Ellison K. Plyler

The following is a repost from my family blog, Widespread Roots.

My fourth-great granduncle, Ellison Kershaw Plyler, was born 18 Feburary 1837 to Elisha Plyler and Mary Elizabeth Hancock. Whenever I see some male with a birthdate in Ellison's range, I instantly search for Civil War service records. I was not disappointed when I searched for Ellison's.

Ellison enlisted as a Private with the 12th South Carolina Volunteer Regiment, Company I, on 15 May 1862 at Camp Jackson, Virginia for the duration of the War.

Taken from Service Records

Ellison doesn't seem to have a very easy experience at Camp though. By July or August 1862, he is sent to the hospital and he appears "absent" in the muster rolls. I don't, however, find him in any hospital records until October. On 3 October 1862, I see he is admitted to the C.S.A. General Hospital at Farmville, Virginia with rheumatism.

Taken from Service Records

Just a few days later, Ellison is transferred to General Hospital No. 6 in Richmond, Virginia. Whether in this hospital or another hospital, Ellison is listed as being "absent" from his Company due to being in the hospital all the way until 10 January 1863.

Taken from Service Records

After his return, Ellison seems to stay with his company for his longest stretch yet. He appears as "present" up until 1 July 1863 when he is "wounded at Gettysburg, Pa. ... and left."

Taken from Service Records

That phrase "and left" is a little haunting. Growing up near Camp Lejeune, I grew up hearing "no man left behind" a lot. The men in Ellison's Company did not seem to feel that way. They simply left him there when he was wounded.

Ellison's fate was seemingly unknown to his Company for quite some time because they repeat this wording up until March of 1864 when they seem to update the status of their wounded man.

Taken from Service Records

Finally, they list him as being "in the hands of the enemy."

Ellison would remain a Prisoner of War for the remainder of the War. Upon capture, he is sent to Fort McHenry in Maryland. He stays there for about a week or two until he is transferred to Fort Delaware, located in Delaware.

He stays at Fort Delaware until he is finally released on 10 June 1865 having taken the Oath of Allegiance.

Often, when a person took the Oath of Allegiance, their physical description was recorded. I assume this was to help enforce the Oath in the case that the person chose to go back to the Confederacy and pick up arms again against the Union. Ellison's description is one that is a bit unique.

Taken from Service Records

They list his complexion as "sallow." I have seen "light," "dark," and all kinds of various shades in-between described here, but I have never seen "sallow." I wonder if he appeared sallow because of his rheumatism. Or I wonder if his nearly two years as a POW caused his complexion to become sallow.

In any case, Ellison left the War and seemed to go straight home to his wife, Mary (last name unknown), and his two young children, Margaret and Jonas. Not long after being home, Mary becomes pregnant with their third child, John, who is born in 1866. Their fourth, and the last known child I have for the couple, Mary, was born a few years later in 1869.

Ellison lived to be 80 years old. He died of "old age" on 8 January 1918.

Taken from Death Certificate

I'm glad to see that despite his rough experience in the War, he didn't seem to let it hinder his ability to lead a long, full life.

Sources:

• 1870 Cabarrus County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina (accessed on Fold3)
• Death Certificate, Ellison Kershaw Plyler (accessed on Ancestry)

James C. Campbell

While investigating my fourth great-grandfather James Columbus Campbell's involvement in the Civil War, I managed to gather a lot of information about a different James C. Campbell than my own. This is his story.

On 5 August 1861, James joined the Confederate States Army as a Private. He registered in Danielsville, Georgia with Captain Montgomery for the duration of the War. He fought with Company D of the 16th Georgia Infantry. It doesn't seem as though James saw much action though. He appears in more hospital records than anything else during his time in the military.

Taken from Service Records

In August of 1862, this record states he has Rheumatism.

Taken from Service Records

After that, he bounced around to a number of hospitals in Virginia. Chimborazo Hospital No. 5 in Richmond, an unnamed hospital in Scottsville, General Hospital No. 9 in Richmond

On 12 December 1862, James was admitted to the Confederate States Army General Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. This time, it seems he was shot in the right leg.

Taken from Service Records

As with my own James Campbell, the primary disease listed is "Vuln Sclo. R. leg," which stands for "Vulnus Sclopeticum in the Right leg." Vulnus Sclopeticum, again, means "relating to a wound caused by a gunshot wound."

Closeup of "Primary Disease"
Taken from Service Records

I was able to find out some more information on his leg injury. According to the McLaw's Division List of Casualties from before Fredricksburg, James was listed as being wounded seriously in the leg. This makes me curious where in the leg he was injured and if it developed into a limp or other handicap later in life.

Taken from Service Records

James was furloughed from 5 March 1863 to 20 August 1863 due to his leg injury.
In September 1863, he is listed as being paid for his service again. He is again listed as being paid for service in November 1863.

