Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Pettigrew Family: Brigadier General James Johnston Pettigrew, my 2nd cousin 5x removed

Brigadier General James Johnston Pettigrew

James Johnston Pettigrew was born on July 4, 1828 at Bonarva Plantation in Tyrell County, North Carolina.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.  In his lifetime, he preferred to go by his middle name, Johnston.  Johnston was the eighth child born to Ebenezer Pettigrew, my 1st cousin 6x removed, and his first wife Ann Blount Shepard.


Ebenezer Pettigrew (1783 – 1848)


Ebenezer  Pettigrew served as a Representative in the Twenty Fourth United States Congress, which was in session from March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837.   He was born near Plymouth, North Carolina on March 10, 1783.  Ebenezer attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a charter member of the Debate Society.  He died at Magnolia Plantation on Lake Scuppernong, on July 8, 1848 and was interred in the family cemetery.


Charles Pettigrew (1744 – 1805)

Ebenezer's father, Charles Pettigrew, was my 5th Great Grand Uncle.  Charles was born on the Pennsylvania frontier on March 20, 1744.  The defeat of General Edward Braddock's troops in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War led the Pettigrews to uproot and relocate to Lunenburg County, Virginia.  There Charles was educated by Presbyterian clergymen.  From Virginia the family migrated further south to Granville County, North Carolina, and eventually to South Carolina.  Charles and his brother James, my 5th Great Grandfather, remained in Granville County long enough to establish roots.  James Pettigrew and his wife, Elizabeth Long were the parents of my 4th Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Pettigrew.

While in Granville County, Charles taught at a small school for the children of several local families.   He remained in that position until being appointed by Governor Josiah Martin as the Head Master of a school in Edenton, North Carolina.  While in Edenton, Charles became an Anglican.  He served as an assistant to the Reverend Daniel Earl at St. Paul's Church and in 1774 went to England, where he was ordained Deacon and Priest by the Bishops of London and Rochester.  He returned to Edenton on May 20, 1775.  He remained loosely affiliated with St. Paul's Church until his death. 

Although Charles was a religious man, he had far more success as Planter.  In 1781 he purchased land in Tyrrell County, to which he gradually added more tracts over the years.  Eventually he owned two plantations on which he grew rice, wheat, and corn, and whose timber he made into shingles and barrels for sale.  Charles begain with only nine slaves who were the property of his first wife, Mary Blount.   He more than tripled their number by the time of his death.  From a poor frontier boy, he became the owner of two plantations in North Carolina, eight hundred acres of land in Tennessee, thirty-four slaves, a chapel, and a good house that he built, and he possessed what he described to a cousin as "more than a Competency."  Charles Pettigrew died in Tyrell County, North Carolina on April 8, 1805.  He was originally buried beside his first wife, Mary Blount, on the grounds of her family's plantation, Mulberry Hill.  His son, Ebenezer moved his remains to the Pettigrew Family Cemetery at Bonarva Plantation, near Lake Phelps. 


James Johston Pettigrew circa 1855


Being that Johnston came from such an affluent family, it was no surprise that he decided to further his education.  In 1843, like his father before him, James Johnston Pettigrew enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He was 15 years old at the time of his enrollment.  Previously Pettigrew attended a boarding school in Hillsboro, North Carolina.  He excelled in classical languages and mathematics and led his class in fencing and boxing.  He graduated with such distinction in 1847 that President James K. Polk, accompanied by Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury, attended his commencement ceremony where Pettigrew gave the valedictory address.   Polk offered Pettigrew one of the assistant professorships in the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, a position he held until 1848.  He then studied law in Baltimore and joined the firm of his father's first cousin, James Louis Petigru in Charleston, South Carolina.  Johnston also travelled to Germany where he studied Civil Law.   Johnston travelled around Europe for seven years where he learned to speak and write French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and to read Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic.  Upon the completion of his European travels, Johnston returned to South Carolina, where he was elected to the South Carolina Legislature in 1856. 

Although possessing the qualities of a fine ambassador, Johnston chose to serve his country in the Military, rather than choosing a Diplomatic position.  Convinced that the cause of secession would eventually triumph and a war would be necessary to achieve freedom from the North, Pettigrew began to ready himself for military service.  He was active in the South Carolina Militia and became knowledgeable about Military tactics, Engineering and Artillery.  In 1856 he became Adjutant General of the South Carolina Militia.


 
Civil War Era Photograph of James Johnston Pettigrew

In December of 1860 as the bells of secession began to ring loudly around South Carolina, Pettigrew was appointed Chief Military Aid to Governor, Francis M. Pickens.  The following April, he participated in the negotiations between the Governor's office, South Carolina military authorities, and the Union commander of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.  On December 27, 1860, Pettigrew hand delivered the Governor’s demand to the Garrison Commander of Fort Sumter that he withdraw his forces.  He and his regiment then marched to Castle Pinckney, which they garrisoned until the siege of Fort Sumter ended in April.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Pettigrew enlisted as a Private in Hampton's Legion, a force raised in South Carolina by one of the wealthiest planters in the South, Colonel Wade Hampton.   Pettigrew's leadership skills were identified rather quickly.  Not long after joining Hampton's Legion, Pettigrew accepted a commission as Colonel of the 1st South Carolina Rifles.  When North Carolina seceded from the Union, Pettigrew followed Robert E. Lee's example and offered his services to his native state. 


Flag of the North Carolina 22nd Infantry Regiment

He was soon appointed Colonel of the 22nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment and was promptly sent with his men to Virginia.  His appointment was dated July 11, 1861.


