my family in the Civil War

[Uncle Jesse]

Funny, those lyrics MyDBear posted mention Lookout Mountain. My G-G-Grandfather, William Emra Thornton from Michigan, fought at Lookout Mountain, during the "Battle Above the Clouds". Apparently it was so foggy that he and a few others "snuck up" (quite by accident, I assume) on about 20 rebel soldiers and took them hostage without incident. I have a commendation he received.

His unit, the 21st Michigan Infantry Volunteers then went and fought at Chickamauga and were on the Union right when General Longstreets men smashed headlong into the union lines and broke them almost immediately. Union General Lytle fell in this encounter. The battle there raged so heavily and the killing was so horrific that the 21st Michigan was later commended for their orderly retreat - ie, one of the few units which did not break and run. Their orderly retreat and slowing of the Confederate advance is actually credited with saving the whole of the Union army that day.

He had also fought previously at Perryville and at Stones River where he was shot in the wrist and had his hearing permanently damaged by being too close to a union cannon. He was captured and spent some time in a Confederate prison before being exchanged. He had been written off as AWOL before reappearing.

After Chickamauga the 21st was assigned to stay in Chattanooga and build supply houses. Meanwhile, his brother Charles who was in the 10th Michigan Infantry Volunteers, continued south with Sherman. He fought at all the skirmishes and battles including Resaca and Kennesaw Mountain. Somehow he survived all this brutality, and the seige of Atlanta, and as I said before was killed the 1st September, the 2nd and last day of fighting at Jonesboro, the last battle for Atlanta.

After his death my G-G-Grandfather wrote letters of which I have copies, requesting leave so that he could go tend to his grieving mother, a widow, who had now lost one of her two sons and would surely need help. He was granted the leave and therefore missed Sherman's march, and the grand review in Washington.

I've been to Jonesboro, Kennesaw, Resaca, Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain among others. Resaca is a beautiful and respectful little battlefield with a neat confederate cemetery. Jonesboro's cemetery is also very nice, laid out like the Stars and Bars with walking paths for the bars and trees for the stars.

Chickamauga, especially, hit me very hard. Standing near the 21st Michigan marker, seeing the lay of the land and imagining what both sides must have gone through is a very hallowed, almost spiritual moment. The blood, the heat, the screams, the smoke, the smells, and no fresh water for 2 days. Notherners fighting for the Union and somewhat resentful of the abolitionists for pushing things into a bloody war against their own kin, and southerners in a desperate defense of their homeland and their right to secede from the Union which they should, in a perfect world, have been granted.

The fact that the two sides ever really reconciled, and I can go to the South and talk with Southerners whose ancestors fought against mine - is a miracle.

I do have many kin in West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas and so on, but as I say, cousins and not direct kin. Many of them fought and some of them fell for the South. My side of the family moved through Ohio/Michigan, others took the road south.

I'm sure many of our Southern readers will recognize many of the names and battlefields I've mentioned. Some of you may even have kin who fought against mine in some of these battles.

[Fourway]

I not only have ancestors on both sided of the war of northern aggression I have ancestors on both sides of the american revolution. My kids have ancestors on both sides of the battle of Culloden and I have the bitterest of all enemies in my blood... orange and ulster.

It makes for occasional humor... my not very proper, not very ladylike sister applied for membership to the DAR and provided a pedigree that identified a g-g-g-g-grandfather who fought in the revolution... only problem was he was a redcoat.

but the one I identify with most strongly is my father's grandmother's father who organized seven warring five points gangs to go out and try to burn down a sizable portion of new york and fomented a plots to kill various officials during the draft riots of july 1863.

[Uncle Jesse]

awesome man! good history.

one of my g-grandfathers with my Surname fought in the revolution. he wasn't well liked because he was testy and used to burn down Loyalists barns which got him reprimanded.

another of my g-grandfathers was a loyalist and was also one of Bush's g-grandfathers and fled to Canada rather than fight the revolution.

[Uncle Jesse]

Anyone else read the latest National Geographic? A pretty good article on the efforts to preserve the battlefields of the Civil War.

[ynmakr]

Amazing stuff here, Its funny that I'm all the way over here in Australia due to family migrating in the forties,
I have ancestors that fought Col. Patrick Ferguson and the British army during the American revolution. One of my ancestors was Col. Benjamin Cleveland he led his band of North Carolina Whigs, "the over-mountain men" to victory against the Tories and Loyalists. Recently one of my relatives travelled to the states and visited "Kings Mountain" and the grave site of Col. Ben, she also drove up into the Great Smoky mountains, along the Blue ridge Parkway, she also got lost several times and drove through fog so thick she couldn't see anything but the yellow line in the center of the road...Lol
The photo's that she showed us were incredible and just made me want to see it all for myself the history is so thick you can almost taste it!

Ynmakr

[The Chemist]

Come on over, Ynmakr, we'll leave the light on! (And have a Mason Jar of 'shine ready!)

[possum]

My oldest traceable ancestor was the archetect of a roman rebellion that slew the roman (christian)emperor, and raised up a pagan emperor(puppet throne, ancestor was magister millitarium,magister equis,yadda yadda) the ancestor in question went to war against Theodosus the Great, who was devout christian, and the ancestor was later defeated in 364AD at the battle of Frigidus, by no less than the armies of Aleric THE VISIGOTH (WHO LATER SACKED ROME ). ANYWAY, THE RELEGION OF ROME WAS OFFICIALLY AND FOREVERMORE CHRISTIAN. TWO GENERATIONS LATER THE FAMILLY THAT SHOWED THIER FACES OUTSIDE OF SWISS ALPS WERE MONKS.

There is just no telling how many times loyalyies can switch within a family line.