Barrycdog
Major
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Location
- Buford, Georgia
I830 Name: Dallas Marshall MORTON Sex: M Birth: 11 AUG 1845 in Walnut Grove,Marshall County,Alabama Death: 24 MAY 1928 in Jefferson County,Alabama Burial: Trafford Baptist Church,Trafford,Jefferson County,Alabama Note:
A farmer, he first enlisted in Confederate service at Village Springs as a private in Captain James N. Suttle's Company I of the 63rd Alabama Infantry Regiment (2nd Regiment, Alabama Reserve), but he served in Company H of the 63rd Alabama Infantry. He enlisted in the 63rd on 7 Aug 1864 at the age of 17. According to his military papers, he had blue eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion. He was reported absent sick in Mobile Hospital on October 8, 1864. The roll of prisoners of war reported him at Ship Island, Mississippi, on 15 April, 1865. He was paroled 11 May 1865 at Meridian, Mississippi. (Ship Island is about 12 miles off the coast of Gulfport, Mississippi, the site of Fort Massachusetts. The island was used as a marshalling point by the British for their War of 1812 attack on New Orleans and was put to similar use by Union forces for the attack on New Orleans in 1861.)
The following is his letter that was included in "Confederate Veterans Alive" by Vollie Walton Miles, 1924: (The letter is transcribed as written.) "War record of Dallas Morton, Warrior, Route 3, born in Marshall County, Alabama, and married 1866 Evaline Love. Children: Frances, Marshall, Garner, Ella, Callie, Nannie, Vessie, Lethia, Parlee. Entered the army July 1864 in Montgomery, Company H, 63rd Alabama Regiment. Four of us brothers enlisted and only two came home. I was carried from Montgomery to Selma, then from Selma to Mobile by water and we drilled on the seige pieces which was nine feet long. It required six men to turn one gun. We went through practicing, loading and shooting. We went on 'desparade' ever evening. To my recollection we were in Mobile 3 months. We were carried across the bay 12 miles from Mobile. (Ed. Note: Fort Morgan.) We went into battle at Tennsaw. I am most sure I am correct in the place, but were engaged in two days shooting and fighting. Went on picket the first night, and six of us got so close to the enemy that they killed my orderly sargeant and wounded my second lieutenant. I and two other men were all that escaped. I had never been on picket before. A Texican officer came along and we got one of his men to stay with us. They were relieved from there and carried to Blakely and fought a severe battle that lasted two days, then finally captured and carried to Ship Island. This island was about 7 miles long. It was there we suffered. Camped on a sand bar surrounded by salt water. The only water we had to drink we had to dig about two feet in the sand, and wait until the water would seep in , and had to do our cooking on one half of a canteen. The sea breezes would come at night and we would almost freeze to death. Just had one thin blanket to use. We were guarded by negroes and was cruelly treated. They killed one man because he walked out of his tent and shot at another because he was washing his clothes in the lake. When this was done, had it been that we could have had guns we would have put an end to the negroes on this island. We were here at the surrender.
"My mother was a widow and I had three older brothers that volunteered and went to the army before I did. I was the only one left to support my mother, or I would have been there earlier. I volunteered and made the fourth one of my mother's family that was in the war. Me and my older brother got back, and the other two died in the army.
"Mrs. Miles, I am willing to do anything I can for you ladies. I certainly have appreciated your kindness toward us, by preparing such nice dinners quarterly. I received your letter yesterday and had just gotten home from a week's visit in Birmingham. I don't know whether this letter will reach you in time or not, though I have given all I can to my recollection about the time I was in the war."
Yours truly,
Dallas Morton
Trafford, Alabama
Route 1
June 26
Researcher's note: The "Tennsaw" he mentions in the letter is the Tensaw River. It is the site of Fort Blakeley, north of Mobile Bay. Now an Alabama State Park, Fort Blakely is located north of Spanish Fort, Alabama.
Comments: The seige of Fort Blakeley began in May, 1864, and Union troops captured the site on the evening of April 9, 1865. It was the last major battle of the Civil War. The fort was defended by units from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri. Union invaders included about 14,000 men representing details of Moore's Brigade, Andrews' Division, and the 15th Massachusetts Battery. Andrews' Division consisted of the 83rd and 114th Ohio, the 34th Iowa, and the 37th Illinois Regiments. Estimated Confederate losses were 100 killed, 300 wounded and 3,050 captured. As a common occurrence during the war, Union killed and wounded numbers exceeded those of the Confederates. The Union reported 116 killed and 655 wounded at Fort Blakeley. Four were reported missing.
