Your Kinfolk In The American Civil War

[Rino]

     Aaron T Bliss from my dad's side of the family.

     Enlisted in the 10th NY Volunteers as a Lt, mustered out as a Capt.  It was a cavalry regiment.
Had a pretty interesting post war life as well.

     History 10th NY:


10th Regiment, New York Cavalry

Organized at Elmira, N. Y., September 27, 1861. Moved to Gettysburg, Pa., December 24, and duty there till March, 1862. Duty at Havre de Grace and Baltimore, Md., Middle Department and in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till August, 1862. Attached to Bayard's Cavalry Brigade, Army of Virginia. August-September, 1862. Bayard's Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, to June, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, June, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, to August, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, to May, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Cavalry Corps, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.-Sulphur Springs, Va., August 27, 1862. Near Frying Pan August 27. Reconnoissance to Dranesville, Herndon Station and Frying Pan August 31. Near Centreville September 3. Reconnoissance to Leesburg October 16-17. Aldie and Mountsville October 31. Rappahannock Station November 1. New Baltimore November 4. Rappahannock Station November 7, 8 and 9. United States Ford November 16 (Co. "H"). Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. Occoquan, Dumfries, December 19. "Mud March" January 20-24, 1863. Hartwood Church February 25. Rappahannock Railroad Bridge April 14. Stoneman's Raid toward Richmond April 27-May 8. Kelly's Ford April 30. Rapidan Station May 1. Louisa Court House May 2. South Anna Bridge May 3. Ashland Church May 4. Thompson's Cross Roads May 4. Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9. Aldie June 17. Middleburg June 18, 19 and 20. Upperville June 21. Aldie June 22. Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Fairfield, Pa., July 5. Hagerstown, Md., July 11. Boonsboro July 11-12. Near Harper's Ferry July 14. Shephardstown July 14 and 16. Halltown July 15. Near Amissville August 4. Little Washington August 5. Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Culpeper Court House September 13. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Near Warrenton October 11. Warrenton or White Sulphur Springs October 12-13. Auburn and St. Stephen's Church October 14. Catlett's Station October 15-16. Rappahannock Station October 24. Philomont November 1. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. New Hope Church November 27. Parker's Store November 29. Expedition to Luray December 21-23. Rapidan Campaign May-June, 1864. Near Chancellorsville Mav 4. Todd's Tavern May 5-6. Wilderness May 6-7. Todd's Tavern May 7-8. Spottsylvania May 8. Sheridan's Raid to the James River May 9-24. North Anna River May 9-10. Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11. Glen Allen May 11. Fortifications of Richmond May 12. Jones Bridge May 17. Haxall's Landing May 18. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Hanovertown and Haw's Shop May 28. Old Church Tavern May 30. Cold Harbor May 31-June 1. Barker's and Gaines Mills June 2. Bottom's Bridge June 3. Sheridan's Trevillian Raid June 7-24. Trevillian Station June 11-12. Malvern Hill June 16. Kings and Queens Court House June 18. White House or St. Peter's Church and Black Creed or Tunstall Station June 21. Samaria Church June 24. Before Petersburg June 26, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Ream's Station June 30, 1864. Light House Point July 1. Gaines Hill July 2. Prince George Court House July 10 and 16. Lee's Mills July 12. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Malvern Hill July 28. Lee's Mills July 30. Demonstration north of the James August 13-20. Gravel Hill August 14. Strawberry Plains August 14-18. Weldon Railroad August 19-21. Dinwiddie Road, near Ream's Station, August 23. Ream's Station August 25. Arthur's Swamp August 29-30. Yellow Tavern September 2. Stony Creek Station September 16. Belcher's Mills September 17. Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm, September 29-October 2. Vaughan Road September 30-October 1. Duncan Road October 1. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Near Prince George Court House November 2. Reconnoissance to Stony Creek November 7. Blackwater Creek November 18. Stony Creek December 1. Hicksford Raid December 6-12. Bellefield December 9-10. Jarrett's Station December 10. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie Court House March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Payne's Cross Roads and Amelia Springs April 5. Deatonville Road and Sailor's Creek April 6. Farmville April 7. Appomattox Station April 8. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. Moved to Washington, D. C., May. Grand Review May 23. Consolidated with 24th New York Cavalry June 17, 1865, to form 1st Regiment Provisional Cavalry.

Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 93 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 148 Enlisted men by disease. Total 251.

     After the war:
http://www.usgennet.org/family/bliss/bios/ny/aaron.htm

[RichardDarkwood]

Wounded while stubbornly defending the retreat of Wilson's Raiders, he was captured and suffered imprisonment in Salisbury, Andersonville, Macon, Charleston, and Columbia prisons, escaping from the latter in November 1864.

That is a quote from the life of Aaron T. Bliss.

Here's a small detail....Wilson's raiders happened in March of 1865 to April 1865.

Andersonville prison didn't open till mid 1864.

Sometimes things are printed wrong. I wanted to ask just in case and it is nothing personal about your family member as it was another web site putting up the info.

[kilo2]

Found out some more cool facts asked my great grandpa and he dug out some some tin type pictures of my great grandmas, grandfather Thomas Holder. He joined the 38th arkansas regiment.

[Karnak]

A lot of northern Arkansas was pro union surprisingly. The area I live now was pro union. My family fought for the confederates though 4th Arkansas regiment.

