From Dec. 13, 2010 Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Bill Torpy.
H.V. Booth turned 92 in December and tells people his father fought for the Confederacy. This always brings quizzical looks.
His father, Isham Johnson Booth was from north of Atlanta and served as a guard at Andersonville. Born in 1843, he joined the Army at age 16, mustering in near Elberton, Ga.. While there, "They'd say. 'We need 400 men to send to Virginia. We need 100 men in Alabama.'"
Isham was assigned to duty at Camp Sumter, better known as Andersonville where 13,000 Union soldiers died. Guards and livestock used the stream above where it entered the stockade.
Unions prisoners caught the fever as did Isham. He was put on a mule, and sent back home to recover, which he reached four days later.
After recovering, he was on his way back to duty when he heard the war was over. Isham simply turned around and went home. He didn't know that he was listed as a deserter until years later.
Young Confederates, Even Younger Wives. --Old B-Runner
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