re: Civil war ancestors/family stories

If you are in your 50s (I am 54) you would have ancestors at the great, great, great grandfather line in your tree who likely fought in the war. That would be 16 great x3 grandfathers on that line. I have 12 documented great x3 grandfathers that fought in the CW. Most were in GA Or SC regiments with 1 from TN and 1 from VA.

My 3rd Great GF with my surname was a conscripted 1st Sergeant in the 39th GA (Gilmer Tigers II.) He was at Vicksburg and was captured when Pendleton surrendered. He was traded in a prisoner exchange a few days later and sent back home with instructions to not take up arms again. A month later they re-formed the regiment and he was once again forced to join or risk having his farm and family exposed to the terroristic tactics of the home guard whose sole purpose was to coerce active participation. He and most of his regiment deserted to Chattanooga and pledged allegiance to the Union after the stalemate at Chattanooga and Chicamauga was broken and the Union army began its advance into GA. Grant had a subordinate who knew the North Ga men’s hearts were not in the fight. He came up with an Underground Railroad to help those men get through lines to Chattanooga. If they made it (many were captured and executed) they were given options. After pledging the oath option 1 was to the sent north of the Ohio River to work in labor camps until the end of the war. Option 2 was to join newly formed Union regiments made up of former confederate soldiers with the assurance of never having to take up arms against the confederacy. They were tasked with supply line upkeep well to the rear as Sherman made his initial push into GA. He became a 1st Sergeant in the 5th TN Mounted Infantry. He ended up with a Union pension being issued in 1888. Can’t say why he selected option 2 other than it kept him closer to his farm and family.

Another grandfather on my moms side was a 1st Lieutenant in the 2nd Charleston Battalion and was at Battery Wagner when the 54th Mass ( regiment of black men memorialized in the movie Glory) made its assault. He took possession of Col. Robert Shaws sword , scabberd, and silk waist sash after the battle ended and had it in his possession for ten years after the war ended until he returned it to the Shaw family.

This dude is trolling yall at most he’s early 50s but probably much younger than that. Dude talks about being a pc gamer and just bought a ps5 to play the new college football game.

My paternal great grandfather (as a 4 year-old) went to sleep one night on our family farm in Hampshire County,Virginia CSA and woke up the next morning in Hampshire County, WV USA.

He raised my dad.

The past is not that far behind us.

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The past is not that far behind us.

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It is crazy how close it is. My grandpa was born in 1908, so the average vet who was 18-20 in the civil war was in his early 60s.

So when he was say 10 and hearing old guys tell stories, he was hearing first hand civil war stories.

Family story was that gg grandfather as a very young man, went in place of his father, my ggg grandfather, to serve from Mississippi so he could stay home and take care of the family.

Would not be surprised.

My direct GGG-grandfather was born in 1847. He was born in TN. I have no clue if he went union or confed. Or fought at all. His name is super common too. So it's basically impossible. He could have used his brothers name or fathers. But I don't know of any of his family. And I'm not doing DNA.

I have 30+ civil war soldiers in my family tree, mostly Confederates.All of the Confederates come from Cobb County Georgia, just west of Atlanta, the Yankees come from Indiana.

One g-g-grandfather was a 2nd Lt. in Co. F, 1st Georgia State Line Infantry. The unit started out as bridge guards on the railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga following the Andrews Raid/Great Locomotive Chase, but got impressed into service during the Atlanta Campaign. The leadership suffered enough killed and wounded that by the Battle of New Hope Church he was commanding the company. I have seen/held the regimental returns with his signature at the Georgia archives. He and two brothers fought with the unit until all were wounded during the Battle of Atlanta. My great grandfather born in 1864 was named in honor of the regimental surgeon, who was also the brother of the governor.

Same family bloodline as above, my g-g-g-uncle (younger brother of those mentioned above) was visiting their sister and brother-in-law in Arkansas when the war started. He joined an Arkansas infantry regiment but in camp outside of Chattanooga following the fight at Shiloh he moved to a Georgia regiment with soldiers he knew from home. He died at the Battle of Perryville Kentucky.

Another g-g-grandfather was in the 9rh Georgia Artillery. He saw action at Cumberland Gap, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Virginia. Three of his brothers were all members of Cobb's Legion Cavalry and rode with JEB Stuart. One was captured and died as a POW at Point Lookout in Maryland and is buried in a mass grave there.

Of my Yankee ancestors the only thing of note is that one was part of Abel Streight's infamous Mule Brigade that was captured by Nathan Bedford Forrest in east Alabama.

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Grandfather in the 6thKY CSA.

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Good Lord, how old are you?

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In the elite 1stKY Brigade. General Johnston said there was no better brigade in the confederate army.

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It’s amazing how many people’s ancestors were all in the “elite and best” brigade in the whole army. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a war story start out with, “my grandfather was cross eyed and drunk, and commanded the 8th infantry detachment. Not a single trooper qualified as marksman and they were used mostly as canon fodder. 3 of em were court martialed for buggery and a 4th had relations with a goat.”