"Did you have an ancestor in the ACW" Topic

Based on a discussion in another thread,

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I was wondering if anyone knows if they had an ancestors
that fought in the ACW.

FWIW I've had three that I know about, all Union from Ohio and Indiana

I had four direct ancestors who fought for the Confederacy: one on my mother's mother side of the family, one on my father's mother side, and two on my father' father side (a father and son). All four fought at Gettysburg. In addition, I have a few more relatives that fought for the confederacy as well (bothers and cousins of my direct ancestors). Although I have no ancestors who fought for the Yankees, Abraham Lincoln's maternal grandmother (Bathsheba Herring) is a direct ancestor of mine.

Not direct ancestors but I had 6 great etc uncles who fought, 3 on each side. Two of the confederate and one union died during the war.

GGGrandfather from Kentucky, fought for the Union, went on the march to and through Georgia.

Dan

Not as far as I know. No ancestors in the USA before about 1890, as far as I have been able to determine.

One direct ancestor with a Pennsylvania infantry
regiment, a lateral with a Confederate cavalry
unit (dismounted, because no horses !).

The Union soldier saw action in 5 engagements,
the Confederate spent his war (3 years) guarding
the Wilmington and Weldon RR, so no action until
Spring, 1865.

Early 1900s for my mother's father and uncles to come over – her mother wasn't brought over till 1911.

Father's side of the family didn't come over until just before WWI as well.

Don't think the family got into any fighting until WWII.

Great-grandfather in the direct line. Indiana Volunteer Infantry, musician. No one else of Dad's side was over yet. Mom's people were, but the names were too common, and I've never been able to trace them.

On my Dad's side, great-grandpa and great-great uncle were both in the 4th Minnesota; great-grandpa was wounded and Iuka and after a prolonged recovery was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, and he spent the rest of the war as a Provost Marshal in Iowa

My dad once told me his family had spoken of an ancestor in the ACW. Being from very German Belleville, Illinois, USA this person was probably a Yankee, but I do not know anything else.

Think I have a relative on my mothers side of the family, but have not been able to find muster rolls for the possible unit he was in on the Union side.

I have found several, during a search through the archives at the Lawrence County PA Historical society. A few are:

1 from the 100th PA (IX Corps)
2 from the 134th PA (V Corps)
1 from the 76th PA (Keystone Zouaves)

Nope, my family was in Poland at the time didn't arrive here until about 1914.

Great great GF was a replacement in the 64th Illinois veteran and guarded Bridges in Arkansas. Another great GF was a wagon master during the campaign in Utah, but had his fill of army life and settled in CO.

GGGrandfather worked for the B&O, so he was excused. He had to carry a letter with him to evade the draft "press gangs."

GGGGrandfather "vanished" in the 1850s. Not sure if he got Shanghai'ed or took it on the good foot to the California gold fields.

GGGrandUncles lived in Carroll County, Maryland. Family legend tells they were 5th columnist "bushwhackers" who waylaid couriers, stragglers and unionists in general.

No family in any defined units.

My G-G-Uncle from Missouri fought for the Confederacy, taken prisoner at Vicksburg. My mother's side fought for the Union, a relative being present at Stones River through Petersburg with the 82nd IN.

Dick Dowling for the South.

GGrandfather Co.C 139th Il.Inf for the North.

GGGG Uncles Austin and Thomas Grout. 6th Vermont Vol.

Joined in October 1861.

A corporal, Austin Died at Mill Springs in April 1862, an early engagement around Yorktown.

Thomas died in Nov. 1862 in Baltimore of Cholera.

Great-grandfather (my mother's father's father) was a private in the 20th Kentucky Infantry (Union); fought at Shiloh on the 2nd day (in Nelson's division, Army of the Ohio). The whole regiment was captured by John Hunt Morgan's cavalry division at Lebanon, KY, in '63. Later he was a 1st Lieutenant in the 48th Kentucky Mounted Infantry (anti-guerilla operations in the home state).

