Did your direct ancestor die in the war?

Of my 10 direct ancestors who fought in the the Civil War only one died during it... I am definitely fortunate they beat the odds overall.

The one who died has been a challenge to track down and confirm, in no small part due to his death. In the 1860 census he, his wife, and his young children are all living in Dawson Co., Georgia listed next to his father in-law, likely living on his land. By 1870 he and his wife were gone from records and their four children were split between the households of families.

Though it was never passed down to me directly I later discovered the story. That my ancestor, the youngest child of her parents, was born after her father died in the war and her mother died shortly thereafter leaving her an orphan at 7 days. That her father died in the battle of Manassas which is why she was named Nancy Manassas Thomas.

Everything I've found supports most of that story, her parents seemingly were both dead or gone by 1870 leaving their orphans divided amongst multiple family members. The two daughters living with their maternal grandmother, one son living with his paternal grandmother, and another son living with his paternal aunt.

Because of this it's not surprising details of his claimed service weren't passed down. I have found the most likely match in Confederate War records... a William C Thomas/W C Thomas who enlisted in Murray County, Georgia. Murray County was where his parents were living in 1860 and likely where he was before he was married. He enlisted in 1861 in the 11th Georgia Infantry regiment which missed the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run by 1 day. He was at the Second Battle of Manssas and survived, he also survived Antietam and Gettysburg. Unfortunately this W C Thomas which I believe is mine disappears in Virginia in early 1864... likely one of the unknown deaths by unknown cause or at least lost information.

In one of my first threads on this forum I posted my research into him and got some great help here:
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/wanted-william-c-thomas-11th-georgia-infantry-co-c.117090/

At this point I'm pretty confident these are right records, his age is right, he lists his birth county as Lumpkin Co., GA and though my William C Thomas was probably not born in Lumpkin he was raised partially there and his family bounced around neighboring counties as they were formed. Additionally I haven't found another who fits for that W C Thomas. I hope to tie it down even better some day... maybe even find records of how he died.
 
My direct ancestor died. Shot in the thigh at Chickasaw Bayou, and a few days later the major artery ligated. Served in the 49th Indiana Infantry, Company D. Both him and his brother died serving different causes. His brother, Charles, was shot multiple times during the Battle of Corinth, MS in 1862. Served in Company B of the 3rd Missouri Infantry, Missouri Brigade.
 
My direct ancestor died. Shot in the thigh at Chickasaw Bayou, and a few days later the major artery ligated. Served in the 49th Indiana Infantry, Company D. Both him and his brother died serving different causes. His brother, Charles, was shot multiple times during the Battle of Corinth, MS in 1862. Served in Company B of the 3rd Missouri Infantry, Missouri Brigade.
What was your direct ancestor's name?
 
James M. Cummins. Born 1837 in Scott County, Indiana, into a family of farmers.
I think this might be him. It's a record of surgeries performed at Chickasaw Bayou.

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Mine survived, his brother did not. My GGgrandfather, James W. Bronson, of the 8th Michigan Infantry, Company I, was wounded at Second Bull Run. He was discharged due to those wounds according to his pension records. He survived the war and is buried in my hometown cemetery in DeWitt, MI. His brother, William S. (AKA Samuel William) Bronson, Company F, 24th Michigan Infantry, was killed on July 1, 1863, in Gettysburg. His remains were not recovered and are believed to lie somewhere in an unknown mass grave, either at the National cemetery or in the fields of Adams County. Regards to both you and Uncle Bill, Grandpa James.
 
My paternal ggrandfather,Vernon H. Lockley,Co.A, Waul's Texas Legion died on March 16,1863 of disease(probably smallpox or measles)near Vicksburg,Miss. at age 37......three "not direct" ancestors, Vernon's youngest son(grand-uncle) Eli was KIA at 2nd Manassas in 1862 while serving with the 12th S.C. He was 15.....2nd ggrand-uncle Thomas H.Baggett of the 1st. Tennessee Volunteers(Turney's)was killed while home on furlough in 1864....his brother Abraham C. was on the other side and died of TB while serving with the 126th Illinois Inf. the same year...... also a few cousins.....the CW proved a disaster for a number of my ancestors.
 
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My gg-grandfather Henry M.Walker, Sr., Private, Co. A, 33rd Illinois Infantry, died in a troop train accident outside New Orleans, LA, 3/2/1865. I am grateful he lived long enough to sire my g-grandfather Henry M. Walker, Jr. or I would not be here today.

I had a few gg-uncles die too, but they obviously are not "direct ancestors."
 
Of my 10 direct ancestors who fought in the the Civil War only one died during it...
Ten direct ancestors? That is nuts! Wow!

I only have seven "direct" or those who are grandfathers and contributed to my DNA. I have about a dozen "indirect" or uncles who share my DNA but did not contribute to me.
 
Ten direct ancestors? That is nuts! Wow!

I only have seven "direct" or those who are grandfathers and contributed to my DNA. I have about a dozen "indirect" or uncles who share my DNA but did not contribute to me.

My ancestry is an odd mix of some short and long generations making those 10 ancestors range between 2nd and 5th great grandfathers.

What's sad is despite having so many ancestors who served, with records I've been able to dig up, I was raised with absolutely none of that knowledge.
 
My Great Great Great Grandfather survived, not just the War in the East but the Sioux War of 1864 as well. Of his three brothers that served, all survived but the baby of the family, Thomas. He was captured at Franklin, and survived Cahaba and Andersonville... but was killed April 27, 1865 on the Sultana. In a twist of fate, his GGGGGrand Nephew, my youngest, was born 150 years to the day. We named him Thomas
 
Just made a great discovery (well someone else made the discovery and shared it with me lol) regarding my ancestor William C Thomas who died serving the Confederacy in the 11th Georgia Infantry.

http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/gacwmb/webbbs_config.pl?page=1;md=read;id=15294

He enlisted in July 1861 and disappears on muster rolls after April 1864. I assumed he died shortly after, though finally have the first real confirmation.

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In the June 18, 1864 "Macon Telegraph" newspaper is a casualty list submitted by 11th GA Infantry
Adjutant Jno. F. Green, for what appears to be regimental casualties sustained @ Wilderness, Va.
in May 1864. The top part of the list is hard to read, but what is quite clear is the following notation
for Company C: "Killed: Sergt. W.C. Thomas."

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So he died at the Wilderness serving under George T Anderson's Brigade, Charles W. Field's Division, in James Longstreet's First Corps
 
Mine survived, his brother did not. My GGgrandfather, James W. Bronson, of the 8th Michigan Infantry, Company I, was wounded at Second Bull Run. He was discharged due to those wounds according to his pension records. He survived the war and is buried in my hometown cemetery in DeWitt, MI. His brother, William S. (AKA Samuel William) Bronson, Company F, 24th Michigan Infantry, was killed on July 1, 1863, in Gettysburg. His remains were not recovered and are believed to lie somewhere in an unknown mass grave, either at the National cemetery or in the fields of Adams County. Regards to both you and Uncle Bill, Grandpa James.

He's likely buried as an unknown in the National Cemetery. Most of the Union bodies on that part of the field were exhumed and reburied.

Ryan
 
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