Children & Grandchildren of the Civil War : My Heritage of Blue & Gray

Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Location
Kingsport, Tennessee
Henry C. Blakely.jpg
Sarah Elizabeth Carroll.jpg


Pictured are Mr.& Mrs Henry and Sarah Carroll Blakely of Sullivan County, Tennessee, their children, and grandchildren. Photo taken about Sept.1919. They were married on March 6, 1880. Henry was born Dec.22, 1856. Sarah on Nov.5, 1855. My paternal grandmother Annie Blakely Land was their youngest child born in 1894. I suspect the photos were made as part of an early celebration of their upcoming 40th wedding anniversary. Two of their sons had migrated to Iowa as young men and are in the family photo. My grandmother is the pretty dark-haired lady in the dark dress in the center of the photo, between her mom & dad, holding my aunt Clara. My aunt Louise is standing next to her grandpa Blakely.

On Sept.22, 1863 in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Henry's father, Jackson Blakely enlisted in Co.G 8th Tenn Union Cavalry. On Sept.25th in Knoxville, Tenn Sarah's father, James William Carroll enlisted in Co.F of the same regiment. Not quite 3 weeks later in a severe skirmish at Zollicoffer, Tenn elements of the Union 8th Tenn Cav were routed by Confederates. There are no after-battle reports in the OR, only this account by the Kentucky Confederate, Edward O. Guerrant : http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11638042

October 19, 1863 - Skirmish at Zollicoffer ( Bluff City, Tn. )
The account of a Confederate staff officer
With a mournful pen I record the death of Lt. Col. Bottles, who was killed
yesterday in a fight below Zollicoffer. He was a Lt. Col. of one of the
Vicksburg Reg[iment]'ts, had me up a Batt'n of East Tennessee troops & been
serving as commandant of scouts, pickets, &c. was invaluable to us in East
Tenn.-as he was thoroughly acquainted with the country, & was a brave &
dashing officer. He was acting in conjunction with Lt. Col. Witcher & overtook
a Reg[iment]'t of the enemy 11/2 miles below Zollicoffer. In a charge upon
them Col Bottles was shot from his horse while leading his battalion. The ball
entered his right lung & he lived but two hours. We routed the Yankees, killed
& captured 57. We lost but two. . .


Two of the captured Tennessee Yankee Volunteers were Henry & Sarah's fathers. They were imprisoned at Danville, Va. Private Carroll died that December. Private Blakely was reportedly shot while attempting escape on or about April 14, 1864. This true story related to me as a young boy in the 1950's, no doubt helped spark my interest in our nation's great tragedy of the mid-19th century.

Henry & Sarah Carroll Blakely Family.jpg
 
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James Linville and Cynthia Cox Land with their children.jpg


Pictured here are my paternal great-grandparents. James Linville & Cynthia Cox Land of Washington County, Tennessee and their children. My grandfather, their youngest, George Land is standing 2nd from the left ( back row. ) Photo was probably taken on their Golden Wedding Anniversary, June 26, 1922. Their oldest son, John David Land, on the far right, had come in from Missouri. Linville came to east Tennessee shortly after being counted in the 1870 census of Wilkes County, NC. He was born Feb.17, 1851, the first child of David Land and Rebecca Knight. Cynthia was born Feb.26, 1849 in Washington County, Tenn. She was the 2nd child and oldest daughter of John Wesley and Sarah Carroll Cox of Washington County, Tennessee. Linville and Cynthia both had numerous Confederate relatives. I've posted in the past about several of them, especially Linville's father, my great-great grandpa, David Land.

Three days short of Linville's 13th birthday, David reported for duty at Camp Vance, Morganton, NC. He was a 39 year-old conscript, father of seven. Arriving in Virginia about the same time as a Yankee named Grant, he took his place in the ranks as a member of Co I 13th NC Infantry, Hill's Corps, Scales Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. He served till captured April 2,1865 during the Petersburg breakthrough. He was held till June 20, 1865 at Hart's Island, NY. I've often read about the fierce battles of the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg that David managed to survive. I've also wondered about my great-grandpa and his experiences in the mountains of North Carolina as the
" man of the house " in his father's absence while barely in his teens during those dangerous times !!!
James Linviliie Land & Melvin Whitaker.jpg


A younger Linville ( on the left ) with reportedly his favorite son-in-law, Baptist Minister, Melvin Whitaker whose family from east Tennessee fought for the Union !
 
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your family looks tall are they tall people? and are any of there houses still standing,?

