Civil War – After Toil Comes Rest-Genealogy Musgrove, Holder, Buckmaster, McIntire

A Great Week in Genealogy and It’s Only Thursday

First, I registered for Course 4: Writing and Publishing for Genealogists taught by Tom Jones, one of the best genealogy writers and editors. The week-long course is taught at Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) in Birmingham, Alabama. The class fills up very quickly, with on-line registration opening at 12 noon on Tuesday. I was on-line as the class opened up at 11:58 am, according my computer clock. After finishing registration for the class I realized, in my excitement, I’d forgotten to sign up for on-campus room and board for the week. Logging back in at 12:08, Dr. Jones’ class was already full!

Second, success with DNA testing. I administer 10 DNA kits for family members on FTDNA, along with my additional testing on 23andMe and ancestry. I’ve sent one wave of invitations to all my 973 23andMe matches and added over 200 cousins to my chromosome maps, without finding any close relatives. That all changed this week, when I send out a second wave of invitations to 65 new relatives. One person responded almost immediately. It didn’t take us long to find we are related through our Buckmaster line, with my dad remembering his grand father. My new cousin and I share Charles Wilson Buckmaster and Mahala Hopkins as our most recent common ancestors, motivation for me to analyze Charles’ 500+ pages of Civil War pension file records sitting in two 3″ ring binders on my shelf.

Third – new record on my blog. After the post on Daisy McIntire Vickers, my blog site has had over 100 views/day for the past two days, a record for my blog, with nice comments from some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but I’m still looking for the jam cake and fruit salad recipes. I’d love to share those, if anyone has her recipes.

Altogether a great week in genealogy and it’s only Thursday.

Copyright © 2014 Andrea Musgrove Perisho

MARGARET EOFF ELLIOTT

While browsing on Ancestry.com, I found this wonderful story by Maxine Elliott Gilliam. jdhardin originally posed this story on the Hardin family tree. (1) It’s always a happy moment when we find the work of other family researchers. To this post with the story from Mrs. Gilliam, I’ve added pictures of our shared Elliott ancestors. The captions with the pictures are mine, as are any errors in the posting.

With a Google search, the only Maxine Gilliam located had recently passed away. However, another cousin gave me the correct email address for our Maxine Elliott Gilliam, who is still working on genealogy. This story is used with her permission.

James Monroe Elliott and Margaret Eoff met and married in Tennessee, then moved to Izard County, Arkansas. He was 45 years old, when he enlisted with the Confederate Army, leaving Margaret at home with 11-12 children. They went on to have 15 children. James had at least one child with another woman before he married Margaret. See my earlier blog for details on his war service.

Home Front Solider. Margaret didn’t have a military uniform. She wore a faded print dress covered by a stained, faded apron as she performed her duties. She may or may not have had shoes on her feet and if she had them they were not stylish. She served at home in the remote, rocky mountains of north central Arkansas while Monroe was away fighting the Civil War. She was home alone with eleven or twelve children to care for.

Cooking and Washing. She cooked on a wood stove, did laundry with a rub board and a black wash pot, and ironed with sad irons. Her fate was no different than thousands of other women of her day. Their water was carried in buckets from a creek or spring. She was no doubt several miles from the nearest store which probably was not a major inconvenience since there were little goods to be bought even if she happened to have the cash. Their food was what they raised and ate fresh and canned, dried and salted down what they could.

Food. Salt was a very scarce item and that was the only way they had to preserve fish, wild game, pork and beef. I can imagine her sending the two oldest boys, the twins William and James, into the woods to kill turkeys, rabbits, deer, quail and other wild game for their food supply. She must have waited anxiously for their return since they were only 14 years old and there was “fightin’ in them thar hills”. The girls had to walk through woods to get to the creek for water. There were many outlaws and bandits raiding homes and taking what they wanted, besides the Union soldiers. When game or domestic animals were killed, they had to be butchered and preserved which is no small chore.

Clothing. Their clothing was made at home either with or without a very primitive sewing machine. They raised the flax and cotton, spun the yarn and wove the fabrics that became their clothing.

Home and Homelife. The winters were very cold and wet. Their house, of course, was not insulated and probably had large cracks in the walls. Their heat was from wood. The summers were miserably hot and storms occurred very frequently. Can you imagine her fear and that of the children when they saw strangers approaching? If they ever went anyplace it was to church or to visit a neighbor and both probably happened infrequently.

