The following is a profile of one of my Civil War ancestors. What was their life like before, during and after the war? Where did their sympathies lie? How did they feel about the war?
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Before
In 1860, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Nathan Washington Hyler, was living Dutch Fork, Lexington County, South Carolina. He had married Elizabeth Meetze some five years prior and they had two sons: Rufus Barnett and Henry D. In the 1860 Census, the family's surname was enumerated as "Hoyler."
Nathan was a farmer, like his father before him. According to the 1860 Agricultural Census, he had 90 acres of land valued at $1,000. He had one horse and five pigs, valued at $100; he produced wheat, corn, cotton, peas, beans, potatoes and hay. Nathan is enumerated directly before his father, Gabriel, whose farm was three times larger. Gabriel had more livestock and grew more crops. He was also a slave owner, as shown in the 1860 Slave Census, while Nathan did not appear to have owned slaves. Gabriel owned five slaves: a female, aged 70; males aged 67, 48, 35 and 35.
During
On 7 Apr 1862, Nathan enlisted as a private in Company C of South Carolina's 15th Infantry Regiment, shortly before that regiment was transferred into the Army of Northern Virginia. Nathan was 26 years old and was joining the war almost a year after it had begun. I imagine that he initially delayed joining because he had a family to support (which now included my Great-Great Grandfather, John Willis). Once it became evident that the war wasn't going to be a quick skirmish, he probably joined due to a feeling of patriotic duty, societal pressure or for the money.
Nathan quickly felt the true impact of war: he was shot in the leg at Sharpsburg (aka Antietam), only five months after joining the army. Due to his injury, he was placed in the Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond Virginia, then able to spend time at home with his family. Nathan returned to his regiment in time to fight as part of Kershaw's Brigade at Gettysburg in July of 1863. The Brigade soon found themselves in Georgia, fighting at Chickamauga, where Nathan was once again wounded. This time his wounds must have been more severe. He was initially sent home on wounded furlough, but "overstayed" his leave and, by February of 1864, he was in the hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. He didn't leave the hospital until April. After leaving the hospital, he was "detached as a guard" to Greenville, South Carolina. It's likely that he wasn't fit to rejoin the war - did he lose his leg?
After
In 1870, Nathan was again enumerated in Dutch Fork, SC, with his family. He then owned 50 acres, apparently having lost or sold 40 acres since the 1860 Census. His land had also dropped dramatically in value and was worth only $175. The farm was home to one mule, one cow, one "other cattle," and seven pigs. The farm was producing wheat, corn, cotton, wool, peas, potatoes, butter, hay, and molasses.
It doesn't seem that Nathan had been dramatically impacted after the war, until we see the 1880 Census. The southern economy had gone through a downturn which apparently hurt the Hyler family. From the 1880 Agricultural Census, we see that Nathan "rents for shares of products" on 22 acres. He was no longer a land owner. Nathan's farm was home to one cow and 11 pigs and he is growing corn, oats and wheat. With less land, Nathan's farm was much less productive.
In 1896 an article in The State gives a list of Civil War pension seekers. Among them is Nathan Hyler. In order to seek a pension, Nathan would have been indigent or disabled. He was 61 years old. Unfortunately, copies of these pension records are not available, so I don't have details on his situation.
Nathan died in 1903 and it does not appear that he ever owned land again.
The following is a profile of one of my Civil War ancestors. What was their life like before, during and after the war? Where did their sympathies lie? How did they feel about the war?
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Before
Richard T Smith was my Great-Great-Great Grandfather. He was born in Georgia on 2 Jan 1829, in the area that is present day Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton or Forsyth County, Georgia. According to his death certificate, his parents were George and Mary Smith, though I've yet to find further evidence of them. Some records indicate they were born in Georgia, while others indicate Virginia.
The earliest record I have for Richard is the 1860 census of Shady Grove Post Office, Milton County, GA [recorded as R L Smith]. He appeared there with his wife, Eliza, and four children. Richard was a farmer, with a personal estate valued at $125 and no property listed. The family did not own any slaves at this time and I don't believe they ever owned any.
