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

Memorial Day 2013

The holiday we celebrate this weekend had its origins in the aftermath of the Civil War. Although none of my direct ancestors died during that war, many of my ancestral families suffered the loss of a loved one. Today I honor those men.

John H. Forshee

(1836-1864)

Private, Co. C, 31^st Missouri Infantry USA

Great-granduncle

Benjamin T. Forshee

(1838-1865)

8^th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia

Great-granduncle

Joseph F. Forshee

(1842-1863)

Co. D., 31^st Missouri Infantry USA

Great-granduncle

John A. Hammontree

(1838-aft 1862)

Private, Co. H, 28^th (Gray’s) Louisiana Infantry CSA

2^nd Great-granduncle

William C. Martindale

(1839-1863)

Private, Co. G, 2^nd Mounted Rifles Arkansas CSA

Great-granduncle

John R. Miller

(1839-1862)

Private, Co. H, 28^th (Gray’s) Louisiana Infantry CSA

Husband of Frances Elizabeth Spurlock, Great-grandaunt

Andrew J. Owens

(1841-?)

Private, Co. B., 12^th Louisiana Infantry CSA

Great-granduncle

William Green Spurlock

(1838-1862)

Private, Co. B, 12^th Louisiana Infantry CSA

Great-granduncle

© 2013 Denise Spurlock

Ambrose B. Martindale, Confederate Conscript, Union Volunteer

[Way back in May, Bill West of the West In New England blog issued the Second American Civil War Genealogy Blog Challenge. This post is my entry.]

Years ago I was told my great-grandfather Ambrose B. Martindale had served in both the Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War. But, despite searching in what seemed like every possible record group, I could find no record of Confederate service. Then, about two years ago, a fellow genealogist posted on a mailing list about a new digitized record collection on Footnote.com (now Fold3): Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records; National Archives Records Administration, Publication M347. The writer had found an ancestor from southeastern Missouri in those records. Ambrose was originally from southeastern Missouri so I decided to check there. Voila! I found him. This is the story based on documents found there.

Ambrose was a private in Company A of Crawford’s Battalion of the Arkansas Infantry, mustered into service about 15 July 1862, in Sevier County, Arkansas. The battalion’s only engagement during the war was at the Battle of Arkansas Post, January 9-11, 1863. On that day, Ambrose was serving with the artillery and suffered a broken leg due to the recoil of the cannon. The battalion surrendered and most of the soldiers were taken prisoner. Ambrose ended up in the hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. In the documents that were filed while he was in the hospital as a POW, he made the following statement:

“I never was in any rebel camp except the one I belonged to. I was conscripted, I did not join voluntarily.

I do not wish to be exchanged. I am willing to take the oath of Allegiance and enroll. I don’t know that I am able to give bond.

[signed] Ambrose B. Martindale”

The following letter was also among the documents:

“City General Hospital

St Louis Mo March 30 1863

Col F A Dick

Provost Marshal Gen'l

Sir

At Mrs C. J. Filleys request, I have the honor to address you in reference to the discharge of A. B. Martindale, a Prisoner of War, now in this Hospital, he has applied to be released on oath and Bond [?] Mrs Filley is desirous of getting him, to his uncle in St. Francis [Francois] Co in this State, as soon as possible. And if you will give this case your attention you will oblige her, and Yours Most Respectfully

By Order J. I. Hodgen Sims[?] Vol[?]

for C Antwell”

Ambrose had several maternal uncles in St. Francois and Washington counties, but other information leads me to believe that the uncle referred to this letter was James Daniel Eaton. The relationship of Mrs. Filley to the Martindales and Eatons is unknown.

Ambrose was released on 6 April 1863 on taking the Oath of Allegiance; there is no evidence of a bond being filed.

In September 1864 at Potosi, Missouri, Ambrose enlisted, and in November 1864, was mustered in with Company E of the 50^th Regiment, Missouri Infantry. He was appointed Corporal on 16 March 1865 and mustered out at St. Louis on 20 April 1865. He immediately re-enlisted with the same company and was appointed Sergeant on 22 April 1865. Ambrose was mustered out on August 11, 1865, thereby ending his military career.