Pettigrew pictured in the center, while Colonel of the NC 22nd


With this regiment he was engaged in constructing and guarding batteries at Evansport, on the Potomac, until the spring of 1862.


Register showing Pettigrew's appointment as Colonel


Pettigrew soon adopted the policy of eating the same food as the Privates and denying himself anything he could not offer his men.  While in Virginia, Pettigrew was urged by both Jefferson Davis and General Joseph E. Johnston to accept a higher commission.  Pettigrew believed that in order to become a General, one needed to have previously led men into battle.  Despite his personal belief, he was promoted to Brigadier General on February 26, 1862. 

When a young relative requested a "safe place" on Pettigrew's staff, he replied, "I assure you that the most unsafe place in the Brigade is about me. By all means let him get rid of this idea of a safe place, which he will regret after time. The post of danger is certainly the post of honor." He was true to his word.


Storming of Casey's Redoubt Battle of Seven Pines

Pettigrew's first action came at the Battle of Seven Pines, which took place from May 31 - June 1, during McClellan's 1862 Peninsula Campaign.  He was placed in command of a Brigade in Major General Daniel Harvey Hill's Division that contained troops from North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia and Virginia.  Just as his brigade began to advance against the enemy, Pettigrew was struck in the neck by a miniĆ© ball.  The projectile passed through his throat, slicing arteries, damaging nerves, muscles and his windpipe.  The wound was thought to be mortal.  Pettigrew didn't permit any of his men to leave their ranks to carry him to the rear "because from the amount of bleeding I thought the wound to be fatal, [and] it was useless to take men from the field for that purpose".   While he was lying on the ground, he received another bullet wound in the arm and was bayoneted in the right leg.  He regained consciousness as a Union prisoner of war.  He fully recovered from his wounds and was exchanged for a Union General in Confederate hands in August of 1862. 

For his courage, Pettigrew received a promotion to Brigadier General and was given command of a Brigade consisting of the 11th, 26th, 47th, and 52nd North Carolina Infantry Regiments.  Pettigrew's Brigade was assigned to Major General Henry Heth's Division in Lieutenant General A. P. Hill's Third Corps.  The Brigade fought in several small Battles and Skirmishes in eastern North Carolina between September 1862 and the spring of 1863, including a successful independent action at Blount's Creek on May 9th where they repulsed a Union raiding column of superior force.


Gettysburg Battle Flag for the North Carolina 26th Infantry Regiment

Description of NC 26th Gettysburg Flag Exhibit


In May of 1863, Pettigrew’s Brigade joined the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee on the march North toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The Brigade was the largest Confederate Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg, it's men numbering over 2,500 Officers and Enlisted men.  On the first day of fighting, his Brigade saw some of the fiercest action when they engaged the famed Iron Brigade.  Pettigrew's men drove the Federals from their position on McPherson's Ridge, located on the outskirts of Gettysburg.  Although they were successful in driving the Iron Brigade from their position, all four units in Pettigrew's Brigade suffered significant casualties.   In total, the unit lost about 40 percent it's men on the first day of fighting.


Major General Henry Heth


Pettigrew's immediate superior officer, General Henry Heth was wounded in the action on July 1st when a bullet struck him in the head. To Heth's fortunate, he was wearing a hat that was too large and stuffed with papers to make it fit. The papers deflected the bullet, avoiding a fatal wound.  Heth was knocked unconscious and effectively out for the remainder of the battle.  Heth's command passed to Pettigrew who was now in charge of his own Brigade along with three others.  Nine of my family members served in the North Carolina 55th Infantry Regiment, which was placed under the command of General Pettigrew for the final two days of the Gettysburg Campaign. On July 2nd, the men in Pettigrew's command rested as they lay in wait behind Seminary Ridge.


Pettigrew's Brigade at Gettysburg


On July 3rd, Robert E. Lee selected Pettigrew's Brigade to take part the dramatic and unsuccessful assault on the Federal center that would later be referred to as Pickett's/Pettigrew's Charge.


Exhibit Marker at the North Carolina History Musuem


Pettigrew's Brigade marched to the left of Pickett's men.  While Pickett directed his men from the rear, Pettigrew rode along side his men.  As the Division advanced, it received murderous fire from the entrenched Federals.  Pettigrew's horse was shot from under him.  As he continued the march on foot, he was severely wounded in the left hand by canister shot.  Pettigrew made it within a hundred yards of the Stone Wall commanded by Union General John Gibbon, Pettigrew's 2nd cousin on his mother's side, no relation to me.


Union General John Gibbon

Despite his wound, Pettigrew remained at the front with his soldiers until it was obvious that the charge had failed. Holding his bloody hand, the despondent officer walked toward Seminary Ridge where he encountered General Lee.  Pettigrew attempted to speak, but Lee, seeing the horrible wound, spoke first saying "General, I am sorry to see you are wounded, go to the rear." With a painful salute, Pettigrew said nothing and continued to the rear.  During the Battle of Gettysburg, Pettigrew's Brigade had the highest number of casualties in the entire Confederate Army.

Pettigrew continued to command the men in Heth's division during their retreat to the Potomac until the General recovered.  Eleven days after the Battle of Gettysburg, Pettigrew's men were delayed by the flooded Potomac at Falling Waters, West Virginia, near the Maryland border.  Pettigrew's Brigade was deployed along the Maryland side in a dense skirmish line that protected the local road to the river crossing.