Comments: In 1907-1908, Dallas Morton was living in Lehigh, Blount County, Alabama
A farmer, he first enlisted in Confederate service at Village Springs as a private in Captain James N. Suttle's Company I of the 63rd Alabama Infantry Regiment (2nd Regiment, Alabama Reserve), but he served in Company H of the 63rd Alabama Infantry. He enlisted in the 63rd on 7 Aug 1864 at the age of 17. According to his military papers, he had blue eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion. He was reported absent sick in Mobile Hospital on October 8, 1864. The roll of prisoners of war reported him at Ship Island, Mississippi, on 15 April, 1865. He was paroled 11 May 1865 at Meridian, Mississippi. (Ship Island is about 12 miles off the coast of Gulfport, Mississippi, the site of Fort Massachusetts. The island was used as a marshalling point by the British for their War of 1812 attack on New Orleans and was put to similar use by Union forces for the attack on New Orleans in 1861.)
The following is his letter that was included in "Confederate Veterans Alive" by Vollie Walton Miles, 1924: (The letter is transcribed as written.) "War record of Dallas Morton, Warrior, Route 3, born in Marshall County, Alabama, and married 1866 Evaline Love. Children: Frances, Marshall, Garner, Ella, Callie, Nannie, Vessie, Lethia, Parlee. Entered the army July 1864 in Montgomery, Company H, 63rd Alabama Regiment. Four of us brothers enlisted and only two came home. I was carried from Montgomery to Selma, then from Selma to Mobile by water and we drilled on the seige pieces which was nine feet long. It required six men to turn one gun. We went through practicing, loading and shooting. We went on 'desparade' ever evening. To my recollection we were in Mobile 3 months. We were carried across the bay 12 miles from Mobile. (Ed. Note: Fort Morgan.) We went into battle at Tennsaw. I am most sure I am correct in the place, but were engaged in two days shooting and fighting. Went on picket the first night, and six of us got so close to the enemy that they killed my orderly sargeant and wounded my second lieutenant. I and two other men were all that escaped. I had never been on picket before. A Texican officer came along and we got one of his men to stay with us. They were relieved from there and carried to Blakely and fought a severe battle that lasted two days, then finally captured and carried to Ship Island. This island was about 7 miles long. It was there we suffered. Camped on a sand bar surrounded by salt water. The only water we had to drink we had to dig about two feet in the sand, and wait until the water would seep in , and had to do our cooking on one half of a canteen. The sea breezes would come at night and we would almost freeze to death. Just had one thin blanket to use. We were guarded by negroes and was cruelly treated. They killed one man because he walked out of his tent and shot at another because he was washing his clothes in the lake. When this was done, had it been that we could have had guns we would have put an end to the negroes on this island. We were here at the surrender.
"My mother was a widow and I had three older brothers that volunteered and went to the army before I did. I was the only one left to support my mother, or I would have been there earlier. I volunteered and made the fourth one of my mother's family that was in the war. Me and my older brother got back, and the other two died in the army.
"Mrs. Miles, I am willing to do anything I can for you ladies. I certainly have appreciated your kindness toward us, by preparing such nice dinners quarterly. I received your letter yesterday and had just gotten home from a week's visit in Birmingham. I don't know whether this letter will reach you in time or not, though I have given all I can to my recollection about the time I was in the war."
Yours truly,
Dallas Morton
Trafford, Alabama
Route 1
June 26
Researcher's note: The "Tennsaw" he mentions in the letter is the Tensaw River. It is the site of Fort Blakeley, north of Mobile Bay. Now an Alabama State Park, Fort Blakely is located north of Spanish Fort, Alabama.
Comments: The seige of Fort Blakeley began in May, 1864, and Union troops captured the site on the evening of April 9, 1865. It was the last major battle of the Civil War. The fort was defended by units from Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri. Union invaders included about 14,000 men representing details of Moore's Brigade, Andrews' Division, and the 15th Massachusetts Battery. Andrews' Division consisted of the 83rd and 114th Ohio, the 34th Iowa, and the 37th Illinois Regiments. Estimated Confederate losses were 100 killed, 300 wounded and 3,050 captured. As a common occurrence during the war, Union killed and wounded numbers exceeded those of the Confederates. The Union reported 116 killed and 655 wounded at Fort Blakeley. Four were reported missing.
Comments: In 1907-1908, Dallas Morton was living in Lehigh, Blount County, Alabama
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