Thursday, May 15, 2025

Absalom Shifflett - Civil War Veteran

 Absalom Shifflett is the only Confederate soldier ancestor that I found.  He is my daughter in law's 4th great grandfather. 


Biography of Absalom Shifflett 1824-1900

Civil War Veteran

                                         


Absalom Shifflett

                                                     

                                                             Absalom Shifflet and some Family

Absalom Shifflett was born on Jan 27, 1824 in Augusta County, Virginia the 3rd of 5 children of William Shifflett and Frances Jane Roach.   Absalom was counted in the 1830 & 1840 Censuses in Augusta Co, Virginia along with his parents and family.

The 1830 & 1840 censuses list the family of William Shifflett, Absalom’s father. They live in Augusta County, Virginia.

In the 1850 census, the first one to list all family members by name, Absalom was living in Lewis County, Virginia with his 2nd wife Mary Westfall and 4 children, Frances, William, Rhody and Simeon.  Frances was the child of his first marriage to Rhoda Ann Roach whom he married on Nov 8, 1842 in Augusta Co, Virginia.  She died in 1848.  The census indicates that both Absalom and Mary could read and write and that Absalom was a farmer. Absalom and Mary married on Aug 3, 1848 in Lewis Co, Virginia.

1860 Census -- This census lists Absalom, Mary and children Frances, Simeon, Elizabeth, Louisa, James and Mary living in Huttonsville, Randolph County, Virginia.   Absalom is still farming and has a personal estate worth $200. 

Civil War Years  1861-1865 – Absalom is shown as a resident of Randolph Co and serving in the Confederate Army as a Private for the state of Virginia.   He was a member of Co F  31st Virginia Infantry formed in Randolph Co commanded by Capt. Jacob Currence. The 31st was organized in July 1861 from the 50 counties of western Virginia which eventually became West Virginia.  Co F was from Randolph county where Absalom lived.  The 31st fought mainly as part of the Army of Northern Virginia.  The commander of the 31st was Col. William Lowther Jackson, a 2nd cousin to Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.  

Military Service Record


During Absalom’s enlistment, the regiment participated in Lee’s Cheat Mountain Campaign(Jun-Dec 1861, Union Victory), (Stonewall)Jackson’s Valley(Mar-Jun 1862) operations, and later was assigned to Gen. Early’s Brigade.

 They fought these battles:

Greenbriar River/Camp Bartow (2-3 Oct 1861, Indecisive result)

 Camp Allegheny/Allegheny Mountain (Dec 1861, Indecisive result)

 McDowell/Sitlington;s Hill (8 May 1862, Confederate Victory)

 Cross Keys/Jackson’s Valley Campaign( 8 Jun 1862, Confederate Victory)

 Port Republic/Jackson’s Valley Campaign( June 1862,Confederate Victory)

 Cedar Mountain/Belle Grove (Aug 1862, Confederate Victory)

 Manassas II/Second Bull Run (28-30 Aug 1862, Confederate Victory)

  and possibly Antietam/Sharpsburg (16-17 Sep 1862, Indecisive result)

Early flag of the 31st Virginia Infantry
 


8:40 am – Sep 17, 1862 at Antietam's Cornfield, the 31st is part of Early’s brigade on lower left. Interestingly, the PA 4th Reserve is shown top center.  Absalom Shifflett is the 4th great grandfather of Amanda Schiller who married  my son Tom Sinton Jr, the 3rd great grandson of William Harvey Gray, a member of the 4th PA Reserve.  Their 3 children are descendents of both Veterans, Union and Confederate

The Battle at Antietam occurred shortly before Absalom mustered out on Sep 23.  One regiment listing shows Absalom as being discharged at Martinsburg for “over age” – he was 36.   At the time, the Confederacy’s Conscription Act stated that all healthy men age 18-35 would be enlisted in the Army.  Sometime in Sept of 1862, the Conscription Act was amended to raise the age to 45. Absalom somehow escaped this and was discharged. In Feb 1864 the law was again changed to all men ages 17-50 with certain exemptions.   West Virginia became a Union state on June 20, 1863 and since, Absalom was living in what was now WEST Virginia, he was not subject to the new law.  We can only assume that was one reason that he did not reenlist.  He also had a family of 7 children at home.  Living in the part of Virginia that went to the Union side as West Virginia, one wonders if he was forced by location into the Confederate Army at the time of his enlistment as he would have been of age covered by the law.  But then again, he did name two sons Manassas and Beauregard.  We will never know his true allegiances.  He mustered out on Sep 23, 1862.  His length of service was about 17 months.  Through most of his time, he was fighting in or around the 31st’s home area, therefore defending home turf.  After Absalom’s discharge, the regiment went on to fight many other battles, notably among them were Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Lynchburg, Monocacy, Cedar Creek, Petersburg, Hatchers Run and surrendered with Lee at Appomattox.

