I’ve got a post coming about John W. Neer, a Union man from Harper’s Ferry. While no blood relative of mine, one of his daughters married my third great granduncle, James Draden Moore (1859-1899).
Neer’s story is an interesting one, and I look forward to telling it, but I wanted to break-out one small portion of his Southern Unionist Claim… the man claimed to have been forcefully conscripted (though he didn’t consider himself a conscript, but rather, “pressed”) into the Confederate army, in 1861. I’ve mentioned this sort of thing before… being conscripted into the Confederate army, before there was actually a conscription law in place (the first of three came in the spring of 1862). It’s a challenge for some folks today to buy it, just because of that simple fact… the first conscription law had not yet been passed. In fact, even when those people who lived it tried to explain, the Claims Commission didn’t buy it… no matter how much these same people did for the Union, during the course of the war.
Final remarks by Claims Commission, on the application of John W. Neer.
I can only imagine the frustration, and, in some ways, I can empathize.
More on John W. Neer coming…
Rob Robbins
May 20, 2012
I have posted before in regards to my great grandfather James Calvin Robins who was both a Confederate soldier and a Galvinized Yankee. He too has a similarity to John Neer. James enlisted in the 25th AR INF on 22 Feb 1862 (which I believe was before conscription in the south). Fast forward he was listed as being captured on 3 Sep 1864 when Atlanta fell. Later as a prisoner at Camp Douglas he told interviewers that he had originally enlisted to avoid conscription and had always been loyal to the north and deserted from his Confederate unit to avail himself to the north’s Amnesty Proclamation. I believe he lied so he could enlist in the 6th US Volunteers and out of harsh conditions in prison.On 13 Aug 1865 he deserts from his assignment at Fort Rankin. He made his way back to his hometown where he added the extra b to the name and changed the ages of himself and my great grandmother in the 1870 and 1880 Federal census. This was a man who I believe was loyal to the south. Other supporting evidence includes that he married a relative of another enlistee of the same unit.
Robert Moore
May 22, 2012
Thanks for mentioning this again, however, I wouldn’t compare Robins with Neer. While both had to convince others of something, that is where the parallel ends. As I’ll point out in an upcoming post, Neer proved his loyalty through certain actions.
As for Robins, yes, that enlistment date was before the enforcement of the first Confederate Conscription Act, but you have to ask… why did he wait until then? I’ve encountered others who enlisted at about that same time, in order to evade the embarrasment of being gathered by conscription hunters and/or have a chance to join a unit in which he knew others (neighbors and friends). Worry about being socially ostracized were quite real.
It may be that Robins joined the USV to get out of the harsh conditions of POW camp, and at that time, he might be labeled a survivalist, and that doesn’t necessarily reveal whether or not he supported the Union or the Confederacy, but simply that he wished to find a means to make it out of the war alive. The fact that he deserted the USV is also foggy on loyalty. The USV had no easy ride… conditions were harsh, and some say they bordered on the harshness of POW living. Incidentally, the marriage doesn’t really reveal anything, because I’ve seen where former Confederates and/or their children married daughters of Unionists.
In the end, we have to step back from these and judge quite discriminantly, based on all that is available (often, that equates to “what little is available), keeping a keen awareness of what is not available. I think that leaves us with more “this is one of the many possible scenarios for this fellow” cases, as opposed to absolute certainties in the way of understanding that same person’s loyalty. In most cases, we simply can’t and won’t know, and that doesn’t usually set well with most as they want certainty.
Vince
May 20, 2012
This isn’t directly related to this post, but about Southern Unionism and the claims process in general. How common was it for a Southern Unionist to be categorized as a spy and for him (or a spouse) to receive a pension, in your experience?
In tracking the 79th Pennsylvania moving south from Columbia, Tennessee, in May 1862, I ran across an account of a conversation between a soldier and a persecuted Unionist there. Upon further searching, it turns out the civilian was hanged as a spy a year later under Bragg’s orders. With testimony from Union Gen. James Negley, the man’s widow received a pension in the 1870s.
Here’s the account:
http://www.lancasteratwar.com/2012/05/ehw-meets-tennessee-unionist-later.html
Robert Moore
May 22, 2012
“How common was it for a Southern Unionist to be categorized as a spy and for him (or a spouse) to receive a pension, in your experience?”
I think this has to be broken into two questions.
First regarding the spy matter… without a doubt, to reveal oneself as a Unionist was a sure way to be put under a microscope of suspicion (whether the person/s actually did any spying or not… it didn’t matter, as revealing sentiments simply showed that one was in a position of being capable of spying and/or aiding those who could be detrimental to the Confederate cause). That’s way a good many kept their sentiments to themselves, and they did what they did… quietly. Those who were outspoken brought attention on themselves and their families.
As for Southern Unionists receiving a pension… of course, we’re speaking of a pension after having served in the military. Generally, this wasn’t a great issue, except when that Southern Unionist had served, previously, in the Confederate military. They had to prove that they did not bear arms willingly… and that could be tough. Along similar lines, there are some who say that those who “galvanized” while POWs later faced difficulties getting pensions… and that’s not necessarily true. The pension rolls for United States Volunteer troops (Galvanized Yankees) says something to the contrary.
That’s an interesting story about the Tennessee Unionist. Thanks for sharing the link!
Vince
May 22, 2012
An descendant just forwarded me a letter written by Gen. James Negley, detailing that the man who was executed was indeed acting as a spy/scout on his behalf when caught and hanged in spring 1863 by Bragg’s army. I’ll post the letter sometime soon.
Robert Moore
May 22, 2012
Great, keep me posted, and I’ll cross-link.
Vince
May 26, 2012
Here’s the letter from Gen. Negley:
http://www.lancasteratwar.com/2012/05/follow-up-on-gen-negleys-ill-fated-spy.html
Southern Unionists seems to have been a pretty dominant theme in that part of Tennessee in May/June 1862 for the Pennsylvania soldiers I’m following, so some of my upcoming posts will include more of what they saw and thought.
Vince
May 22, 2012
And thanks for your clarification about the pension question. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog and the book Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War, as they’ve really opened my eyes to the fascinating world of Southern Unionism.
Robert Moore
May 22, 2012
Thanks. Good stuff, and I’ve not been able to walk away from it since I started writing about it, back in 2006, as a major focal point of my thesis.