The pursuit of Gen. Lee's rebel army by Edwin Forbes

On the morning of July 14, Pettigrew's Brigade was one of the last Confederate units north of the Potomac River.  A group of 40 Union Cavalrymen under the command of General George Armstrong Custer, charged the Confederate line.  Again, his horse was shot from under him.   Pettigrew immediately rose with his pistol drawn and began to pursue one of the Federals through a garden when he was struck in the stomach by a Federal miniĆ© ball.  All forty of the Federal Cavalrymen were killed in the fight.  The only chance of survival for Pettigrew was to be immobilized and receive medical attention where he lay.


Marker near the location of Pettigrew's mortal wound

Close up on the Pettigrew Marker

Sash worn by General Pettigrew when he was mortally wounded


He refused, saying that he would rather die then be sent to another yankee prison.  Remaining with the Confederate Army, he was transported 18 miles to Edgewood Manor, near Bunker Hill, West Virginia.


Edgewood Manor

Brigadier General James Johnston Pettigrew died on July 17, 1863, just 2 weeks after his 35th birthday.  In North Carolina, there was an official day of mourning for his death.  The Confederacy had lost one of it's most promising sons. General Lee remarked "The army has lost a brave soldier and the Confederacy an accomplished officer." 


1st Page of Pettigrew's Roll of Honor

2nd Page of Pettigrew's Roll of Honor


His body was returned to Raleigh, North Carolina on July 24, 1863 where it lay in state at the Capital.  The funeral service for James Johnston Pettigrew was held that afternoon.  Following the service, his body was carried to the Raleigh City Cemetery, where it was originally interred in the burial plot belonging to his cousin, James Biddle Shepard.  Shepard died in 1872 and now occupies the plot. 


Original Grave location for James Johnston Pettigrew

Pettigrew remained interred in the Raleigh City Cemetery until November 1865 when, according to his wishes in his will, he was disinterred and relocated to his family's estate, Bonarva in Tyrell County, North Carolina.  Unfortunately all that remains of the house at Bonarva is a small pile of rubble, however the family cemetery is still intact and maintained.


Pettigrew Family Cemetery

Grave of General James Johnston Pettigrew


General James Johnston Pettigrew was one of the Confederacy's most prominent citizens and military leaders.  His loss devastated both the Army and his family.  Pettigrew, along with Brigadier General Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb, my 4th cousin 7x removed, and Brigadier General Philip St. George Cocke, my 6th cousin 6x removed, are the highest ranking Confederate casualties of the Civil War in my family.  Pettigrew State Park is now located on the former grounds of the Pettigrew Homeplace.


Colonel Collett Leventhorpe, who commanded the North Carolina 11th Infantry Regiment in Pettigrew’s Brigade, remarked that he never met a man “who fitted more my ‘beau ideal’ of the patriot, the soldier, the man of genius, and the accomplished gentleman.” 

Several items that were owned by General Pettigrew are currently on display at the North Carolina History Museum in Raleigh, North Carolina.


Close-up of General Pettigrew's Frock Coat

General Pettigrew's Sword and Spur, to the right of his Frock Coat


Here's my relation to James Johnston Pettigrew:

Gen. James Johnston Pettigrew (1828 - 1863)
is your 2nd cousin 5x removed
Ebenezer Pettigrew (1783 - 1848)
Father of Gen. James Johnston
Charles Pettigrew (1743 - 1805)
Father of Ebenezer
Mary Cochran (1713 - 1786)
Mother of Charles
James Pettigrew (1738 - 1789)
Son of Mary
Elizabeth Pettigrew (1777 - 1831)
Daughter of James
Ellis Walker Jr. (1805 - 1888)
Son of Elizabeth
Mildred Walker (1854 - 1922)
Daughter of Ellis
Benjamin Elliott Wheeler (1883 - 1951)
Son of Mildred
Phebe Teresa Wheeler Lewis (1918 - 1977)
Daughter of Benjamin Elliott
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
Daughter of Phebe Teresa
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Courtney Henrico Artillery: My 3rd Great Grandfather Samuel Conway and Three Cousins

Flag of the Courtney Henrico Artillery

The Courtney Henrico Artillery was originally organized on July 8, 1861.  The men from this regiment predominately came from Henrico County and the city of Richmond.  Their initial enlistments took place at Deep Run Church in Henrico County, where 54 men enlisted for one year's service.  The next day, the regiment was relocated to the artillery training grounds at the Richmond Baptist College.  Within the next six weeks, an additional 37 men would enlist and fill her ranks to a total of 91 men by the end of August.  

Postwar Portrait of Alfred Ransom Courtney

The unit was assigned to the command of Captain Alfred Ransom Courtney.  Courtney came from a distinguished King and Queen county family.  Prior to the war, he had been an attorney.  He enlisted in the Hampden Artillery in Richmond as a 2nd Lieutenant on May 15, 1861.  For unknown reasons, he left the Hampden battery and by July was elected captain of a Henrico company then in the process of being formed.   That company would later become the Courtney Henrico Artillery.  

Initially, the Courtney Henrico Artillery was reported as one of the companies proposed for the 4th Regiment Virginia Light Artillery, however that regiment was never formed.  When the company arrived at the Richmond Baptist College barracks, they joined three other batteries that were already in training.  The other three units were Holman's 1st Fluvanna Battery, Thomas H. Carter's King William Battery and Southall's Albemarle Company.  These companies became informally known as the "Baptist College Battalion".  

In the early days of the regiment, there was a severe shortage of guns, ammunition and horses.  The men drilled daily but were very limited in what they could do.  The Confederate and Virginia supply depots and arsenals had been wiped out to supply the newly formed units that had been sent to the most threatened points such as Harper's Ferry, Manassas and Norfolk.  