Health Care: There were no doctors available so when she or one of the children were sick or injured Margaret had the responsibility of taking care of them. Modern medicines of course were not available so she had to depend on old home remedies that had been passed down from generation to generation. In her day every mother had her “good” needle and a spool of white silk thread so she could sew up the cuts that required stitches. I wonder how many sleepless nights she had with sick children and then assumed her regular duties with the rising of the sun.

Travel: All travel was done by horseback or horse and wagon on rough rocky narrow roads winding through the mountains. During the winter there was snow and ice on those roads on many occasions.

Isolation: Can you imagine how dark the nights were with no streetlights and so many trees around to cast shadows even when there was moonlight? How quiet the nights were with no auto traffic, trains, etc. to break the silence. The sounds of wild animals (some of them frightening) were the only night sounds. There were bears, mountain lions and wolves to break the dead silence of night.

James Monroe Elliott Jr and sons - Texas, about 1918 — James Monroe Elliott Jr (son of James Monroe Elliott and Margaret Eoff) and his sons – Texas, about 1918

Communication: Communication with the outside world was not a common occurrence. The mail was very slow and infrequent. Of course, there were no newspapers thrown in the front yard every morning, no radios, no TVs, no telephones and no e-mail. News, even where it was heard, had to be evaluated since there are always lots of rumors in war time to frighten people or to help carry out military plans.

Children: The children had a rough childhood compared to children of our day. They had a lot to overcome in growing up. This is bound to have affected their personalities for the rest of their lifetime.

Lucille Elliott - oldest sister — Lucille Elliott – oldest daughter of James Monroe and Margaret Elliott.

Melinda Maddox, Almeda Todd, Margaret Ring - three Elliott sisters. Picture probably taken in Garland, TX at Almeda's home. — Melinda Maddox, Almeda Todd, Margaret Ring – three Elliott sisters. Picture probably taken in Garland, TX at Almeda’s home.

another daughter, said to be Mary Jane Elliott, Thomas Hendrix McIntire's mother — another daughter, said to be Mary Jane Elliott, Thomas Hendrix McIntire’s mother

Heroine: Margaret will not be written up in any history book as a heroine, but she and thousands of other women of her day deserve our respect, admiration and understanding. Let us give her honor!

And let’s give honor to Maxine Elliott Gilliam for her genealogy work, much appreciated by the current and future generations of researchers.

Source: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3552949/story/e7e26028-a91c-45f7-a5a2-36f9c24e4b0c, accessed May 4, 2013. Those with an Ancestry.com account, follow this link to see the original posting.

Eveline Minerva Price Tyler

Eveline was murdered in her hen-house. She was murdered by someone in the family. She might have been murdered by someone who knew about the mine or she might have been murdered over how she was spending her money.

After her husband was convicted of treason and died during the Civil War (see earlier post for Peter Adams Tyler), Eveline and her children stayed in the area, with the youngest Peter Allen only five years old.

The legends of lost silver mines are Arkansas folk-lore. Family stories describe the Indian silver mine, where some of Eveline’s sons might have helped with the mining, though they were taken blindfolded to the mine. Family stories also describe a pouch of gold nuggets from the mine, carried by Eveline’s daughter, Elizabeth Tyler Craig. Several stories from northwest Arkansas describe counterfeit silver dollars with higher silver content than the federal coins.

In one story, unidentified men came to the Tyler house and inquired of the mine. When the men became dissatisfied with the answer, they strangled Eveline.

More likely, Eveline was murdered by a close relative because she had initiated selling her land to educate grandsons. Eveline had raised Edmund Wallace Wood Jr., after the separation of his parents, Eliza Ann Tyler and Edmund Wallace Wood. She was helping Edmund pay for his medical education.

The murderer was probably afraid she was going to do the same thing for Daniel Tyler (another of her grandsons), reducing the size of the estate she would be leaving to other heirs.

Whatever the motive, Eveline Minerva Price Tyler was strangled in her own hen-house. Her oldest son William Baker Tyler found her body. She was buried in an unmarked grave, on her farm. No suspects were ever apprehended.

Peter Allen Tyler Jr is in the middle and to the left of him is Stanford Tyler and to his right is Lindsey Tyler. — Peter Allen Tyler Jr is in the middle. Left of him is Stanford Tyler and right is Lindsey Tyler. A son and grandsons of Eveline Minerva Price Tyler.