Had a Land relative in NC over 7 feet tall. People who have researched a lot farther back then I have, believe we have Native American Blood. That's where the TALL comes from. My Dad was the runt in the litter he came out of. I'm probably 5' 10" maybe 11 "
 
oh my 7 foot holly cow!!!! what kind of Indian blood do you have??

Not sure, the Lands being from North Carolina, I'd guess Cherokee. You ask about the houses, The Land home place is still standing and occupied by renters. The " shell " of the Blakely place stands in the back yard of another relative. My grandma inherited the place after my grandpa was accidentally electrocuted on the job in 1926, just two months before my dad was born. She raised dad, an older son and two older daughters there. Never remarried. Her Union grandma had it built with her pension arrears. Took her the better part of the 1870's to get it ! Jackson's body was never recovered and a grave was never found. They probably left him lying where he fell as an example to others ! When dad's reserve unit was called up for six months at the outbreak of the Korean War, Mom and I lived there with grandma. I actually fell on the wet wooden floors and broke a leg in 1950 or 51.
 
Not sure, the Lands being from North Carolina, I'd guess Cherokee. You ask about the houses, The Land home place is still standing and occupied by renters. The " shell " of the Blakely place stands in the back yard of another relative. My grandma inherited the place after my grandpa was accidentally electrocuted on the job in 1926, just two months before my dad was born. She raised dad, an older son and two older daughters there. Never remarried. Her Union grandma had it built with her pension arrears. Took her the better part of the 1870's to get it ! Jackson's body was never recovered and a grave was never found. They probably left him lying where he fell as an example to others ! When dad's reserve unit was called up for six months at the outbreak of the Korean War, Mom and I lived there with grandma. I actually fell on the wet wooden floors and broke a leg in 1950 or 51.
wow E.T. that is amazing, your poor grandma how on earth did she mange to get by all alone? and the house is still going, have you ever gone and used a metal detector around the houses??? I bet you could dig up all sorts of stuff!!! One time I went back to Kansas,with a friend to his old farm house as a kid, thats still in the family, took my metal detector, and found 3 metal trucks he lost as a kid and an old corn husking thing, it was really cool!!!
 
Am addicted to these member stories, thanks for these. I'm hugely unsurprised, CL, that she was able to get on all by herself- bet you are too- admit it! :smile:

Do you folks have the whole, famous Scotch/Irish thing going, too? Just asking because we're all horses as well- grgrgrandfather 6'6, the shortie of the family was 6'4", their father was 6'10" ( I think )- and Scottish. I realize the ' Irish ' part of the sentence is the relevent part but have never been able to believe an entire group of one made it all the way through generations of living in the same place with the other and NO one er, became friendly!

Having said that ETR, have seen enough of your abilities with research to think if you say your familie's height comes from Native American inclusion, then it probably does. Has anyone in your family anywhere done the Ancestry DNA? It's hugely interesting, gee whiz! We had a ( @!!#! ) Greek Islands result, as in a good chunk so no room for error, it's at least THERE, come back, making me a little crazy at the moment. Have the tree back and sourced, not just through Ancestry, both sides, pretty darn far- no Greek islands. Well, one mystery line, on a grgrgrandfather's wife, suppose she wandered here inexplicably from there.

Please excuse the meandering on your thread- genuinely interested in other people's family stories, got me sidetracked..... :smile:
 
And has anyone noticed how FIT our Civil War ancestors remained? The elderly men, you see photos of them, erect mostly, maybe canes or sticks but still wearing their uniforms at 40 year reunions. Wish I could remember which Confederate unit it was someone posted for instance, all elderly, gray haired men- not ONE pot belly, it was astonishing- the GAR pics seem similar.
 
Well JPK no I guess Im not surprised she made it cause she had to be tough, I just dont know how you do with kids, ahhhh, Man I give that women all the credit in the world. And yes I have noticed how spry and fit these old timers are in there photos, I have jeans I cant even wear from last year let alone 40 years ago!!!!!! but then again my food groups are m&ms, coffee, potato chips, and ho hos.
 
My maternal great-grandmother, Mary Ann Simmons Cox of Sullivan County, Tennessee. ( 1861 - 1930 ) Oldest child and only daughter of Jackson C. Simmons and Sarah Jane Ratliff. Her father actually fought on both sides in the Civil War. As a Confederate in the 3rd Maryland Light Artillery, he served till surrendered and paroled at Vicksburg. He returned to Tennessee, deserted the Confederates, and on July 4, 1864, enlisted in the 90-day Union Regiment, 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry. Drawing a federal pension for his service.