Taken from Service Records

From May through August 1864, however, he is listed as being absent from the war first due to being on a furlough then as being absent without leave. In regards to the furlough, it states he was wounded at Front Royal, Virginia. I eventually found him back at General Hospital No. 9 in September 1864.

Taken from Service Records

I wonder what happened to James during those four months before he ended up back in the Richmond hospital. Did he try deserting? Was he merely trying to evade capture? Was he injured somewhere and unable to find needed help? I don't know if I will ever find out the answers to those questions, but I like to think he continued to fight to the best of his ability during that time, even if it wasn't "with" the 16th GA Infantry.

Sources: 

• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia (accessed on Fold3)
• 19th Century Medical Terminology

22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M - Part 7

In my last post, I described the Privates in the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M, whose surnames began with the letters F through K. (See this post for letters A through E.) This time, I will cover the Privates whose surnames begin with L through R. (The numbering is a continuation of my previous post of Privates.)

Before I get the Privates, however, I found another (potential) officer amongst the names I was researching for this post. I will feature him first and try to sort out the tangles of his records.

William D. Reece enlisted as a Private 10 August 1861 as a 35-year-old. There is conflicting data in his record, so there may actually be two men who served with this name or there may be an error in one or more of his records.

In November of 1861, William is listed as being "present" and "in charge of company stores sent from N. Carolina." His rank is still listed as "Private," but his job description seems to be similar to that of a Quartermaster. Perhaps he had fewer duties or supplies to keep up with than a Quartermaster? Or maybe he wasn't in charge of any financial transactions as a Quartermaster would have been?

There is no other mention of William again until 24 May 1862, when he is admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 4 at Richmond with acute diarrhea. He stays at Chimborazo for what appears to be a week before being sent to Lynchburg. It is unclear whether or not he ever made it to Lynchburg.

On 4 June 1862, he is admitted to the C.S.A. General Hospital at Danville with typhoid fever. This is the first time William appears with a title. He is listed as a Corporal.

Then, it gets really conflicting. He is listed as having died 15 June 1862 at Jamestown, Virginia. Then, on 17 June 1862, he is listed as having deserted from the Danville hospital. Then, he is listed as having died (again?) on 3 August 1862. All of these acts were also listed with him as a Corporal.

So, did he really die in June? Or did he desert? Did he even die in August? Was he ever a Corporal, or is this the service and experience of a different man? Further investigations would be required to get his story straightened out.

Privates

98.) John C. Lane enlisted with the Company on 10 June 1861 as a 42 or 44-year-old for a term of one year. His record is a little confusing though. On 13 June 1862, he is listed as having been discharged due to the expiration of his one-year commitment to the Company, but then, on 17 September 1862, he is marked has having died in service. Until there is proof otherwise, I think his death was marked in error and that he truly was discharged in June.

99.) Bartley Yancey Langley enlisted on 10 June 1861 as a 36-year-old. Bartley seems to stay out of trouble for the first year of the War, but by 29 June 1862, he shows up in his first hospital. He is admitted to the C.S.A. General Hospital at Danville with rheumatism. By 15 July 1862, he is listed as having deserted from the hospital.

In September 1862, his Company still marks him as absent due to sickness. It is unclear whether or not this is in reference to the previously mentioned rheumatism or if this is a new occurrence or illness.

By October 1862, his status changes from "sick" to "wounded." This leads me to believe that, at some point between September and October, Bartley made it back to his Company and was able to fight for some time before being sent back to the hospital with his injuries.

During the remainder of Fall and Winter, I do not see a mention of Bartley, but by 11 March 1863, he is back in the hospital. He is admitted with pneumonia at Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 at Richmond. One month later, he is transferred to Raleigh; afterwards, there is no mention of him for a full year.

Bartley is marked "present" for the months of July through October 1864, and I assume he stays "present" up until his capture at Appomattox on 3 April 1865.

After his capture, Bartley is held at City Point for a week before being sent to Hart's Island in New York Harbor. From Hart's Island, he was assigned to the 29th under Captain Sherman as of 6 June 1865. He was released 19 June 1865, upon signing the Oath of Allegiance.

100.) E. Tyson Langley enlisted 10 June 1861. Unlike some of his fellow soldiers who served their contracted terms and then were granted discharge, Tyson seemed to stay on longer than his contracted one-year term. This proved a poor decision in his case.

On 30 June 1862, he was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 4 with a gunshot wound to his right hand. He was injured in the Battle of Chickahominy. The surgeon completed a forearm amputation the day after he was admitted. Three weeks later, the surgeon requested Tyson be discharged as a result of his injuries. He was officially discharged on 21 July 1862.

101. ) William T. Laughlin enlisted as a 19-year-old on 10 June 1861. He is marked "present" with the Company up until 2 February 1862 when he is discharged with an unnamed "disability." (He is also marked "discharged" again on 3 July 1862, but I believe this was done in error.)

