Special to The Mountaineer
Personal quest leads to finding Haywood Civil War graves
My own great-great-grandfather, Corporal Branch Hamilton M. Trull, who fought in the war between the states on the side of the confederacy, was inarcerated in a federal POW camp at Rock Island, Ill.
While researching the camp he was held prisoner at, I became interested in that aspect of the war. This is why I started this project. I was not prepared for the flood of emotion that would soon engulf my soul on that late overcast afternoon in New Jersey, October 2004, as I turned left off Highway 49 onto the tree-lined country road leading to the Finns Point National Cemetery. I had no idea of what awaited me.
I parked my car and walked the short distance to the monument that I had set out to visit. I sought out this place as a result of a book I had been reading that named Finns Point as well as other federal POW camps. It was not outstanding in its construction—it was the usual granite obelisk with a large bronze plaque, inscribed with the names of the fallen Confederates. Standing there, however, in the quiet of the day, I soon felt myself joined by the souls of the Confederate soldiers buried so far from their homes in the mountains of western North Carolina. I became one with them. They spoke to my soul and, as they spoke, my own heart responded and they seemed to cry out with the strength of one voice, “Please take us home.” My heart ached that day as I prayed to God for the souls of these brave soldiers of the South and my resolve was, at that moment, fixed. I would do what I could to identify all the fallen Confederate soldiers from the western counties of North Carolina who died and were buried in the various Union POW camps: I would symbolically bring them home to the soil of their youth.
I have painstakingly compiled a list of Confederate soldiers who were part of western North Carolina units who died in various Union POW camps. The list is by name and location of the camp in which the POWs died, their name, company, date of death, and unit to which they were assigned.
As a footnote and without exception, every one of the POWs listed in the chart on the next page, according to the national records, died of malnutrition (starved to death) or died of disease, most likely the result of their confinement. This is especially outrageous since we know that the North had plenty of food for the general population and the Union troops. The degree of respect afforded these soldiers after death was also evident in how they were buried — most were buried in mass graves, in foreing soil, where they lost their individual identities.
My sincere hope is that this list will bring some closure to the descendants of these me. And that they will finally know where they are and can visit, and pay hoage to them, as they so rightly deserve.
D. John Trull Jr. Captain Julius Welch Camp 229 Sons of Confederate Veterans Haywood County
Prison Locality
Ft. Delaware Finns Point Cemetery, NJ Name Co. Date of Death Unit Amick John H 7/25/1863 16th Infantry Bristol R.A. E 2/9/1865 39th Infantry Butler S.L. K 8/8/1864 62nd Infantry Darden W.S. H 9/15/1863 16th Infantry Davis J.L. A 9/12/1863 16th Infantry Hall Moses J. B 3/31/1864 Thomas Legion Huggin Jos A 10/16/1863 16th Infantry Hunter J.P. E 9/6/1863 16th Infantry Inman W.A. C 10/2/1863 25th Infantry Keyser James D 8/23/1863 16th Infantry Layton Isaak H 9/25/1863 16th Infantry Linecurry H. H 10/23/1863 16th Infantry Oliver C.W. H 8/29/1863 16th Infantry Pilgerton J. C 9/3/1864 Thomas Legion Redman R.M. F 2/19/1864 Thomas Legion Roberts W.S. C 2/18/1864 62nd Infantry Ruff Minor B 5/9/1864 55th Infantry Sherill A.W. C 3/2/1864 Thomas Legion Welch T. F 7/30/1864 Wicker David C 8/6/1863 16th Infantry Wilburn Miles H 8/22/1863 Thomas Legion
Rock Island, Ill.
