Phillip Siler's enlistment date

[LCYingling3rd]

Hello everyone,

Today being the 160th anniversary of the battle of Rutherford's Farm, VA July 20, 1864, it got me thinking of my great uncle, Phillip (nmn) Siler (1844-1864) of Berkeley County VA/WV. I know he was in Company C of the 3rd WV Cavalry (Union) and that he was mortally wounded at the battle of Moorefield on August 7, 1864. He died of those wounds' weeks later on August 26, 1864, and is buried in the Tomahawk, WV cemetery, in the Back Creek Valley of Berkeley County, WV, not far from Martinsburg.

What I do not know is his enlistment date in Co. C of the 3rd WV Cav.? Company C was one of two Companies of the 3rd WV Cav, that were at the battle of Gettysburg. And there are obviously other engagements the 3rd WV was involved in; however, I don't know if Phillip was engaged because I don't know when he enlisted?

Phillip is the older half-brother of my great grandmother, Lucy T Siler Stuckey (1872-1965). Their father was Bennett Siler (1808-1874), I have some information on Phillip, like the 1850 and 1860 census' he is in at ages 6 and 16. I have also been to his grave in Tomahawk. I also have the U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 citation on Ancestry that indicates his National Archives records are on M507 Roll 11 however, I cannot see that record! So, close, but no cigar!!! It is so frustrating, especially since I actually met, and knew his sister!!! (of course, she was born well after he died, but, hey, to have known a Civil War soldier's sister is pretty amazing in my book! LOL)

One hundred and sixty years ago today the 3rd WV Cavalry led a Cavalry charge into the flank of Confederate Stephen Dodson Ramseur's Division just north of Winchester, VA to help seal a victory for Union General William W. Averell. I can only assume my ancestor was there?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

I thank you in advance for your assistance,

Lew

 

[RedRover]

He is shown as enlisted on January 23, 1864, at Grafton, West Virginia:

He was present with his company in Jan.-Feb., and March-April, 1864.

On May 10 the 3rd WV Cavalry was engaged in the Battle of Wytheville.

From the close of May, 1864 Pvt. Siler was absent dismounted... (from when and for how long not stated).

At some point he returned to his company, was was recorded as killed in action on August 7:

These compiled service records can be found here (pay site):
Philip Siler Records, 3rd WV Cavalry, Fold3

From the 3rd WV Cavalry's brigade commander:

the Veterans of the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry described the battle of Moorefield as follows...

Joseph J. Sutton, History of the Second West Virginia Cavalry (1892).

Here's an excellent article on the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry from Military Images magazine, with photos of Col. Conger, killed at Moorefield along with Pvt. Siler. Also Siler's captain, Peter O. Tabler of Company C, of the 3rd WV Cavalry.
3rd West Virginia: Military Images Magazine...

 

[LCYingling3rd]

@RedRover

Oh my, thank you so much! You came up with so much wonderful information so quickly! Amazing. This information is absolutely fascinating to me. So he enlisted on January 23, 1864 at Grafton and was present until May of '64 when he was absent for unknown reasons for an unknown amount of time. He was obviously present at Moorefield. Wow. Thank you so much!

The photographs are fabulous! The Brady image of Lowry McGee is spectacular! It is a classic image of a Cavalry trooper! It is moving to see the image of Major Conger who lost his life at the same battle as Phillip. And I really like the image of my ancestor's Captain, Peter O. Tabler of Co. C. The red string tie is great! I never knew the 3rd was known as the "Red Ties." That is awesome! Tabler is a common name in the Back Creek Valley of Berkeley County, VA/WV, One of my great, great aunts married a Tabler.

I cannot be sure that he was at the Rutherford's Farm battle 160 years ago today, and I can not be sure he wasn't! That is the way it goes....

PS my cousin, who still lives in the Back Creek Valley, showed me Phillip's "boot knife," which I got to handle. And that cousin said he was a "Jessie Scout." I don't know, family lore is family lore! Hum...maybe that is why he was absent for a while???? LMAO...

Thanks so much. I might have to invest in Fold3....

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover

Oh my, thank you so much! You came up with so much wonderful information so quickly! Amazing. This information is absolutely fascinating to me. So he enlisted on January 23, 1864 at Grafton and was present until May of '64 when he was absent for unknown reasons for an unknown amount of time. He was obviously present at Moorefield. Wow. Thank you so much!

