SILVER THREADS

 

Written and Published Online by John Silver

w/contributing articles by various Silver cousins

 

Hello Everyone,

 

Cousin John has asked me [Rex] to write a few extra pages this month while he recuperates from the fall he took which renders him somewhat incapacitated for extended typing. Writing extra pages is certainly not a problem for me so I‘m adding some extra Mitchell County, North Carolina Civil War material to the newsletter this month. I do hope everyone is doing well and that you are peaceful and happy folk. My personal writing projects are slowly getting off the ground. I’m still working twelve hours each week at a local bank and by the end of Summer I do hope to completely retire from the business world.

 

Laura Cooper has asked me to remind everyone to mark your calendars and plan to attend the Silver Family Reunion at KONA the fourth weekend in July. Those dates are July 23 and 24. I say fourth weekend because there are five weekends in July this year. Laura promises to provide more information after the reunion planners meet sometime in April. And now, on with more Civil War letters to home.

March’s edition of Silver Threads left the 58^th North Carolina Infantry Regiment and in particular, Company “K“, bivouacked at Louden, Tennessee. Louden, a small town in July of 1863, was located on the south side of the Tennessee River about thirty miles from Knoxville. A key railroad bridge crossed the Tennessee River at Louden and the 58^th was assigned to protect the railroad bridge from falling into Yankee hands. The bridge was known as Bell’s Bridge and it was here where Col. John B. Palmer, a Mitchell County, NC resident and commander of the 58^th North Carolina stationed his troops in defense of Bell’s Bridge.

Col. Palmer’s regiment marched for Bell’s Bridge on July 11, 1863 and arrived there the next day where they would remain until August 4.

Bell’s Bridge was also defended by Lt. Col. Samuel Marion Silver and many of his extended family members such as his brother, David R. Silver, Company Commander of “K” Company in whose company Garrett DeWeese Gouge was assigned. During the week of July 18, 1863 Garrett wrote the following letter to his mother and father.

Knox County, Tenn.
July 18, 1863

Dear Father and Mother

I will drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well, hoping this letter will come to hand and find you both well and doing well. I received a letter from you yesterday.

We draw a pound and a quarter of meal a day to the man and a pound of beef to the man and the third of a pound of bacon to the man at the same time. We drill 7 hours through the run of a day.

We are stationed near the head of the railroad between Clinton and Knoxville but I can’t tell you how long we will stay here.

Father and Mother, I often think of you and want to see you. I want you to…all the fruit that you can and distill all you can…and if ever I have the opportunity to come home…can have a dram (shot of whiskey) for me and you…not to think but what I thought of the cherries and wanted to be there to help you eat them. I want this cruel war to end so that I can come home and see you all.

I have been very unwell for several days back, although I am now able to do the duty of a soldier and you know that they have a heap of duty to do.

I am in hopes I will get a furlough this fall and come home to see all my friends.

Give my best respects to E_______ (illegible) Chandler and wife and Wm. Silver and wife.

Hector I don’t want you and Patsy to forget to write to me.

I will close my letter. T.B. (Tillman) Silver gives his respects to all.

G.D. Gouge to Wm. Gouge

Now a few lines to Uncle Robin: I want to see you and I want you to help Rosannah all that you can I will respect you and…you for it. Write to me all you can and I will write to you.

I haven’t special news to write at this time. I will write all that would be interesting to you that I know. We have had a very tough times here of late marching all over East Tenn.

T.B. (Tilman) Silver sends his respects to you. I will close my letter. Farewell

G.D. Gouge to Robin Gouge

 

(Editor’s Note: E______ Chandler is probably Ezekiel Chandler who is located in the 1870 Yancey County, North Carolina Census. William Silver is probably William Jacob Silver and his wife Sarah Ann Patton. William is an older brother to Col. Samuel Marion Silver and David R. Silver, all who are sons of Reverend Jacob Silver. Tillman Blalock Silver was a nephew to Sam and David and son of Alfred Silver, Sam and David’s oldest brother. [Sam, David and Alfred were half brothers to Charlie Silver who was allegedly killed with an ax by his wife, Frankie Stewart.] Robin Gouge was William Gouge Sr.’s brother, Robert.)

