American Civil War Ancestors

[derspiess]

We haven't had a solid ACW thread in ages.  That needs to change.  I'm particularly interested in hearing about American Languishites' Civil War era ancestors.

I've been digging into my genealogy a bit to try & learn/re-learn some things about my lineage.  My recent focus has been on getting every possible detail about my ancestors' Civil War service.  All 8 of my great-great grandfathers were of young adult age during at least part of the Civil War, and from what I've dug up so far 4 of them served on the Union side in Ohio infantry regiments, and two served on the Confederate side (both in the same cavalry regiment).  Still trying to get a handle on what the other two were doing at the time.

My patrilineal great-great-grandfather enlisted in 1864, just in time to take part in the Overland Campaign (lucky him).  His regiment (126th Ohio Infantry) was involved in Grant's disastrous assault at Cold Harbor and he somehow survived that, only to be sent up into Maryland a few weeks later to fight in the Union delaying action at Monocacy.  There he was wounded, then trampled by advancing Confederate infantry, and then captured and sent to Libby prison for the duration of the war.  In spite of all that he lived to the age of 91.  I ordered reproductions of all his service & pension records from the National Archives-- hope to get more details from those. 

Haven't uncovered much details about the others yet, though I have an idea of what action the Virginia cavalry dudes saw.

[Ed Anger]

Most of mine were rebels. Tennesseans with Granny Lee. A few stayed back and murdered people for fun.

Wife's Irish and German ancestors were all Union folk. And loathed Copperheads.

Mew.

[Caliga]

One of my great-great-grandfathers was in the US Marine Corps during the Civil War, fought in the Mobile Bay campaign, and was in Lincoln's honor guard when they took his body around by train after his assassination.

I have his discharge papers and a certificate outlining his experiences (I guess his formal honorable discharge) signed by Jacob Zeilin that I put in a frame with some UV-proof glass shit to protect it.

I also had a bunch of ancestors serve in Pennsylvania militia regiments around the time of the Gettysburg campaign.  Most of these dudes were enlisted shortly before, and then discharged shortly after, the battle of Gettysburg.

On the Confederate side, I may have had some ancestors on my mom's side from Maryland who fought for the South, but I haven't definitively proven that yet.  Princesca definitely had ancestors in Kentucky who fought for the Confederacy, as well as some who fought for the Union.

[derspiess]

Oh also Cal I found a Pennsylvania Dutch ancestor.  That line was apparently traced back to Alsace.

[Caliga]

Oh also Cal I found a Pennsylvania Dutch ancestor.  That line was apparently traced back to Alsace.

If you have early American ancestry, then I'm not at all surprised.  Lots of people don't realize that they have Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry outside of PA, because the ones who moved west/south quickly assimilated/changed their names.

I have Alsatian Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry too, but most of mine is Swiss and Rhinelander.

[Monoriu]

Pretty sure mine didn't fight in that war.

[derspiess]

Almost all of my ancestors came in through Virginia and spread out west from there.  A few had arrived in Massachusetts in the 1600s and then moved through or around Pennsylvania to get to Ohio or Virginia (almost all ending up in Ohio by 1850-ish).  And the further I go back, the Scottish names I see

[derspiess]

Pretty sure mine didn't fight in that war.

Who knows, maybe a very, very, very distant relative.  I read where a handful of Asian Americans fought in the ACW.

[celedhring]

An ancestor of mine from Cervera fought in a rebel Carlist party under the Infante Alfonso Carlos, clashing with the liberals in Central Catalonia until the rebellion was put down. He then fled to France to avoid retribution.

Oh wait, wrong Civil War.

[PDH]

My...er...great-great-great-grandfather was Henry A Wise, the Governor of Virginia who was in office when John Brown was hanged.  He later became a horrible Confederate General.

[Barrister]

My relatives were all in their respective old countries that far back, which is pretty standard for western Canada.  The prairies weren't settled until later on.

[alfred russel]

My great great grandfather was an officer for the 5th florida infantry regiment. Its first battle was Second Bull Run, was in the Bloody Lane at Antietam, lightly engaged in Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, among other battles. He was taken prisoner at the Wilderness, exchanged and rejoined the the regiment during the Siege of Petersburg. In the end the regiment surrendered at Appomattox, and he was one of just 53 left. Depending on the source, the regiment started with 1000-1500.

[CountDeMoney]

Oh also Cal I found a Pennsylvania Dutch ancestor.  That line was apparently traced back to Alsace.
[/quote
So that's where you get your Amish sensibilities.

[derspiess]

The one ancestor I had that was an officer was present at Gettysburg, and he kind of fucked up there.  He had a cavalry regiment in Albert Jenkins' brigade (which was the cavalry for Ewell's Corps).  Jenkins became badly wounded on the second day of Gettysburg Col. Ferguson (my ancestor) didn't seem to take note that he was now the brigade commander.  The other part of Jenkins' brigade basically fell back and did nothing.  They should have taken position along the eastern/northeastern roads to guard the Confederate left flank.  So Ewell had to divert two infantry brigades to that task, which could have helped his Day 2 attacks on Culp's Hill.

The regiment then fought against Custer in the Day 3 cavalry battle, which was pretty much a draw.

[derspiess]

Oh also Cal I found a Pennsylvania Dutch ancestor.  That line was apparently traced back to Alsace.

So that's where you get your Amish sensibilities.

You know it.