American Civil War Ancestors

[alfred russel]

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.

My father researched this guy's war history, and I helped (mainly because he was telling the stories through the family and I thought he might be putting in unsubstantiated stuff).

But one story through the family history is that when he married my great great grandmother shortly after the war, someone asked her why should was marrying my great great grandfather (who was apparently a rather rough and uncouth individual). She replied that she was marrying him because all the good men were killed during the war.

With the knowledge of the regiment's history the context of the statement changed: this regiment came from a rural area of Florida, and even today 1,000+ men would be a lot. What came through the family history as a joke was probably an accurate description of what really was the case.

[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.

That works.  What happened after that?

His descendants lived around the Perpignan area until my great-grandfather reentered the country in the 1920s. The Carlist cause still burning bright in the family's hearts, he volunteered for a Tercio de Requetés in the Spanish Civil War, the Carlist militia that supported the Nationalists.

Having fought for the winning side, he became an influential character in my hometown (Badalona) after the war, even being close to be appointed major. But the Carlists quickly fell out of favor and he lost his position.

His brother, who had also fought in the Civil War, volunteered for the Italian army in WWII. He fled to Switzerland in 1943 and now I have family branch there. 

[derspiess]

Odd.  The Ohioans were not copperheads?

Pretty strong Union men & Republicans.  I would say on the aggregate that Kentucky-Ohio-(West) Virginia tri-state region was pro-Union.  The county in West Virginia I grew up in was pretty evenly split-- the Methodist churches in the area split congregations and formed their own churches based on the North-South split.  I believe the county voted to break away from Virginia to form West Virginia.

Maybe the Virginians were press-ganged?  Strange they would just happen to line up that way.

Nah, they apparently had some loyalty to Virginia.  One dude was a lawyer and raised a battalion which became a regiment, and the other one signed up early on and served in same unit as a corporal. 

[Valmy]

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?

It was the 13th and it was 80%.  Though it looks like the unit was still around until the end of the war so I was wrong that it ceased to exist.  I guess my source was relaying that the original 13th ceased to exist.  Its Battle Flag lists Cold Harbor:

[Valmy]

His descendants lived around the Perpignan area until my great-grandfather reentered the country in the 1920s. The Carlist cause still burning bright in the family's hearts, he volunteered for a Tercio de Requetés in the Spanish Civil War, the Carlist militia that supported the Nationalists.

Having fought for the winning side, he became an influential character in my hometown (Badalona) after the war, even being close to be appointed major. But the Carlists quickly fell out of favor and he lost his position.

His brother, who had also fought in the Civil War, volunteered for the Italian army in WWII. He fled to Switzerland in 1943 and now I have family branch there. 

Well let me just say I can identify with having ancestors who heroically supported causes that horrify me

[alfred russel]

Well let me just say I can identify with having ancestors who heroically supported causes that horrify me

Jesus Valmy, dont tell me you have Aggies as ancestors?  :

[celedhring]

His descendants lived around the Perpignan area until my great-grandfather reentered the country in the 1920s. The Carlist cause still burning bright in the family's hearts, he volunteered for a Tercio de Requetés in the Spanish Civil War, the Carlist militia that supported the Nationalists.

Having fought for the winning side, he became an influential character in my hometown (Badalona) after the war, even being close to be appointed major. But the Carlists quickly fell out of favor and he lost his position.

His brother, who had also fought in the Civil War, volunteered for the Italian army in WWII. He fled to Switzerland in 1943 and now I have family branch there. 

Well let me just say I can identify with having ancestors who heroically supported causes that horrify me

My mother has photos of my great-grandad in full fascist regalia, plus his Falange Española (our fascist party) membership card. He also harbored Nazi officers that were fleeing to SA; one Nazi colonel courted his daughter (my grandma), and gave her his cap*. Yeah, a nice piece of work he was.

*Which, to my annoyance, she threw away.

[Valmy]

Well let me just say I can identify with having ancestors who heroically supported causes that horrify me

Jesus Valmy, dont tell me you have Aggies as ancestors?  :

Hey I said they horrify me not lead me to contemplate suicide!

[viper37]

My great grandmother was an american citizen born in Florida.  If any of my ancestors or someone closely related to one of my ancestor fought in the civil war, it was on the Confederate side.  But I doubt it, I think her family were fairly recent immigrants when she was born, in 1900.  Could be wrong, I wasn't too old when she died and she didn't live long in my grandmother's house.  She was a cool grandma though

[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] 

lol

A fine Swedish military tradition.

Ball bearings, anyone?

[grumbler]

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.

Ditto.  All four of my grandparents came here after the Great War.

[grumbler]

.... received the Congressional Medal of Honor at Vicksburg,

  You fucking know better than to call The Medal the "Congressional Medal of Honor!"


Dunno why it irritates the fuck out of me that people can't get the name of the highest US award for valor right, but it does.

The SEC Network just did the same thing in their story on the USC player who earned The Medal.

[Admiral Yi]

All I have is a vague rumor that a distant relative fought at Vicksburg (on the Blue Team) and won a Congressional Medal of Honor.  The one given out by Congress.

Truth be told, I'm not aware of *any* direct relative that served in *any* war.

[Razgovory]

German unionists in Illinois.  I had a great great great uncle who died at Fredrick.  Of disease oddly enough.  I'm also related to a Union rear admiral, Andrew Foote.

[Archy]

Non, all us emigration of family members happened post ww2