Which Side Did Your Family Fight On?

Which Side Did Your Family Fight For?


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Union although one ancestor, living in what is now Morgan County, VA had a sentence in his obit that said he fought with Robert E. Lee. The local historian told me he might have unofficially joined in a local fight. His brother was sheriff and would get hauled off to prison in Washington DC whenever the Union rolled through (according to said historian.)

My husband had both (one a Moccasin Ranger), my kids had only Union, my daughter-in-law has 3 Confederates from southwestern Virginia and a Union ancestor across the state line in Kentucky. It's extremely interesting to me, to be researching the western Virginia ancestors. Truly brother against brother.

Because I research in depth the direct-line ancestors (their movements sometimes down to weekly for those four-five years), I haven't yet delved into brothers, sons, uncles or cousins.
 
My most interesting ancestor in terms of Civil War service (discovered so far) was from eastern West Virginia. He enlisted in a Virginia cavalry regiment in 1861 and is listed as a deserter just over 1 year later. I suspect he enlisted for 1 year and 365 days later, when told his enlistment was upgraded by the Confederate government to the duration of the war, said "Screw you guys - I'm going home!" However, he then reenlisted in another Virginia cavalry regiment in 1864!
 
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However, he then reenlisted in another Virginia cavalry regiment in 1864!

That's very cool and went on a lot - guys moved around some! Good find and thanks for sharing!
 
GGG Grandfather William Harris and his brother Issac 6th Florida Infantry. Oldest Brother Henry 22nd Georgia Infantry.
Williams' Nephews Jasper, Columbus, and Henry also 6th Florida Infantry
older brother Nathaniel with 12th Georgia Infantry.
 
I haven't researched my mother's side (and her father was a Chickasaw), but found both Union and Confederate on my father's side. I just found out within the last couple of weeks that my father's mother's side were Union 146th NY to my astonishment. Evan T. Jones immigrated from Wales (at age 20) and enlisted at Remsen (for 3 yrs. (at 22)) in Oct. 1862 so missed some of the first bigger battles; was captured at the Wilderness in May 5, 1864 and after that (don't know when) was wounded (left arm shot off) and was discharged (for his wounds) March 16, 1865. I have found his Roster and 1890 Pension/Census. I welcome any curious input/aid/assistance. I think I may have found a photo of him here: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.27369/ and would ask if you see any reason why this might/might not be early NY 146th (Dark blue with gray pants) or if I should be looking for Zouave instead. So Evan T. Jones b. 05-10-1840 Bala, Wales fought 146th NY- was my gg grandfather or my grandmother's father. Also might add here that he lived in Missouri (Macon) though I don't know if that was just after the war or before. He listed 1860 as having immigrated in that year on one of the Census I found him in (1880 census I think).

My g grandfather on my father's father's side was b. in 1858, so too young to fight, but his oldest brother David M. Thatcher served (as a Confederate) under the famed J.E.B. Stuart and was mortally wounded in battle outside Warrenton in 1863. His picture was identified by my second cousin once removed who (still) lives in Martinsburg today. The best photo can be seen in the Library of Congress, but can also be found at his findagrave at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=14003059&PIpi=56752665. My great grandfather as well as my great great grandfather are buried in the same cemetery.

I'm pretty pleased with what I've found so far as I've only been researching for less than six months. So if you have access to documents or know how to research in ways I'm not familiar with, your time and knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Any insight, mention, impressions...you get it. Thanks.
 
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Most of mom's side for the South, one for the Union. Dad's sat it out on the frontier.

a lot of my ancestors were from Illinois, but at the time of the war they were already heading west, first stop Kansas....next stop northeastern Colorado and New Mexico. Had family in Kentucky and Georgia too. I have one great great (great?) uncle that served with Battery B 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery at Gettysburg. He is the only one I know of until I dig into some more research.
 
All my people were Confederate.

One paternal great great grandfather was an English immigrant married to a first-generation German woman who lived in Charleston, SC. All three of his sons fought for the CSA and my great grandmother's first husband, who was killed at the battle of New Market Roads in Virginia, was Confederate. One of the three great uncles died of disease at Petersburg and the other two made it through OK. The other paternal great grandfather was from Richmond and served as a chaplain at the hospitals in Richmond and was surrendered when Richmond was abandoned.

My maternal great grandfather, John Winn, was from Virginia and served with the Richmond Howitzers. He was sick a lot but was also present at some serious shootouts. He was last reported on duty outside Richmond just before Lee pulled out but he was not surrendered at Appomattox so I think he just called it quits at the end and stayed in Richmond with relatives when the ANV pulled out. My other great grandfather was a German immigrant who had moved from Canada to Savannah, GA and did not serve but he had one son who did. That son had the good fortune to have moved to Florida before the war and served with a Florida unit that saw no action.

ps - I'm really curious about the eight people who never had any family members. Must of been tough growing up.
 
My planter ancestors were Choctaw/Chickasaw in Tennessee and Kentucky, my Catawba ancestors just lived in South Carolina - they didn't have much stake in the war but their reservation was in the Confederacy.

Wow. Diane, I did not understand you were from a Eastern Woodland tribe!

I have read a great deal about the contact with the early colonials and the Northern tribes. Pecquot, King Phillip's war and even Joseph Brandt who tried to restrain his warriors. I have read quite a bit about the Cherokee with the Ridge and Ross wars, even after the Trail of Tears.
I have read atlases about what tribes were where, when. General Native history across the country.
I have read a little about the Osage. I can't find much.
I have read about the plains and Sioux wars of course.
I have sadly read about when Federal policy changed from fight to extermination. This after all the power was one one side. (Unlike the early colonies, when white survival was a thing)

I live 1 hour from Oklahoma and the Indian nations located there.

My sales territory used to be to a large degree in Oklahoma. I met a few partial Natives there. One was a small young man with a long ponytail who disliked me and called me "white-eye".

Are there Catawba tribes in OK? Are they functioning alone or fused in with other tribes?

Do you have a long oral history? Is there any original language left?

Were the Catawba part of the Civilized Tribes?
 
My signature has only the ones I have confirmed to be in my tree. Records get a little dicey on others, but so far all seem to be Union men. For the past two years I've been researching the 22nd Ky and (not sure if this is odd or not) but I feel like I have a bond with those men, even the ones I'm not related to. But it's been hard since so few have letters or written items that have been publicized or kept.

Last summer I got to visit the field where David Burton was killed and strolled around section G and O of Vicksburg National Cemetery where many from Chickasaw Bayou were reinterred. Just feel a kinship with them now.
 
All of my family that I've researched fought for the South. Now my wife is originally from Ohio, and she had a couple of ancestors who fought for the North, so our kids have that split ancestry.
 
Private George Wellington Walker Co. B, 4th​ Texas Volunteer Infantry, Tom Green Rifles (Pow/died in Hosp.

Corporal Alfred Chandler Odle Co. C, 15th​ Texas Infantry

Private Newton Cannon Adams Co. C, 6th​ Texan Battalion

Corporal William Carrol Adams Co. C, 18th​ Texas Infantry

Private Britton H. Adams 1st​ Regiment, 2nd​ Brigade, Texas State Troopers

Private John William Adams Co. I, 7th​ Texas Cavalry
 
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