A GGF on my father's side (father's mother's father) was conscripted by the Confederates, probably when Lyon's cavalry swept thru Kentucky during Hood's semi-siege of Nashville in '64, but the story in the family was that he complained so much that they finally let him go home (I suspect he sneaked off some night, actually).

My wife's GGF was in the 41st Tennessee (CSA) and later the 48th. Was in Bushrod Johnson's brigade and division at Chickamauga -- later (December '63) deserted while the division was way up in East Tennessee with Longstreet.

Yes. Both sides. Union cavalryman from Kentucky, Confederate from Georgia.

Every Thanksgiving (and Christmas) a special spoon was brought out. It had an unusually deep bowl and was very old. Family lore is that it was passed down from ancestors from Atlanta. They had buried it in the back yard to protect it from being looted by damnyankies.

Yes, on both sides. Ancestors from Poland came to this country following the 1848 upheavals in Europe and settled in Pennsylvania. Several enlisted to support the union and I think all but one of them was killed. Thus, what they survived in Europe, killed them here.

I have seen the tombstones in PA and it's a chilling experience.

Mine along with his brother fought in the 61st Ohio. Both were captured during the Antietam campaign at Harper's Ferry. Once they were exchanged, he went back to his farm while his brother stayed in the unit. The 61st were involved in many of the major battles in the East.

Thanks.

John

Yes, on both sides.

Yes, several uncles in various Ohio regiments, and my GGG grandfather in the 47th Indiana.

g grand pa 6th Ohio, his brother surgeon 35th Ind. G uncle in the upper 100s Ohio. My wife's g grandpa in the 47 ohio (I think). Darryl was he at Perryville? H

My great-grandfather was in the 36th Mississippi as were several of his brothers and brothers-in-law. I also had a great-great uncle in the Seven Stars Artilelry Company (CSA). And that's just on my father's father's side of the family.

Of course being from Mississippi, this is not uncommon.

Jim

Union artilleryman, citizen of Canada, Joined 1st Mich Light Artillery in 1863. Deserted one week later, went back to Canada, got married, etc. i think he got his bounty then skipped back over the Detroit River.

My Great Great Grandfather (mother's side) lived in Maryland and joined the Union Army in 1863. The 14th NJ. Died a year later at Cold Harbor, one of 21 the regiment lost that day. He's buried at the National Cemetery there.

4 in Ill. Regiments and at least one in a Mississippi Regt.

Most of my family were still in Ireland and Canada.

Not sure about the rest, if they did serve, would have been Union…. being Downeasters and all.

Eric

I have traced Civil War ancestors through three of my four grandparents. Some fought on one side, some on the other.

Yes, The Little grey Regimental History books that used to
be available in book stores in Va. had ??? 9 or 11 of my
kin { Falter's side } in the 57th Va. -- out of Franklin County and there where
a few more in Regiments that had some of it's members from Franklin County. Also some Rebs on my Mothers side in the " Cavalry " in the Southwest Va. Army. The 57th was in Garnett's Brigade at Gettysburg and lost some Kin-folk there.
One direct relative was a Captain in the 57th from ??? Gettysburg to the end.

My maternal GGGF was a Confederate cavalryman from Raleigh that survived the war and built the Confederate cemetary in Raleigh. His future wife was cousins with union Vice President Andrew Johnson, also from Raleigh. My GG uncle was a Confederate artilleryman captured at Fort Fisher that died at Elmira POW camp and his dad, my GGGF was in the Senior reserve. I have a smattering of other more distant confederates in my attic. One of my prized possessions is an old photo of a distant uncle at his Confederate reunion around 1900 wearing his old uniform.