While researching the archives at our Silver family museum in KONA, NC, I found an interesting article about Garrett D. Gouge’s uniform jacket. John Silver Harris is responsible for writing the article and I published a copy of the following document in an earlier version of the old Silver Notes Newsletter. I though you would enjoy the article again now that we have gotten to know Garrett so well. The article states:

Garrett D. Gouge’s uniform jacket is pictured in Time-Life’s Illustrated Atlas of the Civil War, Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy (Echos of Glory series), page 139.

 

According to the accompanying article, the jacket is now in the Greensboro Historical Museum.

 

The article also states that his is a Tait jacket— one made in Limerick, Ireland, by P. Tait, one of the largest ready-made clothing manufacturers in the world at the time. The Confederacy had contracted with Tait for the jackets. Tait not only manufactured them but also delivered them in his own blockade-runners.

 

The jackets are characterized by a five -piece, eight-button front, and a lining usually stamped with size markings of the British army system. The material was cadet gray kersey.

 

Of Garret’s jacket, the article states:

 

“In near-mint condition, Private Gouge’s blue trimmed Tait jacket was probably drawn just before he went home at the end of the War.

Its markings read, ’5 feet 10/39-34,` which indicates that it was made for a man five feet 10 inches tall, with a chest of 39 inches and a waist of 34”.

 

 

Another Civil War letter I recently found online was written by a Union Soldier who was stationed with the 100^th Pennsylvania in East Tennessee in 1863. This particular letter is written in October of 1863 just after the fall of Knoxville to overpowering Union forces. I think it will be interesting to contrast and compare a Confederate soldier ‘s letter with one from a Union Soldier who were stationed in the same area only month’s apart.

Louden, Tenn.
October 25, 1863.

Dear Sister

I seat myself this afternoon to answer your very welcoming letter which I received this morning. I & the rest of the boys are well & I hope those few lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing. You may think this is a small sheet to commence a letter on so it is but I wrote a letter to you yesterday week & I have not much news to write to you. When I wrote to you yesterday week we had just got back from the fight at Blue Springs & from following the Rebels above Greenville (Greenville, Tennessee) & then last Tuesday we started down here to reinforce this place where the railroad crossed the river. (Bell’s Bridge on the Tennessee River) The railroad bridge is burnt. Our men have a pontoon bridge across & they have it pretty well fortified. We was expecting to get into a fight down here but we have not yet. We packed up yesterday ready & our cavalry went out & drove the Rebels back. They have fallen back as far as Sweetwater that I believe is 15 miles from here. They were within five or six miles of here. We only get half rations of sugar & coffee & crackers. When we are at Knoxville we get full rations of soft bread & if we do not get some other way of getting our supplies than hauling them over the mountains against winter we will starve to death. Parson Brownlow has got back to Knoxville & is going to start his paper soon or I do not know but he has it started by this time. I would liked to have been at Knoxville yesterday afternoon, for Brownlow was going to make a speech, he is very bitter against the Rebels. Andy said for me to tell you that he had that sheet of paper yet & maybe he would get it wrote between now & New Years, no more at present but remain your brother.

R.D. Dawson

Write soon & give me all the news

 

One interesting comparison at which one arrives is the fact the Union soldiers are eating less food than the Confederate soldiers when we compare how much food Garrett Gouge draws every day with the food of R.D. Dawson. Even when the Union soldiers are in garrison instead of a bivouac area they are still eating less food than the Confederate soldiers.

While the hot and heavy battle between Confederate Forces and Union Forces for the control of East Tennessee rages around him, Garrett again takes time to write to his wife Rosannah Wilson Gouge.

