Sunday, March 22, 2015

George W. W. Threadgill

In my last post, I wrote about my 4th great-grandfather, James Campbell. This time, I chose another 4th great-grandfather. James Campbell was on my mother's side of my family, but George Threadgill is on my father's side of my family.

George Washington William Threadgill was born 11 September 1822 in Anson, North Carolina. His parents were David Howell Threadgill and Mary Slaughter. In 1842, he married his first wife, Mary Post. Together, they had (at least) eight children before Mary died in 1858. Mary was from Georgia, and by 1850, the couple is found living in Marion County, Alabama. He's listed as a farmer.
Clipping from 1850 census showing George and Mary's family
Not long after Mary's death, the Civil War broke out. At least George's oldest child should have been out on his own, but George still had a pretty large family to support. At some point, George remarried. He had a second daughter named Lucy in 1861. I am unsure who Lucy's mother is, but I think it may have been Mary Reed, one of George's other wives. I don't know much about Mary Reed, or even when the two got married, but if she is Lucy's mother, that is the only child I have found for this couple.

In 1860, he has moved with his family to Bibb County, Alabama. Here is a listing of his farm description from the 1860 Agriculture Census.
Clipping from 1860 agriculture census
It shows George as having 6 acres of "improved" land and 74 acres of "unimproved" land. It places the cash value of his farm at $100 and his "farming implements and machinery" is valued at $10. The 2 represents the number of working oxen he owns.

By the time George signed up for the War, he had changed occupations from farmer to millwright. George enlisted in the Confederate States Army on 7 April 1862 in Randolph County, Alabama. He enlisted for three years or for the duration of the War.
Taken from Service Records
Company F was officially mustered in on 30 June 1862. They left the camp at Falling Creek, located near Richmond, on 18 August 1862. From there, they marched to Richmond and took a train to Louisa Courthouse. From there, they headed out on foot with the Army of Northern Virginia to engage in the campaign which resulted in the Battle of Manassas. The company not only participated in the Battle of Manassas, but they also were engaged in the capture of Harpers Ferry and the Battle of Sharpsburg.
Taken from Company Muster Rolls
According to his muster rolls though, George didn't get to participate in any of this activity. He is listed as being "absent" from the company. Here, he is shown as being sick in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Taken from Service Records
He is in Raleigh through the June 1862 muster roll, but in July 1862, he has moved to Selma, Alabama.
Taken from Service Records
I lose George between July and December 1862. I can't find him listed in the muster rolls available online. Then, on 1 December 1862, without seeming to have fought at any point in the War, he is back in Raleigh, North Carolina being discharged.
Taken from Service Records
His discharge papers provide a little extra information about George and his illness.
Taken from Discharge Papers
I love these types of documents because they provide a physical description of the person. It says George was 43 years old, he was 6-feet tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes, and black hair.

His medical condition listed in his discharge papers was chronic rheumatism and scrofula.
Taken from Discharge Papers
So, not only was George experiencing pain from the rheumatism, but he had tuberculosis in his lymph nodes. Since he was listed as "sick" pretty much the entire time he was enlisted, I wonder if George was experiencing symptoms before he even joined the Army.

George married his final wife, Elizabeth Flowers, on 23 June 1864. Together, they had five children bringing the total number of children I know George fathered to 14.

George lived to be 87 years old. He died 15 September 1909 in Marion County, Alabama. He is buried at Whitehouse Cemetery in Marion County, Alabama, and even though he didn't seem to serve in any actual battles, he has a military tombstone.
Tombstone photo submitted by rebekahpaw on Find A Grave
Sources:

Sunday, March 8, 2015

James C. Campbell

The following is an excerpt (edited slightly to include updated information) from my 21 February 2015 "Widespread Roots" post about my 4th great-grandfather, James Columbus Campbell.
James enlisted 15 July 1861 in Elberton, Georgia as a Private with Captain J. C. Burch and Company F of the 15th Regiment Georgia Infantry. He enlisted "for the war unless sooner discharged." I found this funny, because most people listed simply "for the war." The clarification he added at the end of his enlistment period somehow adds character to James for me.
Taken from Service Records
In January and February 1862, James is listed as absent from war due to "sick leave."
Taken from Service Records
The story gets more interesting as in March and April, James is listed as being "absent with wagon."
Taken from Service Records
I don't know what happened during that time he was sick with what seems to be a stolen wagon, but in May and June of 1862, he is present again in the war. 
I lose track of James after June of 1862. That is until he shows back up in the 38th Georgia Infantry, Company F. His actions between June and September of 1862, when he enlists in the 38th, go mostly unmentioned in records. I do find it interesting that this time when he enlisted with Captain Thornton, he signed up "for 3 years or during the war."
Taken from Service Records. They mixed up the enlisting Captains on these two records.
In January and February 1863, James is listed as being "home on furlough." By March 1863, though, he has returned to battle. From March 1863 until April 1864, James continues to show up as "present" with the 38th Georgia Infantry. 
He followed them to Gettysburg. He was listed as one of the wounded on 1 July 1863. He appears in 1 Division General Hospital at Camp Winder in Richmond and General Hospital No. 9 shortly after Gettysburg.
Taken from Service Records
On 6 June 1864, James is listed as being at Jackson Hospital in Richmond with a disease I don't understand. It says
"V. S. R. Arm
Mi. B."
Taken from Service Records
"VS." stands for "Vulnus Sclopeticum" which means "relating to a wound caused by a gunshot wound. I assume "R. Arm" means "Right Arm." I do not know what "Mi. B." stands for. My best guess is "Mid-Back." 
Whatever it was, he returned to duty 27 June 1864. 
Then, on 22 August 1864, James gets promoted to 2nd Sergeant. Apparently, this was a bad move for James because one month later, on 22 September 1864, he gets captured at Fisher's Hill, Virginia and becomes a Prisoner of War.
Taken from Service Records
He was held at Point Lookout, Maryland. Even though he was captured in September, he doesn't make it to Point Lookout until 27 November 1864 from Harpers Ferry. 
James was released 4 June 1865 having taken the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. 
After the war, life seems to have returned relatively back to normal for the Campbell family. They were farmers before the War, and they were farmers after the War. Other than the fact that the value of his real estate and personal estate were cut in half in 1870 compared to 1860, James seemed to return to a relatively normal life. 
James died at the age of 68. According to his wife's pension application, James died 8 May 1893 of typhoid fever.
Taken from Sarah's Widow's Pension Application
Sources:
  • 1860 Ray's District, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
  • 1870 Ray's District, Hart County, Georgia U.S. Federal Census (access on Ancestry)
  • 1902 and 1903 Confederate Widow's Pension Applications (accessed on Ancestry)
  • Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia (accessed on Fold3)
  • 19th Century Medical Terminology