History
7A • Daily Corinthian
Sunday, February 16, 2014
A tale of two soldiers Family ties bring Civil War history close to home BY TOM PARSON NPS Ranger
Well folks, this article is a bit of a milestone. If you have read them all, you are now reading story No. 100. There will be a change to my stories after today; they will be much shorter and the topics will stray a bit from the old formula; we’ll talk about the Interpretive Center, Shiloh, the park staff, visitors, and yes, there will still be plenty of tales of the Civil War. It’s been a wonderful ride and I leave you with one final “long” story. It’s a very simple story actually, just a bit about a couple of average soldiers who passed through Corinth during their wanderings. The first was young Milton S. Holcombe, a student from Mobile, Alabama. He was a descendent of Thomas Holcombe who left Wales for Massachusetts in 1630. A further nine generations back leads to a knight, Sir John Holcombe of Devon, England in the late 1200’s. Milton was born in LaFourche Parish, Louisiana, though his roots went back through Alabama, Virginia and New England. In the days before the Civil War he was attending Spring Hill College in Mobile, the third oldest Jesuit University in the country. He was 5’ 8” with blue eyes and red hair and was only 16 when the war broke out. He returned home long enough to join Company G, the “La Fourche Creoles,” of the 18th Louisiana Infantry. Milton was mustered in as a private and reported to his regiment in training at Camp Moore near Tangipahoa. He didn’t remain with the regiment very long, however, and in October of 1861 he secured a transfer to serve with his brother Edward, an officer in the 17th Alabama Infantry. He met the regiment in Montgomery and then headed south for a bit of garrison duty in Pensacola and then on to West Tennessee. The 17th Alabama was assigned to the brigade of Brigadier General John K. Jackson
1st Lt. Judson McCoy served in the 54th Ohio Infantry. and in late March of 1862 they came to Corinth in the big Confederate build-up prior to Shiloh. On April 4th the regiment marched out of town on what we know as the Shiloh Road. Two days later they were in the largest battle of the war to that point. Jackson’s Brigade, with the 17th Alabama, got into quite a scrap on the far right of the Confederate line near the current Tour Stop #14. They were fighting men from Illinois and Ohio in the brigade of Colonel David Stuart. Within the brigade were the men of the 54th Ohio who were easy to spot in their flamboyant Zouave uniforms. Somewhere in the ranks of the 54th Ohio was Company A and Corporal Judson McCoy. Judson was a 24 year-old farmer from Wayne Township about 30 miles south of Columbus. He stood 5’ 9’’ and looked at the world through deep set grey eyes. He was a bachelor but pretty Almira Rodgers had his heart and it was only a matter of time. He enlisted in the 54th Ohio in early September of 1861and before the winter was over they were in Paducah, Kentucky on garrison duty. In March of ’62 the regiment was assigned to the division of Gen. William T.
The headstone marks the grave of 2nd Lt. Milton S. Holcombe, 17th Alabama Infantry. Sherman and they were sent up the Tennessee River on steamboats. Their mission; a raid to burn a railroad bridge over Yellow Creek in Mississippi. The raid was called off when the rising waters of the river made the operation impossible. The boats slowly cruised back down the river to the first river landing still above the flood water; Pittsburg Landing. Sherman set up his headquarters near the small wooden Shiloh Church and Stuart’s Brigade was sent off to the far left to guard a ford on Lick Creek. The terrain was steep near the river and deeply cut with ravines. It was here , on April 6th, that Milton Holcomb and Judson McCoy came within a few hundred yards of each other during what was for both their first battle. Hours later, not long before sunset, the 17th Alabama was involved in what was to be the last attack of the day; a crossing of the flooded Dill Branch ravine and up the steep slope into the open mouths of over fifty cannon. Behind the cannon, near General Grant’s headquarters, was the 54th Ohio. There are red and blue position markers for both of these proud units just a short walk from the doors of the visitor
