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Thomas Stallsworth was born about 1838 in Grainger County, TN, son of Amos
Stallsworth and Catherine Murphy. He died 6 Jan 1904 of typhoid fever and is
buried in the Pine Hill Cemetery in Rockcastle County.
Thomas was married three times, to Penelopie Barron, Sarah Brewer, and Mary
Overbay.
Thomas served in the 59th TN Mounted Infantry (Confederate) during the Civil
War. Also in that unit were his brothers, John and Samuel, and first cousin,
Thomas. The 59th TN was one of the units involved in defending Vicksburg during
the Union assault. He was paroled after Vicksburg fell. There are some stories
circulated that Thomas was killed during the war or that he deserted.
Obviously, he wasn't killed, but, according to the 1890 census, was wounded in
the arm. As for the desertion story, he didn't leave Grainger County, TN, until
after the war, about 1866. Normally a deserter wouldn't hang around home and
have children, especially a Confederate deserter, since the patrols were
constantly out rounding up deserters and any other able-bodied man toward the
end of the war. The 59th TN was exchanged (paroled soldiers signed an oath not
to bear arms again until there was a "prisoner" exchange made, and
Grant pretty much put an end to that when he took charge, knowing the Union had
many more men than did the Confederacy) in September 1863, but many soldiers
(actually most) in the original regiment didn't return to duty. Thomas was
probably among those. Perhaps he'd seen enough fighting and starving at
Vicksburg to do him. Life for former Confederate soldiers and sympathizers in
East Tennessee was not at all pleasant after the war, which is probably what
prompted him to leave.
Thomas was a member at Pine Hill Baptist Church and served as a delegate from
that church to the 1886
Rockcastle Baptist
Association held at
Line Creek Baptist
Church.
Thanks to David Dalton for the photo.
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