The Civil War Period

The Civil War, or War of the Rebellion, is of contemporary interest to all Americans, especially those who had family members or ancestors personally involved. Our Watlington Hammond family had close relatives involved in both Northern and Southern armies. Families in Western Tennessee were more intimately involved in that both Federal and Confederate forces operated over this territory from 1862 until 1865.

At least three Watlington relatives were enlisted in Confederate forces, including Michael C. Watlington, Sterling Watlington, and their nephew, William (Billie) Houston, who served under an alias as he was under-age.

Among the Hammond/Hale/Craig northern relatives, there were at least seven relatives enrolled in the U.S. Federal and State units. They included:

• Charles Newell Hammond, 96th Illinois Infantry Volunteer Regiment

• Edwin O. Hammond, 45th Illinois Infantry Volunteer Regiment, wounded in Pocataligo, So. Carolina (near Charlestown)

• Royal Cornelius Hammond, 92nd Infantry Regiment, U.S. Regular Army, wounded in action before Atlanta

• Dr. Hiram Irving Cozad^5.1, attached to Rosecran's Union Army forces as a doctor

• Seth Craig, 27th Iowa Infantry Volunteer Regiment, unit served in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

• Samuel Craig, 27th Iowa Infantry Volunteer Regiment, died at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, 1864

• David Craig, 45th Illinois Infantry Volunteer Regiment, discharged in Jan. 1864, from Hanover, Illinois, as disabled

With this many relatives in the Union Army, it's not surprising that relatives were involved in many major battles, including Pittsburgh Landing (Shiloh), Tenn., Corinth, Miss., Chattanooga, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga., and Sherman's March to the Sea, across Georgia and later South Carolina.

All three Hammond brothers saw action in Tennessee as well as Dr. Hiram Cozad, a Hale from Ohio. Seth Craig's 27th Iowa Inf. Regiment marched across Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama, to receive the surrender of that city and port.

The outstanding record of the 96th Illinois Inf. Regiment at Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Sherman's March to the Sea is virtually the entire story of the battle for the Deep South. Edwin O. Hammond and David Craig both had a part in that regiment. Charles N. and his engineer helped win at Atlanta, and Royal C. as well as Edwin O. Hammond were involved in the capture of Atlanta. More details about the Hammonds are included here and additional details about the Craig brothers start on page .