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In 1861 America erupted in an internal Civil War that nearly destroyed the country. Tensions had flared north and south of the Mason / Dixon line during the Presidential elections of 1860 and came to a head after Abraham Lincoln was elected to office. Pressured by his Republican party, but also believing in himself that slavery was a crime against nature, it became his intent to abolish this practice.
The southern states, having for well over a century enjoyed their peace, prosperity and the ownership of slaves, rebelled against the intent of government to deprive them of their self-given right to own slaves. Meetings were held, a Confederate president elected, armies organized and with the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, North Carolina on April 12, 1861 the “War Between The States”, or the American Civil War began.
The over-confident south was convinced that the war would be over “within a month”, but as one bloody battle after another was fought, it became evident that the war would last much longer. It was not until almost four years later, on April 9, 1865 that Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, thus signaling the beginning of the end of the war.
Over the course of those four years over 600,000 men lost their lives. From the North as well as the South women lost husbands, children their fathers, families their brothers and sons. Our Jameson family and its descendants were not without its losses as many volunteered to defend the North – and a few from the South - in the effort to overthrow the opposing forces. Herein are lists of our human contributions and sacrifices to the “War Between The States.”
The research shows there were twenty-three of our family with the surname Jameson out of a larger seventy-three individuals from our combined families who fought in the Civil War. This represents approximately 31% of the entire number of men included in our database who enlisted to fight in the conflict. New York State provided the most men, numbering thirteen, five of which were with the surname Jameson. One man served from each of the states of Maine, Minnesota and Vermont. Only one of those was a Jameson, he from Minnesota. In descending order of attendance the other states from which our relatives served are: Michigan and Ohio – nine each, five of which were Jamesons; Massachusetts provided eight, two were Jamesons; Iowa sent five, four were Jamesons; Wisconsin – four, Indiana and New Hampshire sent three each, one Jameson from New Hampshire; and Connecticut and Illinois each sent two, both from Connecticut were Jamesons. This is not to imply that the men who served from those states were all residents of those states as several who enlisted actually lived in states neighboring those in which they enlisted. Some traveled to locations where more men were needed in order to fill out a unit that was short men. We also must not forget that some of our family had moved south of the Mason Dixon line and served in the Confederate forces. Three men enlisted from the state of Virginia, however none of these men were of the Jameson surname.
Of our total of seventy-three men who fought in such battle locations as Antietam, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Manassas, Spotsylvania and Shiloh, as well as numerous other locations in the south, thirty-seven men survived and returned home. This represents 58% of the entire family involvement. Jamesons included in this number total fourteen and signify 22% of the total or 70% of the twenty Jamesons enlisted. Eighteen men, equaling 28%, died in the service of their county, but only five of those were Jamesons. Their loss represents 25% of the men of that surname or .07% of the total. Amongst those who died three were killed, one died of illness in a hospital and the other died while in prison. One Jameson who was killed died while in service in the Northwest Indian Expeditions, the only individual of the sixty-four whose transfer sent him away from the conflict in the south. Those three enlistees from Virginia numbered one survivor, one killed and one who died of illness. As far as desertions are concerned it would appear that two persons went missing, and yes – one of them was a Jameson.
In light of the significant loss of life sustained during the four years of the Civil War it would seem our contribution to be a small one. Let it not be forgotten, however, that these few young men, small their numbers may be, made significant contributions to the effort. Many achieved high rank and great respect, others simply fought, some with their brothers at their sides, some against their cousins and some gave their greatest gift – the ultimate contribution – their lives. In this chapter we salute the memory of their heroism.
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