The Eller Chronicles

The first chart is self explanatory, though there are sane facts of interest that may be pointed out. Since this chart was prepared an additional death has been brought to light by Ethel Bernice Johnson, in EC VI:2, p. 74. (More on John Adam Eller later). Since this case had not been applied to this study, the figures and percentages would be changed somewhat. One question that my be asked is why the percentages of men killed in action were greater comparatively for Union than Confederate Ellers. There is no truly apparent reason, though perhaps it could be suggested that the greater number of Southern Ellers were from North Carolina and their units remained in their home state on patrol and guard duty, etc. It is a fact, however, that a greater number of Confederate Ellers were wounded and captured. Striking is the fact that the "died of disease" are statistically close for both North and South, and is very close to the overall figure of the National averages, as presented above, though more Confederate Ellers (87%) died of disease than the overall Confederate figure of 64%. Here the figure for the Union is very close, 70% Ellers as compared to 67% nationally.

Coming to the second chart there will be seen a list of the Confederate Ellers who died in the war, either killed in action or died of disease. From information obtained on these men from the service records received from the National Archives, one can readily see that the principal disease causing death was typhoid fever, South, 26%, though when adding other diarrheas it increases to 52%. For the Union soldiers, 71%. Two Confederates died of smallpox, but while both were in a Northern prison cap, Elmira, New York.

Please note the following facts and figures that appear not only interesting but typical of the times, and is a very classic example of taking healthy young men from a rural home setting and placing them in an environment of inadequate hygiene, sanitation, diet, and poor shelters with exposure to inclement weather. And certainly one of the leading factors would be the lack of natural immunity to the communicable diseases.

In examining the duration of time from enlistment to date of death there appears to be a logical breaking off point. For the Union men it was between six months and sixteen months, which occurred in the Spring, or February 1863. For the Confederates the breaking point appears to be between six months and eleven months, and this was also in February 1863. Significantly this was just half way through the war. By this time much of the living conditions had been improved, the sanitation and inadequacies in food rectified, and especially the medical corps of both armies had definitely improved their facilities and techniques. By February 1863 thirteen Confederate men had died after an average of 5.2 months in the service. -Noting the Union figures on this particular point it is significant that five Union soldiers had died with an average time of enlistment of 5.1 months, identical figures for both armies. What if such a horrible and early death rate by disease had occurred in our recent wars, remembering "Desert Storm"?

The service records of the men who died of disease will not be examined further in this presentation, however it might be well to note something about each man that died during battle or else "killed in action". First, consider the Confederate soldiers as listed in the accompanying chart.

• William Harrison(5), Absolam(4), John(3), Peter(2), George Michael(l)
  b. 16 Sep 1843, Wilkes Co., NC, enl. 26 Feb 1862, age 18, into Co. K, 53rd NC Inf. at Camp Mangum. Promoted from private through the ranks to 5th Sgt., to take rank from 1 Apr 1864. Killed in action near Washington City, 13 Jul 1864. William H. had three brothers in the Southern army, Matthias, Francis, and James Madison. A more detailed study of this soldier's experiences in the war is contemplated for a future time. See "George Michael Eller", Hook, James W., p. 85.
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson(5), Simeon(4), John(3), Peter(2), George Michael(l)
  b. 1837/38, Wilkes Co. NC. Enl. 1 Jul 1861, Warrenton, NC, age 23, into Co. B, 1st NC inf. Killed Battle of Chancellorsville, 3 May 1862, (Hook says May 2). Thomas had two brothers in the Confederate army, Jesse Franklin (see EC V:2, pp. 63-82), and David H., who died 13 Sep 1862, Dx. typhoid. He is buried in the Cemetery of the New Hope Baptist Church, Purlear, Wilkes County, NC. Hook, p. 179, 186.
  
  
• F. Eller. The full name, and family line is not known. He enlisted from Rowan Co., NC, into Co. D, (Rowan Artillery), 1st Regt. Engr., Artillery and Ordnance, NC State Troops. If anyone from Rowan County can identify this soldier, it would certainly be appreciated.
  

UNION SOLDIERS

• Thomas J.(5), Andrew(4), Adam(3), Leonard(2), George Michael(l)
  b. 1837, Lawrence Twsp., Marion Co., IN. Enl. 16 Aug 1862, age 27, into Co. D, 79th IN Inf. Killed 2 Jan 1863, Battle of Stones River, TN. Two brothers were Union soldiers, David and Andrew Jr. For a detailed profile on Thomas J., see EC III:2, p. 35.. EC IV:2, p. 82
• John, s/o Jacob & Sally (Sarah) Hillborn-Eller, m. 11 Apr 1821.
  b. 1826, Richland Co., OH. Enl. (drafted Militia), 13 Nov 1862, Mansfield, Richland Co., OH, age 37, into Co. G, 20th OH Inf. Present or accounted for until killed 16 May 1863, in Battle of Chanpion Hill, Vicksburg, MS, Campaign. Here is an instance of a 37 year old man, having been married in 1848, and with a family, being drafted into the Union Army and killed in action.
  
  
• George W., s/o F. W. & Sarah Eller. (See 1850 Census, McMinn Co., TN)
  b. 1839, probably McMinn Co., TN. Enl. 14 Sep 1861, Monticello, Wayne Co., KY., age 22, into Co. H, 1st KY Cav. "Furnished his own horse & horse equipment from 1 Aug 1862". Killed 2 Feb 1863, Wayne Co., KY, (while home on furlough?) "in a personal difficulty".

