Thank you, that must be him. I'm trying to determine also that he was in Raleigh in April of 1863. He was the Deputy Sheriff in the summer of 1860. I may have been the Deputy Sheriff mentioned by Grierson when his column rode through that town. A man was seen riding out of town very quickly when the advanced scouts approached Raleigh. This man was stopped and found to be the sheriff, carrying about $3,000 cash on him, the county funds he was trying to keep out of the hands of enemy. In reality, a number of the union forces were dressed in Confederate uniforms and identified themselves as Alabama cavalry. The sheriff was convinced to entrust his funds, which were tied up in a bandana handkerchief, to the adjutant-general for safe keeping until his services should no longer be required. He and others were taken along, ostensibly as guides, but in reality to prevent any news from getting to Confederate authorities.

Grierson's column moved on through Simpson County. While the Union forces were at Williams Plantation outside of Westville, the deputy sheriff found out it was the enemy he was guiding and made his escape on Col. Grierson's orderly's prized horse. The Deputy Sheriff rode to Hazlehurst just as Union scouts, dressed as Confederates, entered the town. He pulled his sword and pistol but dropped his reins, allowing his horse to twist around. Not being able to use his weapons he yelled out to the small Confederate detachment to stop the Yankee raiders. But the Union scouts were fast to draw their pistols and fired at the Confederates who ducked for cover, allowing the Yankees to escape back to the main Federal column just out of town. When this force entered Hazlehurst the Confederate soldiers and the Deputy Sheriff were gone.

_________________________
David Upton