Sources

James Thomas Craig Bible
“Roots & Tales” a biography by Hoyt Young, Roach, MO.
Arkansas Census Records
Historical accounts in Marshall, AR. library.

NOTE: Eveline and Peter Adams’ son was named Peter Adams Tyler, Jr., but at some point he started using Allen as his middle name.

William Dixson – Texas State Troops, Militia Cavalry, Texas Rangers

William Dixson was born on October 13, 1825 in Ohio. He married Louvisa Bedford on June 26, 1851 in Rusk, Texas. They had seven children. Their oldest child, Betty Elizabeth, was the great-grandmother of Eva Buckmaster Musgrove. We may be descendants from Peter Browne, the carpenter on the Mayflower, if we can gather documentation on Louvisa ‘s and her father, James Bedford.

Parker County, west of Dallas/Fort Worth, seems to have been a center for Indian raids from 1854 to 1874, particularly during the Civil War when regular troops were pulled away from the frontier. The settlers were continually harassed by the Kiowa and Comanche Indians. At frequent intervals, usually during the full moon, the tribes would over run pioneer communities. They would come in roving bands, stealing the horses and cattle of the settlers, destroying property, committing murder, and taking many women and even more children into captivity and slavery. After the war, it was said more tombstones had “killed by Indians” than “CSA soldier.”

At about the age of 43, in 1864, William served in the Texas State Troops in the cavalry under Captain David Yeary, Company E, Parker County, 1^st Frontier District, Texas State Troops, protecting the frontier settlers from the Indians and Mexicans. By 1900, the ranging companies/Texas State Troops were organized as the Texas Rangers. These troops were paid by the state of Texas and were not CSA soldiers, though sometimes the forces worked together.

William died in Weatherford, Parker County, Texas on April 10, 1877. He was 51 years old. Many years later, Louvisa was issued a pension based on his service.

Sources

Widow’s Pension File Number 31705. Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Austin, Texas; Confederate Pension Applications, 1899-1975; Collection # CPA16526: Roll # 2013; Roll Description: Pension File Nos. 31705 to 31705, Application Years 1915 to 1915.
“Frontier Defense in the Civil War,” David Paul Smith.

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

Thomas Andrew Pennington – Missouri Calvary, Union Army, bugler.

Civil War Flag Union — Union Civil War Flag

Thomas Andrew Pennington was born on March 24, 1825, in Russell, Kentucky. His father was Royal Riley Pennington and his mother was Elizabeth Kerns.

On November 18, 1847, he married Cynthia Ann Brown. They had five children before the war, including James T. Pennington, who was William (Bill) Musgrove Jr.’s grandfather. Another child was born in 1863 and two more after the war.

He enlisted in 1862 at the age of 37. He joined Company A, 1^st Regiment, Missouri State Militia Calvary Regiment. He started as a second class musician, but by the end of the war, he had been promoted to bugler. On January 24, 1862, Thomas Pennington along with the rest of his company was dispatched to fight against Chandler’s Jawhawkers who had attacked several farms near Atchison, Kansas. Some of the Jawhawkers were captured, the remaining escaped toward White Cloud, Kansas.

He died on April 3, 1880, (age 55 years) in Patton, Bollinger County, Missouri.

Sources

U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865, online, Provo Utah. General Index to Pension Files 1861-1934, National Archives, for Cynthia’s pension application #349881, Feb 4, 1887, filed in Mo. T288, roll 367.
Index to Compiled Military Service Records, film M390, roll 37. Union Army, Vol.5, p.52.
Index to Compiled Military Services Records can be found at the following website – www.civilwar.nps.gov/csss/

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

Peter Adams Tyler, Arkansas, Convicted for Treason against the C.S.A.

Peter Adams Tyler was the eldest son of Baker Tyler, one of the earliest settlers in Northwest Arkansas. He was born on December 22, 1823. He prospered as a farmer and citizen until his death in the Civil War. He was a Mason and served as sheriff of Searcy County, AR, from 1854 to 1858. He probably spent his entire married life farming the area in what is now known as Tyler Bend. In 1847, records show him with “one horse and one other cattle”. By 1857, he had purchased all of the 120 acres that made up his final farm holdings. By 1860 his tax base is listed as $2700.00, a tidy holding in those days. He would be considered a successful farmer for his time.