center. Both units were engaged again the next day as the fighting raged over the same fields as it had the day before. Somewhere along the way Milton lost his gun and had to sign for it when he returned to Corinth. The Siege of Corinth found the two men on opposing sides but not in a position where they could do each other harm. Milton’s 17th Alabama was part of the Reserve Corps and saw no action during the month long siege. Judson and the 54th Ohio were on the far right of the Union army and were brought up as reinforcements during the May 17th fight at the Russell House. (See my article “The prettiest little fight of the war” in the December 22, 2013 issue of the Daily Corinthian.) And here the two men’s stories part, at least for a while. The 17th Alabama was sent to Mobile for garrison duty and for a time they were designated as heavy artillerists. The call to action came again in the spring of 1864 when the regiment was assigned to the Army of Tennessee and sent to Georgia to defend Atlanta. Milton’s brother, Edward, had been promoted to Lt. Colonel and was in command of the regiment for much of the Atlanta Campaign. Milton was still just a lowly private but he had a job that was usually reserved for the bravest man in the outfit; he was the color bearer for the 17th. In June of ’64 all color bearers were promoted to the rank of Ensign, or 2nd Lieutenant. The endorsement for Milton’s promotion read, “Holcombe has been, and now is, color bearer of the Regt. He has served three years and acted very gallantly in the battle of Shiloh and on other occasions.” That winter the regiment was decimated at Franklin and Nashville and there were few in the ranks when the war was over. Milton was not among them. Following the devastating defeat at Nashville he found a quiet spot in North Alabama where he met a young lady
named Sarah Jones and decided to settle down. At the close of the war me made his way to Eastport and signed his parole. He settled down along the banks of Second Creek near Waterloo where his descendants remain to this day. He passed away in 1879 at the age of 34 and is buried in the Williams Chapel Cemetery. As for Judson, he fought with the 54th Ohio through the Vicksburg Campaigns, marched to the relief of Chattanooga, and then on to Atlanta. He had been promoted up the through the ranks and was a 1st Lieutenant in command of Company A. At the blood bath that was Kennesaw Mountain, he saw his best friend Hervey Rodgers killed, the brother of his finance. November of 1864 marked the end of his three year enlistment and Judson had seen enough of war. He took his discharge and went home to Ohio and to his beloved Almira. Fifty days after he left the army they were married. Like Milton, Judson settled down to the life of a farmer. He went to meet his maker in 1899 at the age of 61 and is buried in the Good Hope Cemetery in Fayette County, Ohio. Neither of these men was rich or held public office. They each fought bravely during the war but never rose to high rank. So why talk about these two guys for my final article? Good question. You see, Milton Sayer Holcomb was my wife Nita’s greatgreat-grandfather. As for me, my mom’s maiden name was McCoy; Judson McCoy was my great-great-grand-uncle. Our kin folk walked the streets of Corinth over a hundred and fifty years ago, along the very streets we live, work and walk on. Learning more about our people has given both of us an even closer, deeper, bond to this wonderful city we call home. Just knowing Judson walked these streets makes me smile. In fact I think I’ll go for a little walk right now. I’ll see ya about town.
Assistance Retiree breakfast The Caterpillar Retiree Breakfast is held the first Monday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at Martha’s Menu in Corinth.
Mississippi Youth Challenge Mississippi Youth Challenge Academy features a structured environment with a focus on job training, social skills and self-discipline. Other academic opportunities include high school diploma, college classes through a local university and nationally certified construction skills. The academy is designed to meet the needs of today’s “at risk” youth. Both males and females, 16-18 years old, can apply. Applicants can earn their GEDs. Tuition is free. For more information, call 1-800-5076253 or visit www.ngycp. org/state/ms.
Volunteers needed • Hospice Advantage in Corinth is looking for volunteers in the surrounding area: Corinth, Tippah, Tishomingo and Prentiss County. Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to your community and lend a helping hand to the elderly. For more information, call Carla Nelson, volunteer coordinator with Hospice Advantage on
becoming a volunteer at 662-665-9185 or 662279-0435. The website is hospiceadvantage. com. ■ Magnolia Regional Hospice is currently seeking individuals or groups to be trained as volunteers. Hospice is a program of caring for individuals who are terminally ill and choose to remain at home with family or a caregiver. Some of the ministry opportunities for volunteers are sitting with the patient in their homes to allow the caregiver a break, grocery shopping, reading to a patient, craft opportunities, bereavement/grief support and in-office work. For more information, contact Lila Wade, volunteer coordinator at 662-293-1405 or 1-800843-7553. ■ Legacy Hospice is looking for volunteers. Legacy needs special people with special hearts and volunteers who are wanting to help others. Their duties will be helping with the support of patients and caregivers, writing letters, making phone calls, and community activities. There is a training period involved at no cost. If interested, contact Lanell Coln, volunteer coordinator at Legacy Hospice, 301 East Waldron St, Corinth or call 662-2865333.
