Descendants of Civil War Veterans

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This is my great-great-(great?)-something Sigmund. The image is of a daguerrotype in our basement. Supposedly, he was a sharpshooter(?).

http://i1.tinypic.com/7131oj8.jpg

Can someone confirm/deny the sharpshooter part? I don't know why it came up sideways. Please rotate your monitor to fix.

Another great-great-something, my dad's mom's grandfather's name is on the Gettysburg monument. Last name Fisher.

My wife's family is from Georgia, and they can trace their lineage to Stonewall Jackson. Another cross-border marriage. :neener:
 
Yes, you can try the archives.gov.

If not, send me their name, and I'll look them up, as I have access to a lot of paid databases.
 
Two of my G-G-Grandfathers served the Confederacy in the 18th Virginia Cavalry; Abraham Wilkins and Fredrick Mauk. Both lived in the Hardy Co./Hampshire Co. area of Virginia (now West Virginia). They served as teamsters for much of the war. After Gettysburg they were part of the long train of wagons transporting Confederate wounded and Union prisoners back to Virginia. They were also a part of Gen. Early's march on Washington in 1864. Both survived the war, Fredrick died in 1915, Abraham died in 1926. Abraham's son, James Edward, married Fredrick's daugher, Sarah Louisa Catherine. My line was the first to leave the area of Hardy/Hampshire Co. and many of the present residents are related to the Wilkins/Mauk family.
 
Wow, I may have found my Cherokee ancestor in the Confederate roles:

Pinkston Hallmark. Private. 1st Battallion. Missouri Infantry.

I know that's my ancestor's name. The location is fairly close too....


Dang it! Now I'm gonna have to research all this and it's all this thread's fault! ;)
 
Can someone confirm/deny the sharpshooter part? I don't know why it came up sideways. Please rotate your monitor to fix.
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Depends on what you mean by "sharpshooter." The uniform is more of a Zouve uniform (going by the fez-like hat), not that of the United States Sharp Shooters (USSS), Hiram Berdan's regiment. But he may well have been employed as a sniper or sharpshooter, regardless of the unit.

Do you know his unit?
 
Quite a few, actually; I'm just not sure who, as there were a hell of a lot of 'em from the counties where my ancestors lived. F'instance, look up people with the name of "Cole" from the vicinity of Putnam County in NY, serving for the Union, and you're liable to find a hundred who were either my actual ancestors, or my ancestors' 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cousins (once/twice removed). Same for names like Hopkins.

I personally consider the Civil War a bit of a blight on the face of this nation, so it's not exactly something I've looked into. I've got (prominent) lines in this country going back to the Revolutionary War (ever hear of Enoch Crosby/Harvey Birch?), so thats a bit more prominent in my mind.

Though I really should get more into genealogy...
 
F'instance, look up people with the name of "Cole" from the vicinity of Putnam County in NY
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Interesting. My Great Grandmother was Caroline Elizabeth Cole (Humphrey.) I have a geneology of the Cole family somewhere. Supposedly Ruben Cole was a survivor of a Continental attack on a British guard posted at a bridge in New York. Wounded, he was left for dead, and was found by Lydia Huycks, half Dutch and half Mohawk. She nursed him back to life and married him.
 
Although I am not a direct descendant, back in the family tree there is a John H Reagan, of Palestine, Tx who was postmaster general of the Confederacy.

It seems as though his father and one of my great-great something grandfathers were brothers.

I don't know exactly what the relation would be as I do not do genealogy(sp) but he has been mentioned in several Reagan family reunions in N. Louisiana, where part of the family had settled
 
Hi Nightwatch,

My Dad has a saber and a Walker Colt hanging on the wall that was used by my 3rd great grandfather who served with General Sherman as well as a rifle that was used by on of his (GGG grandfather) when he served with the Confederate army. Dad also has a journal that was written by GGG grandfather that describes his views (among other things) the sack of Atlanta.

You do not attempt to open the glass protecting sword and firearms if you are fond of living. To my knowledge neither firearm has been used since the 19th century.

Selena
 
Great Grandfather was a member of the 184th Pennsylvania Volunteers Company H. He mustered out at the battle Appomattox. Have a Distant grandfather that fought in the American Revolution, and even further back one that came over on the Mayflower. Working to get the last couple of supporting Docs for Mayflower Assoc. registry.
 
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One member of my family served. Abraham Bear served with the 5th Heavy Artillery, 204th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company K from August 22, 1864 until June 30, 1865. This regiment did duty in the northern defenses of Washington DC and along the Manassas Gap Railroad protecting supplies for Sheridan in regular engagement with Mosby. In Spring 1865, they buried the dead at Bull Run. I remember as a kid seeing the uniform and rifle stored away in my grandparents house. No idea where these artifacts got to after my grandparents died.
 
My great-great grandfather, Cameron Quick, was a private in the 34th Georgia Infantry. No weapons passed down to anyone in the family as far as I know. He has a lot of descendants here in Burke County. The Quick family has five separate family reunions here...all descended from him. There could be scads of stuff bequeathed through other lines.
 
I was raised by my maternal Grandmother. She is shown as a young lady, standing left rear. Her Mom is seated, and her sister is standing right with her hands on my g-grandmothers shoulders.

My g-grandfather was a private in the Confederate Army, captured up North someplace, imprisoned for the duration, freed, told to walk back to Georgia.

