Military Monday – Henry Sloas, a Disloyal Citizen

While conducting research on the siblings of my 2^nd great-grandfather James H. Burton (1822-1905), I found FindAGrave Memorial #5714647 for Henry Sloas, the husband of Mary Burton, my 2^nd great-grandaunt. According to the memorial, Henry died of typhoid fever on 28 October 1863 while imprisoned at Camp Chase in Ohio and is buried in an unmarked grave at Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.

The memorial gave some information about an incident during the Civil War in which Henry was believed to have been involved. Click here to read the account.

Based on what I could find about the Henry Sloas who served in the 48^th Virginia Infantry, I believe that was a different man. However, after some digging around in the Confederate records on Fold3, I found the following document on a hearing before a military commission in Louisa, Kentucky, which resulted in Henry Sloas being sent to Camp Chase just a few short months before his death.

"Louisa Ky

Proceedings of Military

Commission held at

Louisa Easter[n] Ky.

in the case of

Henry Sloas a

Disloyal citizen

  

Recd. C. C. May 16^th 1843."

"Case of Henry Sloas.

John C. Porter, on oath states that he arrested Sloas, because I considered him a disloyal citizen and because I believe he had his large gun out and buskwhacked [sic] Gen. G W. Morgan cvl.[?] last fall. I know him to be a very strong rebel. He frequently harbored the rebels, and was reported to be in the habit of carrying information to them. I heard him say at a log rolling, that the first Union men that came about his house, he be damned if he wouldn't make one less of them. When I asked him, the other day, for his gun, he said he had not had it for a month, but when I raised my gun and cocked it he showed me wher [sic] it was. It was further reported that he was one of the men who dug the hole to put Huff and others who had were murdered last winter.

(In answer to prisoner) I have heard you this this [sic] was a war for negro equality, and that if any party was right it was the Jeff. Davis party.

The commission Recommend him to be sent to Camp Chase.

Capt. John Dalzell                 A Brown Jr Let. Col. and

Judge Advc Mil Com            Protem Pres.

The prisoner denies every assertion of the witness and affirms that he prove by the miners' own mother[?] that he has lied_"

Case of Henry Sloas; Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records;
National Archives Records Administration, Publication M347;
digital images, Fold3.com (www.fold3.com : accessed 16 Jun 2013).

© 2013 Denise Spurlock