Special Orders No. 136 were issued on August 28th.  These orders directed the four batteries of the "Baptist College Battalion" to proceed to Manassas Junction and report to General Joseph E. Johnston.  For unknown reasons, the battery didn't move for a week.  On September 1, Courtney and his men were still stationed at Allen's Grove near Richmond.  The battalion finally departed Richmond on September 14 and traveled by rail to Manassas Junction where they went into camp.  They were not used during the Battle of Manassas/Bull Run.  

After the shocking Federal defeat at Manassas, both armies settled down to a stalemate as the opposing forces organized and prepared for what was to come.  During the fall and winter, General Johnston's Army of the Potomac was organized into four divisions.  Courtney's Battery was assigned to Brigadier General Isaac Trimble's Seventh Brigade, Fourth Division, commanded by Major General Kirby Smith.  Isaac Ridgeway Trimble was 60 years old.  He had graduated from West Point in 1822 and served for ten years in the 1st U.S. Artillery Regiment.  He left the army to pursue a career in railroad construction. Following the Confederate bombardment on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in April of 1861, he led a contingent of Maryland State Militia to burn the railroad bridges around Baltimore.  When he realized Maryland would not secede from the Union, he returned to Virginia and joined the Provisional Army of Virginia as a colonel of engineers.  He was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army on August 9, 1861 and was assigned to construct artillery batteries along the Potomac River.  Trimble was a tough old soldier who insisted on tight discipline.  In addition to Courtney's artillery company, his command was comprised of the 15th Alabama, 16th Mississippi, 21st Georgia and 21st North Carolina regiments.  

The men built quarters near Centerville, Virginia.  The muster rolls for the battery from November through December of 1861 show that in spite of the harsh winter conditions, the men seemed to be reasonably healthy.  They continued to drill while in camp.  The battery stabilized around 80 men during the months of January and February of 1862.  During this time, the battery requisitioned forage for about 78 horses. 


Richard Stoddard Ewell "Old Bald Head"

On February 21, 1862, General Richard Stoddard Ewell replaced Kirby Smith as the division's commander.  Ewell or "Old Bald Head" as he was affectionately known to his men, was a 44 year old  career army officer.  He had graduated from West Point in 1840 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Dragoons.  He was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1845 and served on escort duty along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.  Ewell had served under Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War.  He was promoted to Captain for his courage at Contreras and Churubusco.  He served in the New Mexico Territory for some time.  He was wounded in a skirmish with Apache's under the command of Cochise in 1859.  In 1860, while in command of Fort Buchanan, Arizona, illness compelled him to leave the west for his home state of Virginia.in order to recuperate.  He was initially opposed to secession but when his home state of Virginia seceded, Ewell resigned his commission in the U.S. Army on May 7, 1861 to join the Virginia Provisional Army.  He was appointed a Colonel of cavalry on May 9 and was the first officer wounded in the war.  On May 31, in a skirmish at Fairfax Court House, he was wounded in the shoulder.  Ewell was promoted to Brigadier General in The Confederate States Army on June 17, 1861 and commanded a brigade in the (Confederate) Army of the Potomac at the First Battle of Manassas.  Interestingly enough, just hours after that battle, he proposed to Confederate President Jefferson Davis that in order for the Confederacy to win the war, the slaves must be freed to join the ranks of the army.   Ewell was a bit of an eccentric character.  He was known to his men as a tough officer who liked to fight.  He was promoted to Major General on January 24, 1862.  

Confederate intelligence indicated that Federal General George B. McClellan was preparing to move his massive army south, either toward Fredericksburg, or potentially toward Richmond.  Either move would flank Johnston and threaten his position at Centerville.  To counter the threat, Johnston's Army of the Potomac began to move out of their positions at Centerville and Manassas Junction on March 8th.  As opposed to the normal order of procedure, the artillery was ordered to march ahead of the infantry.  Courtney and his battalion put their limbers and caissons on the railway cars at Manassas Junction.  The men, horses and cannons marched southwest down the railroad and crossed the Rappahannock on March 11th.  That night, the battery set up camp a few miles south of the river at Brandy Station. 

By March 20th, the unit only reported 60 effective men, down 20 since the winter months.  As a result, the battery began a full-fledged recruiting effort to refill the ranks.  Forty four new men were recruited and added to the rolls from the Richmond area.  Four additional men were added from Albemarle and Manassas, totaling 48 new recruits.  By early spring, the unit was fully staffed with over 100 men.  

During this time, Ewell's Division remained attached to General Joseph E. Johnston's Army of the Potomac for the winter and spring of 1861 -1862.  To meet McClellan's attack from the east, the bulk of the army departed for Richmond.  Ewell's Division remained around Orange and Culpeper to keep an eye on the Federal threat in north-central Virginia.  The division was composed of roughly 8,000 men, including 500 cavalry and 14 artillery pieces.  They were ordered to support Stonewall Jackson's army in the Shenandoah Valley if needed.  

Courtney's Battery first saw action on April 18, 1862 as 1,500 infantry, 160 cavalry and four pieces of artillery from the Union Fifth Corps made a reconnaissance south to the Rappahannock River to gain the strength and position of the Confederate defenses.  The Federals arrived undetected and opened fire from their batteries on the unsuspecting Confederates.  Three guns from Courtney's Battery and the Baltimore Artillery went into action and fired about 60 rounds of solid shot from their 6-pounder smoothbores.  Their actions helped repel the attach by the 12th Massachusetts Infantry.  Private George P. Wallace from Courtney's Battery described the action in a letter to his mother:

Just after we had gotten on the field Friday [April 18, 1862], concealed our horses and covered our gun with brush so it could not bee seen, the enemy opened on our guns down the river with artillery and it was kept up incessantly by both sides for half an hour of more.... About the third fire from the enemy a shell struck the limber - that is - the ammunition chest, and exploded just as it struck, causing the ammunition to explode and strange to say, none of the men were killed but two of them were burned but not very seriously.

