| Notes |
- When John Seward Churchill was about 19 yers old, he went west in a 50
mule train of covered wagons with his uncle Cadwallader Churchill to
California to search for gold. He stayed in California for 10 years, part
of which time was spent working a claim at Pilot Hill, California in
partnership with G. S. Truesdell, later of Dryden, Tompkins County, New
York. While there, he apparently lived at or near Pilot Hill, which is
situated near the famed Sutter's Mill. On June 28, 1860 John Seward
Churchill wrote his family that he was coming home to Hodgenville,
Kentucky, that he had paid $150.00 for his ticket, and that he would leave
from San Francisco, California east on the Central Pacific Railroad on
Monday, July 2, 1860. The subject's return to his beloved home in
Hodgenville, Kentucky was a joyous occasion; however, this happiness gave
way to sadness as John Seward Churchll joined the Confederate Army at the
beginning of the Civil War. In his own Civi War diary, he wrote that "on
the morning of the 17th of September, 1861, I left my own loved home,
parted with dear loved ones to enlist in the glorious cause of the
Independence of the Southern States." He was accompanied by his own
family members to the Big Spring home of Walter Williams, maternal
grandfather of Walter Williams Coombs, husband of Sarah Elizabeth
Churchill, John Seward Churchill's older sister. Officially, he entered
active service at Green River, Kentucky on September 25, 1861 to serve in
the Tennesse army of the Confederate States of America as Kentucky was not
officially in the war at that time. He was soon appointed 1st Lieutenant
in Company C of Colonel Basil Wilson Duke's 2nd regiment of the Kentucky
Cavalry. While in Kentucky John Seward Churchill started out from
Hodgenville then proceeded to the following places: Mumfordville, Cave
City, Muldraugh Hill, Mumfordville, Bacon Hill, Bowling Green, Belle's
Tavern, Dripping Springs, Rocky Hill Village, Woodsonville, Brownsville,
Horse Cave, Rowlett Station, Mammouth Cave, Water's Station, Row Parret,
Rock Bell Station, and Franklin. On February 14, 1862 John Seward
Churchill moved with his troops into Tennessee through the following
towns: Nashville, Murfreesboro, Unionville, Shelbyville, Fayetteville,
Bundiville, and Decatur. Then they moved through Courtland, Alabama on
March 24, 1862 and later through Tuscumbia, Alabama. On April 1, 1862
they entered Cedar Creek, Mississippi and then eventually through
Burnville, Pittsburg, and Hesport, Mississippi. Then came the famed batle
at Shiloh, Tennessee on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. Under the command
of Colonel John Hunt Morgan, who had been appointed Colonel of the 2nd
Kentucky Cavalry on April 4, 1862, Lieutenant John Seward Churchill
prepared to engage the enemy at Shilohon the morning April 6. Seated upon
his horse Black Bess, Colonel John Hunt Morgan formed his men into battle
lines across the battle field, and while they were waiting for further
orders, the 4th Kentucky Infantry Regiment filed out across their front,
the men close formation. John Seward Churchill of Company C reportedly
recognized some of his old friends among the Kentucky foot soldiers, and
he saluted them by leading his men in a rousing version of "Cheer, Boys,
Cheer." Right away the infantrymen grinned and waved, and one of them
shouted to the others to join in with the cavalry. Soon all were singing
"Cheer, Boys, Cheer, We'll March Away to Battle!" According to Col. Basil
W. Duke, son-in-law of Colonel John Hunt Morgan, the effect was animating
beyond all description and served as inspiration for the Confederate
troops that eventful day. Surviving the Battle of Shiloh, John Seward
Churchill was transfered with authority from General John Cabell
Breckinridge, Commander of the Reserve Corp at Shiloh, to raisea Company
of men on October 1, 1862; however, before that had he traveled with his
troops through Lawrenceburg, Pulaski, Shelbyville, Unionville, Sparta,
Post Oak Springs, Knoxville, Corinth, and Chattanooga, Tennessee and later
back to Kentucky through Tompkinsville, Glasgow, Harrisburg, Springfield,
Georgetown, Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Cynthianna, Paris, Lexington, and
Crab Orchard. Then it was back to Sparta and Gallatin, Tennessee on
August 18, 1862. Back in Lexington, Kentucky on September 4, 1862, they
then moved through Scottsville, Glasgow, Columbia, Liberty, Danville,
Nicholasville, Bloomfield, Covington, Walton, Falmouth, Augusta,
Brookville, Harrodsburg, and Perryville. Morgan's troops then went on
general retreat from Kentucky in advance of General Braxton Bragg's army
from Richmond, Kentucky to Knoxville, Tennessee. this was on October 15,
1862. Five days later on October 20, 1862 John Seward Churchill was
visiting with Brown family members in Tallassee, Alabama. The period of
time between this event and his capture on January 15, 1863 in Waverly,
Tennessee is unaccounted for. His capture took place at Waverly, Tennesse
while he was aiding a sick friend or fellow soldier. Upon his capture, he
was taken to the Military Prison at Alton, Illinois, situated just north
of St. Louis, Missouri. While there he contracted smallpox and was soon
placed in the Bison Hospital at Alton, Illinois. During his incarceration
he was visited by his older brother Cadwallda Brown Churchill, who took
into his possession the personal diary of John Seward Churchill, his
journal of acttivities during his service in the Confederate Army from
September 17, 1861 to October 20, 1862. He was also engaged in
corresponding with numerous family members as well as his friends, among
whom was his old friend G. S. Truesdell of Dryden, New York, who wrote to
the subject to persuade him to return to the flag of the Union. While
lying sick in the hospital, John Sewar Churchill was attended to by Dr.
Wall and Dr. John Thompson Hodge, the latter being teh son of Jacob Hodgen
and his wife Frances Park Brown, sister to John Seward Churchill' mother.
On February 21, 1863 at 10:00 in the morning, John Seward Churchill
succumbed to the effects of smallpox. In the course of arranging his
funeral, it was determined that due to smallpox contamination, his body
could not be transported home to Hodgenville, Kentucky for burial. On
February 22, 1863 Dr. John Thompson Hodgen purchased from J. M. Attoff,
Funeral Director in Alton, Illinois, a "metallic" coffin which allowed for
the safe transfer of the last remains of John Seward Churchill to his
final resting place in Nolynn Baptist Churchi Cemetery in Larue County,
Kentucky. John seward Churchill never married; however, it is believed
that he may have had a sweetheart. On the very last page of his Civil War
diary he left the following poem:
"Tis useless now to grieve Lorena Stern fate bids it must be so There is
so many long leagues between us We may never meet here below But oh there
is a greater world Where all is joy and peace Tis there I hope to see
Lorena Where all our troubles cease.
In Nolynn Baptist Church Cemetery just outside Hodgenville, Kentucky,
there are two tombstones for John Seward Churchill, situated not far from
one another in the Churchill section of the cemetery that lies on the left
side of the walkway leading to the entrance of the old church. Why there
are two tombstones for John Seward Churchill is not known. One of these
stones appears much older than the following and it is this older stone
that contains the following inscription about the departed John Seward
Churchill:
"O Lord thou has been merciful to me A poor sinner, for when I was a boy I
went west To California, ten years I spent there Amongst strangers, but I
was not alone For the God who rules on high watched Over me and saved my
life in the Many perils I had to encounter and Then brought me home to my
mother. When fighting the battles of the South I have felt that God would
save my life."
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1831 - 1863 (31 years)
