Locating military documents

[Jallenbiggs]

After an extensive ancestry search and locating several family members which served in the war, I am now trying to ascertain more information on their service. Several were killed in action or wounded and later died, but I have been unable to find where they served. Below is a list of the information I have if anyone can provide advice in locating records, it would be much appreciated.

Captain Adam Albritton Biggs CSA I have located information stating he served as a Captain in General Forest's Brigade

Col. M.D. Moreland 7th Alabama Moreland Regiment Co. B Lt. Col. 6th Mississippi Co. A. I have located records where he served at the Battle of Tishomingo Creek (Brices Crossroads) and I think Chickamauga, and Selma.

William Franklin Biggs PVT. Co. K 2nd Miss Inf. Died 10-13-1864 KIA gunshot wound left thorax. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Fredrick, Maryland. From what I have located it seems he was killed near Dunker Church near Antietam Creek close to Sharpsburg while repelling an attack from Hoods Division.

Lovett (Lovick) Biggs Harrison Sergeant 1st regiment North Carolina Inf. Buried at Woodlawn National Cemetery Elmira, NY. Plot CSA 1026 died 12-6-1864. From my research I have found Camp Rathburn (formerly a training camp) was turned into a POW camp and designated as Camp #3. From the summer of 1864 until the end of the war, it housed 12,000 Confederate enlisted men and 3,000 died. The conditions at the camp were, of course, less than desirable and disease was rampant. But, another interesting fact I found was some information about a train wreck which killed approximately 300 CSA troops a day or two prior to Harrison's death. There of course were no lists that I could find and the bodies were thrown into a mass grave. However, there was a freed slave working at the prison and it is said he maintained meticulous records about the CSA soldiers that died there.

Joseph Harrison Died 4-11-1864 in a Civil War Hospital in Wilmington. This is all of the information I can find about him. Perhaps the commonness of the name. He was Lovett or Lovick's brother.

Cushing Biggs Harrison PVT 17th Regiment North Carolina Infantry (2nd organization) He survived the Civil War but would like to find information on his service.

This one has been a pain he is listed in my family records as
William T. Harrison or (Wm J) he died Oct. 5 1864. I cannot find any information about him. More than likely he served in North Carolina as well as his brothers.

Based on searches and family records, I am very confident in the lineage, I would just like to find more information on their service as well as several other relatives that were of age during the time period.

 

[Taylin]

There are records available in the national archives but I believe you might have to contact the state's (who the soldier was enlisted under) archives in some cases. I've never dealt with records for Confederates, so personally I don't know which is better or the full details.

You can find the regiment if you already know it on the https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm , gives a rough sketch of the movements and battles of each regiment of the war.

There's also Fold3.com that has a great deal of confederate records, though it's a subscription based service.

 

[UCVRelics]

With all those names I would go Fold3. They are offering a $49 yearly rate right now to new subscribers.

 

[Zella]

I second (or I guess third) the recommendation for Fold3. It has much more expansive resources for Confederate CSRs than it does Union ones. It does cost money, but that discount @ucvrelics mentioned sounds like a pretty good deal. You can also shell out more for an Ancestry account to have Fold3 access tacked on if you're already on Ancestry. That's actually how mine works, though I don't recall what the price is.

 

[UCVRelics]

Here is C Harrison records from Fold3 to give you an example of what is there.

 

[2rivcob73]

I can only echo the above statements for Confederate Records. Fold3 or State or Local Archives in the state each soldier served would be your best bet.

 

[Jallenbiggs]

Here is C Harrison records from Fold3 to give you an example of what is there.

that is great information. I really appreciate the advice. I will get a subscription today.

 

[Jallenbiggs]

There are records available in the national archives but I believe you might have to contact the state's (who the soldier was enlisted under) archives in some cases. I've never dealt with records for Confederates, so personally I don't know which is better or the full details.

You can find the regiment if you already know it on the https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm , gives a rough sketch of the movements and battles of each regiment of the war.

There's also Fold3.com that has a great deal of confederate records, though it's a subscription based service.

I appreciate it very much.

 

[Jallenbiggs]

Here is C Harrison records from Fold3 to give you an example of what is there.

that is pretty cool. to see his signature on the paperwork is really awesome. thank you

 

[Taylin]

to see his signature on the paperwork is really awesome

Should be noted that those records are copies (as in formatted and written, not scanned etc.) of the originals, the handwriting is done by the individual who is signed at the bottom as "copyist"

 

[Seduzal]

Sorry I can't help you but... Welcome to CWT from the Smoky Mountain side of North Carolina. Just jump right in and enjoy.
Paging @east tennessee roots

 

[John Hartwell]

that is pretty cool. to see his signature on the paperwork is really awesome. thank you

I'm afraid none of those record cards bears his actual signature. These were filled out long after the war by a"copyist" (who signed at the bottom of each). He went through all available Muster Rolls,and recorded whether the soldier was "present" or "absent" from each. If "absent" there might be a note as to why (hospital, detached service, etc). Many files contain other records as well, some of which might bear an original signature. Unfortunately, in this case, they all just seem to indicate he was present with his company on the date of each Muster Roll. By looking at the regimental history, you can get a fair idea of where he was, and what was going on at the time.

