Sultana – An Unimaginable Tragedy 

By Thomas W. Bankes – Cowans Auctions, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49307857 By April 1865 citizens had grown accustomed to big news events but this month was filled with even more outstanding headlines than usual.  On April 9th, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to U.S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, signaling the first step in the end of the Civil War. Shocking the nation, President Abraham Lincoln was shot April 14th and died April 15th from the assassin’s bullet. His murderer John Wilkes Booth was shot and killed on April 26th. April 26th saw Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrender his army to Gen. William T. Sherman and his Union troops in North Carolina. Yet buried in the backs of most newspapers would be one of the single most tragic events of the Civil War. The explosion of the riverboat Sultana. For a little background, the Sultana was built in Cincinnati in 1863. She ran in the most southern part of the Mississippi River, used mainly for transporting cotton but she was also known to carry U.S. Army officers and soldiers between ports along the river. On April 21, 1865 the Sultana was docked in New Orleans. She was […]

My grandfather was part of Civil War History

George Washington Lowery was drafted July 19, 1864 at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to Co. A, 81st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry for three years. Born in Franklin County, PA he was a 37-year-old laborer. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes, and dark hair, he was an average guy, his description not uncommon for the time. Serving during the latter part of the war he was a draftee. I suspect my grandfather left his wife and six children a bit reluctantly to answer the call of his country. (I have found a tidbit of information that suggests he was a substitute. I’m still working on verifying that.) After a brief two-month training stint to make the “every-day man” a soldier, Lowery and the rest of the recently drafted recruits were sent to join their regiment. The 81st Pennsylvania had been mired with the rest of the Second Corps at Petersburg, Virginia, which had been under siege for months. Even though they were in the midst of war, it has been written that many Confederate officers who lived in the area were able to slip away and visit with family and attend Sunday church services. The […]

Little Did They Know They Were Living History – the Battle of Franklin, TN

Many times when we tour historic venues we lose sight of the fact that actual people lived these events. Sometimes we slip into movie mode, viewing history “as a made up story”. Yet there are times when we’re moved. We gain an understanding of the emotions and actions of a person who not only witnessed but contributed to history. My trip to Franklin, TN was one of those occasions where I actually felt history.      Years ago I heard a presentation on the Battle of Franklin at a Civil War Round Table. The presenter was a dynamic speaker with extensive knowledge of his topic and strong Confederate ties. The intense moments of the battle he described were mesmerizing. Learning about the monumental losses of the Army of Tennessee and the battle’s lasting impact on the citizens cemented my hope to one day visit Franklin. I wanted to see first hand the place that left such an impression on me from that program long ago. Much later I had the opportunity to finally fulfill that wish. I made the trip to Franklin, Tennessee.  To set the stage, the Battle of Franklin was fought November 30, 1864. The Army of Tennessee […]

How can you get to know your Civil War ancestor? Part 2 

Last time we talked about a few things we could do to help us understand our Civil War ancestor a little better. Did you try any? How did that hard tack taste? Here are a couple more ideas  to change up your research: 6. Choose a Civil War era song and read the lyrics. Can you hear your ancestor humming it as he marched or set up camp? If he was a Confederate soldier it may have been Goober Peas, Bonnie Blue Flag, or Dixie. If he was a Union man maybe it was Battle Hymn of the Republic, When Johnny Comes Marching Home or We Are Coming Father Abraham. 7. Watch a Civil War movie. Even though movies aren’t exactly historically accurate and produced mainly for entertainment, there are scenes, costumes, firearms and battles portrayed that will help you identify with your Civil War ancestor. Try Glory, Gettysburg, or maybe North and South, Gods and Generals, Red Badge of Courage, and  Lincoln. 8. Read a newspaper or two from the locale your ancestor was from that was published during the Civil War. Even though it was a week later, I was really surprised at how much coverage the battle […]

How can you get to know your Civil War ancestor?

