GGGrandfather's Service

[PerkinsCSA]

Hi folks, I am new here having discovered this site yesterday. I am unsure if this is the proper place to post, if not please point me in the right direction. For years I have been searching for my great great grandfather's military records. The particulars in regards to him are: Solomon E. Perkins b. April 1846 in McNairy County, TN d. May 1914 in Alcorn Co, MS. The only evidence I have of his service is his wife's widow's pension application in Mississippi from 1921 and 1924. In that application she listed his date of service as form 1862 to the wars end and that he served until men names Newsom, Wisdom and Damron. From those pieces of information I have deduced he enlisted in Forrest's Alabama Cavalry Regiment, then was enrolled in the 18th Tennessee Cavalry (Newsom's) in 1864 as part of N.B. Forrest's consolidation of mangled units. If anyone has any further sources I would greatly appreciated the help.

Best,
Ray Perkins

 

[LoriAnn]

Welcome!

There is a forum specifically for researching one's ancestry: Researching Your Civil War Ancestry

We also have some members who are very knowledgeable about Forrest, and they might be able to help you piece some of the puzzle together.

 

[captaindrew]

Welcome from South Florida and good luck with your search. One of the reasons I got on here was to try and find out more about my GG Uncle. One of the guys pointed me at a couple different directions and it turns out I had several Civil War veteran relatives that I didn`t know about, actually found two more last night I have to add to my thread. I`m sure you will get some help on here, it`s a great forum here.

 

[redbob]

Welcome to the forum from Alabama and we have people that can assist you with your search-good luck.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Hello Ray. Welcome from one of the hosts of the Forrest Forum.

I looked at the fold3 cards for Forrest's Alabama regiment & Newsom's 18th TN Cav.
While I found a few Perkins, I haven't found a Solomon or a "S.E Perkins". I'll keep searching and will let you know if I find anything.

 

[Rutherford Co NC CSA]

Greetings Ray Perkins

http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm

Solomon E. Perkins b. April 1846 in McNairy County, TN d. May 1914 in Alcorn Co, MS.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/...Scntry=4&GSob=n&GSsr=41&GRid=10668204&df=all&

http://files.usgwarchives.net/

http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/

 

[PerkinsCSA]

Thanks everyone! I have been researching my family history now for almost 20 years. And I am a college historian, so the two go hand-in-hand. Solomon is the only one of my Confederate ancestors for who I have no documentation. My others are Aaron Thomas Patton (16th Alabama Infantry), John Wardlow (18th Tennessee Cavalry), John Busby (26th Mississippi Infantry), William Jesse Martindale (32nd Mississippi Infantry).

 

[PerkinsCSA]

Hello Ray. Welcome from one of the hosts of the Forrest Forum.

I looked at the fold3 cards for Forrest's Alabama regiment & Newsom's 18th TN Cav.
While I found a few Perkins, I haven't found a Solomon or a "S.E Perkins". I'll keep searching and will let you know if I find anything.

If possible, I would like to know the names of the other PERKINS listed in the source you consulted. I do believe a couple of Solomon's brothers were in those units as was the man who would become his father-in-law John Wardlow.
Thanks!

 

[AndyHall]

Didn't find any Solomon Perkins in Confederate service. The only S. E. Perkins I found in the cavalry -- there were three or four others in different states' infantry units) was this man:

Perkins , S. E.

Battle Unit Name: 21st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry
Side: Confederacy
Company: C
Soldier's Rank In: Private
Soldier's Rank Out: Private
Alternate name:
Film Number: M226 ROLL 48
Plaque Number:
Notes: none ​

 

[AndyHall]

Nancy Elizabeth Perkins pension application (PDF).

