richmond, Richmond (City), Virginia.
  • Present or accounted for through November 15, 1864
  • He surrendered on 10 May 1865 in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina
  • Paroled at Greensboro on May 10, 1865.

North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster, Vol. X, 38th-39th, 42nd-44th Regiments, page 202.
Records of Conf ederate soldiers f rom North Carolina, micropublication M270, roll 0424, cards for William Franklin Owen, 2 Cpl, Co. A, 42nd Rgm't NC Inf.


Thomas F. Barton
My GGG Grandfather through my grandfather on my mom's side of the family. Thomas would have been his mother's grandfather, since she was a Barton before she married into the Bishop family. Clara Barton is a distant relative, though we haven't established the exact relationship. Thomas Barton's grandfather was a 2nd lieutenant in the Revolutionary War.

  • Male 1832 - 1906
  • CSA. Enlisted on 24 Nov 1862. at Greenville, South Carolina. Served in the 3rd South Carolina State Troops from June 1862 to Jan. 1863.
  • Enlisted on 11 Sept 1863 in Columbia, South Carolina. Served Companies D & G as a Private in the 16th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry.

- Cited in Barton Roll of Honor, compiled by Carl James Barton, first ed. 2001
REF: CMSR_CW717 & 820, 16th South Carolina Infantry records & Ronnie Bagwell pg.369(BART385)
 

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I only really became interested in family history after my father died, about five years ago. The picture of William Owen was one that my aunt had in her photo albums the whole time, and when I started asking her about family pictures, this was the first one in the album. "The oldest family picture we have" is how she described it to me. I've been scanning and cleaning up old family pictures in Photoshop for years now, and trying to share them with anyone in my family who wants them. It's so much easier now with digital photos than it would have been years ago.

I've had plenty of help with identifying the type of uniform here on this thread: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/need-help-identifying-a-uniform.121052/

And there have been some theories as to how a NC native would have a SC belt buckle, but I don't know that I'll ever know for sure.
 
I've got three 3rd great uncles that were in the 42nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment:

Pvt. James F. Coble (Company C, 42nd North Carolina Infantry, Army of Northern Virgnina)

Pvt. William M. Coble (Company C, 42nd North Carolina Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia)

Pvt. David Coble (Company C, 42nd North Carolina Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia)
 
Thomas Barton was in the 16th SC Volunteer Infantry, and I found some muster rolls on Fold 3 today. I was looking up the history of the unit, and during the time he was a member, the army was in Tennessee and then Georgia opposing Sherman. My wife, who is originally from Ohio, had a GGG Grandfather who fought under Sherman, so we had family shooting at each other 150 years ago. :D

Eventually the unit ended up under Hood, so Thomas Barton was lucky to survive in my opinion, the way Hood killed so much of his army in those ill-judged attacks. He ended up in a St. Mary's hospital in Missippi in January of 65, from a "V I", which I think is a "Vulnus Incisum", a wound caused by a cut. Anyone familiar with the abbreviation who can confirm that? He lived through the war, dying in 1906. He's distantly related to Clara Barton, though they're in different branches of the Barton family tree, so it's very, very distant. It's still a nice link to have to a historical figure though.
 
I've found three ancestors who fought as Confederates so far. Two were from NC, and one was from SC. There are probably more that will turn up as I continue my research! Sometimes there's a bit of conflicting information when it comes to dates, but hopefully the information is generally accurate.

Andrew Madison Williams was born on December 8, 1836.
My GGG Grandfather through my grandmother on my dad's side of the family. He would have been from her grandfather's (Williams) side. His grandfather was a cannoneer in the Revolutionary War.

  • Resided in Davidson County and was by occupation a farmer prior to enlisting in Rowan County at age 25, on October 10, 1862 for the war.
  • enlisted as a Private, Company B, Fifty-seventh Regiment North Carolina Infantry on 4 Jul 1862 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • Wounded in the left hand at Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13. Andrew was admitted for a gunshot wound to hand then furloughed between 15 Dec 1862 and 30 Dec 1862 at Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 in Richmond
  • Furloughed for 40 days on or about December 30, 1862
  • reported absent without leave on May 1, 1863.
  • Reported under arrest for desertion, in November-December, 1863.
  • Returned to duty prior to May 1, 1864
  • North Carolina pension records indicate that he was wounded in the head by a piece of shell at Lynchburg, Virginia on an unspecified date
  • Captured at Winchester, Virginia, September 19, 1864
  • Confined at Point Lookout as a POW, St Marys County Maryland, September 27, 1864.
  • Andrew paroled and released at Point Lookout on May 14, 1865 after taking oath of allegiance. on 14 May 1865 at Point Lookout
  • He lived in Holtsburg, North Carolina
  • He died on 28 Jan 1922 at the age of 85 in Tyro, Davidson County, North Carolina.1 Andrew was buried on 29 Jan 1922 at Pine Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina.1

North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster, Vol.XIV Infantry, 57-58th, 60th 61st Regiments, Page 122.
Sources: 2. Compiled service records of Conf ederate soldiers f rom North Carolina units, micropublication M270, 580 rolls (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), ), roll 15502, cards for Andrew Madison Williams, Private, Company B, Fifty-seventh Regiment North Carolina Infantry.