Mary Simmons Cox.jpg


Mary's uncle, ( her mother's brother ) Union Lieutenant James Solomon Ratliff Companies D & I 8th Tennessee Cavalry. Photographed while still a Corporal. James brother, Robert died of disease while in the Confederate Army.

James Ratliff while a Union Corporal Co I 8th TN Cav.jpg


James Solomon Ratliff
 
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My maternal great-grandmother, Mary Ann Simmons Cox of Sullivan County, Tennessee. ( 1861 - 1930 ) Oldest child and only daughter of Jackson C. Simmons and Sarah Jane Ratliff. Her father actually fought on both sides in the Civil War. As a Confederate in the 3rd Maryland Light Artillery, he served till surrendered and paroled at Vicksburg. He returned to Tennessee, deserted the Confederates, and on July 4, 1864, enlisted in the 90-day Union Regiment, 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry. Drawing a federal pension for his service.

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Mary's uncle, ( her mother's brother ) Union Lieutenant James Solomon Ratliff Companies D & I 8th Tennessee Cavalry. Photographed while still a Corporal. James brother, Robert died of disease while in the Confederate Army. Another brother, Reuben, served in the Union 37th Ky Mounted Infantry.

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James Solomon Ratliff

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Reuben Ratliff working at his home in Kentucky. He appears to be wearing his Union army hat ?
OH awesome photos E.T. Love this one with the anvil, man OH wouldnt you just love to have that anvil???? you are sooooooo lucky to have photos!!!!! thanks for sharing !!
 
These are my Civil War relatives, paternal and maternal, who I've been fortunate to find a photo (or drawing from a photo) of, made during or at the beginning of the conflict. I've also been fortunate to find photos of other Veterans in their old age. 25 or more years of Civil War / genealogy research, and some extremely good luck !



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Maternal 2 x great grand uncle, James Solomon Ratliff, Union 2nd Lieutenant, Company I 8th Tn Cavalry.

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Married to a paternal 3 x 1st cousin, Lucinda Caroline Land, Confederate Private James Hagan Morrow, Company B 19th Tn Infantry

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Maternal 4 x removed 1st cousin, Union Captain Abraham Columbus Hulse, Company E 122nd Illinois Infantry. Native of east Tennessee. Migrated to Illinois in the 1850's. Pictured here as an early volunteer, or pre-war Militia.

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Confederate Private Alexander B. West, Company K 53rd NC Infantry. Wounded at Gettysburg, Killed at 3rd Winchester
Married to a paternal 4 x 1st cousin, Nancy Land.

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2 x removed paternal 2nd cousin, Union Captain Joseph Conette Gray, Company H 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry. Also saw service in the Union 2nd Tennessee Cavalry. Murdered by the "Kirkland Gang" January 15, 1865 at his home in Tennessee.

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Union Corporal Michael Hoppers, Company B 1st Arkansas Infantry. Stepson of a maternal 3 x great grand uncle.

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Confederate Private Lewis Millard Carlton, Company H 11th / 17th Arkansas Regiment paternal 4 x 1st cousin.

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Confederate Private Andrew Jackson "Horse " Dyson. 5th NC Senior Reserves. Married a paternal 4 x 1st cousin.

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Confederate Dewitt Smith Jobe. 20th Tennessee Infantry & The Coleman Scouts. Maternal 4 x 4th cousin. Awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor.

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Confederate Captain Robert Houston Isbell, Company D 1st Alabama Infantry. Paternal 4 x 2nd cousin. Mentioned in the OR : War Of The Rebellion: Serial 025 Page 0608 West Tenn. And Northern Miss. Chapter Xxix. "Colonel Shelby reports enemy's cavalry (300) at Tallahatchie Bridge. Skirmishing this morning. He fears that he cannot hold the bridge until night. I ordered Captain Isbell, with his battalion, to proceed to that point night before last, and he is about leaving." Captain Isbell was captured at the surrender of Port Hudson, La. July 9, 1863. He spent the remainder of the war a prisoner at Johnson's Island.


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Confederate Private Alfred Newton Proffit, Company D 18th NC Infantry. Only one of four brothers to survive the war. Their sister, Rhoda married my paternal 4 x 1st cousin, Reverend Linville Land. In addition to being a local Baptist Minister, Linville was also a local carpenter. He reportedly made the coffins for the infamous, Tom Dooley and his "alleged" victim, Laura Foster.
 
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