Alan J. Pitts
John Jacob Sparks
Mon Jan 29 20:20:36 2001


This man enlisted on May 1, 1861, at Talladega, Alabama. His company was Capt. Charles Miller Shelley's "Talladega Artillery, which went to Virginia as Company "E", 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment. When the regiment reorganized a year later, it became new Company "B". Captains were William Thomas Renfro, mortally wounded at Chancellorsville, and Nicholas Scales McAfee.

The records show that Sparks was
(1) captured while acting as a nurse in a Confederate field hospital at Gettysburg, July 5, 1863;
(2) exchanged at City Point, Virginia, Sept. 27, 1863, and furloughed home;
(3) carried on roll as "absent without leave" in 1864.

There is an extensive Alabama pension record on this man, in part due to the state board's contention that he wasn't qualified to receive a pension because he deserted. Sparks produced witnesses to his service at Gettysburg and explained that while at home on furlough he helped recruit a company of Junior Reserves. In fact he was elected 2nd Lieutenant of Company "G", Lockhart's Battalion, Jan. 28, 1864, at Talladega. Also called the "Sam Morgan Cadets", this company later became Company "G" of the 1st Alabama Junior Resrves and served in the defense of Mobile.

I did not look at his Junior Reserve records, but will pass that along if you are interested. You really need to contact someone at the ADAH about getting a copy of this pension record. There's a lot of really good information in this one.






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