102.) Austin W. Lawrence was a 16-year-old farmer when he enlisted with the Company on 6 March 1862. Austin's first year in the War is a seemingly uneventful one. Then, on 1 July 1863, he is wounded and captured at Gettysburg. He is sent to Fort McHenry in Maryland for about a week before being transferred to Fort Delaware, located in Delaware.

Austin stays at Fort Delaware for about three months before finally being transferred back to Maryland to Point Lookout. Austin stayed at Point Lookout up until he was finally sent to Camp Lee, located near Richmond, on 13 February 1865, for a prisoner exchange. Austin is finally released and paroled on 18 February 1865.

103.) James P. Lowe was a 22-year-old when he enlisted in the War on 6 March 1862. James died just one month later on 26 April 1862 at Ashland, Virginia. His cause of death is not mentioned.

Also in James' file is a settlement Wm. R. Horden filed with the Office of Confederate States Auditor for the War Department on behalf of James. The relationship of Wm. is listed as "gdn." I am unsure if this means "grand-nephew" or some other such relationship.

104.) A. Manis enlisted on 13 March 1863 as a 38-year-old conscript. The only record in his file lists him as a deserter.

105.) A. Green McDaniel enlisted as a 36-year-old on 6 January 1862. His file is relatively short only containing a few months worth of records. In September 1862, he is listed as being "Absent WithOut Leave." By October, his file changes to say he "deserted." There is a mention that he deserted twice during the War, but I do not see a mention of when each occurrence was or for how long he deserted the first time before returning.

The last thing in his file is a record showing his name appearing on the parole of POWs belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia being surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina on 10 May 1865.

106.) Calvin McLemore enlisted 13 March 1863 as a conscript. He was 24 years old when he enlisted. The only record in his file lists him as a deserter.

107.) William McNeil enlisted with the Randolph Hornets on 13 March 1863 as a conscript. His file is relatively small. Only a receipt for clothing and his initial profile information are included.

108.) William O'Dear enlisted 13 March 1863 as a 38-year-old conscript. He is shown being "present" through 15 October 1864 when he is granted a sick furlough for an unmentioned reason. It does not mention whether or not William ever returns to his Company after his furlough.

109.) James Oda's file only consists of one file. It states that James was a Prisoner of War being held at Fort Delaware since 16 September 186(presumably 2). It also states that he was sent to Aiken's Landing, Virginia on 2 October 1862. Finally, it states that he was sent to Boonsboro on 10 November 1862 in an exchange from Aiken's Landing.

110.) W. A. Oseley also only has one card in his file. It states that he was captured on 3 April 1865 at Petersburg. It also states he was held at City Point, Virginia for about a week before being sent to Hart's Island, located in New York Harbor. Finally, it states that he was assigned to the 29th under Captain Sherman on 6 June 1865. He was released 19 June 1865, presumably because the War had ended.

111.) Alvens Pen was a 26-year-old when he volunteered with the Hornets on 6 March 1862. His time in the War was extremely short as he was killed on 31 May 1862 at the battle at Seven Pines.

112.) James Perry enlisted on 21 September 1863. His file is small and only contains a receipt and a mention that James died on 20 July 1864. The place or cause of his death are not mentioned.

113.) Alpheus Pugh was a 26-year-old farmer when he enlisted on 6 March 1862 with the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M. He did not fight long in the War. He was wounded and captured at Seven Pines and admitted to the U.S.A. General Hospital at Fort Monroe, Chesapeake, Virginia on 8 June 1862 with a gunshot wound. Alpheus died less than a month later, sometime between 25 June and 7 July 1862, at the same hospital.

Also in Alpheus' file is a settlement his widow, Sarah Pugh, filed with the Office of Confederate States Auditor for the War Department on behalf of Alpheus. 

114.) Daniel P. Pulley enlisted with the Company relatively late in the War. He enlisted on 1 July 1864. He still sees his fair share of action despite his short stent in the War. On 3 April 1865, Daniel is captured at Appomattox. He was held at City Point, Virginia for about a week before being sent to Hart's Island at New York Harbor. Like W. A. Oseley, he was assigned to the 29th under Captain Sherman on 6 June 1865. He was released 19 June 1865 when he signed the Oath of Allegiance.

Unlike the other men in the Company who were from Randolph County, North Carolina, Daniel lists that he was from Granville County, North Carolina.

115.) Marshall S. Ranes enlisted 10 June 1861 as a 19-year-old. He seemed to have a quiet year for his first year; then, he seems to move around a lot. In September and October 1862, he is listed as being "absent" due to being wounded. I don't find him in any hospitals during this time though. On 10 November 1862, he is shown has returning to duty from the Winder Hospital in Richmond. Disease or complaint is not mentioned.

Marshall seems to have a rather peaceful Spring as he does not appear in any records again until he is captured at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863. After his capture, he is held at Fort McHenry, located in Maryland, for a week before being sent to Fort Delaware in Delaware. Marshall stayed at Fort Delaware until he was transferred to Point Lookout, located back in Maryland, on 18 October 1863. Not long after he arrives at Point Lookout, he is transferred to the Hammond U.S.A. General Hospital located at Point Lookout with pneumonia. No doubt all of that moving back and forth from the different POW camps caused it!

