Garren's Civil War research

[terrell garren]

I am Terrell Garren and I am searching for documents, photographs and other information pertaining to Confederate soldiers known as Junior Reserves. In the last year of the American Civil War seventeen year olds were drafted and sent to the Confederate Army. Many were captured before being officially assigned to regiments. Those not captured became part of what was known as the First Regiment North Carolina Junior Reserves. There were at least two hundred such boys from our area.

I am also searching for letters, military records, old newspaper accounts or any other information on Confederate soldiers from WNC who were in Union prisons during the Civil War.

Finally, I am seeking names and information on Union soldiers from WNC. Most of these men were in the Confederate Army first. Most went over to the Union Army very late in the War. There names may appear in both Union and Confederate records. Photographs of these men are rare and important if you happen to have one.

The state of North Carolina is also researching these same groups. Any important information I collect will also be sent to the North Carolina Office of Archives and History in Raleigh.

Thank you,
Terrell T. Garren

[terrell garren]

Michael Hardy site

I recommend Michael Hardy's website called North Carolina in the Civil War. There is a lot of good discussion there on the Shelton Laurel Massacre and other local Civil War issues.

TG

[terrell garren]

Dear Peggy,

I suspect that the soldier you mention was Andrew J. Lanning. I did not list a Cofederate record for him because I didn't find one. I think your family history is correct, he was in the Confederate Army first. There could be a spelling error or possibly he is listed by initials only. I will look further.

[Peggy Brock]

The recent Rob Neufield column about Measured in Blood and the Lanning mystery jogged a memory of a deserter story in my family. William Cleveland Lanning was my grandpa's grandpa, but I don't think the story referred to him or his brother Andrew. As I remember it, the relative was fighting for the south and decided to take his chances by joining the other side - they were getting very little food and conditions were terrible. As he crossed a river to join the yankees, both sides began to shoot at him. I don't remember if conditions were better on the other side, but apparently he made it home to tell the tale. I can't find anyone who remembers this story, and all the older folks who would have are deceased. I am hoping some of the many Lanning descendants around might have heard this story.

[terrell garren]

Dear Mr. Drake,

The other man was William Simpson (Simson), in my book it's Union record #133, page 484. After the war he claimed he was a man named John Rogers from the 13th Tenn. Cav. when applying for a US pension.

I had said that I was probably distantly related to Dick Drake. That was a loose comment that I should not have made. I retract the comment. You did see it on an earlier posting. Thanks to you I recognized that it was an inappropriate comment and I deleted the posting.

Thank you for your questions and comments.

Terrell

[terrell garren]

DICK DRAKE GRAVESTONE

I was asked about Dick Drake's gravestone? Dick Drake drew a Union pension, therefore he is entitled to a Union gravestone, period. The questions I raise regarding his pension don't change that one bit. I think those questions, along with questions regarding about 40 or so Confederate gravestones make our history all the more interesting.

TG

[Troy Drake]

I believe you previously posted a comment on January 22 that you were distantly related to Dick Drake.  I cannot find the post now.  If you don't know who his father was then why would you say you were distantly related to him? 

I would be keenly interested to know the name of this other man that you also claim committed fraud to acquire a pension claim that remained unnamed in your book Measured in Blood.  Specifically you state "Dick Drake is one of two men from Henderson County known to have drawn a U.S. Pension claiming to be someone else during the war."  Who was this other man?

[terrell garren]

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATIONS

My work expresses my interpretation of the people and the time. By no means is it "carved in stone" by anyone. I've made errors in the past and will, no doubt, make more in the future. I expressed in my book that I have no credentials as a professional historian and have never claimed to.

I do what I do because I'm now burdened with the knowledge that a false promotional job has been done on our region. The people who lived it knew better but they're all dead now and I feel I have to report what I've found. No one is required to read it,  much less pay it any serious attention to it.

It's there though, if someone wants to consider it. If I had not brought it public the truth would have drowned in well constucted promotional myth.

I do not blame the men from here who went to the Union Army. They were survivors and they did what they had to do to get through it. But the idea that these men were totally loyal, flag waving Union men from beginning to end is a myth. To me the evidence is indisputable. Men, including two Garrens, went to the Union  Army late in the war for advantage, to escape Confederate conscription, for money and other considerations. Almost all these men were ex-Confederates or they came from Copnfederate families.

Thank you,

TG

 

 

[terrell garren]

Dear Mr. Drake,

I've indicated in my book that I believe this Harrison to be the man in question. I cannot, and never said I could prove that he is the same man. It is a probablilty, and evidence may turn up to the contrary. If so, I will publish it and make all the necessary changes to my stated opinion. As to your question as to who is the father? I have no idea who the father is. I've never said I did know.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that I could make an error on this or other issues. All the evidence I have for everything described in my book is included in the work as best I can accomplish. I will examine all of this further with the publishing of the addenda in about a year.

I think you raise valid points and I commend you for expressing it here. I hope others will do the same.

Thank you,

TG

[Troy Drake]

I have been unable to prove the father of Dick Drake.  Who is his father and what is your proof?  How are you distantly related to Dick Drake?

[Troy Drake]

I have further researched the military records from Granville County, N.C.  Please provide proof that Henry Harrison that you located on the 1870 census in fact served in the Company K, 40^th Regiment of U.S. Col’d Infantry.  I can find no facts exist to support this.   Also, if you did research the civil war records you should know that there are other military record cards that show Henderson without the word "County" included.  You claim in your book that one other veteran in Henderson County defrauded to acquire a Pension. Who was this?