Shirer Family Genealogy Project - Person Page 13162

Shirer Family Genealogy Project
Person Page 13162

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Samuel Jefferson Firestone1

Male, b. 24 April 1820, d. 9 July 1863, #13162


Father John F. Firestone1 b. 20 May 1769, d. 20 July 1854
Mother Margaret "Peggy" Thrasher1 b. 20 May 1785, d. 15 March 1865
Pop-up Pedigree

Note*   Since Samuel died in 1863, daughter Alice is more than likely his granddaughter by daughter Margaret who would have been 14 at the time. Catherine raised her as her daughter. Catherine also seemed to be pregnant at the time of his death as James was born within the year after he died. Family history says Samuel joined the Confederate cause on 1 Jul 1863 and died 8 days later. His death was listed as a civilian so it is unclear how he died. The cemetery is located in what was known as Camp Alton Prison which was a Confederate Prison It was formally a prison which had been condemmned but resurected to house confederate prisoners. The conditions were horrible and prisoners were dying from their wounds disease or from the sub standard conditions that the bodies were often stacked together in shacks and later buried in mass graves. In 1863 a smallpox epidemic ran rampant through the prison and it is likely that Samuel may have imprisoned there during that time. Seeing that his death came within days of his enlistment, it is likely he was wounded and died from receiving no care or from infection rather from any of the other diseases.

Since this was written, new information has come to light. The Missouri's Union Provost Marshal Papers: 1861 - 1866, available through the Missouri Digital Heritage colection, records the following:

11-20-1862 Firestone, S. J. - List of 129 prisoners; held at military prison, college building, at Springfield, Missouri; Reel F1590; Frame 1286; File 3158
11-20-1862 Firestone, Samuel J., Greene, Springfield -     Statement of John Y. Kennedy, Justice of the Peace in Cedar County, that the securities for Firestone's bond are worth enough to cover the bond.; Reel F1317
11-29-186? Firestone, Samuel J., Cedar - Bond in the amount of $1,000; Reel F1317
11-29-1862 Firestone, Samuel J., Cedar - Parole; Reel F1317
11-30-1862 Firestone, S. J. - List of 64 prisoners discharged, received, escaped, or died in period from Nov. 18 to Nov. 30, 1862; possibly courthouse prison in Springfield, Missouri (?); Reel F1590; Frame 1077; File 3074
11-30-1862 Firestone, S. J., Greene, Springfield - Report for courthouse prison; lists those discharged; Reel F1590; Frame 1207; File 3121
04-21-1863 Firestone, Samuel J., Cedar - Statement of Firestone, a prisoner. Notes that he is 46 years old; was arrested at home but does not know why. Asks to be released on any honorable terms.; Reel F1317

This information seems to indicate that Samuel was arrested at least twice. The first time in Nov. 1862 his family posted bond and he was parolled and released. Five months later he was arrested at home for reasons he professed not to know. It is unknown whether he was released at this time or not or if the reason he was arrested was because he enlisted in the Confederate forces and before leaving to join forces he was arrested and imprisoned or after being released for the second time, events played out as the family history recorded.

His death being recorded as a cvilian seems to rule out that he joined Confederate forces but may have instead been a Confederate sympathizer for which he was arrested. During the war many civilians were arrested for no apparent reason. Because of a quirk of record-keeping, figures are not readily available for Missouri in this period as the prison-keepers in St. Louis and Alton, probably assuming that Secreatry Seward would know that most of their inmates came from strife-torn Missouri, failed to report the place of residence of their civilian inmates. Missouri saw much civil unrest during this period as the state was divided between people that were anti-slave and pro-slave and there was no real line of demarcation which saw neighbors rising up against neigbors. We only have the existing records to fall back on and do not know the personal beliefs of Samuel or his family but if there was not any question as to his political beliefs he probably would not have been arrested in the first place.2 
Birth* 24 April 1820  Botetourt Co., VA1 
Marriage* 6 October 1853  Botetourt Co., VA, Principal=Catherine Salome Moomaw 
Census* 1860  1860 Federal Census, Missouri, Cedar County, Madison Township, Series: M653, Roll: 613, Page: 119, September 14
36, 837, 837, Firestone, Jas, 48, W, M, , Farmer, 3040, 4683, Va, , , ,
37, 837, 837, Firestone, Catherine, 25, F, , , , , Va, , , ,
38, 837, 837, Firestone, Margaret A, 6, F, , , , , Va, , , ,
39, 837, 837, Firestone, Edward M, 5, M, , , , , Mo, , , ,
40, 837, 837, Firestone, Malissa S, 8/12, F, , , , , Mo, , , ,3 
Burial* circa 9 July 1863  North Alton Confederate Cemetery, North Alton, Madison Co., IL2,4
Death* 9 July 1863  Fort Alton Prison, North Alton, Madison Co., IL4,2 

Family Catherine Salome Moomaw b. 20 April 1834, d. 29 November 1921
Children  1. John Samuel Firestone b. 1854, d. 1856
  2. Margaret Ann "Maggie" Firestone b. 24 Sep 1854
  3. Edward N. Firestone b. 10 May 1857
  4. Malissa Salome Firestone b. Dec 1859
  5. Rufus Jefferson Firestone b. 15 Jan 1862, d. 12 Dec 1933
  6. James R Firestone b. 1864
  7. Alice C. Firestone b. May 1871, d. 3 Jan 1935

Last Edited 11 Dec 2021

Citations
  1. [S658] Firestone Family of Frederick Co. MD (1993), George Ely Russell.
  2. [S2415] US Reg of Confederates who Died in the North, online https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2250054.
  3. [S46] 1860 U.S. Federal Census , 1860 U.S. Federal Census.
  4. [S626] Find-A-Grave, online http://www.findagrave.com.

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