He stays in the hospital until 12 January 1864 when they finally send him back to the camp at Point Lookout. Just two weeks later, Marshall signs the Oath of Allegiance and joins the U.S. Military. There is no mention of which unit he joined or if he ever actually made it to his commanding officer. I like to think he probably just signed the Oath to get out of the camp before running back home, but further investigations would need to be done before being able to confirm or deny anything.

116.) Joseph M. Reese enlisted as an 18-year-old on 6 January 1862. While there was no mention in his file as to the length of time he intended to serve, he was discharged due to his age and the expiration of service just a few months later on 13 June 1862.

117.) S. M. Robbins was 21 when he enlisted with the Randolph Hornets on 6 March 1862. His file merely mentions that he was wounded once in battle during his service. It does not mention the date, place, or severity of his wound(s).

118.) William Thomas Robbins enlisted 6 March 1862 as an 18 or 19-year-old. He seemed to have a rather uneventful first year in the War. Then, after a gunshot wound and subsequent thigh amputation (it is unclear if the gunshot removed his leg or if his leg was removed later at the hospital) sustained at the battle at Chancellorsville, William died at Camp Winder General Hospital in Richmond. His records state that he was engaged in six battles before his death.

119.) Aaron Routh enlisted as a substitute soldier when he was 17-years-old on 6 March 1862. By 11 April 1862, Aaron was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 in Richmond with an unmentioned ailment. He returned to duty just four days later.

In July 1862, he is listed as being absent from his Company, again due to illness. There is no mention of his disease for this stay either.

Then, on 9 August 1862, he is admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 1 in Richmond. His diagnosis is debility. Less than a week later, Aaron is transferred to the General Hospital at Farmville. Finally, on 3 September 1862, Aaron is discharged from the military due to rheumatism affecting the muscles of the spine. They make a note several times clarifying that Aaron stated he was "sound" when he enlisted.

120.) George E. Routh enlisted when he was 17-years-old on 10 June 1861. As were many other men in the Company, George was sent sick to Fredricksburg on 28 August 1861.
died 8 jul 1862.

Also in George's file is a settlement his father, Moses, filed with the Office of Confederate States Auditor for the War Department on behalf of his son


There is also a note in George's file that says to see the personal papers of James T. Watson, Private, 20th North Carolina Infantry - Company C. James was killed at Cold Harbor on 27 Jun 1862. It seems both George and James' fathers filed for their settlements on the same day. Their records are recorded on the same page.

121.) Jesse Routh enlisted on 10 June 1861. He was 40-years-old at the time of his enlistment. His file is relatively small and simply lists that he died sometime between 30 April and 16 May 1862.

Also in James' file is a settlement his father, Joshua, filed with the Office of Confederate States Auditor for the War Department on behalf of his son. 

122.) Joseph Alson Routh was 23-years-old when he enlisted with the Randolph Hornets on 6 March 1862. By 30 June 1862, Joseph is admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 5 at Richmond with a flesh wound in his arm. The next day, he is transferred to the hospital at Danville.

I don't see Joseph in the records again until September when he gets admitted to the General Hospital at Staunton, Virginia. In October 1862, he is still listed as being at the hospital, but he seems to be employed by the hospital as a guard. His own company doesn't seem to know what happened to him. In July and September, he had been marked "AWOL," and by October, he was marked a deserter.

In December 1862, Joseph is still seen being in the Staunton hospital. He is shown as recovering from the measles. I'm unsure how long it generally takes one to recover from the measles, but he is still listed as "improving" in April 1863. Joseph is no longer mentioned in the records after this.

123.) Joshua M. Routh enlisted as a 21-year-old on 10 June 1861. Joshua appears absent due to being sick in September 1862. He is listed as having deserted twice. I am unsure when one of the desertions occurred, but this is what I know.

Joshua was "present" from June to August 1861. There is no record of him from August 1861 to September 1862 (when he appeared as being "sick"). There is no mention of him from October 1862 to June 1864. Perhaps his first desertion occurred during this time frame? He is "present" from July to October 1864. There is no mention of him from November 1864 to February 1865. On 27 February 1865, Joshua deserts his Company (for the second time?) and takes the Oath of Allegiance with the Provost Marshal General in Washington, D.C. He was subsequently "furnished" to Lafayette County, Illinois.

124.) Wesley P. Routh enlisted when he was only 16-years-old on 25 February 1862. He died a little more than a month later on 15 April 1862 at Ashland, Virginia, just 11 days prior to fellow Private, James P. Lowe.

125.) William C. Routh was 26-years-old when he enlisted with the Company on 10  June 1861. William served as the brigade teamster for at least the months of December 1861 and January 1862. As I mentioned before, some of his other fellow Privates were also listed as "teamster" during this time. I am curious how many teamsters a brigade generally employed.

