We are not as far removed generation wise as some would have us believe. A local fellow passed away last year here whose father served in Confederate regiment and his Sergeant was my great great grandfather. The Regiment was commanded by William Faulkner’s father.
You are right about that. My Father’s great-uncle (a Civil War vet), who was a grandson of the War of 1812 vet passed on stories about his grandfather’s 1812 service, and his great-grandfathers’ Revolutionary War miltia service to my Father (a WWII vet) who passed them on to me. All the original hand written records from 1781 to 1812 and on were handed down to me too.