Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. Charles Anderson MIDKIFF (1839 - 1919)


Source: Midkiff, Charles Anderson Sr. Photograph. C. 1918. Reprint in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2008.

How Related: My husband's 2nd-great-grandfather

Born: 25 May 1839 in Lincoln (now Moore) Co., Tennessee

Parents: Franklin Preston MIDKIFF (c. 1800 - c. 1839) and Ellender "Nellie" OLIVER (c. 1807 - c. 1849)

Siblings: Sarah Ann (1826 - 1912); unknown sister (b. c. 1825 - 1830); Elizabeth Carrie "Betsey" (1830 - 1912); William Franklin (1833 - 1920); John Rufus "J.R." (1835 - 1909); and unknown brother MIDKIFF (b. c. 1836 - 1840)

Married: 24 July 1859 to Mary Emeline WILBOURN (1839 - 1923) in Grayson Co., Texas

Children: William Preston (1862 - 1936), Charles Anderson, Jr. (1865 - 1948), Louanna Ellen "Annie" (1868 - 1940), John Franklin (1870 - 1926) - my husband's ancestor, Ethel Susan (b. 1874), Thomas Jefferson "Tex" (1879 - 1941), and Mae MIDKIFF (b. aft. 1879 - d. young)

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Source: Compiled Service Record Jacket of Charles Midkiff. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication M323. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 15 June 1862 at Whitemound, Grayson Co., Texas in D.W. Baker's Company (Co. A), Hardeman's Cavalry (1st Regiment, Arizona Brigade, 31st Cavalry); private

Side served: Confederacy

Discharged: unknown

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Biography or Information of Interest: Orphaned at a young age, Charles was apprenticed as a boy several times, including to John HAMILTON, his sister Ann's husband. As a young man, he followed his brothers and sister Betsey to East Texas, where he met and married his wife Mary.

"William Polk Hardeman, a former Texas Ranger, organized the unit [Hardeman's Bridgade] early in the war with the purpose of serving with General Henry Hopkins Sibley in Sibley's proposed Confederate invasion of New Mexico and Arizona. After engagements at Val Verde in February 1862 and Glorietta in March, the First Texas Cavalry returned to their home state. The honorific, "Arizona Brigade," was added to the unit's official designation, even though later enlistees served only within the boundaries of Texas." --from Midkiff: A Texas Family, Town and Way of Life by Mary Lou Midkiff. Midland, Texas: Oleo Publishing. 2005.

After the war, they moved to Oklahoma Territory, where several of their children were married and began their families. In the early 1900s, Charles, Mary, and some of their grown children removed to West Colorado, where Charles tried his hand in farming. He was badly injured when a pair of mules ran away with him and he was caught under the wagon, breaking his leg. With the deep winter snow and his crippled leg, he decided to sell the farm around 1913 and removed again with the extended family to Northern California.

Died: 14 September 1919 in Chico, Butte Co., California



Source: Unmarked grave location of Charles Anderson Midkiff, Sr., Chico Cemetery, Chico, Butte Co., California. Digital photograph taken at the request of Miriam Robbins Midkiff by Find A Grave photo volunteer "Laural N. D." Digital copy in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2006.

Buried: 16 September 1919 in Chico Cemetery, Butte Co., California in Wilbourn Family Plot (Garden 12, Section B, Lot 32, Space 10). Grave unmarked.

2 comments:

carole anne long said...

Recently I found a paper from Dept of INterior
re: John. P. Campbell on a paper regarding
payment for his wound he rec'ed on his person
it was dated 1888 he was in the battle of
Val Verde. He is my Great Great Grandfather.
John P. Campbell. A blessed man that fought
in a war of very extreme battle field in that
day.

Do you have any way I can see his picture
or know of a way to receive a picture of him?
for my Grandchildren and children.
thank you

Ms. Carole Anne Long, Diamond Valley
34050 Sage Road
Hemet, CA 92544 Mailbox 11

Miriam Robbins said...

Hi, Carole,

Your best bet is to contact other descendants of your great-great-grandfather and see if someone has a photo of him. We got our photo of Charles from some distant cousins of my children's dad, who had the original with them.