Calahan R.J. D 12/8/1864 64th Infantry Lewis Gideon K 2/29/1864 62nd Infantry Martin Warren E 6/17/1864 25th Infantry Murray W.M. A 1/19/1865 64th Infantry Roderick Elisha H 12/19/1863 29th Infantry Alton, Ill. Woods David A. H 1/18/1865 39th Infantry Point Lookout, Md. Allred J.F. M 16th Infantry Andrews T.J. D 16th Infantry Hibberts Cornelius Thomas Legion Hudgins John B. B 16th Infantry Hyatt R.A.L. E Thomas Legion Jones Chas F Thomas Legion Lawrence Henry C. D 60th Infantry Lucas P.D. B 16th Infantry Mann Joseph C Thomas Legion Maynard J K 25th Infantry Melton Win K 16th Infantry Morrow John K 16th Infantry Rhodes John A 25th Infantry Roberts John N. M 16th Infantry Robinson Samuel S. C 16th Infantry Wallace Henry K Thomas Legion Wyatt J.L. C 16th Infantry Young Jesse C 16th Infantry Camp Morton, Ind. Allen A.M. I 3/5/1864 39th Infantry Baldwin J.W. B 2/1/1865 60th Infantry Boone B.S. B 29th Infantry Bradshaw John H. F 12/16/1864 Thomas Legion Brown W.G. B 10/20/1863 60th Infantry Caldwell Lawson A 1/30/1864 62nd Infantry Casey Baxter G 64th Infantry Cordell L.B. H 7/21/1864 29th Infantry Deaver John 29th Infantry Freeman L A 4/17/1863 29th Infantry Gray Enos D 10/16/1863 62nd Infantry Hamlin William D 1/1/1864 29th Infantry Harwood John H. D 11/18/1863 64th Infantry Horton Louis A. C 39th Infantry Jones Theodore E 10/10/1864 60th Infantry King Robert K. K 1/31/1864 29th Infantry Ledford Miles M. F 12/14/1864 Thomas Legion Mann D F 5/1/1863 60th Infantry Martin John A. C 39th Infantry Oliver J. D 1/6/1864 29th Infantry Pegg William G 60th Infantry Sams J.L. D 1/5/1864 29th Infantry Triplett E.W. H 7/31/1864 29th Infantry Winchester William E 1/28/1864 29th Infantry Wright G.W. K 3/10/1865 Thomas Legion Elmyra, NY Buchanan Lorenzo D. B 9/12/1864 25th Infantry Campbell John N. K 8/29/1865 25th Infantry Cannon R.J. K 3/19/1865 25th Infantry Carson John M. K 9/21/1864 25th Infantry Cook W.D. I 3/29/1865 25th Infantry Davis H. I 5.26.1865 25th Infantry Edwards Oliver P. K 9/10/1864 16th Infantry Hines John H. E 1/26/19865 16th Infantry Lail Cicero C 1/4/1865 25th Infantry McKillop John A. A 12/27/1864 25th Infantry Newman Terrell I 2/19/1865 Thomas Legion Payne Carry J. A 2/2/1865 25th Infantry Rice Henry H. B 11/16/1864 25th Infantry Ryan J.C. M 9/17/1864 16th Infantry Simmonds Calvin C 3/25/1865 25th Infantry Smathers William J. C 11/2/1864 Thomas Legion Vanhorn Joseph E 1/16/1865 16th Infantry Camp Douglas, Ill. Ball William C 62nd Infantry Franklin Elisha C 62nd Infantry Leming John C 62nd Infantry McElroy Jesse C 62nd Infantry McBride Dan H. C 62nd Infantry Ratcliff James A 1/28/1865 62nd Infantry Robinson Nathan C 62nd Infantry Ratcliff Francis M. A 1/17/1864 62nd Infantry Snyder John A 12/2/1863 62nd Infantry Cabe Thomas J. A 3/11/1865 62nd Infantry Benjamin William H. A 6/25/1865 62nd Infantry Dotson John A 4/24/1864 62nd Infantry Ferguson Robert P. A 9/15/1864 62nd