William Brandon Weatherford help

[Barrycdog]

Notes for WILLIAM BRANSON WEATHERFORD:
William joined the Maury Co., 9th "Gantt's" Tennessee Calvary Battalion, Co.B, CSA along with his brothers Richard and Jesse, was organized on November 28, 1861, and mustered into Confederate service on December 23, 1861 and surrendered at Fort Donelson on February 16, 1862. The prisoners were exchanged at Vicksburg in September of 1862, and the group was reorganized at Jackson, Ms. They were parolled at Charlotte, N.C. on May 3, 1865. (Tennessean's in the Civil War, Part 1, pg. 30.) On the 1850 Maury Co., Tn. Census, it states William to be born in Tn. and not Va

A lady descendant of William on Facebook was looking for info on where he might be buried. It seems he died at the battle of Browns Mill in Newman. I have been to the reenactment there but that's all. If anyone base more info could you please share. I would appreciate and will pass it along.

 

[Allie]

I took a poke at it - his record describes Him as having died in a "skirmish" near Newnan so I wouldn't think he would be in a mass grave. He's not in the obvious place with his parents. I'll keep poking. Can anyone find an original casualty list for Brown's Mill?

This is the Confederate cemetery for Brown's mill. Not here either.

http://www.battleofbrownsmill.org/Newnanconfederatecemetery.html

 

[DixieRifles]

There was a William Weatherford who enlisted in Company D, 1st Tennessee Battaion in December 1861 and was discharged at Camp Weakley in November 1861 --- even though the same card says he was on the roll for Aug/Sept 1862.
Even if he was discharged in Sept 1862, he had time to re-enlist in the 9 Tenn Cavalry in November 1862. The printed info on the card said the unit was consolidated with the 50 Regiment in November 1862. I presume they re-ogranized when the men's period of enlistment had expired.

 

[ErnieMac]

Ancestry.com shows a William Branson Rutherford, resident of Maury County TN, date of death was August 9, 1864, in Mississippi. Possible that he was transferred to a hospital there? The file shows a wife, Tabitha, who died before the war and a son William (1855 - 1927).

Addition: There is a picture, possibly of a painting or drawing, of William attached to the entry.

 

[lelliott19]

If he died at the Battle of Browns Mill, he might be one of the 3 unknowns buried at the Newnan Confederate cemetery? http://www.battleofbrownsmill.org/Newnanconfederatecemetery.html My gg grandfather was the Medical Officer in charge of the Bragg Hospital which was located in Newnan for a period of time. They packed up the hospital and moved South soon after the Battle of Browns Mill.

******Sorry - didnt see Allie already posted this link above.

If he was wounded in a "skirmish near Newnan" and not the actual Battle of Browns Mill, it is possible that my gg grandfather was the surgeon who treated him. There were several skirmishes which took place near Newnan prior to the actual BoBM. He may have been treated and transferred to another hospital or moved with the hospital when they evacuated Newnan. I'll see what I can find.

 

[lelliott19]

"Although it was intended that only five or six hundred wounded be accommodated in Newnan, its geographic location and proximity to Atlanta greatly increased the number and more than ten thousand Confederate sick and wounded were brought there for treatment in seven hospitals known as Bragg, Buckner, College Temple, Coweta House, Foard, Gamble, and Pinson Springs... They took over ... all large buildings and stores on the Court Square... Sheds (twelve feet wide and one hundred feet long) were built around the court house.~ Byron H. Mathews' "To Do A Man's Work."

"Yesterday morning, while I was in the yard of the court-house, attending to the patients, I saw a man ride in haste to town and a crowd collect around him. We were informed he was a courier, and had brought news that the enemy were within six miles of the place." ~ From "A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee" by Kate Cumming

"Sunday, July 31 - At 12 A. M., Wheeler's cavalry was seen approaching the town. O, how joyfully we hailed them! They came galloping in by two different roads; the enemy, in the mean time hearing of their approach, were retreating. They were hotly pursued, and when four miles from town our men came up with them, where they made a stand, and had quite a battle.

We heard the booming of cannon, it seemed to me, about two hours. We eagerly listened to hear if it came nearer, as then we would know whether we were successful or not; but it did not seem to move from one spot. We had no idea in what force the enemy were, so did not know what to expect.

About 4 P. M. word was brought that we had killed and captured the whole command. Then the wounded from both sides were brought in. I do not know how many there were in all, but not over nine or ten were brought to our hospital.

Hundreds of well prisoners marched in in a different manner from what they had expected."

September 24.—"Newnan is now the head-quarters of the army. Hood is moving West. No one can tell what will be done next. Sherman is still in Atlanta. Every thing is quiet.

The way the hospitals move from place to place puts me in mind of the contra-dance, where the head couple are always taking a jump to the foot. Some time ago I wished to go to the hospital which Dr. B. (Beniss) is in, because it was so near the army, but now he is way below me. He gives an account of two raids which visited Oxford, near Covington, while he was there. He says the enemy infested the place twice; but, thanks to high weeds and green grass, he was not captured. He also says he is completely demoralized with what he has gone through and the fear of other raids, and that any thingblue, even the blue of heaven, gives him an unpleasant feeling.

We are getting the hospital put to rights again. On the square where the fire was new buildings are being erected. The latter is one of the things I do not like to see; for, like Dr. B. and the blue, the sight of new lumber gives me an unpleasant feeling, as it is always a sure sign of our exodus. We are having a fine bakery built—I believe the eighth one our baker has had to put up since the war."~ From "A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee" by Kate Cumming

So Weatherford may have been treated and transferred to another hospital or moved with the hospital when they left Newnan. Dr.Cross' orders were relieved from duty at Newman, Ga.. August 16/18, 1864, and report to Bragg Hospital at Americus, Ga. for duty. They packed up and moved by train from Newnan to Americus.