Sources for the information in this post are:

1. A. B. (Ambrose B.) Martindale; Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records; National Archives Records Administration, Publication M347; digital images, “Civil War Soldiers – Confederate – Misc,” Footnote.com (www.footnote.com : accessed 10 May 2010).
2. “Crawford’s Arkansas Infantry Battalion,” Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford's_Arkansas_Infantry_Battalion : accessed 14 Sept 2012).
3. Compiled service record, Ambrose B. Martindale, 50th Regiment, Missouri Infantry; Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the American Civil War, compiled 1890 - 1912, documenting the period 1861 - 1866, Civil War; 94; digital images, "Civil War Soldiers - Union - MO," Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed 28 Jan 2011).

© 2012 Denise Spurlock

Thriller Thursday - Death Threats in Southeast Missouri

During the Civil War, Missouri was a hotbed of Confederate guerilla activity. Bands of guerillas often retaliated against pro-Union citizens when one of their number was killed as a result of the fighting.

The following news article, published in the September 23, 1864, edition of the St. Louis Union[1], reports an incident of such activity and the death threat that was discovered afterward.

BUSHWHACKERS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY—UNION MEN SPOTTED

Washington, County, September 20, 1864
To the Editor of the St. Louis Daily Union:

The guerrillas are still at work in Washington county. On last Thursday morning two of these armed villains attacked the house of Mr. Fred Will, whilst he was at breakfast with his family. One of them entered the house by the front door, and stepping, unperceived by the family, to the door of the dining room, asked Mr. Will to step into the hall. This done, he demanded Will's arms, stating that he was a United States detective, and that his captain was at the door waiting for him. Mrs. Will immediately ran into the hall and boldly told Mr. Detective that that game was played out; they succeeded in getting the villain out of the house, when his captain rose from behind a chicken coop with revolver in hand, evidently with the intention of shooting Mr. Will, so soon as they got him to the door, but they were foiled in their attempt at murder, and forthwith made a hasty retreat to their horses, which were tied in the brush, not more than one hundred and fifty yards from the house. They next visited the house of Thos. Blakewell, stole his rifle and put out. The neighborhood was soon aroused and gave chase to them, but owing to the dust in the roads and the woods being so very dry, they were unable to track them successfully. They next went to the house of Mr. Patterson and stole a rifle and revolver, and also some money and jewelry. When they decamped from Patterson's, they went to the house of Mr. M.A. Todd, late Sheriff of Washington county; they robbed him of a shot-gun, a revolver, money and jewelry. From Mr. Todd's they went to the farm of Mr. Nicholson and stole a fine horse belonging to George Towl, of Potosi. The troops in Potosi were soon out in pursuit of the thieves, and pressed them so hard that Mr. Towl's horse and one other were recovered from them; but the rascals made good their escape.

The country is full of bands of guerrillas. No Union man's life or property is safe, while rebels and rebel sympathizers feel perfectly safe and secure from any guerrilla depredation. They are fed and harbored by their friends, and get all the information they want from sneaking sympathisers who are permitted to live in our midst unmolested. Had Order No. 107 been faithfully carried out, and two full companies put into active service, I venture to say that guerrillas would be scarce.

On last Sunday morning a son of Rev. S. Brown found a dropped letter on the road, between Potosi and Hopewell, signed, O.A.K. It was evidently written by these desperadoes with a view to alarm Union men. The contents of the letter was a direct threat to have the lives of thirteen Union men in retaliation for their late chieftain, old John Hiley.

They commenced the work by the killing of Lieutenant H.C. Beckett; Captain Fred Will was to be the next victim, and there is no doubt but they intend to carry out their threat, unless they are speedily arrested in their career. The men whom they have selected as their victims are all unconditional Union men, now and forever. I give you a list of doomed: old John Evans, young John Evans, James Thompson, Elbert Thompson, F.R. Boyd, Captain W.H. Evans, Captain Fred Will, Lieut. John Hewey, old John Forshee, Marshall Ronjey, Captain A.R. Eaton, Captain John Jamison, Lieut. Wesley Yeargan. Lieut. H.C. Beckett, killed.

Signed,

INDEX.

Two of the men on that list—old John Forshee and A. R. Eaton—were members of my paternal ancestral families. Old John was brother to James Forshee, my 2nd great grandfather; A. R. Eaton was the younger brother of Mary Elizabeth (Eaton) Martindale, my 2nd great-grandmother. It must have been a terrifying experience to have received such threats.

