Victor, Illinois, in the Civil War-- Part 1

I will be taking a short break from the Battle of Antietam after the war and Robert E. Miles and Bazel Lemley to write about the really small town of Victor, Illinois.  It does not exist anymore and obviously was never very big as far as population (just 299 live in the entire township, which is called Victor Township).

Victor Township is located in the south central part of DeKalb County, Illinois.

I have been writing about it in my RoadDog's RoadLog blog and came across some interesting Civil War history, so, here it is.

From Genealogy Trails"Victor Township History."

In 1855, the population of Victor, Illinois, was 399; in 1860 it was 746 and in 1865, 835.

The town gave 103 soldiers to the War of the Rebellion and taxed itself $10,858 for war purposes.

Those who gave their lives in the service of their country:

Ferdinand Van Derveer,  who died at Louisville, Kentucky, March 30, 1865
E.T. Pierce,   at Alexandria, Virginia, April 23, 1861  (That was very early in the war.)
C.T. Bond,  at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1865
C.P. Snydam,   at Alexandria, Virginia, January 26, 1862

--Old Secesh

More on Robert E. Miles

Still in John Banks' Blog.

He has a photo of the grave of Robert E, Miles in Piedmont Cemetery, in Shawsville, Virginia, which has a marker  "Robert E. Miles.  Capt.  CS Army Civil War, Dec. 8, 1839  Dec. 6, 1942.

Here's hoping nothing happens to it July 1, 2020, when Virginia's law protecting Confederate monuments end.

There was also a comment of interest:

She said that Robert E. Miles were her husband's cousins twice removed.  Robert also had two brothers who also served in the Confederacy.

Private James  Henry Miles, 1832-1864  (Killed in Action at Cold Harbor).
Private John Henry Miles, 1836-1905.

All three brothers served in the same regiment at the beginning of the war, the 57th Virginia Infantry Regiment.

--Old Secesh

Two Old Soldiers Greet FDR at Antietam's 75th Anniversary in 1937-- Part 4: Bazel Lemley

Bazel Lemley, 95, was the Union veteran who was at the Battle of Antietam who met President Roosevelt at the 75th anniversary of the battle.  He was 19 when he enlisted in the 37th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment as a private on May 15, 1861.  He survived Antietam, but was slightly wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864.

According to a descendant, Mr. Lemley was "quite a celebrity around his home" and was quite active up until his death.

Like Robert E. Miles, Lemley lived to reach his 100th birthday and even at that age often walked two miles a day.  "He was consistently Greene County's best-dressed senior," another Pennsylvania newspaper noted.

On February 18, 1943, eight days after he celebrated his 101st birthday, Mr. Lemley died in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.  World War I veterans served as his pallbearers at his funeral.

"Mr. Lemley was a staunch Republican and among his fondest memories was shaking hands with President Lincoln at a military review and with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the dedication of the 'Eternal Light' memorial at Gettysburg, according to his obituary in the Waynesburg  (Pa.) Democrat Messenger.

--Old Secesh

Two Old Soldiers Greet FDR at Antietam on 75th Anniversary-- Part 3: Robert E. Miles, CSA

One of the two old soldiers was Confederate, the other Union.

The Confederate one was Robert E. Miles, 101, who was a sergeant in the 57th Virginia Infantry Regiment.  He was struck in the hand and foot by shell fragments at Antietam and lay wounded  on the field for hours until he was able to crawl to the safety of his own lines.  He claimed that later in the war, he carried dispatches for Robert E. Lee, whom he said greeted soldiers each morning with, "Good morning, boys."

By the end of the Rebellion, Miles had been promoted to captain.

After the war, he returned to his Virginia farm in Franklin County, where he and his wife raised ten children.  The old soldier's advice for a good life was simple, "When you start through the world," he told a local newspaper, "commence laughing.  Then never quit."

When he turned 100, Miles received a letter marking the occasion from FDR who noted his milestone was "a privilege  not vouchsafed to many."  That note was one of his most treasured possessions.

Born in Pig River, Virginia, on December 8, 1839, Miles died at Shawsville, Virginia, in 1942, two days shy of his 103rd birthday.  He was buried in his Confederate uniform.

