Captured At Vicksburg

This week the prompt from No Story Too Small is 'Military', and I have chosen to write about my 4th great grandfather Asa Franklin Moore.

According to census records, Asa was born about 1830 in South Carolina. I am not certain of his parentage, but I believe it to be Hutson and Susanna Moore. In the 1850 Laurens County South Carolina census, dwelling #1941, is Hutson  (53), Susanna (44), Oliver (22), Alsey F. (21), Luraney (19), William (18), Stephan B. (16), Parthena (14), Perncey (12), Malissa (10), John B. (8), Lei M. (6) and Munro (4).

I believe "Alsey F." to be my Asa. I have looked up the will of Hutson Moore, who died in 1874 and he makes no mention of any of his children -- only his wife, Susanna. But "Perncey" aka "Perneecy" from this household ends up marrying William Marion Riddle and settling not far from my Asa Franklin Moore in the same county (Johnson) in Arkansas. Also - my ancestor Franklin Redford Moore, son of Asa, named his first child, a daughter, Alsey. Maybe Alsey was his nickname?

Also in Laurens County, SC 1850 census is family # 1717 - the household of Solomon and Barbary "Golasby" (Gillespie) with several children, including 19 year old daughter Amanda. Sometime between 1850 and 1852 Amanda and Asa Franklin Moore marry.  In 1852 Amanda gives birth to their first child Mary J. Moore. I find Asa that same year in the Franklin County Georgia Tax books. I also find him in the tax lists for the years 1854, 1858 & 1867. In 1854 Amanda's father Solomon is also in Franklin County, GA, where he remarries a MUCH younger Elizabeth Pierce. His former wife, Barbara is still alive and in Laurens, South Carolina, living with a Vaughan and Bolt family.

In 1855 Amanda gave birth to their second child, Martha, then George Washington in 1859, and Amanda Silvenus in 1863 (I'm sure Asa was gone fighting, possibly at the siege of Chattanooga, at the time of her birth.).

On May 12 1862 Asa F. Moore, along with his brother-in-law *Simeon Thomas, volunteered on the side of the Confederacy in Franklin County GA with Captain Russell A. Jones Company, Johnson's Regiment Georgia Infantry which later became Company G, 34th Regiment Georgia Infantry.

"This unit was sent to Tennessee, then Mississippi where it was assigned to T.H. Taylor's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. It participated in the battle at Champion's Hill and was captured at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. Exchanged and reorganized it was placed in General Cummings' Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 34th was active in many engagements from Chattanooga to Nashville, and ended the war in North Carolina. It reported 34 casualties at Chattanooga, contained 369 men and 266 arms in December, 1863, and had 219 fit for duty in Janaury, 1865. Very few surrendered in April. The field commanders were Colonel J.A.W. Johnson, Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Bradley, and Majors Thomas T. Dorough and John M. Jackson" ~ Taken from The National Park Service.

Below is the roster in which Asa F. Moore is listed as prisoner #351, captured at Vicksburg.

Known skirmished that Asa's unit fought in are:

Vicksburg Campaign (May-July 1863)
Chattanooga seige (Sept.-Nov. 1863)
Battle of Cahttanooga (Nov. 23-25, 1863)
New Hope Church (May 25 - June 4, 1864)
Atlanta (July 22, 1864)
Jonesboro (Aug 31-Sept 1,1864)
Nashville (Dec. 15-16, 1864)
Bentonville, NC (March 19-21, 1865)
they were at Joe Johnston's surrender on April 26, 1865.

 

Asa with his youngest son William.
(Notice the way he holds his right hand)

After Asa returned home from war Amanda gave birth to my ancestor, Franklin Redford "Red", in 1866, the following year they had Rosanna E.

In 1870, the same year Amanda gave birth to Solomon Jasper, the family can be found living in St. Clair County, AL where they are also found 10 years later in 1880. By then Amanda had given birth to their last child William T. who had been born in 1873. I wonder what prompted them to move.

By 1889 Asa and his family had moved again to Johnson County, AR where on Christmas Eve of that year Amanda passed away at the age of 58. She is buried in Stillwell Cemetery, in Johnson County.

In  July 1897 Asa filed his application for his pension. According to his application on July 25th 1864, at the Battle of Atlanta, he was shot in the forearm of his right hand. Dr. John W. Mitchell said in his report that the wound was "of right forearm midway between wrist and elbow" When asked  how this wound was cause for disability pension the doctor's response was "Feeble heath incapacity due not only to old age, but the wound lacerated muscle of arm causing wasting or atrophy and inability to grasp anything and at times becoming almost useless."


Fellow members of the 34th Regiment who came forth as witnesses for Asa's pension were Benjamin F. Ellis, Andrew J. Burgess and of course, *Simeon Thomas.

In March of 1901 Asa's pension was approved and he was allowed $60.00 to be drawn from.

On 25 Mar 1909, Asa Franklin Moore passed away. He was buried in Stillwell Cemetery, Johnson County, AR with his wife.


*Simeon Thomas married Amanda Gillespie's sister, Elizabeth Jane Gillespie.

Until Next Week,
Becky