Our country has experienced many wars in its history, wars which affected us here at home and abroad. When determining ones ancestors who may have served in any military capacity, it is good to know the span of years which any particular war encompassed. Men and women served in the war effort over its entire time span, eligible ages were as young as 16 and as old as the individual could muster.
The next two generations in Mack's family tree were Men of Available Age for service in the War Between the States a/k/a the Civil War. Each state, whether on the Union or Confederate side of the war (a few states, such as Missouri, were on both sides of the war), had its own militias and military units. Because Mack's family were from the South (Texas), their service was in the Army of Texas, in the Confederacy.
Many military records are housed in the National Archives. For Texas, many records are housed in the Texas State Archives. The military and pension records contain much genealogical information, such as when and where soldiers were born, names of spouses and children, physical description of soldier and occupation outside of the military. An online service which provides military records from all wars in which the United States has participated, as well as census and pension records, is fold3.com. Ancestry.com and familysearch.org also offer military records of service in our nation's military.
The Men of Available Age were Lena's father, Robert Dysart Bills, and grandfather, John Randolph Ogilvie. Also of available age were Jesse's father, Newton Craft Wilson and grandfather, Walker Beckett Wilson. All four of these men served in the Texas military.
Robert Dysart Bills, the father of Lena Bills Wilson, served in the 19th Texas Calvary as a Sr. 2nd Lieutenant. His record shows that he was 6'4 3/4" (very tall for a man in 1862), a stock raiser with light complexion, grey eyes and brown hair, born in Marshall Co., Tennessee.
John Randolph Ogilvie, the grandfather of Lena Bills Wilson, was a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Texas Infantry.
Walker Beckett Wilson, the grandfather of Jesse Craft Wilson, was a Sergeant in the 8th Texas Calvary. Walker served in the War of 1812, the Battle of San Jacinto, with Texas Rangers and in the Texas Calvary in the Civil War. For his service in the Battle of San Jacinto, he received a grant of several hundred acres of land in Texas.
Newton Craft Wilson, the father of Jesse Craft Wilson, was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 35th Texas Calvary.
In addition to the military records in the Archives, there are pension and land records which have valuable genealogical information. Through the years, soldiers were paid for their service with grants of land. These land grants are found in the county courthouse deed records and the various state archives.
Many counties have published histories of their soldiers in every war as well as genealogical societies recording soldiers buried in their county. Lineage societies have online databases and published lineage books, which provide the soldiers who have a record of service documented as ancestors of the lineage society members. These databases are searchable online. Two databases of recognized soldiers and patriots which are available to the public are maintained by DAR and Daughters of the War of 1812.
Happy researching!!
Carrie Anne Wilson Woolverton
FB: Carrie Anne Woolverton
Veteran's Daughter
Family Tree Productions
Ask GranMa Carrie Anne
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