Like many Civil War artillery duels, the action produced more sound and fury than actual damage to the enemy.  Neither side reported any casualties.   On April 20th, the unit loaded their baggage and ammunition on railway cars and proceeded to Gordonsville, where they went into camp.  

Stonewall Jackson was facing the threat of three separate Federal armies in the Shenandoah Valley.  Richmond was being threatened to the southeast by a Federal force of over 100,000 under the command of George McClellan.  During the last half of April, communication intensified between Ewell in central Virginia, Jackson in the Valley, Johnston on the Peninsula and Lee in Richmond.  The main topic was how to best use Ewell's 8,000 man division.  Finally it was decided to send Ewell and his division to the Shenandoah Valley in support of Stonewall Jackson's army.  On April 30th, Courtney's Battery, along with the rest of the division, passed through Stanardsville, and crossed over the Blue Ridge Mountains at Swift Gap.  Upon entering the Valley, Ewell's division set up position in the camps that Jackson's men had just vacated in the vicinity of Conrad's Store.  

With the addition of Ewell's division, Jackson finally had enough manpower to begin his near flawless Valley campaign against the invading Yankees.  Ewell's division included at least two artillery units, the Courtney Henrico Artillery, which had six cannon and the Baltimore Light Artillery, commanded by John Brockenbrough, with four cannon.  Bowyer's Bedford Artillery was likely also included with their four cannon.  

Stonewall Jackson in the Valley by David Bendann

Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign was like nothing anyone on either side had ever seen in warfare before.  Jackson marched his men 646 miles in 48 days and defeated three separate Federal armies, which prevented them from re-enforcing George McClellan's Federal Army of the Potomac's Peninsula Campaign against Richmond.  Jackson has always been a hero of mine.  I recently found out that he is my 5x cousin 8x removed on my Dad's side, through the Winn/Wynne family.  

Jackson's Valley Campaign came at a time when Southern moral was at its lowest.  Following the successful summer of 1861, prospects for the Confederacy had met a rapid decline.  Federal armies in the Western Theater under the command of U.S. Grant and others had captured large amounts of Southern territory and had won significant battles at Fort Donelson and Shiloh.  In the East, George McClellan's grand Army of the Potomac was quickly approaching Richmond from the southeast.  Federal Major General Irvin McDowell's large corps threatened the Confederate capital from the North.  Major General Nathaniel Banks corps threatened the Shenandoah Valley.  

The Shenandoah Valley was one of the most strategic geographic features in Virginia.  She was rich in agriculture, producing 2.5 million bushels of wheat in 1860.  This accounted for about 19% of the crop in the entire state.  She was also rich in valuable livestock which was used to provision Virginia's armies and the Confederate capital of Richmond.  The Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west created a 140 mile long and 25 mile wide valley between them.  The watershed of the Shenandoah Valley passed through the middle of the valley.  The Valley offered two strategic advantages to the Confederates.  Any Federal army entering Virginia could be subjected to Confederate flanking attacks through the many wind gaps across the Blue Ridge.  The Valley also offered a protected avenue that allowed Confederate armies to head north into Pennsylvania unconstrained.  Stonewall Jackson immediately saw the importance of the Valley, writing to a staff member "If this Valley is lost, Virginia is lost."  

Jackson commanded the Valley District of the Department of Northern Virginia.  His command expanded significantly during the campaign as reinforcements were added, starting with a mere 5,000 effectives and reaching an eventual peak of 17,000 troops.  He remained greatly outnumbered by the various Federal armies opposing him.  The Federal forces combined numbered roughly 50,000.  Although he was outnumbered, Jackson's goal was to prevent the Federal forces in the Valley from reinforcing McClellan on the Peninsula.  Jackson's orders were to prevent Banks from leaving the Valley, which is exactly what he appeared to be doing.  

Nathaniel Prentice Banks, had no former military experience before the Civil War.  He had served as Governor and Congressman from Massachusetts.  Banks was a leading Republican.  Through his political ties, he was one of Lincoln's first choices to be a Major General in the Federal army.  At the beginning of the war, he had commanded a military district in Maryland.  Although in Maryland, his division belonged to the command of George McClellan.  Lincoln issued an executive order on March 14, 1862, forming all troops in McClellan's department in to corps.  This effectively made him a corps commander.  Command of his division fell to Brigadier General Alpheus Williams.  Also in his command was the division of Brigadier General James Shields.  Sheilds  was wounded in a skirmish with Ashby Turner's cavalry on March 22.  He received a broken arm from an artillery shell fragment.  He was effectively out of commission.  Command of his division fell to Colonel Nathan Kimball.

Jackson and Banks would first clash in Kernstown, Virginia.  The First Battle of Kernstown took place on March 23, 1862.  Due to receiving bad intelligence, Jackson was under the impression that a small detachment of Banks' troops under the command of Colonel Nathan Kimball was vulnerable.  In all actuality, it was a full Federal infantry division that was more than twice the size of Jackson's force.  Jackson ordered his cavalry commander, Ashby Turner, to attack.  His attack was immediately repelled by the larger Federal force.  Jackson then attempted to envelop the Federal right but was countered by the brigade of Colonel Erastus Taylor.  Once Kimball's brigade move in to assist, Jackson's forces were driven from the field.  Although the battle was a tactical victory due to the Confederate forces being driven from the field, it represented a strategic victory for the Confederates because they prevented the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley from reinforcing McClellan on the Peninsula.