Infantry Ford H.F. A 3/15/1864 62nd Infantry Franklin M. Decatur A 3/10/1865 62nd Infantry Hannah Harvey A 10/12/1864 62nd Infantry Hice Byard T. A 1/22/1865 62nd Infantry Howell John N. A 8/14/1864 62nd Infantry Justice William M. A 3/14/8164 62nd Infantry McClure William R. A 12/18/1864 62nd Infantry McCracken Doctor S. A 7/25/1864 62nd Infantry Mauny George L. A 9/1/1864 62nd Infantry Mason Peter A. A 11/29/1863 62nd Infantry Parton Daniel M. A 8/27/1864 62nd Infantry Plott Enos V. A 4/21/1864 62nd Infantry Plott Hebron F. A 3/13/1864 62nd Infantry Rhea John M. A 8/11/1864 62nd Infantry Rogers William W. A 10/19/1864 62nd Infantry Ruff Silas P/ A 7/11/1864 62nd Infantry Seay Benjamin A 9/11/1864 62nd Infantry Shelton James L. A 10/18/1863 62nd Infantry Teague Andrew Jack A 10/9/1863 62nd Infantry Wade George W. A 9/29/1863 62nd Infantry Wade Joseph E. A 3/15/1863 62nd Infantry Francis John Noah I 12/30/1864 62nd Infantry Garten William H. I 4/23/1864 Henson Archibald M. I 11/18/1864 62nd Infantry Henson George P. I 8/29/1864 62nd Infantry Howell David S. I 2/8/1865 Inman Daniel Logan I 12/25/8164 62nd Infantry Inman Joseph A. I 4/16/1864 62nd Infantry Long John F. I 11/15/1863 62nd Infantry Mason John J.J. I 2/22/1865 62nd Infantry Meece Robert I 9/11/1864 62nd Infantry Pless Asbury I 11/8/1863 62nd Infantry Rogers Merritt C. I 1/30/1864 62nd Infantry Sellers Jacob I 10/16/1863 62nd Infantry Sellers John M. I 6/8/1864 62nd Infantry Stafford William I 5/15/1864 62nd Infantry Stamey Francis M. I 7/13/1864 62nd Infantry Tritt Laffayette I 4/23/1864 62nd Infantry Wooten Lazarus S. I 1/29/1864 62nd Infantry Caldwell Thomas J. A 9/14/1864 62nd Infantry Fincher John E. A 4/12/1864 62nd Infantry Jones James G. A 11/27/1863 62nd Infantry Leming James H. A 12/10/1864 62nd Infantry Leming James M. A 1/30/1864 62nd Infantry McElroy John F. A 11/4/1864 62nd Infantry McElroy Joseph L. A 1/30/1864 62nd Infantry MeHaffy Joseph Mus. A 6/10/1864 62nd Infantry Messer David A 8/11/1864 62nd Infantry Moore Mitchell A 1/12/1864 62nd Infantry Presnell Andrew J. A 10/20/8163 62nd Infantry Robinson John A 7/23/1864 62nd Infantry Shelton Thomas W. A 1/7/1865 62nd Infantry Smith Charles A 3/21/1865 62nd Infantry Snyder Henry L. A 4/24/1865 62nd Infantry Tate John P. A 1/25/1864 62nd Infantry Camp Chase Cemetery, Ohio Carter William G. D 1/28/1865 29th Infantry Clark M.T. C 5/13/1865 39th Infantry Embler Posey C 1/24//1865 29th Infantry Francis N.F. E 5/2/1865 Thomas Legion Frisby M.F. G 2/12/1865 29th Infantry Hughs Dillon A. E 7/15/1864 Thomas Legion Mull W.E. C 4/18/1865 39th Infantry Nash Thomas M. C 10/21/1864 29th Infantry Paterson Wilt F 2/14/1865 Thomas Legion Ray T.W. D 2/24/1865 29th Infantry Rogers J.M. E 2/25/1865 29th Infantry Sensabaugh John S. E 2/18/1865 29th Infantry Silver Lewis I 11/91864 29th Infantry Stephens Cyrus 1/25/1865 39th Infantry Tally Jonas D 11/21/1864 Thomas Legion