--Old Secesh

Two Old Soldiers Greet FDR at Antietam's 75th Anniversary-- Part 2

Judging by today's climate, the Hagerstown (Md.) Morning-Herald was a bit off  when it reported:  "The bitterness of 75 years ago has disappeared and frequently men who fought for the South were seen arm in arm with soldiers of the North.

"Eagerly the old soldiers, all past four score and ten. watched the re-enactment of the Bloody Lane phase of the Battle of Antietam over the ground which many of them had traveled as young warriors three-quarters of a century ago.  It was a day of pleasure for these aged men and after the program was concluded many of them expressed themselves as  delighted with their visit here."

It was something to see men who had at one time fought against each other, now on a friendly basis.  That is one thing that always struck me after the war, was how the former enemies mostly made up and continued on their paths through their life.

Too bad this isn't happening today.  That bitterness is apparent everywhere these days with certain people doing their best to bury the old Confederacy.

By the way, four score and ten would be 90 years old.

Of course, this is also of interest as we are going through the 75th anniversary of World War II.

--Old Secesh

Road Tripping Through History: Two Old Soldiers Who Fought at Antietam Greet FDR on the 75th Anniversary-- Part 1

I was ready to go on to another subject in this blog until I came across this, and I felt obliged to include it here since it is very appropriate to what I have been writing about.  This Road Trip Through History all started back in May when I wrote about President McKinley's speech he gave at Antietam at the dedication of the Maryland Monument there in my Civil War II blog.  It went from there to U.S. presidents who have visited Antietam in this blog as well as specifically FDR's visit.

From the January 21, 2016, John Banks' Civil War Blog  "Antietam:  Two old soldiers meet FDR at 75th commemoration."

John Banks sure finds interesting stuff to write about.  Check out his blog.

He wrote about President Franklin D. Roosevelt speaking at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1937.  (This even more interesting in the fact that we now are observing the 75th anniversary of World War II with our own batch of 90+-year old warriors from that war.)

The next day, the Hagerstown (Md) Morning reported that there were approximately fifty Civil War veterans in attendance and even more impressive to me, anyway, at least two who had actually fought at the battle.

They were Bazel Lemley, 94, and Robert Miles, 95.  Mr. Banks' article has a photograph of these two men with FDR.  Lemley, a Union veteran, is shaking hands with the president and Miles seems to be  laughing.

--Old Secesh

FDR Visits Antietam on 75th Anniversary-- Part 3: His Speech of Unity

President Roosevelt closed his speech that day with words that that placed focus on the importance of a united country.  His words bear wisdom today as they did in 1937.  (And, we know that today, the country is far from united and with the move to eradicate any and all things Confederate the situation is getting worse.)

FDR stated:  "In the presence of the spirits of those who fell on this field -- Union soldiers and Confederate soldiers -- we can believe that they  rejoice with us  in the unity of understanding which is so increasingly ours today.

"They urge us on in all  we do to foster unity in the spirit of tolerance, of willingness to help our neighbor, and of faith in the destiny of the United States,"

Too Bad, Certain People Have Forgotten These Words.  --Old Secesh

F.D.R. Visits Antietam on 75th Anniversary of Battle-- Part 2

Civil War veterans from Maryland and Pennsylvania in attendance included George Leighty, from Hancock, Maryland, one of the two remaining veterans from Washington County.  He served with the 3rd Regiment Maryland Infantry.  Other area residents in attendance were F.L. Mullinex from Westminster, who served in the 7th Maryland regiment, and Edward Flickinger, Dry Run, Pennsylvania, from the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment.  Flickinger was the last survivor of the Civil War from Franklin County.

The day before the program, September 16, twenty-one veterans toured the battlefield and observed that the corn was "more mature" than what they remembered seventy-five years ago.  Veterans were also a part of a special dinner held in their honor at the Hotel Alexander Ballroom  in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Twenty-four veterans, the Governors of two states and representatives of governors were guests.

