PEACH COUNTY, GA - Military - CSA - Train Wreck Sept 23, 1864 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: John Adams traceradams@cox.net This list was printed in Taylor County Tracer Vol 5 #12, December 2000 - the publication of the Taylor County Historical-Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.com/~gataylor/tchgs/tchgs1.htm TRAIN WRECKS DURING THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES By John R. Adams. Sr. I have located several newspaper articles about train wrecks during the War Between The States. These train wrecks caused many casualties and greatly added to the misery of the Confederate Soldiers. The train wreck I have included this month occurred near Fort Valley, Ga. Those wounded or killed appeared to be coming from hospitals near Atlanta and returning to their companies or going home on leave. Some of the Companies listed here were in the Battles around Atlanta and some were in the Battle of Vicksburg, Miss. The records are so poor during this time that it makes it hard to be sure about where these men were going. I tried to research the names that were listed in the newspaper but it was hard to find information on those who were from other States. Some of the information I got from the Internet and some from Washington Memorial Library. I have first listed the story about the train wreck as it appeared in the newspaper. Second I have listed the men by number as their names and companies appeared in the newspaper article in bold print. Third I have listed the information that I located directly under their name and number in italics. I have also typed my comments in italics. Sometimes their names and companies are different in my research and may or may not be correct. More research will be needed to verify these men. I have been able to help some researchers establish that MACON DAILY TELEGRAPH AND CONFEDERATE Tuesday Morning, September 27, 1864 LIST OF MEN KILLED AND WOUNDED ON THE TRAIN NEAR FORT VALLEY, September 23, 1864 KILLED Thomas Kerley, Co. G, 20th. Tenn.; G. P. Copeland, Co. I, 41st. Ga.; L. H. Durden, Co. A, 15th. Ark; W. J. Buhart, Co. I, 5th. Tenn.; W. A. Sanders, Co. A, 40th. Ga.; Kirkpatrick, Co. F, 17th. Ala. WOUNDED E. Melton, Citizen of Benton Co., Tenn.; F. T. Hicks, Cherokee Art.; William Chancelly, Co. A, 30th. Ga.; W. J. Martin, Co. B, 57th. Ala.; J. F. Hunter, Co. B, 1st. S. C. Art. F. M. Howell, Co. B, 46th. Miss.; G. W. Hall, Co. H, 30th. Tenn.; J. T. Lovegood, Co. H, 12th. Miss. Cav.; S. S. Medows, Co. F, 2nd. Ga.; W. A. Kemper, Co. B, 18th. Tenn.; K. P. Wamack, Co. D, 46th. Miss.; J. V. Emerson, Co. B, 2nd. Ky.; T. L. Savage, Co. C, 38th. Ark.; A. J. Richardson, Co. E, 11th. Tenn.; T. T. Conart, Co. E, 37th. Ala.; D. R. Reed, Co. B, 6th. Ky.; J. M. Key, Co. K, 7th. Texas; J. H. Patterson, Co. F, 36th. Ala.; T. Alcock, Co. E, 6th. Ky.; A. G. Pitt, Co. K, 20th. Tenn.; D. Mann, Co. E, 29th. Tenn.; W. S. Purswell, Co. G, 29th. Ala.; D. E. Curry, Co. F, 13th. Tenn.; R. Bryant, Co. K, 32nd. & 58th. Ala.; G. S. Yerger, Co. D, 28th. Miss Cav.; J. D. L. Grubbs, A. F. Wilson, Salden’s Ala. Battery; A. P. Slegle, Co. B, 58th. N. C.; J. M. W. Baird, Co. G, 1st. Ark.; Benj. Blackford, Co. F, 9th. Ky.; S. G. Ashby, Co. G, 7th. Ark.; R. G. Hudson, Massenger’s Battery; M. T. Newton, Co. H, 33rd. Tenn.; T. J. McAlpin, Co. H, 46th. Miss.; B. Shirley, Co. G, 1st. Ga. S.S.; J. L. Beers, Fenner’s Battery; Chas. F. Slover, Co. K, 4th. Ga. Cav. Mr. Editor- You will confer a great favor on the public generally by publishing the above list of soldiers killed by the train running off the track near this place. J. C. B. Mitchell, Col. Commanding Post Fort Valley James A. Culberson, Adj. KILLED 1. Thomas Kerley, Co. G, 20th. Tenn 2. G. P. Copeland, Co. I, 41st. Ga. Copeland, George P.