Senior activities The First Presbyterian
Senior Adult Ministry has two fitness classes available to senior adults. Judy Smelzer leads a stretching/toning class on Mondays at 9 a.m. in the fellowship hall. There is no charge. FPC is also hosting a Wii sports class for senior adults on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. There is no cost to participate. Call the church office at 286-6638 to register or Kimberly Grantham at 284-7498.
Red Cross The Northeast Mississippi Chapter of the Red Cross offers a wide variety of assistance and services, including disaster relief. The Northeast Mississippi Chapter includes 16 counties. It is headquartered in Tupelo, with offices in Tishomingo, New Albany, Starkville and Columbus. Although Red Cross no longer has a Corinth office, the organization wants to stress it continues to offer services in Alcorn County. People seeking disaster assistance in Northeast Mississippi can call the Tupelo headquarters during office hours at 662-842-6101. The tollfree after hours phone line is 1-855-891-7325. The Red Cross’ service line for the armed forces is 877-272-7337. They also offer health and safety training, including first aid, baby-sitting and CPR, as well as disaster
training for businesses. To learn more about the Red Cross health and safety training call 1-800-733-2767.
collecting) is invited to attend. For more information, contact Sharon at 287-0987.
Marine Corps meet
Friendship class The Friendship Class meets weekly on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church on Shiloh Road. This group of mentally challenged adults and mentors enjoy sharing time together, games, crafts, singing and refreshments. For more information, call the church office at 286-6638.
Story Hour Pre-school Story Hour is held each Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Corinth Library. Year-round art exhibits are also on display and educational non-profit groups meet in the auditorium monthly. The Corinth Friends of the Library hold their ongoing book sale inside the library. Hardback, paperback and audio books, and VHS and DVD donations to the library are always appreciated. For more information, call 287-2441.
Quilt Guild meets The Cross City Piecemakers Quilt Guild meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Homemakers Extension Office (beside the arena) at 1 p.m. Anyone interested in quilting (learning or
The Corinth Marine Corps League meets the first Tuesday of every month at Martha’s Menu, downtown Corinth, at 6 p.m.
GED version to expire GED test-takers who need to finish the current version of GED need to do so by the end of 2013. The GED test contains five parts that can be taken separately, but must all be passed to receive a high school credential. GED testtakers who have started the 2002 Series GED Test, but not finished and passed every section, have until the end of 2013 to do so. Otherwise, their scores will expire, and will have to start over again with the new 2014 GED test. Test-takers can find out more information by visiting the local adult education or GED class. In the Corinth area, contact the adult education instructor at 662-6962314 or visit 1259 South Harper Rd. in Corinth.
Children with disabilities The Alcorn and Corinth School Districts are participating in an ongoing statewide effort to iden-
tify, locate and evaluate children birth through the age of 21 who have a physical, mental, communicative and/or emotional disability. Early identification of children in need of special educational experiences is important to each child. The information gathered from contacts with parents other agencies will also be used to help determine present and future program needs as progress is made toward the goal of providing a free, appropriate public education to all children with a disability. Contact Stephanie Clausel at the Alcorn School District or Linda Phillips at the Corinth School District with information on any children who may have a disability by calling or writing to: Alcorn School District, Special Services, 31 County Road 401, Corinth, MS 38834, 662-286-7734 or Corinth School District Special Services, 1204 North Harper Road, Corinth, MS 38834, 662-2872425.
Genealogy society The Alcorn County Genealogical Society is located at the southeast corner of the Alcorn County Courthouse basement in the old veterans’ services office. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Society can be contacted at 662-286-0075 or email acgs2@att.net.