--Old Secesh

F.D.R. Visits Antietam on 75th Anniversary of the Battle-- Part 1

From the Antietam Journal blog.  "FDR visits the Battlefield:  A Presidential visit" by Ranger Mike Gamble.

The seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1937.

Some folks in attendance still had actual memories of the battle 75 years later.  Approximately fifty Civil War veterans and a crowd of thirty-five thousand gathered to hear the President of the United States m Franklin D. Roosevelt, give a stirring speech and to view a re-enactment of the battle.

From  the grandstand overlooking the famous Bloody Lane, visitors were able to view 1,000 National Guardsmen simulate battle.  Units of Guardsmen came from Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia as well as active duty soldiers from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Following the battle,  the crowd stood for a playing of the National Anthem as Boy Scouts marched in front of the viewing stand with the flags of thirty states representing the homes of soldiers who fought at the battle.

The president received a memento of the fighting:  a brightly polished piece of wood with a bullet embedded in it  chopped from a tree near the Burnside Bridge.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 7: Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was the eighth, and last sitting president to visit Antietam Battlefield.

He did so with his wife Rosalynn and historian Shelby Foote in July 1978.  The story goes that the presidential motorcade made its way from Harper's Ferry up Maryland Route 230.  It was stopped at one point for twenty minutes while a herd of cattle crossed the road.

Wow, visiting a battlefield with someone like Shelby Foote.  The stories he could tell.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 6: FDR and JFK's Visit

After Theodore Roosevelt's visit to Antietam, several years passed before the next presidential visit.  It wasn't until September 17, 1937, the 75th anniversary of the battle, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered an eloquent speech in front of an estimated crowd of 50,000, including some Civil War veterans with whom he shook hands.

Since 1944, only two U.S. presidents have visited Antietam Battlefield:  John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.

Kennedy toured the battlefield with his wife, Jackie and brother Ted, on April 3, 1963, just six months before his fateful ride in Dallas.  They made the trip from Camp David to the battlefield in a helicopter.  Of particular interest to the Kennedys were stories of the Irish Brigade and the role of Massachusetts soldiers.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 5: William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt

Continued from June 3.

President McKinley returned to Antietam Battlefield  on May 30, 1900, Memorial Day, to deliver  an address at the unveiling of the Maryland State Monument.  Interestingly, among McKinley's guests of honor  were Mr. and Mrs James Longstreet.

The next president to visit was  McKinley's successor, the old Rough Rider himself, Theodore Roosevelt.  Born in 1858, he was obviously too young to serve in the Civil War, but he did vividly remember watching the Lincoln funeral procession making its way through the streets of New York from his parents' bedroom window in April 1865.

Roosevelt visited Antietam Battlefield on September 17, 1903, to deliver a speech at the dedication of New Jersey's state monument.

--Old Secesh

Camp Douglas POW Prison in Chicago: Deaths of 62nd North Carolina Infantry Prisoners

From ncgenweb  "Rock Island, Illinois  Confederate POW Camp and Cemetery.

Deaths of Prisoners of War from the 62nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Camp Douglas Prisoner of War Camp.

Go to Confederate graves; Rock Island, Il  NCGenWeb.

The 62nd North Carolina was surrendered by its commanding officer on 10 September 1863, at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, after which 442 of its members were transferred to Camp Douglas.

Forty-four percent of them died there, including David Messer who I wrote about in the previous post.

There is a list of all the members of the regiment who died at Camp Douglas at the site.

--Old Secesh

David Messer, Federick Messer's Nephew Died at Chicago's Camp Douglas

George Washington Messer, Federick's brother died in 1862 at the age of 64 or 65.  No service in the Confederate Army is mentioned.

He did have a son in the Confederate Army, though, David Messer born in 1828 and died in 1864, in Chicago, Illinois.

He enlisted as a private in Company C of the 62nd North Carolina Infantry  in Waynesville, North Carolina, on July 14, 1862.  He was captured at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, on September 9, 1863, and sent to Louisville, Kentucky, and later confined at Camp Douglas in Chicago.

On August 11, 1864, he died of dysentery and is buried at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago in grave #1264 (Confederate Mound).

My Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp, Camp Douglas, has had a ceremony at the Confederate Mound every year except this one.

--Old Secesh

Jacob Parker, Jr. (Son-in-Law to Federick Messer) 11th Texas Infantry, CSA

Using the Find-A-Grave site for Federick Messer, I found that his daughter Clarice Messer married this man in 1869.

He was in the Confederate Army as a private in Company B of the 11th Texas Infantry.

He was born in 1842 in North Carolina and moved to Texas in 1855.

The 11th Texas spent their entire service west of the Mississippi River.  I found a roster of Company B of the 11th Texas.  Jacob Parker, Jr. was on it, along with a John Parker.  Wonder if they were related?

Find-A-Grave does not show him as having a brother named John.

--Old Secesh

Another Soldier Killed at Camp Wildcat in His First Battle, Lewis McFerrin, USA

From the Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation.

The Civil War lasted barely a month for Private Lewis McFerrin of the Union Army.  He died on the morning of October 21, 1861, less than twenty minutes into his first battle.

He was one of fifteen men listed as killed at the Battle of Wildcat Camp.

I haven't been able to find out what Union regiment he was with.

--Old Secesh

Private Conrad H. Messer, CSA

One of the two sons of Federick Messer who served in the Confederate Army.

He was killed at the Battle of Camp Wildcat.  I never heard of it before so had to look it up.

Wikipedia had an entry about it, but said the battle took place on October 21, 1861.  The Find A Grave entry on him had him dying on October  18, 1862.  There is a mistake somewhere.  Most likely it was Find A Grave with both the day and the year written incorrectly, unless he was wounded in the battle and received medical attention with the Feltner family in Laurel County, Kentucky and died a year later.

The 29th N.C., had troops from Conrad's Haywood County and had just organized in September of 1861, so this most likely was their first engagement.  Though small by later standards for the war, it had to be quite an experience for the men of the 29th N.C..

So, Private Messer was killed in his first action of the war.

I found a list of Confederate regiments at this battle and there wasn't a 29th North Carolina listed at the battle.  There was a 29th Tennessee there, however.

--Old Secesh

Federick Messer 1791 to 1907: Had Two Sons Who Fought For Confederacy

I have been writing about this man from Waynesville, North Carolina, in my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog.  He died at age 115 and lived through the War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War.

I could not find out if he was ever a veteran, but he had two sons who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

SAMUEL MESSER (1832-1886)

Private Company L,  16th NC Infantry and Co. E of the Thomas Legion Inf.

CONRAD H. MESSER (1838-18 October 1862)

Company E., 29th N.C. Infantry

Killed at the Battle of Camp Wildcat in Kentucky.

His grave was unknown until found in 2003.  His actual burial site is  200 yards away in the cemetery.

Buried in the Feltner Family Cemetery in Laurel County, Kentucky.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 4: William McKinley

Perhaps no other U.S. president, save for possibly Lincoln, is as closely associated with Antietam Battlefield than William McKinley.  He served at Antietam as a sergeant of Company E, 23rd Ohio Infantry, the so-called Presidents Regiment.

Just three days before Antietam, at the Battle of South Mountain, McKinley's regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes, had his left arm shattered by a musket ball and was forced to relinquish command.

As a nineteen-year-old commissary sergeant, McKinley kept the boys of the regiment well-fed at Antietam, even risking his life on the firing line to do so.

After the war, he served many years  in the U.S. House of Representatives, then as a two-term governor of Ohio before being elected president in 1896 and 1900.

--Old Secesh

Presidential Visits to Antietam Battlefield-- Part 3: U.S. Grant

The next president to visit the battlefield was former Army Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Grant.  He had been with Johnson in 1867 but apparently had not seen enough so he returned two years later.

He toured the battlefield on October 15, 1869 with his good friend and right hand man, William Tecumseh Sherman.  One could have just imagined their conversation that day.:  "Had I been commanding here, Cump, , I would have pitched right in."

After that, presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland  or Harrison did not visit.  Then, of course, in this case President William McKinley.  Only his was not a first-time visit.  He had been there as a soldier during the battle.

--Old Secesh