U. S. Civil War--the Personal Side of History

by Martha Hutchens

Fort Sumter National Monument, image by @edella, deposit photos

My mom loves genealogy. She has traced one branch of our family all the way back to the Jamestown settlement and can rattle off the generations from memory. But what I love most are the stories—which makes sense, since I’m part history nerd and part storyteller.

The thing is, these stories are history. They place real people into the grand sweep of events—people like you and me. People like my great-great-grandfather, John C. Whitson. He was near Nashville when lightning struck the tent he was in. Several men died, but John escaped with nothing worse than a singed beard. This detail appears in his Union pension records, signed by his regimental doctor.

I often wonder what dinner conversations were like between him and his father after the war. All of John’s brothers fought for the Confederacy. He alone chose the Union—and none of his brothers survived. Did he ever wonder if he had faced them in battle, or if his bullet might have been the one that killed them?

Daniel Elihu Burnett, center front

Another story has been passed down about a different great-great-grandfather, Daniel Elihu Burnett.

During the Civil War, Daniel was a true Arkansas hillbilly. At first, the war didn’t matter to him—it felt far away. Until the day he went to Clinton, Arkansas, at the worst possible time.

The Confederate army swept through, conscripting men on the spot. Daniel was among those marched away in chains. The town of Clinton still remembers the day so many of her sons were taken. Records show Daniel “joining” the Southern army.

Almost a year later, those same records show him deserting. Family legend says he swam across the Mississippi River near Corinth, Mississippi, to escape. The river is massive that far south. According to the story, Daniel not only made it across but swam back in to save a struggling companion. It’s the kind of act that wouldn’t appear in official records, but it’s the way the tale has always been told.

What we do know is that after his escape, Daniel decided he now had a reason to fight. He joined the Union army on February 5, 1864, serving until the end of the war and rising to the rank of corporal. He was even allowed to take a mule back to Arkansas with him. Soon after, he married his sweetheart, and together they raised eleven children.

I have one more Civil War story, though this one comes without documentation. My great-great-grandfather Thomas Barry was a boy in Kentucky during the war. Kentucky was a border state—technically Union, but divided in loyalty. The Union army acted as an occupying force and confiscated weapons from civilians.

Thomas lived with two older sisters, one of whom had hidden a pearl-handled pistol. The Union soldiers discovered the weapon’s existence and questioned Thomas. Whether he truly didn’t know or simply refused to tell, we’ll never know—but the soldiers hanged him, cutting him down before he died.

A Confederate party, led by a general, found the Union men and intervened. Family lore says the general was either Forrest or Bedford, though we don’t know for certain. What we do know is that Thomas was struck with a sword during the fight and carried the scar for the rest of his life.

Do you have family stories, great or small? Write them down. They are history in its truest form. And if you have time, I’d love to read them in the comments.

Best-selling author Martha Hutchens is a history nerd who loves discovering new places and times to explore. She won the 2019 Golden Heart® for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha occasionally finds time for knitting—when writing projects allow. Her debut novel, A Steadfast Heart, is now available.

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