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Linwood Sunday School to “Boys in Grey.”

  • Pinetucky lost more than 20 of its finest
  • site of Linwood Methodist Church
  • Monument commemorates 23 soldiers who attended the church and
       died in the war.
  •  
    “Linwood Methodist Church Sunday School”
    Ft. Gordon, Georgia
    Russell K. Brown

    In June 1872, a nine-foot marble shaft on a granite base was dedicated by the Linwood Sunday School to “Our Boys in Grey.” The names of the 23 fallen soldiers are inscribed on three sides of the shaft.

    The names on the monument, with my best guesses to interpret who the men really were:

    S.A. Avret – unidentified – possibly William A. Averett of Jefferson County, named with his father Alexander in the 1860 (age 14) and 1863 (age 16) censuses; possibly the William A. Averett who served In Co. E, 27th Georgia Battalion [formerly the Augusta Battalion], 1864-65. He was paroled at Greensboro, NC, 1 May 1865. There was another William Averett in Richmond County, age about 40 in 1860, who could be the man in the 27th Battalion. He died in 1901 and is buried at Liberty Church cemetery.

    G. Blackstone – George L. Blackstone, Richmond County, Private, Company (Wilson Tigers), 48th Georgia, killed near Petersburg, VA, 22 June 1864, age 19.

    Geo. Bruckner – George D. Bruckner, Columbia County, Private, Company E (Irwin Artillery), 11th Georgia Artillery Battalion, killed at Crampton’s Gap, MD, 14 September 1862, age about 20.

    J.T. Bruckner – John Bruckner (brother to George) – Corporal, Company C, 2nd Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion, wounded and captured at Nashville, TN, 16 December 1864, died of smallpox at Camp Douglas, IL, 31 January 1865, age about 21.

    G. Carroll – unidentified – possibly an error in first initial.

    J. Carroll – possibly John A. Carroll, Richmond County, Private, Company A (Oglethorpes of Augusta), 63rd Georgia, wounded Kennesaw Mountain, GA, 18 June 1864, died at home 5 October 1864, age about 20.

    There were two men named James Carroll from Columbia County who died in the war:

      James R. Carroll, Private, Company C, 2nd Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion, died of disease in camp near Chattanooga, April 17, 1863, age about 25.

      James Y. Carroll, Private, Company F (Thomson Guards), 10th Georgia, died of pneumonia at Williamsburg, VA, 27 January 1862, age about 41.

    One of these may be the “G. Carroll” above.

    D. Dye – David R. Dye, Jefferson County, Private, Company G (Battey Guards), 38th Georgia, wounded at Spotsylvania, VA, 12 May 1864, died at Lynchburg, VA, 12 July 1864, age about 23.

    W. Farmer – William J. Farmer, Jefferson County, Lieutenant, Company G (Battey Guards), 38th Georgia, killed or captured and died at Fredericksburg, VA, 13 December 1862, age about 27.

    B. Fitzgerald – Benjamin Fitzgerald, Columbia County, Private, Company F (Thomson Guards), 10th Georgia, died of disease at Williamsburg, VA, 18 November 1861, age about 20.

    B. Hatcher – possibly Benjamin Hatcher, Jefferson County, Private, Milledge Artillery Battery, captured Cedar Creek, VA, 19 October 1864, exchanged 28 March 1865, circumstances of death uncertain, age 16 in 1850; not found in the 1860 census.

    F. Hoffman – Francis A. “Frank” Huffman, Private, Company E, Cobb’s Georgia Legion, missing, presumed killed at Crampton’s Gap, MD, 14 September 1862, age about 22.

    J. Livingston – possibly John Livingston, Columbia County, Private, Company A (Clinch Rifles). 5th Georgia, discharged for disability 31 October 1861, circumstances of death uncertain, age 24 in 1860.

    E. Newsom – Eldrich (Eldridge) Newsom, Columbia County, Private, Company K (Ramsey Volunteers), 16th Georgia, captured at Gettysburg, PA, 2 July 1863, died of disease at Fort Delaware, DE, 16 October 1863, age about 41.

    A.V. Palmer – Virgil A. Palmer, Richmond County, Private, Company E. Cobb’s Georgia Legion, died of dysentery at Newport News, VA, 29 or 30 May 1865, age about 18.

    C.H. Palmer – Lewis Henry Clay Palmer (brother to Virgil), Private, Company K (Ramsey Volunteers), 16th Georgia, killed at Chancellorsville, VA, May 1864 [sic], age about 22.

    L. Phillips – Jonathan Lawrence Phillips, Columbia County, Private, Company E (Moody Burt Volunteers), 6th Georgia State Troops, died at Camp Iverson, near Savannah, GA, 6 January 1862, age about 18.

    W.J. Porter – probably George W. Porter, Columbia County, Private, Company K (Ramsey Volunteers), 16th Georgia, died in hospital of diarrhea at Richmond or Farmville, VA, 16 or 17 July 1862, age about 24.

    H. Rooks - Hezekiah Rooks, Columbia County, Private, Company K (Ramsey Volunteers), 16th Georgia, died in hospital, Lynchburg, VA, 11 December 1862, age about 26.

    C.D. Sellers – DeWitt Clinton Sellers, Richmond County, Private, Company A (Oglethorpes of Augusta), 12th Georgia Artillery Battalion, died of disease at Thunderbolt, GA, 25 May 1863, age about 30.

    J. Whitaker – not positively identified – There were numerous men named J. Whitaker in Columbia County in 1860, many of whom performed military service:

      James F. Whitaker, Private, Company E, Cobb’s Georgia Legion, captured Strasburg, VA, 19 October 1864, released 14 May 1865, circumstances of death uncertain.

      Jesse E. Whitaker, Private, Company E (Moody Burt Volunteers), 6th Georgia State Troops; possibly the same man was Private, Company B, 12th Georgia State Guards.

    James Wiley – possibly James Wiley, Columbia County, age 15 in 1850. J.E. Wiley (or John R. Wiley), Private, Company K (Davis Musketeers), 10th Georgia, was wounded and captured at Crampton’s Gap, MD, 14 September 1862, and died of wounds at Burkettsville, MD, 12 October 1862, age 15 in 1850.

    John Wiley – possibly John Owen Wiley (brother to James), Columbia County, Private, Company A (Oglethorpes of Augusta), 63rd Georgia, wounded at Atlanta, 22 July 1864, circumstances of death uncertain, age 21 in 1850. Possibly the same man who enlisted in Co. K, 48th GA (Hamilton Rangers, Columbia County, Mar 4, 1862), promoted Sgt; comm.. 2LT, May 1862; dropped Mar 4, 1863. Identifications between James and John Wiley are confused.

    J. Wren – probably Jeremiah J. Wren, Jefferson County, Sergeant, Company I (Jefferson Grays), 28th Georgia, died of natural causes at Yorktown, VA, 17 April 1862, age about 30.

    There were numerous other men named J. Wren in Jefferson County in 1860. One who died in service was:

      James Jackson Wren, Private, Company G, 2nd Regiment, Georgia Militia, died at Brown Hospital, Milledgeville, GA, 8 September 1864, age 39.


    References:
    This article was written by Russell K. Brown. Requests for reprint should be directed to him.
    Photo from Georgia Confederate Monuments (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/3093/pagetwo.html)
    The Old Pinetucky - The Lost Community. This little book tells the story of how Fort Gordon came to be.

     

      © 2007 John Rigdon