A salute to Veterans

Atlanta was founded by veterans and has always been home to many. Today more than 10% of Cass County’s residents are veterans. To commemorate the upcoming Memorial Day, we are reprinting some veteran news from issues past for the next few weeks.

50th Anniversary Issue of the Citizens Journal 1939

D.A. Smith enlisted in the Confederate Army in Talladega, Alabama in April 1862 at the age of 20 and placed in Co. S, 30th Alabama Regiment, Col. Shelley in command; Patterson, captain; was in training about thirty days. “Regiment then marched to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, where we fought several minor battles with the Yankees. From there we were sent to Vicksburg. During the battle of Vicksburg, we were taken prisoners. After the siege of Vicksburg we were exchanged. From there we went back to Cumberland Gap; then made a raid into Kentucky. We marched into Atlanta, Georgia, several hard battles being fought along the way, among them being Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. On July 22, 1864, I was wounded in the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, and was sent to the hospital at Forsyth, Georgia, for about thirty days. Was furloughed home for four months. Then was placed in hospital at Talladega, Alabama, on light duty and remained there until the close of the war. I am nearing my 87th year and am still carrying the bullet in my breast from the big battle in which I was wounded.”

J.W. Kelley, 89 years old, has been making his home in Cass County for the past thirteen years, near the Louisiana state line, making cross ties. He enlisted in the Union Army, April 1861, and served under Gen. Lightburn. He was wounded in the neck by a piece of a bomb in the battle of Richmond, Virginia.

William Northen, age 84, enlisted as a volunteer in the Confederate Army in April 1863, at the age of 17; Co. D, 18th Texas Infantry. He was in the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana and Saline, Arkansas. Had several holes shot through his clothes but came through the war without being wounded. He was at Hempstead, Texas, when the order came to disband, but being under Capt. T.J. Rogers of Jefferson, his company stayed together till they got to Jefferson, where they received their discharge June 1, 1865. He moved to Cass County in 1861 with his mother and settled eight miles south of Linden.

T.J. Vaughn, age 86, was a Louisiana volunteer, joining the Confederacy in May, 1864, and was discharged in May, 1865. He was a member of Co. A of 28th Louisiana regiment. He was only in a few skirmishes during the last year of the war. He moved to Texas in 1890 and has been a resident of Cass County most of that time.

D.B. Tomberlain, 85 years old, of Hughes Springs, Texas, enlisted in the Confederacy July 26, 1861 at the age of 17 years, from Tennessee in Co. C, 25th Tennessee. He was in the battles of Richmond and was captured at Drewley’s Bluff, May 16th, in 1864 and was sent to Point Lookout, Maryland and put in prison three months and then sent to New York in prison for seven months; prison paroled June 9, 1865. Mr. Tomberlain was hit twice in the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, both being flesh wounds. He has since plowed the field in which he was wounded and picked up many balls. He came to Texas in 1894 and lived at different points in Cass County for the past 32 years.

J.S. Draper, age 83, of Bryans Mill, enlisted in the Confederacy from Shelby County, Alabama, November 1863, in Co D, Capt. James A McCoy’s regiment, under Gen Thomas as the age of 17. He was not in any big battles but was under fire several times, once for a week, used to check raids of Union soldiers. Was captured at Blakely, and held prisoner on Ship Island for three weeks, and honorably paroled in April 1865.

George T. Daniel, Sr., age 83, of Bivins, Texas, enlisted in the Confederacy as a first class private in May, 1864, from Alabama. Received his discharge at Columbus, Georgia, in 1866 by parole from Union Army. Came to Cass County in 1903.

J.A. Hargett, age 83, volunteered in July, 1864, and joined the Confederacy at Atlanta, Georgia, and was discharged at Hamburg, South Carolina, April 1865. He was in Co. I, 9th Georgia militia under Capt. Henry E. Moss. He was in the battle around Savannah, Georgia, and others. He and Mrs. Hargett celebrated their golden wedding anniversary January 16, 1929; she was Miss Hattle Wells of Marietta, Georgia, before her marriage. They have one son and three daughters living. Mr.and Mrs. Hargett have been citizens of Cass County for the past 39 years.

Wash Harper, age 84, enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private at Knoxville, Tennessee, Co. D 6th Florida Regiment, Finley’s Brigade, Bates Division. He took the measles and was sent home on a 30 day furlough, returning to the army a few days before the battle of MacLemores Cave, marched to LaFayette and there was ordered to report as a nurse to wait upon the sick and wounded of the MacLemore fight. A week later when the Chickamauga fight started they were ordered to move the sick and wounded by wagon train to Tunnel Hill, then by rail to Atlanta, Georgia, thence to Forsyth, Georgia, where he remained as head nurse until just before the battle of Missionary Ridge, September 22, 1863. The army then retreated to Ringgold and after a skirmish they retreated to Dalton, Georgia and went into winter quarters. The following March they were attacked by the Yankees and after four days of hard fighting the Yankees retreated but returned to the attack in May and after four days hard fighting the Confederate army was ordered by whisper during the night to retreat to Resaca, Georgia. Here they had four more days of hard fighting and they were then forced to retreat by a flanking movement by Shermans Army and crossed the river to Cassville. He was captured the following day, May 20, 1864, and carried to Rock Island, Illinois, and remained in prison there 13 months, being discharged on June 20, 1865. Wash Harper came to Texas in November 1870, and settled at Douglassville, later moving to the Laws Chapel community, where in the fall of 1876 he bought and moved to his present home where he has continuously lived for over 52 years. He was married to Miss Betty Draper on September 29, 1872, who died on October 13, 1927.

G.F. Hawkins, age 83, enlisted in the Confederate Army at Henson Springs, Alabama, and served the last two years and nine months of the war. He was in the battles around Harrisburg and Corinth, Mississippi, and Atlanta and Dalton, Georgia. He belonged to Co. H 10th Alabama Calvary, served as courier under Col. Powers and Gen. Wheeler. He was married to Miss Mary Ann Isbell on October 12, 1871, in Alabama. Eight children were born to them, three sons and one daughter living.

W.E. Newby, age 81, of Naples, served in the Civil War eighteen months before its close. First guarded prisoners six months at Andersonville, Georgia, from there to Charleston, South Carolina, then to Savannah, Georgia, back and forth until the close of the war. Mr. Newby came to Cass County from Georgia in December 1888.

Cornelius Rowan Curtright, 3rd Lieutenant, Company D, 4th Regiment, Texas Volunteers, Hood’s Brigade, Field’s Division, Longstreet’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Captain Clompton’s Company, Texas Volunteers, Star Rifles). The Brigade was present at 83 engagements from May 7, 1862, to Appomattox Courthouse, April 9, 1865. The Brigade played a prominent part in six of the greatest battles of the Civil War: Gaines Mills, Second Manassas, Antietam, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, and Wilderness. About 4500 men fought in the three Texas regiments of Hood’s Brigade. At Appomattox there were but 476 men left to surrender. Curtright and his wife, Gertrude, lived in Cusseta, in the McWhorter boarding house until his death on November 23, 1923. He was buried in Floyd Hill Cemetery in a coffin furnished by Snipes Brothers Mercantile.