Couple Mississippi officers

[Stryker65]

I've been looking into the consolidation of Gholson's Cavalry Brigade in March, 1865, and found a few officers in the new regiment (11th Mississippi Cavalry (Ashcraft's)) that don't seem to come from any of the three regiments consolidated (Ashcraft's, Ham's, and Lowry's).

These officers are:
- Lucius Herndon (became Adjt. of new regiment) (maybe Lucien Herndon, 1st Sgt. of K, Pinson's 1st Mississippi Cavalry?)
- William H. Hill (became 1st Lt. Company A of new regiment)
- John Coffeewood (became 2nd Lt. Company D of new regiment)
- Charles S. Morton (became 1st Lt. Company F of new regiment)
- W. H. Keyes (became 2nd Lt. Company F of new regiment)
- John R. Gillelyn (became 1st Lt. Company K of new regiment)

It's entirely possible that some of these men didn't actually come from those three regiments -- the Captain of company A came from the 9th Mississippi Sharpshooters, for instance -- but there's no record of them in the Mississippi cavalry database as anything other than their ranks in the consolidated regiment.

 

[lupaglupa]

Your instincts were good with Lucien Herndon. His CMSR card for the 1st Cavalry says "See also Ashcroft's Regt. 11th (Consold.) Miss. Cav."

There is a W H Hill in the 5th MS Cavalry. There is also a William H Hill in Smyth's company of partisan rangers. I did not find a Mississippi pension for a William Hill.

The Confederate officers card for Coffeewood says it's likely Coopwood and that's what I found with the 11th. His CMSR card for the 10th Cavalry says to see also the 9th and the 17th Battalion (Sanders) Tenn Cav. Busy guy. It looks like from the notes he was moved through a few consolidations. He's from Chickasaw County. I did not find a pension.

Charles S Morton seems to be the Charles Smith Morton who fought in the 14th MS Infantry. He is listed in one record as switched into Ashcroft's Cavalry. He also escaped from Camp Douglas. He died in 1867. If my quick read of his records are correct he was a Yale graduate.

 

[Stryker65]

There is a W H Hill in the 5th MS Cavalry. There is also a William H Hill in Smyth's company of partisan rangers. I did not find a Mississippi pension for a William Hill.

The 5th MS Cavalry one -- is there a company listing? As long as it isn't E, H, or K, it is very plausible it's that one.

The Confederate officers card for Coffeewood says it's likely Coopwood and that's what I found with the 11th. His CMSR card for the 10th Cavalry says to see also the 9th and the 17th Battalion (Sanders) Tenn Cav. Busy guy. It looks like from the notes he was moved through a few consolidations. He's from Chickasaw County. I did not find a pension.

Probably 9th Cavalry, then, since that one was in the department at the time, and I don't believe the 10th was.

Charles S Morton seems to be the Charles Smith Morton who fought in the 14th MS Infantry. He is listed in one record as switched into Ashcroft's Cavalry. He also escaped from Camp Douglas. He died in 1867. If my quick read of his records are correct he was a Yale graduate.

Will put down. Thanks!

 

[lupaglupa]

There is a W H Keyes in Davenport's Battalion (State Troops) MS Cavalry. He enlisted 1863 in Tishomingo County. That company switched into the 6th MS Cavalry where his name is given as William. He appears to have died in 1915 and is buried in Tupelo.

 

[lupaglupa]

W. H. Hill is Co E in the 5th cavalry. There's a hard to read letter in there about his father trying to get him transferred, seemingly into Smyth's rangers where the father is already serving. I think. It's a bit confusing.

 

[lupaglupa]

John R Gilleylen appears to have been in the 2nd battalion (Harris's) MS Cavalry and the 11th MS Infantry.

 

[Stryker65]

W. H. Hill is Co E in the 5th cavalry. There's a hard to read letter in there about his father trying to get him transferred, seemingly into Smyth's rangers where the father is already serving. I think. It's a bit confusing.

The problem with Company E of the 5th Cavalry is that it was consolidated with the 18th MS Cavalry Battalion into "Chalmers's Mississippi Cavalry." I would not think Hill would be transferred away from his company, considering that it was commanded by only a second lieutenant.

John R Gilleylen appears to have been in the 2nd battalion (Harris's) MS Cavalry and the 11th MS Infantry.