Banks initially pursued Jackson but called off the pursuit due to supply problems.  Jackson withdrew his forces to Mount Jackson, just north of New Market.  There, he asked his map maker, Captain Jedediah Hotchkiss, to make him a map of the Valley from Harpers Ferry to Lexington.  Hotchkiss would end up being the most famous cartographer and topographer of the Civil War.  His accurate and detailed maps of the Shenandoah Valley are one of the main reasons for Jackson's success.  

On April 16, Banks again advanced and attacked Ashby's cavalry, catching them completely by surprise.  About 60 Confederate horsemen were captured in the skirmish.  The remainder of Turner's forces made their way back to Jackson.  Jackson assumed that Banks had been reinforced so he withdrew abruptly up the Valley to Harrisonburg.  On April 19, he ordered his men to march 20 miles east out of the Shenandoah Valley to Swift Gap Run.  Banks now occupied New Market and controlled the Valley as far south as Harrisonburg.  He knew exactly where Jackson was but he completely misread his intentions.  Banks thought that Jackson and his army were heading east of the Blue Ridge on their way to aid Richmond.  






















The men participated in General Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign.  During that campaign, the men marched 646 miles in 48 days and defeated three separate Union armies, which in turn prevented them from re-enforcing General McClellan's Army of the Potomac's offensive against Richmond.  Following Jackson's Valley Campaign, the Unit was assigned to Captain Alfred R. Courtney's Battalion of Artillery.  From that point on, the Unit was referred to as the Courtney Henrico Light Artillery.


"The Battle of Spottsylvania" by Kurz & Allison
My 3rd Great Grandfather, Samuel Conway was injured in battle in 1862 and captured in battle in 1864.  Samuel's capture came during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, which took place from May 8 - 21.  The precise date of his capture was May 12th, during the fighting at the "Bloody Angle".   On the 12th, The Courtney Henrico Artillery was attached to Major Cutshaw's Battalion, which also consisted of the Charlottesville and Staunton Artilleries.  Cutshaw's Battalion was part of General Ewell's Corps.  Cutshaw's Battalion was positioned near the "West Angle" later referred to as the "Bloody Angle".  The guns of the Courtney Henrico Artillery faced southwest.  The four Napoleons of the Charlottesville Artillery faced eastward toward the Spotsylvania Courthouse.


Map showing the action on May 12, 1864


At 4:30a.m. the men of the Cutshaw's Battalion heard great confusion on their right.  As the fog lifted, the men saw several lines of the enemy approaching rapidly.  Captain Carrington's Charlottesville Artillery immediately took action.  They were placed to the right of the Courtney Henrico Artillery.  The Charlottesville Artillery fired canister shot toward the advancing Federals.  According to Captain Carrington:

My men promptly got to the guns and instead of firing only two shots as General Long says, all four of the guns used canister...  I do not exaggerate, though I may be mistaken as to the exact number, when I say from my entire battery  [Carrington's] twenty-five or thirty rounds of canister were discharged into the advancing columns in front of me. 

Unfortunately the blasts from the Chartlottesville and Courtney Henrico Artillery's guns were too little and too late to take much effect on the onrushing Yankees of General Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps.  All 8 guns from the Courtney Henrico Artillery were captured.  The casualties from the united included 2 killed in action, 2 wounded in action, and 23 captured or missing soldiers.   Samuel Conway was one of these 23 men.  Following his capture, he was sent to Fort Delaware Prison. 




Samuel Conway was born in Henrico, Virginia in 1824.  Prior to his enlistment in the Confederate States Army, he was a Farmer by trade.  On March 7, 1862 at the age of 37, Samuel enlisted as a Private in the Courtney Henrico Light Artillery Battery. 


1st Muster Roll for Samuel

Samuel was injured at the Battle of Cross Keys, Virginia on June 8, 1862.  Being an artillery man was dangerous duty.  Not only was it dangerous to discharge your own guns, but artillery lines were often the primary target of enemy artillery guns.  Samuel was wounded by an exploding shell during the battle.  My 2nd Great Grand Uncle, Sergeant James A. Vaden, who served in the Manchester Light Artillery Battery, was killed from wounds sustained at the Battle of Cross Keys. 


Muster Roll showing Samuel was wounded at Cross Keys

Samuel's injury was extensive.  Although his wound was sustained in June of 1863, he was unable to return to duty until November of that year.  In October of 1863, Samuel was examined at the Confederate Medical Director's Office in Richmond, Virginia.  The exam took place on October 21, 1863. 


Roll showing Samuel's Medical Exam

Samuel must have been cleared to return to duty because he is listed as "Present" in the November 1, 1863 Muster Roll for his Regiment. 


Muster Roll showing Samuel's return to duty

Samuel was captured at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on May 12, 1864. 


Muster Roll showing Samuel was captured at Spotsylvania Courthouse

Following his capture, Samuel was sent to Fort Delaware Prison.  Fort Delaware is located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.  It was originally used for harbor defense.  The first fort was a star fort that was used in the War of 1812.  That fort was destroyed in a fire in 1831.  The present Fort Delaware was built between 1848 and 1860.   During the Civil War, the fort was used as a Prisoner of War camp.  It held almost 33,000 prisoners by the end of the war.  Roughly 2,500 prisoners died at Fort Delaware during the Civil War.   


