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Pvt. Albert Swap, 7th Illinois Cavalry, Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1864, reading, in part:
“…you said you suppose Chas Dewey would arrive before I received this message of yours, so he did, but I regret to say he is among the missing on our trip to this place. We left Memphis on the 17th and was 9 days on the River there was several men drowned before we arrived at his place and C. L. D. and John R. Chapman of Co. are among the missing. The last I saw of them was about two miles above New Madrid, Mo….It has now been 62 days since the Regt. went out on this scout, they are now about 40 miles from this place at Columbia where they are having some very hard fighting with Hood’s Army. Genl. Thomas is out there with two corps of Infantry but the rebs still drive him back. We could hear very heavy cannonading in that direction for about an hour this morning. There is going to be some very hard fighting about this city in a short time if they keep driving our men back. We are camped about two miles from the city and they are going to move us in towards the city as they think we are exposed to a raid from the Lebanon Pike…There is considerable excitement here today the Rebel General Hood is still driving our men they are now within 20 miles of this place. Some of our men who have come from the front seem to think that Genl. Thomas is falling back to get the rebels where he can gain some advantage over them while others seem to think they are two strong for us, if the latter there will be some hard fighting and then we will either have to fall back or be gobbled but we must always look on the bright side of everything…But alas how many of our Brave soldiers are falling hourly as I am penning you these poor lines, the sullen booming of the cannon that I can hear very plainly speaks of death…to the soldier…”.
From Raynor’s auction
1. Full names of soldier.
John M. McGinnis
2. Rank, unit served with, etc
4th TN Infantry Regiment Co. K ( Strahls)
Jackson’s 7th Calvary
15th TN (Stewart’s) Calvary Co. C
19th TN (Biffle’s) Calvary Co. K (Gen. Forrest Division)
3. Any personal info about the soldier that you’re aware of.
Yes, see http://www.vizualstorm.com/jc/web-content/index.html
4. Was he wounded at Franklin? Captured? Missing? Killed?
NO
5. Survive Franklin? Survive the war?
Yes
6. Your exact relation?
Great Grand Son
7. Burial place?
Dyersburg, TN
8. Any pictures of the soldier: in uniform? Before or after the war?
Not in uniform, post-war yes
9. Surviving letters, diaries, or documents you’re willing to share?
None
10. The email address for you to be contacted?
jamescareyll@live.com
More info
My Great-great grandfather was named John M. McGinnis and he was born and raised in Dyer Co. of North West Tennessee. He lived in both Newbern TN and Dyersburg TN prior to entering into the civil war.
He fought at Franklin under General Forrest and even met his future wife there while engaged in the battles in and around Franklin.
I have written a detailed biography of my great-great grandfather of his life and his family since their arrival in Dyer county Tennessee in 1841. The web page can be found at:
http://www.vizualstorm.com/jc/web-content/index.html
The following are a couple of excerpts from that biography:
John was placed into the 9th (later 19th) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company K., as a 5th Sergeant under Captain R.M. Sharp. This was a pretty high rank for an enlisted man and he now drew $17.00 a month.
The 9th Tennessee Cavalry regiment was placed under Colonel J.B. Biffle who was attached directly to General Forrest’s staff. How proud John must have been, he was riding for one of the most famous and respected Generals of the Confederate service.
This unit was involved in a lot of action, although most were not as significant as the major battles that shaped the outcome of the Civil war.
It is also interesting to note here that during the many battles/skirmishes John’s unit was involved in and around Franklin, TN (in 1863 and 1864), that John’s future wife (Carrie Doughty) was born and being raised there in the Franklin, TN area. She would have been about 14 or 15 years old at that time. It is highly likely that they may have met during this period.
COMMENT: They would wed six years later, after the war, in 1870.
In April 1901, John went to the cemetery at Ashwood, TN near Columbia, TN to retrieve General Strahl’s body (as you may remember this was John’s commander when he enlisted in May 1861 in the 4th TN infantry, as a Dyer Guard). General Strahl was killed in the battle of Franklin on 30 Nov. 1864 and his body had been buried at Ashwood, TN. John was there at that Battle.
There was some discussion by the people of Columbia, TN to move his body to the Confederate burial cemetery in Columbia. John and a comrade (Mr. David Shaw – also from Dyersburg) had gone to Ashwood to escort and take home General Strahl’s body for reburial. When John returned the General’s body to Dyersburg TN, there was a surprisingly large attendance of veterans at the public service held in Dyersburg for this General. The General was and is currently buried in the same cemetery where John is buried
In 1905, John (and I suspect his wife) visited the Franklin, TN battlefield and removed some timber from the siding of an old Gin house (I suspect it may very well be the one pictured at the top of this Franklin Face Book web page) where he had fought during the battle of Franklin. From this wood, he made some ceremony gavels (quantity unknown) and sent one to the Egbert F. Jones camp (#367, UCV, Huntsville, AL,) for their use. Other gravel locations are unknown.
On 21 February 1907, John died in his hometown of Dyersburg and is buried in the old Dyersburg cemetery near the downtown area.
Please click on the following link to this web page and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it. It took me five years of extensive research to develop this man’s story. I would greatly appreciate any feedback on it. My email address is: jamescareyLL@live.com
James W. Stevens (1828-1915) Co C 22nd TN Cavalry is buried on Pleasant Hill Rd. James fought with his unit at Franklin. On Dec 12, 1864 he was captured in Carthage, Tennessee.
Image courtesy of The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County
While at Franklin, the 22nd TN Cav fought with Bell’s Brigade, Buford’s Division, alongside the 19th, 20th, 21st TN Cav units, and Nixon’s TN Cav.
James enlisted June 28, 1861 into the 22nd TN Cav, Company C., for a period of 12 months. At enlistment he was from DeKalb Co., Tenn. He was 24 years old, 6’1″, blue eyes.
Confederate records show that he was listed as deserted on March 10, 1863, before his first year was up.
Aug – Dec 62 he was listed as absent, a paroled prisoner.
In December 1862 his records show he signed back up with his unit and was placed again in good standing.
By July-Aug 63 he was captured and exchanged back to his army.
By Sept-Oct 63 he was apparently back in good sorts with his unit because he was paid.
He was captured again Dec 12, 1864 in Carthage, Tenn. He was sent to Camp Chase via Louisville. In March 1865 he was transferred to Chicago.
These two men from the 13th Indiana Cavalry pose for their picture in Huntsville, Alabama in July 1864. The two soldiers are Albert D. Patrick (Co H) and John H. Daily (Co D), both privates in the 13th Indiana Cav. The original image sold on eBay.
The 13th Indiana Cav fought at Franklin and Nashville, and were involved in the Union chasing after Hood in his retreat to Alabama after Nashville.
Here’s a separate image of Daily.
And a separate image of Patrick.
Lt. William T. Ogle, 8th Iowa Cavalry, a native from Cincinnati, enlisted as a 1st Lt in August 1863 in Co H, 8th Iowa Cavalry. Records show he was taken as prisoner of war in late July in Newman, GA., but was returned about a month later. He and his unit served in theAtlanta campaign and in middle Tennessee, including Franklin and Tennessee.
Click here to see several CDVs of other 8th Iowa cavalry soldiers previously blogged on.
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