Every state in the Confederacy sent at least one regiment to fight for the Union.

[kilo2]

Every state in the Confederacy sent at least one regiment to fight for the Union.

Fun fact. I did know Arkansas had union regiments. It was more surprising to me because only one county in Arkansas voted against secession even the pro union North Arkansas counties voted for it.

[RichardDarkwood]

This is heavy artillery.....




Take note of the caseshot on the ground. When that giant grapeshot was fired it was devastating to infantry. Took some major big ones to attack emplacements like that. The mental effect caseshot had on troops is something I am unable to fathom. The 2.5 lb iron balls plus the plates holding them together flying at you. Dastardly effects.

[beau32]

I had a cousin that was part of the Union. I actually have his original letters that he wrote home. He also served on a Iron Clad, but the name eludes me at the moment. Here is some info on him.

Jacob W. Bower was born in Posey County Indiana, October 11, 1839. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. The following is from his service record in the National Archives in Washington D.C. He enlisted as a volunteer in Company D, 26th Regiment, Indiana Infantry on July 28, 1861, at Indianapolis. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal, February 1862, and to Sgt, October 17, 1862. He was wounded December 7, 1862 in a battle at Prarie Grove, Arkansas. He spent some time in a hospital at Fayetteville, Arkansas. He rejoined his unit in January 1863, and was assigned special duty as a Train guard at Rolla, Missouri during March and April, 1863, after which he again returned to Company D. During September 1863, he spent some time in a convalescent camp near Carrolton Louisiana. From November 1863 through 1864 he was on daily duty as a Company clerk. Because he had completed his enlistment, he was given a discharge at Brownsville, Texas on January 31, 1864 and re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer on the following day. He retained his rank as Sgt. He was promoted to 1st Sgt of Company D on April 1, 1865. On April 4, 1864 he was given a furlough, returning to the army a month later. (During this month he returned to Indiana for his wedding.) He mustered out of the Army on January 11, 1866 at Vicksburgh, Mississippi. His original enlistment papers describe him as 22 years of age, 6 feet 0 inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and a farmer by occupation.

[kilo2]

I had a cousin that was part of the Union. I actually have his original letters that he wrote home. He also served on a Iron Clad, but the name eludes me at the moment. Here is some info on him.

Ha I live 10 mins from Fayetteville man. And I had family members fighting for the confederates at prairie grove.

[CAP1]

my grand pops last name was barker.......but i didn't know any of his parents or grand parents names, so i just typed in his last name. there were a LOT of barkers in the confederate army it seems.

[RichardDarkwood]

my grand pops last name was barker.......but i didn't know any of his parents or grand parents names, so i just typed in his last name. there were a LOT of barkers in the confederate army it seems.

There was 1975 Barkers fighting for the union too.

[CAP1]

yea, when i talk to mom on the phone tonight, i'm gonna see if she remembers any of the names.........then go lookin again. 

[RichardDarkwood]

yea, when i talk to mom on the phone tonight, i'm gonna see if she remembers any of the names.........then go lookin again. 

You want to go back four generations to get accurate info from the site. Your great X3 grandmothers maiden name.

[Reaper90]

My father's mother's Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, and 3 great-Uncles fought with the NC Infantry, 1 great Uncle was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness and carried the bullet with him in his side the rest of his life. Another great Uncle was killed at Gettysburg, and the third went missing and presumed dead. I'll have to dig back out all my papers and books on the Booth and Dorsey family and refresh my memories.

The family story that I'm most familiar with concerns my grandmother's grandfather Booth, mentioned above, as I grew up in the house he built in 1865-66 after returning home to Horry County after the war. The original home that was there prior to that house being built sat very close to where the new house was built, and there still stands to this day a very large live oak tree that was in front of that house. The story is, "Grandma Booth" (my grandmother's grandmother) was very ill and they thought on her death bed. This was 1865, and the war wasn't going well for the south and I think a lot of the guys knew it. Grandpa Booth got news that is wife was sick and possibly on her death bed, and he deserted and came home to be with her, figuring the war was lost anyway. Sure enough it was a short matter of time and they came after him and arrested him, tying their horses to the oak tree in the front yard (the same one that is still there). Normally deserters would be executed when caught, but lukily for my g-g-grandfather, the officer in charge had pity on him due to his wife's condition and let him live, and he spent the rest of the war incarcerated. The war ended less than a month later, and he came home.

My father-in-law's great great grandfather was H.H. Thornton, NC Infantry, and was a Surgeon in the Arnmy of N Virginia. He enlisted as a Sgt and left service as a Private (there's a story there I cannot remember the details right now) and died very shortly thereafter of illness.

[RichardDarkwood]

The Dictator:



The gun itself weighs 17,000 lbs.

Those balls stacked there weighed in at 269 lbs. They could lob a shell over 2 miles. The gun used 15 pounds of powder to fire that projectile that far. The Dictator was used against the siege of Petersburg,Va.

Can you imagine the fun times moving and setting up this gun???

[Karnak]

Fun fact. I did know Arkansas had union regiments. It was more surprising to me because only one county in Arkansas voted against secession even the pro union North Arkansas counties voted for it.

I have heard, though not verified with my own research, that there were lots of ballot irregularities with many of the secession votes.