Harris's Battalion got consolidated a while back into Ashcraft's Battalion, with companies A, B, and C of Harris's becoming B, C, and I of Ashcraft's. But since Gillelyn's company in the Consolidated Regiment is composed of Lowry's Regiment men, I can only suppose Lowry's regiment didn't have enough officers, so he was transferred over?

 

[lupaglupa]

The problem with Company E of the 5th Cavalry is that it was consolidated with the 18th MS Cavalry Battalion into "Chalmers's Mississippi Cavalry." I would not think Hill would be transferred away from his company, considering that it was commanded by only a second lieutenant.

Harris's Battalion got consolidated a while back into Ashcraft's Battalion, with companies A, B, and C of Harris's becoming B, C, and I of Ashcraft's. But since Gillelyn's company in the Consolidated Regiment is composed of Lowry's Regiment men, I can only suppose Lowry's regiment didn't have enough officers, so he was transferred over?

Let me try and read the letter. If Hill's daddy was important and had pull that may have overcome other considerations.

 

[lupaglupa]

I'm going to backtrack on W H Hill. There is a W H Hill in Ham's Regiment. He starts out in Co H of the 1st Mississippi State Cavalry, which becomes Co. H of Ham's Regiment. He's a 25-year-old farmer born in Tennessee at enlistment, which takes place in Richmond, January of 1864. There was at that time a Richmond in Itawamba County, Mississippi (this is really close to where one branch of my family is from). A second card says they were mustered in Confederate service at Tupelo, which is just up the road from Richmond. Hill's last appearance on a muster roll with Ham's Regiment is either April or May, 1864.

A William H Hill of this age, born in Tennessee, lives in or near Tupelo through the 1910 Census. He's tombstone has been photographed but there's no death date.

 

[Stryker65]

These are all lieutenants? Or sergeants?

 

[lupaglupa]

If I remember correctly both Hills were privates.

 

[Stryker65]

It isn't unreasonable, though, for privates to become lieutenants, especially in the end-of-war consolidations. Two other privates from Ham's and Lowry's regiments, respectively, became lieutenants, so I'm guessing it might be that W. H. Hill in Ham's regiment.

 

[lupaglupa]

I did not find a pension to back it up, sadly.

 

[Stryker65]

As part of my search, I came across this parole, but I can't read either of the names--can anyone read them?

 

[lupaglupa]

J H Jones Lt Col?
Can't read the one before Colonel CSA
Henry Bertram looks like the Col 20th Wisconsin

 

[Stryker65]

Thanks! It's one of the paroles for Forrest's Cavalry Corps, and I think LTC Jones is the commander of one of the consolidated regiments -- the 3rd/14th/38th Cavalry. Means the Colonel's either H. H. Barksdale or Preston Brent.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Means the Colonel's either H. H. Barksdale or Preston Brent.

The Confederate Colonel's signature shown at the bottom of the parole document displayed above does not appear to read like that of 'Barksdale' or 'Brent'. Nor does it appear to match one of the officers found in the consolidated 3/14/38 MS Cavalry.

It might be the signature of a non-aligned Colonel staff officer (in an administrative role), not belonging to one of these particular units.

 

[lupaglupa]

I agree with @Nathan Stuart that it doesn't match either of those names. Maybe W H Miles?

 

[Stryker65]

The Confederate Colonel's signature shown at the bottom of the parole document displayed above does not appear to read like that of 'Barksdale' or 'Brent'. Nor does it appear to match one of the officers found in the consolidated 3/14/38 MS Cavalry.

It might be the signature of a non-aligned Colonel staff officer (in an administrative role), not belonging to one of these particular units.

I agree with @Nathan Stuart that it doesn't match either of those names. Maybe W H Miles?

You're right. It's probably whoever was the Confederate surrender commissioner, that seems to be the title at the end of the line.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I agree with @Nathan Stuart that it doesn't match either of those names. Maybe W H Miles?

It's probably whoever was the Confederate surrender commissioner, that seems to be the title at the end of the line.

Thought the suggested 'C. W. Miles' is a remote possibility.

This particular Confederate officer seems to have been serving in a designated official capacity (at the time) as some type of appointed 'surrender/receiving commissioner', jointly with Union Col. Bertram.

From a non-exhaustive list of Confederate staff officers serving during the war ( http://csatrainmen.com/PDF/CSA_StaffOfficers.pdf @ p. 114), only found the following two entries with the 'Miles' last name:-

Capt. E. L. Miles
Col. W. Porcher Miles

But the initials of both of the above pair of names don't appear to fit with the signature characters.