Dear Mr. Crisman,
I started my Wingard research in Aug. of 2013 and I have gone back to some of the information I have on my great-grandfather that I received from one of my cousins several years before. David and Nancy Wingard lived in Marble Valley Al. Coosa Co. in 1854 when my grandfather Irvin Wingard was born and his brother David Samuel Jr. who was born in 1861. I think that Nancy moved to Westover Al. in Shelby Co. right after he left for the CSA.
He enlisted in Co. H the 5th Al Infantry on May 5, 1861 in Montgomery Al. He served under Captain Belcher and Gen. D H Hill and his division was attached to that of Gen. Stonewall Jacksonin in the battles for the Peninsula of Virginia. His regiment defended an area in the Battle of Sharpeburg later named "Bloody Lane". In the Battle of Fredericksburg they served directly under Gen. Jackson. David Wingard died before the Battle of Chancelorsville but the 5th division led the charge against the Union flank there. This information was taken from "Confederate Military History, Alabama and Mississippi Vol. 12.
When he enlisted in May of 1861 the first duty was Pensacola, Florida and then his regiment was ordered to report to the commanding officer of the Army of Northern Virginia. It's first commander was Gen. Robert E. Rodes/Rhodes and the next was Christopher C. Peques.
This is the info I was given and I am not sure it is all correct but I believe it to be. My great-grandfather wrote to Nancy and a couple of these letters were returned to my Grandfather Irvin Wingard many years after David died.
The first letter was written on Nov. 15, 1863 to my great-grandmother Nancy Wingard. In it he said he was well but very tired from all the marching. He had just received the first letter from her since he left home. He told her to send any more letters she wrote to Richmond Va., Hills Division and Rhodes Brigade 5th Al. Reg. Co. H and he would get them. In this letter he said they had no tents to sleep in and they would be in their winter quarters soon. I'm running out of room so I will send the rest in another email to you.