Washington County TN Archives Military Records.....Keefauver, Shelton September 25, 1862
Civilwar - Enlistment 60 Tenn Mtd Inf. (Crawfords Regiment) 79th Inf
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Doug Keefauver doug@thekeefauverstory.com December 6, 2012, 12:08 pm

 3rd Sergeant William “Shelton” Keefauver was enrolled in the Confederate Army 
when a major Confederate expedition was sent into eastern Tennessee to enforce 
the Conscription Laws on 25 SEP 1862; Shelton was 22 years old at that time. 
Shelton was enrolled as a Private in Company E, Crawford's Regiment, Tennessee 
Infantry, specifically the 60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry, 
Crawford's 79th Infantry, which was organized October 1, 1862. Mustered into 
Confederate service November 7, 1862, Shelton was promoted to 3rd Sergeant 
prior to January 1, 1863.  Sergeant Shelton Keefauver was captured at the 
battle of Big Black Bridge on May 17th 1863. This battle was a holding action 
to allow the battered remains of General Pemberton's army retreating from the 
battle of Champion Hill (Baker's Creek) fought the day before. Some 4,400 
Confederate POWs captured at Champion Hill and Big Black Bridge were placed 
aboard river steamers and sent north on May 25, 1863. They stopped briefly at 
Memphis where the guard was changed, and then preceded up river to Cairo, 
Illinois. Here they were transferred to trains at the Illinois Central Railroad 
and were delivered to Camp Morton. The 187 officers were separated out and sent 
to Johnson's Island. The enlisted men were divided into two groups and 
forwarded to Fort Delaware. They traveled overland to Pittsburgh and 
Philadelphia by rail where they again boarded river steamers and were delivered 
down the Delaware River to Pea Patch Island and Fort Delaware. Sergeant Shelton 
Keefauver was in the second group, which arrived at Fort Delaware on June 15th 
1863. The Dix-Hill Cartel was on its last legs, but the first shipments of POWs 
from Camp Morton were in luck. They were paroled at Fort Delaware on July 3rd 
1863 and delivered on July 6th 1863 to confederate authorities for exchange. A 
second shipment was paroled a day or two later, sent to Fort Monroe, but turned 
back in route and returned to Fort Delaware. This signaled the collapse of the 
Dix-Hill Cartel. Sergeant Shelton Keefauver was among these returned POWs. A 
smaller shipment of men who were deemed unfit for duty (sick and disabled) were 
paroled on July 30, 1863 and delivered to Confederate authorities for exchange 
on July 31st 1863. Shelton was among these fortunate few. Sergeant Keefauver   
rejoined the army and was marked present for duty on September 13th 1864 near 
Jonesborough, Tennessee with a detachment of the 60th, 61st, and 62nd Regiments 
Tennessee Infantry under the command of Captain L. H. Denny. Shelton was among 
the Confederate soldiers whose units disbanded upon hearing of the surrenders 
and who then returned to their homes. W. Shelton Keefauver is the son of 
Nicholas and Dicey Keefauver. 

Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/washington/photos/military/civilwar/enlistment/keefauve33mt.jpg

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/washington/military/civilwar/enlistment/keefauve33mt.txt

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