Notes for SIMON AUTRY: KENTUCKY FAMILY RECORDS, VOLUME 20, PAGE 70 SIMON AUTRY, CIVIL WAR SOLDIER Compiled by Margaret Alford 1434 Hickory Lane, Owensboro, KY 42303 Simon Autry was born in 1837 in Ohio County, Kentucky (1850-Ohio,1860-Warren census). He was the oldest of eight children of Benjamin Autry and Sarah Likens who had married in Ohio County on 1 February 1836. Benjamin Autry was the son of John Autry and Dolly Piper (Deed Book Ohio county pg. 247). John Autry was born before 1775 and died in 1835. Sarah (Sally) Liken was the daughter of Mark Likens who consented to the marriage in 1836 (Consent, Ohio County, KY). Mark Likens married Jane Kown in Ohio County, Ky on 4 Aug 1809. Mark was dead before 1840, but Jane was alive in 1850, age 69, born in SC (Census Ohio Co.) John Autry had a brother, Alexander Autry who also came, before 1820, to Ohio County. Alexander was on the Cumberland County, Kentucky 1810 Census. John Autry was on Barren County tax list in 1807 and the 1810 census. These are believed to be the sons of Revolutionary soldier John Autry from North Carolina who was killed by the Creek Indians in Wilkes County, Georgia on 2 February 1788 (Record, Georgia Archives). Simon Autry married in Warren County, Kentucky, to Malvina Young on 14 September 1858 (Bond date 13 Sept.) She was the daughter of Matthew Young, Jr. and Elizabeth Keown, who are buried in Green River Union Cemetery, Warren County, Kentucky. He died 18 March 1859, aged 75 years. She was born 12 June 1797 and died 14 July 1891. Matthew Young Jr's parents were Matthew Young Sr. and Janette (Jeanette) McCurdy of Abbeville District, South Carolina. "Jennie" McCurdy was a daughter of John McCurdy Sr. and Margaret Mc Bride ( His will April 1784, Abbeville Dist, SC). Simon and Malvina (Young) Autry had only one child, Matthew Benjamin Autry, born 17 July, 1859. died 31 July 1931 who is buried in Green River Union Cemetery. He married Augusta Belle Young. Their daughter, Stella Essie Autry, married William Edward Childress and had 14 children, including Flora Irene Childress. She married Cecil Alford and had Henry C. Alford who married Margaret Simmons Alford (compiler). Simon Autry enlisted in Company H of the 17th Regiment Kentucky Infantry at Hartford, Ohio County, Ky on 3 October 1861 for a three year period. He is on the Muster roll for July and August 1863 and noted as present. The roll of September and October 1863 notes "killed in battle of Chickamauga Sept 19 1863 Final Statements forwarded". He was apparently buried at the battle field. His widow Malvina never remarried and lived out her life in the area north of Richardsville in Warren County, Ky. Her tombstone, in Green River Union Cemetery, near that of her son, states that she was born 20 July 1831 and died on 8 November 1908. She drew a widow's pension of $12.00 a month. The last payment was on 4 November 1908. Kentucky Family Records, Volume 20, pages 71, 72, and part of 73 On pg. 71 is a copy of her Declaration For widow's Army Pension (Malvina Young Autry) and pg 72 also is others that helped with the pension application. This was signed by J. B. Clark, Clerk b. B. M. Durhamd clk Kentucky Family Records, Volume 20, page 73 CHICKAMAUGA - RIVER OF DEATH Chickamauga, a word taken from the Cherokee language meaning "River of Death" became just that on September 19 and 20 in 1863. Often called the "Great Battle of the West", 37,129 Confederate and Union soldiers were killed or wounded during the two day struggle, a terrible sacrifice for the prize, Chattanooga, the rail center of the middle South. Twenty-nine of the 33 states east of the Rocky Mountains had troops engaged in the Chattanooga Campaign. Four had troops on both sides. The Kentucky monument on the Battlefield is in honor of Kentucky's troops, both North and South. Simon Autry was killed in the early afternoon on the first day of the battle. The Seventeenth Kentucky Infantry was attached to the Army of the Cumberland (Union) commanded by General William Starke Rosecrans. Simon Autry served in Co. "H" commanded by Capt. Robert M. Davis, native of Ohio County, who is buried at Pt. Pleasant Methodist Church near Centertown, Kentucky. At Chickamauga the Seventeeth Kentucky was in the Twenty-first Army Corps commanded by General Thomas L. Crittenden. The Third division, under the command of General Horatio P. Van Cleve, contained the Seventeenth, as did the First Brigade of this Division under General Samuel Beaty. Colonel Alexander M. Stout was in command of the Kentucky troops. The Seventeenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry was mustered into service at Calhoun, Kentucky on January 4, 1862 and discharged at Louisville, Kentucky on January 23, 1865. This unit of the Union Army served more than three years, took part in six of the largest battles of the war and fought in many lesser ones. They marched from Calhoun through Shiloh, Corinth, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and fought their last battle at Franklin, Tennessee. There were probably about 1,473 men enlisted in the Seventeenth. It is difficult to determine the exact number of casualities. Some listed as deserters or missing may have been battle casualities and others who were wounded, may have died later at home. The book by John Blackburn, A Hundred Miles A Hundred Heartbreaks, lists a total of 661 casualties. As the seventeenth neared the end of its forced march from Chattanooga to Atlanta, Col. Stout paid this tribute to his soldiers, "My heart has been broken a hundred times in a hundred miles. But, Oh! the gallantry of my men".