maj. gen. joseph wheeler camp #863, conyers, ga. gen. joe
TRANSCRIPT
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Camp Officers:
Camp Cmdr: John Mark Camp
1st Lt. Cmdr: James C. Chappell
2nd. Lt. Cmdr: Roy Thomas Cook
2nd_Lt. [email protected]
Camp Adjutant: Steve Camp
Editor: J. H. Underwood
Volume 15, Issue 1
Gen. Joe’s Dispatch Maj . Gen . Joseph Wheeler Camp #863, Conyers , Ga.
“Our Commanders Comments” By: Commander Mark Camp
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“Newton County Soldier Wit-nessed Stonewall Jackson Carried from Field” By: Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Colum-bus, OH. (Continued from page 1.)
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“Newton County Soldier Wit-nessed Stonewall Jackson Carried from Field” By: Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Colum-bus, OH. (Continued from page 2.)
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“Short History of Confederate Toombstones”
By: Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Columbus, OH.
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“Moon Cemetery Cleanup” By: J. H. Underwood and UDC President Teresa Thompson
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Inside this issue:
The 1850 United States census listed Joseph Smith, born about 1835 in Georgia and noted as a ending school within the year and living in the household of William Smith, born about 1804 in Georgia and living with what appears to be his wife (Spelled as) Ludosa Smith, born about 1807 in Georgia. Other family household members were Wil-liam Smith, born about 1831 in Georgia and Elisha Smith, born about 1833 in Georgia and Sara Smith, born about 1837 in Geor-gia and (Spelled as) Palmyra (A female) Smith, born about 1839 in Georgia and (Spelled as) Mable (A female) Smith, born about 1842 in Georgia and (Spelled as) Malissa (A female) Smith, born about 1844 in Geor-gia and Missouri (A female) Smith, born about 1846 in Geor-gia. The family household was
May 2019
living in Subdivision 65 in Newton County, Georgia and the census was enumerated on August 22 and 23, 1850.
The 1860 United States census listed Joseph N. Smith, born about 1835 in Georgia and noted his occupa on as a farmer with a $100.00 value of personal estate and listed as the head of the household and living with his wife Eliza Smith, born about 1835 in Georgia. Other family house-hold members were: Mary E. Smith, born about 1857 in Geor-gia and John Smith, born about 1859 in Georgia and noted as ten months old. The family house-hold was living in the Georgia Mili a District 1073 in Polk Coun-ty, Georgia and the nearest Post Office was reported as Van Wert and the census was enumerated on July 3 1860.
Coming Events
May 14, 2019 - Regular Meet-ing of Maj. Gen. Joseph
Wheeler Camp 863 - Masonic Lodge, Conyers, Georgia
June 11, 2019 - Regular Meet-ing of Maj. Gen. Joseph
Wheeler Camp 863 - Masonic Lodge, Conyers, Georgia
Continued on page 2.
The oldest son of Joseph N. Smith died in 1918 and Joseph N. Smith was the informant for his death cer ficate. Joseph N. Smith stated his wife was Eliza-beth Childress and she had been born in Alabama and that their son had been born on October 15, 1859 and named John C. Smith.
According to the Soldiers and Sailors Database by the Na onal Park Service Private Joseph N. Smith served in Company K of the 18th Georgia Infantry and noted an overview and the com-piler has corrected mistakes and or addi onal informa on made with brackets.
“18th Infantry Regiment was organized during the spring of 1861 with slightly more than 750 men. Its companies were recruited in the coun es of Cobb, Newton, Stephens, Jack-son, and Dooly. The regiment was ordered to Virginia and first served under General Wigfall, then was brigaded under Hood, T. R. R. Cobb, Wofford, and DuBose. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Ge ysburg, moved with Longstreet to Georgia, but was not engaged at Chickamauga. A er serving at Knoxville it re-turned to Virginia and saw ac-
on at The Wilderness, Spotsyl-vania, and Cold Harbor, par ci-pated in Early's opera ons in the Shenandoah Valley, and took part in various conflicts around Appoma ox. In April, 1862, it contained 634 effec ves, report-
“Newton County Soldier Witnessed Stonewall Jackson Carried from the Field”
Compiled by: Historian Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Columbus, OH.
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Compiled Military Service Records listed him as Private Joseph N. Smith of Company K of the 18th Regiment Georgia Infantry however little information was noted.
Compiled Military Service Records listed him as Private J. N. Smith of Company A of the 3rd Battalion Georgia Sharp Shooters and noted much more information such as his physical description. Eyes blue; Height 5’ 8”; Complexion florid; Hair light; resi-dence Kingston, Georgia and signed the Oath of Allegiance to the United States, at Elmira, New York on June 30, 1865.
