Charging a Hill 150 Years Ago Today

My Great Great Grandparents
William Jackson Aylor and Roberta Jane (Bowie) Aylor

Today is July 3.  While I'll be in Fairfax County Circuit Court arguing some motions through lunch, I'll also be thinking about how lucky I am to exist, in part, due to the bravery of my Great Great Grandfather who saw some of the fiercest combat seen on the planet when he was half my age. 

On this day around 2:00 p.m. one hundred and fifty years ago, my Great Great Grandfather, William Jackson Aylor, age 22, charged up Cemetery Ridge into a hailstorm of Union bullets and artillery.  He was lucky to make it out alive.

A cousin, J.R. Bowie, took an oral history from him in 1928 before he passed away on my Grandfather's 18th birthday - January 1, 1929. 

After volunteering for the Confederate Army on his 21st birthday at the Orange Courthouse, he enlisted in Company G of the 7th Virginia Infantry, Kemper's Brigade, Pickett's Division under Captain Andrew Bolen. 

On the first day of Gettysburg, he reported being in Chambersburg "engaged in tearing up a railroad to prevent enemy communication with the north."  They marched to Gettysburg on the second day.  On July 3, 1863, his Division formed the right flank of Pickett's Charge.  My Grandfather said he "went into this charge with sixty rounds of ammunition and says that he fired his carbine until it go so hot that his hands were literally blistered." 

Civil War Commission Publishes New Resources

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Virginia and the state's Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission is coordinating the celebration over the next five years.

They recently posted up a new tool so that you can track your ancestors - I've posted the link below. It's very cool.

Civil War Sesquicentennial - Walk in their Shoes

For example, my Great Great Grandfather (my grandfather's grandfather) fought in Kemper's Brigade from Madison County otherwise known at the 7th Virginia Infantry. I had known he had survived Pickett's Charge and was captured eight days before Appomattox at Five Forks, but I had no idea they had seen action at Bull Run (#1) or Fredericksburg.

Unfortunately, you cannot search by name. I'm still trying to figure out one of my other grandfather's regiment so I can track him down.

They're encouraging anyone with information regarding the regiments to digitize their documents to consolidate source materials for the Civil War 150 Legacy Project.

Also, note that the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run is on Thursday, July 21, 2011. The Commission is sponsoring a commemoration at the Manassas National Battlefield from 9:30-10:30 a.m. If you're not stuck in traffic court like me, head on out!