Civil War Ancestor - Hardee

Another Civil War Ancestor of mine is William Thomas Hardee. He was born in 1836 in Coosa County Alabama. Two of his brothers Samuel and Thomas Hardee may have died during the Civil War. I need to do more research on them as well as two of his other brothers who would have been the right age to fight, James Edward and Bryant Stidwell Hardee.

This is the only photo I have of William T. Hardee.

In 1860 William was living in Coosa County Alabama with his wife, Frances and four children. Frances' sister Jane Lee was also living with them.

William T. Hardee Enlists
William T. Hardee (sometimes indexed as Hardel) enlisted on April 1, 1862 at Coosa Alabama., by Capt. Walden for 3 years. He served with Company B 2nd Battalion Hilliard's Legion, Alabama Volunteers, (Confederate). That company  later consolidated to Company K, 59th Alabama Infantry.

Sites about the battles
Look at these sites to read more about Hilliard's Alabama Legion and Hilliard's Legion and the battles that were fought.



Served in Hospital

William served for 24 days as a nurse in a Hospital at Catoosa Springs, Georgia by order of Surgeon R. C. Foster. He served from March 1 to March 24, 1863.

See information on Catoosa Springs Hospitals at The Historical Marker Database.
To read more about male nurses during the Civil War read Hospitals, Surgeons, and Nurses.

William is Captured
He was captured near Petersburg on March 25, 1865 and became a prisoner of war on March 27, 1865 and sent to Point Lookout, Maryland. I had never heard of this prison so after researching it I found out that it is on  the southern tip of Maryland in St. Mary's County on the coast surrounded on three sides by water. It was the largest Union prison camp for Confederates. Like most POW camps it had deplorable conditions.

For a History of Point Lookout Prison read Descendants of Point Lookout POW Organization.


The Oath of Allegiance to the United States
He took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and was released June 13, 1865.

According to Wikipedia: "During the American Civil War, political prisoners and prisoners of war were often released upon taking an "oath of allegiance". Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction featured an oath to "faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the union of the States thereunder" as a condition for a Presidential pardon."

William's Release Record
Williams record on his release states:
"Place of Residence: Coosa Co., Alabama,
Complexion: Light,
Hair: Black
Eyes: Hazed
Height: 5 ft., 8 1/2 inches
Note: Released at Point Lookout, June 13, 1865, by G. O. No. 109 A.G.O.
Number of roll, 23, sheet 6"

The Trip Back Home

I checked the map and it is over 800 miles to Coosa County, Alabama. I wonder if they were helped back or if each person was left to his own to return home. I would assume William was not in good condition after almost three months in prison. An 800 mile trip would have been hard for anyone but especially hard for a person in bad condition.

Served Three Years
He served his full three years in the civil war. The longest of all my Civil War Ancestors so far. Which proves to me that the Hardee's really do come from a Hardy Stock!