 

[AndyHall]

The Eighteenth Tennessee (Newsom's) Cavalry has several Perkins in the NPS database, but none with the first initial S:

Perkins , W.P.
Perkins, James (also Perkins, James D.)
Perkins, Joseph
Perkins, M.
Perkins, Warner​

 

[AndyHall]

From NPS:

18th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Newsom's)

Overview:
18th Cavalry Regiment [also called 19th Regiment] was organized in May, 1864, by consolidating six companies of Newsom's Tennessee Cavalry Regiment and four companies of Forrest's Alabama Cavalry Regiment. Its members were recruited in Hardeman, Madison, Henderson, and McNairy counties. The unit was assigned to T.H. Bell's Brigade in the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. In Mississippi it sustained 22 casualites at Brice's Cross Roads and 95 at Harrisburg. Later the regiment was active in Tennessee and in March, 1865, was consolidated with the 20th Tennessee Cavalry. It moved to Alabama and on May 3, the 18th/20th contained 29 officers and 217 men. The next day they were included in the surrender of the department. The field officers were Colonels John F. Newsom and Dew Moore Wisdom, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph D. Ozier, and Majors William Y. Baker and William T. Parham. ​

 

[Nathanb1]

Welcome...I see our best minds are on the job. Hope we can help!

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

If possible, I would like to know the names of the other PERKINS listed in the source you consulted.

Forrest's Alabama Cav. Reg.

18th Tennessee Cav. (newsom's)

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Good luck in your search! My family also comes from McNairy County, Tennessee!

 

[PerkinsCSA]

The Eighteenth Tennessee (Newsom's) Cavalry has several Perkins in the NPS database, but none with the first initial S:

Perkins , W.P.
Perkins, James (also Perkins, James D.)
Perkins, Joseph
Perkins, M.
Perkins, Warner​

Thank you. W.P. is Warner Perry Perkins (cousin), James Perkins (brother), Joseph Perkins (cousin or uncle) M. is too vague and Warner is the same as W.P.

 

[lelliott19]

Solomon is the only one of my Confederate ancestors for who I have no documentation.
Aaron Thomas Patton (16th Alabama Infantry)

Welcome to CivilWarTalk Ray. Happy to have you aboard!
Regarding your Aaron T Patton of Co H 16th Alabama. I notice he was enlisted by Col William B Wood on July 15, 1861 and was listed as sick in the hospital Mar/April 1862. William Basil Wood Col of the 16th AL was the brother of Sterling Alexander Martin Wood (commonly known as S.A.M. Wood) who became the Brigadier General of the brigade to which the 16th AL was assigned.

My 2xg grandfather (Dr Cross pictured in the avatar) originally enlisted as an Asst Surgeon of the 16th AL. Here is a letter that may be of interest to you. Col Wm Basil Wood writing to Dr Cross Sept 21, 1861, asking him to serve as the Regimental Surgeon. https://civilwartalk.com/threads/decipher-letter-my-gg-grandfather.111684/#post-1088459

You might also like to read this letter where the Captain of Co A wrote him on Oct 30, 1861, very eager for him to arrive as there were many men sick. https://civilwartalk.com/threads/bring-2-horses-one-might-die-or-get-killed.112632/#post-1104789

You may be interested to read more about the 16th Alabama Infantry here https://civilwartalk.com/threads/16th-alabama-infantry.130671/#post-1461830

Also, I found a "Sol Perkins" enlisted in the 8th Arkansas Cavalry - probably not your Solomon, but the enlistment date for this Sol would be accurate for your Solomon who was born in 1846. This one enlisted Jan 23, 1863. Your Solomon would have been 16, almost 17 years old at that time so it is possible that he enlisted and served - whether this is him or not, I cant say.

 

[PerkinsCSA]

Thank you for the links and the info. I know that A.T. Patton was wounded later in the leg and was disabled the remainder of his life. I had his records at one point, but lost some things in a move. Where did you access them?

~Ray Perkins

 

[lelliott19]

Thank you for the links and the info. I know that A.T. Patton was wounded later in the leg and was disabled the remainder of his life. I had his records at one point, but lost some things in a move. Where did you access them?

I pulled his records from Fold 3.com - Its a paid site. Unfortunately, there are only three pages of carded records in his service file. I am guessing the additional information about him being wounded in the leg and disabled are in his pension records? I am attaching the service records here; there should be 3 pages. Maybe someone who is better at locating pension records can find that info too? Maybe @AndyHall or @7th Mississippi Infantry can find the pension application?

Laura