On 20 May 1862, William is admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 1 with diarrhea. In about two weeks time, on 3 June 1862, he returns to duty from the hospital. By July, he is once again listed as being sick and absent from his Company. Then, on 15 August 1862, he is admitted to the General Hospital at Camp Winder with typhoid fever. One month later, on 24 September 1862, he is furloughed from Camp Winder for 30 days as a result of his typhoid.

I see no mention of William after his furlough until 7 October 1864 when he is listed as being "absent" with his Company due to being "under arrest." I have never seen that phrase used in regards to a Private in the War before. I've seen "captured," "in the hands of the enemy," and other such phrases, but I've never heard of someone being arrested.

On 31 December 1864, he is shown to be sent from the U.S. Headquarters to Captain Potter at City Point. The next day, he took the Oath of Allegiance at City Point. Just a few days later, on 4 January 1865, he is listed as having been transferred to Morgan County, Illinois. I am unsure whether he was "released" as a POW and sent to Illinois instead of being allowed to go home, or if he officially "deserted" and was sent to Illinois as a rebel refugee. His file does list him as having deserted twice, but I haven't found record of either desertion, unless you count him taking the Oath as one of the times.

126.) William R. Routh enlisted on 10 June 1861 as a 37-year-old. His file is relatively small. He appears as "present" for a few months, then it has his discharge papers. William was discharged 13 June 1862 after successfully completing his contracted one year of service.

Sources:

• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)

22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M - Part 4

The Corporals of the "Randolph Hornets" are the final set of officers to review. Like the Sergeants, the Corporals do not seem to follow any sort of promotion schedule like the Captains and the Lieutenants. The following men served in the War as Corporals for the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M.

Remember, future Sergeants Stephen W. Trogdon and James E. Campbell were also  Corporals in their time with the Company. I will not go over their time with the Company again, but I will instead continue on to the other men who served in the position. Since there did not seem to be a determined ranking of the Corporals in the unit, I will present them in order of enlistment instead.

First, we'll begin with M. R. James. He was a 24-year-old when he enlisted with the Company on 10 June 1861 as a 4th Corporal. I'm not sure what happened to M. R. James, but he was discharged from service on 1 August 1861.

Taken from Service Records

You'll remember, the Company didn't actually muster into service until March 1862 having been at camp since their organization the previous June. Maybe camp life wasn't suited for M. R. Or maybe he had some emergency at home. I don't know much about M. R. outside of this service, so I can't even venture a guess on what happened to him.

The next Corporal in the Company I'll cover was John T. Turner. John was only 18 when he enlisted as a Private on 10 June 1861.

John seems to stay out of trouble for a full year until he shows up being wounded on 26 June 1862. The next month, in July 1862, he is listed as being absent due to his wound(s). It is also the first time he shows up as a Corporal.

Taken from Service Records

I'm not sure how long his leave was supposed to last or if he was in a hospital somewhere during this time, but he shows up as being AWOL in September 1862. By October, however, the records show him as still being wounded instead of AWOL.

While I'm unsure what his wound was or how badly he was wounded, it seems to have been so bad that he was discharged 18 March 1863 because of his wound(s).

Taken from Service Records

The next Corporal for the Company to discuss is Wesley C. Siler. Wesley enlisted as a 21-year-old on 10 June 1861 and was immediately made a Corporal.

Wesley's service leaves only question after question though. In December 1861, he was listed as being absent with leave. There is no mention online on the reason for his leave.

Taken from Service Records

Then, he signs with Power of Attorney for the Hornets which seems to have been granted to him on 30 March 1863 at Camp Gregg.

Taken from Service Records

I'm curious the reason for him having Power of Attorney, and I'm curious what he was signing on behalf of the Company. Further research into this matter would be required to find out the reasons for it.

Then, just a few months after being granted Power of Attorney, Wesley was killed at Gettysburg. His record shows he was a 3rd Corporal at this point in the War and that he had served in 10 battles.

Taken from Service Records

Wesley wasn't the only man to be elected Corporal upon enlistment. James M. Routh also enlisted 10 June 1861 and entered as a Corporal.

Unfortunately, James didn't start his time as Corporal off very well. By 28 August 1861, he was sent off to Fredricksburg sick. Remember that future 4th Sergeant William Franklin Hays and future 5th Sergeant Thomas B. Hays were also sick and sent to Fredricksburg and future Captain Columbus F. Siler went to wait on them there.

Taken from Service Records

I don't know how long James was sick at Fredricksburg, or if he ever showed back up with the Company again after that as he disappears from the records until 23 February 1865. I'm really curious what happened to James during those three-and-a-half years because when he shows back up, he shows up as a deserter.

Taken from Service Records

I tried to find a record of his Union service, but all I could find out about him, I found in his Confederate records.

