Polk Brothers in the Civil War, part 1

   The Civil War was for the most part a young man's war. When Mississippi passed the ordinance of secession on January 9, 1861, many a young man left the family farm to join the ranks of the armed forces. In Lawrence County, Mississippi most of the farms were small operations and the owners had only one or two slaves, if any at all. One such young man was James Madison Polk, grandson of Luke Polk, a Revolutionary War soldier. James Madison was single, 20 -- 21 years of age and enlisted in the Covington Rangers at Mount Carmel, Mississippi in early 1861. James had three older brothers, John L., 36, Isaac, 24, and Joel R., 22. All three brothers remained on the farm and allowed the young James, to rush off to battle. The Covington Rangers became Company I of the 7th Regiment Mississippi Infantry and was stationed with the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Infantry in Shieldsboro on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The 3rd Regiment included the company known as the Gainesville Volunteers.
   Company I of the 7th trained on the Gulf Coast, moved to New Orleans, boarded a train for Jackson, Tennessee, was delayed by a train wreck in Louisiana were several men were injured. Arriving in Tennessee they were ordered to Eastport/Iuka, Mississippi where they became part of Gen. James Chalmers brigade. Fighting gallantly at the battle of Shiloh, they pulled back to Corinth. Retreating from Corinth, the 7th joined Gen. Bragg forces and moved eastward, by way of Mobile, and participated in Bragg's Kentucky Campaign. They finally surrendered in North Carolina in 1865.
   And the three older brothers? They were what Kenneth W. Noe  called "Reluctant Rebels." [1]Company E, "White Rebels" (after James E. White, Capt.) were organized at Silver Creek, Lawrence County, Mississippi, on April 24, 1862, and mustered into Confederate service May 12, 1862, in Jackson, Mississippi as part of the 38th Regiment Mississippi Infantry. They spent most of their time fighting in Mississippi at Iuka/Corinth, and Harrisburg before surrendering in 1865.
   Another company being mustered into Confederate service at this time was Company C, "Hancock Rebels," of Hobolochitto, Mississippi, now known as Picayune, Mississippi.

(1)Noe, Kenneth. Reluctant Rebels: The Confederates Who Joined the Army after 1861, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2010.
  

Eastman R. Tate

   While researching an article on the Mayors of Picayune for the Pearl River County Historical Society, I found an entry in a book of biographical sketches of Mississippians on Eastman F. Tate, an early mayor of Picayune. According to the author, Eastman F. Tate's father, Eastman R. Tate, served the Confederacy in the Seventh Mississippi Infantry in a company commanded by Capt. A. E. Foxworth of Columbia, Mississippi. According to Dunbar's Military History of Mississippi, Company D, Jeff Davis Sharpshooters, Marion County, had two Second Lieutenants, Franklin W. Foxworth and Job M. Foxworth. The Captain of this company was Hamilton Mayson who was elected Lieutenant-Colonel and replaced by Henry Pope.
   Searching the military records of two well know archives I was unable to locate an Eastman R. Tate in any Confederate military unit. (I also searched under E. R. Tate and Eastman Tate.) A trip to MDAH may be in order to search the Confederate Service Records on file in the media room. However, that research trip will need to be postponed until after the Bicentennial Celebration and Grand Opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on December 9, 2017.
   Any information anyone has on Eastman R. Tate, Company D, or the Seventh Regiment Mississippi Infantry would be greatly appreciated.

Just returned from the Mississippi Historical Society 2017 Annual meeting.  A very interesting time. A number of very interesting presentations were given  and as usual the food was excellent.  What's a history meeting without good food.

A couple of ideas I had at the meeting for the blog was to create a 3rd, 7th, and 38th history minute.  These would provide information on the regiments that can be read in a minute or less. Also include more pictures from my battlefield travels.