[1] Ross, Kirby, "Retaliatory death list for killing of John Highley," posted at The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board, 12 February 2011 (http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/mocwmb/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=16501#Responses : accessed 12 July 2011).

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Civil War Letters of John R. and Frances Spurlock Miller

When Frances Spurlock Miller filed her application for a Confederate widow’s pension in 1924, the letters below were submitted to corroborate the information given in her statement. I have chosen to present the letters as written, rather than transcribe them. I know they are difficult to read because of the copy quality as well as the illegibility of the handwriting and poor spelling.

In this first letter written by Frances to John on May 16, 1862, she expresses her concern for his comfort. She asks whether he needs clothes, food or cooking pots. She talks about his crops and their daughter, Fannie:

Frances Spurlock Miller to John R. Miller, May 16, 1862, page 1

Frances Spurlock Miller to John R. Miller, May 16, 1862, page 2

In his letter to Frances letter dated May 24, 1862, John tells her how very sick he has been and that he has heard that the Confederate government is taking firearms belonging to private citizens for use by the troops:

John R. Miller to Frances Spurlock Miller, May 24, 1862

John wrote the third letter to Frances on June 8, 1862. He tells her that he is feeling better but is still weak and hopes to be granted furlough to go home for a few days.

John R. Miller to Frances Spurlock Miller, June 8, 1862

Less than a month following the last letter, on July 1, 1862, John Miller died of pneumonia at home. At least he and Frances were able to see each other before his death.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Spurlock Boys in Company "B"

As mentioned in my post earlier this week, three of Ransom Spurlock’s five sons enlisted in Company B of the 12th Louisiana Infantry. Nicknamed the “Arcadia Invincibles,” the unit was recruited in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, during July, 1861.

The eldest son, William G., enlisted on August 13, 1861, at Camp Moore, for a period of one year. His service record is scant, consisting of only three cards recording his appearance on muster rolls. He died on May 28, 1862, of typhoid fever at Camp Green.[i]

Marcus D.L. Spurlock, the 2^nd oldest son, enlisted at the same time as his older brother. Although his term of service was initially for one year, muster rolls indicate that he served at least into August, 1864. His service record indicates that in October, 1863, he was sick and hospitalized at Canton, Mississippi.  On February 10, 1864, he was granted furlough for 30 days by order of General Leonidas Polk; muster rolls for May through August indicate that he was sick in Barbour County, Alabama.[ii] In his application to the State of Texas for a pension, Marcus indicated that he had served until discharge at the close of the war and had been wounded during the course of the war; the physician’s statement indicates he was “shot in the right groin.” [iii]

George M. Spurlock first enlisted on February 25, 1862, and was discharged on July 31, 1862. He enlisted again on March 8, 1863, for a term of three years. Like Marcus, he was sick and hospitalized at Canton in October, 1863. He was wounded at the Battle of Franklin (Tennessee) on November 30, 1864, and was captured at Nashville on December 16, 1864. He was admitted to the hospital at Nashville on December 20 for treatment for, what appears on the record, to be a simple flesh wound on the left side caused by a cannonball. On March 8, 1865, George was received at the military prison at Louisville, Kentucky, and on March 10th was transferred to Camp Chase in Ohio. About two weeks later, on March 26, he was transferred to Point Lookout in Maryland, where he remained until his release on June 6, 1865, upon taking the Oath of Allegiance.[iv] George was only 36 years old when he died in Milam County, Texas, in 1880.[v] I wonder how much his military experience contributed to his early death.

Here is one image from each man’s compiled military service record:

William G. Spurlock

Marcus D. L. Spurlock

George M. Spurlock

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[i] William G. Spurlock; War Department Collection of Confederate Records; Record Group 109; digital images, "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana," Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed 17 May 2011).

[ii] Marcus D. L. Spurlock; War Department Collection of Confederate Records; Record Group 109; digital images, "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana," Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed 17 May 2011).

[iii] Marcus D. L. Spurlock, Confederate Pension Application, File #10195, Texas State Archives.

[iv] George M. Spurlock; War Department Collection of Confederate Records; Record Group 109; digital images, "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana," Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed 17 May 2011).

