The Georgia in the Civil War Message Board

Benjamin F. McCoy at Etowah Iron Works

Benjamin Franklin McCoy died in Atlanta on 6/29/1942. At the time of his death he was receiving a pension based on service claimed in 19th Georgia Regiment, Co. A. If he had in fact served as he claimed, he would likely be the last survivor of that regiment.

However, it is not clear that his claim is true. He has no service records I can find under 19th Georgia or any other regiment. His request for a pension in 1934 was originally denied as undocumented, unproven, and contradictory. He did state that all the soldiers who could vouch for his service were dead, but offered other references such as doctors and a nurse. He also claimed that he had been given a Cross of Honor by the UDC.

The Confederate Pension and Records Department investigated and were told by one of McCoy’s brothers that he had no knowledge of B. F. McCoy ever being in Confederate service. A nephew said that his uncle was “old and weak in both body and mind” and probably had heard so much about the war that he had “formed an idea that he was in the army.” Local and state UDC officials had no record of an application or award of a Cross of Honor.

After denial of his pension application, he appealed in letters to the governor. Investigators of his appeal interviewed a female nurse who had supposedly met McCoy at a dance near Etowah Iron Works where he was detailed. Her initial deposition attested to her knowledge of a W. A. McCoy, but in the interview she said that she meant B. F. McCoy. She said that she had seen him in uniform and that he drilled with the soldiers. On this basis he was granted a pension.

Among other things McCoy claimed that he served in the “Irish Company,” but that was Co. B, not Co. A.
The colonels that he named as commanding his regiment did not command the 19th Georgia or in most cases any regiment at all.
He claimed that other members of his company included his father, Andrew Jackson McCoy; Jesse W. McCoy, Joe George, Lee Burrell, and A.Y. Sheats. There are records for Jackson McCoy, J. McCoy, and Joseph George in Co. A. However, Lee Burrough and A. Y. Sheats served in Co. K.
Joseph B. George is on record as being detailed to Etowah Iron Works, although B. F. McCoy is not. When 2nd Lt. John Morrison requested of the brigade commander in December 1863 that George’s detail be rescinded because the company was short handed, he did not mention McCoy. In ensuing correspondence two members of the 19th Georgia were mentioned as being detailed to the iron works, neither of them McCoy.
In his pension application he stated that he was 87 years old which would put his birthday around 1847. A newspaper obituary stated that he was 94 years old, which would put his birthday around the same year. This would make him around 15 at the time of his enlistment in 1862--just possible. However, census records for 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 show him ten years younger, and thus far too young to enlist.
Finally, his obituary included additional unlikely claims:
1)that he served with distinction under General Joe Wheeler--however Wheeler was a cavalry officer for virtually all the time of McCoy’s claimed service and was never associated with the 19th Georgia.
2)that he carried his regiment’s flag through the battle of Kennesaw Mountain and the siege of Atlanta--however the 19th Georgia never fought in Georgia.

His claims are weak and I’m skeptical of his service, but I’d like to cut an old man a break for some faulty and contradictory memories. I don’t hold much hope of finding records, but his time at Etowah Iron Works seems to be the key. Does anyone know whether there are lists of men detailed there?