Person:Charles Jones (78)

Note: The information on Charles, except below, was found in research notes of Amy Swensrud. The handwriting is not hers and no source is given. Other notes on the same page are in Amy's handwriting.

Military: Detailed Soldier Record found at the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors web site of the National Park Service.

Charles Jones (First_Last) Regiment Name 14 Illinois Cavalry Side Union Company A Soldier's Rank_In Pvt. Soldier's Rank_Out Pvt. Film Number M539 roll 46

ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT Name JONES, CHARLES Rank PVT Company A Unit 14 IL US CAV

Personal Characteristics Residence MAQUON, KNOX CO, IL Age 23 Height 5' 5 Hair DARK Eyes DARK Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE Occupation FARMER Nativity IL

Service Record Joined When SEP 12, 1862 Joined Where CHICAGO, IL Joined By Whom CPT CARR Period 3 YRS Muster In JAN 7, 1863 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUL 31, 1865 Muster Out Where PULASKI, TN Muster Out By Whom CPT JACKSON Remarks N/A CYBERDRIVEILLINOIS.COM at www.ilsos.gov

14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry from www.itd.nps.gov/cwss. This is the Nat. Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors fine web site. Their information:

Organized at Peoria, Ills., and mustered in 1st and 2nd Battalions, January 7, 1863. 3rd Battalion February 6, 1863. Moved to Louisville, Ky., March 28-30, 1863 thence to Glasgow, Ky., April 12-17. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 23rd Army Corps, Dept. of the Ohio, to August, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 23rd Army Corps, to October, 1863. 4th Brigade, 4th Division, 23rd Army Corps, to November, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division Cavalry Corps, Dept. Ohio, to May, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of Kentucky, Dept. Ohio, to June, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to August, 1864. Dismounted Cavalry Brigade, 23rd Army Corps, to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, 23rd Army Corps, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 6th Division Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 6th Division Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 6th Division Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi, to July, 1865.

SERVICE.-Scouting in the vicinity of Glasgow, Ky., till June 22, 1863. Action at Celina, Ky., April 19. Lafayette, Tenn., May 11. Kettle Creek May 25. Expedition from Glasgow to Burkesvllle and Tennessee State line June 8-10. Kettle Creek June 9. Moved to Tompkinsville, Ky., June 22. Pursuit of Morgan July 4-26. Buffington Island, Ohio, July 19. March from Louisville to Glasgow July 27-August 6. Burnside's Campaign in East Tennessee August 16-October 17. Occupation of Knoxville, Tenn., September 1. Expedition to Cumberland Gap September 4-9. Rheatown September 12. Kingsport September 18. Bristol September 19. Zollicoffer September 20-21. Jonesborough September 21. Hall's Ford, Watauga River, September 22. Carter's Depot and Blountsville September 22. Blue Springs October 10. Henderson's Mill and Rheatown October 11. Blountsville October 14. Bristol October 15. Warm Springs October 20 and 22. Knoxville Campaign November 4-December 23. Siege of Knoxville November 17-December 5. Near Maynardsville December 1. Walker's Ford, Clinch River, December 2. Reconnoissance to Powder Springs Gap December 2-3. Bean's Station December 14-15. Blain's Cross Roads December 16-19. Clinch River December 21. Dandridge December 24. Talbot's Station December 29. Operations about Dandridge January 16-17, 1864. Kimbrough's Cross Roads January 16. Dandridge January 17. Operations about Dandridge January 26-28. Fair Garden January 27. Fain's Island January 28. Expedition against Thompson's Legion of Whites and Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and action at Deep Creek, N. C., February 2. Flat Creek February 20. Duty in District of Kentucky till June. Action at Cittico May 27. Moved to join Stoneman June 13-19. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign June 28-September 8. Sweetwater Bridge July 3. Raid to Macon July 27-August 6. Macon and Clinton July 30. Hillsboro, Sunshine Church, July 30-31. Sunshine Church and Jug Tavern and Mulberry Creek August 3. Mostly captured. Duty at Marietta, Ga., August. Occupation of Atlanta September 2. Moved to Louisville, Ky., September 15, and duty there refitting till November. Actions at Hardison's Mills October 24. Henryville November 23. Mt. Pleasant November 23. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Crossing of Duck River November 28. Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Duty at Pulaski till July, 1865. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., July 31, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 2 Officers and 23 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 190 Enlisted men by disease. Total 215