Taken from Service Records

One record says he was sent to Captain Potter. I can't discern from the record if Captain Potter was located in City Point, Virginia or if the Provost Marshall was, but wherever Captain Potter was located, James was sent there on 24 February 1865. Another says he was sent to Colonel T. Ingraham in Washington, D.C on 26 February 1865. Then James disappears from the records.

I'd like to look into what happened to James after he joined Colonel Ingraham, but more in depth research will be needed for that outside of what I can find online.

The final Corporal to cover for the unit was William C. Jones. The 22-year-old blacksmith enlisted the latest of all the other Corporals. He enlisted 6 March 1862. Remember, the company organized in June of 1861, but they actually didn't join the fighting until 10 March 1862.

Taken from Service Records

I don't know if it was at all related to William missing the nine months of camp that all of the other men in the unit endured, but William seemed to spend a lot of his time in the War in the hospital.

In the September-October 1862 muster rolls, he is listed as being "wounded." On 16 September 1862, we see him at the Chimborazo Hospital No. 3 in Richmond with rheumatism.

He seems to have stayed at Chimborazo No. 3 for about three months. In December 1862, he is transferred to the CSA General Hospital located in Farmville, Virginia.

Taken from Service Records

William seems to stay at the hospital in Farmville for seven months. While he doesn't seem to have any mention of why he had such a prolonged stay, he shows up as having been issued clothing at the hospital in the months of February, March, and June. Then, on 1 July 1863, he was sent to the fortifications at Richmond. He probably wasn't well enough for Gettysburg anyways.

Taken from Service Records

The next time William shows up in the records is January 1864, and he was listed as a Corporal.

Taken from Service Records

I'm not sure what happened to William from January/February to May, but on 5 May 1864, he shows up as being "wounded" again.

Taken from Service Records

By June, he shows up at the CSA General Hospital in Danville, Virginia, and I have found what his wound entailed.

Taken from Service Records

He was shot in the hand! Now, I don't want to read too much into this, but in my mind, this seems self-inflicted. (I may have just been watching too much "M*A*S*H" lately, but this reminds me of a real-life Corporal Klinger.)

William stayed in Danville for just about a week before being transferred to General Hospital No. 2 in Columbia, South Carolina where he is shown as being issued clothing.

Taken from Service Records

I don't know how long he stayed in South Carolina, but by September 1864, he is back at the hospital in Danville, Virginia. Just a couple of weeks later, William is listed as being furloughed.

I don't know how long William's furlough was supposed to last (most seemed to be, at most, 30 days), but the last record I find for him lists him as being AWOL since 30 October 1864. Maybe he really did run away from the War, or maybe he was simply hiding out at the hospitals like he had been doing for the two years before.

In any case, it doesn't seem as though William saw much, if any, actual action in the War. How in the world did he ever manage to actually get promoted?

Well, this concludes the officers portion of the Company. In the next four installments of this unit, I will break up and go over the Privates of the "Hornets." Look for those posts over the next several weeks!

Sources:

• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)

22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company M - Part 3

The Sergeants of the "Randolph Hornets" are next in the line of command after the Captains and the Lieutenants. Unlike the Captains and Lieutenants, it seems the Sergeants don't follow any sort of promotion schedule, nor is there a set number of each level of Sergeant at any given time. (Or if they are, they aren't documented as precisely as they do for the other two ranks.)

Also, remember, as with the previous post, some of the men I have already featured as Captains and Lieutenants also served as Sergeants, namely Lewis F. McMasters, Columbus F. Siler, and John M. Lawrence. I will now describe the service as those men whose highest rank was some level of Sergeant.

The First Sergeants

NOTE: I am not sure whether or not either of these first men served as a 1st Sergeant or as a lower level Sergeant, but since their records never specify being 2nd Sergeant, 3rd Sergeant, etc., I assume that means they were a 1st Sergeant. 

Stephen W. Trogdon was the first person (not previously mentioned) to have secured the rank of (1st) Sergeant. He enlisted, however, as a Private on 10 June 1861. His first year in the Company seemed to run fairly smoothly though since he doesn't appear in any records until 13 December 1862. On that day, Stephen was captured at Fredricksburg, Virginia. (He is also listed as being a Corporal at this point in the War.)

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Then, the records show Stephen as being paroled from the Army of the Potomac Camp near Falmouth, Virginia on 14 December 1862 for a prisoner exchange.

Stephen doesn't appear in the records again for another seven months. It seems Stephen's story gets worse really quickly.

Not only is Stephen wounded at Gettysburg on 1 July 1863, but he is wounded so severely that he has to have his leg amputated on 2 July 1863. Surgeon John H. McAden, of the 13th North Carolina Infantry. was the one who operated on his thigh at Richmond, Virginia.

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Understandably, Stephen stayed in the hospital for a while after that. He shows up in August 1863 at the 4th Division, General Hospital at Camp Winder in Richmond, Virginia. At this point, he's been promoted to Sergeant. (I guess amputation is considered adequate merit for promotion.)