Possible Cherokee Connection

Family tradition states that he met his wife to be, Eveline Minerva Price, at a trading post on the Mississippi River. Also, Minerva was reportedly 1/2 or more Cherokee. Practicality would suggest that he met Minerva at a store or post in Northwest Arkansas. Eveline, born in North Carolina, followed the Cherokee routes to Arkansas, and Price is a prominent name among the Cherokee Nation. As yet, proof of her Cherokee heritage has not been found. Peter and Eveline married on July 4, 1845. They had nine children, including James Buchanan Tyler, Carl Lee Holder’s grandfather.

The Searcy County Men

Searcy County had a large contingent of men who had little support for the Confederacy or the war in general. See information on the Arkansas Peace Society in another posting. In fact, both the Union and Confederate army drew troops from Searcy County. In November, 1861, Colonel Sam Leslie, commander of the 45th Arkansas Militia, called up several companies to apprehend suspects. Governor Henry Rector ordered Leslie to arrest all Searcy County men involved with the Arkansas Peace Society and ship them to Little Rock to be tried as traitors. On December 9, 1861, the prisoners were shackled together, marched to Little Rock, and offered the choice of enlisting in the Confederate army or standing trial for treason. Apparently, all joined the Army. The group was called “The Searcy County Men”. Charles W. Price, brother to Eveline was in the group.

Peter A. Tyler Sr. was very involved in recruiting for the peace society. He feared for his life and hid out. He was not apprehended until December 16, 1861. He testified and was convicted of treason.

No one knows for sure where and when he died or is buried, but the evidence supports his death, due to measles or other disease, either in a prisoner of war camp or in a work camp near Bowling Green, Kentucky. In January, 1862, he wrote a letter from Bowling Green to his wife indicating epidemic illnesses – see below for a transcript of the letter.

He was never heard from again. A letter by Daniel P. Tyler in 1936 states “Grandpa Tyler was buried at Bowling Green, Kent.” and the family bible of M. Catherine Tyler gives his death date as February, 1862.

The material below (in italics) was photocopied from a copy at the Arkansas History Commission and transcribed by Rebecca Lambert on 10 April 1999, who tried to follow Peter’s punctuation and spelling as closely as possible.

Bolling Green Kentucky
January the 17th 1862
Dear Wife & Children I once more take my pen in hand to write to you to let you know how we are and what we are doing–all of us is knocking about as yet but not all well Thomas Thompson has the meeseals broke out on him This morning And I am very unwell my self so much so that if I was at home I would be in my bed Though I hope nothing searious it is my Brest and side That gives me the undlly [?] uneasness at and pain at Present although we have verry disheartning news This morning they say hear that the Unio is a gradeel Stronger then us and that we are surrounded in all sides by them we learn heare allso that the North has taken Gallveston in Texas Though I beleave That the People in This place is not verry uneasy for They appeare to be verry busey bilding houses in Town Besides This there is great namy cars and waggons going heare This morning and no wander they have one Hundred & thirty thousdand Troops to dard them besides all This They have strong fortifications all around Town so I have give you enough of this at present more then … They are looking for a heavy batte soon if it comes on at all.
I will say to you that I want to see you all verry bad but I know that it is impossiable at present but I trust that I may see you again in life and that we may be injoying good Health for Their is nothing on Earth ould be so consoling to me then to meet you all again in Peace on Earth allthough you need not to greive nor let your mind be troubled about me for I feel like I am purficley Resigned when the Sumons comes let it come when and where it may And I would be pleased to heare and allso to know that you and the Rest of my friends could meet that Calmar Doom when asigned to you & them.
I will say to you that when I first set down To write to you I would have a good deel to write But it is not the Case about the finis of my letter. When Lindsey Price wrote in Memphis we had not heard about Charles Price & Samuel Thompson and others being their but we found out where They was and went to see them.
So I will write but a little more at present. Though I hope that thease lines may come safe to hand and find you all well and Dooing well now we are not stationed at this place we have to leave heare This Eavening for T. C. Hindmans Leagion about 24 miles distant from this place and it may be so that I can write to you so that you can write to me and their you may now wheare to direct your letters be careful about yourself & Children so no more at presant ondley show this to all inquireing friends

So Farewell my Dear Wife Children & Friends at present
This from P.A. Tyler } To Eveline M. Tyler & Children

Sources

Peter A. Tyler – Family Records of James J. Johnston, Suzanne D. Rogers, and military records.
Edward Gerdes’ Civil War Page for more information on Arkansas Civil War activities and the Peacekeepers Society at this URL: Edward Gerdes’ Civil War Page or www.counchgenweb.com
Searcy County, Arkansas Census, p268, 1850.
“Searcy County My Dear, A History of Searcy County “, by McInturff, pages 37, 38,39,40,41.

