Eller Chronicles Nov 93 p- 1

The Eller Chronicles
Vol. VII NO 4.THE ELLER FAMILY ASSOCIATIONNOV 1993

Page - 320



BEHIND THE LINES
With the Ellers in the Civil War

Byron H. Eller

Thomas Jefferson(5) was the tenth child and the youngest son of Simeon(4)[John(3), Peter(2), George Michael(l)] and Fanny McNiel-Eller, being born in 1837/1838, making him about 20 years younger than his oldest brother, Harvey. The Simeon Eller farm, 6 miles northwest of North Wilkesboro, was home to him as it was to older members of the family. Also at home was a younger sister (eleventh child) by three years, America.

As has been noted in previous writings under this by-Line, Thomas' father, Simeon, became ill and died suddenly 19 June 1850 when Thomas was only twelve years old. This was a great loss to the family and to the young lad in particular, for it seems a close bond existed between father and this young son, for as we read, a very special and sentimental portion of Simeon's possessions was willed to Thomas. Reading, "The will of Simeon Eller was signed 18 June 1850, the day before his death.... He gave his youngest son Thomas Jefferson Eller his 'rifle gun' to be accounted for by him in his settlement with the executor .... the 'rifle gun', mentioned in his will, was one made by himself, he having been a blacksmith and skilled gunsmith as well as the operator of a farm". 1

This story sounds reminiscent of the Biblical account of another father who had a special regard for his eleventh son,--"Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age, and he made a richly ornamented robe for him". Gen. 37:3. The analogy may not be entirely correct, but a similarity does seem to exist. We wonder what Thomas did with his gun from the time it was willed to him, and as he was growing into young manhood, but no matter what was done with it, it must have been a very prized possession for the young man.

Thomas' mother died 4 October 1856, when he was 18 years of age, and his younger sister was only 14 years. To which home these young people went now as orphans is not known but there were older married brothers living on the homeplace and adjacent farms so anyone of them would have made homes for this brother and sister.

Fort Sumpter fell to South Carolina forces 14 April 1861, but North Carolina did not secede from the Union until 20 May 1861. There followed quickly a call to her young men to join the ranks of the Confederacy. Perhaps it was the feeling of being alone and restless that prompted Thomas to enlist into the Southern army as early as he did, for he answered this call on 11 July 1861. North Carolina regiments were being formed as quickly as men became available, being numbered numerically as the men presented themselves, and thus the First North Carolina Infantry Regiment was formed very early in the war. It was organized at the race track near Warrenton, North Carolina, in the Spring of 1861. Companies were contributed by counties, thus all of company B was from Wilkes County, composed of 170 young men from that county.2

And so Thamas Jefferson enlisted in Company B, 1st N.C. Infantry with his first cousin, Clevelad Barnett Eller(5), Peter(4), Jobn(3), Peter(2), George Micbael(l). They reported for mustering in at Warrenton, N.C. with the other Wilkes County men. In July after the organization was perfected, the regiment was ordered to Richmond to take up positions at Brooks' Station near Acquia Creek, Co. B to man the heavy guns in the batteries at the mouth of that creek, and was engaged in several skirmishes with the enemy's gunboats. From there in the Spring of 1862 the regiment was ordered to Goldsboro, N.C., but shortly was ordered back to Richmond, and arrived at Seven Pines (Fair Oaks) on the Virginia Peninsula just after that battle had been fought 11 June 1862. Here it remained on picket duty during the Seven Days Battle, 25 June to 1 July 1862. On the last day of the engagement the regiment formed a line of battle at Malvern Hill, facing a heavily fortified position made on a strong natural plateau. The regiment was ordered to assault the Union's defensive works, which turned into a bloody and disorganized struggle. In so doing the regiment took heavy casualties, one being cousin Cleveland Barnett. The extent of his wound is not known, but it did take him out of action, and he was discharged on 1 March 1863, by reason of his having provided a substitute.

As the army moved north to be in Lee's invasion of Maryland it encountered the enemy at Crampton Gap in South Mountain, and arrived at Sharpsburg (Battle of Antietam) 15 August 1862, and was in and out of combat, being hotly engaged at the celebrated "cornfield". The loss of the regiment in this battle was more than fifty percent of the number engaged. After the battle the regiment recrossed the Potomac River and proceeded in the direction of Fredricksburg, Virginia. One notable finding at this time was that the majority of the men were now barefoot.

