War of the Rebellion: a North and South Family

Part of my personal research has included a search for the civil war records of my paternal 2nd great grandfather, John Worden. I finally found his pension file and other war records, after two decades of looking for the right soldier. Turns out that there is an interesting story to this; one that confirms something my mother alway said. When I was growing up, it was her unfounded contention that her side of the family had fought with my father's side in the war. She had no specific reason to think this, other than knowing there were soldiers on both sides. It was just a gut feeling. What would the odds be that they'd really ever have had close contact? Surely a long shot!

I am now able to place both men on opposite sides of the same fence, so to speak, at a POW camp.

My maternal 3rd great grandfather was David Milton Tannehill. He was captured at Snyder's bluff, along with his son, William. They were both send to POW camps. William died at Fort Delaware, and his father was sent on to Point Lookout camp in Maryland, where he died in March of 1864.

In John Worden's pension file is a sworn affidavit, detailing his service record. It turns out that he was sent to Point Lookout as a guard from fall of 1863 until the fall of 1864! He was there during the same time as David Tannehill. Here is that transcribed and excerpted portion of John Worden's affidavit:

Read more at Heritage-Files.com.