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

James Monroe Elliott – Arkansas Calvary, Confederate, quartermaster.

James Monroe Elliott was born on June 22, 1816 in Warren, Tennessee. His father was Stephen Elliott and his mother was Elizabeth; her last name is not known. In 1843, Monroe married Margaret Eoff in Tennessee, where they had three children. After the move to Sylamore, Izard County, Arkansas, Monroe and Margaret had 12 more children. Their last child, Almeda Ellen Elliott was born in 1867. She was Edith McIntire Holder’s grandmother.

According to family sources, James Monroe Elliott Sr. did not speak to his daughter Mary Jane (Elliott) McIntire for about 15 years because she married what he considered to be an unsuitable young man, John A. McIntire. The couple went on to have twelve children, including Thomas Hendrix, Edith McIntire Holder’s father. Edith’s father and mother were cousins.

James Monroe Elliott and Margaret Eoff, husband and wife

Monroe Elliott was 45 years old and had a wife and lots of children when he was more or less forced to volunteer in the Civil War. At the time Monroe “volunteered,” his oldest sons were William and James, twins who were 13 years old, with three older daughters. Lucy, the oldest, was 20 years old; her husband died in the Civil War.

Arkansas Peace Society of 1861

There were many responsible family men around his age in the northern counties of Arkansas who simply did not want a war. They just wanted to be left alone to raise their families and survive the best they could. They formed the Arkansas Peace Society of 1861. This was a secret organization who organized as a home guard to defend their families and their property if they were attacked. The state of Arkansas was being run by a Confederate government and they accused its estimated 1700 members of treason. Monroe volunteered to serve the Confederacy, as did most of the men, rather than go to a prison camp. Monroe enlisted with the 8^th Arkansas Cavalry (“Desha Rangers”), Companies F & S in Arkansas County on March 10, 1863, where he served as quartermaster-sergeant, a very responsible position.

In 1882, Monroe sold his land in Stone County, Arkansas, left Margaret and his youngest three daughters behind. He moved with another female relative, acting as his wife, to the Republic of Texas. (Monroe appears to be a bigamist, maybe twice! When he married Margaret, he was still married to a woman from Alabama. He must have been quite the ladies’ man.) Monroe died on July 16, 1897 in Gordon, Palo Pinto, Texas, United States at the age of 81, very poor.

Sources

Rosters of the Desha Rangers, 8th Arkansas Cavalry, Carlton’s Arkansas Cavalry, and the 21st Arkansas Infantry are posted on Edward Gerdes’ Civil War Page at this URL: www.counchgenweb.com Edward Gerdes’ Civil War Page.
Index to Compiled Military Service Records, film M376, roll 7.
“The McIntires and Elliotts of Bickle’s Cove, Stone County, Arkansas,” by Pauline Mitchell Pierce.

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

Walker Todd – Tennessee Infantry, Confederate, private.

Walker Todd was born on May 5, 1822 in Cannon County, Tennessee. Walker was raised by his grandmother. He didn’t know who his father was. To determine parentage, some family members are actively recruiting selected family members for DNA testing. My sister’s DNA result was a match to Walker Everett Todd’s descendents.

Walker married Julia Ann Painter in 1849. There is no evidence they had any children. On May 3, 1855, he married Elmira Frances Haynes in Coffee County, Tennessee. They had ten children, including Albert Newton Todd, Edith McIntire Holder’s grandfather. They also raised their granddaughter, Nellie Lee Todd.

Walker, at the age of 41, enrolled in Company A, 18^th Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers under Capt. M. B. Rushing at McMinnville on January 10, 1863. With his enrollment this late in the war and at his age, Walker may have been under a lot of pressure to “volunteer.” Walker was on the muster roll for the CSA 18th Regiment Tennessee Infantry for January and February 1863; March and April 1863 in hospital; July and August 1863 in hospital at Ringgold, Georgia; September and October in hospital. On Aug 8, 1863 he was sent to Ford Hospital (Newman, GA) and was still on the Hospital Muster Roll for November and December.