– Private Co. I, 41st. Regiment Georgia Infantry, Heard Co., Ga. Enlisted December 1, 1862. Captured at Vicksburg, Miss. July 4, 1863 , and paroled there July 6, 1863. Killed by train in 1863. 3. L. H. Durden, Co. A, 15th. Ark. DERDEN, LEE H. Pvt. - Co. F, 15th. (Josey’s) Regiment Arkansas Infantry Enl 16 May 1861. Teamster at Gen. Hardee's HQ. Present Aug 1864. Monroe Co., Ark. 4. W. J. Bushart, Co. I, 5th. Tenn. Bushart, N. J. Co. G, 5th. Tenn. Infantry. This Company was engaged in the Battle of Jonesboro, Ga. August 31-September 1, 1864. This could be W. J. Bushart of Co. I, 5th. Tenn. Infantry. 5. W. A. Sanders, Co. A, 40th. Ga. Sanders, W. A. -- Enlisted as a private in Company K, 6th Regiment Georgia State Troops October 14, 1861. Mustered out at Savannah, Georgia April 15, 1862. Enlisted as a private in Company G, 40th Regiment Georgia Infantry May 13, 1862. Captured at Vicksburg, Mississippi July 4, 1863, and paroled there July 6, 1863. Roll for December 31, 1863, last on file, shows him present. No later record. 6. Kirkpatrick, Co. F, 17th. Ala. Kirkpatrick, William, Co. F, 19th. Ala. WOUNDED 1. E. Melton, Citizen of Benton Co., Tenn. 2. F. T. Hicks, Cherokee Art. 3. William Chancelly, Co. A, 30th. Ga. Chancely, William -- Private - Co. B, 30th. Ga. Infantry, September 25, 1861. Killed at Chickamauga, Georgia September 19, 1863. This one is very confusing. Was he killed at Chickamauga or Fort Valley? Did someone assume his identity? 4. W. J. Martin, Co. B. 57th. Ala. Martin, William J., Co. B, 57th. Alabama Infantry 5. J. F. Hunter, Co. B, 1st. S. C. Art. 6. F. M. Howell, Co. B, 46th. Miss 7. G. W. Hall, Co. H, 30th. Tenn. Hall, George W. - Co. H, 30th. Tennessee Infantry Captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Exchanged. Listed in battles at Ft. Donelson, Tennessee; Raymond, and Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi and Chickamauga, Georgia. He was wounded in the leg at Chickamauga. Listed in hospital almost two years, then back to regiment. Paroled at Marion, Alabama in 1865. 8. J. T. Lovegood, Co. H, 12th. Miss. Cav. 9. S. S. Medows, Co. F, 2nd. Ga. Meadows, Silas Stephen, a Confederate Veteran, a native of Houston Co., Ga. born 1845. He was reared in Sumter County and educated at Americus and was a resident of Schley County when the Confederacy was organized. Though too young for enlistment according to regulations, he became a member of Company C of the 27th. Regiment Ga. Infantry in Jan. 1862, but was sent home on account of youth. In the following March he re-enlisted in Company F of the 2nd. Regiment Ga. Infantry (He enlisted as a private on February 15, 1863 in Co. F, 2nd. Reg. Ga. State Troops (Story’s) and was allowed to remain. His first battle was Chickamauga September 19-20, 1863, after which he was on duty on Missionary Ridge and participated in the battle there of November 25, 1863. In 1864 he took part in the campaign under Gen. J. E. Johnston fighting at Resaca and New Hope Church where he was severely wounded causing his disability for several weeks during which he was in hospital at Forsyth. Rejoining his command he was slightly wounded at Lost Mountain, but continued in the campaign throughout the battles of Atlanta and Jonesboro. Subsequently while enroute to join his command in Tennessee campaign his train was wrecked near Fort