Civil War Topics – Page 16 of 74

Biography of R. M. South

R.M. SOUTH. – It is quite within the province of the compendium to grant representation to the esteemed gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph, since he is really one of the builders of our county, since he has manifested a personality of uprightness and commensurate ability in all his ways, since also he was one of those brave men who pledged their lives to sustain the honor of the stars and stripes to retrieve from insult its glory, and preserve intact the institution of freedom when the minions of treason and rebellion plied their nefarious trade of destruction to all … Read more

Military History of Keene, New Hampshire

During the period of the Revolution, Keene performed her part faithfully. In 1773 the foot company of Keene numbered 126, under command of Col.. Josiah Willard. The alarm list, numbering forty-five, seems to have been made up of the older men, including many of the original settlers; the selectmen of Keene, David Nims. Eliphalet Briggs, Jr., and Benjamin Hall, reported the following census for Keene : Unmarried men, from sixteen to sixty 65. Married men, from sixteen to sixty 96 Boys, sixteen years and under : 140• Men, sixty years and upwards : 1, Females, unmarried 217 Females, married 105. … Read more

William Henry Harrison Woodbury Genealogy

1. William Henry Harrison2 Woodbury, son of Rufus1 and Charlotte (Knapp) Woodbury, was b. in Northfield, Vt., May 1, 1842; m. May 22, 1866, Ora Ann Dodge Hale, b. Montpelier, Vt., Sept. 24, 1848, dau. of John P. and Susan W. (Going) Hale. He was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion; res. Newport and Hardwick, Vt., and Sullivan Two ch.: John Hale3, b. Apr. 26, 1867, res. in S. on the Asahel Nims Jr. place; m. Dec. 22, 1892, Alice Clinton Dodge, b. Salem, Mass., June 23, 1867; dau. of Charles William and Frances Amelia (Treadwell) Dodge. No … Read more

Slave Narrative of Elphas P. Hylton

LAWRENCE CO. (Edna Lane Carter) Extract from the Civil War diary kept by Elphas P. Hylton, a Lawrence Co. volunteer in the Union Army. “On 17th of July (1864) I was detailed for picket duty and saw three thousand negro soldiers on a grand review, a black cloud to see. On the 18th I was relieved of duty. Here I became dissatisfied as a soldier on account of the negro, negro, negro. On the 23rd we began to get ready to leave this negro hole and on the 24th, to our great joy and gladness, we were sent into camp … Read more

Slave Narrative of Mr. McIntosh

LESLIE CO. (Viola Bowling) McIntosh was a very progressive farmer and had a large supply of food, being a Rebel of the Rebel Army camped at the mouth of this creek near his home where they could secure food. He had a slave called “Henry McIntosh” who was drafted into the Union Army. He did not want to go but his master told him, “Well Henry you will have to go, do not steal, nor lie and be good and when you get out come on back.” He did come back and stayed here until he died, he later married … Read more

Histories of Illinois Civil War Regiments and Units

The following histories of Illinois Civil War regiments and units originate from the first eight volumes of the nine volume publication, Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois (1900-1902). (The ninth volume lists units of the Black Hawk, Mexican and Spanish-American Wars as well as the War of 1812.) The histories, some written shortly after the war’s end, are the work of numerous authors throughout the intervening years. The 1886 version of the Adjutant General’s Report included regimental histories compiled by that office which had not previously been published. The final 1900-1902 republication of the report incorporated revisions and corrections to the histories.

History of the 9th Illinois Infantry

On the 24th day of April, the NINTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS was mustered into the service at Springfield for the term of three months. It was one of the six regiments organized under the first call of the President, at the commencement of the war of the rebellion. Six companies – A, B, C, D, E and F – were from St. Clair county; G, I and K, from Madison, and H from Montgomery. The regiment was ordered to Cairo, where it was stationed, doing garrison duty until the close of the term of service, July 26, 1861, when it … Read more

History of the 8th Illinois Infantry

On the 25th day of April 1861, the Regiment was organized at Springfield, and mustered in for three months’ service. Richard J. Oglesby, of Decatur, was appointed Colonel. The regiment was immediately sent to Cairo. Companies A and D, in command of Capt. Isaac Pugh, were sent to Big Muddy river, to guard the railroad bridge, as there was danger of its destruction by rebel sympathizers, to prevent the transportation of troops and supplies. Relieved by other troops, these companies rejoined the regiment at Cairo. The regiment remained at Cairo during its term of service, when it was mustered out. … Read more

History of the 7th Illinois Infantry

Illinois having sent six regiments to the Mexican war, by courtesy the numbering of the regiments which took part in the war for the Union began with number seven. A number of regiments which responded to the first call of the President for troops claimed to be the first regiment in the field, but the honor of being the first was finally accorded to Col. John Cook, and hence his regiment was numbered seven. The Seventh regiment was recruited as follows: Company A from Elgin and vicinity; Company B, Mattoon and vicinity; Company C, Aurora and vicinity; Company D, Litchfield … Read more

History of the 11th Illinois Infantry

The Regiment was first called into service under proclamation of the President, April 16, 1861; organized at Springfield and mustered into service April 30, 1861, by Captain Pope, for three months. During this term of service the regiment was stationed at Villa Ridge, Ill., to June 20, then removed to Bird’s Point, Mo., where it remained performing garrison and field duty until July 30, when the regiment was mustered out, and re-enlisted for three years’ service. During the three months’ term the lowest aggregate was 882, and the highest 933, and at the muster-out was 916. Upon the re-muster, July … Read more

