Ervin Swords, Confederate Veteran Remembrances, Marshall, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/marshall/newspaper/eswords.txt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB PROJECT ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Project archivist with proof of this consent. ALGenWeb Archive File Manager - Carolyn Golowka March 2000 Copyright 3-23-2000, ======================================================================== The following is a letter found in the newspaper in Guntersville, AL. CONFEDERATE VETERAN WRITER The Guntersville Advertiser Tuesday, October 10, 1922 Editor Advertiser: Will you please allow an old Confederate soldier a little space in the dear old Advertiser: I will be eighty-two years old the fifteenth of March. Was born and reared in Browns Valley, about five miles above Guntersville. I joined the army in sixty-one and served until the surrender. Captain Milender's Company was made up in Marshall County. He made our company up at Cross Roads, at the big spring, Guntersville, and Warrenton. There were 112 men in our company. Our first Lieutenant was Solomon Ledbetter; Dave Daverson was our second Lieutenant; Green Loveless was our third Lieutenant; Jim Weatherly was our Orderly Sargeant; John Canady was Forage Master. We left Guntersville and went to Camp Cheathum, Tenn., to drill and when we got to Camp Cheatham Forest was in charge of three Companies. Forest was promoted to Colonel and was ordered to Boling Green, Ky., and my Company was ordered to Fort Henry, Tenn. There we had a battle and the Yankees took Fort Henry and we fell back to Fort Donaldson. There we fought four days and nights and were whipped again and Fort Donaldson was captured. Forest told us all who would follow him he would take us out safely and about two hundred of us followed him and he took us to Shilo and there we fell into battle again. That was the biggest battle in the West and more men were killed. The Yanks were re-enforced and whipped us again. E. Swords My note: Ervin Swords was the grandson of John Swords, Sr. & Eleanor Swancy. Son of Jonathan Swords and Elizabeth Cooper. Three of his brothers were killed in the war: James Swords b: 1829, d: 1863, unmarried, Benjamin A. Swords,b: 1838,d: Feb.22, 1862, m: Harriet McWilliams & Ervin's unmarried twin brother, Shelton, b: March 15, 1841, d: July 2, 1863. Ervin died Sept. 12, 1923 and is buried, with a confederate marker at Alder Springs Presbyterian Cemetery, Albertville, Marshall Co., AL He married first: abt. 1865, Addie Nichols. Second marriage: Nov. 16, 1877, Emeline Romine. Ervin and Emeline were the parents of my grandmother: Belle Anner Swords-McWhorter. Would like to find some death or burial records for Jonathan Swords who is said to have died & buried Tupelo, Lee Co., MS.