In October of 1863, Stephen is present at both the DeCamp General Hospital at Davids Island in the New York Harbor and at the Receiving and Wayside Hospital (or General Hospital No. 9) at Richmond, Virginia.

Then Stephen disappears from the records for a year. He is listed as retiring on 31 July 1864 and being "totally disqualified" from the Invalid Corps.

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And finally, on 16 November 1864, he appears at the CSA General Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is where we learn it was his right leg that was amputated.

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Stephen's time in the War was violent to say the least. I wonder how this entire experience affected him and his opinions on life, War, and America.

Henry C Smith was the only other person in the 22nd North Carolina Infantry to make it to 1st Sergeant (without being promoted further). He enlisted with the Randolph Hornets much later than most of the rest of the officers in the unit though. He joined on 1 June 1864 as a Private with the Company.

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Since the War didn't last much longer than the time he enlisted, I expected his experience to be rather lackluster. I was wrong!

I started thinking "What caused Henry to get promoted so quickly?" Then I answered myself, "Who do most people get promoted? They show some sort of allegiance above and beyond the call of duty." In Henry's case, as with many soldiers, including some more of the men in this post, he was captured as a Prisoner of War.

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Henry was captured at Hatcher's Run on 31 March 1865 and was held at Point Lookout, Maryland as a Prisoner of War until he was finally released on 3 June 1865. He was released as a "Sick Prisoner" from Point Lookout after having taken the Oath of Allegiance. What an abrupt yet eventful experience he had in the War!

William P. Willey enlisted as a Private with the 22nd North Carolina Infantry on 10 June 1861. Honestly, his service is a little confusing to me.

Once enlisting, he doesn't appear in the records again until September 1862. He's listed as being a Sergeant, but he's also listed as being Absent WithOut Leave. It seemed odd to me that a man who had seemingly no issues prior to this suddenly decided to leave his troop.

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Then, it starts to make a little bit more sense when he shows up in October of 1862 wounded.

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So, to me, it makes sense if he was AWOL due to being wounded. But, I can't find him in any hospital records during this time. For that matter, he doesn't even show up again in the records until 1864!

On 27 March 1864, he was recruited to be a Guard in Greensboro, North Carolina. He must have done a pretty fine job at it because he served as a Guard until then end of the War when he was paroled on 2 May 1865. I want to see if I can find some kind of records of his time as a Guard, but that will be a post for another day.

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The Second Sergeants

William A. Pounds was mustered into the Company on 10 June 1861 as a 5th Sergeant. He, however, doesn't appear in any records until 13 Dec 1862 when he is shown as being captured at Fredricksburg, Virginia. Then, on 14 December 1862, William is paroled as a POW at the Army of Potomac Camp located near Falmouth, Virginia. (I wonder if he and Stephen crossed paths during the time they were both POWs after Fredricksburg.)

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After William's parole, he doesn't show up in the records again for a while, but I can assume he went back to fighting because he later shows up as being taken as a Prisoner of War at Gettysburg and at Falling Waters on 14 July 1863.

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William didn't stay a POW long this time either. On 16 August 1863, he was paroled at Baltimore, Maryland.

Then, something interesting happens.

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According to this record, William joined the US Army on 4 February 1864. This seemed to be a contingency on his parole from, once again, being a POW, as he was also listed as taking the Oath of Allegiance at Point Lookout 11 February 1864.

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It seems from the records that he joined the US Senior Army. I have found no records of him actually having served for the Union in any fashion. And, on top of that, he shows back up with the Randolph Hornets from July to October 1864 after apparently being promoted to 2nd Sergeant.

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It seems William had a pretty interesting time in the War. I'm really curious if he wrote any of his story down in a similar fashion as W. S. Lineberry. I think it would be fascinating to hear his story straight from the man who lived it!

The Third Sergeants

William Coble enlisted 10 June 1861 as a 19-year-old into the 22nd North Carolina Infantry. He mustered in as a 3rd Sergeant.

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Considering his age, I wonder if the rank he was given was perhaps due to prior leadership abilities or intelligence. Whatever the reasons may have been, William didn't seem to do so well in the War. On 11 March 1862,* William died in Cedar Falls.**

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*William also appears as having died 21 February 1862 on another document in his record.
**William also appears as having died in Cedar Forest on another document in his record.

James E. Campbell was a 22-year-old blacksmith when he enlisted in the Company as a Private on 6 March 1862.

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I can't find any records of him for the first two months of his enlistment, but on 28 May 1862, he appears to be at the Chimborazo Hospital No. 4 in Richmond, Virginia with "diarrhea, ac."

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Diarrhea is, of course, self-explanatory, but I am curious about the "ac." at the end. The only thing I can find that has the initials a.c. is "ague cake," which is described as "a hard tumor or swelling on the left side of the abdomen, lower than the false rib, resulting from enlargement of the spleen or liver, and supposed to be the effect of intermitting fevers." This doesn't seem correct to me. It would make more sense if the "ac." stood for "acute," which would mean it was "severe."