Knox County, Tenn.
July 22, 1863

Dear Wife:

I one time more have the opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well and I truly hope this letter will come to hand and finds you and the children well.

I haven’t anything of interest to write to you.

I want you to write to me…for I don’t get many letters and I write to you every week. I never have received but two letters from you by mail. It may be the fault of the mail.

Rosa, I want you to write to me how much Richmond weighs and Anderson, also the height of him and, tell him to be a good boy.

Rosa, I want to see you the worst ever I did and I will get a furlough and come home as soon as I can and see you and the children. I long to see the day of peace.

Tell Sally that I haven’t forgot her and Loucinda also and tell them to write to me and I will write to them.

T.B. (Tilman) Silver sends you his respects and well wishes to you and grandfather and mother and Uncle Hector (McNeil) and Aunt Patsy. I am well and wish the same by his friends all.

Rosa, I will close my short letter. Farewell for this time.

G.D. Gouge to Rosanah Gouge

 

(Editor’s Note: Loucinda is Rosannah’s sister, wife of William Wills. Sally is Rosannah’s sister. Sarah, who married J. D. Howell. Hector McNeil was married to Martha Patsy “Patty” Gouge sister to Garrett D. Gouge according to the Gouge Family Bible and I wonder why Garrett refers to Hector and Patty as aunt and uncle. Perhaps he refers to the couple as Rosanah‘s aunt and uncle.)

And, from the very infamous railroad bridge near Louden, Tennessee, namely Bell’s Bridge, Garrett again takes pin in hand to write to the love of his life. (I wish he would tell her she is the love of his life. Have you noticed how personal and formal all the letters are? No mush at all.)

July 26, 1863
Camp Bell’s Bridge, Tennessee

Dear Companion:

I embrace the present moments to drop you a few lines informing you that I am well this Sabbath morning and I trust that these few lines will find you and the children all well.

I (received) your letter dated July 16^th and I was very sorry to learn that the children were sick and have been so long I hope that they are well now.

Rosanah, you wrote that you were coming to see me. You can do as you like about that for the road is long. But perhaps you can get some person to come with you. If you can I would be very glad for perhaps if you don’t come and see me, we may never see each other again for we are surrounded, of course, by every danger of life.

As to getting a furlough, there is no prospect of any such thing and no news here but war and the fierce cloud of war and distress seems to hover more thick till it really looks like destruction is at hand. But, oh, we must do the best we can and be content and trust in God for protection for he is all that can uphold us.

Rosanah, if you can come and see me, don’t regard the expense for I will gladly buy it all.

Oh, I’m very sorry to say to you that the news here is that the whole 29^th N.C. Regiment, with the exception of five men, were drowned in the Yazoo River. But I still hope it is a false report.

Give my love to all the folks and tell them to write often to me. May God

Bless and protect you and the children is my desire. So I must close. Write to Knoxville.

G.D. Gouge

I am your husband.

 

(Editors Note: While reading the history of the 29^th North Carolina and especially reading about the battle in July of 1863 at Yazoo, Mississippi, I did not find any mention of any members of the 29^th drowning. Some fifty odd members of the 29^th were captured including Thomas B., Albert and Joseph M. Ray of Burnsville. Albert Ray, Thomas Wilson and John Edwards joined the Union Army after being captured at Yazoo City.)

Meanwhile, on the same Sabbath night in July back in Mitchell County, North Carolina, Sarah Wilson Howell, sister to Rosanah Wilson Gouge, is doing good deeds and is writing letters to family members from Mitchell County stationed with the 58th North Carolina.

July 1863
Dear Brother: (As in Christian brother)

I take the present opportunity to drop you a few lines this Sabbath evening to inform you we are doing well at present, hoping these few lines come safe to hand and find you well and doing well.

I have (no) interesting news to write you more than I suppose you have heard your boy’s has had hard times in Pennsylvania and there has been several of them killed and wounded. I am afraid the Yankees will be in amongst us soon.

