Person:Franklin Buntyn (1)

Franklin "Frank" BUNTYN was born 30 September 1837 in Georgia (probably Pike County). He was enumerated on the 1840 and 1850 censuses in the household of his father.

On the 1860 census, Frank was enumerated in the household of William Swan, in Jackson County, Florida.

On 18 March 1861, Frank enlisted as a Private in Company G, Georgia 1st Infantry (Ramsey's) Regiment. He claimed residence in Decatur County, Georgia. Frank mustered out of Company G on 18 March 1862. A month later, he enlisted as a Private in Company A, Georgia 60th Infantry Regiment. This was the same company in which his brother Morgan had enlisted. Frank later was transferred to Company A, Georgia 22nd Siege Heavy Artillery Battalion, along with Morgan.

During the months that Frank was a Confederate soldier, he, his brother Morgan and their uncle James M. MATTHEWS, wrote to and received letters from his sister, Elizabeth Buntyn. [The extant letters from Frank to Elizabeth are available on microfilm from the Special Collections Department, Duke University Library, Durham, NC.]

According to the dateline on the letters, Frank was based in the following locations during the Civil War:

03 January 1862, Lee Battery, Georgia
18 September 1862, Springfield, Georgia
18 May 1863, Savannah, Georgia
28 May 1863, Anderson Barracks, Georgia

On 28 April 1865, Frank was "paroled" in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.

After his military service was completed, Frank apparently went to visit his Uncle James E. Buntyn in Butler County, Alabama. Frank met and married the daughter of his uncle's neighbor, Josiah RHODES. Frank married Mary Holland RHODES on 19 October 1865 in Butler County, Alabama.

On the 1870 census, Frank and his family were enumerated in Jacksonport PO, Jefferson Township, Jackson County, Arkansas. Frank was a teacher.

On the 1880 census, Frank and his family were enumerated in Brooks Station, Militia District 1293, Fayette County, Georgia. Frank was a farmer.

Frank and Mary were the parents of eight known children, the eldest two born in Arkansas between 1867 and 1869, and the younger six born in Georgia between 1872 and 1887. The last child was born several months after Frank's death.

Frank died 04 March 1887 in Georgia, at the age of 49. His place of burial has not been located yet, but he possibly was buried in an unmarked grave in the Crawley-Futral Family cemetery in Spalding County, Georgia. The family was very poor in 1887, and most likely did not have the money to place a marker on his grave.