Finding an ancestor

[jtb587]

I am looking for some help deciphering conflicting records I am getting regarding an ancestor. The ancestor's name is Richard Futrell and he fought in the 32nd NC Infantry Regiment, Company D. The general consensus from my records seems to be that he died in battle, but I can't nail down where or when.

The first two files are part of a pension application from the 1880's. The widow says he died in July 1864. The second file shows an affidavit signed by another private in the D company to corroborate her pension application, which says he died at Gettysburg, obviously not in 1864. The third file is from the North Carolina Roster of Soldiers and shows him as wounded at Gettysburg but not killed. The fourth file is a PoW roster which shows an 'R Futrell' as being captured at South Mountain, which I believe was related to a battle fought as Lee retreated from Gettysburg.

I believe the widow was illiterate, so her recollection of events is suspect. I would think a fellow private would know whether or not his fellow soldier died, but I suppose it's possible that with all the confusion at Gettysburg Richard Futrell was captured instead of killed.

Is there an additional source for a definitive answer on this kind of thing? Did the Union keep records of what happened to PoWs? Is this about as good of an answer as I can expect to get on a Confederate soldier?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[MWood1841]

@jtb587 welcome to the CWT forums. I did a quick scan on Fold 3 and found the following that I attached. POW roster indicates captured at South Mtn, however others show wounded and captured at Gettysburg. Records show he was taken to the prison camp at Fort Delaware. I dont see anything showing a death date. You might try and search the records from Fort Delaware to see if anything matches up for him passing away while imprisoned there. Sorry for the multiple and poor screenshots. Was working off my phone late this evening, otherwise wouldve sent you the entire pdf file that shows from the Nat Archives CMSR.
Good Luck on the rest of your search.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

In 'Gettysburg's Confederate Dead' by Krick and Ferguson (@ p. 50), it lists Pvte. Richard Futrell (dob 1827), Co. D, 32nd. NC Infantry, as being mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and having thereafter died on an unknown date during July, 1863. His place of burial is unknown. (At Gettysburg, July 1 to 3, the 32 NC brought 454 men to the field, and suffered 147 casualties).

To possibly explain the varying views.

Agree, the illiterate widow's recollections are probably hazy as to the stated exact year of his death (by her mistakenly writing 1864, instead of 1863). The corroboration by a fellow veteran (from Co. D, 32 NC) who was present, as to him being killed at Gettysburg is likely accurate. (Both these sources indicate he was killed in July).

Putting this information together, it's likely Pvte. Richard Futrell was mortally wounded (m/w) at Gettysburg. He may have been captured and died afterwards during July while in short captivity (say, in Union care facilities), or he was found dead on the field. In either circumstance, it seems he was buried soon after by Union soldiers in an unmarked grave. His death around this time is also supported by his name being recorded as 'absent' on the series of 'Company Muster Rolls' displayed for the periods following July, '63.

(If Futrell indeed died on the Gettysburg battlefield. Except for the southern end of the battlefield, where the 32nd. NC did not see action, for all practical purposes burial of the dead on the battlefield was hastily completed by the night of July 6 - the Southerners generally were buried in mass unmarked graves).

Merely my key takeout from the pieces of information provided.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I am looking for some help deciphering conflicting records I am getting regarding an ancestor. The ancestor's name is Richard Futrell and he fought in the 32nd NC Infantry Regiment, Company D. The general consensus from my records seems to be that he died in battle, but I can't nail down where or when.

The first two files are part of a pension application from the 1880's. The widow says he died in July 1864. The second file shows an affidavit signed by another private in the D company to corroborate her pension application, which says he died at Gettysburg, obviously not in 1864. The third file is from the North Carolina Roster of Soldiers and shows him as wounded at Gettysburg but not killed. The fourth file is a PoW roster which shows an 'R Futrell' as being captured at South Mountain, which I believe was related to a battle fought as Lee retreated from Gettysburg.

I believe the widow was illiterate, so her recollection of events is suspect. I would think a fellow private would know whether or not his fellow soldier died, but I suppose it's possible that with all the confusion at Gettysburg Richard Futrell was captured instead of killed.

Is there an additional source for a definitive answer on this kind of thing? Did the Union keep records of what happened to PoWs? Is this about as good of an answer as I can expect to get on a Confederate soldier?

Thanks in advance for any help.

View attachment 533451

View attachment 533452

View attachment 533453

View attachment 533454

North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

 

[lupaglupa]

There is a second man named Richard Futrell who served from North Carolina and I'm wondering if their cards are mixed. Differing dates of enlistment are given in the records (February 1863 v. October 1863).

The Richard who was captured at Gettysburg was sent soon after to Fort Delaware. He's on a roll as received there, though the actual date isn't given, just a range. The Union had a huge number of men to process so I think the records for the men from Gettysburg are less precise. But if he had arrived at Ft. Delaware and died there I would expect to see a record of his death.

In this deluge of prisoners, could Futrell have, for instance, died in transit and not been recorded? Maybe. I see his records have multiple spelling variations. Possibly the records from captivity are there but under a variant spelling which wasn't caught and linked to him. If he had died en route or been too ill on arrival to speak for himself whoever gave his information could have really mangled the name.

 

[jtb587]

@MWood1841, where are you seeing that he was possibly transferred to Ft. Delaware? I see the kinds of records you posted from time to time but do not know where they come from. Are they transcribed from previous records? Were they from Northern or Southern sources?

@Nathan Stuart, I hadn't seen that book. Does that book list enough sources to retrace their steps to show how they came to that conclusion? Sorry for the research project, the book is still copyrighted so I can't get a PDF online to check myself. I am not doubting you. I am about 75% convinced that he did die at Gettysburg, just trying to be thorough on a lazy Saturday morning.

@East Tennessee Roots, where did that come from? I am unfamiliar with Civil War primary source records, so I don't know which haystack that came from.

Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

@MWood1841, where are you seeing that he was possibly transferred to Ft. Delaware? I see the kinds of records you posted from time to time but do not know where they come from. Are they transcribed from previous records? Were they from Northern or Southern sources?

@Nathan Stuart, I hadn't seen that book. Does that book list enough sources to retrace their steps to show how they came to that conclusion? Sorry for the research project, the book is still copyrighted so I can't get a PDF online to check myself. I am not doubting you. I am about 75% convinced that he did die at Gettysburg, just trying to be thorough on a lazy Saturday morning.

@East Tennessee Roots, where did that come from? I am unfamiliar with Civil War primary source records, so I don't know which haystack that came from.

Thanks everyone for the help.

North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster, North Carolina State Department of Archives and History, Volume 9 (32nd NC. Infantry)

 

[MWood1841]

@jtb587 give the Fort Delaware POW resources and links out there a look. They might have some more info on your descendant, if he in fact made it to Ft Delaware and succumbed there from his G-burg injuries.

The NARA compiled military service records (roster reports) show him at Fort McHenry, MD first and then Fort Delaware. Was common place for POW's to be transferred from one prison camp to another for a variety of reasons including but but limited to crowding, soldier/POW medical conditions, etc

@Nathan Stuart is correct with their assessment as well. Trying to decipher and nail down best possible knowns for a descendent means digging thru and piecing together most reasonable likeliness's of the information hodge-podge available.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I hadn't seen that book. Does that book list enough sources to retrace their steps to show how they came to that conclusion?

The short answer is 'No'. The book does not show any sources - it only lists the dead that the authors compiled from a variety of undisclosed sources. What I previously posted above was the full extent of the details shown for him at page 50. Unfortunately, there are no further leads from this particular reference.