Military Monday – My 2nd Great Grandfather –Shadrach Johns

Shadrach Johns was born about 1800 in South Carolina, probably in Marlboro County. When the Civil War started Shadrach, his wife Mary and their four Children – Alice Catherine, Thomas H., Joseph Henry and Anna W. – were living in Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama. [1] They had moved from Chesterfield County, South Carolina sometime after the 1850 Census were enumerated and 1860 when the Census was taken in Alabama.

At the start of the Civil War, Shadrack John, who was sixty (60) years old was mustered into the Company “H”, 24^th Regiment, Alabama Infantry. He enlisted on 12 August 1861 at Nolasulga, Alabama.

By early 1864, Shadrack and his family had moved to Washington County, Florida. Here he was assigned to the Florida Home Guard[2], Capt. W. B. Jones Company of men in the local Home Guard. Most of the members of this unit was as old if not older than my 2^nd Great Grandfather who now has reached the grand old age of 64.

On September 27, 1864 one of the least known battles of the Civil War took place in Florida; it was called The Battle of Marianna. Union troops under the leadership of Brigadier General Alexander Asboth struck the small Northwest Florida city of Marianna.

On September 28, 1864, after the attack on Marianna, the Union troops, while passing through Washington County, Florida ran into a small contingent of Home Guards responding to a call to help fellow citizens in neighboring Jackson County. They met at a place called Hard Labor Creek near today’s Washington. Captain W.B. Jones and the men of the Vernon Home Guard were severely outnumbered.

The Union soldiers demanded that the men surrender. They refused. After a short skirmish, Captain Jones and 10 of his men were captured, 1 man was dead and one was wounded. The 11 captured men were shipped to Ship Island Prison. Among the eleven men captured was my 2^nd Great grandfather Shadrack John.

Shadrack was later transferred to Elmira, New York to a prison there where he signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States on 16 December 1864.

http://www.fold3.com/image/#20|127927670

J Confederate Fla.

Shadrack John

Pvt. Capt. Jones Co. Fla. Mil

Appears on a

Roll of Prisoners of War

At Elmira, New York desirous to take the Oath of

Allegiance to the United States

Roll dated Headquarters Prison Camp, Elmira

N. Y. Dec. 16, 1864

Join Station ............ Nov. 20, 186x.

Where Captured.........near Vernon, Fla

When Captured........ Sept 28, 1864

Remarks...... was ordered out by the

Governor to resist an Union

raiding party. Is a Union

man and is over 60 years of

age, and was captured same day

that he was ordered out

Desires to go to Pensacola

Fla. 

Note: the last two hyperlink will take you to details on these two battles.

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[1] 1860 U. S. Census, Russell County, Alabama, population schedule, Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 893, Line 7, dwelling 238, family 227, Household of Shadrick Johns; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_22.
[2] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/image/#20|127927670 : accessed 20 August 2011), entry for Shadrack JOHNS, Private; Captain W. B. Jones Florida Home Guard; Confederate.