Since you stopped by today chances are you love doing genealogy research. In fact, seeing that you’re here, you’re probably doing some pretty serious research on your Civil War ancestor too. You’re like me, you’d like to know about his military life. What did he do during the war? Was he injured? Was he a hero? How did it affect his family? So to change up your research a little here’s a Civil War To-Do List. Just a few things you might take the time to do to better understand your Civil War ancestor and it can be really interesting too! Civil War Ancestor To-Do List 1. Research the uniform your ancestor wore. You can start here or here or Google images for an idea of what your soldier wore. See the layers of clothing these men lived in and marched in. Take a look at the number and weight of items a regimental soldier carried on a daily basis. 2. Eat a little like he ate. Make their old stand-by: Hardtack or Johnnie cakes. Recipes below*. 3. Spend some time looking at Civil War photographs, especially colorized versions. Get a feel that these were real men who were lonely, […]

Was Your Union Civil War Ancestor Drafted?

By 1863 the Civil War was heading into its third year. The overwhelming enthusiasm of young northern men to volunteer had wained considerably. The glory of war faded when soldiers came home disease stricken, missing limbs or not at all. The prospect of a quick, easy victory had vanished and so had the large number of volunteers enlisting to fight for the Union cause.  It was obvious President Lincoln needed to act. He needed to bolster the dwindling number of soldiers within Union regiments. So in March 1863 the president signed the Enrollment Act. The first draft of US citizens in our country’s history. The act called for the registration of all males between the ages of 20 and 45, including aliens with the intention of becoming citizens. Provost Marshal offices were set up in each Congressional district and men were obligated to register. It was from these lists that draftees were chosen. There were three classes of men in this compulsory military draft. Class I were men aged 20-35, who would be subject to being drafted and unmarried men from 36-45. Class II were married men aged 36-44 and Class III were volunteers. What type of info was collected […]

United Confederate Veterans – Researching a Soldier’s Post War Life

Just like their northern counterparts Confederate Civil War veterans met in small local groups across the South after the war. With differing names and missions, the various local groups banded together to become the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) in 1889. Organized in New Orleans, the UCV came to represent Confederate veterans. The United Confederate Veterans membership was open to all former soldiers and sailors who fought honorably for the Confederacy. Their mission was to renew old friendships, preserve their military history and honor their fallen brethren while helping the less fortunate veteran or his family left behind. Like most post-war veteran’s groups the UCV was set up in a military style. The local organizations were known as “Camps”. The Camps were numbered and named. The Camps belonged to a Division (State), Divisions came under a Department. Originally there were three Departments named for the Army of Northern Virginia, Army of Tennessee and Trans-Mississippi. Finally all fell under the National organization. At its peak there were 1,885 Camps in the UCV with a membership of 160,000. The UCV never wielded the national political clout the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) did in the late nineteenth century but it did have […]

The Official Pension Roll of 1883: One of the Hidden Censuses

The Official Pension Roll of 1883 is a five volume set which lists the names of all US veteran’s receiving pensions as of December 1, 1882. Soldiers serving in the Civil War make up the majority of this list but there are some veterans from the War of 1812 and a few from the Mexican War. You’ll find the name of the person receiving a pension, his assigned pension number, the reason why he’s receiving a pension, his post office (city), amount of monthly pension and the date his pension was allowed.  This pension roll came to be on December 2, 1882 when the United States Senate passed a resolution stating, Resolved, that the commissioner of pensions be instructed to inform the Senate– The amount of the annual pension roll on the first day of December 1882. The number of applications for pensions pending on the first day of December 1882. The number of rejected applications on file December 1, 1882, and whether the same or subject to re-examination. The amount already paid for arrears of pension. The probable amount yet to be paid for arrears of pensions under existing provisions of the law. The probable amount of the annual […]

Coming in the Side Door for Amazing Ancestor Finds Using Collateral Research

A few years back I was wandering a small local cemetery. It’s the final resting place for a number of my ancestors. Looking at family headstones I noticed the lone grave of a Civil War soldier, James R. Van Meter. His marker was engraved with an eagle and the inscription “Rest Soldier Thy Warfare is Ore”. His surname was one in my family tree but I knew he wasn’t a direct ancestor. He had to be a collateral relative. When I saw he was only 21 years old and died during the Civil War I decided to learn more about him. What happened to James? My thoughts jumped around with various theories. Had he been shot in battle? I wondered if he had a wife? Did he leave children? My thought was that he didn’t leave a wife and family, given his age. I’m sure he was mourned by his parents and siblings, but I’ll bet it wasn’t too many years later that his name probably wasn’t mentioned again. Not out of disrespect of course, it’s just that life goes on. Parents pass away, siblings marry and have families of their own. Brothers or uncles who died in the war […]