Bruce Vail
Captain
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2015
I've seen marginally smaller numbers reported elsewhere for the 3rd NC Infantry. That unit had ceased to be an effective regiment since the May 12, 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania when it (as part of Steuart's Brigade, Allegheny Johnson's Division) had nearly been wiped out. Since that disaster, the much-reduced unit, now the size of a mere company, had done hard duty against Sheridan in the fall '64 Shenandoah Valley campaign, but had been recovering and re-fitting in winter camp just north of Petersburg.
The Yankees had again damaged the small "regiment" in the fighting at Fort Steadman and at Sayler's Creek before the last day at Appomatox. The unit commander, a young man named Willie Parsley, had been killed at Sayler's Creek in one of the regiment's last battlefield casualties.
Missing in the reported numbers of the 3rd NC at this final stage of the war was my relative and avatar, Lt. George W. Ward. He had received a "leave of indulgence" to go home to NC in February and never repoted back for duty. I've never been able to learn whether he deserted or whether he simply was unable to obtain transportation back to his unit in those chaotic last days of the war. In any event, he survived the war, got married to a young woman who lived nearby, and had eight children before succumbing to heat prostration while fighting a forest fire. So, according to my lights, he was an active member of the unit at the surrender whose name was never recorded as such.
The Yankees had again damaged the small "regiment" in the fighting at Fort Steadman and at Sayler's Creek before the last day at Appomatox. The unit commander, a young man named Willie Parsley, had been killed at Sayler's Creek in one of the regiment's last battlefield casualties.
Missing in the reported numbers of the 3rd NC at this final stage of the war was my relative and avatar, Lt. George W. Ward. He had received a "leave of indulgence" to go home to NC in February and never repoted back for duty. I've never been able to learn whether he deserted or whether he simply was unable to obtain transportation back to his unit in those chaotic last days of the war. In any event, he survived the war, got married to a young woman who lived nearby, and had eight children before succumbing to heat prostration while fighting a forest fire. So, according to my lights, he was an active member of the unit at the surrender whose name was never recorded as such.