Pike County GaArchives News.....“Uncle Charlie” Sullivan July 28, 1939
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Lynn Cunningham http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002535 January 23, 2011, 3:39 pm

The Pike County Journal July 28, 1939

For those who wore the grey, there is a deep reverence in the heart of every 
Southerner who likes corn pone and peas and thinks Robert E. Lee the greatest 
general of all times.

Pike County still has one of the men who wore the grey - one who wore it 
valiantly and with conspicuous courage. Mr. C.W. (Uncle Charles) Sullivan is 
his name. With the passing of last January 17, his 91 years pass into a long 
lane of memories.

Mr. Sullivan was born in Meriwether county on January 17, 1848. He moved to 
Pike county in 1860 with the war just in the infant stage. Only [sic] July 20, 
1864 - when only 16 years old - he enlisted in Griffin with the Upson county 
Company, commanded by Captain Bill Hightower.

Although his age belied his fighting ability, Uncle Charlie had a difficult 
time making his commanding officer believe it, so consequently he spent most 
of his time in scouting and transmitting messages. Upon several occasions 
though he came in contact with the pesky Yankees and acquitted himself quite 
nobly.

Recounting in vivid fashion some of his experiences, Mr. Sullivan told of a 
pitched battle his regiment had with the Yankees at Double Bridges. The two 
forces finally emerged from their barricades and met in the middle of the 
bridge where Uncle Charlie suddenly found himself looking straight into the 
business end of a pistol held by a rather grim and determined looking Yankee. 
Knowing that his life depended upon his quick action, he grabbed the end of 
the pistol wrenched it from the hands of the startled Yankee and turned it 
upon him. Instead of facing death bravely or fighting back, the Yankee turned 
and ran. Uncle Charlie didn’t fire, saying that he didn’t want to kill a 
coward.

Upon another occasion, Mr. Sullivan was arrested as a spy by his own comrades. 
It happened this way. He was out maneuvering near Jackson in Butts county, 
when he was halted by an officer of one of Butts county’s regiments. When 
asked to produce his papers, Uncle Charlie found to his dismay that he had 
none. Whereupon he was taken into custody and held for several days until the 
company went into Jackson where records were found that proved his argument.

While he was still a captive, Uncle Charlie and his captor went into one of 
the farmhouses nearby where they were received cordially - both wearing 
Confederate uniform. But as soon as the landlady was told the circumstances 
she remarked that she smelled a damn Yankee spy.

Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865 was not known to them until the 
first of May, Mr. Sullivan said.

After the war was over and things settled down to the even tenor of their way, 
Mr. Sullivan began farming again. In 1870, he married Miss Sue Trice, of Upson 
county. They had five children, Mr. P.M. Sullivan, Sr., of Zebulon; Mrs. 
Willie Bankston, of Meansville; Mrs. Allie Means, of Meansville; and Misses 
Nannie and Sara Sullivan, of Meansville.

Mr. Sullivan ran a horse gin for several years and later he and Mr. Bob 
Mitchell established a ginnery in Zebulon.

Mr. Sullivan’s chief interest lies now in his 200 acre farm. He is still 
amazingly active for one of his years and talks fluently and, when about 
Yankees, with a certain gusto that is unmistakably akin to memories of that 
awful strife some 70 odd years ago.

There is a certain luster about the men who wore the grey that just won’t die. 
They are much more colorful than the dull, drab uniforms they wore. One can 
take cognizance of the mistakes made and include a couple “if’s,” which 
coupled with the courage and loyalty with which the men in grey fought, would 
have won the Civil War. The War is lost. But not the men who wore the grey. 
Their memory shall never die.


Additional Comments:

At East View Cemetery, Pike County, Georgia:

Charles Walker Sullivan
b. 18 January 1848
d. 05 February 1943

Thought to be the last Confederate soldier in Pike County, Georgia


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