During
The only real evidence that I have of Richard's Civil War service comes from the 1910 census. Question #30 asks about civil war service. Richard answered "CA" for Confederate Army.
I thought that I had found Richard's Pension record, but when I compared them to city directory records (which list his wife) I started to doubt it. Some facts match, but others weren't quite right. With such a common name, it's been very difficult to confirm any muster roll records as well. Richard might be listed in the 1864 Census for Re-Organizing the Georgia Militia. This Richard is a shoemaker, an occupation my Richard is attributed with in a city directory.
Without records it's difficult to determine Richard's position on the events unfolding around him. He did not own slaves, but he seems to have come from a southern background. Many men signed up with a sense of patriotism toward their new country. But did he enlist or was he conscripted? With four small children at home in 1861, I doubt Richard was running out to enlist. Also, his fifth child, Richard Jr, was born in 1863, which indicates that Richard likely didn't sign up until at least around this time (although I have found that men who were "away; sick at home" at some point in the war tended to find a larger family when they next came home).
After
In the 1870 census, Richard is still living in Milton County and is still farming. One major change has occurred however: his wife, Eliza, is not listed. It seems that Richard is now a widower, raising six children between the ages of 16 and 2. He's not doing it alone though - Rachel Garman is there as well. She's listed last, after the children, so she's probably some sort of servant, nurse or distant relative. Only weeks after this census was taken, Rachel and Richard were married. My Great-Great Grandmother Louise was a child of this union.
In 1870, Richard's land is valued at $200 while his personal assets are valued at $900. Richard didn't appear to own land in 1860 and his personal assets were much lower. It looks like Richard might have achieved some success after the war. Perhaps he took advantage of the economic upheaval of the time period? I know that during the war nearby Atlanta was evacuated of all citizens, many who chose not to return. Perhaps he was able to purchase land at a good price using money he made from the service.
Hopefully I'll be able to uncover more about Richard T Smith's time during the war soon and discover details on what his Civil War service was like.
The following is a profile of one of my Civil War ancestors. What was their life like before, during and after the war? Where did their sympathies lie? How did they feel about the war?
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Before
In 1860, Elijah Andrew Dorn was recorded on page 34 of the Saluda Regiment, Edgefield District, South Carolina census. Along with Elijah were his wife, Elizabeth (Ouzts), and children, James W, Frances, Catharine, Sarah A, Preston B, George and Bettie. This census was taken on 2 Jul 1860. Only the day before, on the July 1st, my GGG-Grandmother, Mary Jane "Mamie" Dorn, had been born (Only those born by June 1st were recorded).
Elijah was a farmer with real estate valued at $2,000 and personal estate valued at $1840. According to the 1860 agricultural census, Elijah had 120 acres of land. He had 3 horses, 5 milk cows, 4 cattle, 9 sheep, and 16 swine. The family reported growing 60 bushels of wheat, 200 bushels of corn, 100 bushels of oats, 6 bales of ginned cotton, 30 pounds of wool, 20 bushels of peas and bean, 11 bushels of irish potatoes, 50 bushels of sweet potatoes, 150 pounds of butter, and 12 gallons of molasses. It seems like the family is cultivating a wide variety of crops and produce. Comparing Elijah's farm to those of others on the same page, he looks to be the owner of a small to average sized amount of land. And who helped Elijah with work around the farm? Three slaves. The Dorn family appears to own two female slaves, age 75 and 14, and has hired a 25 year old male slave from another owner.
Although Elijah probably did not relished the thought of going to war, he likely would have supported the new Confederate Government. Even though he owned only a few slaves, they were part of ensuring the financial stability of his family. He was still somewhat young and would likely have added slaves to his farm as finances allowed.
During
War broke out on 12 April 1861. Elijah's wife, Elizabeth, had died only two months prior. Left with eight small children, there would be no way Elijah would go to war... yet. Elijah soon married his second wife, Martha E Prater. She was his next door neighbor in the 1860 census, only 17 years old to his 32. Martha was only 7 years older that her oldest step-child.