Fredricksburg during the bitterly cold month of December witnessed that horribly bloody battle of 12 and 13 December, with the 1st N.C. regiment remaining in the first and second lines. After this battle the regiment built and occupied winter quarters on the Rappahannock, near Skinker's Neck. The winter was spent in picket duty, drilling, and foraging for subsistence. On 19 April 1863 this regiment left it's encampment and marched in the direction of Chancellorsville. Here the opposing armies would meet in mortal conflict.

The army arrived at Hamilton's Crossing the evening of 29 April 1863, and was formed in line of battle, becoming the second line in support of the first line, which was commanded by General Robert Rodes. It remained in position here until 2 May when commenced what is described as one of the most daring plans in military history. Defying strategic and tactical laws of warfare, Lee split his army and sent General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson on a 14 mile march, taking nearly all of 2 May to complete. Late in the afternoon a line of battle was formed 4 miles west of Chancellorsville. As twilight (5:30 p.m.) enveloped the "Wilderness", Jackson's veterans stormed into General Oliver O. Howard's (XI Corps) unsuspecting troops, whose members were cooking' their supper. Howard's line collapsed under the lightning assault, and his men fled two miles to the rear towards Chancellorsville crossroads. Darkness and the mixed Confederate commands prevented a full scale pursuit.3

In the ensuing darkness Jackson rode beyond the lines to reconnoiter for the attack of the next morning. As he returned he fell wounded, shot by his own troops. An amputation of his left arm was required, but the great "Stonewall" developed pneumonia, dying eight days later, 10 May 1863. The fatal wounding of Jackson perhaps cost Lee more than he had gained from a smashing victory over a foe superior in numbers and strength. His was the one loss the South could never replace. The Army of Northern Virginia was never the same without "Stonewall".4

The pursuit of the Yankees was commenced early next morning (Sunday, 3 May) . The advance was ordered that carried the assaulting troops to the enemies breastworks. By afternoon these troops were surrounding the Federals massed around the Chancellor House. In the attack of the morning casualties were heavy.5 During this campaign the 1st N.C. .Regt. lost 32 killed, 140 wounded, 27 missing, for a total of 199 men.6

323 ELLER CHRONICLES VII-4 NOV. 1993
Many brave officers and men fought their last battle. Private Thomas Jefferson Eller was one of these unfortunate men. Hook states that Thomas Jefferson was "killed Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, early on the morning of 2 May 1863.7 It is the opinion of the writer that this is in error for the battle was not engaged until the evening of 2 May, and the heaviest fighting of the 1st N.C. inf. was early on the morning of 3 May, therefore it is believed that is was in the early morning attack of 3 May, when the fighting was the severest for the 1st N.C., that Thomas Jefferson fell in battle.

Hook also states that Thorms "was buried where he fell". But what about the "rifle gun"? Even though many Confederate recruits carried their squirrel guns, rifles, or muskets into war with them, Thomas apparently did not, for again from Hook we learn, "While in the service he wrote a letter home, part of which, after his death, was probated as his last will and testiment. It reads, 'and should I never see you again I will you, brother ... Anderson, my gun'", Anderson being his next older brother. 8 Hook further states, "The writer has not seen the gun but has been told that it is still preserved and owned by a descendant of Simeon's son, Anderson Eller, who received it by the will of his brother, Thomas Jefferson".9 Hook does not venture to suggest who the descendant is, but no doubt the gun still exists to this day, and it would make for interesting research to verify its existence and to identify the descendant in Whose possession it rests.

Now here is the rest of the story - On a trip to Virginia in April this year, a visit was made to the Chancellorsville Battlefield. At the visitors center inquiry was made of the ranger historian if he could pinpoint the place the 1st N.C. inf. made their attack on the mining of 3 May 1863. He very obligingly brought out the library's large maps of the battle which showed that the heaviest fighting for the 1st N.C. occurred about 6-7:00a.m., and pointed to the spot where the regiment was most likely engaged, which was just across the road (Orange Turnpike) from the visitors center and the Jackson monument rating the spot where "Stonewall" was wounded. The area of the fighting appears today much like it did 130 years ago,-a tangle of trees, shrubs and vines. How any number of troops could advance through that maze is a wonder.

On further questioning of the ranger, about the remains Of those killed in action, it was stated that the Confederates were buried on the battlefield, but the Ladies Memorial Association, a group of Fredericksburg women had organized in 1866 for the purpose of caring for the graves of the Confederate dead on the battlefield. One year later they purchased land for a Confederate cemetery and reinterred the soldiers in their new location adjoining the Fredericksburg City Cemetery. In time headstones supplied by various Southern states replaced the original cedar posts. Six confederate generals and more than 3,300 Southern soldiers lie buried in this cemetery amid quiet, peaceful surroundings; 2,184 of them are unknown.

