Research regarding my surname

[6n4thKY]

My last name is Wilson. I've been researching my line for the past couple of weeks. And I know I had a 4th great grandfather Richard L. Minchey in the 28thTN who entered the war at 45 and fought until the bitter end and survived. I also had a great great great Uncle Joseph N. Wilson fight with the 27thGA and survive. Sherman burned his farm back at home. In Henry County, GA.

Can anyone look up their service records? I'm also trying to find out if my 3rd great grandfather Thomas E. Wilson (Or E. Thomas Wilson/E.T. Wilson) fought in the civil war. He was born in Macon Co, TN in 1847 and married in 1865.

 

[6n4thKY]

If anyone with a fold3 account could look up Thomas E. Wilson that would be great!

 

[RedRover]

Shown as "Richard T. Minchey" of Capt. Samuel G. Slaughter's Company, Company I, "2nd Mountain Regiment" also known as the 28th Tennessee:

last record:

No further records.


There is a "J.N. Wilson" recorded with the 27th Georgia.

 

[RedRover]

If anyone with a fold3 account could look up Thomas E. Wilson that would be great!

There are two "Thomas E. Wilson" listed from Tennessee units.

This first one died in 1864, so would not appear to be your grandfather...

Shown as present again, jan.-Feb., 1864.

And the other is

Very little information.

 

[6n4thKY]

Shown as "Richard T. Minchey" of Capt. Samuel G. Slaughter's Company, Company I, "2nd Mountain Regiment" also known as the 28th Tennessee:

View attachment 460553

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last record:

View attachment 460552

No further records.


There is a "J.N. Wilson" recorded with the 27th Georgia.
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Thanks!

 

[6n4thKY]

Shown as "Richard T. Minchey" of Capt. Samuel G. Slaughter's Company, Company I, "2nd Mountain Regiment" also known as the 28th Tennessee:

View attachment 460553

View attachment 460550

View attachment 460551

last record:

View attachment 460552

No further records.


There is a "J.N. Wilson" recorded with the 27th Georgia.
View attachment 460554

View attachment 460557

View attachment 460556

View attachment 460555

I wonder why Richard Minchey was discharged? Maybe due to a wound of some sort or sickness? If im reading that old cursive correct. He was discharged a little after the battle of Shiloh. So maybe he sustained a severe wound at Shiloh.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I wonder why Richard Minchey was discharged? Maybe due to a wound of some sort or sickness? If im reading that old cursive correct. He was discharged a little after the battle of Shiloh. So maybe he sustained a severe wound at Shiloh.

The first Confederate conscription act was passed in April 1862. Taking men 18-35. Men older than that were discharged being "overage". Those under 18 were sent home being "underage".

 

[RedRover]

East Tennessee Roots above is likely correct.

"During the spring of 1862 the Confederate Congress passed the Conscript Act, retaining all the regiments then organized during the war, but discharging all the men over thirty-five years old after they had served an additional three months." History of Co. E. 20th N.C. Regiment, 1861-'65: Confederate Greys, Joe F. Morris, Goldsboro, NC, 1932, 6.

 

[6n4thKY]

The first Confederate conscription act was passed in April 1862. Taking men 18-35. Men older than that were discharged being "overage". Those under 18 were sent home being "underage".

Yep that is it. He would have been pushing 46 when he was discharged. Thank god he was, or I may not have been here. I doubt a man in his late 40s survives Franklin or Chickamauga.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Yep that is it. He would have been pushing 46 when he was discharged. Thank god he was, or I may not have been here. I doubt a man in his late 40s survives Franklin or Chickamauga.

Or if he had been captured.

 

[6n4thKY]

There are two "Thomas E. Wilson" listed from Tennessee units.

This first one died in 1864, so would not appear to be your grandfather...

View attachment 460558
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Shown as present again, jan.-Feb., 1864.
View attachment 460562

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And the other is

View attachment 460564

Very little information.

View attachment 460567

It's worth mentioning that my grandfather went by the name E.T. Wilson as well. He is listed as Thomas Wilson in Census' and then others as E.T. Wilson.

 

[RedRover]

It's worth mentioning that my grandfather went by the name E.T. Wilson as well. He is listed as Thomas Wilson in Census' and then others as E.T. Wilson.

No hits on "E.T. Wilson" in Tennessee CSA records.

A search for "E. Thomas Wilson" just brings up the two "Thomas E. Wilsons" above.

A search for "Edward T. Wilson" brings no hits.