However his war experiences were written down and published in 1912 in a book writ-ten by Mamie Yeary called Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray and the following comes from pages 701 and 702 of said book.
“JOE N. SMITH, Red Rock, Texas born March 6, 1835 in Newton County, Georgia.
ed 14 killed and 128 wounded at Gaines' Mill, and had 19 killed and 114 wounded at Second Manassas. The regiment lost fi y-seven percent of the 176 engaged at Sharpsburg. There were 14 killed and 72 wounded at Chancellorsville, and of the 302 who saw ac on at Ge ysburg, twelve per-cent were disabled. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 1 officer and 52 were surrendered in April, 1865. Its com-manding officers were Colonels Joseph Armstrong, - [Find A Grave Memorial # 42531760] S. Z. Ruff – [Solon Z. Ruff – Find A Grave Memorial # 84426861] and William T. Wofford; - [William Tatum Wofford – Find A Grave Memorial # 9097] Lieutenant Colonel Francis M. Ford; - [Francis Marion Ford – Find A Grave Me-morial # 9272417] and Majors W. G. Cala-han, John C. Griffis, Jefferson Johnson, and Joseph A. Stewart.”
Thank all of the members who showed up and went to work and really did a fantastic job clearing out the brush and small trees. Mrs. Thompson was amazed at how much work was done in such a short time. Again, Thank-You gentleman for all the hard work.
Then, to finish up the month, on the 27th we joined the UDC in Social Circle for their Confederate Memorial Day ser-vice, the Guest Speaker was Mr. Bob Collins who gave a great program on Sacrifice. And again, I want to Thank those mem-bers who were in attendance for this event.
Until then,
For the Southern Cause,
Mark Camp, Commander
great. Especially Donnie Kennedy, who really got the crowd fired up with his speech. Then CIC Paul Gramling spoke about staying on the offensive about our herit-age.
The next week-end Steve and I loaded up our canopy tent and went to Nash Farm for the rally there. And I want to Thank those gentlemen that took the time to come out and lend a hand “manning “ it during the day.
Then, we had a work day at the Moon Family Cemetery.
This cemetery is the ancestors of Tere-sa Thompson, President of the James Gresham chapter of the UDC in Social Circle. And at this time I would like to
Southern Ladies,
and Fellow Compatriots,
Well, at least Pollen sea-son has calmed down.
maybe now we can enjoy Spring time.
April was a very busy month for the Confederation, starting with the Me-morial Day service at Stone Mountain. Camp Adjutant Steve Camp and my-self were in attendance. The weather was perfect, and the speakers were all
Our Commanders’ Comments
PAGE 2 GEN. JOE ’S DISPATCH VOLUME 15 , ISSUE 1
Enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 at Van Wert, Georgia as a private in Company K, Eighteenth Georgia Regiment, Hood’s Brigade, McLaw’s Division, Long-street’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. Crawford was the first Captain and Wofford first Colonel. Later on in the war I was changed to a Georgia Brigade and in that brigade I joined the Third Georgia Battalion of Sharp Shooters for this Georgia brigade. At the second battle of Manassas I was tak-en prisoner and carried to Washington City at Port Royal, Virginia and carried to Elmira prison, in New York. I was in all the princi-pal battles fought in Virginia: Seven Pines, Second Battle of Manassas, Fredericksburg, around Petersburg, Gaines’ Farm, Wilder-ness, Seven Days fight in front of Rich-mond, Harper’s Ferry, and many other smaller battles.
In January, 1862, I enlisted as a recruit for the Virginia Army,
By: Commander Mark Camp
Continued on page 3.
“Newton County Soldier Witnessed Stonewall Jackson Carried from the Field” Compiled by: Historian Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Columbus, OH.
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On reaching my company I found them on guard something that I was not accustomed to. On Sunday morning the hard ba le of the Seven Pines commenced. The fight lasted several days and I was lucky enough to es-cape without a wound. Also I was in the ba le of Chancellorsville, where our beloved Stonewall Jackson was killed. He was shot by his own men in 200 yards of me and was brought out by me and I saw him and wept bi erly. I could write a long account of the killing of Jackson. I heard the gun fire that did the work. I was also in the ba les of Chicka-mauga and Cha anooga.”
Joseph N. Smith died on June 12, 1921 in Bastrop County, Texas.
