William Shaw, CSA, Alabama

[Dasher]

Hello...

New member here. I have a question, please: can anyone direct me to the CSA military record for my ggg gf William Shaw? He was b. about 1827 in Georgia, son of James Shaw and Roda/Rhoda Farrar/Farar. He m. Matilda Farrar/Farar (his cousin) in 1847. They moved to Benton (later Calhoun) Co, AL by about 1850 and started a family there.

He would have mustered in from Benton (later Calhoun) County, Alabama. Did he fight from Alabama or perhaps Georgia? (His parents were from Madison, Morgan Co, GA where they were m. 1 Mar 1820) He would have been about 34 at the start of the war. Does anyone have any info on his military service, unit, battles in which he may have fought? He survived the war, dying about 1880 near Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama (in the Sand Hill community).

Any info or suggestions welcomed.

Dasher

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

I'm sure we can help you, we have some great detectives on board.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Did he have a middle initial ?

 

[ErnieMac]

My inclination is that having lived in Alabama for over 15 years +/- he would have enrolled in an Alabama unit unless there was a strong family tie calling him back. In ancestry.com I am see at least seven William Shaw's in Alabama regiments.

 

[reading48]

Hello and Greetings from Penna.

I'm sure someone will be along to help you with your question....

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Did he have a middle initial ?

Agreed.

That would help allot.

I've narrowed the list down to the William Shaws found in regiments from that county.

A middle initial could help wrap up the mystery.

 

[Drew]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk, Dasher. With a little bit of feedback if you've got it, folks here will unearth this mystery for you in short order.

 

[Dasher]

Thank you to all who have replied (or, will reply). I do not know of a middle initial for my William Shaw. His younger brother was named James Shaw, b. about 1829, also in Georgia, but, who lived next door to him and his wife Matilda with their mother Rhoda and a few other younger siblings.

Perhaps William and James served in the same company. Would finding a William Shaw and a James Shaw in the same unit be likely? I think so.

Thanks, again...

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Thank you to all who have replied (or, will reply). I do not know of a middle initial for my William Shaw. His younger brother was named James Shaw, b. about 1829, also in Georgia, but, who lived next door to him and his wife Matilda with their mother Rhoda and a few other younger siblings.

Perhaps William and James served in the same company. Would finding a William Shaw and a James Shaw in the same unit be likely? I think so.

Thanks, again...

Providing James was also living in Alabama.

Alabama Units with both a James & William Shaw :

6th Infantry (James J. & William M.)

14th Infantry (James M. & William L.)

11th Infantry (James P. & William J.)

5th infantry (James S. & William )

Next step would be to see which, if any, were in the same company.

 

[redbob]

Providing James was also living in Alabama.

Alabama Units with both a James & William Shaw :

6th Infantry (James J. & William M.)

14th Infantry (James M. & William L.)

11th Infantry (James P. & William J.)

5th infantry (James S. & William )

Next step would be to see which, if any, were in the same company.

The 5th and 14th recruited from counties that were closest to Calhoun County.

 

[Dasher]

Doing more research, I found that William's brother James had the middle initial "E". There was also a third, younger brother named Henry Shaw, b. about 1836, age 21 at the start of the war, who lived in the same household as James...which was next door to William and his wife Matilda.

Does anyone have the three Shaws...William, James and Henry...in the same CSA company?

Many, many thanks for all the kind replies...

 

[redbob]

Company H of the 11th Alabama (The Pickens County Guards) had a James P. Shaw (20),Thomas W. Shaw(24) and William J. Shaw (25). carried on their recruiting roster. James P. survived the war, Thomas W. didn't (died of wounds received at Gettysburg) and there is no further record for William J. except that he was wounded at Burgess Mill.

 

[Allie]

Any pension under that name connected to the widow? That might give more details.

 

[Allie]

Checking where these guys enlisted. I started out doing everybody regardless of likelihood and then skipped ahead to the more likely ones because it was taking so long.

William Shaw 22nd was from Mobile and died at Shiloh.
William Shaw 44th enlisted at Shelby, Ala. killed 1864.
William Shaw 5th Batt Hillard's legion enrolled Rockmills, Randolph co.
William Shaw 8th Alabama inf. Enlisted Mobile
William Shaw of the 5th unfortunately doesn't have much besides a hospital card.
William Shaw 1st Alabama Cav - no info on enrollment

Skipping ahead to the more likely candidates, William L Shaw of the 14th enlisted at Hackneyville according to one record and Auburn, Alabama according to another. James M Shaw same company, also enlisted Hackneyville. A third Shaw from Hackneyville in the same company is Claiborne F Shaw. Any Claibornes in this family? Cousin maybe?

William J Shaw of the 11th enlisted Carrolton. He was born in Anderson district in South Carolina. So not your guy, unless your birth information is off, which seems unlikely since you know where his parents are from.

William M Shaw of the 6th enrolled for duty Haynesville Ala and mustered in at Montgomery. Served with company M which seems to be the same as old company E. James J Shaw, different company, co L, old co B.

I'll do the rest later.

 

[Allie]

Ancestry.com trees seem to think this guy served in Georgia, in the 51st infantry. Checking to see what info is leading them to that conclusion.

Edit: this is a red herring, William H Shaw from Georgia has different parents.

 

[Allie]

I'm going to have to take a better look at these other trees. There seems to be a lot of silliness surrounding this guy's records on various trees because people are trying to use him to establish membership in the Five Civilized Tribes. There are comments saying he was an Indian guide for the military. But I'm not seeing any documentation which fits that theory. Do you know anything about this?

 

[Dasher]

I'm not aware of any Native American ancestry in my Shaw lineage. I can trace my ancestry back to about 1793 and James Shaw's birth...supposedly as a twin of a William Shaw...with ancestry in South or North Carolina, but, who their parents were remains a mystery. My hunch is that a Henry Shaw of Newton County, Georgia is their father, but, much research remains toi be done.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Hello...

New member here. I have a question, please: can anyone direct me to the CSA military record for my ggg gf William Shaw? He was b. about 1827 in Georgia, son of James Shaw and Roda/Rhoda Farrar/Farar. He m. Matilda Farrar/Farar (his cousin) in 1847. They moved to Benton (later Calhoun) Co, AL by about 1850 and started a family there.

He would have mustered in from Benton (later Calhoun) County, Alabama. Did he fight from Alabama or perhaps Georgia? (His parents were from Madison, Morgan Co, GA where they were m. 1 Mar 1820) He would have been about 34 at the start of the war. Does anyone have any info on his military service, unit, battles in which he may have fought? He survived the war, dying about 1880 near Gadsden, Etowah, Alabama (in the Sand Hill community).

Any info or suggestions welcomed.

Dasher

http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/index.cfm

 

[Dasher]

http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/index.cfm

Thanks to you, I think I found William Shaw's brother, James. He was apparently James Sanford Shaw, mustering in at Talladega, AL (just West of Calhoun Co, AL). It shows he was a Sergeant in the Infantry, 5th Alabama, Unit: B that was E. From the records, he was captured at Chancellorsville in 1863. I tried locating a William Shaw in the same unit to no avail.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Thanks to you, I think I found William Shaw's brother, James. He was apparently James Sanford Shaw, mustering in at Talladega, AL (just West of Calhoun Co, AL). It shows he was a Sergeant in the Infantry, 5th Alabama, Unit: B that was E. From the records, he was captured at Chancellorsville in 1863. I tried locating a William Shaw in the same unit to no avail.

View attachment 72174 View attachment 72175

Here's a William in the 5th Infantry, but wrong birth year.

http://www.archives.alabama.gov/civilwar/soldier.cfm?id=181508