The Sprinkle Brothers: Company A, North Carolina 2nd Mounted Infantry, Union Army. My 1st cousins 5x removed.

Union troops from North Carolina?   Say it ain't so.  It was so. It was so for a variety of reasons.  Several of these reasons were complex and had to do with anti-slavery sentiments and also pro-white labor sentiments.  The least complex of these reasons was geography.  North Carolina's neighbor to the west, Tennessee was full of pro-Union sentiment.  Even though Tennessee had seceded from the Union in 1861, a string of Union victories along the Cumberland allowed the Union to open up recruitment for it's own army in the areas in which it occupied.  This also opened up recruitment to Unionists from western North Carolina who didn't mind traveling a short distance to enlist in the Union army.  The same could be said for northeastern North Carolina, which I'll cover in a later entry about my 2nd Great Grand Uncle Benjamin Pendleton, who served in another NC Union regiment, the 1st NC Union Volunteers.

Two members of my family served in Company A, North Carolina 2nd Mounted Infantry, which was a part of the Union Army.   These two men were the Sprinkle Brothers from Buncombe County, North Carolina.

Humphrey Sprinkle was born in Buncombe County, NC on June 8, 1834.  Much like my ancestor, Jacob Nowell (previously covered in this blog), Humphrey originally enlisted in the Confederate Army.   Unlike Jacob, Humphrey wasn't captured, but rather deserted from the Confederate Army.   On July 15, 1862, Humphrey Sprinkle enlisted as a Private in Company D, North Carolina 64th Infantry Regiment.  He was 27 years old.

Humphrey Sprinkle's 1st Muster Roll as a Confederate

Muster Roll showing Humphrey was absent without leave

Apparently Humphrey had a change of heart sometime between his original enlistment in July of 1862 and September 15, 1863, when we was mustered into service into the Union Army.

Humphrey's 1st Muster Roll as a Yankee

The Company Descriptive Book describes Humphrey as being 5'10" tall, dark complexion, dark eyes, black hair, being a farmer from Buncombe County, NC. 

Company Descriptive Book entry for Humphrey Sprinkle

Humphrey was promoted to Sergeant on November 1, 1864.

Muster Roll showing Humphrey's promotion to Sergeant

Humphrey Sprinkle would live an additional 60 years after the Civil War.  He died in Flat Creek, Buncombe County, NC on April 26, 1925, just 2 months short of his 90th birthday.   His widow would receive the pension for his service to the Union.

Humphrey's Pension Paper

Humphrey Sprinkle is buried in Gabriel's Creek Baptist Church in Madison County, NC.

Humphrey's younger brother, William Sprinkle was born in Buncombe County, NC in 1844.   Unlike his older brother, he never enlisted into the Confederate Army.   The 10 years that separated the brothers would shield William from serving in the early years of the war.

William Sprinkle enlisted as a Private in Company A, North Carolina 2nd Mounted Infantry Regiment on September 15, 1863, the same day as his older brother.  He was 19 years old.

William Sprinkle's 1st Muster Roll

The Company Descriptive Book lists William as being 5'7" tall, dark complexion, black eyes and dark hair being a farmer from Buncombe County, NC. 

Company Descriptive Book entry for William

Both Humphrey and William were both attached to this regiment for the duration of the war.  From late 1863 through the end of the war, this regiment was part of the garrison at the Cumberland Gap Union stronghold.  The garrison at Cumberland Gap also consisted of a battalion of the 11th Tennessee Cavalry under Lieutenant Col. Reuben A . Davis, the 34th Kentucky Infantry, and part of the 91st Regiment which included a Battery of Artillery.  During their long detention there, they were engaged in scouting, guarding outlying mills, stockades, bridges and various picket duties.

A brief description of William's service in the Union Army

William Sprinkle wouldn't enjoy the longevity that his brother Humphrey did.   William died in Madison County, NC on May 30, 1889.  He was 45 years old.   He is also buried in Gabriel's Creek Baptist Church in Madison County, NC.

Due to the fact that Humphrey and William were brothers and their relation to me is the same, I'm only listing one relationship chart.

Here's my relation to Humphrey:

Humphrey A Sprinkle (1834 - 1925)

is your 1st cousin 5x removed

Elizabeth Blackwell (1813 - 1865)

Mother of Humphrey A

Pomfret Blackwell (1769 - 1828)

Father of Elizabeth

Phoebe Blackwell (1812 - 1860)

Daughter of Pomfret

Martha Anne Currin (1834 - 1917)

Daughter of Phoebe

Phebe Lucy Daniel (1862 - 1946)

Daughter of Martha Anne

Valeria Lee Moss (1890 - 1968)

Daughter of Phebe Lucy

Phebe Teresa Wheeler Lewis (1918 - 1977)

Daughter of Valeria Lee

Joyce Elaine Lewis (1948 - )

Daughter of Phebe Teresa

Chip Stokes

You are the son of Joyce