George Leonard Merritt: Yankee Rich Kid

The quote from Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel's fictionalized biography of Thomas Cromwell, under the family banner on this blog...

Some of these things are true and some of them lies. 

But they are all good stories.

 ...is 'tongue-in-cheek' recognition that errors and lore creep into any life story. And, early on, the first mistake crept in when we blogged about our Little Drummer Boy grandpa Merritt. That's been corrected.

George Merritt 1807-1873

George Leonard Merritt: Wounded in Action

His Civil war service record shows our second great grandfather,  George Leonard Merritt, joined Connecticut's 6th Infantry on September 5, 1861. (see relationship notes below) He was wounded on July 10, 1863, at Morris Island, South Carolina, and discharged on September 11, 1864; when his term of enlistment expired.

George Leonard Merritt: The Yankee in the Swamp

We began our family research looking for an Indian.  Rumor had it our grandmother, Carrie "Mae" (Merritt) Musgrove *was one-quarter Native American and her father was born in the Okefenokee Swamp. 

Carrie "Mae" (Merritt) Musgrove

Civil War Stories: Deserters

Our second great-grandfather* (see relationship notes below), George Leonard Merritt, was a Union soldier in the Sixth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded on July 10, 1863, in the first attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina.

The Assault on Fort Wagner
July 18, 1863

Civil War Stories: The Color Bearer

Our great, great grandfather, * (see relationship notes below) George Leonard Merritt, served in the 6th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment. His Army record (see link) shows him wounded in the early morning hours of July 10, 1863, at the First Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina. (story here)

The second battle, though disastrous, is known to history for the heroics of the Colored unit, the 54th of Maine. The color bearer became an overnight hero. His story was told in the Academy Award-winning movie, 'Glory.'

This post is the same conflict told through the eyes of a soldier in the Sixth of Connecticut.

Civil War Stories: Brother-In-Laws in Arms

The Huxford Genealogical Society identifies our second great grandmother as Lydia Stewart, sister of Priscilla.  Grandma* Lydia's first husband was William Webb. Priscilla married Berry Whitley.

Pioneers of Wiregrass-Huxford
Book V page 420

Civil War Stories: Burning of Jacksonville

Charles K Cadwell, of Company F, served with our second great grandfather*, George Leonard Merritt, of Company I, in the 6th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War.

Civil War Stories: From the North

Our family story search uncovered a Union soldier in the Okefenokee Swamp. Our second great-grandfather*, George Leonard Merritt, served in the 6th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Company I, during the American Civil War.

Civil War Stories: The Merritts

The Civil War: April 12, 1861- April 9, 1865



Headline: Fall of Fort Sumter

The American Civil War started at four-thirty a.m., April 12, 1861. P. G. T. Beauregard, the first brigadier general of the Confederate States Army, fired on his former United States Military Academy teacher, Robert Anderson, at Ft Sumter, South Carolina.

Thirty-four hours later, when the white flag of surrender went up over the fort, the causality count was one horse.

Thus began the deadliest war in American history. (World War II was the bloodiest.)

Newly elected President Lincoln declared war the next day and called for seventy-five thousand volunteers, with possibly two hundred thousand more requested later.

A Connecticut Yankee in a Georgia Swamp

I started our family* (see relationship notes below) search by looking on my grandmother's side for an Indian in the Swamp. Instead, I found George Henry Merritt, born in Okefenokee, the ancestor of our line of Merritts around Ware County.

George H Merritt is
the son of George L Merritt.
Born; Okefenokee Swamp.