Had one ancestor that served in an upstate NY artillery battery, not sure which (would have to look it up in the family genealogy.)
Another was in the 3rd Vermont Militia in the AWI. Still trying to track down more of 'em… ;-)

All Confederates:
5th Alabama (KIA – 1863)
15th Arkansas (Johnson) (Died in Northern Prison – 1862)
15th Confederate Cavalry (Alabama/Florida Regiment)-survived war
Mississippi Regiment (2 possible Units) – survived war
Alabama Regiment (Lost a Leg – Gettysburg 1863) )
Alabama Regiment (KIA at battle of Franklin, TN 1864)

GGGrandfather, George Washburn, served with 4th Conn Infantry (later converted to 1st Conn Heavy Artillery), 16th Conn Infantry, wounded at Antietam, mustered out, rejoined Veterans Reserve Corps, mustered out as a brigadier general.

Also related on mother's side to George Pickett although no direct descent.

GGG Uncle served in the 48th Alabama Infantry.

Lovell Henslee, 1st Sgt. 45th Ohio Mounted Infantry (died January, 1864 at Belle Isle, VA)

Mathas Bray, 44th NC (died 1863.) He was in the regiment with one or two of his sons.

I've been told that I am related to Union General John Sedgwick, of unfortunate "Can't hit the broad side of a barn" fame.

GGGF, 79th Pa Veteran Volunteers, 1861-1865. Wounded twice, captured once (at Stone's River) and escaped the same day.

My ancestors who were in America at the time were not combatants in the ACW.

Fathers side in the US navy, left northern GA at the start of the war.
Mothers side shot in the head at Lexington Mo, survived. then avoided lynching later in the war by union troops by faking crazy. Family was later burned out at the time of Order Number 11, although not within the geographic limits of the order.

My GGG Grandfather Henry Anderson Bastin joined the 33rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry and served throughout the war. His Grandson Robert Harvey volunteered for the British Army in WW1 and managed to survive the carnage of the Western Front and made it home. He's buried at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery, San Antonio, Tx.

Oliver Daniel Washburne, my Maternal GGG Grandfather fought in the 144th New York and participated in the Battle of Honey Hill.

On my dad's side of the family,had some rels who rode with John Hunt Morgan in Basil Duke's brigade of Kentucky cav,enlisting when Edmund Kirby-Smith came through Woodford Co. KY. and may have been in the Indiana-Ohio raid of 1863. Mom's side(nee Kennedy),had at least one rel in the 8th Ohio Inf. at Gettysburg and another who was conscripted but sent home due to family hardship,or so I heard. Wife had some ancestors(Everett) who were in an Alabama unit recruited out of Mobile. Will see into more research on all,if able.

Yes, for the Union. We had his discharge papers framed on a wall in the house I grew up in.

As far as we know for certain at least one from my side, a quartermaster Captain in the 10th? Ohio. And one we know for sure from the CFOs side, her mother's grandfather, one of the Minnesota regiments not sure which one.

Plenty! That I have researched so far:

4 Irish brothers (O'Brien) that came over during the potato famine. Three settled in the north, and went to war for the Union. One settled in the south and went to war for the Rebels.

1 (Pruett) who was from Texas, joined an Arkansas cavalry unit, and served under Wheeler the entire war.

1 (Williams) who joined an Iowa cavalry unit and fought for the Union.

Still uncovering more as I get time to tinker with genealogy. I have 16 possible family names to research by the time you trace my various lines back to early 1840's, and that is just the many "great" lines which I can trace. Once you get into uncles who had daughters who married and had kids, it opens up another slew of last names.

But I have actual stories about the ones above.

My Maternal Great Grandfather, Smith A. Bouton was a seaman in the Us Navy from 1862 to 1865. He served in the Gulf Blockading Squadron. His Brothers, James and Albert served in Company B, 12th Michigan Infantry and fought at Shiloh before their regiment was reassigned to Arkansas.

My Paternal Great Great Uncles William and Albert Westbrook enlisted in Company E 10th Mississippi Infantry and fought at Shiloh. Subsequent to the battle both men enlisted in Company E 8th Confederate Cavalry.

James Bouton and William Westbrook were both captured and died in Prison camps. Albert Weestbrook, Albert Bouton and Smith Bouton each survived the war.