The Alabama in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Tennessee soldier really Alabama soldier

Alan, I totally agree and I did check under both. As you probably know Freeman's Battalion of Infantry was formed when Sherman was approaching. The Battalion had three companies A, B, and C. Company A of course was Freeman's Company of Prison Guards. Because Captain Freeman outranked the other two company commanders the battalion was named after him. Sometimes A. R. Bolton was listed with Company A Freeman's Battalion Infantry and other times with Company A Freeman's. Which ever way we go it all points back to Freeman's Company A Prison Guards.

On all dates A. R. Bolton is listed as taken prisoner on April 12, 1865 and also all reported him taken at Salisbury, North Carolina. I believe there was only one page of his Federal POW records that listed him as Company A Freeman's Battery but it too listed his capture date as April 12, 1865 and place as Salisbury, North Carolina. I did check Freeman's Battery as noted and could not find the surname Bolton listed. There was a Gus R. Bolton of the 7th Alabama Cavalry but his last CMSR's had him listed as sick in January 1865. The 7th Alabama Cavalry was at the Franklin-Nashville Campaigns and just a bit too far from Salisbury for me to entertain it much further. There also was another A. R. Bolton from North Carolina but he was accounted for and could not be the subject of the biography. Within Captain Freeman's Company of Prison Guards there were three or four other surnames of Bolton. The family seemed to have stuck together.

From period diaries I've read concerning Salisbury some of the Union soldiers remarked how young the guards were. This seems to be the case with Augustus R. Bolton if the 1860 United States census is correct with his birth year. For now it's the only secondary source I have. I can't find him in the 1850 census at all.

As with the biographies in general Alan, I estimate that I will be about 90% correct. And of course that means about 1 out of ten will be incorrect. While I hope it's 100% correct I'm realistic enough to know that will never happen. I can only work with what I can find. I'm sure other people will add or improve upon what I've done and that is a good thing. The biographies will be put online free of charge for people to copy or use as they see fit. Some of the best things in life are free and if someone finds a mistake, well I won't have to worry about refunding their money.

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Tennessee soldier really Alabama soldier
Re: Tennessee soldier really Alabama soldier
Re: Tennessee soldier really Alabama soldier