150 years ago today . . . in the year 1864 . . . in our family history . . . James M. Hall penned the following words in his Civil War-era Journal . . .
To day the boys are at work on the stables. Sam [Samuel Houston Sharp] rode my horse Ratler to Crockett and was conscripted and put into the army of the Confederacy Sans Serimonia. I let Sam have 100$ before he left for Crockett. Mother [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and the children [Roberta and Toby] left for home. In the evening Mr. Thomas Sharp arrived from the wheat region with two loads of wheat which he left at the mill. He and Mr. Anderson remained with me for the night. I ground 51 bushels of corn. Weather changeable and cold, with a hard freeze at night.
This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper
of this family history blog . . . and the history recorded in Hall's
Journal provides the only evidence we are aware of that our Sam
(apparently unwillingly) served in the Confederate Army . . .
150 years ago today . . . on this date in our family history . . . in Houston County, Texas . . . James Madison Hall writes about the arrest of Samuel Houston Sharp as well as himself . . . on charges of being liable to conscription . . . this Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .
Friday, January 15th, 1864. To day the boys are still at work on the stables. In the evening while Sam & I were running the mills a file of soldiers rode up and arrested us and forthwith shut up my mills and marched us off to Crockett like common felons. when we reached Crockett we were imprisoned in the Court house and a guard mounted over us. We were not allowed any fire or food, neither were we permitted to converse with any person. So we were kept without any charge against us but upon mere suspicion that we were liable to conscription. So much for our boasted rights as Southern gentlemen and for the causes which led us to sever our connection with the old government. Had I been thus treated by the Yankees I could have borne it all without complaint for I could not have expected any thing else, but coming from those who ought to be our guardians instead of our oppressors comes exceedingly hard, and not well calculated to make good and true soldiers to the Confederacy. I predict that it is but the beginning of the reign of Military despotism and will brake down our once happy land of freedom. I was again discharged late in the night but how long before I am again arrested God only knows. Sam however was kept in close confinement all night. Weather clear & cold.