During the past week I did some Civil War research on the men of Chesterfield County, SC and specifically Alexander J. Purvis, son of William and Charlotte Vaughn Purvis. William and Charlotte had at least three and maybe four sons of age to serve during the War. Compounding these statistics is the fact that in 1900 Charlotte Vaughn Purvis stated that she had 15 children, 7 living. To date I have only identified 12 of these 15 children.
Within the military records of A. J. Pervis on Fold3 is this document.1
The key statement here is “See Personal Papers of Hosea White”
Within the military records of Hosea White, we find this document.
TRANSCRIPTION:
2Adams Run March 5th 1864
The undersigned Privates of Company “K” 6th S. C. Cavalry now stationed at Adams Run, S. C., being dismounted & unable to remount, ask respectfully to be transferred to Co E 21 Reg SC Vol Infantry.
Respectively
A. J. X his mark Pervis
James X his mark Pervis
William Jordan
Hosea White
I hereby consent to the transfer of the above named men.
M. J. Hough, Capt. Co. “K”
6th S. C. Calvary
.
I hereby consent to the transfer of the above named men to my Company.
Camp DuBose B. T. Davis
Jas. Island Capt. Co. “E” 21st S.C.V.
March 8th 1864
Alexander J. Pervis/Purvis was born in 1842. he is listed in his parent household in both the 1850 and the 1860 censuses. When the Civil was broke out in January 1861 he was 19 years of age. He was 20 years old when he enlisted on November 1st 1862. 3 4
The document above was interesting in that Alexander J. and James Pervis were in the same unit. Initially, I thought maybe they were siblings but further research shows that James was 18 years older than Alexander much too old to be a sibling. So who is James Purvis?
James Pervis is most likely the James Purvis in the household of Jane Pervis in 1850 and 1860. 5 6
1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield District, South Carolina, M432 Roll 851, Film #444814, Page 115, Line 4, Dwelling 256, Family 256; Jane PERVIS, age 48, born in SC, James PERVIS, age 23, born in SC, Nancy PERVIS, age 35, born in NC; Pinkey SANDERS, age 30; Mary SANDERS, age 25, born in NC; Jane SANDERS, age 27.
1860 CENSUS: Cheraw PO, Chesterfield District, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Series: M653, Roll: 1217, Family History Library Film: 805217; Page 174; Line 20, Dwelling 459, Family 458; James PERVIS, Male, age 26, born in SC; Nanny [Cranford] PERVIS, Female, age 32, born in SC; Elizabeth PERVIS, Female, age 14, born in SC and Dolly PERVIS, Female, age 3, born in SC.
He married Nancy Cranford on 18 April 1850.7
MARRIAGE: April 18th, 1850, At my residence in Cheraw, James PURVIS to Nancy CRANFORD, all of this district. "St. David's Parish, South Carolina, Minutes of the Vestry 1768-1832, Parish Register 1819-1924, Brent H. Holcomb, C.A.L.S., 1979, Southern Historical Press, Greenville, SC, Page 103".
Ironically, I can find no trace of Alexander or James beyond the Civil War. There is no indication they died in the Civil War but neither man can be found in the Census after the Civil War.
Broken Fortunes by Randolph Kirkland on page 283 does show a Pvt. James Purvis, Killed in Action at Drury’s Bluff, Virginia on 16 May 1864. He was assigned to Co. “E”, 21st SCV. Also Hagood’s, “War of Succession”, page 408. 8 9
If you have any information on Alexander J. Pervis/Purvis or James and Nancy Cranford Pervis/Purvis and his family I would like to hear from you.
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[1] Civil War Record of A. J. Purvis - https://www.fold3.com/image/271/65073333
12] Civil War Record of Hosea White - https://www.fold3.com/image/83244681
[3] 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina;, Page 115B (stamped), Line 4, Dwelling 265, Family 265, Household of William PERVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 16 January 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[4] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw PO, Chesterfield District, SC, Page: 107 (stamped), Line 33, Dwelling 195, Family 194, Household of Wm. PERVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 14 January 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm M653-1217.
[5] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield District, South Carolina, Page 115, Line 4, Dwelling 256, Family 256, Household of Jane PERVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 13 February 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[6] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw PO, Chesterfield District, South Carolina,, Page 174; Line 20, Dwelling 459, Family 458, Household of James PERVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 19 February 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[7] Brent H. Holcomb, St. David's Parish, South Carolina Minutes of the Vestry 1768-1832,: Parish Register 1819-1924 (Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1991), page 103.
[8] Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, 1997), page 283.
[9] Johnson Hagood, Memoirs of the War of Succession (Camden, SC 29020: Jim Fox Books, 1997 (Reprint)), page 408.
Good luck with further research!
ReplyDeleteThanks, still searching.
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