With a new wife to watch the children (including a new baby with Martha), Elijah enlisted in the war in March of 1863. He became a private in South Carolina's 2nd Artillery Regiment, Co K. In August of 1864, he was transfered to SC 2nd Cavalry, Co I (also known as Edgefield Hussars according to the Family Search Wiki). Documents indicate that he was still with his unit in December of 1865, though they do not say how he left the service - did he stick it out until the war ended a few months later?
After
Elijah survived the war and returned home to his wife and children, still living in the Saluda area of Edgefield County, SC. Things have changed a bit for the Dorn family. Formerly the owner of 120 acres valued at $2000, Elijah's now has 230 acres, now valued only at $700. He still has much of his livestock, but the family is producing less in the way of crops - very reduced levels wheat, corn, and oats, cotton, wool and butter, valued at $500. Elijah might still have his land and materials, but it looks like he's having a harder time making a profit from it than he did prior to the war.
Elijah died in 1903 in Saluda County, South Carolina. He was buried in the Dorn Family Cemetery, his grave marked with a military headstone.
The following is a profile of one of my Civil War ancestors. What was their life like before, during and after the war? Where did their sympathies lie? How did they feel about the war?
_____
Before
In 1860, William A Craft was 20 years old and living with his parents, Willis and Martha Craft, in the Elbert District of Elbert County, Georgia. He was working as a farmer, likely alongside his father and siblings. His father was also listed as a farmer, with real estate valued at $4500 and a personal estate valued at $16,670. Such a high personal estate value indicates slave ownership. Willis owned 10 slaves: male: 60, 35, 27, 12, 12, and 9; female: 60, 15, 15, and 9. These slaves would have cost a lot of money and been important to the family's finances. Likely, this family would have wanted to defend their way of life.
During
On 4 March 1862 in Elberton, Georgia, William enlisted in the 15th Georgia Regiment, Company F. Having been married in late 1860, William is leaving behind a new wife. Did they know that she was almost two months pregnant with their first child? Clarence Craft would be born in August.
According to this newspaper article, William was at the Battle of Malvern Hill in Virginia that July. There, he picked up a bible he found. He apparently carried the bible with him throughout the rest of the war.
From November 1862 to February of 1863, William was recorded as Commissary Sergeant Protem, in charge of distributing equipment. From August to December of 1863 William is listed as absent without leave. By July, William was back with his unit. Finally, William is recorded as a prisoner of war as a member of the Army of Northern Virginia, having been present for the surrender at Appomattox. From there, he would have likely directly returned home.
After
In 1870, William is back with his family in Elbert County. William is farming, though not on his own land. In addition to his wife and three children, there are two other people living with the family: a young black male, age 11 and a 26 year old female school teacher. The boy's name is hard to ready, but might be Seaborn or Seabold Gains. This eleven year old boy is working as a farmhand, when only a few years prior he would have been working as a slave. Do his parents live nearby or does he even have any? Is he having to make his own way in the world at such a young age?
In 1887 William purchased land from his brother, John. However he lost all of his land in 1900, unable to make payments. That year, William applied for a pension for his service during the war. Apparently William had suffered a stroke and remained partially paralyzed. He was trying to farm, but wasn't achieving enough success to support himself and his wife. William did receive his pension, which his wife continued to draw until her death in 1938.
The following is a profile of one of my Civil War ancestors. What was their life like before, during and after the war? Where did their sympathies lie? How did they feel about the war?
_____
Before
Thomas T Albea (1845-1905) was my Great-Great-Great Grandfather. He was the son of Tilman Albea and Julia Ann Glaze and appears to have spent his entire life in Lincoln County, Georgia. [Note: He should not be confused with his cousin, Thomas H Albea, about 5 years his senior, who enlisted in 1862]
At age 4 Tomas appeared on the 1850 census of District 52, Lincoln County, GA with his family. His father, Tilman, is a "planter." In the 1850 slave census of the same place, Tilman Albea is shown to own five slaves: males aged 20 and 6; females aged 36, 4 and 1. In his father's will, dated 1843, Tilman was supposed to inherit "a negro boy named Ivey." Is he the older male slave record here?
