Derick, I am going to have to agree with Mike and others. I could not call these soldiers cowards. Perhaps something else describes them, but not cowards. It probably took more courage to switch over than it did to stay where they were. My great grandfather had the choice of going to prison or taking the oath. He took the oath, but he was not a coward--he did fight in the battle of Chickamauga/Chattanooga, Wheelers Raid into Middle Tennessee and a multitude of skirmishes. He probably did what was best for him and his family at the time. Lucky for me. David ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derick Hartshorn" <DerickH@charter.net> To: <civil-war@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 12:32 PM Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Company E, 53rd Regiment, NC Troops - desertions > While searching out the military record for a friend, I discovered a > remarkable fact regarding Company E, 53rd Regiment, NC Troops raised > in Surry County, NC. > On November 10, 1862, eleven men from this unit deserted to the enemy > at Drewry's Bluff, Va. While that may be unusual, the fact that > Company E was deeply infected with the disease of desertion. In all, > 23 men from this company deserted, a large number joining the Union army. > > Does anyone know of another unit with this degree of cowardice? > Does anyone know what event occurred on November 10, 1862 to cause so > many mass desertions? > > The following is a list of the cowards: > (Not included are those who actually deserted but returned to their > units. Otherwise, the list would have added another dozen names.) > > Adkins,Jerry - enlisted 1 Jan 1863, deserted 18 May 1863 > Allen,Joseph A. - enlisted 28 Feb 1863, deserted 21 Feb 1864, Joined US > Army > Beasley,John H. - enlisted 27 Mar 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Colson,Charles H. - enlisted 17 Apr 1862, deserted 4 Oct 1863, Joined US > Army > Cook,Alfred D. - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Cook,Eli - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's Bluff > Cook,James M. - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Cook,John T. - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Cummings,Henry H. - enlisted 27 Mar 1862, deserted 24 Dec 1863 > Doss,Matthew M. - enlisted 2 Apr 1862, deserted 15 Oct 1862, at > Drewry's Bluff (deserted twice) > Goins,William H. - enlisted 7 Apr 1862, deserted 1 Jul 1863 > Gordon,Nicholas W. - enlisted 27 Mar 1862, deserted (never reported for > duty) > Gravelly,Hughes M. - enlisted 27 Mar 1862, deserted 28 Mar 1862, Joined US > Army > Gwyn,Johnson - enlisted 1 Mar 1863, deserted 12 Oct 1864, Joined US > Army (deserted twice) > Hawks,Daniel - enlisted 31 Mar 1862, deserted 9 Dec 1862 > Hicks,William H. - enlisted 13 May 1863, deserted 10 Aug 1863 > Hunter,Jeremiah - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Hunter,Lewis - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Jackson,Caleb - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 24 Dec 1863 > Jessup,Jacob - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 24 Dec 1863, at Drewry's > Bluff > Jessup,Lee - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at Drewry's Bluff > Jessup,Meshack - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at > Drewry's Bluff Joined US Army > Jessup,William S. - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at > Drewry's Bluff > Linville,Newell H. - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 10 Nov 1862, at > Drewry's Bluff (deserted twice) > McBride,William P. - enlisted 16 Apr 1862, deserted 15 May 1862, at Camp > Mangum > Pell,Elijah - enlisted 16 Oct 1862, deserted 18 May 1863 > Simmons,Amos - enlisted 27 Mar 1862, deserted 15 Sep 1862, at Drewry's > Bluff > Simpson,Sandy - enlisted 4 Mar 1863, deserted 18 May 1863 > Simpson,William - enlisted 1 Jan 1863, deserted 18 May 1863 > Tickle,James - enlisted 11 Jan 1864, deserted 12 Oct 1864, Joined US Army > Watson,John H. - enlisted 29 Mar 1862, deserted 15 Sep 1862, Joined US > Army > Watson,William A. - enlisted 29 Mar 1862, deserted 27 Aug 1862 > Wilson,Enoch - enlisted 15 Apr 1862, deserted 1 May 1863 > > --Derick > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CIVIL-WAR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.11/1161 - Release Date: > 11/30/2007 12:12 PM >