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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Taken from Service Records |
He is in Raleigh through the June 1862 muster roll, but in July 1862, he has moved to Selma, Alabama.
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| 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.
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| Taken from Service Records |
His discharge papers provide a little
extra information about George and his illness.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Tombstone photo submitted by rebekahpaw on Find A Grave |
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