A book was produced "Roster of the Confederate Dead in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery", by Robert K. Krick, 1974, containing the name of our Eller. With considerable anticipation the eleven miles was made to the cemetery, but immediately a problem was foreseen. Where to begin? The headstones were covered with a heavy coating of moss and deeply discolored, the names almost indistinguishable. However, it was of help to note the stones were grouped by states. On finding the North Carolina section, each stone was investigated individually. By determing the configuration and length of the letters making up names, one conforming to the ooutline of E L L E R was found. By tracing the letters with a sharp stick, soon the moss and lichen were scratched away, and there standing out very plainly was the name. It was a moment of deep satisfaction and, yes, excitement.

REFERENCES
  1. George Michael Eller & Descendants of His in America, Hook, J.W.; 1957, p. 179.
  2. Clark, W.; North Carolina Regiments, 1901, Vol. 1, p. 137.
  3. Tim/Life Books, Rebel Resergent, p. 136.
  4. Manarin, L.H.; North Carolina Troops: a Roster, 1971, V. III, p.137
  5. Faust, P.; Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia, p. 126.
  6. Official Records, Vol. 25:1, p. 1033
  7. GME, Hook, p. 186
  8. i.b.i.d. p. 186
  9. i.b.i.d. p. 179




GENEALOGIST'S
DISEASE

WARNING: Genealogy Pox (Very contagious to adults)

SYMPTOMS: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places. Patient has a blank expression, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses. Has compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, and remote, desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls, hides phone bills from spouse and mumbles to self. Has strange faraway look in eyes.

NO KNOWN CURE

TREATMENT: Medication is useless. Disease is not fatal, but gets progressively worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he or she can be a-lone.

REMARKS: The unusual nature of this disease is: the sicker the patient gets, the more he or she enjoys it!

Taken from: Ancestors Unlimited Quarterly, publication of South-west Nebraska Genealogical Society of McCook, Nebraska

Courtesy of Lynn Eller & his Nebraska Relative Joy Ann.



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J.W. Hook's genealogy of Leonard Eller did not include the name of his wife at the time of publication in 1957. Hook later learned her name was Elizabeth Masts and this Information appears as a maginal note in some books. The information here comes from the Watauga Co., NC Heritage Book, Watauga Co. Genelogical Soc., Boone, NC.

MASTS ANCESTRY

414

   Records show the Masts to be of German ancestry. A majority of these early ancestors Identified as being consecrated to the teachings of the word of God, suffered much for conscience sake, yet remained faithful to their belief. Because of persecution many left Germany, went to Switzerland, and later some to the Netherlands.

   John Mast was born in Switzerland in 1740. He, in company with an uncle, an older brother Jacob, and four sisters, sailed from Rotterdam on the ship "Brotherhood" and landed in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 3, 1750. They resided nearly ten years in the district of the Northkill Congregation of Amish Mennonites. In 1760 they were attacked by Indians and forced to seek another refuge from persecution. They settled in the beautiful Conestoga Valley between the Schuylkill River and Conestoga Creek, Barks County, Pa. Here Jacob erected a comfortable log farm house for the family. He married Magdeline Holly and they reared twelve children, He was a prominent citizen and was elected to the office of Bishop of the Mennonite Church in 1788. John. shortly after becoming twenty years old, left his brother Jacob and family to explore and hopefully find a more suitable location. After a period of wandering through lonely forests, he settled in the year 1764 in Randolph County, N.C. He was married to Barbara and they had five sons and seven daughters.

   John, first son, was married, wife unknown; Joseph married Eve Bowers; Jacob married; David married Nancy Ware; Steve, a bachelor; Nancy married James Curtis; Elizabeth married Leonard Eller; Hannah married, Daniel Hoover; Mary married David Hoover; Mollie married John Wagner; Catherine married Andrew Sheets; Susanna married Henry Fouts. John, Jacob, David, and some of the sisters and their husbands went to Ohio (Montgomery and Miami Counties) In 1801. Steve went to Ohio and later to Maryland where he located on land, now the City of Baltimore.

   Joseph, b. March 25, 1764, married Eve Bowers in May 1783. They came to Watauga County during the late 1780s and built a home on Watauga River near Valle Crucis. They had eight children: Adam married Elizabeth Cable; John married Susanna Harmon; David married Mary Shull; Jacob married Fulcher; Joel, a bachelor; Reuben married lst Nancy Weel, 2nd Jane Curtis; Noah married Elizabeth Shull; and Elizabeth married Benjamin Council. Adam moved to Southwest Va. and later to Johnson County, Tenn. David, Jacob, and Reuben moved with their families and slaves to Texas.