I see Susanah very often. She is getting along very well. Joel, I would like to see you very well. I want you to do the best you and keep in good spirits. I hope you will live to get back here. Wm. Willis and Jobe Willis are in the hospital, though I don’t know whether it is so or not.

I want you to write us as soon as you get this letter. I will bring my bad letter to close. Your friend,

Sarah Howell to Joel Grindstaff

 

Taking advantage of the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Sarah writes a second letter to her brother-in-law, Garrett D. Gouge the same day.

July, 1863
Dear Brother:

I take the opportunity to drop you a few lines to inform you that we are all well at present, hoping these few lines which I hope will come to your hand and find you well and doing well.

I have nothing of any importance to write to you at present, only I heard the Yankees have taken Vicksburg. It looks like they would make peace sometime. The same time I think they will fight as long as there’s a man living.

There has been several of our acquaintances killed and wounded. Swinfield Howell I suppose was wounded in the left arm and had to have it taken off. Rosanah is doing as well as could be expected.

Garrett, I would love to see you the best kind. Madison and Jefferson are always talking about you. I miss you very bad though you must keep in good heart and to be the best you can. I hope this war will come to an end. You must write to me when you get this letter. Your friend, farewell.

Sarah Howell to G.D. Gouge

 

(Editor’s note: Joel Grindstaff was Sarah’s brother-in-law and was married to Susanah Wilson, Rosanah’s sister. Madison and Jefferson were sons of J.D. and Sarah Wilson Howell.)

As the Union Army in East Tennessee begins to control the area around Knoxville, fighting between the Confederate and Union forces escalates into one of the bloodiest battles the Civil War will ever know, the Battle of Chickamauga, Tennessee. Next month we will see what an important roll the 58^th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, as well as the rolls of our Silver cousins, played in the upcoming battle. We will also explore the circumstances of why the Union Army gained such a foot hold in East Tennessee to cause it to fall into Union hands in the Fall of 1863. Plus, Iwill have more Civil War letters to home by our extended Silver Family Cousins.

Here is wishing John a speedy recovery and a happy and prosperous month for each of you.

Cousin Rex Redmon

Redhrex13@aol.com

A wonderful message from John Silver, David’s Grandad.

 

Hello Everyone,  (Sunday, March 27, 2005) From David’s mom, Robin Becker Silver.

David made it to transplant!  I was holding my breath for that last minute call.  Being cancelled last month was a mixed blessing.  He is so much stronger since recouping from surgery and hopefully getting the last of the leukemia in the liver.  I know how frightening transplant can become but I know that it’s his only hope.

He started his chemo yesterday and only has to do two days, yesterday being the first and today his last.  He did great yesterday but they are expecting nausea today.  I’ll be here with him until I know for sure that it is safe to leave him for a few hours.  Monday through Thursday he will receive (TBI), total body radiation and then he will be sick and extremely tired.  Friday is the date for his new cell transfusion – transplant – and then he can begin his new life.

Recovery can be very difficult but I hope that we have seen the last of the critical scares forever!  They are expecting a little rejection but not too much.  It will be a waiting game for several more weeks afterwards.  The doctors and we are very being positive and hopeful – David has been getting stronger and being so young he should do just fine.

From all of us, Jim, Robin, Samantha, David and all our families, we wish to thank everyone for caring and for the prayers you have offered for David’s recovery.  We are truly blessed by having such wonderful families who care about us.

 

 

OBITUARIES:

 

 

mrs. flora etta silver blevins

connelly springs, nc
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2005

 

 

Mrs. Flora Etta Silver Blevins, 86, of Connelly Springs, NC, died peacefully at her home Saturday, March 19, 2005.

She was born in Yancey County on March 23, 1918 and was a daughter of the late John Silver and Mary Blevins Silver.

She was retired from Alba Waldensian and was a member of Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Valdese, NC.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Print Blevins; daughters, Nita Lingle and Sue Howard; sisters Jessie, Inez and Ada.