Seventh Regiment Mississippi Infantry

Seventh Regiment -- Infantry

Confederate States Army

Colonels -- Enos J. Goode, Hamilton Mayson, William H. Bishop, killed at Franklin

 

Company A, Franklin Rifles, Franklin County, mustered into state service 29 April 1861 at Meadville

Captain -- William J. Proby

 

Company B, Bogue Chitto Guards, Pike County, mustered into state service at Bogue Chitto 1 May 1861

Captain -- R. S. Carter, elected Major; J. M. Brister

 

Company C, Amite Rifles, Amite County, mustered into state service at Liberty 29 April 1861

Captain -- Benjamin F. Johns

 

Company D, Jeff Davis Sharpshooters, Marion County, mustered into State service at Holmesville 4 May 1861

Captains -- Hamilton Mayson, elected Lieutenant-Colonel; Henry Pope

 

Company E, Franklin Beauregards, Franklin County, mustered into State service at Meadville 4 May 1861

Captains -- Daniel H. Parker, 1861; D. S. Burch, 1862 -- 1865

 

Company F, Marion's Men, Marion County, mustered into State service at Columbia 10 August, 1861

Captain -- William J. Rankin

 

Company G, Goode Rifles, Lawrence County (no muster in date or location)

Captain - Enos J. Goode, elected Colonel; James M. Cannon

 

Company H, Dahlgren Rifles, Pike County, mustered into State service 22 August 1861

Captain -- Parham B. Williams

 

Company I, Covington Rifles, Covington County, enlisted 11 September 1861

Captain -- John T. Fairley

 

Company K, Quitman Rifles, Franklin County, mustered in at Brunckley's Ferry 26 August 1861

Captain -- N. L. Hoff





Third Regiment Mississippi Infantry

 

Third Regiment -- Infantry

Confederate States Army

Colonels -- John B. Deason, until reorganization; Thomas A. Mellon, wounded at Peachtree Creek; James M. Stigler, Third Consolidated, April, 1865.

 

Company A, Live Oak Rifles, Jackson County,mustered in at Ocean Springs, 18 September 1861

Captains -- James B. McRae, promoted Lieutenant-Colonel; E. A. Lewis, A. F. Ramsay, killed at Peachtree Creek; E. N. Ramsey.

 

Company B, Sunflower Dispersers, Sunflower County, mustered into State service 31 August 1861

Captain -- William H. Morgan

 

Company C, Downing Rifles, Hinds County, mustered into State service at Bolton, 9 August 1861

Captains -- Thomas A. Mellon, elected Major; William E. Ratliff

 

Company D, Chunkey Heroes, Newton County, mustered into State service at Pass Christian, 5 September 1861

Captain -- W. B. Johnson

 

Company E, Biloxi Rifles, Harrison County, mustered into State service at Biloxi 21 May 1861

Captains -- John D. Howard, John P. Elmer, Harry Knapp

 

Company G, Gainesville Volunteers, Hancock County, mustered into State service at Gainesville 13 July 1861

Captain -- John B. Deason, elected Colonel; Enoch E. McFadden

 

Company H, Shieldsboro Rifles, Hancock County, mustered into State service at Shieldsboro 29 June 1861

Captains -- Robert Eager, promoted; John V. Toulmi

 

Company I, John M. Sharp's Company, Yazoo County, mustered into State service at Benton, 30 August, 1861

Captains -- Samuel M. Dyer, elected Major at reorganization; Albert H. Johnson

 

Company ___, McWillie Blues, Copiah County, mustered into State service at Hazelhurst 17 August, 1861

Captain -- E. A. Peyton, elected Major

 

Company ___, Dahlgren Guards, Harrison County, mustered into State service at Pass Christian 4 September, 1861

Captain -- Ashbel Green

 

The nucleus of the regiment was the Shieldsboro Rifles and the Gainesbille Volunteers, which Captain Deason reported in camp at Shieldsboro under his command August 1, 1861.  The regimental field officers were elected September 15, 1861. Company I was assigned to the regiment October 14, 1861 at Pass Christian.

Thirty-Eighth Regiment Mississippi Infantry

Thirty-Eighth Regiment

Confederate States Army

Mounted in 1864 by Order of General Polk

Company A, Holmes County Volunteers, organized 15 March 1862
Captains -- Walter L. Keirn, John S. Hoskins

Company B, Van Dorn Guards, of Claiborne County, organized 19 March 1862
Captain -- R. C. McCay

Company C, Hancock Rebels, of Hancock County, organized 8 March 1862
Captain -- D. B. Seal

Company D, Wilkinson Guards, of Wilkinson County, organized 1 April 1862
Captain -- James H. Jones, promoted Lieutenant-Colonel 14 July 1864