John Adam Eller, s/o George (immigrant from Gemany to Rowan Co.) & Rose Ann Eller Born 28 Feb 1843, Rowan Co., NC (See 1850 Census Rowan Co., NC)

Earlier in this report the name of John Adam Eller was mentioned. Not until the May 1992 issue of the Eller Chronicles was this man known definitely as a Civil War soldier, even though his name had been pondered on when found in the 1850 Census of Rowan County, NC. His age, it appeared, would have made him of military age at the time of the War. This brings attention to the fact of how valuable the "Chronicles" has been in this research, and as it has been testified to by many others. It is hoped this same kind of material will be forthcoming through the pages of the Chronicles.

Perhaps same additional light can be shed on the record of John Adam, for a question bad been posed in the May 1992 issue, page 74, where it is stated "Died March 1864 of wounds received at Zag ---- (can't read)", etc. As interesting as the "family stories" often appear, there is same definite information on this soldier that will be presented here.

John Adam enlisted into Co. I, 109th Ill. Infantry on 14 Aug 1862, with others into a new regiment that was not organized until 11 Sept 1862. Co. I, and the rest of the regiment were moved into Kentucky and eventually into Tennessee as a component of U.S. Grant's Department of the Tennessee. They remained at Memphis until March 1863, when they moved to Lake Providence, Louisiana. Here the regiment was disbanded on 10 Apr 1863, having lost 237 of it's men by desertion, and it's officers having proved themselves utterly incompetent. The remaining men were transferred as a group and incorporated into-Co. K, 11th Ill. Inf. Before its dissolution this regiment had lost by disease 2 officers and 92 men.

The 11th Ill. reorganized at Young's Pt., on Lake Providence, LA. Thereafter the regiment with the brigade and division went into action with General Grant during his highly successful, and famous Vicksburg campaign, being involved in the Battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, then the siege of Vicksburg with its eventual surrender 4 Jul 1863.

The regiment remained on duty in the Vicksburg area being involved in the occupation of Natchez and Vicksburg itself. General Grant by now had been named to the overall command of U.S. forces, and General Sherman had Grant's old position as general of the Department of the Tennessee. In the scheme of operations was to direct his attention to the eventual drive towards Atlanta, but before making that move he proposed a campaign into middle Mississippi with it's objective being the clearing of Confederate forces from that area, and to strike and destroy railroads, rolling stock, roads, munition factories and stores, impounding horses, mules, and oxen, and to bring out as much cotton and other materials as could be hauled.

At the same time the main drive was being made, the goal to be Meridian, MS, a smaller force was to ascend the Yazoo River to clear that region of similar stores, and to distract the Confederate army as to the main purpose of the overall operation. The 11th Ill. was one of three regiments that was to make up the Yazoo Expedition, the other two being regiments composed of colored troops.

The three regiments boarded Navy gun-boats, and troop ships, and the operation got under way on 1 Feb 1864. By 9 Feb Yazoo City, TN, had been reached and the Union force took possession of the town. Leaving a small detachment to hold the area, the remainder of the men moved up the river, when on the 19th they were ordered back to Yazoo City. On 28 Feb the 11th Ill. was ordered into a small redoubt (fort) on the outskirts of town. From that date and everyday the Confederates would make a dash on the center of the works, but these men stood to their ground. The resolute 11th held the redoubt against repeated attacks, and by the 5th was surrounded on three sides by the enemy. Three times the order was given to surrender, but the major commanding refused each time, and the Confederates each time resumed their continuous fire of artillery and small arms, in which the loss to the Northerners was heavy. Reinforcements eventually arrived by 2:00 p.m., driving the Rebels from the fort.

During that heroic defense on the afternoon of 5 March John Adam Eller sustained a serious wound to the abdomen. He with the other defenders of the fort remained in place until the next day, Sunday, 6 Mar 1864, when the fort was evacuated, the transports re-boarded and the return trip to Vicksburg was completed. Total casualties for the 11th Ill. during the defense of the Yazoo City redoubt were 10 killed, 40 wounded, and 16 missing. John was placed on boars the Hospital Steamer R. C. Wood to be taken to larger medical facility, but he died of his wounds, 9 Mar 1864 while on board. Official Records; 32, P. 1, pp. 178, 194, 320-331.

(Eds. The Eller Family Association is unusually fortunate to have as a member such enthusiastic and meticulous researcher as Dr. Byron Eller of California. We can say the same for Buddy Lovette and Lynn Eller. Since the above report was presented at Conference '91, Byron has spent considerable research time at Gettysburg and in other battle fields in Virginia. During the second week of November 1992 he will spend several days at Vicksburg National Cemetery and Battleground researching for information on Ellers in the Civil War. Those who attend Conf. '93 will hear another of his masterful presentations on his favorite subject.

During the first week of November 1992, Byron, Lynn Eller of Atlanta and Gerald Eller spent three days in Ashe and Wilkes County with Buddy Lovette, J. C. Ashley and others. Buddy Lovette showed us the original land on which Peter and John Eller, sons of George Michael Eller settled in Ashe County on the South Fork of New River. While in Ashe County we meet the charming Mrs. Ethel (Mrs. Ed) Eller and her daughter Daphne; also Mr. Truett Eller, retired public school teacher and principal. While in Ashe County we visited the homesites of Gertrude Eller Waddell and her grandfather James Eller.

Clinton Eller of Wilkes County showed us the New Hope Church and cemetery and the homesites of many other early Eller settlers in that county. He loaned us a genealogy of his line which adds considerably to Hook's compilations of Ellers in Wilkes County, NC; this will appear in a future issue of the Chronicles. Byron was the house guest of your editors for a week-end before departing for Vicksburg. Lynn will be returning soon for another work session with Juanita on the ELLER FAMILY COOKBOOK. The greatest compensation for our work as editors of the Chronicles is meeting such fine people as those mentioned above.)