January and February 1864, he was present on his Company’s Muster Roll, but from May thru August 1864 he is absent from the Company and back in the hospital. A Dalton, GA Muster Roll dated January 20, 1864 shows he was detailed as a hospital nurse. On January 15, 1865, Walker was admitted to the hospital for disabilities and, on April 14, 1865, was sent to C.S.A. General Hospital No. 11, Charlotte, NC.

From the description of 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry activities below, it appears Walker may have been captured at Fort Donelson, with another family ancestor, Charles Wilson Buckmaster, fighting on the Union side. We don’t know what caused Walker’s extended hospital stays. He was present on his Company’s Muster Rolls in January and February 1864, just after the fall of Atlanta, with no significant battles during this time, though he was back in the hospital by May 1864. To learn more, state records from the Civil War will need to be searched.

The 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry completed its organization at Camp Trousdale, Tennessee, in June, 1861, and in July had 883 men present for duty. The unit moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, then Fort Donelson where it was captured in February, 1862. Exchanged and reorganized, the 18th was assigned to Pillow’s, J.C. Brown’s, Brown’s and Reynolds’ Consolidated, and Palmer’s Brigade, Army of Tennessee. During October, 1863, the unit was consolidated with the 26th Regiment. It participated in the campaigns of the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta and returned to Tennessee with Hood, but it was not engaged at Franklin and Nashville. Later it was involved in the North Carolina Campaign. The regiment reported 52 casualties of the 685 at Fort Donelson, then lost thirty-one percent of the 430 at Murfreesboro and forty-one percent of the 330 at Chickamauga. In December, 1863, the 18th/26th totaled 423 men and 290 arms and sustained many losses at Atlanta. Later the 18th was consolidated with the 3rd Volunteers and on December 21, 1864, there were 12 men fit for duty. It was included in the surrender on April 26, 1865. The field officers were Colonel Joseph B. Palmer, Lieutenant Colonels William R. Butler and Albert G. Carden, and Majors Samuel W. David and William H. Joyner.

While Walker was in the service, Elmira hid the horses in the cedars and hid their money under the beehives. When the Raiders went through the house taking everything they could, she was “too ill” to rise from the chair, where she was sitting on their money. The Raiders were stealing food, animals, and everything they could use. When Elmira’s brother, Newton Haynes, got out of the service, he planted the crops. When Walker (who had to walk most of the way home from Virginia) was able to get home, he told the Elmira’s brother he could have half the crops since he had done all the work.

His Oath of Allegiance is dated May 24, 1865 and lists his description: dark complexion, gray hair, gray eyes, 5’11” tall. At the age of 84, he died on July 28, 1906 in Cannon County, Tennessee. He and his wife are buried in the Todd Cemetery, on the hillside of the family farm just a few yards from where their frame house stood.

Source

Index to Compiled Military Service Records, film M231, roll 43.

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

James Allen Medcalf – Company E, 4th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Union Army, private.

Allen Medcalf was the brother of William Tate Musgrave’s first wife, Nancy, and the father of William Tate’s second wife, Myzella. In the Mexican War, Allen was mustered in on June 8, 1847 by Captain Gatlin. He served in Company E, 4th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers. He was mustered out July 20, 1848 in Madison, Indiana by Major H.A. Goff. It looks like the troops made it into Mexico, since records indicate some soldiers were left sick at the mouth of the Rio Grande. I don’t have any further records on his service in the Civil War.

James Allen Medcalf and Amanda Wood were married by Reverend Thomas Walker on September 14, 1848. Allen Metcalf died on April 8, 1868 in Dale, Spencer County, Indiana. Sometime after his death, Amanda moved to Texas and lived with her son, George Edwin Medcalf. She signed her pension applications with her mark. William Tate Musgrave and Walker Medcalf were witnesses to that pension application and signed with their signatures.

Sources

Certificate of Marriage issued on September 1, 1848 – Allen Medcalf and Amanda Wood.
Roster of the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Regiments, Adjutant General Military U.S. Military Records, 1631-1976. Database on-line Provo, UT, USA. P 430-431.
Mexican War pension #4180 for Amanda Wood Metcalf, widow of Allen Medcalf.
Land Bounty Warrant No 42077 for 160 acres received by Allen about March 28, 1849, according to Amanda’s Pension Application in Van Alstyne, Grayson County, Texas with George E. Lemon as her attorney.

Copyrighted, 2012 by Andrea Musgrove Perisho.

Charles Wilson Buckmaster – Iowa Infantry, Union Army, private.

