My great-grandfather in the Civil War

sigshr said:

When WWl started George Bernard Shaw (b. 1856) said the draft should start at about age 60. The old men start the wars, they should have to fight them.

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Rudyard Kipling pulled strings to get his son the commission (in the Irish Guards, if that matters) he wanted and had to get (essentially the same sort of waiver i did a half-century later) a waiver for his poor eyesight. The lad was, of course, killed and his grave, essentially, lost. I cannot help but think that Kipling was thinking about that when he wrote some of the "Epitaphs of the War". Especially this one:

common form

If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied.

Do you think Kipling might have felt a trifle guilty for his actions? And support of the war? I don't know, but I wonder.

And then there was this one. The Lord knows I look back and think "Yeah, this could appy to a lot of "Leaders" when I was young. Or now that I am old:

a dead statesman

I could not dig: I dared not rob:
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young?

Two of my relatives fought for the North in the Civil War: George Gottlieb Heuring served as a farrier in Co. G, 1st Indiana Cavalry. He was born in Germany and settled in Spencer County, along with the rest of his family somewhere between 1854 and 1857 and was mustered into service as a Farrier and Blacksmith on the 20th day of August 1861 at Evansville, IN. Military records show that George "furnished his own horse and horse equipment for use and risk of which he received 40 cents per day." His horse was valued at $130. George was wounded in the right arm during the battle at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in October 1863 and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis on the 9/12/1864. His brother, Fredrick Augustus Heuring served as a Chaplain in the 25th Ind. Reg. and was always seen in the middle of the most severe fighting helping wounded soldiers to safety.

nealbullington said:

The photo is my great grandfather, Aaron C, Bullington, born in 1844. Early in the Civil War he joined the Illinois 86th Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regimental history says that at war's end they had marched over 5,000 miles. Their main battle was at Kennesaw Mountain, where their commanding officer was killed. Aaron was hit by concussion from a random Confederate shell while they were in camp but was able to stay with his unit untill the end. He apparently suffered from what today we call PTSD, and was on medical disability for the rest of his life.

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A pic of your ancestor from that time is the holy grail. I've done some research on my ancestors and unfortunately have not been able to find any pictures of them from that time. There were several Confederate veterans in my family.

My Great Great Grandfather was Captain William F Collins 53rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Complexion Fair, Hair Light, Eyes Blue, Height 6’1 (27 in 1861)

His brothers Private James W Collins 17th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. (29 in 1861) Shot through the hip at the battle of Murfreesboro and invalided out (unable to march). He later joined the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry Regiment under General Nathan Bedford Forrest and fought on from horseback though permanently disabled due to the hip injury. ,.....he must've been one tough hombre.

Sgt John T Collins 53rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. (22 in 1861)

Private Leroy B Collins 17th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. (17 in 1861) Gunshot wound in chin at Chickamauga. Ball lodged in back of the neck. Incapacitated for 3 or 4 months.

Private Patrick H Collins Company C, 17th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. (19 in 1861). Slightly wounded in arm at Murfreesboro Dec 31, 1862. Died on May 16, 1864 Battle of Drewry's Bluff.

Private Willis M Collins 3rd Regiment Tennessee Cavalry (24 in 1861). Died May 11 1862 Chattanooga (that was the day after the battle of Chattanooga so he either died that day and wasn't recorded until the next day or was mortally wounded and died the next day).

Some other Great Great Uncles in the Confederate Army

Private James Monroe Evans (14 in 1861). Enlisted late in the war in the next county over from his home county and lied about his age in order to enlist. 18th Tennessee Infantry Regiment

Private Lawson Shelby Williams (17 in 1861) 8th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Died of Measles in Camp Trousdale which was used from June to November of 1861.

Sgt Franklin J. Williams (21 in 1861) Company C, 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Died Sept 21, 1863 Chickamauga, Georgia. (That was the day after the battle of Chickamauga so he either died that day and his death was not recorded until the next day or he was mortally wounded and died the next day).