Started By
Message
re: The Civil War: Why did your ancestors serve?
Posted on 6/30/15 at 9:54 am to Tigerwaffe
Posted on 6/30/15 at 9:54 am to Tigerwaffe
No written record but likely because they were slave holders. My great grandfather compiled family history going back centuries. Some of the most detailed was inventory of the family plantation from 1820-1860.
0
Posted on 6/30/15 at 10:55 am to DownSouthJukin
quote:
I never got the chance to ask them. When I do, I'll let you know.
If you had ancestors in the conflict, did they leave any record of why they joined one side or the other?
English. Do you read it ...
Posted on 6/30/15 at 10:56 am to TigerPanzer
Sarcasm...
quote:
Do you read it ...
This post was edited on 6/30/15 at 10:58 am
Posted on 6/30/15 at 3:29 pm to Tigerwaffe
I don't know that I had any ancestors serve, although I guess it is pretty unavoidable with having ancestors in the South at the time. There's no family history, written or otherwise, that I am aware of. Western Arkansas was a frontier back then, so its possible nobody was conscripted or bothered to enlist.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 3:36 pm to Tigerwaffe
I don't know if anyone in my family fought or not. No one in my family really cares about the past. Hard to find out about anyone older than my great grandparents.
This post was edited on 6/30/15 at 3:38 pm
Posted on 6/30/15 at 5:15 pm to Tigerwaffe
They fought for the negros. They fought so their negros could pick cotton and tend to the property. They negros back then had Better living conditions than many negros have today.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 5:22 pm to Tigerwaffe
My great great great grandfather fought because some motherfricker named Sherman was burning farms on his way to Savannah.
His home in Meldrim happened to be right on the way.
His home in Meldrim happened to be right on the way.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 6:23 pm to Tigerwaffe
My peeps were poor so probably drafted.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 7:37 pm to makersmark1
I'm on ancestry.com right now, and as far as I can tell, my family lived as slaves in Virginia, SC, TN, and Ark. About 3,000 blacks fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, so there IS a chance that someone in my family might've fought for the south.
This post was edited on 6/30/15 at 7:43 pm
Posted on 6/30/15 at 8:12 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
I don't know if anyone in my family fought or not. No one in my family really cares about the past. Hard to find out about anyone older than my great grandparents.
No one in my family ever talks about the past either. Guess my grandpa was just your average blond haired, blue eyed, German Argentenian.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 8:30 pm to PowerTool
quote:The best I can tell is that at least my dad's last name came from England, and my mom's last name for sure came from Germany. I don't know when either family immigrated.
No one in my family ever talks about the past either. Guess my grandpa was just your average blond haired, blue eyed, German Argentenian.
Posted on 6/30/15 at 8:46 pm to PowerTool
quote:
No one in my family ever talks about the past either. Guess my grandpa was just your average blond haired, blue eyed, German Argentinian.
This post was edited on 6/30/15 at 8:47 pm
Posted on 7/1/15 at 10:54 am to Lima Whiskey
:rimshot:
Posted on 7/1/15 at 11:11 am to Tigerwaffe
My great, great, great, great grandfather. Colonel Benjamin W. Johnson, commander of the 15th Arkansas Regiment, which defended the position known as "Fort Desperate" at Port Hudson.
ETA: He was a wealthy lawyer from Camden, Arkansas. He, like Lee, served when his State called upon him. The State is more important than the idea of the Union of States.
This post was edited on 7/1/15 at 11:15 am
Posted on 7/1/15 at 11:15 am to PowerTool
quote:
No one in my family ever talks about the past either. Guess my grandpa was just your average blond haired, blue eyed, German Argentenian.
So Nazi war criminal right?
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:41 pm to Pavoloco83
quote:
So Nazi war criminal right?
Pretty much what I was thinking.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 12:44 pm to Pavoloco83
quote:
named Sherman was burning farms on his way to Savannah.
Don't you talk shite about LSU's 1st and greatest president!
This post was edited on 7/1/15 at 12:45 pm
Posted on 7/21/15 at 12:57 am to Tigerwaffe
I know that this thread is kinda old, But I've been on Ancestry.com for the past month or so and as it turns out my great-great grandfather fought for the Confederacy in Arkansas. Shocked me (and my dad) due to the fact that my Great-Great Grandfather was black. I found it pretty ironic that I found this out after all that has happened over the past month or so.
This post was edited on 7/21/15 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 7/21/15 at 1:03 am to Tigerwaffe
Mine served the Confederacy in paet because they loved that flag. It looked awesome on the roof of their horse-drawn carriage while they were racing down dirt and gravel backroads.
