The rosters for the 58th NC, into which our Ancestral Grandfather enlisted, include William's cousins and brother, and several of our other ancestral kin as well, particularly from the Silver family. But almost immediately after the unit moved into Eastern Tennessee for training, the soldiers were exposed to diseases that were rampant in the ranks of many units. Men coming together from all over were bringing the illnesses from their neck of the woods, to which others had not already been exposed. The result was men were sick from more than 5 kinds of fatal diseases. For two weeks, Williams unit suffered through the sicknesses they had encountered while attempting to train for battle. William's records say that he too was sick, he hadn't escaped the onslaught.
But something else the record indicates, is that he was considered a deserter at one point, almost immediately after being ill. It took a little time to sort it out, but it is amazing to me how many times this man faced the real possibility of death before he finally succumbed to it! We will start his military story with the list from the roster of Anglin men:
ANGLIN, JAMES G.: Co. C, Enl. on 5/29/62 in Yancey Co., then age 18, 5'7«", na- tive of Yancey Co. Pres. thru 8/31/64.
ANGLIN, RABURN: 2nd Sgt., Co. C, Enl. on 7/11/62 in Yancey Co., then age 29, farmer, 5'5", native of Yancey Co. Reduced to pvt. by 4/30/64 muster. Pres. on 8/31/64. Paroled at Greensboro, NC on 5/1/65. Res. Yancey Co.
ANGLIN, WILLIAM: 4th Sgt., Co. C, Enl. on 5/29/62 in Yancey Co. Pres. thru 8/31/64. Died on 9/19/64 at Macon, Ga., had been MWIA on 8/31/64 at Jonesboro, Ga. Res. Yancey Co.
ANGLIN, WILLIAM: Co. D, Enl. on 6/27/62 at Boone, NC, then NFR in CSR.
ANGLIN, WILLIAM: Co. G, Enl. on 7/15/62
in Yancey Co., age 34, 5'10", farmer, native of Yancey Co. Sick on 2/28/63
muster. Deserted at Clinton, Tenn. on 5/26/63, returned to duty, MWIA at Chickamauga, Ga. on 9/20/63, died of effects
on 10/5/63.
The one above in red is our Ancestral Grandfather. (The grandson of Issac Anglin and Nancy, whom we have discussed before as being the first of our Anglin ancestors to come into what became Yancey Co., NC in 1833.) Less than 30 years after the county became Yancey, the young men were being called to choose to defend their county, their state, as a part of a new Confederate state. A lot of them weren't especially ready to be separated from their more northern families in a war. But times and circumstances were forcing them to choose.
James G. Anglin and the 4th Sgt. William Anglin were our William's cousins. Raburn was his younger brother. He was Raburn Breckinridge Anglin, known as Rabe. This roster shows them enlisting on different days, but another, has them enlisting on the same day. William was about 6 years older and 5 inches taller than his brother. Notice that his cousins James and William are in the same company as Raburn, but by the 15th of July, our William is not. If one record that shows he enlisted when they did is correct, he is now in Company G. Separated from his family within days. However, the truth actually seems to be, that the unit was organized on the 11th when Raburn and his cousins joined, and 4 days later, William joined, being placed into a separate unit. I am sure he was dissappointed not to be with them.
( My curiosity leads my mind to wonder, did they have opportunity to go home and talk him into joining? Did he find out they had all joined and feel an obligation to go as well. Did he think they would be able to better defend his own county. Did he hope to be there for his brother and cousins as a comrade?)
Almost immediately they were moved out of North Carolina. They went through drills in the NE counties of Tennessee. Which is interesting to me, because some of those areas were strong union advocates. Consider this a forshadowing of my next discussion. But for now, notice that they spent the winter training. But by February, he is listed as sick. Without spending much time on that subject, suffice it to say that a great many men died from the illnesses contracted that winter. There is an entire cemetery where many of these men were buried. Most of the men spent the entire winter being very sick, and sorely in need of supplies. William's record includes him among them. Though we don't know exactly which of the several diseases he contracted, it was written that the men were weak and longing to return home for "R&R."
Reading through the various diaries and reports of William's commanders, we find that just after the men recovered from being ill they were finally given leave to visit families. A young officer, it was written, allowed his soldiers to return home and found out after many had left for Yancey and Marion Counties, that the leave had been canceled. That notice did not get communicated to many who had aready left for home. They were oblivious that for 2 weeks they were considered AWOL.
It was determined that some of the men had decided to use the leave time to escape to Union units, or simply go home to defend families against approaching Union troops. There was a lot of worry among the men, because letters from home indicated that their homes were being pillaged, and their families were at risk. So officers feared many would not return. Therefore, the leave was canceled. A series of events then led to almost all of these men being accused of desertion. Rumors and fact were confused, and it appears that at least a few of the unit fled or actually deserted.
Many stories circulated about deaths in Yancey County as bounty hunters of sorts, hunted men who were not already conscripted into service and either forced them to become soldiers or shot them. The stories of some very real violence, back home, caused a lot of fear among these men, for their families. Raiders stole food, hunted down any unenlisted young men, and caused whole families to go into hiding in caves. Stories abound of how the women survived. Men who came home on leave didn't want to go back, because things were dire for their loved ones. But some who found that just traveling home was extremely risky business, got caught hiding, and were assumed to have deserted.
From all I have read, only a few truely did. Those, about whom it was determined that they had all intentions of going home and returning, but had run into difficulties getting back, were exhonerated, but their records were not cleared of the accusation of desertion. A number of the men were captured and hanged, an it left a mark on the name of the 58th NC. Our William was indeed one of the lucky, or under heavenly protection, because it wasn't yet his time to die. Instead, like several others who missed the call back, when leave was cancelled, he lost his rank, and went through the horrible process of being accused of deserting. How discouraging it must have been.
At least one of the Silver Cousins was hanged in this process. On the online magazine, Silver Threads, several years ago, his final letter to his wife was reprinted. He wanted her to know he was innocent and that he knew God believed him. I am sure they hoped against all odds that he might be exhonorated as William was. How many nights did William and his family suffer through this fear of not knowing how to prove his innocence?
On the bright side, while on leave, William was able to see his baby daughter Mary, perhaps for the first and last time. He had little time to rest, although, the ride home was probably by train. Their camp was near the line that ran from near Clinton dirctly into Burnsville. But we don't know how much control Union Soldiers had at the time over the rails along the way. They had certainly advanced by now into surrounding areas. Exactly how much difficulty William had getting home and back from his leave we can't know for sure, but we do know by the accounts in letters by some of those who made the trek, it was extremely risky. For some in Marion county, it may actually have led to their deaths. One record lists 4 men I think it was, who were never found??
Was it worth it? I beleive it was the thing which kept William going for the next few months. That gave him courage to go on.
By the way. William was a Phifer when he enlisted in the war. He was among those who led the ranks in the Phife and Drum Corp. It was their duty to direct the maneuvers of the soldiers, by signaling musically the orders given by the officers to the rank and file. Officers called orders, Phifers, played a series of notes that indicated what the officers commanded. Whole units marched, turned, advanced, retreated, and fired on notice from the sound of this flutelike repeat of an officer's orders. More on this when we get to the post on the battle.
You have now been introduced to William the Civil War Soldier. I hope your interest is peaked, because there is soooo much more to come.
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