   John, b. 1786 (2nd son of Joseph), married Susanna Harmon in 1808, and they built a home on Brushy Fork Creek, Sugar Grove, N.C., where they lived and reared fourteen children. Most of these children continued to live in Watauga County and contributed substantially to the county's population and progress. These children were the fourth generation of Masts in America were, Nancy, b. 1809, married Dudley Farthing. They had thirteen children: William Judson, Susan, James Martin, John Young (Jack),

 Mary White, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Harrison, Martha, Joseph, Lewis Williams, Sarah Caroline, Wiley Hill and Nancy Emeline.

   David (died in infancy).

   Noah, b. 1812, married Elizabeth Roland and had three children Harvey, Mary and Joel. (Family moved to Missouri).

   Eli, b. 1813 d. 1902, married Celia Dugger. They had seven children: Sarah, Joseph Finley, Manuel Dugger, Mary Ellen, William Penn, John Calvin and Susan.

   Leason, b. 181 5, married Sarah Dugger and had three children Charlotte, Eli P. and Haseltine (Hester). (Family moved to Oregon).

   Elizabeth, b. 1817 - d. 1897, married Joseph Shull. They had eight children: Temperance Caroline, Noah, Phillip, Benjamin, John, James Melton and Mary Adeline.

   Mary, b. 1818 - d. 1905, married John W. Wilson and they had four children: Sarah Emeline, Hiram, John Andrew (Andy) and Susan.

   Charlotte, b. 1820, married Gephemiah Horton. Their family consisted of seven children: Taylor, Finley, James, Nicolas, Emma, Jane and John. (They lived in Yancey County).

   Melinda, b. 1822, married Jesse Gragg and had two children: William Finley and Pete.

   Caroline, b. 1824 - d. 1887, married Andrew Baker Mast (Andy). They had four children: William, John, David Finley and Mary. 1,

   Emeline, b,1826- d. 1880, married Henry Taylor and had. four children: John B., James P., Charles Davis and Thomas Hardison.

   Joseph Harrison, b. 1827 - d. 1915, married Clarissa P. Moore and had nine children: Sophronia Elizabeth, Andrew Jackson (Andy), Leona Angeline, Martha Victoria, John Hight, Alice Josephine (Josie), Sarah Caroline, Daniel Harrison and Joseph Carson (Pete).

   John Allen, b. 1829 - d. 1892, married Martha Elizabeth Moore. They had eleven children: Elizabeth (Lou), Noah Tarlton, Charlotte Caroline, Virginia Ellen, Newton Lafayette (N.L. or Newt), Julia Anna, Munsford Monroe, Mary Etta, Susan Arrena (Sue), Martha Addie and William Hardy.

   Finley Patterson, b. 1832 - d. 1924, married Rhoda Smith and had six children: David Charles, Mary Elizabeth, Martha E. (Mattie), John Johiel (Jack) Emma Lenoir and Lillie Olymphia.

   Many of the 77 grandchildren of John and Susanna Mast (5th generation) and the greats 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th generations lived or live now in Watauga County serving in various occupations and in civic and church activities.

   Sources: Mast, C.Z., MastFamily History, Mennonite Publishin House, Scottsdale, Pa., 911, 822 pp.; Family and Public Records.

-- Grace B. Mast

ARTHUR CLYDE MAST

415

   "A.C.," as he was called by many, was born on a farm at Sugar Grove, N.C. on May 28, 1892, the tenth child and seventh son of thirteen children born to Noah T. and Lucinda

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25th.May.1993.           Raymond E. O. Ella,
  Address
 No
 Longer
 Valid
 ** Deleted **
Dear J.G.Eller, Esq.,