Valley, Ga. and he was badly hurt in consequence of which he was in the hospital at Fort Valley thirty days. He met his comrades again at Albany, Ga. as they were on their way to Savannah where he took part in the operations against Sherman and crossing over into South Carolina fought at the battle of Honey Hill. At the last he was part of the command under General Forest and others which met the Federal Expedition under Gen. Wilson at Gerard, Ala. and was among those captured on Sunday night. Escaping early the next morning he returned to his home in Schley County, the War having practically come to an end. (The previous statement was in the pension application of his second wife, Maggie E. Meadows. Silas S. Meadows was born April 4, 1845 and died May 30, 1902. He married his second wife September 13, 1891. He served as ? of Brooks Co., Ga.) 10. W. A. Kemper, Co. B, 18th. Tenn. Kemper, William A. - Sergeant. Co. B, 18th. Tenn. Infantry, Captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Exchanged. Wounded at Swamp Creek (near Reseca, Georgia) on May 11, 1864. Disabled for active duty. Detailed to Provost Guard at Macon, Georgia. 11. K. P. Wamack, Co. D, 46th. Miss. 12. J. V. Emerson, Co. B, 2nd. Ky. 13. T. L. Savage, Co. C, 38th. Ark. 14. A. J. Richardson, Co. E, 11th. Tenn. 15. T. T. Conart, Co. E, 37th. Ala. 16. D. R. Reed, Co. B, 6th. Ky. 17. J. M. Key, Co. K, 7th. Tenn. 18. J. H. Patterson, Co. F, 36th. Ala. 19. T. Alcock, Co. E, 6th. Ky. 20. A. G. Pitt, Co. K, 20th. Tenn. Pitt, Ashley G. -Co. K, 20th. Tennessee Infantry 2nd Sergeant on May 8, 1862 and 2nd Lieutenant on September 1, 1863. He was captured at Bentonville, North Carolina March 10, 1865 and was sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. 21. D. Mann, Co. E, 29th. Tenn. 22. W. S. Purswell, Co. G, 29th. Ala. Purswell, William Sanford, Military: Confederate service - Priv., Co. G, 29 Reg't, AL. Infantry, Volunteers. He enlisted on 10 Aug 1861 at Clayton, Barbour County AL. To 20 Dec 1862 on Muster Roll, Camp Lee, AL. Mar and Apr 1863 Company Muster Roll shows William Absent Without Leave. His discharge shows pay at $11 per month from 1 July 1862 to 31 Oct 1862. Total service was about 4 years. Appeared on a list of prisoners captured by the 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry, Apr 1865, Macon, GA. 23. D. E. Curry, Co. F, 13th. Tenn. 24. R. Bryant, Co. K, 32nd. & 58th. Ala. Bryant, Roman, Co. Co. G, 32nd. Regiment Alabama Infantry 25. G. S. Yerger, Co. D, 28th. Miss. Cav. 26. J. D. L. Grubbs 27. A. F. Wilson, Salden’s Ala. Battery 28. A. P. Slegle, Co. B, 58th. N. C. 29. J. M. W. Baird, Co. G, 1st. Ark. 30. Benj. Blackford, Co. F, 9th. Ky. 31. S. G. Ashby, Co. G, 7th. Ark. ASHBY, S. G. Pvt Co. B & G, 7th. Arkansas Infantry Wounded July 22,1864 32. R. G. Hudson, Massenger’s Battery 33. M. T. Newton, Co. H, 33rd. Tenn. 34. T. J. McAlpin, Co. H, 46th. Miss 35. B. Shirley, Co. G, 1st. Ga. S.S. 36. J. L. Beers, Fenner’s Battery 37. Chas. F. Slover, Co. K, 4th. Ga. Cav. OAKLAWN CEMETERY FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA Section C. Confederate Dead Here rest, known to God, more than 20 Confederate Soldiers, most of whom dies in the Confederate Hospital located in Ft. Valley, in 1864 - 1865. Some of these men were killed in Troop Train wreck 3 miles north of the city while enroute to rejoin the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Located here were the Buckner and Gamble Hospitals and several temporary ones. Patriot men and women of this vicinity assisted in the care of the sick and the wounded.