[v] findagrave.com, digital images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 Feb 2010), G. M. Spurlock, Find A Grave Memorial# 13526096

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

My Spurlock Family in the Civil War

At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Ransom and Ellender (Vickers) Spurlock were likely living in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.[1]

In his 50s[2], Ransom was a bit on the old side to be going off to war and there is no record that he served. However, his three oldest sons–William G., Marcus D.L., and George M.[3]–were of an age to join the military within the first year or two of the conflict. His eldest daughter, Frances, had married John Miller in 1858, and he also was able to take up the fight. The next three daughters, Sarah Jane, Mary Ann, and Elizabeth Rebecca, did not marry until after the war but their husbands–William Duncan, William Kilpatrick, and S. P. Kimbrell–all were veterans of the Civil War. The two youngest Spurlock boys, John Fredrick (my great-grandfather) and James Joshua, were too young too serve.

William, Marcus and George, as well as William Kilpatrick, joined Company B of the 12th Louisiana Infantry, nicknamed the “Arcadia Invincibles.”[4] John Miller and S. P. Kimbrell enlisted in Company H of Gray’s 28th Louisiana Infantry.[5] William Duncan enlisted in Company K of the 9th Louisiana Infantry, which was later reorganized as Company M of the 12th Louisiana.[6] More on their service will be presented in later posts.

John Fedrick was only about 15 years old when the war ended in 1865. There is a family legend that he walked to Vicksburg, Mississippi, to enlist, but because of his age and the imminent end of the war, the Confederate army would not accept him as a soldier. It is said he worked as a cook for a short time before making his way home. I have been unable to find any documentation to support this legend.

Although Ransom did not fight in the war, on 7 October 1868, he swore an Amnesty Oath which is on file in the courthouse in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana[7].

---

[1] The family is not found on the 1860 U.S. census in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana; the Bienville Parish census for the same year has been lost or destroyed.

[2] Kelly Christian Priestly, "Hurricane Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana," transcription, USGenWeb Archives (http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/claiborne/cemeteries/hurrican.txt : accessed 21 Apr 2010), entry for Hanson Spurlock.

[3] 1850 U.S. census population schedule, Western District, Bienville, Louisiana, p. 287B, dwelling 553, family 553, household of Ramsun Spurlock; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 Feb 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 230.

[4] R. Hugh Simmons, The 12th Louisiana Infantry (http://rhsresearch.org/CompanyPage.htm : accessed 6 June 2011); citing Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units 1861-1865 [LSU Press, 1989].

[5] Steve Pipes, “Gray’s 28^th Infantry Muster Roll – M,” Henry Gray’s 28^th Infantry Regiment C.S.A. Louisiana (http://www.penandsaber.com/grays28th/ : accessed 6 June 2011).

[6] R. Hugh Simmons, The 12th Louisiana Infantry (http://rhsresearch.org/CompanyPage.htm : accessed 6 June 2011); citing Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units 1861-1865 [LSU Press, 1989].

[7] Elinor McCalman Seward and John Calvin Head, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Amnesty Oaths (Shreveport, LA; J&W Enterprises), page 4.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Shots Fired!

One hundred fifty years ago today, the army of the Confederate States of America attacked Fort Sumter, at Charleston, South Carolina, signaling the start of the Civil War, also known as the War Between the States. As schoolchildren, we learned about Generals Grant, Lee, and Sherman, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and how, just days after the end of the war, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Southern sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. We also learned that more soldiers died in this one war than died in all other U.S. wars combined—although more died from disease than from combat. We may have been taught that it was a war that divided families.

I have always been fascinated by the Civil War. My sister says I was born with “Gone with the Wind” in my blood. I’ve read plenty of novels set in the Civil War era and watched every possible television documentary about it. Just a few weeks ago I bought several Civil War magazines! It’s not so much that I am a scholar of the war, but that I have a desire to understand how it affected people’s lives.

As a genealogist and family historian, I have gathered quite a bit of information about my ancestors’ Civil War experience. Over the next several months, I will be sharing that information here. My plan is to write an overview for each set of my great-grandparents and then individual information about those who served from each family.

Some of my ancestors were Union soldiers; some were Confederate soldiers; I know one served on both sides! It is my honor to recognize their service.



 

© 2011 Denise Spurlock