Thank you for the free copy of the ELLERS CHRONICLES (May 1993, vol. Vll, No.2), indeed it was very kind of you.
Since doing research on my family tree of Yorkshire origin, i.e. back to a James Ella who married a Mary Taler (Taylor) at Thornton-le-Street parish church in 1674, I have now found the marriage of their first born song also a James (baptism 7th Nov.1675 at Thornton-le-Street parish church), his marriage being:
James Eller, married to Dorathie (Dorothy) Harland, 12th June 1698, Cowesby parish church, Yorkshire.
From the 1670s to the 1790s, my family were corn-millers, millwrights and farmers surrounding the market town of THIRSK, North Yorkshire, i.e. in the villages of Thornton-le-Street, Cowesby, Leake, Borrowby and Kirby Knowle. From the 1790s, they were of the York area near Tadcaster, by the 1830s, they were of the Castleford area in West Yorkshire, England.
I have come-up with the following I've not been able to place:
North Yorkshire County Record Office, Northallerton:
Quarter Sessions, 1593-to 1617, index. Vol. 2, 1612 to 1616: Wensley Parish, Richmond Q.S., 12th July 1614, JOHN ELLAY listed as Labourer, aged 80?, recusant(R.18mo).
Hearth Tax for 1673, Hang West wapentake: Jo. ELLER,, of Preston-under-Scar (in Wensley parish).
Hearth Tax for 1673, Birsforth/Bulmer wapentakes: Rich. ELLER of Topoliffe,, (near Thirsk).
Sent with very best wishes.
  Yours sincerely,
  R.Ella, (Mr & Mrs).

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Dear Gerald, Koln, 16 June 1993
Thank you very much for your long letter of 13 April, especially also for understanding and forgiving my long silence! Yow it will take only still 4 weeks until we shall meet again and shall have an opportunity to talk about lots of things! I, therefore, shall concentrate today upon xxxx such matters which should be spoken about before our meeting at Portland.

First of all, Asta and I would like to thank Juanita and you very heartily for the invitation to come (in my case: again) to Barker's Creek, and it is a great pleasure to both of us to accept this invitation, although we probably can stay with you only for 3 days and 4 nights as a maximum, i.e. if you allow us to come already in the late evening of 27 July, for already on 31 July my colleague William C. Dickison from Chapel Hill will pick me up at w Barker's Creek-and take me with him to Chapel Hill in order to discuss /with me/ Further details of the book on plant anatomy which we are preparing together; the other day (1 August) I shall fligh from Raleigh-Durham to Columbus OH where we are expected by friends for the first week of August. Originally it was planned that we should spend the "gap time" Between the Family Conference and the visit at Barker's Creek with Charlotte and her family at Nyssa, but only the day before yesterday we learnt that this will not be possible (for reasons which you certainly already know). We have still another invitation in Oregon, with another ancient colleague of mine, former Professor at Long Beach). but our stay there should not be extended beyond 27 July, for I fear that 9 days or even more might be too much for him and his wife (he had a bad accident last year).

The second matter concerns the problem of how to number or letter descendencies. You really have presented my material in a most perfect manner in the May issue of the Chronicles, and your explanations seem to me clearer then I could have written them! The only accident that happened to my material, is that in the middle of the Wonsheim Eller genealogy the sequence of 13 pages was inverted. (It is easy to notice, for in my system the symbols AAA, AAB, AAC, ABA ... must follow each other in alphabetical sequence!) Unfortunately, I have not sufficient time to prepare another explanatory article for the August Chronicles early enough before the Conference, for writing in English takes me much more time then in my own language. But, as Charlotte writes me, I may give a short presentation at Portland; so the subject will be kept �open", i.e. the audience will be warned to regard an NPS or NGS system as �alone happy makin". Already a few years ago I started to prepare an article of about 15 or 20 pages for a German genealogical journal; I there intended to exemplify ''my" new format of descendencies with the descendants of the Ronsdorf sect founder Elias Eller. The reason for which that article has not yet been finished, is that I had not yet the time to do the necessary research in order to find out whether there are still living descendants of the sect founder, or not (as Vernon Eller believes). But as soon as that article will be finished, an English version may be published in the Chronicles. - But did you notice that the third genealogy in the May issue is very similar to mine? The sequence of the people is identical, only the symbols of the people (numbers versus letters) are different.

p. t. o.




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Dear Gerald, let me close now. Looking forward to continuing our always interesting conversation in mid-July, I remain, with the very best wishes for Juanita and you and your entire family, also in .Asta's name,
  cordially yours,
Klaus

signature

Thank you also for the stamps!

  • PS. As you may have noticed, Asta originates from the province of Westphalia. Her parents' home is only about 10 miles distant from the central archives of the evangelical (Lutheran and reformed) churches of Westphalia at Bielefeld. There I have started in May some research on the Westphalian Ellers (based upon IGI), although I know that it is not very probable that Westphalian Ellers have emigrated to the US.












    • Allen, die uns

    anl��lich unserer Hochzeit

    mit Gl�ckw�nschen und Geschenken

    erfreut haben,

    sagen wir von Herzen Dank!



    Klaus und Asta Napp-Zinn





    K�ln, im Juni 1993






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