But they mostly did because they wanted to legalize gay marriage and cheap health care and Lincoln wasn't on board with either of those.
But they mostly did because they wanted to legalize gay marriage and cheap health care and Lincoln wasn't on board with either of those.
Posted on 7/21/15 at 5:39 am to Tigerwaffe
My fathers side.
Hezekiah G. Spruill (September 8, 1808 – June 20, 1874), was an American soldier who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Spruill was the mayor of and a planter in Plymouth in Washington County, North Carolina, during the Civil War. He had been appointed in 1832 as General of the Militia for the troops of the Albemarle Region of North Carolina. In April 1861, General Spruill organized the local troops to prepare for the beginning of the Civil War, and he fought against the North until the end of the conflict.
Spruill was married to Anne Louise Garrett Spruill. They are buried in Grace Churchyard, Plymouth, North Carolina.
James Spruill
Civil War 30th Inf. Co. H., NC
Charles W. Spruill
Civil War Sig. Corps, CSA
Mothers side
Evander Kirby
The SC 1st Infantry Battalion Sharpshooters was formed at Columbia, South Carolina, during the summer of 1862 with four companies. Many of the men were raised in Edgefield County. The unit skirmished at Coosawhatchie and on James Island. They merged into the SC 27th Infantry Regiment 30 Sep l863.
Daniel Kirby
The 26th was made up from a consolidation of the 6th and 9th Infantry Battalions in late 1862 because the two battalions were essentially wiped out in that first summer of fighting in Virginia.
26th Infantry Regiment was organized at Charleston, South Carolina, in September, 1862. After serving in South Carolina it moved to Mississippi, was placed in N.G. Evans' Brigade, and confronted the Federals at Jackson. Later the regiment returned to Charleston, then in the spring of 1864 was sent to Virginia. Here it was assigned to Elliott's and Wallace's Brigade. It participated in the long Petersburg siege south and north of the James River and ended the war at Appomattox. In October, 1863, there were 343 men present for duty. The 26th suffered their greatest single battle loss at the Mine Explosion, July 30, 1864 when they lost 72 men. They lost many more at Sayler's Creek, and surrendered with 8 officers and 113 men.
As to why they served? I would imagine it was to protect themselves, family, and all they had built in life.
Just like soldiers today a policy of commitment, honor, and duty to their fellow man and country sent them on to fight for what they believed was right.
Hezekiah G. Spruill (September 8, 1808 – June 20, 1874), was an American soldier who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Spruill was the mayor of and a planter in Plymouth in Washington County, North Carolina, during the Civil War. He had been appointed in 1832 as General of the Militia for the troops of the Albemarle Region of North Carolina. In April 1861, General Spruill organized the local troops to prepare for the beginning of the Civil War, and he fought against the North until the end of the conflict.
Spruill was married to Anne Louise Garrett Spruill. They are buried in Grace Churchyard, Plymouth, North Carolina.
James Spruill
Civil War 30th Inf. Co. H., NC
Charles W. Spruill
Civil War Sig. Corps, CSA
Mothers side
Evander Kirby
The SC 1st Infantry Battalion Sharpshooters was formed at Columbia, South Carolina, during the summer of 1862 with four companies. Many of the men were raised in Edgefield County. The unit skirmished at Coosawhatchie and on James Island. They merged into the SC 27th Infantry Regiment 30 Sep l863.
Daniel Kirby
The 26th was made up from a consolidation of the 6th and 9th Infantry Battalions in late 1862 because the two battalions were essentially wiped out in that first summer of fighting in Virginia.
26th Infantry Regiment was organized at Charleston, South Carolina, in September, 1862. After serving in South Carolina it moved to Mississippi, was placed in N.G. Evans' Brigade, and confronted the Federals at Jackson. Later the regiment returned to Charleston, then in the spring of 1864 was sent to Virginia. Here it was assigned to Elliott's and Wallace's Brigade. It participated in the long Petersburg siege south and north of the James River and ended the war at Appomattox. In October, 1863, there were 343 men present for duty. The 26th suffered their greatest single battle loss at the Mine Explosion, July 30, 1864 when they lost 72 men. They lost many more at Sayler's Creek, and surrendered with 8 officers and 113 men.
As to why they served? I would imagine it was to protect themselves, family, and all they had built in life.
Just like soldiers today a policy of commitment, honor, and duty to their fellow man and country sent them on to fight for what they believed was right.
Page 3 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News