My Ancestors in the Civil War
(What I know so far;
My Wagnon & possible other lines aren't included.)

By Barbara Till Prestridge

Samuel Washington Till (listed as S. W. Till)
(Paternal 2nd Great Grandfather)
36 yrs. old w/5 children at the time of enlistment
13th Alabama Infantry Regiment
13th Alabama Volunteers Company A Camden Rifles (River Rangers) Roster
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Enlisted in the Civil War at Notasulga, Macon County, Alabama in March of 1863 as a private in Company A, 13th Alabama Regiment, serving until discharged at the war’s end April 1865.
Source of Military Record:  Elaine Hendricks
If memory serves me correctly, Samuel W. was hospitalized in Virginia.
Two of his brothers enlisting on May 5, 1862:
1. Allen David Till, 1st Battalion Hilliard's Legion. Alabama Volunteers, Company D, Private, died July 20, 1862.  He was approximately 27 years old with a wife and two very young children.
2. James H. Till, 1st Battalion Hilliard's Legion. Alabama Volunteers, Company D, Private, died July 22, 1862.  He was near Allen's age, if not his twin, and also had a wife and two very young children.
3. Daniel Green Till, Samuel's youngest brother, enlisted May 1862, 1st Battalion Hilliard's Legion. Alabama Volunteers, Company D, Private and 17th Alabama Infantry, Company B.  He, like Samuel W., surivived the war.

Samuel and his wife, Elizabeth Rachel (Manning) Till, had six more children after his return home.  The last two boys were named Robert E. Lee Till and Stonewall Jackson Till.  My great grandfather, Samuel Artemus Till, born May 1, 1861, was the last born before Samuel W. went to war in March 1863.  He and his wife, Rachel Nancy (Majors) Till died eight days apart at ages 35 and 37 respectively after drinking water from a tainted stream in August 1896.  They left nine boys, ranging in ages from infant to 13.  My grandfather, who died nine years before I was born, Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Till, was the oldest.  The boys were taken in by Samuel Artemus' sister, Martha Jane, who was married to Rachel's brother, James Andrew Jackson Majors and Martha Jane (Majors) Till, Rachel's sister, who married Samuel Artemus' brother, Andrew Allen Till.  Click here for more information on this family and two pictures of the nine brothers.

NOTE:  While sources are listed for military record, I did the research on the timelines/battles below.

Battle Timeline for Regiment while Samuel W. Till was enlisted:

 

Benjamin Majors
(Paternal 2nd Great Grandfather)
32 yrs. old w/5? children at the time of enlistment
17th Alabama Infantry Regiment
17th Alabama Infantry Regiment, Co. B (another site)
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Enlisted in the Civil War in Butler County on September 4, 1862. He was a private in Company B, 17th Alabama Infantry Regiment as was his brother James. He was captured near Nashville, Tennessee on December 15, 1864 and sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois to be processed and sent to Military Prison in Louisville, Kentucky.  His Alabama Civil War military records state that he applied for a pension for going blind as the result of a musket ball to the head during the Battle at Kennesaw Mountain. However, modern science has proved that blindness was inherited in the Majors family and he probably would have gone blind during his lifetime regardless of the head injury. The inherited gene for blindness that is prevalent in the Majors family is called "Sticklers Syndrome" and is being extensively studied by Dr. Scotty Parma, a descendant of Benjamin Majors.
Source of Military Record: Elaine Hendricks

Battle Timeline for Regiment while Benjamin Majors was enlisted:

 

Emmett Reeves Vaughan
(Maternal Great Grandfather)
Approx. 22 yrs. old, single w/no children at the time
32nd Alabama Infantry, Co. A
32nd Alabama Infantry Muster Roll
Regiment formed in April 1862 at Mobile
Mustered out approximately six months later due to poor eyesight
Petition to Confederate States Congress, 1862 (Washington County)
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Battle Timeline for Regiment while Emmett Reeves Vaughan was enlisted:


Ezekiel B. Harris
Maternal 2nd Great Grandfather
37 yrs. old w/5 children at the time
3rd Batallion Hilliard's Legion, Co. E
Later Consolidated with 60th Alabama Infantry Regiment
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Ezekiel joined the CSA, Hilliard's Legion, Alabama Volunteers, 3rd Battalion (Hilliard's), Co. E., in China Grove, Pike Co., AL on 3/21/1863.  This unit later was merged with the 60th Alabama Infantry. Ezekiel was in Co. G.  Survived the war.  Records show several bouts of pneumonia.
Applied for pension in Baldwin Co., AL on March 15, 1893.
According to record from the National Archives,  Ezekiel B. Harris joined the CSA/60th Alabama Infantry, Co. G, as a private at China Grove, Pike, Co., AL on March 21, 1863.  He was enlisted by Lt. Dozier for the duration of the War. Absent sick in hospital, Knoxville, Tenn., 9/22/63, order J. B. Luckie.  He appears on a Receipt Roll for clothing issued in General Hospital, Liberty, Va. on April 11, 1864.  He signed for the clothing with his mark.  He appears on a Report of Sick and Wounded, in General Hospital at Liberty, Va., for the month of June 1864.  Discharges on Surgeon's Certificate:  Disease, Parapletia (partial) 21 mo. duration.   Date of discharge from service June 4, 1864.
Source:  Carole Griffin

Battle Timeline for Regiment while Emmett Reeves Vaughan was enlisted:
NOTE:  The activity of this regiment is very confusing the way it's written, but Ezekiel B. Harris was in the hospital part of the time so not all battles after his discharge are included anyway.