|
Sample
Family During the Civil War
All four
of the Sample boys fought in the American Civil War, with David and John, the
two middle sons, being the first to enlist. They would have been 23 and 21,
respectively, when the war began in April of 1861. The two joined up that
same April with the 1st North
Carolina, Company C, known as the “Charlotte
Grays.” The 1st North Carolina
fought in Virginia around Yorkville and Richmond, and only
existed for about six months. This unit disbanded, perhaps due to casualties,
and later re-formed as part of the 53rd North Carolina. According to the diary of
Louis Leon, who was also in the 1st and 53rd , the men
spent about five months at home before going back to war as part of the 53rd
in April of 1862. At this time, the other two Sample boys, James (the oldest
28) and Hugh (youngest 19) joined their brothers in Company B. The 53rd
fought many battles, including major ones such as Gettysburg
(July 1-3, 1863), the Wilderness (May 5-6, 1864), and Spotsylvania
(May 8, 1864).
James, called Mac by his family
and friends, was captured at Gettysburg,
however. From early July of 1863 to at least may of 1864, he was imprisoned
at Point Lookout Prison in Maryland.
Hugh, according to some accounts, was also a prisoner of war at Point Lookout
Prison, having been captured on May 8th of 1864 during the battle
of Spotsylvania in Virginia.
John is listed as bean taken prisoner in April of 1865 near Petersburg, Virginia.
It is possible that he was held at Old Capitol Prison in Washington
D.C. and then moved to Johnson’s Island
Prison in Ohio.
All three boys survived their time at the prison, though. In fact, all four
of the Sample boys survived the war and returned home to Mecklenburg County.
James McKamie
Sample –captured @ Gettysburg, POW Pnt.
Lookout-served with the 53rd NC, Co. B as Quartermaster Sergeant
David Irwin Sample-not
captured during the War-served with the 1st NC, Co. C and the 53rd
NC, Co. B as a Corporal
John Williamson Sample-Captured
in Virginia,
POW Old Capitol Prison, then Johnson Island-served with the 1st
NC, Co. C and the 53rd NC, Co. B as a Private
Hugh Barry Sample-Captured @ Spotsylvania,
POW Point Lookout-served with the 53rd NC, Co. B as a Sergeant
1st Regiment,
North Carolina Infantry (6 months, 1861)—1st Infantry
Regiment, usually known as the Bethel Regiment, was organized at Raleigh,
North Carolina, in May, 1861, and immediately moved to Virginia. Its members
were from the counties of Edgecombe, Mecklenburg, Orange,
Buncombe, Cumberland, Burke, Guilford,
and Lincoln.
The unit fought at Big Bethel with about 800 men, then served in the Army of
the Peninsula near Yorktown. Two companies
from Bertie and Chowan
Counties joined the
regiment which increased its strength to more than 1,200. On November 12,
1861, the unit disbanded and transferred to North Carolina. Many of the men
transferred to the 11th North Carolina Regiment. The field
officers were Colonels Daniel H. Hill and Charles C. Lee, Lieutenant Colonel
Joseph B. Starr, and Majors Robert F. Hoke and
James H. lane.
53rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry—53rd
Infantry regiment completed its organization in April, 1862, at Camp Mangum,
near Raleigh, North Carolina. The men were recruited in
the following counties: Guilford, Mecklenburg,
Chatham, Surry, Alamance, Stokes, Union, and Wilkes. It served in the Department of North
Carolina, then was assigned to General Daniel’s and
Grimes Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The 53rd fought in many
conflicts form Gettysburg to Cold Harbor,
participated in all the battles in the Shenandoah Valley,
and was active in the Appomattox Campaign. It lost thirty-six percent of the
322 engaged at Gettysburg,
had 1 wounded at Bristoe and 2 killed at Mine Run.
The unit surrendered 6 officers and 81 men. Its commanders were Colonels
James T. Morehead and William A. Owens, and Majors James J. Iredell and John
W. Rierson.
   
James
Sample David Sample Hugh Sample (left) John Sample
James Sample
(right)
|