The photographs are fabulous! The Brady image of Lowry McGee is spectacular! It is a classic image of a Cavalry trooper! It is moving to see the image of Major Conger who lost his life at the same battle as Phillip. And I really like the image of my ancestor's Captain, Peter O. Tabler of Co. C. The red string tie is great! I never knew the 3rd was known as the "Red Ties." That is awesome! Tabler is a common name in the Back Creek Valley of Berkeley County, VA/WV, One of my great, great aunts married a Tabler.

I cannot be sure that he was at the Rutherford's Farm battle 160 years ago today, and I can not be sure he wasn't! That is the way it goes....

PS my cousin, who still lives in the Back Creek Valley, showed me Phillip's "boot knife," which I got to handle. And that cousin said he was a "Jessie Scout." I don't know, family lore is family lore! Hum...maybe that is why he was absent for a while???? LMAO...

Thanks so much. I might have to invest in Fold3....

The document says he was absent "dismounted" at Piatt, Va. in May, 1864. Probably means his horse died... The document does not say how long he was absent from his command on that score. Remounts were usually provided as necessary and available. The next roster, for the period April-November, simply mentions his death recorded in action on August 7, so he had certainly been remounted before that time...

Here's the common condition of cavalry mounts in the field is described by Capt. Charles F. Adams, 1st Massachusetts Cavalry in an 1863 letter home to his mother:

"Do you know how cavalry moves? It never goes out of a walk, and four miles an hour is very rapid marching "killing to horses" as we describe it. To cover forty miles is nearly fifteen hours march. The suffering is trifling for the men…but with the horses it is otherwise and you have no idea of their sufferings….A horse must go until he can't be spurred any further… and then the rider must get another horse as soon as he can seize one. The horse is, in active campaign, saddled on an average about fifteen hours out of twenty four. He has no hay and only such other feed as he can pick up during halts. The usual water he drinks is brook water, so muddy by the passage of the column as to be of the color of chocolate. Of course, sore backs are our greatest trouble. Backs soon get feverish under the saddle and the first day's march swells them; after that day by day the trouble grows. No care can stop it. Imagine a horse with his withers swollen to three times the natural size, and with a volcanic, running sore pouring matter down each side, and you have a case with which every cavalry officer is daily called upon to deal, and you imagine a horse which has still to be ridden until he lays down in sheer suffering under the saddle. The air of Virginia is literally burdened today with the stench of dead horses, federal and confederate. You pass them on every road and find them in every field, ….Poor brutes! How it would astonish and terrify you and all others at home with your sleek, well-fed animals, to see the weak, gaunt, rough animals, with each rib visible and hipbones starting through the flesh on which these "dashing cavalry raids" were executed. It would knock romance out of you."



Here's a Siler family quilt...
Elizabeth Siler Quilt...

the Jessie Scouts were organized by Gen. J.C. Fremont in 1862, and in 1864 were commanded by MajorYoung. Here's a webpage on that unit.
Jessie Scouts accounts, website...

 

[LCYingling3rd]

@RedRover,

Thank you again! Excellent information. He was probably on foot for a while until he "procured" a new mount.

I love the Siler quilt! I have several period quilts; however, they were from my great aunts on the Dehaven/Bishop side of the family. Still in the Back Creek Valley, but a different family. (well, sort of, but that is a long story...we ARE talking West Virginia, and my grandparents were 5th cousins...LOL) None of those quilts that look like the Elizabeth Siler quilt pictured. It said she was from Berkeley County though, so my guess is that she was from Phillip's family. Phillip's father, Bennett Siler, had a sister, Elizabeth Siler. It could be her?

Siler is an interesting name. There is actually a tiny "town" (just a store really) named Siler just north of Winchester, VA. It is right next to the little town of DeHaven, VA. Some of my DeHaven ancestors are buried at the small church there. I don't know that "my" Silers came from that little town of Siler, VA? Possibly? My line came into Pennsylvania from Germany, moved over to Lancaster, PA then dropped south into what was then Virginia. I picked up a fantastic cdv photograph of a uniformed Confederate named Thaddeus Siler of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry. It is a great double armed, inscribed image. He was part of the Confederate rear guard during the 1862 Maryland campaign and was wounded at Middletown, MD as Union troops approached South Mountain. (He is mentioned by name in John M. Priest's book, "Before Antietam: The Battle for South Mountain" for that action.) Thaddeus is from North Carolina though, and distantly related, if at all. I am glad I picked up the photograph regardless!

I am enjoying reading about the Jessie Scouts. That is a splendid link! I love that they are named for Fremont's wife! What a great story.

This is why I love studying the Civil War; it is endlessly fascinating! Like peeling an onion, you discover one thing, and even more layers are exposed to be uncovered!