Aerial View of Fort Delaware



POW Roll showing Samuel's confinement to Fort Delaware

Samuel was exchanged on September 18, 1864.


POW Roll showing Samuel was exchanged on September 18, 1864

Samuel took an Amnesty Oath on April 15, 1865.   On the Register, he is listed as being 40 years old and a Farmer from Henrico County, Virginia.


Amnesty Oath for Samuel

Samuel Conway lived at least an additional 15 years following the Civil War.  No record of him can be found after the 1880 Federal Census.  No record of his burial is known at the time of this entry.   Several of Samuel's family members, including his son Samuel Conway, Jr. are buried in Richmond's Maury Cemetery.   It's quite possible that Samuel was also buried there.


Here's my relation to Samuel:



John William West, Jr. was born in Henrico County, Virginia on December 26, 1842.  He is my 1st cousin 4x removed.  Records indicate he preferred to go by his middle name.  William enlisted as a Private in the Courtney Henrico Artillery on July 15, 1862 at the age of 18. 


1st Muster for William

On April 3, 1862, William was detached from the Regiment on Special Service as a teamster for the Quartermaster Department.   He remained in this position for the duration of the war. 


Muster Roll showing William's detached service

William was responsible for driving a team of horses with the Supply Train Artillery near New Market, Virginia. 


Muster Roll showing William's service with Supply Train Artillery


John William West, Jr. lived an additional 61 years following the end of the Civil War.  He died in Albemarle County, Virginia on July 9, 1926 at the age of 83.  William is buried in the Piedmont Christian Church Cemetery in Albemarle County, Virginia. 



Grave of John William West, Jr.

Here's my relation to William:

John William West Jr. (1842 - 1926)
is your 1st cousin 4x removed
Temperance Conway (1820 - )
mother of John William West Jr.
Samuel Conway (1793 - 1857)
father of Temperance Conway
Samuel Conway (1824 - 1880)
son of Samuel Conway
Samuel Henry Conway Jr. (1868 - 1936)
son of Samuel Conway
Eunice Maud Conway (1895 - 1981)
daughter of Samuel Henry Conway Jr.
Robert William Lewis (Vaden) (1913 - 1990)
son of Eunice Maud Conway
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
daughter of Robert William Lewis (Vaden)
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce


Andrew Jackson Sneed

My 1st cousin 6x removed, Andrew Jackson Sneed, also served in the Courtney Henrico Artillery.  Andrew was born in Henrico County, Virginia on May 4, 1831.  Prior to his enlistment, Andrew was a Millwright by trade.  He enlisted in the Courtney Henrico Artillery on July 16, 1861 at the age of 30. 



1st Muster Roll for Andrew

In April of 1862, Andrew was promoted to Full Corporal.


Muster Roll showing Andrew's promotion to Full Corporal

The battle at Cedar Mountain, by Currier and Ives

He was wounded at the Battle of Slaughter Mountain (Cedar Mountain) on August 9, 1862.  The Union Army initially gained favor in the battle, however a daring rally by Stonewall Jackson inspired a Confederate counterattack that turned the tide for the Confederate Army.   Casualties on the Union side numbered 2,353 (314 killed, 1,445 wounded, 594 missing), Confederate casualties numbered 1,338 (231 killed, 1,107 wounded, one of which was Corporal Andrew Jackson Sneed). 


Muster Roll showing Andrew's injury

His wound led to the amputation of his right leg.


Hospital Report regarding the amputation of Andrew's leg

The amputation of his left leg caused Andrew to be retired to the invalid corps and led to him being declared permanently disabled. 


Report showing amputation and retirement


Register showing Andrew's retirement to the Invalid Corps

On April 14, 1864 Andrew applied for an artificial limb.


Andrew's application for an artificial limb


On April 17, 1865 Andrew signed an Amnesty Oath with the Provost Marshall headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. 


Amnesty Oath for Andrew

Andrew Jackson Sneed lived an additional 51 years following the end of the Civil War.  Despite the loss of his leg, he returned to a career as a Millwright at a Grist Mill in Hanover County, Virginia.  Andrew died in Hanover County, Virginia on October 19, 1916 at the age of  85.   He is buried on his land which is now private property.  Several years ago, I was contacted by the owner of the property.  He maintains the cemetery where Andrew is buried and sent me the following picture of his grave.  


Grave of Andrew Jackson Snead and Family

Here's my relation to Andrew:

Andrew Jackson Sneed (1831 - 1916)
is your 1st cousin 6x removed
Jacob Sneed (1775 - 1845)
Father of Andrew Jackson
Charles Sneed (1745 - 1841)
Father of Jacob
Judith Sneed (1772 - 1834)
Daughter of Charles
Josiah Blackburn (1790 - )
Son of Judith
Sarah Jane Blackburn (1831 - 1896)
Daughter of Josiah
Samuel Henry Conway Jr. (1868 - 1936)
Son of Sarah Jane
Eunice Maud Conway (1895 - 1981)
Daughter of Samuel Henry
Robert William Lewis (1913 - 1990)
Son of Eunice Maud
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
Daughter of Robert William
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce


James F. Blackburn was born in Henrico County, Virginia in 1840.   He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed.  James enlisted as a Private in the Courtney Henrico Artillery at the Baptist College in Richmond, Virginia on July 12, 1861.  He was 21 years old at the time of his enlistment.  Prior to enlisting, James was a farmer by trade.

