My Civil War (1861 to 1865) Ancestors—by Dana Kelley Bressette
They are all on my mom’s side. The families settled in Kansas, not long after.
(All of my dad’s grandparents were more recent immigrants}
These are the men who would have been of age to be in the Civil War:
Hezekiah Russell Cornutt Cornett (1838-1891) (2nd great grandfather) Enlisted in the Confederate Army, 6 May 1863 in the 63rd Regiment (McMahon’s Regiment) Company C, Grayson Militia. The summer of 1863 the regiment was charged with the security of the saltworks at Saltville, VA. — AWOL June 18 1863–Deserted (or mustered out) 1 Jul 1863. —a little over a month. He was 25.
Brother against brother? I thought I once heard a story that Hezekiah fought on the opposite side of the war that his brothers fought on and he had to sneak home to visit his mother. I found this note in my records, from a correspondent: “Hezikah left when he overheard his brothers talking about hanging him for fighting for the North.” — Perhaps it was because he deserted from the Confederate Army?
Alfred Alexander Cornutt (1818-1905), his father, enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army in Company I, Virginia 51st Infantry Regiment in 1863. He would have been 45. Reuben Cornett (1847-1898), Hezekiah’s brother, enlisted in the Union Army, Company I, 2nd West Virginia Cavalry, on June 30, 1864. He would have been 17. His other brothers were younger. His Grandfather, Reuben would have been in his 70’s (He fought in the War of 1812).
Richard Verbryck (1837-1899) (2nd great grandfather) enlisted as a Private in the Union army on 9 July 1863, Company A, 114th Infantry Regiment Indiana Mustered Out Company A, 114th Infantry Regiment Indiana on 21 Jul 1863 at Indianapolis, IN. He was 25.—Only 12 days?
James Woodrum (1839-1872) (2nd great grandfather): (listed as single here? ) He would have been 24 and married 3 years with a daughter. He and Emily Jane Baugher were married in Jun 1860, but Census records show them still living with their parents in August of that year. He lived in Coles County Illinois; his wife lived in Cumberland County, Illinois. — Or this James Woodrum is possibly his nephew? Either way this is only the registration for the draft.
William Clifford (1808-1877) (2nd great grandfather) according to His wife’s biography: “He was a young man of considerable prominence having…been a Captain of militia in the “Keystone State.” prior to his marriage in 1844. He would have been age 53-57 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War.
–On my husband’s side of the family, his maternal grandmother’s ancestors were more recent German immigrants from the Ukraine or “Little Russia” His maternal grandfather was adopted. Many of his ancestors were from Canada, but some do go back to New England. His father’s side were all French Canadian, some have gone back and forth across the border at various times. I did find that my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather, Frederick Bresette, served in the Civil War:
Frederick Bresette (1845-!924) served as a private in Company B & C, Vermont 9th Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on 22 Dec 1863 and was mustered out on 1 Dec 1865.
On Ed’s maternal grandfather’s side, His infamous biological 3rd great-grandfather, Napoleon Bonaparte Rand, appears to have been a prospector/miner in California and Oregon during the Civil War. His wife’s (Phoebe Mitchell”s) father, however, appears to have served:
Samuel C. Mitchell (1830-?) Enlisted in Company Battery G, Rhode Island Company G, 1st Light Artillery Battery on 02 Dec 1861. Mustered out on 08 Dec 1863. Transferred to Company H, U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps 1st Infantry Regiment on 08 Dec 1863. Mustered out on 18 Nov 1864.