Note: John F. Stegeman wrote a book entitled THESE MEN SHE GAVE, Civil War Diary of Athens, Georgia, pub. U. of Georgia Press, Athens, 1964. In Chapter 7, "Yankee Raiders Strike Home", there is a detailed account, from the Confederate view, of exactly what happened leading to the capture of Charles and most of his unit. A copy of this book was obtained from the Atlanta-Fulton County, GA Library. Footnotes indicate much of the account is from the Athens, GA newspaper, the Southern Watchman, 1860-1865. Col Horace Capron was the commander of the brigade to which Charles' unit was assigned. They were raiders, sent south of Atlanta by Gen. Sherman and had been in action near Macon, GA. They had marched fifty-six miles in twenty-four hours and had been in their saddles almost constantly since the 31st of July. It was now August 2nd. (This is according to Capron's official report, it says). This is where I pick up the story for you as written on page 121 of the Stegeman book. "On the knoll above Mulberry Creek, as his weary men sprawled on the ground, Colonel Capron made all the preparations he could to protect his miserable band from attack. He set out pickets in front and behind, and ordered a large number of Negroes, who followed the command, to the rear. Here the runaway slaves rested between the main body of soldiers and the pickets. 'Just before daylight, the morning of the 3rd instant, a body of the enemy's cavalry came up in my rear . . . and, as near as I can ascertain, passed around the main body of the pickets, striking the road where the negroes lay. The negroes became panic-stricken and rushed into the camp of my men, who were yet asleep (we having been in camp about one hour and a half), throwing them into confusion. The enemy now charged into my camp, driving and scattering everything before them. Every effort was made by the officers to rally the men and check the enemy's charge, but it was found impossible to keep them in line, as most of them were without arms and ammunition. Partial lines were formed, but owing to the confusion which ensued in the darkness, they soon gave away. A stampede now took place, a portion of the men rushing for the woods and the balance running down the road and attempting to cross a bridge over the Mulberry River, in our front. The enemy still continued to charge my men, killing wounding, and capturing [Charles, probably (mbm)] a large number. In the rush across the bridge, it gave way, precpitating many of them into the river. The men now scattered in every direction. . . '." The book goes on to say that almost 300 prisoners were conducted toward Athens, arriving on August 3rd. On page 123, the account reads: "The prisoners presented a sorry spectacle. Ragged, some of them bareheaded, some barefooted, and all very dirty, we have never seen an equal number of men looking so badly. The great mass of them appeared to be the 'rag, tag and bobtail' of the communities from whence they came." A total of 431 were finally rounded up, it continues on page 124. Then, "The prisoners were quartered for a time on the campus,under guard by the Thunderbolts. When Dr. Edward R. Ware sat watch, the prisoners stretched out in the shade silently, for hours, forbidden to utter a sound. Other guards were more lenient. 'Our ladies went to the camput and talked with the prisoners,' Mary Ann Cobb said in a letter to her husband. 'The Yankees were impudent. One told Sukie Daugherty he had seen many girls a great sight prettier than she - he saw one yesterday-a yellow girl. . . .' " The chapter concludes by noting that the "privations suffered by the prisoners in Athens were nothing compared to the miseries that awaited them. After several days on the campus, the captives were shipped to an over-crowded, disease-ridden stockade in south Georgia, near the town of Andersonville."

Charles lived in U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers for many years. Their records show that he enlisted on Sept 12, 1862 at Peoria, IL as a Pvt in Co A, 14th IL Cavalry and was discharged July 12, 1865 in Pulaski, TN at the expiration of his service term. He was a victim of chronic disease contracted in July, 1864, at Andersonville, GA. He was born in Illinois, age 42, 5'5", dark complexion, gray eyes, dark hair and could read and write. His religion is protestant. His residence after discharge was in Maquon, IL. He was single and listed his nearest relative as Manson McWilliams of Maquon, IL, his brother-in-law. In later years, he listed his sister, Viola Jones West as his nearest relative. (Source: Ancestry.com U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 from Nat Archives Microfilm M1749, 282 rolls, Records of the Dept of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15.} Surprisingly, the Nat. Park Service's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors site does not have him listed at Andersonville. They do, however, have the listing of an A K Jones, Pvt, 14 IL, Co C as held at Andersonville and survived and exchanged Atlanta: Sept 19, 1864. I suspect that this is him and that the record was somehow entered in error or misread. The unit history says, "Raid to Macon July 27-August 6. Macon and Clinton July 30. Hillsboro, Sunshine Church, July 30-31. Sunshine Church and Jug Tavern and Mulberry Creek August 3. Mostly captured." Therefore, it seems likely that Charles was captured Aug 3rd.

1880 United States Federal Census 1880 United States Federal Census Name: Charles Jones Home in 1880: Maquon, Knox, Illinois Age: 34 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1846 Birthplace: Illinois Relation to Head of Household: Son Father's Name: Conley Father's birthplace: New York Mother's Name: Mary Mother's birthplace: New York Occupation: Farmer Marital Status: Single Race: White Gender: Male View image Household Members: Name Age Conley Jones 65 Mary Jones 63 Melvina Jones 33 Charles Jones 34

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Maquon, Knox, Illinois; Roll T9_220; Family History Film: 1254220; Page: 278.2000; Enumeration District: 143; Image: 0559.

1. ↑ Bible of Viola Helen Jones family in collection of Barbara McCoy.