Civil War

Company K, VA 8th Cavalry as a Bugler. Company K was also called Big Sandy Rangers.

 

Son James Lee and brothers Stephen Moses and Daniel Rolen below

 

James Lee Wheeler was one who enlisted for the North at the age of 19 on October 10, 1861, after riding his horse all night.

 

 

 

 

 

Pvt. James Lee Wheeler b 21 Nov 1841/1842 Lawrence Co, Ky d 19 Jan 1921 s/o John Ramey Wheeler & Rachel “Rebecca” Lemaster married (1) 4 Jan 1865 Mahalia “Halie” Angeline Sparks (2) aft 1877 Mary Tabor. James Lee was a Private in the Union Army – 14th Kentucky Regiment – Company B from 1861 – 1865 and was involved in driving the Confederate Forces out of Floyd Co., Ky at the Battle of Middle Creek. He was wounded in Allatoona, Ga. in June 1864 and at this time, his father, Sgt. John Ramey Wheeler was stationed in Louisa, Ky. in the Union Militia – 68th Kentucky Regiment to which he enrolled in 1864. Picture and story appeared in “The East Kentuckian” June 1998 issue and the article was submitted by James F. Carver, Portsmouth, Ohio.

James Lee Wheeler, a son of John Ramey Wheeler and Rachel LeMaster, was born November 21, 1841 in Blaine, Lawrence County, KY.
James Lee at the age of 19 rode his horse to Catlettsburg, KY and enlisted into the Union Army on October 10, 1861.  His actual active duty began December 10, 1861 when James Lee mustered in at Camp Wallace in Louisa, KY as a private.  He served in Co. B, 14th Reg, Kentucky Infantry.
James Lee would serve his country well until June 20, 1864, when at the age of 22 years, he was wounded in a battle in Altons.  It would be 15 days later before James Lee would be admitted into the General Hospital (#1667) in Louisville, KY on July 5, 1864.  James Lee suffered a severe flesh wound in an upper part of a thigh, a minnie ball was removed.  James Lee shortly thereafter was transfered to the General Hospital in Ashland, KY.  By November 1864 James Lee returned to active service.
James Lee Wheeler would marry his war bride, Mahala Angiline Sparks, in Blaine, KY on January 4, 1865, less than a month before his military discharge on January 31, 1865.  Jame Lee lived a productive life until his death on January 19, 1921 in Webbville, Elliott County, KY.

 

• Skirmish at Tazewell, Tennessee fought on August 6th, 1862
• Skirmish at Salyersville, Kentucky fought on November 30th, 1863
• Kolb’s Farm fought on June 22nd, 1864 near Cobb County, Georgia
• Kennesaw Mountain fought on June 27th, 1864 near Cobb County, Georgia
• Atlanta fought on July 22nd, 1864 near Fulton County, Georgia; DeKalb County, Georgia
• Jonesborough fought on August 31st, 1864 – September 1st, 1864 near Clayton County, Georgia
• Salyersville fought on April 13th, 1864 near Kentucky, Salyersville

 

 

Union 7th Regiment Company F, West Virginia Cavalry

 

Indiana 17th Regiment Infantry, Union Army

Transferred to Veteran Volunteer Pioneer Corps, August 21, 1864. Veteran Volunteer, January 4, 1864

 

General George Rappeen Smith moved his family to Missouri and was made a general for the militia to fight with the Mormons in Missouri which numbered around 4,000. He was very anti-slavery, feeling it was in opposition to God’s designs. He founded the town of Sedalia, named for one of his daughters. He played a big role in getting the railroad moved to go through Sedalia and then further west.
He later held a federal position in the US Government and ran for congress several times, though never winning. A started a small “Historically Black College” named in his honor. When the Civil War started, he was made the Adjutant General for the Missouri militias for the early months. Though he was considered too old to lead troops into battle, he continued to support the war effort for its duration.

In a book written about him by his daughters, they stated: “Our Eden was nursing the serpent slavery, which was whispering a siren song into the ears of pride and luxury, but which at no distant day was to fill our country with the blackness of despair. Our young men had nothing to do and our young women had no aim in life except marriage, and it was considered almost a disgrace to be an old maid. Twenty-five years of maidenhood constituted an old maid; and thirty years cut her off from hope, happiness, and respectability. Slavery was conducive to indolence and immorality. God has so arranged this life that if we are bread-eaters, we must be bread-winners; each individual for himself, must earn his bread “by the sweat of his brow.” If he does not have to make his money, he can sweat a little over its expenditure,—a no less arduous task, if properly and conscientiously done, than the making of it.”

General George R Smith said this at the Missouri Convention on whether Missouri should secede from the Nation.

“The South has needed a whipping, to my certain knowledge, for thirty years; and I pray God for her treason she may get a good one!” “Furthermore, if every man, woman, and child in the State should vote for going out, I would vote for staying in; and if every State in the Union should go except Massachusetts, I would go to Massachusetts, if I had to crawl on my hands and knees to get there!”

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James Pack served in the Civil War, with Damron’s Independent Co., Virginia Volunteers as a Private. joined for duty October 1 1861 in Wayne Co. Virginia.  Mustered out March 21 1862 at  Ceredo, Virginia.  He Would serve with Gilbert Moore and his brothers Thomas P. and Alexander also James Maynard and some of the Damron family.

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POW

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Mark M. Wheeler manuscript excerpts go here