Company E, White Rebels, raised in Lawrence County (Silver Creek), organized 1 May 1862
Captain -- James F. White

Company F, Johnston Avengers, raised in Copiah County, organized 3 May 1862
Captain -- Leander M. Graves

Company G, Wolf Creek Marksmen, raised in Attala County, organized 1 May 1862
Captain -- J. M. Dishman

Company H, Price Relief, raised in Hinds, Madison, & Newton Counties, organized 12 May 1862
Captain -- William M. Estelle

Company I, Columbia Guards, of Claiborne County, organized 20 March 1862
Captain -- F. W. Foxworth

Company K, Brent Rifles, of Pike County, organized 26 April 1862
Captain -- Preston Brent, promoted Lieutenant-Colonel

   The companies had their rendezvous at Jackson, MS and Fleming W. Adams was elected Colonel.  Ordered to Corinth, arriving a few days before the evacuation, May 29, when they joined in the retreat toward Tupelo.

James Madison Polk

James Madison Polk and his wife, Icy Jane Stewart

 

   James Madison Polk, 05 May, 1849 -- 29 September,1914, born in Lawrence County Mississippi. James was the son of Joel Luke Polk, born in South Carolina, and grandson of Luke Polk, also born in South Carolina. His great grandfather, Luke Polk, Sr. was a Revolutionary  War soldier.  James Madison served as a private in Company I, "Covington Rangers", Seventh Mississippi Infantry Regiment in the Civil War.  His first taste of battle was with James Chalmers at the Battle of Shiloh and his final engagement was the Battle of Franklin, where he was captured and ended the war in a Union prison camp.

   Following the Civil War, he married Icy Jane Stewart, (in 1867) and they had five children, four boys and a daughter. He went into farming and became a relative large landowner in the Mt. Carmel area of Mississippi.  Active in community affairs he was instrumental in helping organize Jefferson Davis County in 1904 and served as one of its first county supervisors.

   James had three older brothers who also served in the Civil Was.  They served with the "White Rebels", organized at Silver Creek, Mississippi, and became part of the 38th Mississippi Infantry Regiment and fought at Iuka, Vicksburg, Harrisburg, among other sites.

Coming out of the darkness

It has been a while since this site went dark.  I thought it had been about a year, but looking at the last post date of January 2014, I realized it has been almost two years of darkness.  Hopefully the chaos of my life is getting better organized and I can devote more time to the Boley Creek Rebels, also known as the Gainesville Volunteers and Hancock Rebels.  These were two companies of Confederate soldiers organized at Gainesville, Mississippi and Hobolochitto, Mississippi (now Picayune, Mississippi).
As an officer and board member of the Pearl River County Historical Society I have been very active in getting a local history museum up and running. The museum is now open, on a limited basis, and I should have more time to devote to other pursuits.
I must warn everyone though, my posts will not be exclusive to the Boley Creek Rebels.  My wife's great grandfather fought with the Seventh Regiment Mississippi Infantry and I will follow his path through the war from Shieldsboro, Mississippi to Franklin, Tennessee.  He was captured at the battle of Franklin and spent the remainder of the war in a Union prison camp.  And yes, the Seventh was camped with the Third at Shieldsboro before being deployed to Shiloh as part of Bragg's troops.
Check back often to see how the light is filtering into the darkness of the Boley Creek Rebels.

Jerry

Noncombatants in 3rd Mississippi

Been doing a little muster roll research on Company G, Gainesville Volunteers, of the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Infantry.  Made a surprising discovery:  Five of the men listed on the roster were labeled as cooks (slaves).  We find Edmond, Frederick, Horrace, Samuel, and Wash on the list.  It is amazing how many questions this discovery raises.  Since Mississippi granted pensions to Confederate veterans, widows, and black noncombatants beginning in 1888 a research trip to MDAH seems to be in order.  Will keep readers posted.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to all you Civil War buffs.  Time has been tight and illness in the family has kept me away from the blog.  However, things are looking up and I plan to be returning in the very near future.
I have embarked on a new branch of research.  This research deals with the 7th Regiment Mississippi Infantry.  My wife's great-grandfather served in Company I of this regiment from its organization until his capture at the Battle of Franklin.  I will be detailing some of his movements as he fought at Shiloh, in the Kentucky Campaign and on to Franklin by way of Georgia.