History of the 10th Illinois Infantry

The TENTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY was one of the six Regiments called for by the Governor’s order of April 16, 1861. It was formed from the first four companies that reported at Springfield, April 20, 1861, which were ordered to Cairo on the 22nd, and there, with three other Infantry and three Artillery companies, the Regiment was organized, and mustered by Captain John Pope, April 29, 1861, into the United States service for three months, with B. M. Prentiss as Colonel, J. D. Morgan, as Lieutenant Colonel, and Charles H. Adams as Major. The early promotion to a Brigadiership made … Read more

Biography of John Pugh

John Pugh, of Racine, who is filling the office of state game warden of Wisconsin, was born September 1, 1847, in the city in which he still makes his home. Almost three score years and ten have since come and gone and he has witnessed remarkable changes as the state has become thickly settled and the work of progress and improvement has been carried forward. His parents were James and Jeanette (Hughes) Pugh, both of whom were natives of Wales, but they were married in this County. The father on coming to the United States settled first in Utica, New … Read more

Biography of W. A. Crane

W. A. Crane is now living retired, his home being at No. 1654 College Avenue in Racine. For many years, however, he was actively identified with farming and dairying interests in this County and his persistent and intelligently directed efforts constituted the foundation upon which he built his success. He was born in the town of Mount Pleasant, Racine County, September 11, 1844, a son of Augustus B. and Lavina (Baldwin) Crane. The father was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was early left an orphan, after which he was reared by an uncle. It was in the year … Read more

Plymouth County Massachusetts, Honor Roll

The following honor roll provides a listing of soldiers from Plymouth County Massachusetts that died while serving for the Union Army in the Civil War. Abington Henry W. Bebee, 7th, died of wounds received at battle of Fredericksburg, May 3, 1863. Charles L. Baldwin, 0, 38th, at Berwick City, May 3, 1863. George E. Beal, C, 38th, Feb. 16, 1863. Alson Bicknell, C, 38th, Marine Hospital, Now Orleans, La., chronic diarrhea, April 14, 1863. Solon Bates, E, 4th, May 29, 1863. Bradford W. Beal, 20th, May 28, 1864. Sergt. Benj. F. Caswell, K, 18th, battle of Bull Run, Va., August … Read more

Biography of Adam Hance

Adam Hance was born in Coblin, a French province of Alsace, and, as usual with the people of that country, spoke both German and English. He came to America and settled near Germantown, Pa., in 1722, where he married a German lady, and raised a large family. His younger son, also named Adam, married a Miss Stoebuck, of Pennsylvania, in 1768, and settled in Montgomery County, Va. When the revolutionary war began, fired by the prevailing patriotic feelings of the day, he joined the American army under Washington, and served during the entire war. He was in the battles of … Read more

Biography of Lieutenant William Gaston

William Gaston was born at Newburn, North Carolina, April 5th, 1834. He was the oldest of a family of three children of Alexander and Eliza W. Gaston. Alexander Gaston was a man who exercised marked local influence and was of some political prominence in his state. Among the public duties committed to him was that of representing Hyde County in the State Convention of 1835. Judge William Gaston, father of Alexander Gaston, served as a judge of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He was also for several years a member of Congress from that state. The Gaston family is … Read more

Running the Blockade from Confederate Ports

One of the most thrilling phases of the history of the Civil War is that which deals with running the blockade from, and into, the Southern ports. The absolute dependence of the South on European markets, both to sell her cotton and to obtain military supplies, induced the Confederate government early in its existence to foster blockade running as much as possible. The convenience of neutral harbors in the West Indies, the Bahamas, and the Bermudas was especially fortunate for such plans, and the year 1861 was not half gone before a number of fast sailing, low built, duskily painted … Read more

Biography of Colonel James H. B. McFerran

James H. B. McFerran was born in Washington county, Maryland, September 17, 1819. At the age of six years his father died, and he remained with his mother until his seventeenth year, attending school part of the time. On reaching the above age he engaged in the stone cutting business under a contractor by the name of Andrew Small, receiving seventy-five cents, per day for the first year. Owing to an aptitude for the work, the second year he was given the position of superintendent, at a salary of one dollar and eighty-seven and one-half cents per day, and continued … Read more

Biography of Henry Clay McDougal

Henry Clay McDougal was born in Marion county, Virginia (now West Virginia), December 9, 1844, and was the second son of John Fletcher and Elvira Boggess McDougal, who were born and reared in that county. His great grandfather, William McDougal, was a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman, who came from the highlands and settled on the Monongahela River, in Virginia, in the year 1770. His maternal ancestors came from England under the second charter granted by James I, in 1609, to the company of ” Adventurers and planters, etc., for the first colony in Virginia,” and first settled on the James River … Read more

Biography of William Henry McClung

William Henry McClung, son of Charles and Mary McClung, was born in what is now Jamesport township, this county, February 20, 1842. When he was five years old his parents removed to Greenbrier county, Virginia, where young McClung was reared a farmer, and attended the schools held an the log school houses prevalent in that portion of the country. The learning he thus acquired was meager, attending only one year, but he has by observation and study, since obtained a good business education. When he left home it was to become a soldier in the Confederate army, enlisting in the … Read more