 

[RedRover]

So the Confederate Conscript act allowed the discharge of any volunteers under 18, and over 35 at the conclusion of their original one year enlistment.

There is no cause of discharge in Michey's records, so I would still suspect he was discharged as over-age, or otherwise unfit for the active service if not actually disabled.

 

[Story]

I doubt a man in his late 40s survives Franklin or Chickamauga.

Minie balls and grapeshot were equal opportunity limitations on life, age immaterial.

The part that's lethal at 46 is the poor diet, infected water, rough sleeping and hard marching.

 

[DixieRifles]

He was discharged a little after the battle of Shiloh.

The 28th Tennessee Regt was in Colonel Stratham's 3rd Brigade of Breckinridge's Reserve Corps.
This brigade included the 15th & 22nd(my ancestor's) Mississippi Regts and 19th, 20th, 28th and 45th Tennessee Regt's and Rutledge Tenn Battery.

 

[Northstep]

East Tennessee Roots above is likely correct.

"During the spring of 1862 the Confederate Congress passed the Conscript Act, retaining all the regiments then organized during the war, but discharging all the men over thirty-five years old after they had served an additional three months." History of Co. E. 20th N.C. Regiment, 1861-'65: Confederate Greys, Joe F. Morris, Goldsboro, NC, 1932, 6.

Sorry, but I am confused about the discharge of "Richard T. Minchey of Capt. Samuel G. Slaughter's Company, Company I, 2nd Mountain Regiment." He had served only 7 months at the time of his discharge and this length of service does not seem to coincide with the directive of the 1862 Conscription Act. It is my understanding that he would have been required to complete his original 12 months of service even if he were over the age of 35 and this is shown in post #13. Also, I thought the "additional three months" extended their service to 15 months unless another recruit was added to the company within the 90 days at which time they could be discharged. This was the case for my GG GF serving in the 5th AL Regt. and discharged after 13 months at age 36.
So, I don't understand how Mr. Minchey's discharge, after only 7 months of service, was related to the Conscription Act. What am I missing here?

 

[lupaglupa]

@Northstep I think COs had some flexibility in this. If Minchey had been ill or wounded they might have decided to send him on home with a discharge and call it overage. That could have been easier than getting a medical discharge.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

This man was discharged by the Confederates for being underage. Back home in East Tennessee he later joined the Union Army.

Lilburn Depew Fought On Both Sides | Researching Civil War Records & Ancestry

Lilburn is the young man seated on the right, holding the .50 caliber Smith breech-loading carbine. He was from Sullivan County, east Tennessee. He enrolled in what would become Company B 19th Tenn Confederate Infantry, at the ripe old age of age 16, at Knoxville, Tn. in May, 1861 before Tenn...

civilwartalk.com

 

[RedRover]

Sorry, but I am confused about the discharge of "Richard T. Minchey of Capt. Samuel G. Slaughter's Company, Company I, 2nd Mountain Regiment." He had served only 7 months at the time of his discharge and this length of service does not seem to coincide with the directive of the 1862 Conscription Act. It is my understanding that he would have been required to complete his original 12 months of service even if he were over the age of 35 and this is shown in post #13. Also, I thought the "additional three months" extended their service to 15 months unless another recruit was added to the company within the 90 days at which time they could be discharged. This was the case for my GG GF serving in the 5th AL Regt. and discharged after 13 months at age 36.
So, I don't understand how Mr. Minchey's discharge, after only 7 months of service, was related to the Conscription Act. What am I missing here?

Michey might have been discharged for any reason, but none is given in his record. Researching the Confederate army demonstrates that many of the various military and naval laws were only vaguely attended to, and often observed in the breach. There was much confusion relative to these laws and their enforcement. The fact the muster roll of his unit did not give a reason for his discharge is non-regulation in itself. Consequently even the Confederate Army was evidently unaware of exactly why he was let go.

But at the same time, Lots of overage (over 35) men were let go with significantly less than their full year of service after the conscript act was passed.

There was a general reorganization of the entire army in April, 1862 to conform to the conscript acts' provisions, and it appears many units just let the overage go at that time.

From North Carolina's courts, was reported:

And relative to the North State, trying to figure out the enforcement in June, '62:

 

[lupaglupa]

Researching the Confederate army demonstrates that many of the various military and naval laws were only vaguely attended to, and often observed in the breach.

So true. And the fact that there are significant gaps in record keeping make getting an accurate picture even harder. There could have been a record that detailed Minchey's discharge which was later lost.