Charles Wilson Buckmaster was born on September 12 1843 in Coshocton, Coshocton County, Ohio. Wilson was a family name passed down from his great, great, great grandmother Mary Wilson Buckmaster, who was born in Kent County, Delaware in 1680.

He enlisted as a private in Company E and A, 14^th Regiment of the Iowa Infantry on August 30, 1862, serving in the 42^nd and the 43^rd Infantry. From the regimental records, it looks like he saw a lot of action and may have been a POW. I’ve requested his military and pension records.

Service Details: The 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry was organized at Davenport in November and mustered in November 6, 1861. Ordered to St. Louis, Mo., December, 1861. Attached to District of Corinth, Dept. of Tennessee, to December, 1862. Davenport, Iowa, and St. Louis, Mo., to April, 1863. Cairo, Ill., District of Columbus, 6th Division, 16th Army Corps, Dept. of Tennessee, to January, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 16th Army Corps, to December, 1864. Springfield, Ill., to August, 1865.

From Regiment records, Charles may have fought in the following battles: Fort Donelson February 12-16, 1862, where Walker Everett Todd, another ancestor fighting for the south, was captured; Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7; held center at “Hornet’s Nest” and Regiment mostly captured, paroled October 12, 1862, exchanged November 19, 1862; Those not captured assigned to Union Brigade and participated in the advance on and seize of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 13. Duty at Corinth till August, and at Danville, Miss., till October. Battle of Corinth October 3-4. Pursuit to Ripley October 5-12. At Corinth until December 18. Ordered to rejoin Regiment at Davenport, Iowa, December 18. While en route participated in the defense of Jackson, Tenn., December 20, 1862, to January 4, 1863. Arrived at Davenport January 7. Reorganizing Regiment at Davenport, Iowa, and at St. Louis, Mo., till April. Moved to Cairo, Ill., April 10, and duty there till January, 1864. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss. Meridian Campaign February 3 to March 5. Meridian February 14-15. Marion February 15-17. Canton February 28. Red River Campaign March 10-May 22. Fort DeRussy March 14. Occupation of Alexandria March 16. Henderson’s Hill March 21. Battle of Pleasant Hill April 9. Cloutiersville and Cane River Crossing April 22-24. At Alexandria April 27-May 13. Moore’s Plantation May 5-7. Bayou Boeuf May 7. Bayou LaMourie May 12. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Mansura May 16. Yellow Bayou May 18-19. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., thence to Memphis, Tenn., May 20-June 10. Lake Chicot, Ark., June 6-7. Smith’s Expedition to Tupelo July 5-21. Pontotoc July 11. Camargo’s Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town Creek July 15. Smith’s Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-30. Tallahatchie River August 7-9. Abbeville and Oxford August 12. Abbeville August 23. Mower’s Expedition up White River to Duvall’s Bluff September 1-7. March through Arkansas and Missouri in pursuit of Price September 17-October 25. (4 Cos. sent to Pilot Knob, Mo., and participated in actions at Ironton, Shut in Gap and Arcadia September 26. Fort Davidson, Pilot Knob, September 26-27. Leesburg or Harrison September 28-29.) Regiment assembled at St. Louis, Mo., November 2 and mustered out November 16, 1864. Veterans and recruits consolidated to two Companies and assigned to duty at Springfield, Ill., till August 8, 1865, when Charles was mustered out.

His regiment lost five officers and fifty-nine enlisted men killed and mortally wounded during service and one officer and one hundred thirty eight enlisted men by disease. Total 203.

Charles mustered out as a private of Company E on June 6, 1865 at Davenport, Iowa. Shortly after mustering out, on September 10, 1865, Charles Wilson married Mahala Hopkins.

By 1880, the family had moved to Stafford, Kansas. It appears the family moved to Indian Territory sometime before April 7, 1885, when Andrew Jackson Buckmaster, Eva’s father, was born in Indian Territory, Oklahoma.

Charles died on March 18, 1919, (age 75 years) in Holdenville, Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. He had been in Holdenville and was planning to go home to Hilltop on a local freight train. He climbed aboard the caboose which was detached from the train and fell off. He was dead when found. The doctor ruled the cause of death as a heart attack. Charles Wilson was Eva Buckmaster Musgrove’s grandfather.

Sources

U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, on-line Provo, Utah.
Index to Compiled Military Service Records, film M541, roll 4.
Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of Rebellion.
Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934.