Port Hudson Artillery

   In touring the Port Hudson battlefield recently I discovered what appears to be  cannons on display that matches disabled cannons in photos taken shortly after the surrender of Port Hudson.

Stamped on the 32-pounder: FPF No. 229 422.04

Stamped on the 8-in: 171  62  2  12

   There are similar defects in both cannons, but they are not exact matches.  It is possible that some repair work was done in an attempt to make the guns once again usable. Or additional damage occurred after the photos were taken.  In the one hundred plus years that intervened between the Battle of Port Hudson and the opening of the Port Hudson State Park many things could have happened to these guns.
   Most of the battlefield of Port Hudson remains in private ownership.  The only public part, outside the State Park, is the Port Hudson National Cemetery.

Carlos Alexander and his second wife, Elizabeth Jane Jarrell.

They were married 21 August 1889 so the picture dates from

sometime later. Photo courtesy Helen Clunie

Carlos F. Alexander:

 Born 1842, died 1920 in Poplarville, Mississippi, Buried Juniper Grove Cemetery, Poplarville



Father: Francis (Francisco) Alexander
Mother: Anna Rester
Married 1st: Mary Elizabeth Cooper, 26 May 1864
Children:

• Lemuel
• Jane
• Turner
• Louisa Elizabeth
• Mazaline
• George Rayburn
• James

Married 2nd: Elizabeth Jarrell 21 August 1889 (1900 census shows they had been married 11 years)

Civil War Record:

   Enlisted in Gainesville Volunteers at Shieldsboro in October 1861. Present on muster roll for July/August 1862; present October/November 1862; present January/February1863; absent without leave since May 17 1863 on July/August 1863 return.
   May 17th is the day after the Battle of Champion Hill (Baker's Creek).  Carlos may have been one of the 72 members of The Third Mississippi Infantry inside Vicksburg during the siege.  However, there is no record of his being paroled following the surrender of Vicksburg.  Family tradition holds that Carlos was wounded and came home to recover.  I have been unable to find any record that Carlos ever returned to his unit.

Raymond Battlefield, Part 3

Brig. Gen. Gregg  began to realize in the afternoon that his forces were greatly outnumbered and ordered the troops to pull back toward Jackson.  The citizens of Raymond offered assistance to the wounded of  both sides.  Those who had died were buried in the fields around Fourteen Mile Creek.
   The Union dead were later moved to the National Cemetery in Vicksburg and the Confederate dead were moved to Raymond where a Confederate Cemetery was established.  Most of the confederates were from the Seventh Texas and Third Tennessee.

The remains of several of the soldiers were never identified and they are buried with a marker that reads: "Unknown Confederate Soldier."

Also buried in this cemetery is Serg. Joseph Fairchild, Co. K, 3rd Miss Infantry.  The Third did not fight at Raymond.  The date of death on the marker is April 20, 1862, a full year before the Battle of Raymond.

Pictured above is the Confederate monument and its inscription.  The monument is located on the grounds of the Raymond Courthouse.











Raymond Battlefield, Part 2

   The focal point of the Battle of Raymond was the bridge and a short section of Fourteen Mile Creek.  The banks of the creek were steep and one soldier reported that retreat was out of the question because the Confederataes would shoot them down as they tried to climb the steep bank.  The banks of the creek were made even more slippery by the retreat of the wounded.  Another soldier reported how the creek ran red with the blood of the combatants.

View from the bridge in the morning hours of April 28, 2012.  Note how the banks still appear much as they did on the day of the battle.

A sketch of the two forces shooting at each other across the creek.  I am unaware of the source of the sketch.  It was photographed from the interpretive sign along Fourteen Mile Creek.

   A slight ridge, south of Fourteen Mile Creek has become known as McPherson's Ridge or Artillery Ridge.  McPherson deployed his main battery along this ridge in support of the troops advancing toward the creek across a freshly plowed field.

The preservation group has obtained a number of rebuilt carriages and replica cannons.  These are deployed along the ridge line facing Fourteen Mile Creek.  The power lines in the distance are along Mississippi Highway 18, south of Raymond.

