Mustered in and conjured up
Posted on July 16, 2007 in Events, Genealogy by DM
Every time we drive east on Euclid Avenue, on the bridge over the Des Moines River, we look down at the bike trail that winds along the river’s edge, expecting to see two tired Civil War veterans walking in tattered uniforms with their muskets. Why? Because one day a few years ago, my husband actually saw them.
And now he can’t decide if he was hallucinating. Ever the pragmatist, of course, I assure him that what he saw was a pair of Civil War Re-enactors, probably on their way to or from an event. He says he leans more toward the “apparition/ghost” theory, but I think he does that more for our daughter’s entertainment.
The Register reports today that history-minded Iowans are beginning to think about the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, which took place from 1861-1865 and which claimed the lives of 13,000 Iowans. A few of the folks mentioned in the article referred to the fact that they have ancestors who fought in that war, as do I.
My great-great-grandfather, William L. Thornburg, settled in Winterset with his family around 1847. He was mustered in to the Union Army in November, 1862 (39th Iowa Infantry), and mustered out in August, 1865. Wounded in the hip (or “shot in the @ss,” as my husband likes to tease) at the battle of Parker’s Crossroads, Tennessee in December, 1862, Thornburg spent most of his time being transferred among hospitals as he recuperated. He returned to Winterset upon completion of his service and lived the rest of his long life there.
Are you aware of any of your ancestors who served in the Civil War? If so, tell us a little about them! If you have no idea, searching for Civil War veteran ancestors is a great reason to begin a genealogy project. Need some ideas on how to get started? I’ll write up a quick-start guide and post it here this week.
But beware, it’s addictive!
subscribe to my RSS feed!
Comments
Leave a Comment
-
Get Updates!
-- OR --
-