According to the Alabama, Texas and Virginia Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958; Joseph N. Smith married Ma e A. on November 11, 1894 in Bastrop County, Texas and her hus-band had served in Company K of the 18th Georgia Infantry and he had a pension num-ber 9977."
PAGE 3 GEN. JOE ’S DISPATCH VOLUME 15 , ISSUE 1
with some 100 or more of us boys. In a very few days after our enlistment we boarded the train for Richmond, Virginia. Upon our arrival there we were examined by a physi-cian and found all right, and then started on a march only to meet the army on the retreat
from Yorktown. As the war went on, the Eighteenth Georgia Regiment was placed in a Georgia Brigade. This I be-longed to the Third Ba alion Sharp Shooters and was on the skirmish all the
me, but was able to get behind trees for protec on. My brother William (now dead) and myself enlisted together and passed all through the war together; also my brother-in-law, W. A. Wood who died at Lexington, Lee County, some years ago.
I was again captured at Fort Royal, Vir-ginia and carried to Elmira, New York. While there I came very near starving to death and one man did die from starva-
on. Where there a ci zen of that place came into camp to see what we looked like and had a li le pet dog following him. Some of our boys caught and hid it in their tents un l the owner had gone and killed the dog and ate it. The offic-ers got on to it and put the men in the guardhouse and made them march around all day with a barrel shirt on and a board tacked in front of the barrel, with this inscrip on on it. “”I am a dog eater”” This is solid fact, for I saw it.
made it and where it was to be delivered etc. However after 1963 this information fell under the privacy act and can't be ob-tained. From my experience some Confed-erate tombstones were not made according to the specifications noted below and some families prior to 1929 and a few after had their own Confederate tomb-stones made but not knowing the exact specifications they stick out like a sore thumb by using a measuring tape. Many other marble companies also made Confederate tombstones including northern Alabama and Columbus, Mississippi but for the most part the State of Georgia usually dominated the field.
Georgia Marble Company and was head-quartered in Tate, Georgia, just down the road from Nelson. The tombstones at Camp Chase cost the Federal government $2.90 a piece and included shipping. Like-wise a bid was conducted at Camp Chase for setting the tombstones and the winning bid was 15 cents per stone. In 1929 the Federal Government started allowing Confederate tombstones to be made in private cemeteries and appears to be made of Number 2 grade Cherokee and Kenne-saw marble. Some of the finest marble quarries of the Georgia Marble Company were used in the making of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. By using the United States Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 a great deal of information can be obtained. Who ordered the tombstone and when and who
The first Confederate tombstones were won in a bid by the Blue Ridge Marble Company in Nelson, Georgia in 1906. The Confederate tombstones were first installed
where Confederates had died in northern prisons. Many of the tombstones for Camp Chase as an example were in-stalled in the Spring of 1908. By 1929 the Company had been changed to the
“Short History of Confederate Tombstones”
“Newton County Soldier Witnessed Stonewall Jackson Carried from the Field”
Compiled by: Historian Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Columbus, OH.
New Red Rock Cemetery, Bastrop County Texas where Joseph N. Smith, Pvt. In Co. K, 18th. Georgia Infantry is buried. Private Smith has no grave marker.
By: Historian Dennis Ranney, Camp 1535, Columbus, OH
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On Saturday, April 20, 2019, the call for help to clean the Moon Cemetery in Walton County from James M Gresham Chapter President Teresa Thompson was answered by Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and these members of our camp.
The following is the “Thank You” email I re-ceived along with this picture from Mrs. Thomp-son.
A big THANK YOU to Joe Wheeler Camp mem-bers who turned out in force to work on the clean up of the Moon cemetery yesterday. You guys mean business! What you accomplished in a couple of hours would have taken David and I many, many trips and hours of work to
accomplish.
I've attached some photos of the ceme-tery work effort and already David and I are looking forward to another work day. We will not be available for the next couple of weekends, but please
keep us posted of any dates your mem-bers may be available to meet again. Looking forward to seeing you next weekend for flag placement at the So-cial Circle city cemetery on Friday, April 26th and again on Saturday, April 27th - at the James M. Gresham Chap-ter 1312 UDC Confederate Memorial Day remembrance service. Patriotically, Teresa Thompson
On behalf of Commander Mark Camp, Thanks for the great turn out and the job well done.
499 Bell Road SE Conyers, GA. 30094
MAJ . G EN . J OS EPH W HE EL ER CAM P #863, CONY ERS, GA.
E-mail: [email protected]
We’re on the Web!
www.campjoewheeler.org
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by David Markiewicz / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Moon Cemetery Cleanup” By: J. H. Underwood and UDC President Teresa Thompson