William Franklin "Grandpa Billy" Owen Sr
My GGG Grandfather through my grandmother on my dad's side of the family. He would have been from her grandmother's (Owen) side.
wb8ha0.jpg


  • Enlisted in Rowan County at age 22, March 6, 1862
  • He mustered into his unit on 18 Mar 1862 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • He enlisted as a Second Corporal with Captain Charles W. Bradshaw's Company A, Forty-second Regiment North Carolina Infantry on 10 May 1862 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
  • Captain Charles W. Bradshaw enlisted William, paid him $50 bounty for signing for 3 years or duration of the War.
  • Promoted to 1st Sergeant in January-February, 1863
  • On detached service between Mar 1863 and Apr 1863.
  • Hospitalized with chronic diarrhea between 1 Oct 1864 and 25 Nov 1864 at General Hospital Camp Winder, Second Division in Richmond, Richmond (City), Virginia.
  • Present or accounted for through November 15, 1864
  • He surrendered on 10 May 1865 in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina
  • Paroled at Greensboro on May 10, 1865.

North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster, Vol. X, 38th-39th, 42nd-44th Regiments, page 202.
Records of Conf ederate soldiers f rom North Carolina, micropublication M270, roll 0424, cards for William Franklin Owen, 2 Cpl, Co. A, 42nd Rgm't NC Inf.


Thomas F. Barton
My GGG Grandfather through my grandfather on my mom's side of the family. Thomas would have been his mother's grandfather, since she was a Barton before she married into the Bishop family. Clara Barton is a distant relative, though we haven't established the exact relationship. Thomas Barton's grandfather was a 2nd lieutenant in the Revolutionary War.

  • Male 1832 - 1906
  • CSA. Enlisted on 24 Nov 1862. at Greenville, South Carolina. Served in the 3rd South Carolina State Troops from June 1862 to Jan. 1863.
  • Enlisted on 11 Sept 1863 in Columbia, South Carolina. Served Companies D & G as a Private in the 16th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry.

- Cited in Barton Roll of Honor, compiled by Carl James Barton, first ed. 2001
REF: CMSR_CW717 & 820, 16th South Carolina Infantry records & Ronnie Bagwell pg.369(BART385)

Thanks for sharing! Wonderful picture.
 
It finally occurred to me to look up what happened on the date that Andrew Williams was captured, and it turns out that in Winchester, Virginia on the 19th of September, the 3rd Battle of Winchester between Sheridan's Union army and Jubal Early's Confederate army was going on. The 57th NC was there that day, under General Ramseur's Division, Godwin's brigade. So the circumstances would seem to be clear. Early's army lost the battle that day, and my GGG Grandfather ended up among the prisoners taken by the Union Army.
 
This was a nice find from Ancestry.com, giving me quite a bit of information about Andrew Williams that I didn't have. It also gives me a nice little anecdote about his time as a soldier, as well as revealing that he was conscripted. I note that the article makes no mention of him being AWOL. :smile:
25urtsj.jpg


My 39 year-old father of seven, 2 x paternal great-grandfather, was a conscript from Wilkes County, NC. He arrived in Virginia. just before the Overland Campaign. He was captured on April 2, 1865 and spent about three months at Hart's Island in NY.
 
This was a nice find from Ancestry.com, giving me quite a bit of information about Andrew Williams that I didn't have. It also gives me a nice little anecdote about his time as a soldier, as well as revealing that he was conscripted. I note that the article makes no mention of him being AWOL. :smile:
25urtsj.jpg




My 39 year-old father of seven, 2 x paternal great-grandfather, was a conscript from Wilkes County, NC. He arrived in Virginia. just before the Overland Campaign. He was captured on April 2, 1865 and spent about three months at Hart's Island in NY.
 
I've found three ancestors who fought as Confederates so far. Two were from NC, and one was from SC. There are probably more that will turn up as I continue my research! Sometimes there's a bit of conflicting information when it comes to dates, but hopefully the information is generally accurate.
What I have found is that if you find one Confederate, you will find a whole bunch of others. Everyone's brother, cousin, or in-law of a certain age, was gonna be in the fight.
 
What I have found is that if you find one Confederate, you will find a whole bunch of others. Everyone's brother, cousin, or in-law of a certain age, was gonna be in the fight.

It could well be. So far I've mainly been trying to research direct ancestors and haven't branched off into brothers, cousins, uncles, etc., but I will probably get to that at some point down the road.
 
I've found another. Burgess Seth Strange, who according to his granddaughter, was wounded while in the Confederate Army. And the relative who wrote this had also established DAR membership, so I've got one line established with records all the way back to the revolutionary war, which is a nice bonus!

Strange letter002.jpg


Here's his Find a Grave page: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15917220/burgess-seth-strange

Burgess and Sarah Strange.jpg
He was a Civil War soldier. Burgess resided in Davidson County and was by occupation a farmer prior to enlisting in Company I (Lexington Wild Cats), 14th North Carolina infantry in Davidson County at the age of 20 on May 14, 1861. He mustered in as Private and was promoted to Corporal on September 12, 1861. He was promoted to Sergeant on April 25, 1862. He was present or accounted for until wounded at Malvern Hill, Virginia on or about July 1, 1862. He rejoined the company in January-February 1863 and was present or accounted for through August 1864. He was reduced to ranks prior to April 9, 1865 when he was paroled at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.​
This looks like him on the soldiers and sailors database: https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId

Strange, Burgess S.


SIDE:Confederacy​
COMPANY:I​
SOLDIER'S RANK IN Private​
SOLDIER'S RANK OUT Private​
FILM NUMBER:M230 ROLL 37​
PLAQUE NUMBER:​
NOTES:Battle Unit Note - (Formerly 4 North Carolina Infantry Vols.)​
 
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It could well be. So far I've mainly been trying to research direct ancestors and haven't branched off into brothers, cousins, uncles, etc., but I will probably get to that at some point down the road.

Nice work. When you do get around to branching off, the results might make for a booklet - the sort you buy at battlefield gift stores.
 
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