Tintype of Confederate soldier I found - Great Great Grandfather!

Mike N Tn.

Full Member
Jul 1, 2008
118
762
Middle Tennessee
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Minelab E-Trac, Equinox 600,
and Fisher F75
It’s rare to find something new when researching The American Civil War conflict. My parents are getting on up in age and so, I decided to undertake the task of looking through the dreaded tub of family pictures. I drove down from Nashville TN, to their home in Northwest Alabama to go through the pictures. After digging through several plastic bins, I was surprised to see a tintype that was carefully preserved in its own plastic container. There was no identification on the picture. I researched our family history and determined the best candidate was my Great Great Grandfather William Clark Marshall born in Caldwell County North Carolina in 1845. He passed on in 1901 and is buried in in Town Creek, Chavies Baptist Church Cemetery, DeKalb County, Alabama. I noticed his headstone wasn’t marked as a Confederate Veterans tombstone but I decided to dig deeper. I found that he was married to Margaret E. Hayes and had a child that was born in Lovelady North Carolina named Gurlie Magnelia Marshall in 1872. I looked up what troops came from Caldwell County and saw that the 26th North Carolina recruited from that county. I went to fold3 and there were his service records. He was drafted when he turned 18, at Camp Holmes in Raleigh North Carolina by Major Peter Mallett, into the 26th North Carolina Infantry Co. E as a private. He got a small taste of the Civil War when he was sent to the Petersburg Virginia trenches in November 1864 but then deserted in February 1865. The conscript act was not popular in North Carolina evidently, and desertion was a big problem. Also attached is a picture of William Clark Marshall after the war.
 

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Florida Finder

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Dec 17, 2020
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Southern States of America
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It’s rare to find something new when researching The American Civil War conflict. My parents are getting on up in age and so, I decided to undertake the task of looking through the dreaded tub of family pictures. I drove down from Nashville TN, to their home in Northwest Alabama to go through the pictures. After digging through several plastic bins, I was surprised to see a tintype that was carefully preserved in its own plastic container. There was no identification on the picture. I researched our family history and determined the best candidate was my Great Great Grandfather William Clark Marshall born in Caldwell County North Carolina in 1845. He passed on in 1901 and is buried in in Town Creek, Chavies Baptist Church Cemetery, DeKalb County, Alabama. I noticed his headstone wasn’t marked as a Confederate Veterans tombstone but I decided to dig deeper. I found that he was married to Margaret E. Hayes and had a child that was born in Lovelady North Carolina named Gurlie Magnelia Marshall in 1872. I looked up what troops came from Caldwell County and saw that the 26th North Carolina recruited from that county. I went to fold3 and there were his service records. He was drafted when he turned 18, at Camp Holmes in Raleigh North Carolina by Major Peter Mallett, into the 26th North Carolina Infantry Co. E as a private. He got a small taste of the Civil War when he was sent to the Petersburg Virginia trenches in November 1864 but then deserted in February 1865. The conscript act was not popular in North Carolina evidently, and desertion was a big problem. Also attached is a picture of William Clark Marshall after the war.
Awesome my friend! Thank you for posting the photograph along with his history!
 

Digger RJ

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Aug 24, 2017
19,312
33,446
SW Missouri/Oklahoma
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Minelab CTX 3030; Minelab Equinox 800;
XP Deus 2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It’s rare to find something new when researching The American Civil War conflict. My parents are getting on up in age and so, I decided to undertake the task of looking through the dreaded tub of family pictures. I drove down from Nashville TN, to their home in Northwest Alabama to go through the pictures. After digging through several plastic bins, I was surprised to see a tintype that was carefully preserved in its own plastic container. There was no identification on the picture. I researched our family history and determined the best candidate was my Great Great Grandfather William Clark Marshall born in Caldwell County North Carolina in 1845. He passed on in 1901 and is buried in in Town Creek, Chavies Baptist Church Cemetery, DeKalb County, Alabama. I noticed his headstone wasn’t marked as a Confederate Veterans tombstone but I decided to dig deeper. I found that he was married to Margaret E. Hayes and had a child that was born in Lovelady North Carolina named Gurlie Magnelia Marshall in 1872. I looked up what troops came from Caldwell County and saw that the 26th North Carolina recruited from that county. I went to fold3 and there were his service records. He was drafted when he turned 18, at Camp Holmes in Raleigh North Carolina by Major Peter Mallett, into the 26th North Carolina Infantry Co. E as a private. He got a small taste of the Civil War when he was sent to the Petersburg Virginia trenches in November 1864 but then deserted in February 1865. The conscript act was not popular in North Carolina evidently, and desertion was a big problem. Also attached is a picture of William Clark Marshall after the war.
Cool!!! Congrats!!!
 

OH..POPS

Full Member
Dec 18, 2021
144
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Medway Ohio
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Pops old one
Garrett Ace 400
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Sharp Shooter II
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Not all great history finds come from using a detector. Just goes to show you that history is just where you go find it if you just look a little bit.
Great story and a little bit of history
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