I think the picture was taken around 1907-8 as my Grandmother was born in 1892. The attire seems like "horseless carriage riding clothes" but I'm just guessing. At the time of my g-grandfathers death he was relatively prosperous (naval stores, timber, etc.)


100_6338.jpg

I still have an 1802 Silver Dollar my g-grandfather gave my Grandmother when she was a small girl.

J.Pomeroy
 
Jag2955 - please share the full name of your ancestor depicted in the daguerrotype. If you know his unit, please provide that too.

BTW, Not all Union sharpshooters were attired in green. Many wore the standard issue and this includes Berdan's Sharp Shooters as their green wore out. The First New York Battalion Sharp Shooters wore the blue, but had black rubber buttons in lieu of the bright metal ones. One company of Birge's Western Sharpshooters wore grey (typical of many units which mustered in their militia uniforms on the first year of the war).
 
I have my great-great-grandfather's sword and scabbard, and what I guess you would call the program card from his funeral. It's very dark blue, printed in gold, about 5" x 9" and 3/16" thick.

He was a colonel. Lt. colonel, if I recall correctly. Union.

The sword is etched and engraved on both sides, but I don't know if that's normal, or if it is a dress sword. My grandmother had it for probably 50 years, always just standing behind the door in the spare bedroom. She gave it to me when she had to move out of her house in her 80s (25 years or so ago), as I had been the one grandkid who was always pulling it out and looking at it when we went over to visit. I used to have to pull it part way out, then grab the blade and pull it the rest of the way because my arms were too short. I still remember the day I was able to draw it out it in one try.

Oh, and Draven32 (post 82), the blade of that sword shouldn't be cleaned with anything other than oil. The tarnish is part of the patina and part of the aging of the sword. Simply put some 3-in-1 or other light oil on a rag and start wiping. You'll get lots of rust off at first, but that's okay. Just find a clean part of the rag and add a little more oil, till you stop getting rust off. When you're done simply wipe it down with a dry rag that will leave just a hint of a coat of oil to protect it. I probably spent half an hour to an hour just wiping the blade from end to end when I first got it.
 
BTW, as cpaspr recommended, don't remove the patina on any relic. You devalue it when you do.

Clean it by wiping it down. If it's metal, I would use hot (distilled) water to get the dirt and any oils off. Then I'd dry it thoroughly. To protect it, apply Rennaisance Wax. Microcystelline in nature, it's also PH neutral and was developed by the British Museum to protect metal, wood, leather. You put a coat on and rub it in. Museums worldwide use it and you can get a good size container at WoodCraft.

Disclaimer: Neither THR nor I have any financial interest in Rennaisance Wax, its maker, distributors or any wholesalers of the product.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I do have some personal observations to pass on. If you are aware of a family member that has documents or artifacts linking your family to an era in history, make sure that family member knows what they are and how important they are to the family. In my own family, uninterested family members have thrown away my 9th GGF's bible listing the other officers of his unit in the Revolutionary War and sold off the old cap & ball revolvers that the family used to defend themselves during Indian attacks. Both of these thoughtless acts occurred in the last 25 years. There is a segment of the populace that does not value history and their family’s links to history. Unless your family members know you are deeply interested in your family’s history, your family history may suffer the same fate. Go ask your relatives about photos, guns, swords, letters, bibles, diaries. It is the only way you will ever know. I asked. I did not get much, but my Aunt did bring me a leather flight jacket with a name tag CPL Leland L. Dxxxxx USAAF. My father has Alzheimer’s and the jacket can not talk, but I wonder how many miles they spent together in the turret of a B-17? Guys, ask before it is too late.
 
Dad had an AVG Flying Tigers flight jacket his teacher had given to him in high school. Wore it out and threw it away in the 1960's.

As to family, I have already told my wife that, while I want nothing more than to give my son the pocket pistol that his great great great grandfather carried, along with the bent Marlin barrel that his great great grandfather slung against a tree when it missed a turkey, drawing instead that same pocket pistol and killing the bird in flight, if my son shows no interest in family history, it will not go with him. Should we have no other kids, then the revolver will go to the nephew who most values family history.

Ash
 
plenty from the revolution, a couple from 1812, a bunch from the civil war (both sides).
i don't know any of the specifics. my aunt and great uncle have done all the geneology.
we do have a picture of a relative in a confederate uniform that looks just like my uncle johnny. and if you go to williamsburg you can see a portrait of my grampa, 'cept its many times back. *grin* looked just like grampa frank though.
my mom comes from two virginian familys that can be traced far, far back.
speaking of the civil war, my grampa's grandma was about 12 when the war began. supposedly, she didn't know how to button her own shoes 'till she was eleven (yes, i mean exsactly what you think), aways wore a red silk petticoat and said "them d*** yankees" till the day she died. most of this must be taken with a grain of salt as the family has produced some sassy caracters, who know how to tell a tale.
another story involves two brothers (i think they were cousins to me, many times removed) who fought on oppisite sides of the war. when the came home to VA, they bought land and built their houses connected together with their bedrooms right next to each other. at night they would argue throught the wall about the war.
 
Both sides Confederate's, Fathers side in the Revolution, perhaps mothers also as they were here already.

Not sure this is gun related,
Grandmother (1889) was named after Bill Cody's daughter "Arta"
Went "West" in a wagon train from Texas to homestead in New Mexico and lived to see man land on the moon.
 
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