My mom has been doing a lot of geneology research recently and has found at least five of my ancestors who died in the Civil War. One was killed during a cavalry skirmish in Tennessee in 1863; another was mortally wounded during the Battle of Crampton's Gap at South Mountain, Maryland; two others died of illness in Richmond hospitals; and a fifth was captured at Cold Harbor and was sent to a Union POW camp in Elmira, New York, where he died of diptheria just a few months later (he is buried in the National Cemetery there at Elmira and I plan on driving up there next year during my trip to Gettysburg and Antietam).
The brigade was commanded by the older Cobb brother (who was originally the 16th's regimental commander) and the Legion by the younger.
My mother's family were small tradesmen in Augusta GA who immigrated from Scotland around the time the war began. Some of her maternal relatives fought in the war, but most were too old or too young. My father's family made up for it. Of my direct ancestors, Grandpa Long was in the 51st AL Cavalry (Partisan Rangers) under Col. Morgan, Grandpa Glover was a lieutenant in the 55th Alabama Infantry, and Grandpa Dent commanded Dent's Battery, Hindman's Div., Deas's Brigade. Also had a passel of cousins, uncles and assorted kinfolk in various Georgia and Alabama regiments.
It's interesting to look at the orders of battle -- because at the company level I'm related to or know most of the folks in my relatives' units. And it makes ya go hmmm sometimes -- for example this entry: John T. Stewart. Elected Captain on December 12, 1861. Not reelected, May 8, 1862. John Stewart married Grandpa Glover's oldest sister. He wasn't re-elected because he was killed at Shiloh.
Dang Stonewall Jackson,
I had a ggg-uncle who died of typhus at the Union POW camp in Elmira, New York too. By coincidence he had the same first, middle and last name as me. He was captured at the Battle of Helena. Basically, we lost every male member of the family over the age of 13. I think it was 14 or 15 all told. They were with the 11th, 12th, 13th, 17th and 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiments and one CS Marine Corp., aboard CSS Atlanta.
The Genealogy stuff is interesting, a tremendous amount of records on line, but really tedious to search through. The word is patience and perseverance.
“One was killed during a cavalry skirmish in Tennessee in 1863”
Do you know what battle he was killed in? I live in east Tennessee and know quite a lot about the Civil War in this state.
(he is buried in the National Cemetery there at Elmira and I plan on driving up there next year during my trip to Gettysburg and Antietam).
I just got back from Gettysburg a couple of weeks ago. It was great, even though traffic has gotten much worse over the decade since my last visit.
One of the new monuments is a bronze of James Longstreet, near where his HQ was during the battle. By chance I happend to meet the ‘model’ for the sculpture at Dale Galleon’s (spelling) gallery in Steinwyr (spelling again!) avenue.
His habit of speaking in ‘first person’ while dressed as the late, great CSA General unnerved my wife a bit....(chuckle)