Reading Cursive, Identifying Officers

[Stryker65]

Hello all,
I recently was able to view the parole records for the surrender of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. In order to make them more easily understandable, I've begun to transcribe the flowing cursive writing into online text. However, I've been having some problems reading the names of these officers or finding somewhat of that name. I've attached a couple screenshots of the hardest ones to read so far; hopefully you guys will be better at it than me!
Note: The one that may or may not read "Skipwith" is of the 38th Alabama Infantry. All others are staff officers, or have their units clearly stated.
-Stryker

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I've begun to transcribe the flowing cursive writing into online text. However, I've been having some problems reading the names of these officers

Welcome to the research community.

I've encountered the same hand written frustrations.
But trust me, there are some members of this forum that are experts at translating such records.

 

[JOHN42768]

Here's a crack at them, no guarantee : Pizzaro Johnson, R. Toahunter, S.T. Eily, J. Vailen, S. Shipwick, W.H. Tamdma, John J. Walker, N.M. Byrnes

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

S.T. Eily

Good suggestions! My only thought is this last name is Ely, a surname of English origin. I think that is just a fancy "E."

 

[Stryker65]

Any ideas on the rest of their info? The next columns would be: rank, company, unit, residence

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Ashley County Arkansas
Frankfort Kentucky
Lamar County Texas
Warren County Mississippi
ditto what's written above it
New Orleans
Mobile
Mobile

Interesting that the large city folks identify with the city and the rural folks identify with their county.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Interesting that the large city folks identify with the city and the rural folks identify with their county.

Down here ... ( in the Deep South) ... the exact attitudes remain the same in 2023.

 

[lelliott19]

Here's a crack at them, no guarantee : Pizzaro Johnson, R. Toahunter, S.T. Eily, J. Vailen, S. Shipwick, W.H. Tamdma, John J. Walker, N.M. Byrnes

Pezzaro Johnson
R. Todhunter = Robert Parker Todhunter buried in Lexington, KY
S. T. Ely
J. Nailer - Jefferson Nailer buried in Warren County MS.
S. Skipwish - his last name may actually be Skipworth. There's a bunch of Skipworths in Lauderdale and Colbert County AL
W. H. Landrum
John J Walker - John James Walker buried in Mobile, AL. A photo is included at the link
V M Barnes

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

Down here ... ( in the Deep South) ... the exact attitudes remain the same in 2023.

I think that's true everywhere in the US honestly. Iowa, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky or Oregon- we're proud to be country folks!

 

[lelliott19]

Any ideas on the rest of their info? The next columns would be: rank, company, unit, residence

Pezzaro Johnson, A, 3d Arkansas, Ashley Co Ark
R. Todhunter, AAG, Ectors brigade, Frankfort KY = Robert Parker Todhunter buried in Lexington, KY
S. T. Ely,
J. Nailer, Lt & ADC, Gibson's staff, Warren County, Miss = Jefferson Nailer buried in Warren County MS.
S. Skipwish 2ndLt, A(djutant) - his last name may actually be Skipworth. There's a bunch of Skipworths in Lauderdale and Colbert County AL
W. H. Landrum
John J Walker - John James Walker buried in Mobile, AL. A photo is included at the link
V M Barnes

Here's the entry for John J Walker from List of staff officers of the Confederate States army

The names are listed alphabetically. Unfortunately the list is incomplete so you won't find all of the names you are looking for.

 

[Stryker65]

J. Nailer, Lt & ADC, Gibson's staff, Warren County, Miss = Jefferson Nailer buried in Warren County MS.

According to findagrave, Jefferson Nailer died in 1861 ...?
Thanks for the other work!

 

[Stryker65]

I've found #635 and #636:
Maj. William H. Dameron, Chief Commissary of Subsistence for Mississippi
Maj. John J. Walker, Chief Commissary of Subsistence for Alabama
Dameron I found as according to S2V2 of the OR; as Walker's title seems to be the same, except for Mississippi, I assumed it was.
-Stryker
EDIT: I must say, Dameron wrote his own last name pretty strangely.

 

[lupaglupa]

Ashley County Arkansas
Frankfort Kentucky
Lamar County Texas
Warren County Mississippi
ditto what's written above it
New Orleans
Mobile
Mobile

Interesting that the large city folks identify with the city and the rural folks identify with their county.

Down here ... ( in the Deep South) ... the exact attitudes remain the same in 2023.

Lots of places in the South there are areas outside of a municipality so the county is your locality. Here in New York there is no area not in a village, town, or city but that's not true elsewhere.

 

[lelliott19]

According to findagrave, Jefferson Nailer died in 1861 ...?
Thanks for the other work!

Oh sorry. That must be the wrong guy. Maybe his son? I do think the last name is Nailer though

 

[Stryker65]

Oh sorry. That must be the wrong guy. Maybe his son? I do think the last name is Nailer though

Might be. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18335644/jefferson-nailer (the jr.), but NPS lists J. Nailer as a private. However, the county is entirely accurate. Perhaps he was related to one of the generals, and thus joined their staff?
-Stryker

 

[Stryker65]

update: Once I get more of these names done, I'll post the list. It's a list of all 637 officers of the department who surrendered with Taylor. The company and battery rosters are a bit harder. I was only able to find the rosters for Gibson's Louisiana and Smith's Artillery brigades. I'll transcribe them too, down the lime, but the Cajun names are going to be difficult. Might make another thread for those.
-Stryker

 

[Stryker65]

Pezzaro Johnson

Pizarro was a nickname! No wonder I couldn't find him anywhere! Found on the roster of Company A, 3rd Arkansas Infantry.

 

[Bruce Allardice]

Number 265 is Ryland Todhunter (1840-1921)

 

[Old Soldier]

Good suggestions! My only thought is this last name is Ely, a surname of English origin. I think that is just a fancy "E."

Poor old 266 is very difficult to read, but it may be Eely - Esly - Ealy - Early. If there is an 'i' there it may be Esily, Ecily, Eaily./A.At(?)/(Ector's Brigade)/Lamar County Texas. Since my known name begins with 'E' and I have been writing cursive since Year1 Juniors (Year3/2nd Grade) I think the 'fancy part' is at the top. Research needed and it seems they is an Ely family around that time in Lamar County. (Betsy Mills and Ron Brothers. The Death and Cemetery Records of Lamar County, Texas, ReBroMa Press, 2008, http://www.lamarcountytx.org/cemetery. (11/19/2023)

 

[Stryker65]

Update: Of the ones originally posted, I have found all but 266.
Here are the other ones that are still illegible, or partly so:

(Of Garrity's battery. The " in the above would be: l Art'y l Smith's Brig. l Mobile, Ala. l

(Of Battery C, 1st Mississippi Light Artillery)