Deployment of the Union and Confederate forces at the Battle of Raymond.  Notice how the 7th Texas and 3rd Tennessee led the way. (Photo taken from interpretive sign at Raymond Military Park.)









Raymond Battlefield, part 1

  Following several failed attampts to attack Vicksburg, General Grant hit upon the idea of marching his army past Vicksburg on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River.  After crossing the river below Port Gibson and several fierce battle against small Confederate forces Grant's army was moving to the east of Vicksburg.  Grant had sent Maj. Gen. James McPherson and his troops on the Utica -- Raymond Road toward Jackson while the rest of his force moved north, west of Bolton and Edwards.
   Confederate  Brig. Gen. John Gregg had arrived in Raymond on May 11, 1863 with orders from  Pemberton to contain the right flank of the Union army and determine where it was heading.  Gregg devised a good plan of attack that probably would have worked if the Confederates had outnumbered the Union forces, as Gregg was led to believe.  He thought he was facing about 1600 troops rather than a Corps under Maj. Gen. McPherson.
   After a fierce all-day battle, Gregg was forced to withdraw to Jackson.  Although the Confederates lost the battle, it caused Grant to change his plans and move toward Jackson before attacking Vicksburg.  Grant concluded that he was facing two armies.  One in Jackson under the direction of Joseph Johnston and the other in Vicksburg, commanded by Pemberton.
   Efforts are continuing in Raymond today to preserve the battlefield.  A short walking trail has been constructed with interpretive signs at key locations.  Because the battle occurred in a rural area, much of the battlefield still looks much like it did on May 12, 1863.  And the preservation group, Friends of Raymond, have recently added another 66 acres of the original battlefield and are working to include this in the tour area.

The park is located a few hundred yards off Highway 18, south of Raymond, Mississippi.  Highway 18 actually runs through the orginal battlefield.

Gregg's Battle Plan

(Photo was taken from the interpretive sign at the entrance to the park)

. 

   A view of the battlefield look south toward Fourteen Mile Creek.  The creek is located in the tree-line in the distace.  The Confederates charged across this field led by the 7th Texas and 3rd Tennessee.

   A rebuilt carriage and smoothbore replica cannon guards the bridge of the old Utica Road today.
   An illustration by artist-journalist Theodore Davis is featured on the interpretive sign at this location.  The engraved illustration was published in Harper's Weekly newspaper, and shows the same view toward the bridge as we see today.  Of course, the bridge has been rebuilt since the battle and now sports more concrete than wood.
   The interpretive sign seen in the left center is where another cannon was placed.  In all, six guns of the 8th Michigan wer "unlimbered" and "went into battery."  Confederate artillery was shelling the Union column and DeGloyer's Battery opened fire on the confederate battery about a thousand yards to the north.











Hancock Rebels

In late summer and early fall of 1861 a group of young men from Hancock County joined forces in Shieldsboro, Mississippi to fight for their state and the Confederate cause.  This group became known as the "Gainesville  Volunteers" of the 3rd Regiment Mississippi Infantry.  As this unit was marching off to war to defend Vicksburg, another unit of older men were organizing in Hobolochitto, Mississippi. On March 25, 1 862, the unit known as the "Hancock Rebels" of the 38th Regiment Mississippi Infantry was organized and sent to Jackson, Mississippi for training.  They were soon at Corinth, Iuka, and the second battle of Corinth before arriving in Vicksburg.  This coming Sunday marks the 150th anniversity of their enlistment.  By the way, Hobolochitto is now known as Picayune, home of the 2011 5A State Football Champs.  Some of the players on this football team may count some of the Hancock Rebels as family.

Thoughts and comments

   With the new year a month old and Spring just around the corner my thoughts have turned to the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh.  I  began making plans to attend the events and logged on to the National Park Service Shiloh website.  Most of the events planned for April 6 and 7 are hiking events.  Anything from 1 mile to 4 -- 5 miles.  Also encouraged to bring  lunch, snacks, and water as some of the hikes are long and difficult.  My 70 year old body is very willing, however, my seemingly 90 year old legs have already begun to hurt.  Maybe if I begin to train now, by April I will be able to endure a 3 mile hike through difficult terrain. 
   Shiloh was great-grandfather James M. Polk's first battle and I am sure he got a real good look at the elephant in this bloody battle.  He managed to keep his head down and be in the right place at the right time to avoid getting shot or captured until the Battle of Franklin.  Great-grandfather was one of the many captured at Franklin and sent to prisoner of war camp until released at the end of the war.

