Need A Little Help Researching One Of My Wife's Ancestors

nc native

First Sergeant
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Location
NC Piedmont
I've been working on my own family tree for a while now and I'm giving that
a rest as I now try to work on my wife's ancestry. She is the direct descendant
of a John Swinson who fought with the 55th NC Infantry, Company H. Ancestry
has a record from the NC Regimental Rosters Series showing that he was killed
in the fighting at Spotsylvania on May 5, 1864. When I go to Fold3 to look up
his service records, there is no John Swinson to be found in that regiment. His
brothers Henry and Jesse Swinson are there but there is no reference to John.
I was wondering if some of you genealogy gurus who have access to other records
could help out. The 55th NC Infantry was a hard fighting regiment from what I've
read about them.
 
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I've been working on my own family tree for a while now and I'm giving that
a rest as I now try to work on my wife's ancestry. She is the direct descendant
of a John Swinson who fought with the 55th NC Infantry, Company K. Ancestry
has a record from the NC Regimental Rosters Series showing that he was killed
in the fighting at Spotsylvania on May 5, 1864. When I go to Fold3 to look up
his service records, there is no John Swinson to be found in that regiment. His
brothers Henry and Jesse Swinson are there but there is no reference to John.
I was wondering if some of you genealogy gurus who have access to other records
could help out. The 55th NC Infantry was a hard fighting regiment from what I've
read about them.

Swinson, John, Private

Previously served in as private in Company I, 9th Regiment N.C. State Troops (1st Regiment N.C. Cavalry) Transferred to this company on November 19, 1863. Killed at Wilderness, Virginia, May 5, 1864.



North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster, Vol.XIII, Infantry, 53rd-56th Regiments, P. 513.
 
Thank you very much! I found his records with the 9th NC Troops on Fold3 and they match
the information I have on Ancestry. My guess to why John Swinson was transferred from the
9th NC Troops to the 55th NC Infantry is two fold: The 55th NC Infantry needed to replace
some of the manpower it had lost in previous battles and his brothers were already in the 55th
NC Infantry. I remember reading somewhere that the 55th NC Infantry may have advanced
further than any other Confederate regiment during Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.

John's brother Sgt. Jesse Swinson was killed that same day that he was at Spotsylvania. His
other brother Henry Swinson was on sick leave for this battle but was severely wounded in
the shoulder and lower jaw at Globe Tavern in August 1864. He was the only one of the three
brothers to survive the war. Henry Swinson died in Onslow County, NC in 1912.
 
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Here is a transcript of a letter that is in the possession of the NC State Archives in Raleigh,
N.C. It was originally included in the pension application of Nancy Swinson, the widow of
Sgt. Jesse Swinson who is mentioned in the previous post:

State of VA.
May the 8th 1864

Dear Wife,

I sit myself to drop you a few lines to in form you where and how I am at Orange at
this time at the camps of the invalides but I do not expect to stay here but a few days.
I got wounded the 5th day of May on my left breast. I was sent to Orange and am here
now. I do not expect to stay here but a few days. Dear wife I hope these few lines may
reach and find you well. I am very sorry to in form you the Jesse Swinson was killed
dead. We comenst the fight the 5th day of May and that same day at about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon he was shot through the breast and killed dead instley for I was very close
to him. Parner was killed and belo a young boy gist came into our company and most
all of the rest of the boys was wounded when I left the company. That was on the first
day and I can't tell how they came out since they was all wounded but Taylor and Miller
and John Swinson and Mullis and Ellis our captain was not hurt when I left but I have
heard since that he was killed. Dr Mc he is with me but they have been fighting every
day since so I can't tell you anything more about the boys.

You please tell Jesse Swinsons wife about his death for it is certain to be so. I am sorry
to have to write any such nuse. I would like to come home the best in the world but I
do not see any chance. The last nuse we heard from the battleground we was a driven
the yankees back but very slowly and very hard fighting.

I will close. I ever remain your husband till death.

Samuel Pagett (written to Mary Pagett)

This letter was corrected as far as punctuation to make it easier to read. The spelling
of all words is the original spelling
 
I've been working on my own family tree for a while now and I'm giving that
a rest as I now try to work on my wife's ancestry. She is the direct descendant
of a John Swinson who fought with the 55th NC Infantry, Company K. Ancestry
has a record from the NC Regimental Rosters Series showing that he was killed
in the fighting at Spotsylvania on May 5, 1864. When I go to Fold3 to look up
his service records, there is no John Swinson to be found in that regiment. His
brothers Henry and Jesse Swinson are there but there is no reference to John.
I was wondering if some of you genealogy gurus who have access to other records
could help out. The 55th NC Infantry was a hard fighting regiment from what I've
read about them.

Several collateral ancestors of mine were in the 55th NC

Andrew W. Earp Rank: Private Company: B POW 7/14/1863 Falling Waters, MD * Confined 7/18/1863 Old Capitol Prison, Washington, DC (Estimated day) * Transferred 8/8/1863 Point Lookout,Md. He died of disease as POW on 11/25/1863 at Point Lookout, MD (Died of 'chronic diarrhea')

William Hall Rank: Private Company: B (Chaplin) He was discharged for overage on 5/25/1862.

Thomas C. Isenhour: Rank: Private Company: H Wounded 12/1/1864 Petersburg, VA Other Information: born in Caldwell County, NC. He deserted on 1/26/1865.

Thomas Larkin Maltba: Rank: Private Company: H. He was discharged for disability on 10/31/1863 at Lynchburg, VA

Andrew Wilson McGee: Rank: Private Company: H 33 year-old Farmer. Enlisted on 4/3/1862 at Alexander County, NC as a Private. On 5/31/1862 he mustered as a substitute into 'H' Co. NC 55th Infantry. (Survived the war).
 
I've been working on my own family tree for a while now and I'm giving that
a rest as I now try to work on my wife's ancestry. She is the direct descendant
of a John Swinson who fought with the 55th NC Infantry, Company H. Ancestry
has a record from the NC Regimental Rosters Series showing that he was killed
in the fighting at Spotsylvania on May 5, 1864. When I go to Fold3 to look up
his service records, there is no John Swinson to be found in that regiment. His
brothers Henry and Jesse Swinson are there but there is no reference to John.
I was wondering if some of you genealogy gurus who have access to other records
could help out. The 55th NC Infantry was a hard fighting regiment from what I've
read about them.

http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm
swinson
confederate
NC
= 43
 
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