Wentworth Methodist Church

[White Flint Bill]

The Wentworth Methodist Church in Wentworth, North Carolina is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Several men killed during the Civil War are buried in its cemetery, as described on its Civil War Trails marker.

Obelisks mark the graves of the graves of three brothers who died in the War: John, George and Samuel Boyd.

Of particular interest to me was the grave of Captain John Preston Ellington, who drowned at Masonboro Sound at Ft. Fisher in the summer of 1864. His regiment of "Junior Reserves" was later designated as the 72nd NC Infantry in January 1865. Every member was under 18 as was nearly every officer, including 17-year-old John. The Junior Reserves came into existence after the conscription ages were lowered from 18 to 17 and raised from 45 to 50 in 1864, when North Carolina Governor Vance chose not to combine the boys and old men into new regiments, but rather to form "Junior Reserves" and "Senior Reserves." All in these units were volunteers. Those who would not volunteer were eligible to be drafted into regular combat units.

 

[Patrick H]

Thanks for posting this. I am often very moved by the inscriptions on tombstones. They hint at a very significant back story, but they are short on detail.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Nice photos!

Bill

 

[Tom Elmore]

Interesting photographs, thanks for posting.

The following information regarding the battle of Gettysburg was (reportedly) related by George Fulton Boyd's slave, Crawford, who was with him in the war. The link (http://www.slade-anderson.co/pages/milrec.html) is no longer active. The story has some ring of truth, although Crawford almost certainly would have remained in the rear, but he could be referring to the time when the brigade was in place near Oak Hill prior to their advance southward toward the railroad cut, in which case George would have been struck by an artillery round, likely a solid shot. If the story is true, I wonder if Crawford is buried in the same cemetery.

"Marse George, he was a second lieutenant and his brother, Marse Sam, was a cunnel [colonel] in the army. We wuz makin a charge … We advanced a little then the orders came to retire. We fell back to a little hollow-like and all of a sudden a ball from the Yankees' gun hit Marse George right here (indicating right thigh). Well suh, it took his leg clean off, cep'n a little piece of skin. And, oh my lawd it was hot, awful hot. Marse George he just turned over and prayed to die. I never seen anything so awful. … All of a sudden the order came to advance. Cunnel Sam came right by and he led his regiment by the place where his brother was dying but he couldn't stop fo' you see he was leading his men. That night he sent back after the body of little George and that's all there wuz to it …"

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

View attachment 208104

The Wentworth Methodist Church in Wentworth, North Carolina is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Several men killed during the Civil War are buried in its cemetery, as described on its Civil War Trails marker.

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Obelisks mark the graves of the graves of three brothers who died in the War: John, George and Samuel Boyd.

View attachment 208107

Of particular interest to me was the grave of Captain John Preston Ellington, who drowned at Masonboro Sound at Ft. Fisher in the summer of 1864. His regiment of "Junior Reserves" was later designated as the 72nd NC Infantry in January 1865. Every member was under 18 as was nearly every officer, including 17-year-old John. The Junior Reserves came into existence after the conscription ages were lowered from 18 to 17 and raised from 45 to 50 in 1864, when North Carolina Governor Vance chose not to combine the boys and old men into new regiments, but rather to form "Junior Reserves" and "Senior Reserves." All in these units were volunteers. Those who would not volunteer were eligible to be drafted into regular combat units.

View attachment 208108

Thanks for more info concerning the 13th NC. My 2 x great-grandfather was a 40 year-old conscript from the mountains of Wilkes County, assigned to Company I in Feb.1864. One of many replacements for the heavy casualties the NC brigades suffered at Gettysburg. He survived the Overland Campaign and Siege of Petersburg. He was captured during the breakthrough on April 2, 1865.

I've probably posted this in the past.

Photo provided by Mr. Richard L. Reed. of Lakewood, Colorado. Mr. Reed, a Civil War writer and historian, whose 4th cousin was Captain of Company I ( David Land's Company, ) Captain R.S. Williams. His great-granduncle was 1st Lieut. W.H. Winchester of Co.I who was mortally wounded on 7-3-1863 at Gettysburg, Pa. His great-grandfather was Pvt. John E. Winchester of Co. I. John was captured with David Land on April 2, 1865. They probably arrived together at the Federal prison on Hart's Island,N.Y. Both were released and started back to North Carolina the same day. David to Wilkes County, John to Rockingham County.

 

[JOHN42768]

Thanks for photos

 

[mofederal]

Thanks for posting the photos and the texts, it gave the thread a life and made the dead come alive to me, their lives had a great meaning which sometimes escapes us in a sea of white headstones.

 

[ErnieMac]

Sergeant Jones' regiment, the 13th North Carolina had been part of Pender's Brigade in A. P. Hill's Light Division since May, 1862. Pender was promoted and Alfred M. Scales took command of the brigade in May, 1863. At Gettysburg Scales' brigade was part of the final attack on the Federal lines on Day 1, coming up against the Iron Brigade. The Federals were driven back, but Scales' suffered horrendous casualties, obviously including Jones.

The 45th North Carolina spent most of the first couple years of the War in southeastern Virginia and North Carolina. In 1863 they headed north under the command of BG Junius Daniel. The brigade fought with Rodes' Division on Day 1 at Gettysburg where the fighting claimed the life of Lieutenant George Boyd. Colonel Samuel Boyd survived Gettysburg and the battle at the Mule Shoe (Spotsylvania) on May 12, 1864, only to fall at Harris Farm a week later.

 

[rebed19th]

The marker with Giles Jones caught my attention because it says he is buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery, Brooklyn NY. I did not know why confederates would be buried there and after doing a little research I found that there are close to 500 confederate soldiers buried there. They were POW's that were in 7 different holding facilities in the NYC area and all had died in these holding facilities while they were prisoners. Learning something new every day

 

[Tom Elmore]

The marker with Giles Jones caught my attention because it says he is buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery, Brooklyn NY. I did not know why confederates would be buried there and after doing a little research I found that there are close to 500 confederate soldiers buried there. They were POW's that were in 7 different holding facilities in the NYC area and all had died in these holding facilities while they were prisoners. Learning something new every day

There's a nice thread on Cypress Hill Cemetery by Pat Young: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/cy...est-together-in-brooklyn.143264/#post-1757520

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

The marker with Giles Jones caught my attention because it says he is buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery, Brooklyn NY. I did not know why confederates would be buried there and after doing a little research I found that there are close to 500 confederate soldiers buried there. They were POW's that were in 7 different holding facilities in the NYC area and all had died in these holding facilities while they were prisoners. Learning something new every day

http://www.junipercivic.com/historyArticle.asp?nid=72#.W9pK8eIpDIV