Time to Return

It has been several months since I was able to write anything on this blog.  I have had several doctor appointments and an ear surgery but it appears that most of these are now in the past.  I plan to return to comments, etc. in the next day or so -- please stay tuned.

Enlistment Anniversaries

At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard gave the order to open fire on Fort Sumter.  Thus began the war that pitted American against American and brought destruction to many of the southern states.

   This year we are remembering the 150^th anniversaries of the events of 1861 and how our country was torn apart during the next four years.  Divisions were created and wounds opened, some of which have yet to heal.  In 1964, when this boy from St. Louis, Missouri married a beautiful girl from south Mississippi her grandmother almost disowned her.  Her grandmother’s father-in-law was a Confederate veteran of the Army of Tennessee and had fought beginning in Shiloh and ending with his capture at Franklin.  The years have been kind to this Missouri boy and the only thing that is keeping him from being considered a “native Mississippian” is that my grandfather was not born or raised in Mississippi.  August and September mark the anniversary of the organization of two companies of Confederate soldiers In South Mississippi.

   On 1 August 1861, a group of men were organized and mustered into State Militia Service in Mississippi at the small coastal town of Shieldsboro (now known as Bay St. Louis, MS). John J. Bradford (a lawyer) and some of his friends had enlisted a group of men from the Gainesville, MS area in answer to Gov. Pettus’ call to arms following Fort Sumter.  The group was known as the “Gainesville Volunteers” and became Company G of the Third Regiment Mississippi Infantry. Originally stationed on the Mississippi Coast they would later see action at Vicksburg, Jackson, and Atlanta.

   On 17 September 1861 another group of men enlisted in Covington County, Mississippi to fight the expected invasion of their homeland.  They became known as the “Covington Rangers” under the leadership of Captain John T. Fairley.  Most of the men in this group were from Mt. Carmel, Jaynesville and the surrounding area of south Mississippi.  Mustered into State Service in Shieldsboro, MS they became Company I of the Seventh Regiment Mississippi Infantry.  Originally stationed on the Coast at Camp Clark with the Third Regiment they were ordered to Tennessee and fought at Shiloh with General Albert Sidney Johnston and General Beauregard.  Following Shiloh and Corinth the Seventh went with General Braxton Bragg and served with the Army of Tennessee until its surrender in April, 1865.

   Another confederate company of interest was also enlisted from the same general area as the Gaines Volunteers.  They became Company C, 38th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry.  Since they did not muster into service until March, 1862 we'll wait untill March, 2012 to discuss their enlistment anniversary. 

Carlos F. Alexander, private

Carlos F. Alexander:

Born 1842, Died 1920 in Poplarville, MS, Buried Juniper Grove Cemetery, Poplarville

Father: Francis (Francisco) Alexander
Mother: Anna Rester
Married 1^st: Mary Elizabeth Cooper 26 May 1864

Children:
·         Lemuel (1865 – 1942)
·         Jane (1867 -- )
·         Turner (1869 --)
·         Louisa Elizabeth (1871 – 1952)
·         Mazaline (1873 --)
·         George Rayburn (1875 -- )
·         James ? (1877 -- )
Married 2^nd: Elizabeth Jarrell 21 August 1889 (1900 census shows they had been married 11 years)

Civil War Record:
          Enlisted in Gainesville Volunteers at Shieldsboro in October 1861, Present on muster roll for July/August 1862; present October/November 1862; present January/February 1863; absent without leave since May 17 1863 on July/August 1863 return.
   May 17^th is the day after the Battle of Champion Hill (Baker’s Creek).  Several members of Company G are reported absent without leave since May 17^th. Many of those absent returned, however, some did not. Family tradition holds that Carlos was wounded and came home to Gainesville never to return.  Carlos may have been one of the 72 inside Vicksburg.  However, there is no record of his being paroled after the surrender of Vicksburg.  If he had been with the main body of the Third there should be additional muster roll records.  It is entirely possible, especially since he married Mary Cooper on 26 May 1864 (in Hancock County before the end of the war), that he just walked away from the war.