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:

• 1850 Marion County, Alabama U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Bibb County, Alabama U.S. Agricultural Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Alabama (accessed on Fold3)
• Find A Grave Memorial
• US National Library of Medicine - Rheumatic Pain
• US National Library of Medicine - Scrofula

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

W. S. Lineberry

For my first post on this blog, I couldn't think of a better subject than Winfield Scott Lineberry. It was his account of his experience in the US Civil War that got me interested in Civil War history. Now I will try to share that history with you.

Winfield Scott Lineberry was born 2 April 1847 in Locust Grove, Randolph County, North Carolina at the farm home of his parents. He was the 8th of 9 children born to Lemuel and Sally Hanner Lineberry.

When Scott was just 14, the War started. I'll let him tell you himself what his experience was like. This was taken from his "Biography of the Lineberry Family," which he wrote in 1918.

"When I saw the men volunteering and drilling, oh, how I did want to go too, but my father and mother told me I was too young. However, I had an ambition to be a military man, so I studied the army tactics and became a drillmaster.  After I was 15 I was a pretty good drillmaster and was elected first lieutenant of the state militia, but this did not put me in the regular army where I could shoot Yankees, and this was the height of my ambition.  When the first draft came on, which I believe was in 1862, I was elected first lieutenant of the drafted men.  Now I thought I was going to get to don a uniform and go and fight Yankees, but that night when I came home my hope was cut in the bud, for my parents told me I was too young and could not go, but in April, 1864, all between 17 and 18 were called to the colors, so we met in Asheboro and organized and I was again elected first lieutenant and Will Foust was elected captain.  We were ordered out the 25^th of May and when we got to Raleigh we had to reorganize and I was elected captain.  My company was put in the first regular junior reserves as Company F.  We later became the 70th Regular N. C. Troops.  We drilled in Raleigh sometime.  I had in my company 110 men, as fine a looking set of boys as ever shouldered a musket and I must say I was proud of them."

 

According to the book, "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions," the other officers in W. S. Lineberry's 70th NC Troop, Company F, included 1st Lieutenants L. S. Gray and H. C. Causey, 2nd Lieutenants H. C. Causey, Z. T. Rush, W. T. Glenn, and W. R. Ashworth.

Clipping from "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions"

"I soon had them well drilled, as I had had some experience in drilling, and we were soon transferred to Weldon.  There was a lot connected with this young life of mine that I would like to tell you, but it would consume too much space, so I must hasten on. 

The first time we had the pleasure of meeting the bluecoats was at a place called Poplar Point, on the Roanoke River.  We sunk three gunboats (one got away) and put the Yankees to flight.  I think that was one of the happiest nights I ever spent.  I had tested my boys and saw they had the grit and would fight I was prouder of them than I was before. 

Our next fight was at Bellfield, Va.  We fought the Yankees all day and laid in line of battle all night.  That night there came a big sleet which froze our blankets to our clothes.  Next morning when light came, to our surprise the Yankees were gone.  They left the ground covered with dead, which proved we had not shot wild.  We pursued them several miles, but could not overtake them, so we came back to North Carolina."

Clipping from "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions"

"Our next fight was at Kinston the last of March.  Here we held an army four times our number three days, and many a Yankee we made turn up his toes, but on the third night the Yankees found they could not break our lines.  They commenced moving so as to cut us off from Raleigh, so we had to fall back to Smithfield.  I was slightly wounded in this fight, but never left the battle field.  Our next fight was at Bentonsville, near Smithfield.  Here Joe Johnson, our commander, had to fight not only the army we fought at Kinston, but all of Bill Sherman’s grand army.  They had at least six men to our one, but notwithstanding this our grand army, which was half-naked and half-starved, held all this powerful army in check for three days and nights and many were the dead bluecoats we left on the field.  When they found they could not break our lines they again tried to cut us off from Raleigh, so we had to fall back again.  When he got to Raleigh we heard the news of Lee’s surrender, so Johnson marched us to Greensboro and surrendered to Sherman, and this ended the war.  We surrendered April 27, 1865."

I think the thing that makes me love the story of Winfield Scott Lineberry so much is the fact that it was so many other soldiers' story as well. He was a young boy who was, technically, too young to fight, but he didn't let that stop him. Not only did he not let that stop him from fighting, he didn't let that stop him from becoming a Captain.

As far as I know, he was the only one of his siblings who fought as well. His siblings were "hatters" by trade for most of their careers. Perhaps they "served" by supplying soldiers during the War? Further investigation into any possible connection to the War with his older brothers is still needed.

Probably the most impactful part of Scott's story, though, is the aftermath of the war. His story continues in his "Biography" after he got home from the war.

"On April 28th, 1865, I put foot in my old home once more with nothing in this world only the old clothes on my back and they were ragged—not a dollar in the world.  I was sick on our retreat and put my knapsack in a baggage wagon with my uniform, which was nearly new, and all my belongings except my Bible, and I never saw the knapsack any more.  I found everything at home impoverished and I felt like I had rather be dead than alive.  I went to work on the farm with but little to work with."

Five and a half years after the end of the Civil War, Scott got married and began his family. They had nine children. He stayed rather close to other Civil War veterans during the remainder of his life. He served as US Deputy Marshal briefly. He spent some time as a storekeeper under a man who served as a Colonel in the War (who later became a US Senator). Then, in 1910, he became the superintendent of the Confederate Soldier's Home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Confederate Soldier's Home in Raleigh, NC
Postcard. Image from goodnightraleigh.com

Winfield Scott Lineberry died 20 June 1926. He is buried in Grays Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, which is located in Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina.

Capt W. S. Lineberry and Hulda Louisa Vickory Lineberry
Copyright Brittany Jenkins, 2011

Capt. W. S. Lineberry's Signature
as taken from a letter written during the War.
Found in his service records.

Sources:

• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)
• Goodnight Raleigh
• "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War, 1861-1865"
• Lineberry, W. S., Biography of the Lineberry Family, 1918
• Tombstone, Capt. W. S. Lineberry and Hulda Louisa Lineberry

Welcome to Civil War Souls!

I love studying American history, particularly American Revolutionary War history and US Civil War history. I find the men and women, who "sacrificed their lives and fortunes" to create a country they loved, incredibly fascinating. When you look up these wars through various resources, however, we often lose sight of the individual men and women who fought, gave aid, or were the most affected by the ongoing struggle. I wanted to create a site for those people.

This site, in particular, will focus on the men and women who were involved in the United States Civil War. I will strive to highlight each individual soldier or person's experience and the personal effect the War had on them and the lives of their family. I will provide all relevant source documentation used.

And, please! If you, the reader, have anything to add to my post(s), photos, personal stories passed down through your own family, I'd love to hear them! Comment below on the related post, or send me an email. I hope this will be an ever-evolving site and will serve to honor these various men and women, no matter which cause they supported.

If you are interested in Revolutionary War history, check out my other site Patriots Remembered. That site has a similar focus as this site, taking a look at the lives of individual soldiers of the Revolution, but it has an added feature of assisting future Daughters of the American Revolution members complete their applications (or assisting existing members complete supplemental applications).