▲ 227 r/CivilWarCollecting+2 crossposts

Not sure if this is allowed for Memorial Day: My 5th Great Grandfather, George W. Hoffman (Left) c. 1863.

He mustered in Co. E, 15th West Virginia Infantry on September 10, 1862. He would later be absent sick in Grafton, Ohio on July 10, 1863, where he would miss Operations against Robert E. Lee, who was retreating from Gettysburg. He returned in September. He went back into Hospital in May 1864, right as his regiment started seeing combat, and later died of Pneumonia on January 22, 1865. His time was entirely spent on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and never saw combat.

He appears on a “Descriptive lists of deserters arrested”, in which he was arrested on October 25, 1864 for overstaying a furlough. He appears on a “descriptive list of deserters” on January 19, 1865, for again overstaying a furlough.

30 years later, Francis Hoffman wrote a letter dated April 20, 1894 to the editors of the Morgantown Journal in regards to Elijah's obituary. In which he included George as one of the five brothers who "wore the blue in defense of this glorious Union of ours." A record he was proud of. Albeit, he got George's wrong, listing it as the 5th WV Infantry, not the 15th.

Out of the 5 Hoffman brothers to serve in the Union Army, he was the only one that died. Meanwhile, his brother, Lt. Nimrod N. Hoffman fought with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry. And Francis Marion Hoffman of the 3rd West Virginia Infantry was wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run, resulting in leg amputation.

Given how he never saw combat and was apparently a deserter, I’m unsure if I’m allowed to mention him for Memorial Day.

u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 1 month ago

Not sure if this is allowed for Memorial Day: My 5th Great Grandfather, George W. Hoffman c. 1863.

He mustered in Co. E, 15th West Virginia Infantry on September 10, 1862. He would later be absent sick in Grafton, Ohio on July 10, 1863, where he would miss Operations against Robert E. Lee, who was retreating from Gettysburg. He returned in September. He went back into Hospital in May 1864, right as his regiment started seeing combat, and later died of Pneumonia on January 22, 1865. His time was entirely spent on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and never saw combat.

He appears on a “Descriptive lists of deserters arrested”, in which he was arrested on October 25, 1864 for overstaying a furlough. He appears on a “descriptive list of deserters” on January 19, 1865, for again overstaying a furlough.

30 years later, Francis Hoffman wrote a letter dated April 20, 1894 to the editors of the Morgantown Journal in regards to Elijah's obituary. In which he included George as one of the five brothers who "wore the blue in defense of this glorious Union of ours." A record he was proud of. Albeit, he got George's wrong, listing it as the 5th WV Infantry, not the 15th.

Out of the 5 Hoffman brothers to serve in the Union Army, he was the only one that died. Meanwhile, his brother, Lt. Nimrod N. Hoffman fought with the 1st West Virginia Cavalry. And Francis Marion Hoffman of the 3rd West Virginia Infantry was wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run, resulting in leg amputation.

Given how he never saw combat and was apparently a deserter, I’m unsure if I’m allowed to mention him for Memorial Day.

u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 1 month ago

In honor of Memorial Day: My 7th Great Grandfather, Brigadier General Francis Nash (Photo is not mine).

He was born c. 1742 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He moved to Hillsborough, NC and became a lawyer.

He was heavily against the “Regular Movement” (an uprising by farmers against corrupt local officials and excessive taxes) and fought in the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771.

In 1776, he became Colonel of the 1st North Carolina Infantry and took part in the Battle of Sullivan Island.

On February 5, 1777, he became Brigadier General of the North Carolina Brigade and took part in the Battle of Brandywine.

On October 4, 1777, he and his brigade earned great praise from George Washington during the Battle of Germantown. At some point, a cannon ball struck him, and shattered his thigh, killed his horse, and threw him to the ground. He reportedly said "Never mind me. I had a devil of a tumble; rush on, my boys; rush on the enemy; I'll be after you presently."

He died three days later, his last words were "From the first dawn of the Revolution I have been ever on the side of Liberty and my country."

His funeral was attended by figures such as Nathaniel Greene, Lafayette, and even George Washington. Washington later said that Nash’s death was a deplorable loss to the Army.

Francis Nash is the namesake of Nashville, Tennessee.

u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 1 month ago

Only 5 of my ancestors were “in” the Union Army during the CW. But these two in particular stick out to me. Trying to figure out if they even served at all.

u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 2 months ago

I only have 5 ancestors that were “Union” in the civil war. 2 were in the 14th Kentucky Cavalry:

The First:

- Mustered in April 1, 1863

- “Absent sick” for four months (May-August 1863)

- “Not Stated” in September and October (although apparently appeared on an “muster in roll” in October)

- Discharged on March 24, 1864.

The Second:

-Enrolled September 10, 1862

- Reenlisted February 28, 1863

- “Not stated” March - April 1863

- “Charge for desertion preferred” May - October 1863

- Mustered out March 24, 1864

It’s probably worth noting that June, July, and August were the regiments most active phase, engaging in skirmishes against raids from Col. John Scott and Capt. Peter Everett, they just “happen” to miss them.

The problem is that there’s no documentation proving that they ever returned before muster out. So that’s what leads to my question, what are the odds that they just abandoned the Union for months, then just squeezed back in last second before mustering out? Because I imagine a scenario where they faked or exaggerated an illness, or just ran away all together, went AWOL for months, then showed back up on the day of muster out.

reddit.com
u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 2 months ago

I only have 5 ancestors that were “Union” in the civil war. 2 were in the 14th Kentucky Cavalry:

The First:

- Mustered in April 1, 1863

- “Absent sick” for four months (May-August 1863)

- “Not Stated” in September and October (although apparently appeared on an “muster in roll” in October)

- Discharged on March 24, 1864.

The Second:

-Enrolled September 10, 1862

- Reenlisted February 28, 1863

- “Not stated” March - April 1863

- “Charge for desertion preferred” May - October 1863

- Mustered out March 24, 1864

It’s probably worth noting that June, July, and August were the regiments most active phase, engaging in skirmishes against raids from Col. John Scott and Capt. Peter Everett, they just “happen” to miss them.

The problem is that there’s no documentation proving that they ever returned before muster out. So that’s what leads to my question, what are the odds that they just abandoned the Union for months, then just squeezed back in last second before mustering out? Because I imagine a scenario where they faked or exaggerated an illness, or just ran away all together, went AWOL for months, then showed back up on the day of muster out.

reddit.com
u/ZacherDaCracker2 — 2 months ago