While researching what 2 flags were captured by the 17th Alabama Inf at Shiloh, I came across this interesting letter of 1st Sgt James Davison. Looks like he had a bad day.
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A great find...can you indentify the sourcing of this letter?
This soldier enlisted with my great-grandfather ( pictured in avatar ), in Co. H, 17th Al.Infantry. Since both my maternal and paternal ancestors migrated to Monroe County, Al., in the 1820’s, I have copious data on the residents and soldiers of this county.
James Miller Davison was already in my Ancestry tree as a collateral ancestor, so was easily found. My great grandfather was also wounded at Franklin by a minie ball to the left temple, as seen in his photo. He was a scrawny little kid of 17 yrs. old. Survived, went to med college and was a physician for over 50 years there in Monroe County.
Miller Davison was younger than him. He joined at 16. Take a look at his life. Maybe his “darkey” and all his papers could disappear while he was getting shot in the leg “in the trenches in Atlanta”. Following his bio in “Notable Men of Alabama”, is his Pension application. His answers to the wounded and captured questions are telling, and the answer to # 26 is quite witty :+))...
Finally, a list of some of the officers in 17th, Co.H, written by Miller’s future father-in-law. They definitely did not fare well in the Atlanta Campaign.
Thanks for this interesting thread. Sounds like he had a lot more “bad days” to come!