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| Looking toward the cemetery from the dirt road below, and below, the view approaching as you look toward the cemetery. |
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| Robert and Katie above were mother's grandparents. Above them are the stones for Sally and William, Robert's parents, Mom's great grandparents. William is not buried here. He is rather as the stone notes, in the Confederate Cemetery in Marietta, Ga. He died near there from wounds received at the Civil War battle at Chickamaugua, Ga. |
CIVIL WAR CEMETERY
MARRIETTA, GA
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| After a great deal of research, I believe that William Anglin who fought at Chickamauga and was wounded, is buried in the hospital sectionf of this cemetery in Marietta, Ga. There is a record of the names of those buried directly from the hospital morgue, but I haven't been able to view it yet. |
There is a North Carolina Section of this Confederate Cemetery, into which bodies of soldiers who died in Georgia from the battles of Chickamauga and those around Ringgold and afterwards, including some who died in railroad accidents were reburied from various locations around the state. In this section, there often weren't names to go with the bodies. According to the stone, 73 men are interred there, who never made it as far as Atlanta by October, and some who died after our grandfather, but were buried first elsewhere. I discovered later that our Anglin uncles had also done this same research a number of years earlier, and come to the same conclusion. In fact, there is a newspaper article in the Asheville paper that gives those details. The stone in the Anglin Cemetery was placed in his memory as a result of their research, and a flag is placed there as at many other memorial stones in memory of these men.
William Anglin, who was wounded on the 20th of September at the battle of Chickamauga, did not die until October 5, 1863. That was nearly 3 weeks of suffering, and constantly being moved with the hospital units, always further south, in an attempt to avoid advancing Union troups. By October, all hopital patients and wounded men were moved from former hospitals in Georgia - first Ringgold, then Dalton, and finally Marietta. The best records of what actually occurred is found in the records of the hospital units. Just as journals were kept by Military units, detailed records were kept by doctors, nurses, and Military heads of the medical corps. Their records are more about dates, and movements of the hopital corp by rail, and to where. Along the railroad path south, are plaques that commemorate the whole ordeal of trying to meet the overwhelming need for medical care.
But let's get to know William-
William M. Anglin, Jr. was enlisted in Co. G, 58th. North Carolina Infantry Regiment. The unit was formed on July 11, 1862. Four days later, William enlisted on July 15, 1862 along with cousins and neighbors, perhaps to avoid conscription. Records state he was 34 years old, and 5' 10" in height. His unit was mustered into service of the C.S.A. on July 24, 1862. Co. G. was sent to Johnson City, TN for drill instruction and received limited dry run training in the nearby local Tennessee mountains. The company received their first battle orders on or about Aug 26, 1862.In my book, I record the route his unit took moving south to the Battle of Chickamauga. They maneuvered ever southward, by rail and by foot, suffering illness, while hearing of Union troops marauding their homes in Yancey Co. NC. Many wanted to go check on their families, wives and children, and homes and stock that were being destroyed and stolen by the advancing Union armies. Some were called deserters, and were hanged. Our grandfather, became ill with one of the 4 or 5 diseases that his his units began to suffer, soon after moving out from Jonesboro. Many actually died, some of disentery, some of measles, some typhoid, and some of croup. Why so many diseases at one time, no one actually knew. But possibly the troups convening from other areas were bringing in new forms of viruses and bacteria to which our men had never been exposed. William was among the men who were sick and it is written in his formal records. Soon after he became better, he was given leave along with some of his unit, of about 2 weeks, so they might go back to Yancey Co. When it was realized that many of them would go directly into oncoming Union troops, the leave was recended, but not before quite a few of the men had left. William was put on report, because he obviously didn't receive the information, and was written up as a deserter. But since he reported back to his unit in two weeks, the review determined he was not, as some who didn't report back, to be counted among the deserters who would be hanged or shot for not returning to their units on time. So many things happened to keep some of them from getting back, and some were just plain afraid to report late, after hearing that the "deserters" were being shot. Many hid out in the woods, and in barns, or with supporters, even though only a very few were probably actually intending to desert. Those who could escape, may have joined Union troops, offering "information" to save their lives.
Willaim was not among the men who were late, but his fate would be no better. At least his death was recorded as an honorable soldier. But, he was reduced in rank, to a foot soldier, having previously been a fifer in the fife and drum corp. He was no longer trusted to direct troops.
I have a detailed story of the battle of Chickamauga, and of exactly how he ended up in Marrietta, Ga., but suffice it, for now. to say that the hospital was evacuated completely in Dalton, Ga, between September 28th and Oct. 1, with all the wounded who had not yet died, arriving in the north Atlanta township by Oct. 2. Men were treated and distributed among the houses set up as hospitals in the area. For many of the men these were the best accomodations they had been exposed to. Up until now they had been treated and sometimes lay for hours, waiting for transport by train or wagon, often in mud, with only bread and water. One record says they were fed the mules that had died. Once in Marrietta, some were kept in a large brick building near the cemetery, not far from the railroad station in Kennesaw. William is recorded to have made it only 3 more days. On October 5, he succumbed to whatever complications he had endured from the wounds received at Chickamauga. There was a morgue directly across the tracks from the cemetery. Since the NC section had not yet been designated, I believe, William was buried among others who died in the hospital, including the first who was a doctor who caught one of the illnesses they had brought with them.
I may find at some point that William was moved into the NC section, but my understanding is that only those recovered, from sites where their bodies could not remain, were moved into the NC section. Those buried in the Hospital section, supposedly were left there once buried.
As I stood there the last time I went, I had researched the Train records, and medical records to the point that I could almost feel his presence, and see it all happening. It only became more real, when as I took pictures the train approached from the Kennesaw station. Although it blew its whistle as it passed through town, once it neared the cemetery, it slowed almost to a crawl, withheld blowing the whistle, and passed slowly behind the arches of the entrance before picking up steam after it passed. I found myself in tears, knowing the role the trains had played in bringing our grandfather to this place. He withstood all he could before Christ called him home - and placed his body in place of honor for the sacrifice he made. At least he was able to go home on the two weeks leave.
For his wife had a baby girl in 1862. Whether before he enlisted or after, I cannot find out for sure, but he got to see his two boys, and his baby girl possibly for the first time, and Sarah McIntosh Anglin, his wife (Sally) - one more time.
