Highest Ranked Ancestor or Relative

[rbortega]

Which of your Civil War ancestors or relatives achieved the highest rank while serving in the war? Mine would have been my 5th great uncle Alfred Dart. He served as a Captain in the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry.

 

[Union_Buff]

Mine (thus far) is Colonel Charles W. Tilden, commanding the 16th Maine Infantry.

 

[MWood1841]

My 3rd great uncle, William Scott Guy, Lieut Colonel 13th NC Infantry (VMI Class of 1856). He was voted out after the first year, returning to Virginia and serving as a Lieutenant in the 3rd Va Cavalry along with his younger brother for the remainder of the war. He was wounded in Shepardstown, WVa on 17 July 1863 while screening the retreat from Gettysburg. My other 3rd g-uncle, his younger brother was killed during the cavalry battle of Haws Shop on 28 May 1864.

 

[lupaglupa]

My gr-gr-great grandfather was a Captain in the 43rd Mississippi. The company was even named for him - "Captain Winter's Company." He fell ill soon into his service and went home so he didn't serve long.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Lieut Colonel 13th NC Infantry

My great-great-grandfather, (My avatar), was a 1864 conscript in the 13th NC.

Which of your Civil War ancestors or relatives achieved the highest rank while serving in the war? Mine would have been my 5th great uncle Alfred Dart. He served as a Captain in the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Captain Abraham Columbus Hulse. Captain Company E 122nd Illinois. (3 x great-granduncle maternal side). Born in East Tennessee.

1st Lieutenant James Ratliff Company I Union 8th Tennessee Cavalry (2 x great-granduncle maternal side)

Confederate Lieutenant Thomas Charles Land Company K 53rd NC. (4 x 1st cousin paternal side).

Confederate 3rd Lieutenant Richard David Copass Company E 60th Tennessee Infantry. Captured May 17, 1863 at Big Black. Died the following August at Johnson's Island. Buried on the Island. (2nd great-granduncle maternal side)

 

[DixieRifles]

About 2 years ago, I found out I had a 2 x great-granduncle, Captain John W. Jones, who became company commander of Company K, 19th Louisiana Regiment.
I don't think I have found even a sergeant in the bunch.

 

[GwilymT]

It depends on what qualifies as "ancestor" or "relative"

 

[LematLemat]

The highest-ranking ancestor which I am aware of is a 4th great-granduncle, Captain John Guynes of the 22nd Texas Infantry.

Prior to being expanded into a regiment, the unit had been the 5th Texas Infantry Battalion, of which Guynes had been captain of the battalion's Company B. When the battalion was expanded into the 22nd Texas, Company B was re-designated as Company F, and Guynes served as captain of the company for the majority of the regiment's service. As part of John G. Walker's Texas "Greyhound" Division, the regiment served in numerous campaigns in Arkansas and Louisiana, including the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins' Ferry.

In the autumn of 1864, rumors that the division would be crossed across the Mississippi were abound, and Guynes was alleged to be expressing sentiments "persuading and advising soldiers to desert." The resulting court-martial found Guynes guilty of the charges, and he was executed on October 16th, being one of the few officers sentenced to an execution during the war.

Additionally, he is the only ancestor in my lineage who was a Mexican War veteran, having served in the 1st Battalion of Mississippi Rifles, a unit which did not see combat, but was present in Mexico, albeit in garrison duty.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Which of your Civil War ancestors or relatives achieved the highest rank while serving in the war? Mine would have been my 5th great uncle Alfred Dart. He served as a Captain in the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry.

My GG Uncle achieved the rank of Major.

Here's a photo of him in his Captain's uniform:

 

[Drumfish420]

At this time, my 4th Great-Grandfather Charles Gibbs, was a Lieutenant in Company E, 47th Virginia Infantry.

 

[nc native]

My highest ranked direct ancestor would be James P. Glenn of the 18th Virginia Infantry who rose to the rank of captain by the end of the war. He paid the price for his rank though, suffering three wounds during the war and being captured at Gettysburg. Another of my direct ancestors, Samuel Alan Moore was a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Virginia Senior Reserves which were mustered in 1864. He was forty eight years old at time he was called to duty.

 

[major bill]

If we only looked at Civil War relatives with my last name, then brevet major general. Eugene Asa Carr (The Black-bearded Cossack) was a cousin to my great grandfather.

If we only look at direct ancestors, then my great great grandfather on my mother's side was only a private when he died during the Civil War.

 

[DorwinBlack]

3rd great uncle Capt AW Black (90th OVI). He was promoted from Lt after his company commander (Capt. Cady) was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga.

 

[TerryB]

Col Marcellus Pointer, 12th Ala Cav under Wheeler.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Direct ancestors? Private, all 6.

Haven't dove into relatives yet.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

My g-g-grandfather, Thomas Ingenhuett, was 1st Sergeant of Co. C, 1st Texas Volunteer Cavalry (US). Thomas was a German emigrant who settled in the town of Comfort in the Texas Hill County. He fled to Mexico and then to New Orleans to join the 1st Texas (US), serving in Louisiana and on the Rio Grande. He returned to Comfort after the war, where he opened the town's first brewery!

 

[scooter748driver]

From the ones I know about so far (direct ancestors and a few of their siblings), all of them were privates.

 

[Union_Buff]

I think that I can successfully add a new name to the number one position in my family tree - Major General William Woods Averell, who was an eighth cousin to Mary Averill (nee Preble).

 

[John Hartwell]

Got you all beat! Cousin William H. Hartwell was Chief Musician of the 16th Mississippi!

 

[GwilymT]

The wider we cast the net, the higher the rank!