American Civil War Ancestors

[The Brain]

No ancestors I know of, but I am related by marriage to the elephant they couldn't hit.

[KRonn]

My ancestors were still in Italy, maybe the fighting they did were in the Italian civil wars as the separate Italian states formed a nation. Or just as likely were happily making their own pasta, perfecting their tomato sauce recipes and inventing pizza.   

[Valmy]

I have a couple Civil War vets.

On my father's fathers side everyone were Marylanders right on the border who stayed out, probably influenced by the fact their towns changed hands...I think it was 16 times.  I think they had Lettowist sympathies being in heavily slave holding areas, and some of their cousins were in Lettowist service, but my direct paternal ancestor freed his slaves in the 1850s (they were the only free blacks in the town) for reasons that are unknown to me.  I hope they were good reasons.

On my father's mothers side of the family they were either Irish hanging out drinking heavily in County Donegal or solid Lettowists.  One was a big slave owner so he was exempted from service so his slaves would not rebel and rape the white women or something.  The other served in the misleadingly named '2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles' since Confederate bureaucratic bungling lost them their horses early on.  So they were the '2nd Arkansas Walking Rifles'.  He was injured twice, once at Pea Ridge (forcing him to sit out the Kentucky Campaign) and then again at Murfreesboro/Stones River.  The second wound was serious enough to end the war for him, and I believe he had to be evacuated from the Atlanta hospital when the Hammer of the Lettowists arrived.

My mother's family were all midwesterners.  Two of my Great-Great-Grandfathers served and one of my Great-Great-Great Grandfathers. One from Ohio served in the 26th Ohio Infantry until serious disease caused him to be discharged and sent home.  He never saw any action.  One from Iowa was in the 8th Ohio Cavalry and was the Blacksmith but was captured during the Atlanta campaign.  He was imprisoned in Andersonville before escaping during a prison transfer and made it back to Union lines, emaciated and near death.  His brother was in Regular Army (13th US Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company C) and received the Congressional Medal of Honor at Vicksburg, two of his cousins died at the same battle.  The Great-Great-Great Grandfather was in his 40s but volunteered to help stop Hood's invasion of Tennessee and his unit, the 173rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, participated in the Battle of Nashville but suffered no casualties so they probably were just there.

TLDR: Four of my ancestors served, only two saw any battle and were both casualties being wounded and captured.  All were enlisted men and everybody survived to tell the tale and breed my family.  The end.

[CountDeMoney]

but my direct paternal ancestor freed his slaves in the 1850s (they were the only free blacks in the town) for reasons that are unknown to me.  I hope they were good reasons.

Didn't know there were any bad reasons to release slaves, but I think out of the box like that sometimes.

[Valmy]

but my direct paternal ancestor freed his slaves in the 1850s (they were the only free blacks in the town) for reasons that are unknown to me.  I hope they were good reasons.

Didn't know there were any bad reasons to release slaves, but I think out of the box like that sometimes.

Since it was a woman and her children, who spent the 1850s and the Civil War working in his house before moving to Philly with some of her relatives, it is not out of the realm of possibility that maybe there was an improper relationship of some sort happening.  But maybe he just thought slavery was wrong.  Either way I suppose good on him for doing the right thing.

[alfred russel]

but my direct paternal ancestor freed his slaves in the 1850s (they were the only free blacks in the town) for reasons that are unknown to me.  I hope they were good reasons.

Didn't know there were any bad reasons to release slaves, but I think out of the box like that sometimes.

There was some controversy over owners freeing their slaves that were old and sick and unable to perform useful labor in order to escape the ornerous obligations to keep them fed and clothed.

[derspiess]

On my father's fathers side everyone were Marylanders right on the border who stayed out, probably influenced by the fact their towns changed hands...I think it was 16 times. 

On my dad's side the families moved back & forth across the river from Ohio to Virginia/West Virginia in the 1800s.  But my dad's mom's family was on the Virginia side when fighting broke out and my dad's dad's family was on the Ohio side, so those were the sides they chose.

[Valmy]

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.

That works.  What happened after that?

[Valmy]

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

I have some of those.  From Zurich Canton.

[Malthus]

I have no American ancestors who were living in America at the time, but if I did, I would hope they would have had the good sense to be war profiteers. [/lawyer] 

[Valmy]

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.

My wife's side of the family were solidly Lettowist and this is a pretty typical story.  One of them was one of 32 left out of a consolidated Regiment that once was four Regiments totalling about 5,000.  One was from a North Carolina Regiment that ceased to exist after Gettysburg, of the 9 cousins from Davie County who joined up he was the only one who survived.  The stories of Confederate units are pretty hard core.

[The Brain]

I have no American ancestors who were living in America at the time, but if I did, I would hope they would have had the good sense to be war profiteers. [/lawyer] 

lol

[Valmy]

On my dad's side the families moved back & forth across the river from Ohio to Virginia/West Virginia in the 1800s.  But my dad's mom's family was on the Virginia side when fighting broke out and my dad's dad's family was on the Ohio side, so those were the sides they chose.

Odd.  The Ohioans were not copperheads?  Maybe the Virginians were press-ganged?  Strange they would just happen to line up that way.

[Valmy]

I have no American ancestors who were living in America at the time, but if I did, I would hope they would have had the good sense to be war profiteers. [/lawyer] 

lol

A fine Swedish military tradition.

[derspiess]

My wife's side of the family were solidly Lettowist and this is a pretty typical story.  One of them was one of 32 left out of a consolidated Regiment that once was four Regiments totalling about 5,000.  One was from a North Carolina Regiment that ceased to exist after Gettysburg, of the 9 cousins from Davie County who joined up he was the only one who survived.  The stories of Confederate units are pretty hard core.

Was that the NC regiment that suffered 100% casualties at Gettysburg?