1870 Census – During the Civil War parts of the state of Virginia broke away and formed the state of West Virginia.  Randolph County was one of the counties now in West Virginia.  This census found Absalom back on his farm with a personal estate of $119 and real estate worth $600.  The family consists of Absalom, Mary his wife, children Louisa, James, Mathias, Manassas, Beauregard, Eugenius and Lenora..  The youngest three born after Randolph county became part of the new state of West Virginia.

1880 Census – Absalom and family live in Union-Middlefork in Randolph Co, West Virginia in 1880.  Absalom and the 3 sons still at home are all farm workers.  Absalom’s son, Simeon, lives nearby with his family.

1900 Census – this census has Absalom living in Middle Fork, Randolph Co, West Virginia as a Boarder with his son, Beauregard and family.  He is 76 years old. His son is farming.  But wait, he is counted a second time living with his 3rd wife Nancy Currence in Leadsville, Randolph Co,West Virginia.  He is listed as a Farm Laborer and they have been married for 12 years. They married on Apr 6, 1886 in Randolph Co, West Virginia.

Absalom had three children with 1st wife Rhoda Ann Roach who died in 1848.

1.           Frances Jane Shiflett born 20 Jul 1841 in Upshur, Virginia and died 10 Jul 1930 in Mill Creek,                Randolph, West Virginia. She married twice and had 6 children.

2.         William A born in 1845 in Augusta, Virginia and died before 1860. (ancestor of my daughter in law)

3.         Rhody A born in 1846 in Augusta, Virginia and was married with 8 children and she died before              1910.

 Absalom and 2nd wife Mary Westfall had 8 children and Mary died in 1885.

1.           Simeon D born in 1849 in Randolph Co, Virginia, he may have married and may have had at least          3 children.

2.         Elizabeth “Libby” Marcella born 8 Jan 1851 in Huttonsville, Randolph Co, West Virginia, married          with 9 children and died on 22 Sep 1886

3.         Louisa V “Eliza” born on 10 Feb 1853 in Randolph Co, West Virginia. She married Henry Shreve,           had 2 children one who was Herbert Shreve. She died in Virginia. Louisa is your connection thru             son Herbert.

4.         James Columbus born 1855 in Randolph Co, Virginia, married and had 13 children and died 17 Oct        1934 in Rockingham, Virginia

5.         Manassas Mathias born on 9 Sep 1861 in Randolph Co, Virginia and married and had 7 children.             He died 3 Mar 1950 in Augusta, Virginia. He was likely named for the Battle of First                               Manassas(Bull Run), which was fought in July of 1861 just as the 31st Va was being organized and          two months after the battle.

6.         Beauregard born in Sep 1863 in West Virginia, married and had 10 children and died 12 Aug 1911.          He was born one year after Absalom returned from his service in the Confederate Army.  Most                likely named for Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard, the first prominent general of the                      Confederate States.

7.         Eugenius H born on 6 Feb 1866 in Randolph Co, West Virginia married and had 12 children and              died 9 Feb 1920 in Randolph Co.

8.         Lenora born on 10 Mar 1869 in Adolph, Randolph Co, Virginia married and had 12 children and              died 12 Jan 1948 in Adolph.

No Children with his 3rd wife Nancy (Dodrill) Currence whom he married in 1886.

  Absalom most likely died age 76+ between the 1900 and 1910 censuses, as he does not appear in the 1910.  He was the father of 11 children and had about 82 grandchildren. He married 3 times.

Sources:

1.       Ancestry.com – family trees, census records, photos of Absalom Shifflett

2.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/31st_Virginia_Infantry 

     https://civilwarintheeast.com/confederate-regiments/virginia/31st-virginia-infantry-regiment/  -- 31st Calendar of Battles

         http://antietam.aotw.org/maps.php?map_number=3  -- battle of Antietam maps 

          http://www.shiflett-klein.com/shifletfamily/FC/william.html  -- Shiflett family information, photos

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