After his stay at Chimborazo, it seems he may have been sent to Lynchburg on 1 June 1862, but I can find no record of him there. Instead, on 4 June 1862, he shows up at the C.S.A. General Hospital in Danville, Virginia with typhoid fever, a bacterial infection.

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The CDC states, "You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding Salmonella Typhi or if sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be contaminated with sewage." So, perhaps his previous issues with diarrhea caused a contaminated water supply, which then, in turn, gave him typhoid.

It seems his run with typhoid lasted a long while, or that he was simply trying to avoid the War by staying in the hospital, because he was listed as being "on furlough" in July, then he shows up "AWOL" in September before it's finally revealed that he's been at the hospital (seemingly) the entire time until he returns to duty 22 October 1862.

This time back in the field doesn't seem to make it a month though as on 14 November 1862, he shows back up in the hospital. This time, he's at General Hospital No. 13 in Richmond, Virginia. His diagnosis is catarrh.

Catarrh is defined as "inflammation of mucous membrane most commonly in the throat and nose, accompanied by an increased secretion mucous, sometimes accompanied by fever, or, rarely cerebral hemorrhage." To me, that sounds like seasonal allergies. I checked with my pharmacist, and he said it could have been allergies or even a bad sinus infection. If the fever was high enough, it could have been pretty bad, but I wasn't convinced James wasn't just trying to avoid the battlefield. He stayed in the hospital 13 days this time for his illness.

After this stay in the hospital, I don't seem to find James listed on any records, but I don't think that means he was absent. In fact, I think it implies the opposite in his case. Whatever the reason, somehow James ends up fighting with the unit at Gettysburg. This is where his luck really starts to turn for the worst.

On 5 July 1863, James is wounded and taken prisoner at Gettysburg. On 19 July 1863, he is admitted to the USA General Hospital in Chester, Pennsylvania.

He seems to stay in Chester for several months until he is finally sent to Point Lookout on 2 October 1863. He arrives at the Point Lookout hospital, Hammond General Hospital, two days later.

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Either something happened during this time, or maybe someone felt he'd suffered enough to have earned it, but James was promoted some time during his stay at Point Lookout. By 3 March 1864, when he takes part in a prisoner exchange at Point Lookout, James shows up as a Corporal.

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After the prisoner exchange, sometime between October 1863 and July 1864, James finally gets promoted to 3rd Sergeant. James shows up as absent though having taken a sick and wounded furlough in August of 1864. On 17 November 1864, he appears on a register of the Invalid Corps, PACS.

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 It seems, however, that he has been listed as "T.D.," which I have come to understand means "Totally Disabled" or "Totally Disqualified." Because of this distinction, I do not think he ever actually served with the Corps. 

James is officially paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina at the end of the War on 17 May 1865.

The Fourth Sergeants

William Franklin Hays enlisted 10 June 1861 as a Private in the Company. William was sick and sent to Fredricksburg on 28 August 1861. (You'll remember Columbus F. Siler, future Captain of the Company was sent to Fredricksburg at the same time to "care for the sick.") No mention is made of the illness he had. The next time William shows up in the records is 1 July 1862 at Chimborazo Hospital No. 4 in Richmond with a gunshot wound in the right arm.

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As a result of the gunshot wound, William was furloughed from 20 July to 20 August 1862. After the furlough, William doesn't show up again until October 1862 when he is listed as being "wounded." I don't know if this wound is referring to the one from July or if it is a new wound, but it seems he was at least still unable to perform any duties.

Then, after the October record, I don't know what happened to him. He doesn't appear in the rolls again until July 1864 when he shows up as 4th Sergeant. I wonder if he was promoted because of something that occurred during that time between his furlough and 1864; perhaps something happened at Gettysburg. He shows up as "present" for the span of July to October 1864. I also don't see William listed anywhere from November 1864 until the end of the War when he is paroled (on 13 May 1865 in Greensboro).

The Fifth Sergeants


Thomas B. Hays enlisted as a 25-year-old on 10 June 1861 as a Private in the Company. Within two months, Thomas was sent to Fredricksburg sick (same as William). I don't know what illness he had, but he is listed as still being sick in October 1862.

Then, on 2 November 1862, Thomas was admitted to the Chimborazo No. 3 Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. His disease appears to be listed as "anasaica," which is described as "generalized edema or generalized dropsy." After two weeks in the hospital, he was furloughed for 60 days.

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After Thomas' furlough, I don't know what happened to him. Same as with William, Thomas doesn't appear in the rolls again until July 1864 when he shows up as 5th Sergeant. I wonder if he too was promoted because of something that occurred during that time between his furlough and 1864. He. too. shows up as "present" for the span of July to October 1864. I also don't see Thomas listed anywhere from November 1864 until the end of the War when he is paroled (on 17 May 1865 in Greensboro).

Sources:

• 19th Century Medical Terminology
• "An Act to Provide an Invalid Corps"
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Typhoid Fever
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)