Good luck in your searches. And, yes, fold3 is your best bet.

cheers! [and Welcome!]
jno

 

[DixieRifles]

William Franklin Biggs PVT. Co. K 2nd Miss Inf. Died 10-13-1864 KIA gunshot wound left thorax. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Fredrick, Maryland. From what I have located it seems he was killed near Dunker Church near Antietam Creek close to Sharpsburg while repelling an attack from Hoods Division.

BIGGS-- Hmm. That names sounds familiar.

W. F. Biggs was 30 years old when he enlisted at Tishimingo County under Captain Stone.
He was wounded at Antietam BUT he was hit in the lungs and thigh and died October 13th of 1862. This makes more sense that he died closer to the date of the battle than in 1864. You have the right Day & Month; wrong Year. I can see how someone could make that mistake---note how they wrote the "2" on the 2nd card below. Looks like a "4".

Here are three documents from his files. Sorry, I can't reduce these nor find the trick to posting a thumbnail image.

 

[DixieRifles]

Col. M.D. Moreland 7th Alabama Moreland Regiment Co. B Lt. Col. 6th Mississippi Co. A. I have located records where he served at the Battle of Tishomingo Creek (Brices Crossroads) and I think Chickamauga, and Selma.

Please clarify this. Are you searching for records of Col. M. D. Moreland?? Is he an ancestor? That sounds like the commander who formed Moreland's cavalry regiment. The regiment seems to have gone by different names. I thought this was the 4th Alabama Cavalry. One of my wife's ancestors from Tishimingo County, Miss., served in that regiment. When he applied for pension, he had to prove that he lived in Miss but served in this Alabama unit.
I'm not sure of the name of the Moreland who commanded Moreland's Alabama Cavalry. I may have that info somewhere. But that regiment was at Brices Crossroads.

BTW, it might be easier to follow this thread if you posted a different thread for each relative. This can get confusing especially if some have same name or same regiment.

 

[John Hartwell]

Here's the (much more informative) file for Lovick Harrison:

 

[DixieRifles]

William T. Harrison or (Wm J) he died Oct. 5 1864. I cannot find any information about him. More than likely he served in North Carolina as well as his brothers.

Search for William Harrison got 23 hits.

Found two(2) William T. Harrison in N. Carolina regiments. Both living after 1864.

Two(2) William Harrison. No info on death.

William J. Harrison. Survived the war.

Did not find a match to anyone in a N. Carolina regiment who died in 1864.

 

[John Hartwell]

"Moreland's Cavalry Battalion was organized in August, 1863, at Russellville, Alabama, with men raised in Frankiln County. Assigned to General Roddey's Brigade, the four-company battalion skirmished in North Alabama and Tennessee during the winter and spring of 1864-1864. Later it moved to Mississippi and took an active part in the fight at Tishomingo Creek. On May 18, 1865, it surredned at Iuka.
The field officers were Lt. Col. M. D. Moreland and Major J. N. Georg"
https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=CALMORERC

We also have a thread: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/morelands-alabama-cavalry.86482/, with a lot more infomation.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Joseph Harrison Died 4-11-1864 in a Civil War Hospital in Wilmington. This is all of the information I can find about him. Perhaps the commonness of the name. He was Lovett or Lovick's brother.

 

[wingatecivilwar5]

The National Park Service has the Soldier and Sailor data base. Also State and National Archives may contain some info not to mention the many places named in previous post.

 

[DixieRifles]

William Franklin Biggs PVT. Co. K 2nd Miss Inf. Died 10-13-1864 KIA gunshot wound left thorax. Buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Fredrick, Maryland. From what I have located it seems he was killed near Dunker Church near Antietam Creek close to Sharpsburg while repelling an attack from Hoods Division.

More on Company K of 2nd Mississippi Regiment.

Company K, aka "Iuka Rifles" was mustered in at Iuka, Tishomingo County on 6 April 1861. Captain was John M. Stone, who was elected Colonel on 22 April. Next Captain was George W. Latham, illed at 2nd Mansasa and then Jesse A. Cook killed at Antietam.

At Antietam, the 22nd Mississippi Regiment was in Law's Brigade of Hood's Division. So they were not repelling Hood's Division but were attacking across the cornfield to stop the Union attack cold in their tracks.

Union Col. R. R. Dawes, 6th Wisconsin, wrote to Colonel Stone in 1876:
"We fought the 2nd Mississippi in the corn field in front of the Dunker Church at Antietam. They drove us and we barely saved by a hand a battery of six 12-pounder Howitzers, planted in front of some haystacks."

Casualties at Antietam: 27 Killed and 127 Wounded.