1st Muster Roll for James


Originally, James enlisted for a 12 month period, however on December 31, 1861, his enlistment was extended for 2 years.  He was paid a bounty of $50.00 for his extending his enlistment. 

Muster Roll showing James' enlistment extension

James was absent without leave from February 9 - 19, 1863 and fortified pay for that time.

Muster Roll showing James was AWOL

He was captured by the Ringold Cavalry on July 20, 1863 and held as a prisoner of war.

Report of Rebel Prisoners

James was confined to the Military Prison in Wheeling (West) Virginia also known as Athenaeum.  He is described as being 23 years old, having a florid complexion, 5'9", blue eyes and light hair.

Prisoner Description List for James

He was sent to the Provost Marshall in Richmond, Virginia where he signed the Oath of Allegiance on April 14, 1865 and was released from Union captivity.

Amnesty Oath for James

James survived the Civil War and died sometime after 1870.   The 1870 Federal Census is the last record I've been able to find for James.  His burial location is not known at the time of this entry.  His father, David Albert Blackburn served in the Virginia Local Defense Regiment that was assigned to protect the Confederate Capitol of Richmond. 

Here's my relation to James:

James F. Blackburn (1840 - )
is your 2nd cousin 4x removed
David Albert Blackburn (1817 - 1888)
Father of James F.
Absalom Blackburn (1784 - )
Father of David Albert
Absalom Blackburn (1766 - 1854)
Father of Absalom
Josiah Blackburn (1790 - 1857)
Son of Absalom
Sarah Jane Blackburn (1831 - 1896)
Daughter of Josiah
Samuel Henry Conway Jr. (1868 - 1936)
Son of Sarah Jane
Eunice Maud Conway (1895 - 1981)
Daughter of Samuel Henry
Robert William Lewis (1913 - 1990)
Son of Eunice Maud
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
Daughter of Robert William
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce


Two husbands of my cousins also served in the Courtney Henrico Artillery.  My 2nd cousin 4x removed, Letitia Blackburn married Bernard/Benjamin Theodore Franck.  Andrew Jackson Sneed's sister, my 1st cousin 6x removed, Milcena Sneed married William Tinsley.


Bernard/Benjamin Theodore Franck

Bernard/Benjamin Theodore Franck was born in Hanover, Germany on November 9, 1835.  By 1850, he had crossed the Atlantic and had relocated to Henrico County, Virginia.  Prior to the Civil War, he was a Carver and Builder by trade.  Franck enlisted in the Courtney Henrico Artillery on March 11, 1862.  He was 27 years old at the time of his enlistment. 


1st Muster Roll for Bernard/Benjamin

The description in his service record lists him as being 5 ft. 8½ in., fair complexion, brown eyes, auburn hair.
Franck was discharged by reason of disability on September 22, 1863.   His disability reason was states as "organic disease of the heart". 

Bernard/Benjamin's discharge

Bernard/Benjamin Theodore Franck lived an additional 30 years following the end of the Civil War.   He died in Henrico County, Virginia on September 17, 1895.   He was 59 years old.  He and his wife are both buried in Richmond's Historic Hollywood Cemetery.


Grave of Bernard T. Franck

Here's my relation to Bernard/Benjamin:

Bernard Theodore Franck (1835 - 1895)
relationship to you: husband of 2nd cousin 4x removed
Letitia Blackburn Franck (1836 - 1915)
Wife of Bernard Theodore
Absalom Blackburn (1811 - 1879)
Father of Letitia Blackburn
Absalom Blackburn (1784 - )
Father of Absalom
Absalom Blackburn (1766 - 1854)
Father of Absalom
Josiah Blackburn (1790 - )
Son of Absalom
Sarah Jane Blackburn (1831 - 1896)
Daughter of Josiah
Samuel Henry Conway Jr. (1868 - 1936)
Son of Sarah Jane
Eunice Maud Conway (1895 - 1981)
Daughter of Samuel Henry
Robert William Lewis (1913 - 1990)
Son of Eunice Maud
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
Daughter of Robert William
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce


William Tinsley was born about 1839 in Virginia.  He enlisted as a Private in the Courtney Henrico Artillery on February 19, 1862.  He was about 23 years old at the time of his enlistment. 

1st Muster Roll for William

In March and April of 1864, William was on detached service as a wagon guard for the Supply Train Artillery. 

Muster Rolls showing William's detached service with the Supply Train Artillery

He remained on detached service through February of 1865.

Muster Roll showing William's continued detached service

William Tinsley lived an additional 40 years following the end of the Civil War.   He died in Rock Spring, Virginia on May 2, 1905.  He was 66 years old.   His burial location is not known at the time of this entry.


Here's my relation to William:

William Tinsley (1839 - 1905)
relationship to you: husband of 1st cousin 6x removed
Milcena Sneed (1835 - )
Wife of William
Jacob Sneed (1775 - 1845)
Father of Milcena
Charles Sneed (1745 - 1841)
Father of Jacob
Judith Sneed (1772 - 1834)
Daughter of Charles
Josiah Blackburn (1790 - )
Son of Judith
Sarah Jane Blackburn (1831 - 1896)
Daughter of Josiah
Samuel Henry Conway Jr. (1868 - 1936)
Son of Sarah Jane
Eunice Maud Conway (1895 - 1981)
Daughter of Samuel Henry
Robert William Lewis (1913 - 1990)
Son of Eunice Maud
Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )
Daughter of Robert William
Chip Stokes
You are the son of Joyce

Saber belonging to Private Gentry Williams of the Courtney Henrico Artillery