When Thomas was 14 he appeared on the 1860 census of Samuels District, Lincoln County, Georgia, again with his parents and siblings. His father is listed as a farmer, on land valued at $1400 with a personal estate of $500. At this time Tilman owned only one slave, a 15 year old black female. In 1858, Julia Albea was willed her choice of slaves from her mother, Mary Glaze. Julia was to pick either Issac or Jinney. Is this one lone slave Jinney? What happened to the five slaves that Tilman owned ten years ago?
During
Thomas was only 15 when hostilities began on 12 Apr 1861, only about 200 miles from his home. Coming from a family of slave owners, I would assume that Thomas and his family were supportive of, or at least sympathetic toward, the new Confederate States Government. There is no proof that his father, Tilman, fought in the war. He was at home in 1864 for a re-districting census and would be invaluable to a farming family during this time.
Thomas' brother, William H Albea, did enlist for the Civil War. In fact, William enlisted on July 14 1861, only four months after the war began. Thomas was now the oldest son at home, probably wondering how long the war would last. Was he anticipating or dreading a long war that would cause him to join the military?
Thomas T Albea joined the fight in August of 1863. At the time of his enlistment, Thomas was only 17 years old, about two months from turning 18. It seems that Thomas very much wanted to fight and could not wait until he was of age. He is listed on muster rolls for Co. I, 3rd Georgia Cavalry State Guards in Captain Walton's Company. He "joined for and enrolled" on 4 Aug 1863 in Lincolnton, GA for a period of six months. I found this curious, as all other enlistments I've seen were "for the duration of the war." The website Georgia Cavalry Units, states that this regiment was only organized for a six month period starting in August 1863.
After this six month period, Thomas re-enlisted on 2 Feb 1864. He was placed in Captain Maxwell's Regular Light Battery. Very quickly, he appears on muster rolls for Captain Barnwell's Battery, Georgia Light Artillery. According to the website Georgia Artillery Units, "this company was organized on 12 March 1864 and served temporally as Co. C, Maxwell's Battalion, Regular Light Artillery." Records show that he was absent in May and June, sick; present all other months of 1864. There is no record of his service after December 1864.
After
Thomas married in 1867 in Lincoln County. He, his wife, Sarah Corely, and their infant daughter Hattie appear in the 1870 census of the 79th District of Lincoln County, Georgia. Thomas is a farm laborer with no real estate and personal property worth $150. Is he sharecropping or does he have a more desirable fixed rent crop contract? They are also living with Elizabeth Crawly, who is listed as a domestic servant. I think this is likely Sarah's sister (Corley/Crawly) and that she worked for a wealthy family in the area.
Looking at Thomas' parents, Tilman and Julia Albea: In the 1870 census, Tilman is mis-transcribed as William. Of course, Tilman is no longer a slave owner. He does still own his own land, which is given as a value of $650 (vs $1400) and personal property of $600 (vs $500). Julia herself is listed as owning land valued at $450 (willed to her by her mother in 1858). The combined value of the couple's property is similar to what it was before the war.
Overall, it seems that Tilman and Julia may have come through the civil war unscathed - at least on paper. It's highly possible that even staying at home the family witnessed the fighting. Their property could have been damaged or stolen by the union, or taken by the confederacy to support the war effort. But in the end it looks like this family made it through better than many others. Both William and Thomas came home from war, as did other cousins.
Finally, what happened to the family's slaves? In the 1870 census, there are only 12 black people listed in Georgia named Albea. All of them live in Lincoln or neighboring Wilkes county. Albea is not a common surname, and there were only three Albea families living in Georgia at the time (a trio of brothers). Those old enough to have been born into slavery were almost certainly owned by them. There are a number of Jennies of the right age and gender, and a number of Isaacs, but none named Albea or Glaze. It's difficult to know where the slaves mentioned in Mary Glaze's will went.