Surviving are sons, Warren Blevins and J. Harold Blevins, both of Granite Falls and Steve Blevins of Connelly Springs; daughters, Rita Adkins of Connelly Springs, Tina Blevins of Hickory, Ruth Blevins of Burnsville, Dixie Hall of Connelly Springs and Hazel Curtis of Black Mountain; sister, Joyce Robinson of McMinville, OR; 29 grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at Calvary Freewill Baptist Church with the Reverends Leonard Lindsey and Jerry Lingerfelt presiding.

Interment will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Young cemetery in Burnsville.  The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today at the Valdese Family Funeral Care.

The family extends their sincerest thanks to Shannon Brown, CNA;  Hospice RN Keith Berry; Vickie Shuford, RN and Granddaughter; and the Reverends Leonard Lindsey and Jerry Lingerfeld.   You all are very special to us.

(George Silver Sr. > George Silver Jr. > Reverend Thomas Silver > John Milton Penland Silver > Flora Etta Silver m. Print Blevins.)

 

 

HELEN SUE MCWHIRTER

HUNTSVILLE, AL

 

Helen Sue Silver McWhirter, 63, of Huntsville, Alabama, died Sunday, February 27, 2005.

A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late Leroy and Mary Duncan Silver and the wife of George McWhirter who died in 1985.  She was also preceded in death by a sister, Verlene Silver Westall.

Surviving are two sisters, Nancy Pitman of Burnsville and Beverley Silver Sauls of Duluth, GA; a brother, Carroll Silver of Burnsville; stepdaughter, Leecia McWhirter Valentine and her husband, Bob, of Huntsville, AL.  four step-grandchildren, Fabian Tafur and Joe, Layla and Billy Valentine.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in Honeycutt Cemetery on Coxes’ Creek.  The Reverend Nathan Silver will officiate.

Memorials may be made to the Honeycutt Cemetery Fund, in care of Faye Ball, 244 Honeycutt Road, Burnsville, NC 28714

(George Silver Sr. > George Silver Jr. > John Jackson Silver > Marvel Alexander Silver > Leroy B. Silver > Helen Sue Silver m. George McWhirter.)

 

 

jimmy Silver

swannanoa, nc

 

 

Jimmy Silver, 65, of 114 Oak Ridge Road, went to be with his Lord on Friday, March 4, 2005.

A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late John Joseph and Emma Edwards Silver.  A resident of Swannanoa for 62 years, he was a retired truck driver.

Surviving are a son, John Wesley Rabb of Canton; special friend, Gertha Curtis of Swannanoa; two brothers, Dale Silver and his wife Pansy, of Marshall and Troy Silver and his wife Shirley, of Old Fort; two sisters, Judy Hall and her husband David, of Candler and Barbara Stewart of Greensboro; a grandson, Christopher N. Silver.

A service of remembrance will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Patton Cove Gospel Mission.  The Reverends Royce Dockery, Stanley W. Taylor and James R. Lamb will officiate.  Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Patton Cove Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 986, Swannanoa, NC 28778.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

Penland and Sons Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Swannanoa is assisting the Silver f+amily.

(Can anyone fill us in on this gentleman and his parents?  I have searched my files over and over and I cannot find him or the family connections.) John

 

rosa Silver

swannanoa, nc

 

Rosa Silver, 87, died Tuesday, February 22, 2005.

A funeral service will be held at 8 P.M. Thursday in the chapel of Henline Hughes Funeral Home.  The family will receive friends two hours prior to the service at the funeral home.  Interment will be at Silver Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.

(George Silver Sr. > George Silver Jr. > Henry Gilbert A. Silver > Rachel Silver > John H. Thomas > Bertha Thomas Whitson > Rosa Whitson + Silver)

 

[Editors: Rosa was the daughter of John and Bertha Thomas Whitson and sister of Ruby Grindstaff, Lois Whitson Gortney, and Sherwood Whitson.]