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Memorial Day

It may be easy for some to forget, actually I'm sure its easy for many to forget or not even know, but Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died in the line of duty during our nation's wars. With all the genealogy I've done in the past months, I only know one so far that fits this.

Private William C. Suggs
1st Mississippi Infantry, CSA

died Dec 1861 of typhoid fever
my great(3) granduncle

Found 2 more ancestors that died in the Civil War:

Private David G. Seachrest
Co C, 54th Indiana Infantry
died 25-Aug-1863,at St Louis, MO

Private Francis M Bourland
Co F, 120th Illinois Infantry
died 29-Dec-1863 at Memphis, TN

Colors of the 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery

I posted a link to this on The Family Groit blog which has another version of the colors in a nicely cleaned up graphic.

Registry of the American Soldier

Dean L. Dyer, SFC

Rebecca J. Dyer, SPC

James C. Read, MSG

Celestine J. Bura, MSG

Louis T. Carey, MSG

Sons & Daughters of United States Colored Troops

There is a African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC and it was dedicated in 1999. I was there, performing with the 257th Army Band. Today I learned that my great(3) grandfather's name is on it. Second Lieutenant Spencer J. Dyer served in the 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery. I didn't learn that till a few months ago and was elated to learn his name is on that memorial.
There is an organization, the Sons & Daughters of United States Colored Troops whose mission it is to honor the historical legacy of those who served in the United States Colored Troops(USCT) and to educate the public to the true role played by free blacks and slaves in the American Civil War of 1860-1865. I will join them to support that mission.

Confederate Memorial Day

Today is Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi.
Different states observe this on different days.
Growing up and living in the north this is something new to me and something I want to observe as part of my recognition of my southern ancestors.
Apparently April is also Confederate History Month in a handful of southern states.

Hereditary Societies

With my recent genealogy obsession and the 150th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil War I've learned of ancestors that fought on both sides of the war. While I'm sure this is not uncommon, there are many people whose family only fought on one side or not at all (depending on when their ancestors came to the U.S., etc).
So it became my goal, once I learned of these ancestors, to join the appropriate societies to commemorate and preserve their contributions to our nation. One by one I'm perusing membership in these organizations and this week I've secured membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
My great(3) grandfather, Private Thomas Henry Suggs who served in Company "H", 1st Reg't., Mississippi Volunteers, Captain J. Furgurson's Company, of the James Creek Volunteer's. He enrolled on June 24, 1861, and his enlistment shows he was mustered into service for a period of 12 months on September 3, 1861, by General R. Davis. Pvt. Suggs was in action at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, where the greater portion of his Regiment was captured, and is shown sick in Clarksville, Tennessee during the units surrender. Pvt. Suggs later reenlisted back into his unit on September 24, 1862, and later appears on a list of Prisoners of War, captured at Port Hudson, LA. on July 09, 1863. As exchanges were common during that period, his last known record shows his Confederate Muster Card stating: that he was a POW, and released upon his parole, dated July 1863.
I have two other Confederate ancestors, Private Francis Copeland, 17th Texas Cavalry and Corporal Johnathan McIntosh, 19th Texas Infantry.